6
My wedding was a quiet affair.
My friend, Peter Chen, was a college classmate who unfortunately couldn’t continue his studies due to poverty.
In this small apartment, we lived in separate rooms, agreeing that I would leave after his mother recovered from her illness.
By then, we would part ways, and no one would know my background.
<
These days, the most sensational news in the city was about the wedding of Mr. Foster and Miss Sanders in a week.
It was said that Mr. Foster had returned several days early for this.
Walking on the street, I overheard gossip.
“With such a big event, hasn’t that person caused any trouble?”
“Who knows, maybe she’s accepted her fate.”
“It’s a pity, Mr. Foster used to bring that person here to volunteer often. Who would have thought…”
Hearing the sighs, I was about to hurry away when I accidentally bumped into a child.
Before I could apologize, the child exclaimed happily, “Big sister!”
This reaction made me instinctively cover my face.
The child understood and tugged at my sleeve, “Come with me.”
After winding through several small alleys, we arrived at a somewhat dilapidated orphanage.
Several children were still living there.
Seeing me arrive, they all came to greet me.
“Big sister.”
In my younger years, Luke and I had helped these orphaned children and promised to visit them from time to time.
Seeing them so lively now, I felt some comfort.
Walking into the courtyard, I saw the osmanthus tree in the center was blooming.
I sighed, “I didn’t expect this tree to still be alive.”
The promised meeting day had passed by two months.
The children chattered around me.
“Yes, you and big brother haven’t come for these past few months, but we’ve been taking good care of it…”
Mentioning Luke, the boy’s voice suddenly lowered, glancing at me carefully.
Clearly, he had also heard the news of Luke’s impending marriage.
Seeing their awkward expressions, not knowing how to comfort them, I burst out laughing, “It’s okay, I’m married too.”
“Luke is still good, but from now on, he’s just my brother.”
As soon as I finished speaking.
The wooden door creaked open.
I turned my head.
Luke stood there in casual clothes, looking like a jade tree in the wind, standing between light and shadow.
While I was stunned, a child beside me exclaimed happily, “Big brother!”
“Why are you here?”
A child scratched his head shyly, “I brought big brother here. Didn’t he and big sister promise to visit us together? Today I saw only big sister
alone and I happened to meet big brothe
<
A child scratched his head shyly, “I brought big brother here. Didn’t he and big sister promise to visit us together? Today I saw only big sister alone, and I happened to meet big brother on the street, so…”
A group of children gathered around him, unable to resist asking.
“Big brother, are you really getting married?”
“What about big sister?”
I felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly interrupted, “We’re already married to different people, we have nothing to do with each other now.”
Luke looked at me, his dark eyes seeming to want to say something.
But he said nothing.
We carried on as usual.
Cleaned up the yard.
Replenished what the children needed.
When saying goodbye to the children, Luke and I walked out of the yard side by side.
The sunlight fell on our shoulders, giving me a sense of déjà vu of returning to the past.
Luke spoke softly, “You didn’t need to lie to them about being married.”
