Liuxian buried his face in Guiying's hair and breathed in. "You smell like babies. And something sweet. Sugar, maybe. Did you eat dessert before you crashed?"
Guiying went still. The fight left his body all at once, replaced by a tired, hollow ache. He stared at the ceiling where the curtains did not quite meet, and the line of darkness between them felt too wide.
"Your sister and her children left this afternoon," Guiying said after a long silence. "All four of them. Yaoyao, Mingming, Lele, and Baobao. They were loud and messy and too curious for their own good. The house feels empty now that they are gone."
Liuxian nodded against Guiying's shoulder. His grip tightened, but he did not make a joke or break the quiet.
"Do not worry about it," Liuxian said softly. "We will have our own children and build our own family. For now, I am willing to wait until you are ready."
Guiying smiled, turning to face, then he leaned against his chest.
