Once upon a time, she seemed to have said the same words. But that was a long time ago. When she accepted a certain fact and no longer held any hope, she wouldn’t feel sad anymore.

Xiaomi put down her arm and looked at her with tearful eyes, pleading, “Auntie, can you… ask Uncle for me?”

Zhuang Zi looked at her, and Xiaomi gazed back with anticipation.

“He was just at home, why didn’t you ask him yourself?”

Xiaomi pursed her lips and, after two seconds, said pitifully, “I’m afraid of him.”

Zhuang Zi: “…”

“Can you help me ask him, please?”

It’s natural for a child who has been away from their family for too long to miss them.

Looking at her red eyes, Zhuang Zi paused and then said, “If you stop crying, I’ll help you ask.”

Seeing Zhuang Zi agree, Xiaomi gradually calmed down.

But the whole afternoon, Xiaomi was still sullen, sitting in the living room in a daze, not even watching TV, and showed no interest in the games on Zhuang Zi’s phone.

Zhuang Zi, not good at comforting others, felt helpless seeing her like this and had to ask Aunt Qin for help.

However, the child was indeed in a bad mood today. Even though she nodded obediently when spoken to, she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm.

Aunt Qin worriedly said, “The girl must be homesick. It’s really pitiful if you think about it. When we first went to the villa, we saw her little body covered in bruises when she bathed. How could her biological mother be so cruel?”

There are many inherently cold-hearted people in this world, thought Zhuang Zi.

Compared to Xiaomi, although her own childhood was also difficult to talk about, at least she didn’t suffer physical harm.

But for people who had unfortunate childhoods, whether the harm was big or small, the psychological shadows would follow them for a lifetime.

Especially when she heard Xiaomi doubting whether her father still wanted her, Zhuang Zi suddenly felt a sense of empathy.

Fortunately, she had her sister back then, at least someone to depend on, so she wasn’t excessively lonely.

…

Zhuang Zi thought of finding something to divert Xiaomi’s attention and came up with a little idea.

She walked over to Xiaomi and suggested, “Do you want to dance? Auntie can teach you.”

Xiaomi looked at her.

Zhuang Zi had taken dance classes since she was a child and had some foundation in it.

Although she didn’t go to the gym often, she used to dance for more than half an hour every night after work, considering it aerobic exercise.

But after her sister’s death, in the past six months, she had been depressed and lost interest in exercising, feeling that living itself was a torment.

“When you learn, your family will come to pick you up, and you can dance for them.”

Xiaomi looked at her without speaking, but Zhuang Zi could see she was interested and hesitating.

“Dancing can also strengthen your body. With a healthy body, you won’t get hurt or sick easily. What do you think?”

Aunt Qin also encouraged her, giving her all sorts of pep talks.

Moved by their persuasion, Xiaomi finally nodded.

When Xiaomi went to the bathroom, Aunt Qin gave Zhuang Zi a thumbs-up: “You really have a way.”

Zhuang Zi smiled faintly: “That’s because my sister coaxed me like this when I was little.”

At first, learning to dance was tiring. After a few classes on weekends, she wanted to give up.

Her sister would find all kinds of ways to coax her, saying that on the day she won a prize in a dance competition, their father would come to pick them up.

At that time, she couldn’t understand why Zhuang Hong didn’t want her and her sister. She hoped every day that their father would come to take them back to that big house, and she could live in her beautiful room again.

But of course, that day never came.

…….

Since he planned to go to Luo City tomorrow, Si Hang came back from work earlier today.

This trip would take at least two days, and he needed to prepare some personal items.

He arrived home just before six o’clock.

As he went upstairs, unlocked the door, and pushed it open, he was greeted by the upbeat rhythm of a Korean song.

Si Hang closed the door behind him and stood at the entrance, frowning.

What was happening?

When he changed his shoes and walked to the living room, he was stunned by what he saw.

The fast-paced and dynamic Korean song had filled the entire room with a lively and vibrant atmosphere.

Zhuang Zi, wearing a fitted white knit top and a black A-line short skirt, showcased her perfect curves—slim waist, long legs, and her chest was… acceptable.

She moved her feet to the rhythm of the music, stepping nimbly, sometimes tapping, sometimes spinning. Her body swayed with her steps, twisting her hips and waist. Her movements were agile and fluid, full of energy and freedom.

The outward jazz dance was hot and passionate, charming and sexy.

Xiaomi had spent the afternoon learning and barely managed to master three eight-beat measures.

Since it was almost dinner time, Zhuang Zi worried that Xiaomi wouldn’t keep up on her first day, planning to teach a little each day. But a passionate Xiaomi insisted that Zhuang Zi perform a complete dance for her first.

Si Hang watched the dancing figure in the middle of the living room, his eyebrows slightly raised, his expression unreadable.

Her dance was light and relaxed, combining softness with strength. It wasn’t overly delicate or pretentious, fashionable yet intense.

Even her slightly curly long hair, like a waterfall, seemed to dance like butterflies, swaying and bouncing with her movements.

Ha, who knew she could do this.