On Pingjiang Road, a new literary and creative bookstore had opened, named "Little Xiaomi."
The shop was tucked away in the shadows of trees, and a cotton-linen door curtain embroidered with a plump white cat pattern hung at the entrance.
Several pots of small daisies sat on the stone steps, their white petals clustering around tender yellow centers, swaying gently in the breeze, as if waving to passersby.
Pushing the door open, warm yellow light spilled over the raw wooden bookshelves, and the air carried a faint scent of paper and linen.
In the corner were a few beanbag chairs, grayish-white, sagging softly into the floor.
On the one by the window, the young male shopkeeper often curled up, weaving straw. The straw flipped between his fingers, turning into grasshoppers, dragonflies, and mantises, strung in a long row on the wall.
Any tourist passing by, seeing this sight, couldn't help but step into the store.
They’d flip through books, check out the straw weavings, or buy some creative products.
At the counter by the bookshelf, a few girls huddled together, chatting animatedly in low whispers:
"Ahhh, his eyes are so gorgeous—could he be some coser? Girl, I can’t handle it, I want to ask what color contacts he’s wearing!"
"Contacts, my foot! You just want his WeChat, don’t you!"
"I don’t think it’s happening. Look at his hand."
Their gaze followed. On the guy’s slender, fair wrist was a pale blue floral scrunchie.
He was holding a stack of postcards, arranging them on a shelf, the scrunchie swaying lightly with his movements.
A few strands of fine bangs hung over his brows and eyes, and a silver earring sat in his earlobe—unobtrusive, but adding a touch of roguish charm.
Everything he did was lazy, indifferent, and cool, but the moment his gaze inadvertently swept over that scrunchie, it instantly softened, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.
Realizing he was taken, they decided it was best to just admire his looks from a distance, and any romantic ideas vanished. They smoothly shifted the topic to other single handsome guys.
"Hey, by the way, last time you mentioned your cousin—the one from Beijing’s elite circle, Master Zhou, who changes girlfriends faster than he changes clothes. He’s been chasing one girl for months now—any updates?"
"Oh man, let me tell you, not long ago, he pulled off a drone confession, showered her with all kinds of designer bags and jewelry—threw every 'money-ability' trick at her. But it was all for nothing. This time, that playboy’s truly fallen head over heels."
"A drone confession? So romantic! How did she react?"
"She said her husband had already used tricks like that. My cousin’s face turned green with anger—hilarious!"
"Husband? Isn’t that just an excuse to reject him?"
"Who knows. Anyway, her name is the same as this store—'Xiaomi.' I saw her once from afar at my cousin’s school. She wasn’t stunning at first glance, but the more you look, the cuter and more endearing she gets. My cousin’s never gone for this type before, so I don’t know why he’s so smitten."
As they chatted excitedly, a tall shadow suddenly loomed over them.
A delicate pack of postcards and small trinkets appeared in front of each of them.
"These are for you. Could you tell me more about what you were just discussing? I’d like to hear it too."
The girls looked up in unison to face the face they’d been gossiping about.
The handsome guy still wore a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were chilly, revealing no sign of curiosity.
The air fell silent for two seconds.
"Of course."
Who could refuse a request from such a handsome guy?
Especially since he’d given them freebies.
It was summer break, and Chai Mingde had specifically driven to pick up his daughter.
She had taken after her mother, who loved to dress up—spoiled and obsessed with appearances. Her stuff was as much as if she were moving house: big bags, small bags, a heavy suitcase. He was panting by the time he hauled it all home.
He reached for a glass of water poured on the table, but his daughter grabbed it first.
Chai Xiaomi’s face was flushed from the heat as she downed a big gulp.
The next second—"Pfft—"
A man-made fountain.
Old Chai, sprayed all over: ?
Following his daughter’s shocked gaze, father and daughter both looked over at the sofa.
A young man sat there, prim and proper, perching only on the very edge of the cushion, back straight, as if afraid of dirtying the sofa. His clean, loose white T-shirt made him look gentle and quiet.
He raised his head slightly, smiling warmly, with a harmless expression.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, big sister."
His voice was soft and sweet, sounding exceedingly well-behaved.
Yao Xue walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of cut fruit, smiling at the father-daughter pair. "Finally back!"
"Let me introduce you. This is Wu Li. I’ve mentioned before that one of my ancestors had a very close Miao friend, closer than family, but they lost touch over time due to changes in the era. Not long ago, when our station was doing a segment on ethnic culture and traced the roots, as luck would have it, we ran into that person’s descendant."
Chai Xiaomi pressed her lips together, thinking to herself: This isn’t a descendant—this is the original!
Yao Xue continued introducing him to Wu Li.
"Xiao Wu, this is the daughter I told you about—the one who at eight years old wore her mom’s high heels and fell into the fish tank—"
Chai Xiaomi: !!!
"And this is my husband—the one who got his fishing hook caught in his crotch and fell into the pond, yelling like crazy."
Chai Mingde: !!!
The father and daughter’s deepest secrets had been laid bare.
Yao Xue was warm and straightforward, and she trusted her first impressions. The moment she saw this young man, she felt an inexplicable closeness. "Even though it’s your first time at our place, don’t be too formal. Make yourself at home."
But this wasn’t his first time at all—he’d come to deliver a package months ago.
Chai Xiaomi stood frozen, her fingers nervously fidgeting together.
At that moment, she felt like she was the one who had just arrived as a guest.
Nervous, tense, and just a little excited.
Come to think of it, after reuniting with Wu Li, she’d spent a whole day planning out their future.
Step one: settle down locally.
Step two: gradually teach him the rules of modern society and essential life skills.
Step three: once he became a proper 'modern person,' officially bring him home to meet her parents.
All the steps were progressing smoothly.
Wu Li had brought his universe bag, which contained their wedding dowry and bride price from back then. Any single item, if taken to an antique market and appraised by a collector, would be worth a fortune.
With start-up funds secured, they rented a two-story storefront, and they had a base.
Though they currently lived in separate cities, with a single thought and the jingle of silver bells on her ankle, she could see Wu Li anytime in the blink of an eye.
The plan was perfect.
But Chai Xiaomi never imagined that this guy would just barge right into her home! That wasn’t the deal!
No wonder he hadn’t replied to her texts on the way back—she’d assumed he was still clumsy with his phone.
Chai Xiaomi secretly broke into a sweat. As Yao Xue passed by, she chided her softly, "Have you forgotten all your manners? This guy’s a year younger than you and still more polite. Why are you standing there like a statue without even greeting the guest?"
Yao Xue placed the fruit platter on the coffee table and beckoned to the young man, “Xiao Wu, come try some. I guarantee the watermelon I picked is sweet! I cut up more than half, and left a quarter for my daughter. You have no idea, she’s got all these little quirks—when she eats watermelon, she insists on scooping it out with a round spoon; she won’t touch cut pieces at all. And she has to scoop them into perfect little balls.”
Though her words were laced with playful complaints, her eyes were full of affection. “Sorry, you’ll have to bear with us.”
“Not at all.” Wu Li’s lips curled slightly upward. “That habit is actually pretty cute.”
How many imperfectly round balls had he eaten by now? He knew all about these little quirks of hers.
“Hey, what are you standing there like a dumb girl for? Xiao Wu just said you were cute, and you don’t even respond? You haven’t even said hello to our guest. Getting older but not wiser, I swear.”
Yao Xue noticed Chai Xiaomi still standing there like a wooden post, walked over, and lightly patted her on the rear.
Chai Xiaomi let out a couple of amused snorts, slowly shuffled over to the sofa, cleared her throat, and said, “Hi there, little brother.”
The moment the words “little brother” left her mouth.
Wu Li’s hand, which was holding a fork, paused ever so slightly, then he calmly stabbed a piece of watermelon and brought it to his lips.
His eyes curved into crescents as he said to her, “Really sweet, isn’t it, big sister?”
“See? I told you this watermelon was sweet!” Yao Xue walked out of the kitchen carrying another tray, beaming at the compliment.
On the tray was an entire slice of watermelon, and next to it lay an exquisite round spoon, its handle shaped like a chubby kitten’s head.
Seeing the young man staring at the spoon, Yao Xue explained with a smile, “Our Xiaomi really loves small animals. We used to have a cat at home, but it passed away. This spoon was custom-made to look like that cat. Xiao Wu, do you have any favorite animals?”
Wu Li thought for a moment. “Kittens, puppies, little hedgehogs, chicks, ducklings, bunnies, lambs, calves, little foxes... I like all of these.”
“Th-that’s a lot.” Yao Xue couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously he listed them off. “I wouldn’t have guessed, Xiao Wu, that you’re such a softie for animals. Not like our Xiaomi—she only likes the ones that are cute.”
“Auntie, I’ve actually raised quite a few little animals before. But my favorite isn’t any of those.”
Yao Xue leaned in curiously. “Oh? Then what’s your favorite animal?”
“It’s a l—”
Before he could finish his sentence, half a watermelon ball was suddenly stuffed into Wu Li’s mouth.
He chewed a few times without missing a beat and swallowed.
The motion was so smooth, it was as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.
Yao Xue froze.
Chai Mingde, who had just stepped out of the bedroom in a clean change of clothes, also froze.
Even the culprit herself was stunned.
Chai Xiaomi wished she could slap her own hand. Whether it was to shut him up or some ingrained habit from the past, she had just instinctively popped it right into his mouth.
She awkwardly withdrew her hand and let out a dry laugh. “That one came out lopsided... Sorry, little brother. I accidentally mistook you for my dad just now. Usually, I shove the imperfect ones into his mouth. Hope you don’t mind.”
Wu Li said, “Not at all. This is the sweetest watermelon I’ve ever had. Thanks, big sister.”
The way he said that tugged at Yao Xue’s heart. Remembering the deep conversation they’d had earlier, where she’d learned about his difficult background, she silently made a decision.
That evening, Xiaomi’s maternal grandparents also arrived.
Chai Mingde had prepared a big table of dishes for the guests.
Wu Li held his bowl, staring at the mountain of food piled on top of it, lost in thought.
The steam rising from the dinner table curled warmly into the air, making his eyes sting slightly.
Seeing this, Yao Xue couldn’t help but think: That’s it—never having known a family’s love, even a hot meal with loved ones leaves him at a loss.
And so, she became even more resolute in her decision.
“What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and eat.” Chai Xiaomi, seizing the moment when no one was looking, nudged him gently with her elbow and whispered behind her hand.
Her grandmother added another piece of braised pork belly to his bowl.
“Such a handsome young man, but a pretty face isn’t enough—you need to eat more. You’re too skinny.”
He lowered his head and took a big bite of rice, voice barely audible. “Mm.”
“I don’t think he’s skinny,” Chai Xiaomi couldn’t help correcting. “Grandma, you don’t know—there’s this popular saying online: ‘Looks slim in clothes, but has muscle underneath.’ Some guys look lean, but take off their clothes, and it’s a whole different story.”
Her grandmother burst out laughing. “Sweetie, it sounds like you’ve seen it with your own eyes.”
“Of course! There are tons of handsome guys doing transformation videos online—double-door shoulders and eight-pack abs. I’ll show you later!”
“Oh, I’d love that.”
Her grandfather rolled his eyes at the two of them openly making faces right in front of him.
Chai Mingde’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t discipline the older generation, but he could definitely handle the younger one—especially in front of a guest. “What’s going on in that little head of yours? Those men online who wiggle around and flash their bodies for you to see—what good could they possibly be in private?”
As he spoke, he raised the back of his chopsticks to lightly tap Chai Xiaomi’s head.
There was no real force behind it—it was just a fond, teasing gesture.
But another pair of chopsticks shot out like lightning to intercept him.
“Uncle, there was a mosquito.” Wu Li blinked innocently.
