Ever since Chu Jin returned, Song Qiaoxi had been over the moon every day.

Normally, she loved sleeping in but this week she’d turned into an early bird, needing no prodding from her mom to get up.

Often, she was awake before dawn at just past five in the morning.

The moment she opened her eyes, she’d flip over like a spring-loaded fish, peeking down over the edge of her bed to see Chu Jin sleeping peacefully on the little cot below.

Even in his sleep, Chu Jin maintained perfect posture—lying flat, hands folded on his stomach, breathing so quietly you could hardly hear it.

He seemed to sleep so lightly, unlike her who slept deeply and had a habit of flopping around.

Her mom always said she was like a little piglet in her sleep, mumbling nonsense and rolling all over the place.

She’d often go to bed at the head of the bed and wake up at the foot, completely unaware.

Her mom even joked that a firecracker could go off by her ear, and she still wouldn’t wake.

Every time she turned over, even though she tried her best to keep her movements small, the little dumpling thought she was being quiet enough.

But the moment her head peeked out, she always caught Chu Jin suddenly opening his eyes. For the first few seconds, his dark gaze would flicker as if startled.

His breathing would even quicken a bit.

Why did he wake up so quickly at the slightest sound?

Had someone scared him before?

Song Qiaoxi felt a bit of a headache; it seemed her goal of protecting Chu Jin had just gotten a little more complicated.

Not only did she have to make sure he didn’t turn into a little troublemaker and ate enough to grow taller, but she also needed to ensure he slept well and soundly, without waking up at every little noise.

For kids, sleep was just as important as food and if they didn’t sleep well, they wouldn’t grow tall.

Today was Friday, and when the little dumpling woke up, she noticed her mom was already up, probably at the morning market. Her dad had worked the night shift and hadn’t come home yet.

Yesterday, she heard her mom mention that the fennel sprouts at the market were especially tender and looked so fresh. By this afternoon, she could already hear the sound of her mom chopping meat in the kitchen.

Mom was particular about it, saying that meat ground outside didn’t taste as good as hand-chopped. She’d put the meat filling in the fridge to rest, planning to make fennel sprout dumplings for her and Chu Jin today.

Fennel sprout dumplings were absolutely delicious whether they’re made with pork or stuffed with eggs for a vegetarian version. And they’re even better when paired with Dad’s secret recipe for cold “Tiger Salad.”

Woa…

It’s truly something special!

Song Qiaoxi could feel her mouth watering.

She swallowed hard, then quietly rolled over positioning herself at the edge of the bed, waiting in silence for Chu Jin to calm down and look up at her. When he finally did, she greeted him with a bright smile full of anticipation.

Even though Chu Jin had grown accustomed to being awakened by the little dumpling’s movements, his experience of being jolted awake by his aunt at his uncle’s house still made it hard for him to wake up naturally.

At the slightest sound, his heart would race, jolting him awake.

After a moment of calming himself, he lifted his gaze.

To his left, he saw a radiant, beaming face with puffy cheeks. The little dumpling’s curly hair was a tousled mess making her look adorably innocent, and her big almond-shaped eyes sparkled with excitement.

Song Qiaoxi licked her lips, her smile growing even wider as she stretched out her little hand toward him, fingers playfully reaching out. Her eyes curved into crescents as she exclaimed. “Today, we’re having dumplings!”

Ha…

Chu Jin covered his eyes with the back of his hand, letting out a soft laugh.

That little glutton was always thinking about food.

Song Qiaoxi gazed in amazement at the slight curve of his lips. His pale hand obscured half of his face, yet she could still hear that faint, breathy chuckle.

Even if it was just a brief moment.

She shook her head, her long curly hair flying about wildly.

The little dumpling tilted her head back, patting her chubby cheeks with her small hands, wondering if she was still half-asleep and might have imagined it.

Had Chu Jin really just smiled?

After all this time, it was the first time she had ever seen him smile.

When he smiled even though his eyes were hidden, the way the corners of his lips turned up was quite charming.

The little cot creaked as she snapped back to reality and noticed that Chu Jin was already up, tidying his bed.

She propped herself up, sitting on the big bed and then kneeling on the cool mat, trying her best to mimic Chu Jin as she folded her blanket. After struggling for a while, she still couldn’t manage to fold it into neat “tofu blocks.”

Compared to the perfectly folded blanket Chu Jin had made, her attempt was more like a “tofu dregs” project.

After both kids finished washing up in the bathroom, their mom still hadn’t returned.

Once Song Qiaoxi washed her face, she became frustrated with her wild curls. Stray hairs kept brushing against her eyes and cheeks, causing an irritating tickle.

She decided to try braiding her hair herself. Slipping on her slippers, she went back to the bedroom and climbed onto the stool at the vanity.

With a hair tie in her mouth and a wooden comb in hand, she mimicked her mom’s actions, struggling in front of the mirror for a long time, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t get it right.

Braiding looked easy, but in practice, it was really challenging!

Before long, her arms grew sore and numb from holding them up, and the wooden comb had snagged several strands of her curls, making her wince in pain.

Finally, feeling defeated, she tossed the comb onto the vanity and sighed.

Chu Jin who had been reading in the living room, remembered that Mother Song always opened the bedroom window for ventilation. He put down his book and returned to the bedroom.

Just in time, he saw the little glutinous ball with a hair tie in her mouth angrily throwing the comb onto the vanity, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes red.

He walked past her and opened the window.

Fresh morning air, tinged with the scent of dew, rushed into the room, and a little sparrow chirped on the windowsill before flapping its wings and flying away.

Turning around, he noticed that Song Qiaoxi not ready to give up, was about to pick up the comb and try again. She glanced at the few strands of hair she had pulled out, shook her head, and gently set the comb down.

With her small hands raised on either side, she scratched her scalp, then pressed her forehead against the cool surface of the table with a thud.

Despair washed over her as she murmured. “It’s just too hard…”

A gentle pat on her shoulder caught her attention, and she heard Chu Jin’s calm voice say. “Lift your head.”

Obediently, she raised her head and saw Chu Jin picking up the comb from the vanity and gently untangling the curls that had gotten caught.

He first used his fingers to separate the tangled curls, then gently brushed through them, taking care not to tug at her scalp or pull out a single strand of hair.

Before long, he had fashioned two braids that hung down by her ears, resembling little rabbit ears.

Song Qiaoxi stared wide-eyed at her reflection in the mirror, shaking her head to feel the loose strands no longer brushing against her eyes.

She looked left and right, astonished that they looked just as good as when her mom did her hair. It was unbelievable—how did he manage that?

“Have you learned how to braid?”

She asked in surprise.

For a boy, his hands were incredibly skilled!

He was nothing like Wang Junyang and the others who always ranked at the bottom in kindergarten crafts. They could never even manage to do a simple string trick, let alone braid hair or cover books!

“I haven’t learned.” Chu Jin replied, glancing at her before shaking his head. He set the comb down, expressionless, and walked out of the bedroom to sit back at the dining table, continuing to read.

Following him into the living room, Song Qiaoxi climbed onto a chair and sat down across from him.

With her little arms propped on the table, she leaned forward and said from her elevated position. “Really? You’ve never learned, and you can braid so well? You must be a genius! The uncles and aunts in our neighborhood used to say you were a little prodigy…”

Chu Jin furrowed his brows slightly at her words, lifting his gaze from the book.

She had a round, chubby face with big eyes wide open, staring at him with the same fascinated look one might have while watching pandas at the zoo.

He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Aunt Qiao had done her hair that morning, and after seeing it a few times, she had easily learned how to braid.

What a silly glutinous ball, she never thought to learn by just watching every day…

Chu Jin pressed his lips together and shook his head, then looked down to continue reading.

As for the smile he had when he woke up, Song Qiaoxi thought she must have still been half-asleep and imagined it.

But just now, she had clearly seen Chu Jin smile softly.

That fleeting smile had come and gone in an instant.

If she hadn’t been staring at him without blinking, she might have missed it altogether.

When Chu Jin smiled, his eyes were downcast, and the slight curve of his almond-shaped eyes made his face appear less pale. He seemed to radiate a lively, childlike energy.

Seeing that he was clearly no longer paying attention to her, Song Qiaoxi wisely got off the chair and walked over to the television, picking up the remote. The Legend of the New White Lady was about to start.

After a moment of thought, she ultimately decided against pressing the red button and set the remote back down.

Chu Jin preferred quiet, and watching TV might disturb him.

So, she ran to the small bedroom on the west side and found a copy of Pippi Longstocking on the bookshelf. Returning to the living room, she settled into the sofa and began to read quietly.

When their mom came back from the morning market, she was surprised to find both kids had already washed up. Peeking in, she saw that the master bedroom window was also open for ventilation, and the beds had been tidied up.

This little Chu Jin was so thoughtful, it was truly heartwarming…

Chu Jin sat at the dining table, diligently turning the pages of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Meanwhile, the little glutinous ball had her hair neatly done in two high pigtails and was snuggled on the sofa, engrossed in her book.

The two kids were sitting not too far apart, not speaking a word, yet the atmosphere was remarkably harmonious.

Chu Jin looked pale and pretty, almost like a girl, his features exquisitely refined. Their daughter with her delicate charm was adorable, and the sight of both children reading intently in the warm morning sunlight was as beautiful as a painting.

Hmm? Her daughter’s two pigtails were so neatly styled—she couldn’t have done it herself, could she?

“Mom! You’re back!” Song Qiaoxi exclaimed, throwing down her yellow-covered book. She jumped off the sofa and rushed over to hug her mom, barefoot.

“Why aren’t you wearing your slippers again? You’re being naughty. Come on, put on your shoes.” Mom scolded lightly, though a smile remained on her face. “Who did your braids? They look pretty good!”

“Chu Jin did! He’s amazing, Mom! Chu Jin is a genius!”

Making a silly face at her mom, the little glutinous ball bounced back to put on her slippers, only to notice that Chu Jin was walking toward the entrance.

He took the groceries and breakfast from her mom’s hands and politely said. “Auntie, I’ll help you.”

“Wow, little Chu Jin is so capable! What do you think, is Xixi a little pest for not being able to braid her hair?” Mom teased while changing her shoes at the door, handing him the plastic bag. “Thank you, Chu Jin. Just put everything in the kitchen.”

“I’m not a pest…”

Song Qiaoxi pouted, slipping into her slippers and grumbling unhappily, just in time to see Chu Jin shake his head gently at her mom.

See? Chu Jin would never think of himself as a pest!

After the three of them finished breakfast, Dad returned home from his night shift.

He ruffled Chu Jin’s hair and playfully poked Song Qiaoxi’s face with his stubble, making her giggle and squirm as she hid in her mom’s arms.

Afterward, Dad didn’t head straight to bed to catch up on sleep. Instead, he helped Mom prepare the dough for the dumplings.

Song Qiaoxi leaned over the dining table, fascinated as she watched her dad kneading the dough with a rhythmic “hey yo, hey yo.”

Mom was busy in the kitchen while Chu Jin assisted her by washing and chopping vegetables. Just a moment ago, he had been the one to shoo her out of the kitchen because her vegetable-cutting skills were still a bit lacking…

Suddenly, a thought popped into her mind.

How wonderful it would be if Chu Jin could live with them all the time!

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