“Yuanyuan, do you want to go upstairs with your brother?”

As soon as Yu Mingxi squatted down, Yuanyuan immediately threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.

There was no need for a verbal response; her actions spoke louder than words.

Yu Mingxi chuckled and picked her up. Despite her chubby appearance, she was much lighter than expected.

Even Yu Yingze, who had been resistant earlier, had dropped his hostility. He dragged his feet behind them, several times wanting to say something but unsure how to begin.

Suddenly, a small head peeked out from Yu Mingxi’s shoulder, tilting curiously, “Second brother, were you saying something?”

Yu Yingze: “???? I didn’t say anything!”

“But I saw your mouth moving.”

“I wasn’t!! If I say I didn’t speak, then I didn’t. Did you hear any sound?”

Yuanyuan pouted in disappointment. “Oh, I thought you were saying you wanted to play with me.”

The air filled with dejection, especially with Yuanyuan’s slightly furrowed brows and her pitiful gaze—no one could withstand it for more than five seconds.

Yu Yingze took a deep breath, finally giving in. “It’s not like I can’t.”

“So you do want to play with us, second brother? Yay!” Yuanyuan’s head popped up, and her chubby little hand stretched out towards him.

No matter how hard she tried, her tiny paw could only just rest on Yu Mingxi’s shoulder, her eager gaze conveying all her feelings.

Flushing with embarrassment, Yu Yingze grudgingly walked forward, shoving his hand into hers, turning his face away without a word.

The three children, in their own quirky way, headed upstairs and entered Yu Mingxi’s room.

Though Yu Mingxi wasn’t that old, his room was exceptionally neat. Everything was in its place, showing that he was a kid who cleaned up after himself.

He didn’t have many toys, but there were a few stuffed animals by his bed, all cute little creatures.

A soft carpet was laid out next to the bed, and Yu Mingxi placed Yuanyuan on it before gathering all the stuffed animals and piling them in front of her.

“Wow, it’s a little bunny!” Yuanyuan immediately picked up a small rabbit, squeezing its ears before quickly moving on to her next discovery. “A little lion! It’s a little lion!”

“Which one does Yuanyuan like the most?” Yu Mingxi asked, sitting beside her with a gentle smile, a warmth that felt like a comforting glow in the night—not too bright, not too dim, just the perfect amount of light.

Yuanyuan sat cross-legged, carefully picking up each stuffed animal, examining them with soft hands as if afraid of hurting them. She spent time on each one, studying them intently.

Yu Yingze, who had been sitting nearby with his chin propped up, found the game boring. But seeing how enthusiastic his brother was, he reluctantly stayed and played along.

“Yuanyuan likes the little lion!” After her careful selection, Yuanyuan happily hugged the little lion close to her chest.

“I think the bunny is cuter,” Yu Yingze couldn’t help but comment. “The girls in my class all like bunnies.”

“Yuanyuan knew a little lion brother in Fairyland. His fur was super soft, just like this,” Yuanyuan explained while gently smoothing out the tangled fur of the plush lion with her chubby fingers. “He used to carry me on his back, running fast, and he would chase away bad guys. But… he was so sad…”

Yu Yingze, although only eight years old, had long stopped believing in these kinds of fairy tales.

As he was about to call her out, Yu Mingxi’s curious voice interrupted him, “Why was he sad? What happened to the little lion brother?”