Hah, you bunch of boys blinded by her cuteness!

Yu Yingze scoffed inwardly at the three boys who were obviously smitten by Yuanyuan’s adorableness. Soon enough, they’ll realize how annoying it is to play soccer with someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

He didn’t mind occasionally playing with his little sister, but now that he had found kids his own age to play soccer with, he had planned to have a proper game on the soft grass. That plan, however, was quickly shattered.

As soon as the game started, the three boys—who had clearly been charmed by Yuanyuan—began clapping and cheering her on from the sidelines: “Go Yuanyuan, you can do it!”

This isn’t soccer, this is a cheerleading squad, Yu Yingze thought, rolling his eyes. Especially that Slit-Eyes, who was cheering the loudest of them all.

Yuanyuan, excited to be playing, dashed towards the ball as fast as she could—only to overshoot it by a mile.

Not only did she miss the ball, but her little foot accidentally kicked it from behind, causing her to trip and tumble head over heels, leaving a muddy streak on her white clothes.

Seeing her fall, Slit-Eyes rushed over in a panic to help her up. “Yuanyuan, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Yuanyuan replied cheerfully, dusting herself off. She tugged on his sleeve. “Little Eyes Brother, you should come play too! Yuanyuan isn’t very good, and I don’t think Second Brother is having much fun playing with just me.”

I’ve been invited by a little angel!

Slit-Eyes’ already small eyes turned into mere slits as he beamed with joy, nodding enthusiastically.

Yu Yingze, who had been feeling a bit irritated, suddenly felt a pang of guilt. I never realized Yuanyuan cared so much about whether I was having fun. He had only been thinking about how she was dragging him down.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Yingze walked over seriously to teach Yuanyuan some basic soccer techniques. He explained how she should pay attention to the direction the ball was being kicked and not to lose her rhythm while running—otherwise, she’d trip easily.

Yuanyuan, being so young, wouldn’t understand anything too complicated, and even if she did, her body couldn’t keep up with the moves just yet. She nodded, understanding only half of what he said, and stood by, waiting for the ball to come her way.

Yu Yingze, showing a rare bit of consideration, lightened his kicks and directed the ball toward her so she wouldn’t have to run too far. The poor kid falls down so easily—hopefully she doesn’t spill out all her stuffing like a dumpling, he mused.

The three boys, who had been standing on the sidelines cheering her on, finally stopped after Yu Yingze’s sharp glares and joined the game.

Yuanyuan tried to recall her brother’s “lessons” and calmed down, resisting the urge to chase the ball randomly. She focused with her quick reflexes and sharp instincts, carefully analyzing the ball’s trajectory. I’ve got this! I’m so fast and cool!

The ball rolled towards her, and Yuanyuan raised her leg to kick—

But the ball hadn’t arrived yet, and she put too much force into her swing. She lost her balance and face-planted into the ground, arms and legs sprawled out like a squished hamster.

The three boys, who had been ready to shower her with compliments, were left speechless, awkwardly swallowing their praise.

“Aww, Yuanyuan isn’t good at playing soccer. You guys keep playing.” Yuanyuan got up dejectedly, nudging a small rock with her foot. She was ready to walk away, feeling like she wasn’t worthy of playing with her brother.

After a moment of silence, Slit-Eyes suddenly called out, “Wait, Yuanyuan!” He motioned for the little girl to come back. “I think you could try being the goalie.”

This was something even Yu Yingze hadn’t considered. He had always been worried that the ball would hit Yuanyuan and hurt her, so the idea of putting her in front of the goal seemed reckless!

He glanced at Yuanyuan, then at his dad, who was sitting in the distance, watching over them with a laptop. “But what if Yuanyuan gets hurt? That would be a big problem.”