Slit-Eyes looked utterly defeated, his small eyes drooping in disappointment after Yu Yingze’s blunt rejection. His two younger brothers mirrored his sadness, their spirits visibly crushed.

Yu Yingze couldn’t figure it out. How could one little girl cause such extreme emotional swings in these three guys?

“Is it because we’re ugly and we bullied her before, so she hates us?” Slit-Eyes muttered dejectedly.

Wow, Yu Yingze thought, you actually have some self-awareness.

He considered teasing them but decided against it, seeing how miserable they all looked. After all, kids are simple and forgiving. Even after an argument, they could easily move past it after just a few words.

“That’s not exactly what I meant,” Yu Yingze finally said after a moment of thought, deciding to be more honest. “Yuanyuan… she seems to like good people.”

The three boys stared at him, confused. “Huh?”

“I mean, she likes people who are kind or who do good things,” Yu Yingze explained, pointing toward his dad. “Every time my dad does something good, Yuanyuan gets super happy. So, I think she likes people who are kind-hearted and do nice things.”

The three boys, who had just been scolded by Yu Jinxiao for their earlier behavior, suddenly looked enlightened. Their eyes lit up for a brief second, only to dim again just as quickly.

“But we were doing bad things earlier,” Slit-Eyes sighed, his eyes downcast. “She probably hates us now.”

“Well, if you know you were wrong you can change, it’s never too late to do the right thing,” Yu Yingze said, attempting to comfort them with a wise tone. “Yuanyuan is super kind-hearted.”

Yeah, she’s such a kind little fool, Yu Yingze thought privately, knowing full well his sister would forget any bad feelings in no time. Outwardly, he remained calm, while Yuanyuan, completely unaware of the conversation, sneezed as she continued munching on her snacks.

“Yuanyuan, come here. Did you spill something on yourself again?” Yu Jinxiao called, pulling her over for inspection. He quickly swapped out the sweat towel she had on her back, a habit he had recently picked up.

Just a few days ago, Yu Jinxiao hadn’t even known what a “sweat towel” was. Gao zhou, ever prepared, had taught him about how children sweat a lot while playing outside, and how these towels could prevent their clothes from getting soaked. Being the quick learner he was, Yu Jinxiao had mastered this small task in no time and now did it like a pro.

As Yuanyuan finished her snacks, her eyes wandered over to the bowl of spicy beef on the table. She remembered that it was her brother’s favorite.

Clutching the bowl, she wobbled over to Yu Yingze, her nose catching a whiff of the spicy aroma.

Slit-Eyes, who had been hiding in the bushes, froze in terror. “She saw us!!” he whispered, his heart pounding.

The other two boys ducked down even lower, their heads disappearing behind the bushes like mushrooms shrinking into the ground.

“Big brother! Big brother! Why aren’t you eating your favorite ‘death beef’?” Yuanyuan called out as she approached Yu Yingze with the bowl.

Yu Yingze stared nervously at the large bowl she was carrying, worried she might spill it. It was a rare treat—usually, their dad didn’t let them eat too much spicy food, fearing it would upset their stomachs. But today, since they were out having fun, their usual restrictions were lifted.

Thankfully, Yuanyuan made it to him safely, holding the bowl up high. “Big brother, eat!”

Yu Yingze took a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth, grinning at his little sister. “It’s called spicy beef, not ‘death beef,’ okay?”

Yuanyuan pouted, her eyes wide with apprehension as she looked at the dish. “But if Yuanyuan eats it, I’ll die!”

As she focused on her brother, another scent caught her attention. She turned her head, locking eyes with the three nervous boys peeking from the bushes nearby.