It was the first time two friends were visiting, so Pei Yi and Pei Qiqi had been preparing since early morning. The weather had cooled. Pei Qiqi wore a blue cotton shirt and jeans, standing on a small stool to help sift flour. He glanced at his uncle’s dark circles and couldn’t help himself.
“Uncle, maybe you should go back to sleep.”
Pei Yi yawned hugely and mumbled, “That won’t do. Lele and Niu Niu are your friends. I want to help you be a good host.”
“But your eyes are really dark.”
And they might scare Lele and Niu Niu. Pei Yi was a designer who often worked late on blueprints. He’d only slept two hours last night before getting up to help.
Hua Zhao rolled her eyes. “You’re going to drop dead one day, and only then will you learn.”
Pei Qiqi’s face fell. He ran to Pei Yi and took his hand, looking up at Hua Zhao with big eyes.
Hua Zhao quickly smiled: “Auntie was just joking. He won’t die. It’s like they say: a bad weed never dies.”
Pei Qiqi held his uncle’s hand tightly, looking up at him.
Pei Yi knew he was worried. He bent down and pinched his cheek: “I’ll rest after we’re done. You’re the little host today. Can you take care of your guests?”
Pei Qiqi nodded: “Yes.”
Pei Yi smiled: “Good boy.”
Pei Qiqi blinked: “Uncle, I miss Youyou. When is he coming back?”
Pei Yi and Shen Minyan were now friends, mostly thanks to Pei Yi’s persistence.
“When you video-called Youyou yesterday, Uncle Shen said they’re not coming back. The final leg is in Country D, so Youyou will be waiting for you there.”
Pei Qiqi turned his head, sullen.
Pei Yi tickled his chin: “Ooh, who’s the little grumpy one? Are you crying because you miss Youyou? Let me see, let me see.”
He held Pei Qiqi’s face and gave it a good squish. Pei Qiqi was speechless. The uncle and nephew played for a while, Pei Qiqi laughing until tears came. The doorbell rang. Pei Yi took Qiqi to open the door.
“Qiqi, I’m here to play! Did you miss me?” Mi Le was already socializing as soon as he saw Pei Qiqi.
Mi Huan pulled his collar and gave Pei Yi an awkward smile. Pei Yi was familiar with them. He’d watched the show many times.
“Hello, welcome. Please come in.”
Mi Huan brought his brother inside, then paused, unsure how to address Pei Yi. Should he call him uncle? But Pei Yi looked only a few years older than Shen Yan. Would that be rude? Call him brother? That would make Mi Le a generation older than Qiqi. He was panicking internally.
“Hello, Uncle. I’m Mi Le. This is my brother Mi Huan. He’s an introvert, a bit shy,” Mi Le said confidently.
Mi Huan was mortified: “…Uncle Pei, hello. I’m Mi Huan.”
Pei Yi laughed, crouching down to pat Mi Le’s head. “You know what an introvert is? That’s impressive.”
Mi Le puffed out his chest. Of course. His parents read comments to them when they watched the show.
Online, people said: “Introverts are toys for extroverts. Mi Huan is his brother’s toy on the show.”
Mi Le found that hilarious and remembered it well. The brothers went inside. Mi Le took Qiqi’s hand and glanced across the street.
“Qiqi, is that Youyou’s house?”
Mi Le pointed at a large villa.
Pei Qiqi nodded: “Yes.”
As they walked in, Hua Zhao came out to greet them.
Mi Huan visibly relaxed and nodded: “Aunt Hua.”
“Welcome. Please come in.”
The two friends sat on the rug, playing with a row of neatly arranged Ultraman figures.
Mi Le gasped, reaching out to touch them: “Qiqi, can I play with your Ultraman?”
Pei Qiqi nodded and picked out a large one for Mi Le. Pei Yi was outgoing and had enjoyed watching the Mi brothers on the show. He dragged Mi Huan into selfies. Mi Huan was stressed but felt his social anxiety might actually be getting better. They hadn’t been playing long when Wang Shilan arrived with Niu Niu. Hua Zhao saw that she looked radiant, with Niu Niu looking pretty and happy.
The three little ones were a bit shy at first, but Mi Le quickly took charge, and they were playing together in no time, no adjustment period needed. The adults sat in the lounge area, chatting about recent events. Du Ze was now a pariah. He’d lost all his jobs, been dropped by his agency, and joined a no-name company whose biggest star was an influencer. After discussing enough unpleasantness, the four adults turned their attention to the children.
Pei Yi had a proud, fatherly look in his eyes, almost tearing up. It was wonderful. His Qiqi was now willing to play with other children besides Youyou. After playing with the figures, they put them back.
Mi Le whispered to Qiqi: “Youyou said he has a really smart dog named Su Yuanzi.”
Pei Qiqi nodded: “Yes. Yuanzi is smart. He brings Youyou his slippers.”
Niu Niu and Mi Le couldn’t see Youyou, so they wanted to meet his dog. Pei Qiqi thought it might bother Aunt Chu Ying and hesitated.
Mi Le had an idea: “I won’t touch or bully him. I just want to see him. A quick look.”
Pei Yi, who had been eavesdropping, asked Hua Zhao to text Chu Ying, asking if the kids could come see Yuanzi.
Chu Ying replied immediately: “Yes, please come. I haven’t met Mi Le and Niu Niu yet.”
The parents were all loyal viewers and knew the children well. With Chu Ying’s permission, Pei Yi called Qiqi over.
“Qiqi, can you take Lele and Niu Niu to visit Aunt Chu Ying and tell her you want to play with Yuanzi?”
“I…”
Since Qiqi started therapy, Pei Yi and Hua Zhao had been gently pushing him to be more social. They’d send him to borrow salt or soy sauce from the Shen house, especially during dinner. Pei Qiqi turned to see two pairs of shining eyes. He clenched his fists. For his friends, he’d do it.
“Okay. I’ll take them.”
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