The self in the photo is wearing a light gray uniform, standing between the parents with a silly smile.
"The year your brother went missing, you weren't born yet," mother gently rubs the photo with her fingertips:
"Your dad still went to the police station every Wednesday to inquire about progress until he left, never let go in his lifetime, still thinking about him before he passed away."
Raindrops beat against the window, but Ji Chen's ears are filled only with the sound of his mother's voice in the video images.
"I remember you always asked why your brother's room was kept the same; the reason is simple, we always had unrealistic fantasies that maybe one day he'd come back, and if he saw his room changed, he'd be so heartbroken."
"Xiao Xing, mommy knows you're busy developing weapons. This might be the last video message mommy leaves you, my body has reached its limit, finally can go find your dad and your brother."
The video ends here.
