Chapter 11 Splashing Through the Rain
Back at Princess Manor, a light rain began to fall outside.
When we were still some distance from the manor, Aunt suddenly had an idea and pulled me out of the carriage.
"Yan Hui, look!" She stood in the rain without an umbrella and stepped straight into a small puddle.
The splash hit me right in the face.
She burst out laughing, sweeping away the gloom from the palace. "Come on, Yan Hui! Let's jump in the puddles together!"
I wanted to say she was nearly twenty, not two. But I held it in.
I stomped into a puddle. The water shot up high and soaked my own clothes instead.
I stared at her.
She was still treating me like a child.
She laughed so hard she could barely stand. "Hey, little guy, brute force won't work. Like this—step here."
In the first rain of autumn, the two of us—one big, one small—hopped and splashed our way back to Princess Manor like a pair of kids.
When we reached the gates, I turned and saw Uncle-in-Law walking behind us.
He held an umbrella alone, smiling at our mess. "Your shoes and socks are all wet. You'll catch a cold if you're not careful."
Aunt waved at him. "Yunzhong, why are you standing so far away? Come here!"
He stepped closer and got splashed all over.
Aunt grinned with mischief. "Yan Hui and I are both wet. Why should you stay dry? A family should be wet together!"
A family...
The corner of my mouth lifted without thinking.
Aunt snatched the umbrella from him and climbed onto his back. "I can't walk anymore. Carry me in."
"All right," he said with a laugh, lifting her steadily.
She held the umbrella while he carried her.
Before stepping through the gates, he looked back at me.
"Are you happy, Yan Hui?" he asked.
I nodded hard. "Yes. I'm happy."
This life really did feel happy.