Chapter 6: A Familiar Tension

When she arrived, the grand entrance of the Shen residence stood before her, a stark contrast to her modest home. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell. Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal Qianrou, beaming with excitement.

"You’re here!" Qianrou practically pulled her inside. "Come, Mom and Dad will be so happy to see you."

Xiaoyu barely had time to remove her shoes before she was ushered into the living room, where Mr. and Mrs. Shen sat, their faces lighting up at the sight of her.

"Xiaoyu, dear!" Mrs. Shen greeted warmly, standing up to embrace her. "It’s been too long. How have you been?"

"I’ve been well, Auntie," Xiaoyu said politely, returning the hug. "It’s really nice to see you both."

Mr. Shen nodded approvingly. "You’ve grown even more graceful. How’s your mother?"

"She’s doing fine, thank you for asking," Xiaoyu replied with a small smile.

The warm exchange continued for a while, filling her heart with a familiar sense of belonging. The Shen family had always treated her kindly, and their home held a special place in her heart.

Just as she was beginning to relax, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Her body tensed slightly, already knowing who it was before she even turned around.

Shen Yichen.

Dressed in a simple black sweater and gray sweatpants, he looked effortlessly composed. His gaze flickered over her before he gave a slight nod. "You’re here," he said, his tone unreadable.

"Yeah," Xiaoyu responded, equally neutral.

Qianrou, either oblivious or deliberately ignoring the tension, grinned. "Yichen, aren’t you glad Xiaoyu’s here?"

He simply hummed in response before walking past them, heading toward the kitchen.

Xiaoyu exhaled softly. He wasn’t being as cold as before, but the distance between them was still present.

Mrs. Shen placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don’t mind him, dear. He’s always been like this."

"I know," Xiaoyu murmured. And she did.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of conversations, laughter, and small moments of comfort. Xiaoyu and Qianrou spent hours in her room, chatting about everything and nothing, while Yichen mostly kept to himself, occasionally passing by without saying much.

As evening settled, the dining table was set, and the Shen family, along with Xiaoyu, gathered for dinner. The meal was warm and lively, but Xiaoyu couldn’t help but notice how Yichen barely spoke unless spoken to.

At one point, as she reached for a dish, Yichen, who was also reaching for it, hesitated for a second before retracting his hand and letting her take it first. Their eyes met briefly, a flicker of something unreadable passing between them, but neither spoke.

The night continued, the air filled with unspoken words and quiet glances.

As Xiaoyu prepared to leave later that night, Qianrou pouted. "Can’t you just sleep over?"

Xiaoyu chuckled. "Next time, I promise."

Mrs. Shen squeezed her hand. "Come visit again soon, dear."

"I will, Auntie. Thank you for having me," Xiaoyu said sincerely.

As she stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against her skin, she heard a voice behind her.

"Wait."

She turned to see Yichen standing by the door, hands in his pockets. He studied her for a moment before speaking again.

"I’ll walk you home."

Xiaoyu blinked in surprise. "You don’t have to—"

"Just wait," he said, already stepping inside to grab his jacket.

A soft sigh left her lips, but she didn’t protest. As they began their quiet walk back to her house, Xiaoyu realized something—despite everything, Yichen still cared in his own quiet way.

As they walked side by side through the quiet streets, the only sounds were their footsteps against the pavement and the occasional rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. The silence wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn’t entirely easy either.

Xiaoyu stole a glance at Yichen, who was walking with his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable as always.

After a few minutes, he finally broke the silence.

"You don’t call me gēgē anymore."

Xiaoyu blinked, caught off guard by the sudden statement. "Huh?"

Yichen kept his gaze forward, his voice calm but firm. "You used to call me that all the time. What happened?"

She hesitated, not sure how to answer. "I… I don’t know. I just stopped, I guess."

"Why?"

She frowned slightly. "I didn’t think you’d care."

Yichen scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "Of course, I care."

Xiaoyu bit her lip. She wasn’t sure when she had stopped calling him gēgē, but now that he brought it up, she realized it had been a long time. Maybe because things felt different now. Maybe because she wasn’t sure where they stood anymore.

"You should start calling me that again," Yichen continued, glancing at her briefly. "It suits you."

She rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a small smile. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you sound better when you say it," he said simply. "And it feels weird when you don’t."

Xiaoyu looked at him, studying his expression. He wasn’t teasing—he was serious. There was something oddly endearing about the way he said it, as if he actually missed hearing it.

A small warmth spread in her chest, but she quickly looked away. "Fine," she mumbled. "I’ll think about it."

Yichen smirked slightly. "Good."

The rest of the walk was quieter, but the air between them felt a little lighter. And for the first time in a long while, Xiaoyu felt like maybe—just maybe—the distance between them wasn’t as big as she thought.

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