Lin Shengxi’s domineering attitude—whether it felt satisfying or not—was something Le Qing wasn’t entirely sure about. However, seeing the orphanage director’s visibly deflated expression, she could guess that things had been resolved much more easily than expected.
She gave a slight nod but didn’t say anything more.
With Lin Shengxi sitting there like an unshakable authority, the rest of the process went smoothly. However, most of the families who came to adopt Little Lan Xu had ulterior motives. As for the others, Le Qing had obtained their profiles from the director and planned to consult Little Lan Xu’s opinion first.
After leaving the director’s office, Le Qing took the initiative to say, “Thank you, Mr. Lin.”
“Calling me ‘Mr.’ sounds so distant.” Lin Shengxi felt an inexplicable sense of pride at the formal address, as if he were being genuinely respected—though it also made him a little bashful. “Just call me by my name, or ‘Linzi’ if you prefer.”
Who would’ve thought this young master could be so down-to-earth?
In her past life, Le Qing had never mingled much with high society, but in this world, she was constantly surrounded by powerful and influential people. Truly, this was the world of a novel.
“You seem quite familiar with this orphanage,” Le Qing remarked.
“I know a lot of people, so I pick up bits and pieces of everything. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
Le Qing chuckled. “Is everyone in your family this helpful?”
First, there was Lin Jian arranging a nanny, and now Lin Shengxi was visiting the children every other day.
Without missing a beat, Lin Shengxi replied, “My dad always says that accumulating good karma is how we maintain our family’s fortune. Besides, I really like your two kids—helping out is no trouble.”
Of course, that wasn’t the whole truth. The main reason was that Jiang Suizhi had acted swiftly, ordering an investigation into the orphanage as soon as he got wind of the situation.
Without his backing, Lin Shengxi’s influence was usually limited to minor matters—he rarely had a say in anything major.
“Regardless, thank you,” Le Qing said. “If you like my kids, you’re welcome to visit often.”
“That’s all I needed to hear!”
As they stepped outside, they noticed a group of well-dressed people gathered around the car—some even appeared to be foreigners.
Suddenly, a small head popped out from the crowd, shouting, “Auntie’s here!”
The people surrounding the car turned at the sound, their gazes locking onto Le Qing.
To be precise, they weren’t gathered around the three children—they were focused on Lan Xu.
Little Lan Xu looked frightened. The moment he saw Le Qing, he pushed through the crowd, grabbed his younger siblings’ hands, and ran toward her.
“What’s going on?” Le Qing asked Sister Wang.
Sister Wang seemed dazed. “I thought the car was stuffy, so I brought the kids out for a walk. Then these people suddenly appeared, claiming Lan Xu was their child. I was about to call you.”
Their child?
Were they here to adopt?
Le Qing had reviewed every prospective family’s profile, complete with photos, but none of these people matched any of the pictures.
She asked, “May I ask who you are?”
“You?” A tall, blond man looked surprised. “You’re Jian’s model.”
During her school years, Le Qing had worked hard to improve herself. Later, as a model, she’d spent considerable time learning languages for work. Though her English carried a slight accent, she had no trouble with everyday conversation. “You know me?”
“I’ve seen you in videos.” The man handed her a business card. “You’re even more striking in person. We should talk sometime—but right now, we have other matters to attend to.”
Glancing at the card, Le Qing realized he was also a photographer.
“Hello, I’m Qi Yin.” A woman in a fur coat stepped forward, her mixed heritage evident, her Mandarin slightly accented. “I’m here for my child.”
“For adoption?” Le Qing shielded the three nervous children behind her while Lin Shengxi’s bodyguards stepped forward, creating a safe buffer.
“If it’s adoption, you’ll need the proper documentation. We’ll review it and get back to you.”
“No, he’s my child,” Qi Yin said. “My biological child.”
Le Qing: “???”
She looked down at the bewildered Little Lan Xu, who seemed just as clueless.
Half an hour later, everyone was seated in a private hotel room.
The three children remained glued to Le Qing’s side. Qi Yin watched them, visibly moved, her words a mix of halting Mandarin and English. “I grew up abroad but spent some time in China years ago. I had a boyfriend, and I became pregnant. We were planning to marry, but then he died in an accident. I had a difficult birth, and when I woke up, my family told me the baby had died. They took me back home to recover. All these years, I couldn’t bring myself to return to this place of sorrow.”
“Then how did you find out about Lan Xu?”
“Ah.” The blond man spoke up. “We came across a video of you and your two children overseas—by chance. Later, we saw another video with this child. The resemblance was uncanny, so we rushed here.”
Indeed, traces of Qi Yin’s features could be seen in Lan Xu’s eyes and brows.
Qi Yin said earnestly, “He’s suffered so much. I want to take him home and give him the happiness he deserves.”
“Have you done a DNA test?” Le Qing asked.
“This is our first meeting, but I’m certain he’s my child. A mother’s intuition never lies.” Qi Yin was fervent.
The adults’ conversation was mostly lost on the children, but Little Le’an could sense the urgency and love in the woman’s eyes.
Seeing how tense Lan Xu was, Little Le’an patted him. “Big brother, this auntie really likes you.”
“She’s better than the bad mommy before.”
Le Qing, overhearing, couldn’t help but laugh. “And how would you know that?”
“Annie is very smart,” the little girl said seriously. “Auntie likes Annie, and Annie knows.”
She also knew when someone didn’t like her.
Otherwise, she and her brother wouldn’t have stayed by their aunt’s side all this time.
Little Lan Xu lowered his head nervously. “I don’t understand. Auntie, I’ll listen to you.”
Burdened with the responsibility, Le Qing turned to Qi Yin. “I believe you, but I trust science more. Let’s wait for the test results before discussing this further, alright? I’m sure you wouldn’t want any mistakes in such an important matter. If we send the samples today, the report should be ready by tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Qi Yin understood the necessity of a DNA test, but her eagerness to bond with her child was undeniable. “I just want to see him—would that be possible?”
Sympathizing with a mother’s desperation, and seeing how careful Qi Yin was being, Le Qing relented. “Until the results come, you can see him—but only if he agrees, and he must stay within my sight at all times.”
"No problem," Qi Yin immediately turned to Lan Xu. "Hello, my name is Qi Yin."
If this child wasn’t her own, she would have gladly adopted him and taken him abroad, promising to care for him well.
Little Lan Xu glanced at his aunt for help, and only after Le Qing gave a slight nod did he timidly reply, "Hello."
Qi Yin was already satisfied with this response. "Where are you staying? If I pay, could I stay with you?"
Le Qing replied, "Sorry, we’re currently at a hotel."
"Which hotel? I’ll book a room right away!"
And so, when Le Qing returned, she brought a whole crowd with her.
Fortunately, these people didn’t seem short on money, booking top-tier suites, so they weren’t causing much disturbance—except for one thing: they all stubbornly lingered in Le Qing’s room, refusing to leave.
If it were just Qi Yin, it might have been manageable, but the others were just as reluctant to go. The small suite quickly became cramped, leaving Le Qing squeezed into the gaps while still trying to finish her photo-editing work for the day.
However, in this familiar setting, the three children gradually relaxed. The adults, despite the language barrier, managed to communicate through gestures and playful misunderstandings, keeping the atmosphere light.
Chelles didn’t interrupt Qi Yin’s bonding time with her child. Instead, he took an interest in the two children he’d previously seen online. After learning a few phrases in Chinese from them, he suddenly pointed at Little Le’an. "Lvy, look—aren’t her eyes beautiful?"
Qi Yin glanced back. "They are."
"I mean, they resemble Annie’s," Chelles said, raising his phone with a smirk. "Though Annie’s don’t shine as brightly."
His remark made Qi Yin take a closer look.
The little girl, though still young, was strikingly beautiful, especially her eyes—bright and gentle.
"Annie can’t see," Qi Yin sighed. "If she could, her eyes would be just as lively."
But Annie had been born blind, so no one had ever seen what her eyes might look like full of light.
Chelles agreed. He waved his phone toward the little girl. "Sweetheart, can Uncle take your picture?"
Little Le’an looked up, confused.
She hadn’t even memorized the alphabet yet, let alone understood English.
She quietly scooted closer to her brother. "Gege…"
Unexpectedly, Little Le Jia nodded. "OK."
Le Qing, who happened to glance up at that moment, froze.
Neither child knew English, and there was no translator—so how had her brother understood?
"You’re very clever," Chelles said, equally surprised. "You can join the photo too. Uncle likes you both."
Little Le Jia sat quietly on the carpet for a few seconds before smiling politely. "Three… four?"
The adults around them burst into laughter.
Amused as she was, Le Qing couldn’t help but study her son more closely.
Normally, both children acted like any other innocent toddlers—barely recognizing Chinese characters, unable to count properly. So why could he understand English? And even respond?
Unbeknownst to her, the little boy had a translator running in his mind.
"Who taught you English?" Chelles asked after snapping the photos.
But now, Little Le Jia tilted his head, his expression blank, as if he had no idea what was being said.
He truly didn’t. Frantically, he asked his "system uncle," "Uncle, why did you stop talking?"
"We can’t go further here," the system explained. "Earlier, with gestures, you could follow along. But this is beyond your scope now."
"Then how do you know?"
"Uncle is very knowledgeable."
Another phrase the little one couldn’t grasp. Left with no choice, Little Le Jia reverted to communicating with the blond uncle through gestures.
After several failed attempts, Chelles gave up—just as his phone rang with an overseas video call.
A woman’s cool voice came through. "What did you send?"
"Some photos. I was about to send you a voice note explaining," Chelles said, playfully booping the little girl’s nose. "Besides Lvy’s kid, we also ran into those two interesting children I told you about."
Annie had no recollection—and besides, she couldn’t see. "What children?"
"Le Qing’s kids. Just as beautiful as you. I took photos. When we’re back, I’ll have them processed so you can feel them."
This was how Annie usually "saw" images—through tactile interpretation.
Hearing the name again, Annie paused before hanging up. "Le Qing?"
"Yeah, what a coincidence!" Chelles glanced at the woman working in the corner of the sofa and suddenly stood. "Why don’t you say hi? I remember you were curious about her, right?"
A golden retriever of a man suddenly popping into view startled Le Qing. She leaned back, noticing the dim lighting on the phone screen, but could still make out a woman wearing sunglasses. "Yes?"
"Le Qing," Chelles introduced. "This is my childhood friend, Annie."
"?"
What does your friend have to do with me?
Out of politeness, Le Qing nodded at the screen. "Hello."
No response came from the other end. Behind the sunglasses, the woman’s expression was unreadable.
"She’s blind," Chelles explained. "But she can hear you."
Ah, that made sense.
"My name is Le Qing," she repeated, louder this time.
Only then did the woman seem to react. She moved slightly, the light around her dimming further, but her lips could be seen forming words.
"Annie," she said.
After the awkward introductions, silence settled. The randomness of the situation left Le Qing baffled. "Should I… go back to work?"
"Sure!" Chelles turned the phone back to himself, grinning. "Annie seems to like you. If you ever travel abroad, come visit us. She’s no different from the rest of us."
It was probably his way of showing understanding and acceptance among friends.
But Le Qing couldn’t see any sign of Annie "liking" her—unless saying a name counted?
Not wanting to be rude, she smiled and nodded. "Next time, definitely."
Chelles turned away, satisfied. "Hear that? I got you a new friend."
"Chelles," Annie’s voice cut in, quieter now. "I want her photo."
The kind that could be processed for touch—something she could recognize.
"Easy," Chelles said. "She’s Jian’s model. The photos from this shoot will be out soon—you’ll have plenty to 'see.' Oh, and she has two adorable kids. Want to say hi to them too?"
This time, the only reply was the call disconnecting abruptly.
Chelles pouted, "How boring."
"Did she hang up on you again?" Qi Yin asked.
"Yeah," Chelles plopped down onto the seat. "How come you're both Chinese, but she's the one with such a strange temper, especially after recovering from her illness?"
"Perhaps it's because she rarely interacted with outsiders before, so she isn't very good at communication," Qi Yin understood well.
Annie had been frail since childhood, and with her blindness, her entire family treated her like delicate porcelain, keeping her indoors for long periods under the care of specialized nutritionists and doctors.
Even when they managed to see her, it was always from a distance—back then, she seemed like a doll in a glass case, devoid of vitality.
In recent years, her health had improved significantly, allowing her to go out more often. However, due to her past isolation, her personality remained somewhat enigmatic.
That’s why their friends, knowing of her interest in Le Qing, had been so eager to play matchmaker.
"Once we settle the matter with Little Lan Xu, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Qi Yin said.
"That’s true."
—
"Hey everyone, have you seen the news? Lan Qian only adopted that child to boost her charity image, but it turns out she was abusing the kid and got reported to the police."
"Where have you been? She was arrested ages ago. The child’s custody doesn’t belong to her anymore."
"Latest rumor—Lan Xu’s biological mother has come forward, and she’s apparently a wealthy foreigner."
"Seriously? So Lan Xu actually lucked out?"
"Absolutely true. The birth mother even counter-sued Lan Qian. I bet Lan Qian’s done for this time."
"Where was the child staying recently?"
"With Le Qing! Someone spotted Cui Shuo in behind-the-scenes footage, and it turns out Le Qing was taking care of the kid those days. She was the one who called the police—who knows how long the abuse would’ve gone on otherwise."
"How is Cui Shuo involved again? One thing leads to another—Le Qing even went into acting?"
"Not acting. Her two kids are in the crew. Didn’t you see the stills released today? The ones acting alongside Cui Shuo are Little Le Jia and Little Le'an."
"No wonder I haven’t seen them post videos lately. I thought they were still affected by the earlier incident."
"Am I the only one wondering—if Lan Xu’s rich birth mother found him, doesn’t that mean Le Qing hit the jackpot?"
She certainly did.
The day after the paternity test results came out, Qi Yin eagerly brought the report to Le Qing, who happened to be packing the children’s belongings. The filming for the crew had temporarily wrapped up, and the kids could finally go home.
Since Le Qing had taken on the crew’s photography work, she’d still need to return occasionally for shoots—all stipulated in the contract.
Little Lan Xu’s luggage was set aside separately. Though he’d only stayed for a few days, every piece of clothing he wore was clean and neatly packed. Le Qing had even bought him extra toys, matching what her own children had.
Qi Yin was genuinely grateful for Le Qing’s help.
Given her own family background, she knew how difficult some wealthy people could be. But Le Qing had stood up to a celebrity and the orphanage director to protect the child—proof of her courage and kindness.
"This was arranged by a friend of mine back home," Qi Yin handed her a card. "There’s a small sum inside as a token of gratitude—for taking care of the child and making it possible for us to meet."
What kind of "small sum" required a card?
In Le Qing’s world, a small sum meant a red envelope with a few hundred or a thousand yuan at most. Being handed a card was a first.
Recalling how the wealthy behaved in dramas, she immediately pushed the card back. "It was really just letting the kids keep each other company for a few days. It wasn’t any trouble—meals were provided by the crew anyway."
Qi Yin smiled. "That’s not the point. None of this would’ve happened without you. And preparing all these daily necessities for the child shows how thoughtful and dedicated you were."
"Ah…" Le Qing couldn’t take credit for that either. "I got them wholesale—nothing expensive. Just made a list and ordered in bulk."
"Wholesale?"
The term was practically foreign to Qi Yin, who’d been pampered since childhood.
"Yeah, straight from the factory. Just a few hundred yuan for several sets of clothes." Le Qing pointed at the bags, her expression earnest. "Some haven’t even been worn. If you don’t mind, you can take them along too."
Qi Yin was stunned. "A few hundred yuan?!"
"No way." Chelles picked up one of the outfits. "Isn’t this the exact design you had prepared? This designer’s brand has limited stock—almost impossible to get."
"Huh?" Now it was Le Qing’s turn to be surprised. "Designer?"
"Yeah." Chelles nodded, then pointed at the clothes the other two children were wearing. "Sometimes photo shoots borrow pieces from that brand too. When Lvy was picking clothes for the kids, I recognized this style."
Though unfamiliar with high fashion, Le Qing knew these people only dealt with luxury brands. She quickly pulled out her phone to check her chat history with "AAAAA Jiang Ge," making sure she hadn’t accidentally added extra zeros to her payment. Only then did she calm down.
"Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding," Le Qing said firmly. "The wholesaler I know might deal in knockoffs. There are tons of counterfeit luxury goods these days. These things really were dirt cheap."
Qi Yin and Chelles exchanged glances.
They knew Lin Jian and had heard about Le Qing’s financial struggles—hence the card. It made sense she couldn’t afford so many designer items.
"Even if they’re fakes, they came from you," Qi Yin insisted, pressing the card into her hand. "It’s not much, really. The baby adores you, and even after we move abroad, we’ll likely stay in touch. If you’re okay with it, could he keep calling you ‘Auntie’?"
"He can call me whatever he likes."
She was already the honorary auntie of two little rascals anyway.
"What I mean is—you could be my sworn sister," Qi Yin said with a grin. "That’s a thing in China, right? It’s a close bond."
Having already googled just how wealthy Qi Yin was, Le Qing froze. "What?"
How could she, of all people, become the sworn sister of someone like this—just for babysitting for a few days?
"No," she said firmly, acutely aware of the chasm between their worlds. "What I did was nothing special. I’m just an ordinary person with nothing much to offer. If the child wants to call or talk to my kids, they’re always welcome. But sworn sister? That’s..."
Qi Yin burst out laughing. "Do you have any idea how wrong you are about yourself? With so many people liking you, how can you call yourself ordinary?"
"‘So many people’ meaning...?"
"We met Jian abroad—she always said you have a wonderful personality, take your work seriously, and have a unique charm. Her younger brother said the same," Qi Yin remarked. "You’ve been so accommodating these past few days at the hotel, never complaining. Even the crew members speak to you with extra patience and gentleness—that alone shows how much everyone likes you."
"You’ve only taken care of the little ones for a short while, yet they’re already so attached to you, so dependent. Both your children are fiercely protective of you—doesn’t that say enough?"
"Le Qing, you’re an extraordinary person." Qi Yin pressed the card into her hand and stepped forward to embrace her. "Forget about money, family background, or status—I genuinely like you too. I want to be your friend, so please don’t push me away."
Qi Yin had always been bold and straightforward.
Just like during her years studying abroad—if she liked someone, she’d throw caution to the wind and be with them, even willing to have a child without marriage.
And when she had no ties left in the country, she didn’t hesitate to leave and never return.
If she believed something was worth it, she acted without hesitation.
As for Le Qing—though they’d only known each other for a few days—she trusted her instincts, and she trusted the children’s judgment too.
She simply found Le Qing intriguing. At first glance, she seemed so courageous, yet upon closer interaction, she was quiet and unassuming, undisturbed by the noise around her, able to lose herself in her work even amid laughter.
Setting the children aside, she never hid her struggles or vulnerabilities, facing everything with honesty.
Yet, when someone showed her even the slightest kindness, she’d freeze up like a child caught off guard by an unexpected gift.
It was hard not to be drawn to someone like that.
So Qi Yin saw no reason not to take her in as a younger sister. If she liked someone, she acted on it—that was her philosophy.
But for Le Qing, apart from the little ones, this was the first time an adult had hugged her so openly. Her mind went blank, her body stiffened, and her hands, which had been raised to push away, instinctively clenched into fists. She blinked in confusion.
Here was a self-assured adult, telling her plainly and sincerely that she was someone worthy of admiration.
Le Qing had never experienced such unabashed kindness before.
She swallowed hard, unable to bring herself to refuse.
This is too much, she thought.
Was this the kind of illusion only novels could offer—this intoxicating, irresistible warmth that felt impossible to let go of?
Before she could react, Qi Yin had already called Xu Xu over. "Come here, sweetheart. Call her 'Auntie.'"
Though he didn’t understand the difference between his old "Auntie" and this new one, Xu Xu obediently chirped, "Auntie!"
Little Le Jia, standing nearby, tilted his head up and asked, "Is Brother’s auntie closer, or is mine?"
How unfair! He’d already said Brother couldn’t call her "Auntie"!
But now Brother’s new mom was using money to buy an auntie for him!
Bullying him and his sister for not having money!
They needed to earn some fast.
Wait—Auntie had said she had a card too, and the money inside was for him and his sister.
Determined not to lose, Little Le Jia planted himself beside his auntie. "Auntie, where’s my card?"
Still dazed, Le Qing turned to retrieve the card from her bag and handed it to him. But instead of taking it, the little one placed his small hands over hers, pressing them together until her fingers closed around the card.
"I’m buying Auntie too," he declared. "Me and my sister—that’s two aunties!"
"Right, right!" Little Le'an immediately clung to her leg. "We’re closer! We sleep together—we’re family!"
The familiar absurdity snapped Le Qing out of her stupor. Letting the two children cling to her, she gave Qi Yin an embarrassed smile. "Thank you."
Seeing her like this, Lvy found her far more endearing than when they’d first met—now she seemed like the young woman she was, with a touch of childlike sincerity that mirrored the little ones.
"Just call me 'Sister Lvy' from now on," Lvy said.
"Mm… Sister Lvy." Le Qing’s eyes curved into crescents, her ears burning. "But the money—"
"It’s nothing, really. Just keep it." Lvy took her child’s hand. "I’d planned to stay longer, but my parents aren’t well. They haven’t been able to sleep since learning about the child, and with the New Year coming up, we need to hurry back for a reunion. We’ll meet again after the holidays—maybe even bring Annie along so you can get to know her."
Thinking of the blurry, strange woman in her phone, Le Qing guessed they must be friends and nodded.
"Oh, one more thing." Lvy glanced at the "knockoff" clothes on the floor. "If you like this brand, I can pick out some pieces for you later and have them sent over."
"Oh, no need!" Le Qing waved her hands. "These clothes were just… an accident."
"Alright, if you say so." Lvy shrugged. "We won’t keep you from wrapping up your work. We’ll stay in touch?"
Having never had family before, Le Qing wasn’t sure how close a "sworn sister" was supposed to be. After a pause, she said uncertainly, "Could you… let me know when you get home?"
Lvy laughed. "You sound just like the little one asking who’s closer."
"…"
Le Qing reflexively ruffled the hair of the child clinging to her leg.
"Of course I’ll tell you." Lvy gestured for the child to wave. "Say goodbye to Auntie."
After two days of being brainwashed by his younger siblings—who insisted this was a good mommy who would treat him very, very well—Xu Xu fully believed it.
Auntie had agreed to let him go with this mommy, and this mommy gave kisses and held his hand. He liked her a lot.
Though he’d miss Auntie, his new mommy promised they’d see each other often. So he obediently said, "Bye-bye, Auntie~"
Le Qing smiled, gently detaching the two little ones from her legs before retrieving a small red envelope from her bag on the sofa. "Happy New Year in advance. Wishing you all the happiness."
All three children’s eyes widened at once. "!!!"
Xu Xu was the first to grab the envelope, beaming. "Thank you, Auntie!"
"Ah, right—red envelopes are a tradition here," Lvy realized, impressed by Le Qing’s thoughtfulness. She must have prepared this in advance.
But with no envelopes on hand now, she could only say, "Yours will have to wait until New Year’s Eve."
"I’ve already received mine." Le Qing held up the card. "Happy New Year, Sister Lvy."
"You too." Lvy bent down to bid the two little ones farewell before gathering Xu Xu’s belongings and leaving with Chelles.
The room fell quiet again, yet Le Qing didn’t feel the slightest bit of disappointment. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what this sensation was.
Perhaps it was because she knew that this time, during the New Year, there would be someone to wish her a happy new year.
She couldn’t help but smile again and continued packing the two little ones’ belongings.
After their older brother left, the two toddlers pressed their faces against the hotel window, trying to spot which car he had taken. They stared so intently, as if they could actually see it.
But children’s thoughts are always unpredictable, so Le Qing simply let them be.
By the time she finished packing the suitcase and looked up, she saw the two little ones kneeling on the sofa, turning their heads to gaze at her with solemn eyes.
What kind of look was that?
Le Qing paused and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Hmm?”
A few seconds later, Little Le Jia sat up straight and stopped looking at her. Instead, he patted his younger sister’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t be sad. I asked around.”
Little Le’an blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
Le Qing also waited curiously for what came next, only to hear the older brother declare matter-of-factly, “They said kids from their own family don’t get red packets.”
As he spoke, his eyes kept darting toward their aunt.
Little Le’an’s world crumbled. “WHY?!”
Le Qing: “…”
Watching this, she had to admit Director Tan had a keen eye—these two were indeed born for acting.
Suppressing a laugh, she didn’t engage with their antics. Instead, she called Sister Wang to help carry the luggage downstairs. They’d only stayed a few days, but the kids’ things had piled up.
After putting on a whole stealthy performance only to realize their aunt hadn’t even heard them, the two toddlers slumped in disappointment.
Even saying goodbye to the crew’s uncles and aunts couldn’t lift their spirits. They were utterly dejected.
Noticing this, Director Tan teased, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy about the holiday?”
The two little ones stole glances at their aunt, who was busy wrapping up work nearby, then covered their mouths and whispered mysteriously, “Uncle, do you know the difference between a godmother and a real aunt?”
Director Tan: “?”
What kind of made-up term was this from their tiny world?
Back home, the two toddlers didn’t cling to their aunt like usual. Instead, they sat neatly on the sofa, turning their heads like sunflowers wherever their aunt moved.
Usually chatterboxes, today they were unusually quiet.
After everything was tidied up and Sister Wang went to cook, Le Qing finally sat down beside them and asked knowingly, “Not happy?”
In unison, the two chirped, “Happy!”
Yet their heads shook in perfect sync.
At this age, they’d already mastered the art of saying one thing while doing another. Quite promising.
“Not telling the truth, huh?” Le Qing stood up. “Then I’ll go buy New Year’s snacks by myself.”
Snacks?!
The two immediately scrambled to the entryway to put on their shoes. “We’re coming for snacks!”
Their bodies were honest, at least. Le Qing chuckled and fastened the small cameras they hadn’t used in a while.
They hadn’t posted videos in days, and the uncle in charge hadn’t let them redeem their achievement points. Little Le Jia held up the camera and asked, “Can we use it today?”
“Yes.” Le Qing adjusted their hats and scarves, then suddenly smirked. “Lots of people are waiting to see you.”
That meant lots of people liked them, right?
They could exchange so many achievement points and finally buy out their aunt! No one else could call her their godmother!
Little Le’an, having already forgotten her earlier grievance about not getting red packets, stretched out a tiny finger excitedly. “Can we buy three toys and three snacks today?”
Since they needed New Year goods, plus toys and snacks for the kids, Le Qing decided to take them to a big supermarket.
“It’s for the New Year, so you can buy as much as you want.”
The little ones had never heard of the concept of “New Year goods” before. It sounded important, but they had no clue what it meant. “What are New Year goods?”
“Lots of yummy food and fun things you usually can’t buy.” Le Qing wasn’t entirely sure either, so she explained from memory. “Kids get new clothes and new toys.”
That sounded amazing.
“Yay!”
Little Le’an dashed back to grab her tiny purse from the sofa and declared solemnly, “I’m gonna fill it up!”
Once downstairs, the toddlers remembered the square where grandparents danced and skipped ahead hand in hand, their steps light. Le Qing followed at a leisurely pace, her heart feeling just as weightless.
But before long, the two seemed to remember something and dashed back, each grabbing one of their aunt’s hands.
Little Le’an piped up in her sweet voice, “Auntie, I’ll only fill half my bag.”
Half?
That meant no room for a bag of chips.
Le Qing asked, “Why?”
“The other half is for you.” Little Le’an looked up earnestly. “Auntie needs New Year goods too.”
Le Qing froze for a second.
“Think fast, Auntie! You have to pick your own stuff later.”
Just like last time when she and her brother had gone to choose.
Feeling the soft warmth of their little hands, Le Qing’s expression softened. “Alright, I’ll think carefully.”
Just then, a few elderly passersby greeted them—some familiar faces from the square. Seeing the trio holding hands, one asked warmly, “Out for a family trip?”
Le Qing nodded politely. “Yes.”
A new face, an elderly woman, took an instant liking to the young woman and the two adorable children. “Old Li, you know them?”
“These are the kids I told you about—the ones everyone loves online,” Old Li said. “This young lady is their aunt.”
Before he could finish, a little head popped up. Little Le Jia’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he whispered, “Distant aunt~”
The elderly folks: “???”
Le Qing: “?”
Distant aunt?
After bidding farewell, Le Qing turned to them. “Distant aunt?”
“Xu Xu got red packets because he has a godmother.” Little Le Jia nodded sagely. “Uncle Tan said, ‘The grass is always greener on the other side.’”
Le Qing: “…”
Little Le Jia was very pleased with his logic. “So you’re a distant aunt now!”
Little Le’an was dazzled by her brother’s brilliance. Eyes shining, she looked at her newly dubbed “distant aunt.” “Distant Auntie, do Brother and I get red packets now?”
“.”
After exhaling slowly, Le Qing pulled her hands free and clasped them behind her back, walking ahead expressionlessly. “Nope.”
Little Le’an’s world shattered again. She chased after her, devastated. “WHY?!!”
“Because I’m a distant aunt.” Le Qing replied leisurely. “Distant aunts don’t give red packets to their own kids. Distant aunts don’t celebrate New Year with their own kids either.”
Little Le Jia suddenly realized he might have messed up. Guiltily, he trailed behind, tugging at his “distant aunt’s” fingers.
“…Will Distant Auntie still come home for dinner?”
