Yu Yuanyuan’s hands were as round as her name suggested—small and soft.

It was Yu Yingze’s first time holding such tiny hands, and it reminded him of the mango pancakes at the bakery, soft to the point where he was afraid even the slightest pressure might cause them to burst. He held her hand so carefully, barely daring to use any force.

The little one was especially obedient, holding his hand the whole way, happily chatting away.

As for what she was saying… Yu Yingze didn’t catch a word.

He absentmindedly responded here and there, but Yu Yuanyuan didn’t seem to mind at all. She was excited the entire time, pointing out random things along the way, much like a little puppy on her first trip outside.

Their meeting spot with his friends was near a fountain in the villa district.

It was a bit far from the residential area, surrounded by greenery, trees, and some intricate landscaping. The place was perfect for children and adults to walk around and play.

“Oh, you brought your little sister?” the tallest boy asked, sounding a little surprised but happy. “Is she going to play with us too?”

“She’s not my sister,” Yu Yingze stammered, quickly denying it. “Her name is Yuanyuan. My brother isn’t here, so I have to look after her.”

“Hi, big brothers!” Yu Yuanyuan shouted enthusiastically, showing no signs of shyness as she greeted them all. “Can Yuanyuan play with you guys too?”

Afraid they might reject her, she hesitated for a moment before emphasizing loudly, “Yuanyuan promises not to drag everyone’s… dog leg!”

Yu Yingze: “…” I’m seriously considering taking you back home right now.

His friends blinked in confusion, sensing that something was off about what she had just said.

They exchanged glances for a while before realizing the issue was with the phrase “dog leg.”

“It’s not ‘dog leg,’ it’s ‘hold everyone back,’” Yu Yingze corrected, feeling utterly exhausted.

He was just a kid too. Why did he have to deal with this?

“Hahaha, Yuanyuan is so cute!” his friends laughed, their moods completely opposite to Yu Yingze’s. “How about we play hide-and-seek? It’s simple enough and would be fun for Yuanyuan.”

“Yeah, let’s keep it easy for her. We can save the tougher games for next time.”

“I agree! My little cousin loves hide-and-seek too.”

Before Yu Yingze could say anything, his friends had already decided on the game, all revolving around Yuanyuan’s needs.

For the first time since leaving the house, Yuanyuan let go of her brother’s hand and grabbed the hand of the tall boy who suggested the game. “Big brother, does hide-and-seek need a cat? Yuanyuan can be the cat! I’ll be the cat!”

The tall boy, being an only child, had never experienced someone being so adorably clingy. He had no resistance to this cuteness and immediately surrendered.

“Sure! But do you know how to play?” he asked, completely at her mercy, thinking, You’re the cutest, so we’ll do whatever you want.

Yuanyuan blinked, thinking hard as she tried to make sense of hide-and-seek. “I’ll be the cat, then I hide, right?”

“No, not quite. In hide-and-seek, one person is ‘it,’ and everyone else hides. The one who’s ‘it’ has to find everyone hiding, and if they do, they win.”

Oh dear, with all these terms—cat, ghost, and people—Yuanyuan’s little brain was about to overload!

Seeing her confusion, Yu Yingze, who had become adept at reading her thoughts, quickly stepped in to clarify. “Here’s the deal: I’ll be ‘it,’ and you guys go hide. Yuanyuan, you hide too. If I catch you, you lose. Got it?”

“Should we set a time limit?” one of the boys suggested.

They probably thought the game was too simple and wanted to add a challenge.

“Bo Xuan has a watch. He can keep time. We’ll start at 10:30 sharp.”

“Okay, hiding time is 30 seconds, and the seeker gets 10 minutes. If they don’t find everyone, the seeker loses!”

“Ha! You won’t find me for sure.”

When the time came, everyone scattered to hide while Yu Yingze loudly counted down, giving them time to find their spots.

After counting to 30, Yu Yingze turned around—only to see the little girl standing right behind him, clueless.