Just as Yan Xiao reached the door, she suddenly remembered her mission. She turned around and ran back.

Qiu Li, still quietly savoring his little moment of joy: “?”

Yan Xiao pulled a marshmallow from her tiny backpack and stuffed it into Qiu Li’s hand. “Here!”

And before he could even react, she turned and bolted.

A mosquito may be small, but it’s still meat, she thought smugly. One marshmallow a day, one tiny tick on the annoyance meter—if she kept at it, grabbing both the watermelon and the sesame seeds, one drop at a time, she’d wear him down eventually!

Qiu Li stared at her disappearing figure, her backpack bouncing as she left the classroom. Even his usually indifferent eyelids gave a slight twitch.

This was the second marshmallow she’d given him.

Now he had two.

Before he could fully collect himself, a few boys from his class came over.

Immediately, his expression shut down. He slipped the marshmallow into his pocket, picked up his tray, and turned to leave.

“Hey!” chubby Chen Yao blocked his path. “What did that girl from the little class just give you?”

Qiu Li gave him a glance, didn’t say a word, and tried to walk around him.

“You! I’m talking to you!” Chen Yao was furious. He’d had enough of Qiu Li acting all aloof and superior every day. What’s he got to be so smug about? He’s just some illegitimate kid—what’s there to strut around for?

When Qiu Li still didn’t respond, Chen Yao shoved him.

But Qiu Li had been hit too many times before—he instinctively dodged as the hand came toward him. Chen Yao ended up pushing at empty air and stumbled forward, crashing awkwardly into the windowsill. The pose he landed in was so ridiculous that the rest of the class burst into laughter.

Humiliated, Chen Yao turned his anger toward Qiu Li. He raised his fist, ready to lash out, when the dorm teacher’s voice rang out:

“It’s nap time—why aren’t you all back in the dorm yet?”

Caught, Chen Yao had no choice but to drop his hand. He gave Qiu Li a scornful snort as he passed by. “It’s just a piece of candy. You act like it’s some kind of treasure. So pathetic…”

Qiu Li quietly pushed the marshmallow deeper into his pocket, ignoring him, and carried his tray over to the dorm teacher.

“You brought your tray back all by yourself again—great job!” she said with a warm smile, handing him a little red flower sticker. “Here’s your reward.”

Qiu Li accepted it, paused for a moment, then said, “Thank you, teacher.”

Then, clutching the sticker in his hand, he headed to the dorm room for his nap, just like he always did.

But the dorm teacher stood there a moment, slightly stunned.

She’d been with this class for over two years now. She remembered every child clearly—but Qiu Li had always stood out the most.

Given his background and personality, it was hard not to notice Qiu Li.

All the teachers agreed on one thing: Qiu Li was easy to manage. He was sensible, obedient, never made a fuss, never threw tantrums.

But at the same time, he wasn’t that easy—because he was too quiet. Quiet in a way that didn’t seem natural for a child his age.

The school psychologist had observed him for over half a year before finally concluding that he simply preferred solitude and calm—that there were no underlying psychological issues. Only then did the teachers begin to relax a little.

Still, his silence often left them troubled, because it bordered on isolation.

Who would’ve thought that after more than two years, this would be the first time he ever said “Thank you, teacher”?

Of course the dorm teacher was surprised.

…

In the toddler nap room, Yan Xiao lay under her blanket, thinking about Qiu Li while her eyes darted playfully around the room.

Rows of little beds, rows of little kids—one after another, like they were all lined up waiting for snacks. Some had already fallen asleep, while others were fidgeting and making trouble, keeping everyone else awake. It was such a funny scene that she couldn’t help staring a little longer.

Then came the soft sound of the door opening.

Yan Xiao immediately shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

The teacher tiptoed into the room, quietly covering up a few little ones who had kicked off their blankets… Of course, Yan Xiao, who was only pretending to sleep, noticed everything—especially the usual suspects who never napped and even led others into mischief.

“Which little ones are already asleep?” the teacher whispered. “If you’re asleep, raise your hand and show the teacher.”

Yan Xiao: “…” Seriously? That childish?

Then came the sound of rustling—tiny arms eagerly shooting into the air.

Yan Xiao: “………………”

She kept her eyes shut, completely still, her breathing even and calm. When it came to pretending to sleep, she was a pro. Not even her aunt could see through it, let alone a teacher.

As the teacher continued to soothe the kids with gentle words, Yan Xiao suddenly began to feel drowsy for real. Just before drifting off, she was still thinking about whether she’d get a chance to sneak over to Building One that afternoon.

But the chance never came.

The toddler class was dismissed the earliest, and she ended up walking out with her little backpack, looking back every few steps, disappointment all over her face.

Her aunt hadn’t been able to drop her off that morning because of work. But in the afternoon, she made sure to finish early and came with her sister to pick her up.

Seeing her little niece looking so reluctant to leave, constantly glancing back, Chen Zilu couldn’t help but laugh. She tugged on her sister’s arm, pointing at Yan Xiao.

“Sis, take a guess—do you think Xiaoxiao can’t bear to leave the desserts or the toys at this kindergarten?”

Chen Ziyi thought of what the teacher had told her earlier—that Xiaoxiao was adjusting well at school and had even made a friend. She smiled, both amused and helpless.

“I’m guessing she can’t bear to leave her new friend.”

“Huh?” Chen Zilu was surprised. “She made such a good friend on her first day? That’s my niece for you!”

Chen Ziyi gave her younger sister a playful glare.

As they chatted, Yan Xiao had already walked over. Chen Zilu quickly stepped forward and scooped her up into a big hug, smothering her with affection.

“My sweet girl, did you miss your auntie?”

Yan Xiao had been sneaking glances toward Building One, dragging her feet in hopes of running into Qiu Li. But she never got the chance. Because her attention had been so focused on that building, she didn’t even notice her mom and aunt waiting. So when her aunt’s question suddenly hit her, she hesitated a beat before replying,
“I did!”

The pause was a little too obvious.

Chen Zilu pouted. “That didn’t sound very enthusiastic. You took way too long to answer. Did you really miss me?”

Yan Xiao stared at her aunt’s stunning face for a moment, then gave in with a sigh. She leaned in and planted a big, loud kiss on her aunt’s cheek. “I really missed you! I missed you soooo much!”

Honestly, sometimes she didn’t know which one of them was the actual three-year-old.

After the dramatic display, she stretched her arms toward her mom and shouted,
“I missed Mommy sooo much too!”

Chen Ziyi smiled and gently pinched her daughter’s cheek. “Good girl, today you get a candy as a reward!”

Yan Xiao was genuinely happy.

One more candy meant one more chance to boost her “negative” points in front of the big villain! Mom was really helping her out!

The unexpected treat eased Yan Xiao’s disappointment about not getting to raise her “negative points” again before going home. Even the sadness of not seeing Qiu Li over the weekend was completely wiped away by the warm smiles of her mom and aunt.

…….

When Qiu Li stepped out of the classroom with his backpack, the doors of the classrooms in Building Three were already locked, and not a single child was in sight. Even though he knew the younger class dismissed early, he still stared at Building Three for a while.

Last night, a servant had told him that the Qiu family would hold a small celebration for Qiu Yan over the weekend. Normally, he had no interest in anything about Qiu Yan—especially celebrations. But yesterday, he overheard that the Yan family would be attending as well.

As he walked toward the school gate, the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile.

For the first time, he found himself actually looking forward to the weekend.

Holding onto that hope, Qiu Li watched as one by one the other children were picked up by their parents. In the end, only he was left—and he didn’t feel unhappy about it.

He waited and waited, until the sun went down. The teacher had made countless phone calls, but the driver still hadn’t come.

He glanced at the clock on the wall—7:20 p.m.

After a long pause, he stood up and walked over to the teacher, lowering his eyes as he said, “Teacher, I can go home by myself.” After all, when Qiu Zhan had left him at the hotel entrance, he had taken a taxi home alone.

The teacher called again, but no one answered. Meng Jing felt helpless—this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. She glanced at Qiu Li’s calm face, then said, “Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe they’re on their way.”

She remembered the last time they waited until 8 p.m. Now it was only 7:20, so another half hour wouldn’t hurt. If no one came by 8, she’d take him home herself.

Qiu Li gave a small sound of agreement and sat back down to continue waiting.

By 7:40, the call still hadn’t gone through, and Meng Jing was starting to lose patience.

Not because she was annoyed, but because she felt this pointless waiting was a waste of time. She put away her phone and said to Qiu Li, “I’ll take you home.”

Qiu Li looked up at her, “It’s okay. If you have things to do, you can go ahead. I can wait by myself.”

Meng Jing was speechless.

“Since the teacher’s heading that way,” Meng Jing smiled, “she might as well take you home.” She thought to herself that if she had known earlier, she might as well have taken him home at six and gotten off work earlier.

Qiu Li blinked. No one knew, but he was actually quite sensitive to others’ emotions. Right now, he could tell the teacher wasn’t truly happy—even though she was smiling.

If they waited any longer, the teacher might get more upset. So Qiu Li stood up and followed her outside.

Meanwhile, Yan Xiao, who had just finished dinner at the newly opened alien-themed restaurant and was happily holding the chocolate mousse her aunt had bought for her, looked out the window as they passed the kindergarten—and saw Qiu Li walking with the teacher. She thought she must be mistaken…

“Auntie—” Realizing it was him, she twisted around, struggling to look back while urgently shouting, “Auntie, stop the car! Stop, stop!”

Chen Zilu was startled by her niece’s sudden shout and thought she was unwell. She quickly pulled over to the roadside and turned on the hazard lights.

Chen Ziyi hurriedly checked on her daughter. “What’s wrong?”

As soon as Yan Xiao unbuckled her seatbelt, she climbed onto the middle of the backseat, looking out the rear window. It really was Qiu Li!

So late, and he was still at the kindergarten? Didn’t anyone from the Qiu family come to pick him up?

“I’m fine,” she said, glancing at Qiu Li standing with the teacher by the kindergarten gate, waiting for a taxi. “I’m not feeling unwell—I just saw a… friend.”

“Friend?”

Chen Ziyi and Chen Zilu both followed their niece’s gaze with curiosity.

They saw Qiu Li.

The two sisters exchanged a glance—what was going on? They understood immediately.

Yan Xiao bit her lip. Was the villainous big shot’s childhood really this miserable? So late, and no one had come to pick him up. A family like the Qiu’s would definitely have a driver assigned to take their kids to and from school. This wasn’t forgetfulness—it was deliberate.

Her personal guess was that Qiu Zhan was behind it.

Knowing the story, she was actually right: it was Qiu Zhan who sent the driver away, telling him that another driver had been assigned to pick up Qiu Li, so not to bother.

The driver, well aware of the eldest son’s attitude toward Qiu Li, dared not ask questions or complain. He was just a paid worker and wouldn’t dare meddle in the Qiu family’s affairs. Besides, Qiu Zhan was the eldest son—who would want to risk upsetting him? So the driver turned a blind eye and pretended not to notice.

Looking at Qiu Li standing by the roadside with his head lowered, Yan Xiao thought silently to herself: Poor guy.

She thought for a moment, then turned to say, “Mom, why don’t we give him a ride? It’s on the way, and we can drop him off at the Qiu family’s gate. Then we’ll head home. Besides, I’d like to take a little drive too.”

Of course, Chen Ziyi couldn’t say no to her daughter—except when it came to sweets and ice cream.

“Sure!” Chen Ziyi smiled, happy her daughter was so thoughtful. She pinched Yan Xiao’s cheek gently. “Mommy will go get your friend right now.”

“He’s not a friend! Not a friend!” Yan Xiao quickly corrected, flustered from her earlier slip-up. She needed to fix that.

Chen Ziyi looked puzzled. “If he’s not a friend, why would he ride with us?”

Yan Xiao hesitated, then explained, “He’s a classmate. We’re in the same kindergarten. Teachers say classmates should be kind to each other.”

Chen Ziyi chuckled. That clever little one even had a sneaky excuse ready.

“All right, all right,” she laughed. “A classmate it is. Mommy’s going to go get your classmate now.”

Yan Xiao quickly added, “I—I’m coming too! I’ll go with you!”

Chen Ziyi didn’t suspect a thing, assuming her daughter just wanted to play. She unbuckled her seatbelt, lifted her out of the car, and took her hand as they headed toward the kindergarten gate.

Yan Xiao’s heart was pounding with excitement.

The arrogant villain was a stubborn, prideful tsundere who hated being looked down on. Yan Xiao was already planning to put on her most disdainful, high-and-mighty attitude and announce that he’d be riding in her family’s car.

That way, she could both give the poor kid a ride home and make him annoyed with her—two birds with one stone. She couldn’t help but silently applaud herself for the plan.

Friday evening rush hour was the worst time to hail a ride, especially in this busy area. The ride-hailing app showed a queue of more than twenty people ahead, and Meng Jing couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.

Just as she was thinking about asking a nearby friend out for dinner to help, she heard someone calling her.

Seeing Mrs. Yan walking over holding Yan Xiao’s hand, the teacher was momentarily confused until Mrs. Yan explained the situation.

Yan Xiao ignored what her mom and the teacher said, lifting her chin and using every ounce of effort to strike a lofty, disdainful pose as she declared, “I was passing by after dinner and was heading home anyway, so I figured I’d let you ride in my family’s car and give you a lift.”

The unspoken message was clear: Since no one came for you, I’m feeling sorry for you—so I’m letting you ride with my family. I’m doing you a favor!

Qiu Li was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected to see Yan Xiao today at all.

Hearing her say she’d give him a ride, he first felt surprised. Then, looking at Chen Ziyi’s face and seeing no hint of reluctance or disdain, he allowed himself a small smile.

Meng Jing, of course, knew Yan Xiao and Chen Ziyi, and was aware of the relationship between the Yan and Qiu families. After a moment’s thought, she asked Qiu Li for his opinion: “Would you be willing to ride home with Mrs. Yan?”

The teacher had waited with him for a long time, and he didn’t want to trouble her any further. Besides…

He glanced at Yan Xiao and nodded, “I’m willing.”

Meng Jing let out a relieved sigh—good, as long as he agreed. After all, the Yan family lived on the east side of town and the Qiu family on the west while she on other hand, once she dropped him off, it would be past ten by the time she got home.

Watching Qiu Li get into the Yan family’s car, Meng Jing quickly called her close friend—she was starving and hoping to join them for dinner.

Since the car only had a child seat for Yan Xiao, Chen Ziyi asked Qiu Li to sit in the other seat in the back. After buckling Yan Xiao in, she was about to help Qiu Li when she saw he had already gotten in and fastened his own seatbelt, sitting quietly and obediently.

Chen Ziyi smiled, thinking to herself how mature he was, and praised him warmly.

Once the car started moving, Yan Xiao suddenly remembered—it was almost eight o’clock, and Qiu Li was still at kindergarten; he must not have eaten dinner yet.

She looked down at the chocolate mousse in her arms, then glanced at Qiu Li sitting quietly beside her, biting her lip in hesitation.

The mousse was really delicious—she felt a little reluctant to give it up. But the poor boy was still hungry… Oh well, she could always have more later.

You can’t catch a wolf without letting go of the lamb.

No effort, no reward.

After all, what’s the point of all the sweets if you don’t even have your life?

Without hesitation, she held out the cake with a lifted chin: “Want some?”

Since getting into the car, Qiu Li had been very reserved. Although the two Ms. Chens were kind to him, and Yan Xiao was sitting right beside him, he didn’t move much, just quietly sat there.

He was just hesitating whether to speak, and how to say it, when suddenly a beautifully wrapped cake emitting a sweet chocolate aroma was handed to him.

Instinctively, he said, “I’m not hungry.”

But the moment the words left his mouth, his stomach growled loudly.

He felt a little embarrassed; his face immediately flushed red.

Seeing Qiu Li so awkward and shy because of her ‘charity,’ Yan Xiao finally felt satisfied inside. She’d given away her dessert and caught the wolf—this deal was totally worth it. She placed the cake carefully into his neatly folded hands, wearing a cute, proud expression: “I already ate. You can have it.”

That round little chin and that tsundere attitude—how adorable!

Qiu Li glanced at her, then down at the cake in his hands, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Thank you.”

Seeing even his ‘thank you’ sounded reluctant, Yan Xiao waved her hand generously, “You’re welcome.”

After that, she stole a glance at him and saw he was staring down at the cake, his jaw clenched tight, looking unhappy and a bit dissatisfied. That was her favorite cake, yet he seemed so displeased?

But since it was already given, Yan Xiao forced herself to turn away and look outside, pretending not to notice—if she didn’t see it, she wouldn’t feel sorry for the cake…

Qiu Li stared at the cake for a long moment before finally unwrapping it.

It was shaped like a little lamb—so cute and looked delicious.

Though he’d sometimes gone hungry before when Qiu Zhan targeted him and meals were missed, he’d always managed to endure it. But today, looking at this cake in front of him, his hunger felt sharper than usual.

After staring at it for a while longer, he finally picked up the spoon and scooped a bit from one of the lamb’s legs. The cake was soft and sweet—delicious. It was the first time he truly realized how good sweets could taste…

By the time they reached the Qiu family’s villa district, Qiu Li had finished the entire cake.

He glanced out at the buildings and street signs and then asked who was driving, “Auntie, can we stop here?”

Chen Zilu looked outside and replied, “This isn’t your home yet.”

Qiu Li hesitated, then said, “…I want to look at the trees by the roadside.”

An obvious lie.

Chen Zilu didn’t press further. She had already noticed that Qiu Li was sensitive and that his family situation was complicated. He was probably worried about something and didn’t want them to drop him off right at his door. She glanced at the nearby entrance, smiled, and nodded before parking by the side of the road.

Chen Zilu got out to open the car door for Qiu Li.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Qiu Li said politely.

Chen Zilu smiled. “You’re welcome. It was my daughter Xiaoxiao who spotted you.”

It had only been a few days, but the boy was already more talkative—he’d never spoken so much before.

Qiu Li’s heart stirred—he hadn’t guessed wrong; it really was her who had asked the parents to give him a ride.

But Qiu Zhan held grudges. Last week, she only gave him one candy, and he had bullied her for it. If he saw Qiu Li coming home in her family’s car, he would definitely bully her even more. It wasn’t far anyway; he could just walk the rest of the way home.

Hearing his aunt’s words, Yan Xiao quickly rolled up the car window, leaned on it, and emphasized to Qiu Li standing by the roadside, “We’re just going the same way! Not specifically giving you a ride!”

Their families didn’t live in the same villa community; they were just both in the east side of the city. So “going the same way” was a bit of a stretch.

Chen Zilu couldn’t detect the deeper meaning behind her niece’s words and just thought that was how kids talked to each other.

“Better get going,” she said to Qiu Li. “Watch your step.”

Qiu Li nodded. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and looked up at Yan Xiao in the car.

“Are you coming to Qiu Yan’s celebration tomorrow?”

Under the streetlights, the young boy’s dark eyes sparkled like stars.

Qiu Li was looking forward to it—but to Yan Xiao, his words sounded like he didn’t want to see her there. It was his way of telling her not to come to the Qiu house and bother him.

Yan Xiao raised an eyebrow and said defiantly, “Of course I’m going! You don’t want to see me? Well, I’m going anyway! I’ll make sure to be right in front of you!”

Qiu Li pressed his lips together, hiding his excitement deep inside.

“Oh.” He said, his voice still calm but carrying a subtle joy no one else could detect.

Yan Xiao blinked, puzzled.

Already upset? That’s way too easy to provoke!

Had the system secretly given her a cheat code?

After nearly a week of silence, the system suddenly flashed in her mind, replying:

[Not at all.]

With this unexpected surge of joy tucked away in his heart, Qiu Li slung his backpack over his shoulder and started walking home. After a while, he suddenly stopped and a faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Little LiLi: She’s coming to my house tomorrow — so happy! (#^.^#)
XiaoXiao: This is way too easy to get a reaction—seriously, way too easy! (^▽^)