"My little darling, we're finally home."
The moment Vernon stepped out of the car, he took Ashley from Petunia's arms. Using that overly sweet tone of his, he leaned in and planted a kiss right on her cheek.
Ashley rolled her eyes inwardly, utterly numb.
After all, in these past three months, scenes like this had happened far too often. Once you've experienced something enough times, you simply stop reacting.
In the beginning, Ashley had been struck as if by lightning. She would burst into loud tears the moment it happened, all sense of her supposed eighteen-year-old maturity gone, radiating pure despair as if thinking, I'm no longer clean.
Marge and Petunia, standing nearby, found it endlessly amusing.
Vernon, on the other hand, would panic, fumbling anxiously and repeatedly checking whether his beard hadn't been shaved properly, worried it had pricked his precious baby.
Seeing how distressed he looked, Ashley would eventually quiet down, sniffling with tearful eyes, reaching out for Petunia. Nestled against her shoulder, she would calm herself.
She didn't hate him anymore.
But she wasn't ready to forgive him either.
She needed space.
A few days later, Vernon relapsed into the same habit. As long as Ashley was awake, no matter what she did, any tiny movement or expression would trigger his exaggerated amazement. His overflowing affection always turned into kisses.
So…
Ashley finally snapped.
Smack.
A tiny hand landed squarely on Vernon's face.
In that moment, Ashley felt both embarrassed and slightly terrified. Given Vernon's size, it felt like tugging on a tiger's whiskers.
But his reaction was both unexpected and, somehow, exactly what she should have expected.
Vernon excitedly called out to Petunia, asking if she'd seen it. The little darling had hit him! He even nodded approvingly, proudly declaring that, as expected of a Dursley, she would grow up strong and never be bullied.
Ashley…
No wonder Dudley turned out the way he did.
Beyond her speechlessness, there was also a faint trace of warmth and nostalgia.
"Dad, the Dursleys are terrible people! They buy Dudley so many presents but forget Harry's birthday. How can they treat Harry like that? It's so unfair!"
Five-year-old Ashley Li walked out of the cinema, holding hands with the two people she loved most, her voice filled with righteous anger.
"Yes, as Harry's relatives, they are indeed terrible," her father, Li Yao, said with a gentle smile. "But as Dudley's parents, they give him everything, just like we give you everything. Does that make them bad people too?"
He looked at her with mock grievance, as if asking, Are we bad people then?
Five-year-old Ashley hesitated immediately, her face full of conflict.
Han Xi shot Li Yao a reproachful glance before smiling and pulling Ashley into her arms.
"Your father is trying to tell you that good and bad aren't so simple," she said gently. "When your position changes, your judgment changes too. To Harry, they are cruel. But to Dudley, they are very good parents."
Ashley was confused, half understanding, half lost.
So were the Dursleys good people or bad people?
Han Xi patted her head meaningfully.
"It's alright. You'll understand when you grow up. Just remember this. People may argue about right and wrong, but you must always act with a clear conscience."
…
Ashley hadn't thought about those memories in a long time.
Those warm, happy moments had been locked deep away after her parents passed, buried beneath the strength she forced herself to maintain.
Now that they resurfaced, they brought a flood of emotions.
She had grown up.
And now, she had become small again.
But she understood.
Even though she was only three months old, she could already feel how well Vernon and Petunia treated her.
Even Marge, who spoke harshly about Harry's parents, doted on her endlessly, buying toys and clothes by the box, showering her with the same overwhelming affection. And yes, that included constant kisses.
Was this what it meant to stand on different sides?
Ashley Li could say the Dursleys were bad.
But could Ashley Dursley say the same?
Oh, and Dudley.
That loud, temperamental cousin who would call Harry "cousin" one moment and then stomp on the stairs above him the next, sending dust raining down.
Thinking of him, Ashley realized something.
She had been alive for three months and still hadn't seen her own twin brother.
And why had she stayed in the hospital for so long?
From Vernon and Petunia's conversations, she had pieced together the answer.
With twins, one is often stronger, the other weaker.
Dudley was the stronger one.
She was the weaker one.
She had been born more than two hours after Dudley, weighing barely a third of what he did.
When Ashley learned this, she had been irrationally indignant.
Dudley, just you wait. Eating so much, you'll end up fat!
Of course, her frustration had its reasons.
This was 1980. Medical care wasn't what it would become. And she had been passed around and fussed over by so many people.
Even the doctors had said it was a miracle she survived.
Thinking back on it now, she felt a chill of lingering fear.
A baby weighing barely a few pounds… how tiny must she have been?
Thank goodness she hadn't been able to see herself clearly. Otherwise, she might have scared herself half to death.
Where had she even gotten the courage to smack Vernon like that? What if she'd broken something?
Over these three months, Petunia had practically lived at the hospital, while Marge and Vernon ran back and forth.
No wonder Vernon and Marge got along so well.
As for her "free" older brother, he had probably been shuttled between Marge's house and their own.
Well… considering he had "stolen nutrients" from her before birth, she supposed she could reduce her grudge against him by one percent.
No more than that.
Just as she thought of him, Petunia's voice came from behind.
"Dear, are you going to pick up Dudley later? Will Marge be coming as well? Should I prepare lunch?"
"Oh, I already spoke to Marge at the hospital," Vernon replied. "She said since Ashley is finally home, we should celebrate properly. She wants us to tidy up and then go to her place for lunch. The whole family can gather, and we'll come back together in the afternoon."
"I see. That's very kind of her. Then once I'm done here, we should pick out some gifts to bring along. She's really helped us a lot during this time."
"Yes, we should. She's been complaining about her coffee machine lately. Perhaps we can get her a new one." Vernon paused, then added, "Take your time. No need to rush. I'll take our little darling around the house. She looks quite curious."
Petunia glanced at Ashley, who was turning her head this way and that in Vernon's arms, and smiled softly. Her movements slowed, as if savoring the moment.