◎Suspicion of Child Abuse◎
Little Le Jia felt a tinge of disappointment when he failed to give away his little biscuit, but being a well-behaved child who wouldn’t force others, he quietly tucked it back into his small bag.
With an air of feigned maturity, he patted the older boy’s shoulder and said, “See? Since you said you didn’t like it, I won’t give it to you.”
“So you should learn to tell your mom when you don’t like something too.”
Lan Xu stood there, clutching the remaining biscuit, silent.
He watched as the younger siblings’ aunt returned, helped them put on their coats and scarves, and carried their little bags as they left. Then he looked down at himself—today, for the audition, his mother hadn’t dressed him in warm clothes but in a tiny suit.
His mother had never wrapped a scarf around him either.
He wished he had an aunt like theirs.
Just as he was lost in thought, his mother returned, beaming. “Say goodbye to the uncles and aunties. We’re going home.”
“Goodbye, uncles.”
Director Tan gave a slight nod, seeming somewhat resigned. “Alright, you can go.”
Once they stepped out of the room, Lan Qian gloated, “I just had a chat with Director Tan. From now on, your agent will bring you to the set to observe and learn. If there’s a chance for an extra role, you must take it, understand? The more you show your face, the better it’ll be for your future.”
At his age, Lan Xu understood very little, but he instinctively obeyed. “Okay.”
“And one more thing.” Lan Qian leaned in, lowering her voice. “When the opportunity arises, you must say good things about me in front of them. Make sure they remember me too, got it?”
“Okay, Mom.”
Lan Qian was somewhat satisfied, but then she noticed something in his hand. “What’s this? Who gave it to you?”
Lan Xu, who had been spacing out and forgot to dispose of the evidence, panicked and hid his hand behind his back.
“Hiding it?” Lan Qian grabbed his wrist and snatched the biscuit away. “Was this from that kid earlier? Did he give it to you? I’ve told you, you can’t eat sweets like this.”
“It’s not sweet…”
It was actually quite bitter.
“Now you’re talking back after just a short while?” Lan Qian grew even angrier. “Listen carefully. If you see those two on set again, stay away from them! Don’t you dare play with them!”
Lan Xu’s eyes stung, but before he could say anything, his mother dragged him away.
The crew members watched the mother and son leave through the window. The lead actor frowned. “Why did you agree to her request? We don’t need extras.”
“If I didn’t, there’d be even more trouble later.” Director Tan said meaningfully, “Besides, this might turn out to be a good deed.”
What good deed? It’s not like they need the money.
They’re just letting her ride on their coattails for free.
—
Back at home, Le Qing immediately got busy. First, she packed everything the children might need for filming, as instructed by the director’s assistant, then started searching online for a suitable nanny.
She had to prepare for both scenarios—the children acting was one thing, but she couldn’t abandon her own career either. A professional nanny would be more reliable.
Her savings mission was long and arduous. At this rate, she’d soon be outpaced by the little ones’ rising fame.
While she had some experience being a nanny herself, hiring one was another matter…
After much deliberation, Le Qing decided to seek advice from the most experienced person she knew—Lin Jian, who had originally suggested the idea.
Just the sight of the numerous staff in Lin Jian’s vacation estate was enough to prove that wealthy families knew how to handle these things.
Sure enough, Lin Jian replied quickly.
“I have a few candidates in mind. They’re not only experienced in childcare but also skilled in early education. The price is negotiable too—since I’m introducing them, they’ll give you a discount.”
“That would be a great help.”
“No need to be polite. How about I bring them over to your place tomorrow?”
Le Qing sent her address.
The moment Lin Jian received it, she relayed it to Jiang Suizhi.
The nanny had been handpicked by Jiang Suizhi and would answer to him. Lin Jian had little say in the matter. She suspected Jiang Suizhi had other plans—otherwise, he would’ve taken the children back long ago instead of going through all this trouble.
—
The next morning, the two little ones saw their aunt arranging slippers by the entrance. “Auntie, are we having guests today?”
They remembered that after Auntie Pei’s last visit, their aunt had bought new slippers for future visitors.
Le Qing nodded, leading them to the bathroom to wash up. Carefully choosing her words, she explained, “A nanny will be coming over later. When I’m away for work, she’ll take care of you. If you don’t like her or if she does anything that makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me.”
This was their first time hearing about a “nanny,” and they didn’t quite understand what the role entailed. All they grasped was that this “auntie” might replace their beloved aunt.
Still drowsy, Little Le’an’s lips immediately quivered. “Auntie won’t be here anymore?”
Le Qing, who had turned to fetch a comb, paused at the sound of her crying. “I’ll still be here.”
“Then An’an wants Auntie!” Little Le’an stood on her tiptoes on a stool, stretching her arms out for a hug, her eyes reddening as she fought back tears. “No want auntie (nanny)!”
“The nanny will take better care of you than I can,” Le Qing patiently explained. “And she’s just someone extra to help out.”
“Not better than Auntie!”
At this age, children were either reasonable or utterly unreasonable—whichever suited them in the moment. “Nanny is nanny. Auntie is auntie.”
Having never met her mother, Le’an had always felt her aunt was no different from one.
Especially the aunt she had now.
“Auntie has to work.” Little Le Jia forcibly pulled his sister back. “You need to be sensible.”
“Kids don’t have to be sensible!”
The bathroom echoed with the sound of muffled sobs. Le Qing felt a headache coming on.
In the past, she had dreaded children’s tantrums—one reason she never thought she’d like kids much. But now, seeing one child openly stubborn and the other quietly so, aside from feeling helpless, her heart ached for them.
“We’ll still live together. When I’m not working, I’ll be with you.” She softened her voice, gently pulling the child who had failed to hug her earlier into her arms. “I’ll always be your auntie.”
Le’an sniffled. “Then… are we still family?”
For once, Le Qing hesitated.
Calling them “my kids” to outsiders was different from promising a child they were family.
Their identities and positions were different.
“Family” carried too much weight for a child. She herself had been trapped by that word for years, unable to move past her childhood. That’s why she couldn’t make such promises lightly now.
Otherwise, if she left someday, the gap would hurt them even more.
They deserved better family.
But without an answer, Little Le’an burst into loud wails. “Auntie doesn’t want An’an anymore! Auntie’s selling herself!”
Last time, selling her brother meant he went away. If her aunt left, it must mean she was being sold!
Tears streamed down her face as she gasped between sobs. “An’an has money! An’an will buy Auntie!”
Le Qing's heart ached as she bent down to wipe the child's tears. "I didn't sell anything. You can keep calling me Auntie."
"Auntie is family," Little Le Jia explained to his sister. "Mom's younger sister is called Auntie. The rocking horse said so."
This seemed to comfort the little girl slightly.
Just then, the doorbell rang. The little girl clung tightly to Auntie, unwilling to let go.
Le Qing had no choice but to hold her hand as she went to open the door for Lin Jian and the others.
"Well, well," Lin Jian said as soon as the door opened, spotting the teary-eyed little girl with her messy hair adorned with pearls. She crouched down and handed her a gift. "Who made our little sister cry so early in the morning? Look what Auntie brought for you."
It was Auntie Lin Jian!
Little Le'an relaxed a little, drying her tears and hugging the gift. "No one bullied me. Thank you, Auntie Lin."
Then she eyed the unfamiliar woman beside Lin Jian with suspicion.
"Auntie Lin, are you buying Auntie?" she asked.
"Buy?" Lin Jian was puzzled.
"She misunderstood that I was hiring a nanny because I didn’t want her anymore," Le Qing quickly explained, patting the little girl’s head. "This auntie isn’t buying me. I’m paying her to come take care of you and your brother at home. She can tell stories, braid your hair beautifully, and cook delicious meals and cakes."
After spending time with them, Le Qing had already pinpointed the children’s weak spots.
With each perk she listed, the kids’ expressions softened a little more.
Could there really be such a perfect auntie in the world?
But Little Le Jia misunderstood the key point—since Auntie was paying, that meant this auntie was being "bought" for their home!
It didn’t mean Auntie was leaving.
So he immediately changed his attitude, walking to the entryway to place new slippers in front of the two women. "Come in!"
Little Le'an looked confused, but if her brother agreed, then this person couldn’t be bad.
She stopped fussing and instead shyly pressed herself against Le Qing’s side.
Seeing they had finally relented, Le Qing felt an indescribable emotion and smiled. "You can wear these inside."
"They seem pretty attached to you," Lin Jian remarked casually after changing her shoes, glancing around the house before turning back. "This is Sister Wang. I briefed her about your situation on the way here. If there’s anything else you’d like to discuss, you can talk to her now."
An interview was necessary, so Le Qing led Sister Wang into an empty room.
In the living room, the two little ones lay on the sofa, playing with the small toys Auntie Lin had brought while sneaking glances toward the closed door, waiting eagerly.
Their expressions made it clear how much they adored their auntie.
But to Lin Jian, something still felt missing in this household.
Having grown up in a wealthy family, her childhood bedroom had been spacious and filled with endless toys and children’s supplies—let alone the even more extravagant collection Lin Shengxi had later amassed.
Lin Shengxi had once mentioned that Le Qing’s family had been well-off before. This apartment, while slightly better than average, was only about 200 square meters.
With two three-year-olds in the house, the living room was surprisingly bare—no toys in sight, just a few children’s books, cups, fruit, and small stools on the table. Nothing more.
It was clean, but it didn’t feel like a home with children.
Lin Jian had nothing else to do, so she looked at the little girl’s still-red eyes and chuckled. "Do you really not want to let your auntie go?"
The siblings nodded without hesitation. "Of course! There’s only one Auntie."
And now, Auntie was so good to them.
Lin Jian raised an eyebrow. "But if there wasn’t another auntie to help, who would take care of you when your auntie isn’t home?"
The question made her genuinely curious. If she remembered correctly, Lin Shengxi had said Le Qing used to spend all her time at parties—never once seen with children.
The kids trusted Auntie Lin completely, so they answered honestly. "Brother!"
"Which brother?"
"Me!" Little Le Jia puffed out his chest. "I take care of sister good!"
He’d even gotten her a cupcake!
Lin Jian’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
These kids were barely three years old—how could they possibly take care of themselves when they were even younger?
She straightened up. "But your brother can’t cook for you. What do you eat then?"
"Little bread," the kids answered absentmindedly, distracted by their toys. "Auntie sell-sell."
It took Lin Jian three seconds to realize they probably meant "delivery."
So when Le Qing wasn’t home, they could only eat small bread or wait for takeout.
"What if you got hungry?" she pressed.
"Wait for Auntie."
"So that day I saw you picking up trash, you said you didn’t tell Auntie because she wasn’t home?"
The kids nodded.
Lin Jian couldn’t hide her shock. "Then why were you picking up trash?"
"Make money," Little Le Jia said cheerfully. "Then buy little bread."
They’d even earned extra that day!
Lin Jian nearly raised her voice. "So the little bread you mentioned earlier—you bought it yourselves by picking up trash?"
Another nod.
At that moment, Lin Jian felt like those fans whose idols had just been exposed in a scandal—her entire perception had crumbled into ruins.
Had she misjudged Le Qing completely?
"Why didn’t you wear more clothes when you went out to pick up trash?"
The kids didn’t understand why Auntie Lin was asking such an obvious question. Who wouldn’t want to stay warm?
They didn’t wear more because they didn’t have any!
No proper food, no proper clothes.
And in such cold weather, they’d been left to wander outside alone.
Lin Jian couldn’t reconcile the auntie the children described with the Le Qing standing before her now.
"If your auntie treated you so badly before, why are you still so attached to her?"
"Now good," Little Le Jia said matter-of-factly. "Now is good Auntie."
Oh no.
Now Lin Jian understood why Jiang Suizhi had been so hesitant before, why he’d been so determined to observe this family.
She was burning with curiosity—what on earth was going on here?
Still, she reminded herself that children’s perceptions could differ from adults’. Some might not fully grasp what they were saying, so she kept her reaction in check.
Soon, Le Qing and Sister Wang emerged from the room.
As expected from someone recommended by a reliable source, Sister Wang was professional in every way—skilled in childcare, cooking, bathing, and even driving, with experience in early childhood education.
She could easily replace Le Qing, the "auntie" who’d stumbled into this role.
Le Qing said, "If the timing works for you, you can start packing and come over soon. The kids are about to join a film set, so you can go with them. We’ll try it out for a while first, okay?"
Sister Wang nodded, "I'll come on time."
"Filming?" Lin Jian wasn't aware of this, "What kind of filming?"
Before Le Qing could explain, the two little ones eagerly bragged, "Like on TV, being little heroes~"
Lin Jian fell silent for a moment before managing to keep her tone neutral, "You let them do this?"
"They enjoy it," Le Qing replied, oblivious to the photographer's visible confusion. "The director extended an invitation, so I took them to give it a try."
"If they like it, you just let them?" Lin Jian couldn't hold back. "They also like picking up trash—would you not stop them either?"
Le Qing was momentarily stunned by her sudden sharpness.
Then, recalling the earlier incident with the impromptu photoshoot, she unconsciously scratched the corner of her eye. "It won’t happen again."
But to Lin Jian, this only confirmed what the children had said.
She furrowed her brows slightly, now thinking it might not be such a bad thing if Jiang Suizhi took the kids back. After all, he’d surely be better at caring for them than young Le Qing.
Plus, the Jiang family had plenty of staff—better resources, and Le Qing wouldn’t be left scrambling alone.
Lin Jian suggested, "It’s still early. Why don’t Sister Wang go ahead and fetch her things now? Saves time tomorrow."
Sister Wang, paid to follow instructions, left promptly.
Lin Jian, however, lingered, curiosity piqued. "Since I’m free today, mind if I stay for a meal?"
"You’re practically my boss now," Le Qing smiled. "Of course. Any preferences?"
Lin Jian mused, "How are we eating?"
"Home-cooked," Le Qing said, filling the children’s water bottles and preparing their milk. "We skipped breakfast, so we’ll have an early lunch."
Lin Jian watched her deft movements. "You can cook too?"
"Learned bit by bit."
As she spoke, Le Qing washed and sliced some fruit, then pulled yogurt and granola from the fridge. "Snack first? I need to run downstairs for groceries."
Her routine was practiced, attentive.
Hearing this, the two little ones immediately slid off the couch and scrambled to the entryway to put on their shoes.
"They’re coming too?"
"Go go go!" Little Le'an turned back to grab Lin Jian’s hand. "We can buy candy!"
And milk tablets.
Every supermarket trip meant treats from Auntie—their favorite!
Lin Jian rose naturally. "Then I’ll tag along."
Le Qing didn’t object. "Have a bite before we go."
She’d noticed: anyone the kids approved of, they warmed up to instantly—no shyness.
Like the new nanny, already accepted without fuss.
Maybe she wasn’t irreplaceable after all.
Kids forgot old toys fast; new favorites erased the past.
Le Qing consoled herself.
If nothing really changed, why fret?
But shifts in demeanor are easy to spot, especially for a detail-oriented photographer.
Lin Jian quickly caught the subtle change in Le Qing’s expression. She’d met plenty who fawned over the Lin family name.
Yet here she was, practically inviting herself in, and Le Qing showed zero initiative.
Even outside, she moved like a still painting—quiet, detached.
Back in the snow, she’d been vivid. Now? Back to that untouchable serenity.
Harder to read than Jiang Suizhi.
But Lin Jian preferred the Le Qing from that snowy shoot—alive, vibrant.
The nearest grocery was closed, so Le Qing pulled up a map on her phone. "We’ll head to the one by the gate."
Lin Jian frowned.
After living here so long, she didn’t know the local stores?
Or was takeout her usual?
Truth was, Le Qing rarely left home except for errands—always driving, always navigating. This was her first time walking the kids past the compound.
The neighborhood was lush, spacious, with a dedicated plaza for residents.
At this hour, it buzzed with retirees dancing to music, kids playing, elders practicing tai chi.
The twins, wide-eyed, clung to each other, darting between chess players and sword dancers.
Le Qing slowed, watching them, resisting the urge to adjust her pace.
Kids moved on; she couldn’t.
Her boundaries were firm—safety in routine.
Yet her feet betrayed her, drifting toward them.
Little Le'an tugged her brother’s sleeve. "So fun, Gege."
"Then dance."
"Scared."
"You do at home," Little Le Jia fibbed. "You’re good."
Le'an hesitated. "Gege dance too?"
For her, he’d brave anything. "Follow me!"
They joined the retirees, tiny limbs flailing.
Soon, Le'an’s unbound hair bounced like a jellyfish, drawing chuckles.
"Whose adorable kids are these?" a grandma cooed.
Perhaps it was the natural affinity that elderly people possess, but the siblings felt quite flattered by the compliment: "They're from our aunt's place."
"Your aunt is beautiful!"
Aunt?
This neighborhood wasn’t particularly large, and families with children would often take them out for walks, much like walking a dog.
Logically speaking, if such adorable children lived in the community, they would have been noticed by now, given how often kids played in this area. Yet, none of the elderly gathered here seemed to recognize the two little ones.
Curious, they followed the direction the children pointed in and caught sight of a face that was both unfamiliar and yet vaguely familiar.
Young people might not pay much attention, but the elderly, with all their free time, loved to gossip. If there was any family drama, they’d be the first to know.
Children change rapidly, but adults leave a lasting impression—especially someone as striking as Le Qing.
The reason they knew her was because she had been quite flamboyant when she first moved in. She had explored every corner of the neighborhood and caused quite a stir, particularly among those in her building, with whom she’d had numerous conflicts.
She had a tendency to be overly self-centered—decorating the elevator with odd trinkets, making loud noises at home, disturbing the peace—so much so that complaints had been filed with the property management.
Naturally, her reputation spread.
All the gossip pieces came together: when she first moved in, she had brought along two infants, seemingly a single mother. But after that, the children were rarely seen.
Come to think of it, back then, she used to blast music at home without a care for the babies.
Had those children really grown this big already?
Now, at the sight of Le Qing, the elderly surrounding the two kids exchanged glances and subtly stepped back, though their eyes couldn’t help but linger on her.
In the past, whenever they saw her, Le Qing was always dressed to the nines, head-to-toe in designer brands.
There had even been whispers that she might be someone’s kept mistress in the neighborhood—how else could she afford luxury cars without a proper job?
But now, her entire demeanor seemed much more serene.
Without the heavy makeup and that air of aloofness, she came across as nothing more than a likable young woman.
Le Qing felt a bit unnerved under the scrutiny of the elderly and glanced down at her outfit.
Everything seemed normal.
Baffled, she walked over, underestimating the nosiness of the elderly.
Even knowing this young woman had a reputation for being difficult, they couldn’t resist prying for some juicy gossip—something to chat about for the rest of the day. And they’d heard the children call her "aunt."
"Your kids have grown so much! Time flies—we’ve practically watched them grow up," one of them remarked.
Now Le Qing was even more confused.
The book had only portrayed the original owner of this body as a villainous aunt, with no detailed backstory for such a minor character. Did these people know the original owner?
They seemed quite friendly.
Having never interacted much with elderly folks before, Le Qing felt a bit awkward facing them as authority figures. She nodded politely and smiled. "Yes, they have."
Encouraged, the elderly pressed on: "We haven’t seen you out and about in a while. Not too busy lately?"
"Not really."
"Where are you headed?"
Le Qing wasn’t great at small talk with elders. From childhood to adulthood, she’d never had a close elder figure in her life. Even with strangers, she could only muster basic politeness, which led her to answer every question. "Just buying some groceries."
So she even did grocery shopping? That didn’t match their previous assumptions. Maybe she was more domestic than they’d thought.
"What about the kids’ parents? Where are they?"
Lin Jian, standing nearby, immediately perked up.
This was a loaded question—even the two little ones turned to their aunt with curiosity.
Did they have parents?
Aunt had never mentioned them.
Honestly, even Le Qing wasn’t sure. The mother was obviously out of the picture, but had these people met the father?
That didn’t seem right—she certainly hadn’t.
Not wanting to discuss it in front of the children, she lifted her chin slightly. "You two go play. I’ll come get you in a bit."
The two little ones cheered and ran off toward the music speakers. Only then did Le Qing reply softly, "They’re gone."
"Raising two kids alone must be tough," the elderly murmured sympathetically. "It’s been three years, right? Two kids all by yourself—we’ve been there, we understand."
"It’s alright."
This wasn’t a lie. Le Qing had expected parenting to be exhausting, but these two were unusually well-behaved, sparing her the emotional breakdowns many parents faced.
The only slight hiccup had been when the nanny arrived earlier, but she’d quickly adjusted.
Unbeknownst to her, this only made the idle elderly pity her more. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-four."
Their faces brightened. "Are you in the neighborhood group chat?"
Le Qing’s phone had once been filled with social and entertainment groups, but she’d left them all. She definitely wasn’t in any neighborhood chat.
Unable to refuse, she found herself dragged into the lively community group by the enthusiastic elders. She discreetly muted the chat to avoid the flood of notifications.
Otherwise, those red notification dots would drive her crazy.
"If you ever need anything, just ask in the group. Everyone’s happy to help where they can," the elderly said warmly.
Their previous impressions of her had been based on rumors, but now, up close, she seemed quite pleasant.
And so young, taking care of her sister’s two children—no easy feat.
Le Qing was a bit overwhelmed by their kindness and replied awkwardly, "Thank you."
"Well, we’ll be going now."
She waved to the two curious children.
The elderly called after them cheerfully, "Come dance with us again next time, kids!"
Le Qing walked away with the two little ones under a barrage of inexplicably eager gazes.
Little did she know, the muted group chat was already buzzing with updates about her:
Age: 24.
Marital status: Single.
Assets: Car and house.
Raising her sister’s two children.
Appearance: Top-tier.
Personality: Gentle? (Pending confirmation.)
The two children were still brimming with energy. If the grandparents hadn’t swarmed their aunt, Little Le'an would’ve kept dancing. She asked eagerly, "Auntie, can we come back to play?"
Le Qing recalled the earlier scene of being surrounded. "We’ll see."
Little Le'an added, "There are so many people here!"
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah!" Little Le'an admitted shyly. "It’s nice to have people to talk to."
Le Qing knew very little about the two little ones' past lives, and only now did she realize that if the original owner of their bodies had neglected them, she certainly wouldn’t have taken them out to play, let alone allowed them to interact with outsiders.
The older brother, having to take care of his younger sister, appeared relatively outgoing, but the little girl grew timid and uneasy around strangers whenever her brother wasn’t by her side.
Back when they had been locked indoors by the original owner, they had no one to talk to.
The fact that they could now communicate so fluently was already impressive, but their social skills still needed further nurturing.
Other children had playmates, but these two didn’t—another glaring issue.
Le Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how, under such neglectful upbringing, these two hadn’t turned out troubled. It was nothing short of a miracle.
She understood now, and so did Lin Jian.
So, in the past, Le Qing had never taken the children outside, leaving them with no one to talk to.
This time, they had come to a large supermarket, which, compared to the small fresh produce store, had many more sections and items.
For the two little ones, stepping into this big supermarket was like entering an amusement park in a bustling city. From the moment they walked in, their mouths hung open in awe, as if they had built-in radars guiding them straight to the sections that caught their interest.
"Wow~ so many milk tablets!"
"Brother, this candy has pretty flowers on it!"
"This piggy spits milk~"
On their way to the produce section, the two children walked hand in hand ahead, but now that they had grown slightly bolder, they had learned to wander off.
One moment they veered into the snack aisle, the next into the toy section.
Le Qing had already prepared herself to pay for whatever they wanted, but to her surprise, the kids only marveled at the items without picking anything up, as if they were just there to look.
Lin Jian frowned and asked, "Do they never buy anything normally?"
It was natural for children to like these things—many kids would throw tantrums, refusing to leave without toys or snacks.
From the way they had clung to the gifts she’d brought them before, it wasn’t that they didn’t like them.
Yet despite their interest, they didn’t cling to the idea of owning them.
For children so young to suppress their instincts was both remarkable and puzzling.
Le Qing nodded, though she already had an inkling of the reason. She walked over and called out to the two kids, who were about to bypass the toy section again: "Le Jia, Le An."
The little ones immediately stopped in their tracks.
Le Qing crouched down and asked softly, "Do you see anything you like?"
The siblings blinked but didn’t answer.
Le Qing held out her hand. "Auntie has a task for you."
"Mm-hmm!"
"Today, each of you gets to pick three toys and three snacks. Auntie will buy them for you to take home."
Three?
The little ones lowered their heads, counting on their fingers—that many?
Seeing her sister about to dart off in excitement, Little Le Jia quickly grabbed her and whispered, "Do kids who buy toys get liked?"
Le Qing froze.
So, the original owner had drilled this into them—no wonder the children never asked for anything. Even the small snacks they’d gotten from the fresh produce store had been things she’d bought for them unprompted.
Le Qing sighed softly. "Everyone likes them."
"Didn’t I say before? If you want something or like something, you can tell me." She raised her pinky and said gently, "Let’s make a promise."
A pinky promise was unbreakable.
The two little ones flushed with excitement, eagerly stretching out their tiny hands to hook fingers with their auntie. "Pinky promise, no take-backs!"
So, they weren’t just allowed to say no—they could say yes too.
They’d learned something new!
Now that their worries were gone, the siblings turned and dashed back toward the toys and snacks they’d liked earlier. Everything was new and fascinating, and they wanted it all.
But Auntie had said three—three toys and three snacks.
They had to choose carefully.
Lin Jian remarked half-jokingly, "Anyone would think you’d just met, building trust one promise at a time."
Le Qing knew that acting this way in front of Lin Jian might raise unnecessary suspicions, but now wasn’t the time to cover up past mistakes. So she stood up and replied calmly, "No."
"Then why?"
Le Qing followed the children at a leisurely pace, keeping close enough to ensure their safety without intruding. "Because I only just realized it now."
"Honestly, sometimes I can’t help but misunderstand you," Lin Jian admitted. "I’ve never met a parent like you."
Well, of course not.
Le Qing’s tone was unhurried, unfazed by the label. "Whether it’s the past or the future, seeing is believing. My words alone won’t clear things up."
She wouldn’t defend the actions of the original owner, but she wouldn’t claim them either.
Lin Jian knew the children’s father. Sooner or later, she’d learn the whole story. Denying things now would only add to the accusations later.
"I suppose that’s true," Lin Jian said with a laugh. "But sometimes, you’re hard to read. Has no one ever told you that this kind of personality makes you easy to take advantage of?"
Le Qing paused mid-step before smiling faintly after a long moment. "If you don’t care, you can’t be taken advantage of. Worrying too much about how others see you is exhausting."
An unusual perspective, but a clear one—one that kept her free from others’ judgments.
Lin Jian nodded, her tone probing. "Earlier, when those people mentioned it, it reminded me—at your age, with your own future ahead, you’re still willingly raising two children every day. Haven’t you ever thought about handing them over to other relatives? It’d be easier than managing alone."
For instance, letting the children’s uncle help share the burden.
Le Qing’s heart stirred slightly. She glanced back, but Lin Jian’s expression remained unchanged, as if she genuinely had her best interests at heart.
Yet Le Qing sensed something off. Ever since the snowy photoshoot, Lin Jian had been subtly probing for information about the children’s parents.
Le Qing usually paid little attention to others, believing it unnecessary—she’d learned early that no one mattered more than herself, so there was no need to empathize.
But before understanding that lesson, she’d stumbled over it first. She knew all too well how painful it was to constantly consider others’ feelings. That was why she didn’t do it anymore.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t read people.
Lin Jian seemed to be testing her.
With that realization, Le Qing had a hunch—the children’s father might be making his move soon.
"I don’t know any other relatives. Right now, taking care of them is my responsibility," she replied softly before turning away. "If there are others, I’ll respect the children’s choice."
"Auntie!" Little Le'an came running over, breathless. "Too big—Le'an can’t reach!"
Le Qing pushed the cart toward her. "Where?"
As she rounded the aisle, Lin Jian quickly sent a message to Jiang Suizhi.
"Le Qing is too complex a person—I can't quite figure her out. But considering various factors, she isn't very skilled at handling children, or perhaps she's still learning. Discussing and taking the child back might be a good option."
A few seconds later, the other side replied with three words:
"Got it."
Le Qing: ? Well, that’s not a bad excuse.
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