“Dad, just let Yuanyuan do it. Look how excited she is,” Yu Mingxi said, understanding his father’s concerns.

Adults and kids think differently. What might seem trivial to an adult, like something being “handmade,” could be incredibly precious to a child.

Reluctantly, Yu Jinxiao picked one of Yuanyuan’s invitation card designs. The drawing featured a little boy celebrating his birthday, wearing a crown and holding a cake, with his other hand gripping a Transformer—Yingze’s favorite toy.

Though it was clear Yuanyuan tried her best to represent them, the artwork still had an abstract touch.

With the final invitation design chosen, Yuanyuan happily took her sketch back to her room. The outline was settled, and now she just had to color it in.

Yu Jinxiao had already asked Gao Zhou to prepare some sturdy paper for the official invitations. He also tasked Aunt Chen and Uncle Yang with preparing for the birthday party.

That quiet night, Yuanyuan sat at her desk, diligently working on her drawings. She colored in about five different versions of the invitation.

This time, she didn’t ask anyone to help her choose. She picked her favorite one herself.

Feeling accomplished, Yuanyuan let out a big yawn. Usually, after dinner, she would play with her toys or look through picture books, and she’d always fall asleep right on time.

She had never been this busy and productive before.

Her eyelids grew heavy. So… so sleepy…

Before she even realized it, her little head slumped forward, resting on the table as her breathing grew steady and slow.

Yuanyuan had a short but upsetting dream.

In the dream, both she and her brothers were all grown up, but Second Brother and Dad didn’t get along at all. They were always arguing, and things kept getting worse. Not even Big Brother could calm Second Brother down.

Eventually, Second Brother moved out, and in the blink of an eye, Yuanyuan saw her dad and Second Brother having a huge fight. The things in the study were smashed all over the floor. She didn’t understand most of what was said, but it seemed like Second Brother had teamed up with outsiders to ruin one of Dad’s most important business deals, pushing the Yu family to the brink of bankruptcy.

By then, Second Brother had secretly built his own empire. The way he looked at them was cold, indifferent, as if he were staring at a pile of garbage.

Yuanyuan had never seen this version of her brother before.

It was a kind of coldness that frightened her.

“Second Brother, don’t hurt Dad… Don’t hurt Big Brother…” Yuanyuan whimpered pitifully, crying herself awake.

Her reflection in the glass showed a startled, teary-eyed little face, adding a sense of loneliness and heaviness to the quiet night.

“I can’t let Second Brother hate Dad,” Yuanyuan muttered to herself, wiping away her tears. “I have to try harder!”

Determined, she got back to work on the invitation cards and started planning out the birthday party’s schedule.

She was determined to give Second Brother a big surprise and make him happy.

She also wanted him to know that Dad loved all of them, equally.

Her little brain worked overtime, tirelessly sketching under the soft glow of her desk lamp.

Upstairs, Yingze finished his homework and suddenly felt bored. He wanted to play with someone for a bit.

His big brother was probably still studying, so after thinking it over, he decided to visit Yuanyuan.

“She doesn’t even go to school—how busy could she be?” he thought.

When he reached her door, he found it slightly ajar. He knocked and asked, “Are you asleep?”

As soon as she heard her second brother’s voice, Yuanyuan panicked. She quickly swept her drawing tools and sketch paper into the drawer with a swift motion. “N-no, I’m still awake!”