Yuanyuan hugged her stuffed toy tightly, rubbing her small face against it. “Yuanyuan will take good care of it and share all the yummy food with it too!”

Her sadness seemed to have been blown away, and Yu Mingxi couldn’t help but smile along with her cheerful tone.

The aroma of breakfast wafted up from downstairs. Yuanyuan, clinging to Yu Mingxi, kept swallowing eagerly.

A moment ago, she was still half-asleep, but now her eyes were wide open, scanning the room to figure out what delicious food awaited downstairs.

“Wow, it smells so good! Can Yuanyuan eat some too?” she asked, clutching her stuffed toy, her little head turning to Yu Mingxi in surprise.

Yu Mingxi placed her in a special children’s chair, then sat next to her to keep an eye on her.

This felt almost instinctive, as he had always taken care of his younger brother, Yu Yingze, in the same way when he was little.

But Yuanyuan was much more obedient at mealtime than Yingze had been at her age.

She wasn’t picky—she ate whatever was offered to her and even used a spoon on her own.

Her movements were slow and deliberate, carefully scooping up small bites and bringing them to her mouth, like a little princess.

“Master Mingxi, why don’t I feed her instead?” Aunt Chen offered. “You still have school later.”

A shadow briefly crossed Yu Mingxi’s face, but he smiled lightly, “Alright.”

As Yu Mingxi ate his breakfast, his gaze never left Yuanyuan, finding her way of eating amusingly fascinating.

The little girl sat upright in her chair, wearing a bib that had once belonged to his brother, Yu Yingze.

To others, it might seem like she was just having a meal, but to her, it looked more like she was completing a sacred and daunting task. Her little brows furrowed in concentration as she delicately lifted each spoonful of food to her mouth.

“Nom!” Yuanyuan took large, serious bites, her focused eating making Aunt Chen smile from the sidelines.

“Wow, you sure can eat,” Yu Yingze remarked, clearly unimpressed with breakfast as he set down his fork.

“Being able to eat is a blessing!” Yuanyuan said earnestly.

Yu Yingze choked on his milk, contemplating her words. “A blessing? Like sesame paste?”

“Auntie,” Yuanyuan suddenly paused mid-bite and turned her large, grape-like eyes toward Aunt Chen. “It’s hard for you to squat like that. Why don’t you sit with Yuanyuan?”

Aunt Chen froze for a moment, a strange and indescribable warmth flooding her heart. This little girl—was she an angel who had fallen to earth?

She was so adorable and thoughtful. No wonder Mr. Yu had brought her home against all odds.

“Thank you, Yuanyuan,” Aunt Chen smiled gently, patting her on the head. “But Auntie is working right now, so I can’t sit down.”

“Wow, you have to stand while working? That sounds tough.” Yuanyuan’s babyish voice sounded so sincere that it wasn’t even funny. Aunt Chen felt a lump in her throat, her nose stinging.

She had worked for the Yu family for years, always dedicated, but no one had ever told her that she worked hard.

Not even her own family—they thought it was just something she ought to do because the Yu family paid well, and she did her best to earn her keep.

But no matter how capable someone is, they also need understanding and appreciation, even in moments of exhaustion.

She never expected that such a small child would be the one to give her the validation she didn’t even realize she needed.

Knowing that Mr. Yu was about to take Yuanyuan back to the orphanage after breakfast, Aunt Chen quickly prepared more food, hoping that the little one would leave with a full stomach.

“Hiccup—Yuanyuan is so full now,” she patted her small, satisfied tummy. “That was delicious!”

Yu Jinxiao set down his fork, casting a sidelong glance at her. “Finished? If you’re done, we’re leaving.”

“Where are we going?” Yuanyuan asked, blissfully unaware of what was coming as she kicked her legs happily.

His towering figure cast a shadow over her as he replied, “I’m taking you back to the orphanage.”

Yuanyuan: “???!”