“Xixi, shh…”

Wang Junyang grabbed Song Qiaoxi’s arm, gently pulling her back down.

Ding Yi also crouched down and approached from the other side. The two boys flanked her, pressing her between them, each holding one of her arms to stop her from going in.

“Our dads are inside, don’t go in…” Ding Yi said, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

“Xixi, Chu Jin’s so weird. Your dad is so interesting, and your mom cooks amazingly. Which kid in the courtyard wouldn’t want to live at your house?” Wang Junyang asked, a puzzled look on his face. Then he added thoughtfully. “Could it be… he doesn’t like you?”

Chu Jin not liking her? That was impossible!

“No way, Chu Jin likes me! He’s so nice to me. That day when I cut my hand, he helped me wrap it up with a huge stack of book covers. Later, when he saw me writing my name slowly, he even wrote my name on my workbook, my pinyin book, and my math exercises. His handwriting is so beautiful…”

Song Qiaoxi’s first instinct was to defend Chu Jin in a low voice.

She wished she could tell Wang Junyang and Ding Yi about all the nice things Chu Jin had done for her and her parents over the past few days.

Chu Jin really wasn’t as cold as he seemed.

Once she finished speaking, Wang Junyang stood there with his mouth half open, blinking his thin single eyelids, looking at her with a confused expression.

Ding Yi was the same, adjusting his glasses and letting his gaze wander aimlessly, completely indecisive.

This question was clearly beyond both of them…

If it wasn’t because of these reasons, then what was it?

Song Qiaoxi noticed that she wasn’t getting any solid answers from her friends. She pouted and leaned back against the wall, sitting down again, frowning as she began to think deeply.

She thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with any answers.

In fact, the more she thought, the more she got stuck in a loop, and the more uncertain she became about her previously firm beliefs.

After all, she was still a child with an unstable heart. Just a few minutes ago, she was so certain that Chu Jin was the best big brother in the world who definitely liked her family.

But after a few minutes, her mind became overwhelmed with so many thoughts that she felt a faint sense of doubt creeping in.

Could it be true—did Chu Jin really not like her?

Could it really be true, like Mom said that Chu Jin thought she was just a bother?

She started racking her brain, searching her memories for any signs that Chu Jin might have found her annoying. And in the end, little by little, she really began to doubt herself.

Could it be that Chu Jin didn’t want to live at her house just because of her…?

She thought back to how he had taken the initiative to wash the family’s clothes, how he had spoken to her first, how he had put a band-aid on her, helped her cover her books, tied her hair into braids, taught her how to deal with Jiang Qisheng, let her grab his wrist, smiled at her, and even handed her his book…

She thought Chu Jin had already… she thought…

Song Qiaoxi couldn’t make sense of it, no matter how hard she tried.

Could it really be that Chu Jin thought she was annoying, that from the very beginning, he just didn’t like her?

Maybe his kindness was simply because he had been raised well, taught manners from a young age.

After all, Chu Jin’s Father and Mother, Uncle Chu and Aunt Sun had taught him to be polite, and his parents were kind and gentle people.

The buzzing sound in her ears drowned out all other voices.

A strange, suffocating emotion surged in her chest, slowly spreading outward.

At first, it felt like a single snowflake, landing on her scalding heart and melting instantly. But then, the unfamiliar emotion grew, turning into a flurry of heavy snow, the flakes falling faster and thicker, accumulating more and more until her heart slowly began to freeze.

Her throat felt like something was blocking it, and her nose and eyes stung with the onset of tears.

Song Qiaoxi gripped Chu Jin’s book tightly in one hand and braced herself on her knee with the other, unsteadily rising to her feet. She staggered forward, running in the direction of home.

In her daze, she vaguely heard someone calling her name anxiously, but her vision was blurred by a heavy mist, warm tears rolling down her cheeks.

She ran far away, not daring to look back at them.

She was in such a miserable state now…

She rushed into her building, collapsing on the steps of the hallway, sitting there for what felt like forever, but the overwhelming emotions still wouldn’t subside.

Whether in the orphanage all those years, or when she arrived in the ’90s, she had never felt this heartbroken, this lost.

Even if Chu Jin didn’t like her, did that mean he didn’t like her funny dad or warm mom either?

He would rather live alone in the dilapidated boiler room than stay in his own home?

Mom, she missed her mom…

Carrying a heart full of grievance, the little glutinous dumpling knocked on the iron window of Room 102. Her mom, carrying the smell of fried shrimp chips, came to greet her.

“Ah, what’s wrong with our Xixi?”

Mom wiped her hands on her apron and pulled her into an embrace.

Leaning on her mother’s shoulder, inhaling the warmth of her scent, Song Qiaoxi could no longer hold it in. She cried out, letting out all the tears she had been holding back.

Qiao Qin struggled to lift the little glutinous dumpling, guiding her to the couch.

Seeing that her daughter was still clutching the book in her hands, she wanted to take it away, but those chubby little hands held on tightly.

She had no choice but to let her be, gently patting her soft back while soothing her in a quiet voice.

It was a rare sight—usually, it was other kids who ran to her house crying, complaining about something. This was the first time she had ever seen her own daughter so upset and aggrieved.

Who made her upset like this?

“Mom, Mom… Chu, Chu Jin… he… he won’t stay at our house. He’s sleeping in the boiler room. The boiler room is so shabby… woo woo woo… he… he hates me…”

The little glutinous dumpling was crying so hard, she could hardly catch her breath and was starting to babble.

After listening to her sob and struggle to explain for a while, Qiao Qin finally understood.

She gently cupped her daughter’s tear-streaked face in both hands, wiping away her tears, and patiently explained. “Xixi, don’t cry. Your dad called me earlier and told me about this.”

Shifting her position, she carefully picked up the little glutinous dumpling and continued. “Listen to Mom. Actually, I think it might not be such a bad thing that Chu Jin isn’t staying at our house.”

Not a bad thing?

Song Qiaoxi stopped crying when she heard this, sniffling as she lifted her head and looked at her mother with hesitation.

Why?

“Let me explain, and see if this makes sense to you.”

Mom freed one hand to adjust her daughter’s messy pigtails, speaking softly.

Nodding, the little glutinous dumpling sniffled, her small body trembling as she tried to regain control of herself. Her emotions had calmed a lot.

“Chu Jin is a very strong-willed child. Since he doesn’t want to stay at our house, forcing him wouldn’t make him happy. If we kept insisting on our kindness, it could become a huge burden and pressure for him.”

“Chu Jin is so proud; he definitely doesn’t want others to pity him.”

“You see, the boiler room is less than a 3-minute walk from our house. I’ve already discussed with Yiyi’s mom, Miaomiao’s mom, and Yangyang’s mom. We’ve agreed that Chu Jin can rotate between our houses for meals. He can choose which house he wants to eat at, and we’ll all help take care of him in our daily lives.”

“You and your friends can still go to school together, just like before. The only difference is that he’ll go back to the boiler room to sleep at night.”

Mom’s voice was gentle and soothing, and she spoke slowly making sure every word was clear.

Song Qiaoxi absorbed every word. By the time Mom finished, her breathing had evened out.

Unconsciously, one hand rubbed the spine of the book she was holding as she thought carefully.

It seemed like… maybe Mom was right after all?

It seemed the only real change was that Chu Jin wouldn’t be sleeping at her house anymore.

They could still play together, eat together, and after that, go to school and come home together…

The walk from home to the boiler room was indeed very short—if she ran, it wouldn’t even take 3 minutes.

Thinking about it this way, this outcome didn’t seem as hard to accept anymore.

Seeing her daughter calm down, Qiao Qin let out a sigh of relief.

Looking closely, her daughter’s eyes, still red from crying, seemed even bigger, and her soft, pale face had turned a rosy pink. Her full forehead was dotted with a few damp curls from the sweat, and her face looked especially pitiful, like a flower after rain.

It made Qiao Qin just want to kiss her little glutinous dumpling .

She gave her daughter’s chubby face a sweet kiss, then lightly flicked her bright red nose with her finger and smiled. “Silly girl, have you figured it out? Tomorrow’s Sunday, and Dad and Uncle Wang have planned to renovate the boiler room. Do you want to go help?”

“Yes!”

Hearing that crisp little voice, it was clear that her little glutinous dumpling had regained her energy.

“But… but Mom, can we just let Chu Jin come to our house for meals?”

Song Qiaoxi sniffled as she spoke, her hand clutching the end of Qiao Qin’s braid, twisting it around her fingers. Her mood had clearly improved a lot.

Qiao Qin found it amusing and teased her on purpose. “Why? Do you want to keep Chu Jin all to yourself?”

“Not at all…” Seeing her daughter’s face turn even redder, looking like her secret had been exposed, making Song Qiaoxi quickly shouted in panic. “It’s just that… just that Mom’s cooking is way better than Wang Mom’s and Ding Mom’s…”

Before she could finish, the little glutinous dumpling buried her face deep into Qiao Qin’s chest, looking embarrassed.

“Alright, let’s ask Chu Jin when he gets back. If he’s willing, he can eat at whichever house he likes. If he only wants to eat at ours, then he can always eat here. Does that make you happy?”

Before the little one could respond, there was a sound from the front door.

Song Qiaoxi looked up to see her dad returning, holding Chu Jin’s hand.

Wuwuwu, she had just cried, and now she must look a mess! Embarrassed, she buried her face back in her mother’s embrace, quietly placing the book on the couch with one hand.

Qiao Qin knew her daughter was shy. She gently lifted her chubby little bottom from the couch and stood up, smiling and shaking her head at her husband and Chu Jin. She patted Chu Jin on the shoulder and carried her little glutinous dumpling to the bathroom to wash her face.

As soon as they entered the bathroom, Song Qiaoxi heard Wang Junyang and Ding Yi knocking at the door to get some shrimp chips.

Her dad answered the door.

“Auntie, is Xixi okay?”

Through the thin wooden door, she heard Wang Junyang’s muffled voice, along with the crunching sound of him nibbling on shrimp chips.

Looking at her swollen eyes in the mirror, Song Qiaoxi pouted, her brows furrowed. She glanced at her mom with a helpless look.

“She’s fine. You kids should head home. Xixi’s washing her face, so come back tomorrow to play with her,. her mom said, wiping her face with a damp towel and calling out to the door.

Once they left and her mom was busy with dinner, Song Qiaoxi poked her head out of the bathroom, tiptoed quietly, and peeked into the living room, her hand brushing against the door frame.

It was getting late, and the sky outside had darkened.

The ceiling light in the living room was bright, and a basket of colorful shrimp chips sat on the dining table, filling the air with the pleasant aroma of dinner.

The boy sat upright on the couch, still engrossed in The Count of Monte Cristo, completely absorbed in the book.

When Song Qiaoxi saw him, she felt a wave of relief.

It was okay. It didn’t matter that Chu Jin wasn’t staying at her house.

At least he was still in the compound, close by. They could still go to school together, play together, study together, and grow up together.

No matter what, things had changed from the original story, and for the better.

Aside from her family, there were many others in the compound who cared about him.

She believed that with so many people around him, Chu Jin wouldn’t turn out badly.

Hearing the bathroom door open, Chu Jin looked up and immediately saw the little dough ball standing there, frozen in place.

When the girl noticed he was looking at her, she panicked and quickly turned away, pressing her back against the wall and covering her face with both hands.

However, Chu Jin could still see the girl’s red, swollen eyes and the small, pitiful pout on her face, her little lips quivering with a sense of grievance.

Her back was turned to him, her chubby figure facing the wall. The two playful pigtails at the sides of her round, fluffy head swayed gently on her shoulders. Her soft, deep brown curls looked like a mass of fuzzy hair.

Chu Jin couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

Why was she crying? Was it because he was leaving?

If he left, no one would be competing for her parents’ attention—shouldn’t she be happy about that?

Girls were so hard to understand…

He wiped the sweat from his hand that was still holding the book.

Even though he didn’t quite get the little girl’s thoughts, he felt inexplicably irritated at the moment, unable to focus on the words on the page.

Frustrated, he lowered his head. It seemed like, in his life, nothing was more difficult to handle than a girl crying.

The little glutinous dumpling continued to keep her back to him, her small hands occasionally rubbing her eyes, but she refused to turn around.

Even though Chu Jin couldn’t figure out the reason, he understood that the little girl who was always like a small sun, generous in spreading her light to everyone around her wasn’t happy anymore.

She wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t the soft, little white rabbit anymore, bouncing around cheerfully…

The unease in his heart grew stronger, evolving into a feeling he had never experienced before.

He closed the book, casually tossing it on the sofa, stood up, and awkwardly rubbed his palms together to wipe off the thin layer of moisture on his hands. Without a word, he walked quietly over to Song Qiaoxi’s side.

The sweet, warm scent of baby lotion mixed with the smell of soap hit him, bringing back memories of that night filled with nightmares.

A soft, gentle little hand tapped his arm with a light touch, and her sweet voice echoed in his mind. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”

Yes, that was how she comforted herself.

After a moment’s hesitation, Chu Jin bit his lip, gathered his courage, and reached out his hand…

Hearing the soft, slow footsteps, Song Qiaoxi, knowing that Chu Jin was the only one in the living room, immediately recognized who was approaching.

She pressed her hands harder over her eyes and face, hiding them even more.

It was as if, as long as she couldn’t see Chu Jin, he couldn’t see her either.

Ugh, she felt so embarrassed, crying like this. She didn’t want him to see her in such a state!

She had just looked at herself in the bathroom mirror—her eyes were swollen, like a goldfish’s puffy eyelids, and her nose was red, like a clown’s.

Did she have no pride?

“You…”

Chu Jin’s voice, rough and dry, sounded in her ear, but after that one word, there was only silence.

Suddenly, she felt something warm and soft rest lightly on her left shoulder—a gentle hand, tapping her with the faintest pressure, like soothing a kitten.

His voice came again, soft and breathy, almost apologetic. “Don’t be afraid…”

Hmm?

Song Qiaoxi was a little dazed. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly pulled her chubby hands away from her eyes and turned to face Chu Jin.

The boy was a head taller than her, so she had to tilt her head back slightly to look up at him.

Hmm, his dark eyes were as bright as stars, and his face no longer wore that cold, distant expression.

She felt like in his eyes, she saw a flicker of light, a glimmer of… hope?

Chu Jin gazed at the puffed-up, swollen eyes of the little girl, and he could even see his own reflection in her pupils.

A tight, heavy feeling spread across his chest, an indescribable emotion that made his heart feel a little sore and sharp, as though it were pricking him.

He didn’t know why, but one thing was clear—he didn’t want to see her beautiful eyes turn red and swollen.

“What… what do you want to play?”

After a long pause, Chu Jin could only think of this one thing to say, unsure if it would make her feel better.

He remembered that before, Song Qiaoxi had suggested playing together, and although he had agreed, it seemed like he had never really played with her properly.

“Now, whatever you want to do or play, I’ll stay with you.”

Song Qiaoxi didn’t overthink it. Since Chu Jin didn’t mind her looking a bit messy, she finally relaxed and stopped feeling embarrassed.

Without another word, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the sofa. She said, unashamedly. “Let’s watch Animation City! The Little Mouse on the Prairie is so good. A bunch of little mice from a big American farm live in a place called ‘Squeak Corner Idle Farm.’ They all wear plaid shirts and overalls. Their stories are so funny!”

Chu Jin: Squeak Corner Idle Farm…

Normally, Song Qiaoxi watched cartoons alone, and there was no one to talk about the plot with which made it boring.

But now, with someone here, she wasn’t going to let the chance slip by.

Pulling Chu Jin onto the sofa, she fumbled around the armrest to find the remote control and switched on the TV.

Before the cartoon started, there was an English opening song. Song Qiaoxi could only catch the words “little use” from it; the rest of it was completely incomprehensible. But that didn’t stop her from humming the tune in her own made-up language.

As she hummed, she turned her head and noticed Chu Jin had picked up his book again.

Immediately, she felt a little upset and pouted, slightly annoyed. “Hey, what’s The Count of Monte Cristo about? Is it really that interesting?”

He said he would watch the cartoon with her, but now he picked up his book again?

Chu Jin looked up from his book, staring at her with a gaze that seemed to ask, wasn’t the opening song still going?

To Song Qiaoxi’s surprise, she noticed the corners of his mouth curve upward. This smile was more noticeable than any of the previous ones!

She froze, staring at his face, wishing he would smile more and had already forgotten the small irritation from before.

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