Compared to other places, the New Year in Yangzhou wasn’t all that different.

But for Wen Chongyue, eating tangyuan on the first day of the new year was a first.

The soft, glutinous rice dumplings with black sesame filling were round and plump. Wen Chongyue ate a lot, to the point that Xia Jiao couldn’t understand how he managed it. He chatted casually with her parents while finishing two big bowls of tangyuan, a bowl of noodles, and a few buns.

Not many cities had the tradition of eating noodles in the morning—Yangzhou was one, and Wuhan, with its hot dry noodles, was another.

Xia Jiao had only eaten half a bowl of tangyuan and couldn’t finish the rest. Her stomach felt full, and she instinctively reached out to rub it.

Parents of their generation always loved children who could eat well. They believed the more their kids ate, the happier they were.

Especially someone like Wen Chongyue—tall, well-built, with a hearty appetite and a sweet tongue. A few words of praise from him made Father Xia and Mother Xia beam with satisfaction, and his large appetite felt like a compliment to their cooking.

He was practically the perfect “child from someone else’s family.”

Mother Xia was very pleased and teasingly scolded Xia Jiao, “Jiao Jiao, look at you, eating so little.”

Xia Jiao defended herself. “I don’t eat much in the morning.”

She had just woken up and wasn’t very hungry. After a few bites, she already felt full.

Wen Chongyue backed her up. “Jiao Jiao was really busy before the holidays, and work exhausted her. She’s been waking up early every day, so her appetite isn’t great in the morning. Let her sleep in a bit more.”

Father Xia, happily playing with the cat, didn’t even look up as he agreed. “That’s right, let her get some rest. She finally gets a break—let her sleep in for the New Year.”

As he spoke, he carefully peeled two shrimp to feed the cat.

Mother Xia sighed. “You just spoil her. Jiao Jiao, are you really sleepy? If you are, go back and rest for a while.”

In the end, Xia Jiao only ate half a bowl of tangyuan and passed the rest to Wen Chongyue. His appetite was big, and he finished it all without a change in expression.

Xia Jiao couldn’t help but think that if he were starving, he might just swallow her whole.

With her mother’s approval, Xia Jiao didn’t have to go out visiting relatives. Instead, she went back to her room to catch up on sleep. Their home didn’t have great soundproofing, and with Father Xia and Mother Xia watching over things, Wen Chongyue obviously wouldn’t try anything.

But for some reason, these past few nights, he had been clinging to her like an octopus. Even in her half-asleep state, she could feel him hugging her tightly, pressing soft kisses against her.

She actually liked it. The only downside was that sometimes she woke up feeling too warm.

The tangyuan she ate in the morning was hard to digest, and the black sesame filling made her feel even sleepier.

Xia Jiao lay on the bed, and soon, the two cats jumped up as well. Wen Quan, being more delicate, couldn’t tolerate the southern climate and burrowed into her blankets. Meanwhile, Xia Mi confidently curled up on Wen Chongyue’s pillow, forming a round ball while gracefully licking its fur.

The rhythmic purring of the cats was oddly soothing. Surrounded by their soft warmth, Xia Jiao slowly drifted into sleep.

Outside the bedroom, Wen Chongyue helped Father Xia and Mother Xia clean up the dining table and tidy the house.

Later that morning, some relatives came over for New Year’s greetings. They didn’t stay long before heading off. Normally, people liked to gather and play mahjong on the first day of the year, and this year was no exception. However, since Wen Chongyue was here alone, Father Xia and Mother Xia felt bad about leaving him behind.

But Wen Chongyue took the initiative. “I don’t know how to play mahjong. I’ll just stay home and keep Jiao Jiao company.”

Father Xia said, “If you get bored, feel free to go out for a walk. Jiao Jiao is old enough to stay home alone.”

Wen Chongyue smiled and agreed. He watched the two elders leave before finally relaxing. Checking the time, he quietly returned to the bedroom.

Xia Jiao was still lying on the bed, deeply asleep.

Her dreams were strange and surreal.

She dreamt that she and Wen Chongyue had returned to their school days. He was on the podium, holding a pointer and patiently teaching English. She sat below, dressed in a clean and tidy school uniform, twirling her pen in her fingers as she tried to focus on her homework.

Faintly, she could hear a low buzzing sound from her uniform pants—like the hum of a bee, like the fluttering of a bird’s wings.

She bit her lip and heard Wen Chongyue call her name, “Xia Jiao, please read the passage aloud.”

She looked up and saw Wen Chongyue holding a remote control, smiling as he called on her.

…

The bizarre dream was both stifling and warm. Somewhere in the distance, she heard the sound of pages flipping, as if reality were blending into her dream.

Xia Jiao suddenly opened her eyes, gasping for breath.

Wen Quan had already run off, while Xia Mi licked her fingers, letting out a lazy meow, still sounding drowsy from sleep.

Xia Jiao sat up and saw Wen Chongyue sitting at her small desk, reading a book. Her nerves tensed instantly, and she rushed over, pressing the book shut in his hands. “Don’t look around.”

Perhaps due to the lingering effects of her dream, a thin layer of sweat still clung to her skin. When she finally saw what Wen Chongyue was reading, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

It wasn’t her notebook—just an ordinary extracurricular book.

Xia Jiao turned to check her bookshelf. Her notebooks and textbooks were still neatly in place, untouched.

Good. Wen Chongyue still didn’t know.

She had scared herself into a cold sweat with her own paranoia. Now that she had calmed down, her breath was still uneven when Wen Chongyue handed her a cup of hot water. He then took out a wet wipe, gently wiping the sweat off her forehead, and asked in a low voice, “What did you dream about? You looked really scared.”

“…Nothing,” Xia Jiao replied. “Just some strange things.”

She downed the warm water in one go and remained seated on the bed, still not fully recovered from the earlier shock. “Where are Dad and Mom?”

“They went out to play mahjong.”

Xia Jiao asked, “Why didn’t you go with them? I remember you’re pretty good at mahjong.”

Wen Chongyue had a sharp memory and excellent calculation skills, making him formidable at card games and mahjong. Xia Jiao still remembered the last time they played together—she lost miserably and only managed to recover thanks to Wen Chongyue’s skillful plays.

Wen Chongyue shook his head. “I can’t. In your parents’ eyes, I don’t know how to play mahjong right now.”

Xia Jiao was stunned. “Why?”

Wen Chongyue put down the book. “What do you think?”

Of course, Xia Jiao knew why. But no, it was daytime, and it was still New Year’s. What if guests came over? Or what if her parents returned from playing mahjong…

She quickly avoided Wen Chongyue’s gaze, nimbly jumping out of bed. “I’m hungry. I’ll see if there’s anything to eat.”

There were still some three-diced buns in the kitchen, slightly warm. Xia Jiao ate one, drank two cups of tea, and then lay on the bed with her phone, watching videos.

Wen Chongyue sat beside her, holding a book absentmindedly. After flipping through just a couple of pages, he reached out to take her phone. “Looking at your phone like this is bad for your eyesight.”

Xia Jiao replied, “It’s fine. Scientists say that once you reach adulthood, your vision is basically stable.”

Wen Chongyue raised an eyebrow. “Which scientists?”

Xia Jiao: “The ones I made up.”

Wen Chongyue was so amused that he laughed. He put down his book and leaned in to take her phone. Xia Jiao was small in stature, and all he had to do was press down on her shoulder with one hand, rendering her immobile. As they playfully wrestled, she laughed and held her phone up high, telling him, “You know what? When I was little, I asked my parents where I came from.”

Wen Chongyue guessed, “Did they say you were picked up?”

He pressed down on Xia Jiao’s shoulder, his gaze lowering as he looked at his wife. When he smiled, the small mole on his sharp jawline became strikingly clear. “My mom used to say that too, but my dad told me that children are born from love between a husband and wife.”

“No,” Xia Jiao shook her head seriously. “My dad told me that I came from a promotional deal at the phone store—recharging phone credit got them a free kid.”

Wen Chongyue praised, “That’s nice. When I was born, my dad didn’t even have a mobile phone.”

Saying this, Xia Jiao pressed her phone against her face, looking affectionate and pitiful. “So, my phone is my home. When I play on my phone, I’m just searching for the feeling of home.”

She said it so sincerely, her voice soft and touching.

Xia Jiao forgot that Wen Chongyue was not an ordinary person.

Wen Chongyue peeled back the metaphorical shrimp dumpling skin and also freed himself. Xia Jiao realized something was off and tried to warn him, “My parents will be back any minute.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Wen Chongyue took her phone away and covered her mouth.

“That doesn’t matter right now,” Wen Chongyue sighed. “Xiao Wen wants to knock on Jiao Jiao’s door and experience the taste of home.”