"Gao Jiu?" Little Le'an rested her chin on the table. "Little sister can't write, and big brother can't either."
Clearly, Little Le Jia wasn’t about to admit defeat so easily. He quickly added after his sister, "We’ll learn later."
"..."
[You two are making me think earning money is easy these days.]
Realizing there was still a gap between a university diploma and a kindergarten education, Le Qing rephrased her question: "Le'an said you two earned money. How did you do it?"
At this, Little Le Jia shot his sister a shocked look, his eyes full of accusation: How could you tell the bad auntie about our money?!
In the past, Little Le'an had been repeatedly warned by her brother—that money was saved up to buy bread. But she had missed him so much!
Guiltily, she shoved rice into her mouth with her chopsticks, mumbling, "I wanted to buy Brother."
Little Le Jia lowered his voice. "You’re an idiot."
To whisper more discreetly, both children lifted their bowls to cover their faces, convinced this made their secret conversation completely hidden.
Le Qing suddenly understood why teachers could always spot mischief in class. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
The two little conspirators froze, peeking over their bowls with round, curious eyes.
"Auntie is laughing," Little Le'an whispered, still thinking no one could hear her with her mouth hidden. "Brother, look!"
"Yeah."
Little Le Jia felt his scalp prickle under the bad auntie’s gaze.
Why? Why did she have to smile like… like a good auntie?!
Under their sparkling stares, Le Qing, who had been resting her chin on her hand while waiting for their whispers, grew slightly self-conscious and schooled her expression. "I don’t want your money. I’m just curious how you earned it."
Little Le'an cautiously searched her auntie’s eyes, then gave her brother a tiny nod.
She’s not lying!
For Little Le Jia, aside from Uncle System and his sister’s special ability, he had no other secrets.
After a brief hesitation, he admitted, "We picked up bottles. Someone took our picture."
"Pictures?"
Little Le'an gestured a square shape. "The auntie put the photo there and gave Brother money."
Le Qing frowned. What kind of person would photograph children without a guardian present—and pay them?
"What did she make you do?" Her tone turned serious. "What kind of photos? Did you feel uncomfortable at all?"
The two little ones didn’t understand why their auntie’s expression had suddenly changed. Their voices grew smaller.
They hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all—in fact, they’d been happy! The auntie even said she’d take more photos of them later.
Luckily, the smarter one took action. Little Le Jia grabbed his sister’s phone and quickly pulled up a familiar icon. "This."
Since they couldn’t read, the auntie had changed her contact name to a little camera emoji so they could recognize her.
The person’s social media was public. Le Qing skimmed past the transaction records and scrolled through an array of photos, surprised.
This was clearly a professional photographer—not the cookie-cutter studio type. Whether landscapes or portraits, she captured a unique atmosphere in every shot.
Further down, she found the children’s photo from two weeks ago: two small figures holding large bags on a bustling street, their delicate frames and lost, slightly desolate gazes contrasting sharply with the vibrant city around them. The plastic bottles in their bags only emphasized the disparity.
"Just this one?" she asked.
"Mm-hmm."
"And where did she display your photos?"
"A really big room," Little Le'an answered, though she didn’t know the place. "Lots of people went to see it. You had to pay to go in."
Pay to enter?
After a moment, Le Qing figured it out. The photographer’s feed showed her personal exhibition—along with her name.
An internationally acclaimed photographer with numerous awards, known for traveling the world.
In the original storyline, it was these very photos that later revealed to the male lead what his long-lost children had endured, prompting him to investigate.
"..."
Le Qing rubbed her temples.
[Another day, another deadly revelation.]
Now that the photos were already exhibited and people had seen the children scavenging, there was no undoing it.
Little Le'an grew frightened. Why would seeing photos mean someone had to die?
"Auntie, is this bad?"
"No, it’s fine." Le Qing collected herself. This time, the siblings had encountered a good person—but next time might be different. "But from now on, you must be careful. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable or upset, you have to say no, understand?"
At this, Little Le'an perked up with confidence. She patted her chest. "I can tell—"
Before she could finish, her brother stuffed a spoonful of corn into her mouth. "Eat more."
Little Le Jia said sternly, "If you grow taller and your head gets bigger, you’ll become smarter."
Little Le'an’s eyes lit up with realization, and she hurriedly swallowed all the corn.
Le Qing set down the phone and raised a brow. "You’ve got a sharp tongue for a kid."
Little Le Jia huffed and shoveled more rice into his mouth. "Can I say something?"
"What?"
"You’re weird." He only half-lifted his head. "I don’t like it."
Two seconds later, Le Qing realized he was "practicing" what she’d just taught him—speaking up when uncomfortable.
They say three-year-olds have memories like goldfish, forgetting everything once distracted, but this kid clearly wasn’t one of them. The original host had really done a number on them.
"Then get used to it." Le Qing calmly kept eating. "I’ll keep being weird from now on."
She refused to believe two kids could actually unravel her completely.
Little Le Jia was stumped, but he curiously touched his chest. Strangely, this time, being scolded by the bad auntie didn’t upset him at all.
Before bed, he carefully slipped his hand out of his sleeping sister’s grasp and turned over. "Uncle System, can I trust her?"
Tonight, just like his sister had described, he slept in the forbidden room—on that soft, warm bed.
Meanwhile, the bad auntie slept in the room that used to belong to him and his sister.
Still uneasy, Little Le Jia tiptoed out of bed and hesitantly approached her door.
Before sleeping, the bad auntie had said not to close the door all the way—and she wouldn’t either. So from the doorway, he could see her curled up on the small bed.
The new blankets bought today were all for her. This room wasn’t as warm, so why would the bad auntie choose to sleep here?
She looked so peaceful asleep—not bad at all.
Little Le Jia still couldn’t figure it out.
After a pause, the system replied, "At least, according to An'an’s judgment, she isn’t a bad person."
So… it’s okay not to push her away?
In just half a day, the scales in Little Le Jia’s heart had tilted slightly.
-
Le Qing certainly couldn’t let the two children go off collecting bottles on their own anymore. Without someone trustworthy at home to look after them, she decided—after consulting Yu Shuqi—to bring the kids along to the gathering.
The party was attended by wealthy heirs and heiresses, and even the so-called "socialite wannabes" had enough financial backing to avoid being outright penniless. At its core, it was just an occasion for the affluent to spend a little money on some clean, quiet fun, while the "socialites" used the opportunity to expand their networks. Everyone knew exactly what the others were there for.
The venue was a villa in the suburbs owned by one of the heirs. Unlike a rowdy nightclub, it was neither chaotic nor disorderly—which was why Le Qing had chosen to bring the children after confirming the details.
It also saved her the cost of hiring a babysitter.
She had cleared out her wardrobe, keeping the cheaper, well-worn clothes and bags that couldn’t be resold, while carefully photographing and listing the rest on secondhand platforms. A few had already sold.
Some items had been requested by influencers who just wanted to gawk at her situation, and she had packed those into her car as well, planning to make a profit today.
When they arrived, the trio—one adult weighed down with bags and two small children—couldn’t help but gasp in genuine awe.
Calling it a villa would be an understatement. This was practically an estate, sprawling across the suburban landscape and lavishly decorated for the occasion, which explained why Yu Shuqi and the others took it so seriously.
The cars coming and going were all luxury vehicles, making Le Qing’s modest BMW look embarrassingly out of place. She didn’t recognize half the logos, but their sheer opulence was unmistakable.
Neither the children nor Le Qing, who had always lived an ordinary life, had ever seen anything like this.
No wonder the original owner of her body had burned through money so quickly. Was this kind of circle even accessible to regular people?
After taking in the grandeur of the estate, Le Qing’s mindset steadied. She might as well treat it like a visit to a small park.
Unlike the impeccably dressed elites around her—wearing thin suits or delicate dresses despite the winter chill—Le Qing was clad in affordable sneakers she’d bought online, a warm and budget-friendly long down coat, and a casual backpack stuffed with the kids’ necessities.
No one even glanced her way. No one would guess she was here for the party.
However, a small group lounging by a firepit on a nearby terrace did spare a glance at the two little figures. Unlike the lively atmosphere elsewhere, this corner was quiet, dimly lit, warmed only by the flickering flames.
A young man leaned lazily against his chair and remarked to the woman behind him, "Lin Jian, your staff must have great benefits if they can bring their kids to work."
The woman, dressed in simple loungewear, was pouring mulled wine into glasses. She paused at his words, frowning. "Kids?"
Though Lin Jian didn’t live here often and wasn’t strict with the household staff, today’s event was crowded. Bringing children along was unprofessional.
"Two of them," the man added. "Huh? Looks like they’re heading toward your brother’s side. Not staff, then. Guess your brother really does have a diverse social circle."
The party had been organized by Lin Jian’s playful younger brother, who had dragged her here after her photography exhibition, insisting she unwind. But Lin Jian wasn’t into the usual revelry, so she had settled in this quiet corner with a few close friends, sipping wine and chatting. The staff knew better than to let other guests intrude, which was why the area remained so peaceful.
Lin Jian turned to see what was happening just as the woman and the two children stepped inside.
The house had underfloor heating, making it comfortably warm. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a clear view as the woman removed her thick coat and bent down to speak to the children.
That face…
As a photographer, Lin Jian straightened slightly, her interest piqued. Among her brother’s influencer-filled social circle, this was the most naturally striking, effortlessly elegant face she’d ever seen.
Meanwhile, Le Qing was busy instructing the kids under the bewildered stares of onlookers. "I have to work today. If you get tired, sit on the couch near me. Otherwise, stay close, okay?"
Little Le'an struggled with her scarf, tiny arms flailing as it tangled tighter. Her face flushed red as she gasped, "Okay, Auntie! But—but I can’t breathe!"
"Me too…" The supposedly smarter one wasn’t faring much better. The two squirmed helplessly, trapped in their own scarves. "Help!"
Le Qing’s eyebrow twitched. She pressed a hand to each little head, waiting for them to stop wriggling before untangling the mess.
With a quiet sigh, she thought, Still so much to teach them.
Finally free, the kids spun around, gulping air and patting each other’s backs. Le Qing folded their scarves into her bag, ignoring the curious glances around her, and calmly adjusted her camera while waiting for Yu Shuqi’s signal to start working.
Back on the terrace, Lin Jian’s glass clinked abruptly as she caught sight of the children’s faces when they turned to breathe.
Her friend asked, "What’s wrong?"
Lin Jian’s gaze lingered on the woman who seemed to exist in a different world from everyone else. Slowly, she took a sip of wine. "I recognize those children."
Not long ago, they’d been picking up plastic bottles on the street.
