allonlinenovel Chapter 684 Breathing
Chapter 684 Breathing
Chapter 685 Reunion of Brother and Sister
In the back garden, the moonlight, like water, spills over the winding stone paths, the lush greenery, and the intricately carved pillars, making everything seem as if draped in a thin veil of silver frost, hazy and poetic.
A gentle breeze, like tender fingertips, weaves through the branches and flowers, carrying a rich floral fragrance that lingers at the nose, inviting Li Yan to take a light sniff.
The chirping of insects at night played a nocturne, which intertwined with the faint sounds of string and bamboo instruments coming from a banquet in the distance, creating a unique symphony.
Li Yan strolled slowly along the stone path, her skirt brushing against the grass, rustling softly.
It's clear that the outside world suits her better.
Li Yan was lost in thought when she suddenly lurched around the corner and bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.
"what!"
In an instant, she lost her balance, cried out in surprise, and instinctively reached out to grab something, but only touched a piece of unfamiliar fabric.
In her panic, she stumbled backward until her heel hit a low stone by the roadside, the pain instantly filling her eyes with tears.
Once she regained her balance, she looked up and saw the figure of a middle-aged man.
He wore a dark gray suit, simple in style but neat and well-fitting. Time had etched deep and shallow wrinkles on his face, and his hair was streaked with silver. His eyes were deep and full of shock, like the calm surface of a lake shattered by a boulder.
"Sister?!" The middle-aged man froze on the spot as if under a spell the moment he saw Li Yan's face. His lips trembled slightly.
After a long while, the word "sister" came out, mixed with disbelief and the overwhelming joy of having something lost and found.
Upon hearing this, Li Yan's heart skipped a beat.
She stared intently at the person before her, and memories surged back like a tidal wave: her brother's doting smile when she was young, his tall and protective back, and his tearful and desolate appearance when they parted—all these images appeared before her eyes.
Li Yan's feelings of never seeing her brother again turned into a bitter taste in her throat at this moment.
Her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face like pearls from a broken string, each one hitting the ground and soaking the area.
"Brother...is it really you?" Li Yan murmured, her voice choked with sobs, almost inaudible. Her hands were clenched tightly in front of her, her knuckles white, and her body trembled slightly.
She longed to rush into her brother's arms and relive the warmth of her childhood.
But the current events are so bizarre that they make her fearful, afraid that this reunion is just a pipe dream.
The middle-aged man's eyes also reddened, and tears welled up in them.
He took a step forward, as if wanting to get closer to confirm the person in front of him, but then hesitated for fear of being too abrupt. He froze on the spot, his hands rising and falling, his voice trembling even more: "It's me, Xiaoyan. Where have you been all these years? Your brother has been looking for you for so long!"
"Brother, I..."
Li Yan's eyes glistened with tears. She opened her mouth, wanting to recount her years of wandering, living under someone else's roof, and encountering many twists and turns, but when the words reached her lips, only bitterness remained.
"I... have been wandering around and have been looking for you, but I have never heard from you."
She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet her brother's gaze, and spoke softly.
Like a child who has made a mistake, the former resilience seems to have been stripped away, leaving only the inherent fragility and longing in their bones.
After a brief eye contact, Li Yan was in turmoil, but reason ultimately prevailed over emotional impulse.
She took a deep breath, hurriedly wiped away her tears, and forced a weak smile.
But that smile was uglier than a cry, like a withered flower struggling to survive after a storm.
"Brother, I... have something to do, I'll be going now."
After saying that, she lifted her skirt, turned around, and quickly fled.
The middle-aged man was left standing frozen in place, gazing at the empty path, his eyes filled with tears and a sense of loss. The moonlight shone down, casting his lonely silhouette.