(Alternate Timeline - If We Grew Up Together)
With spring arriving, the city park was bustling on weekends with parents taking their children out to enjoy the sunshine. Le Qing woke up early in the morning and quietly climbed up the wooden stairs to the second floor, where her older sister was still fast asleep in her little loft bed. After dressing herself, she tiptoed out of the room.
In the small living area on the second floor, Mother Le had just settled down with a cup of coffee when she spotted her younger daughter sneaking past on her tiptoes. She smiled and asked, "No sleeping in today, little one?"
Father Le and Mother Le had no children of their own, so after returning from abroad, they adopted the two sisters and loved them as their own. Both girls were well-behaved and affectionate, always inseparable, which made them all the more endearing.
At just four years old, little Le Qing was three years younger than Le Yang, but the two still insisted on sharing a room. The family had even specially designed a bunk bed for them, shaped like a tiny castle, which delighted the sisters so much that they refused to sleep apart.
"Good morning, Mama," Le Qing said, snuggling close to her mother. "Little sister is all rested now."
"All rested?" Mother Le chuckled. "But who was crying yesterday about not getting enough sleep and not wanting to go to kindergarten?"
Le Qing pressed her lips together. "That was little sister."
"Alright, what’s the real reason for waking up so early?"
"Big sister works hard at school," Le Qing said, her eyes sparkling. "Little sister wants to help pack her bag."
Mother Le had promised to take them to the park over the weekend, and Le Qing had taken it to heart. Seeing her sister come home from school every day and immediately start on homework made her want to ease the burden.
"And what are you packing for her?" Mother Le asked curiously.
"Water, big sister’s favorite snacks," Le Qing thought for a moment, then added, "and the kite she loves!"
The two sisters had been planning their kite-flying adventure for ages. Seeing her daughter’s enthusiasm, Mother Le decided to let her handle the packing instead of asking the nanny. "Alright, go ahead and get everything ready."
Sitting on the carpet, Le Qing carefully counted each item she wanted to bring, stuffing her little backpack until it was full—all for her sister. She hugged the bag proudly, refusing to let go.
When Le Yang finally woke up, the two sisters discovered that each had packed the other’s bag with their favorite things, leaving Mother Le in stitches.
"Your bag is way too small," Le Yang lectured her little sister on the way to the park. "You should think about yourself first. You’re the little sister—I’m supposed to take care of you."
"But why can’t little sisters take care of big sisters?"
"Because you’re younger," Le Yang said matter-of-factly. "I’m already in elementary school, and you’re still in kindergarten."
Le Qing pondered this seriously. "Then when I go to elementary school, I won’t be little anymore?"
"Mm-hmm!"
In her mind, Le Yang thought, By then, I’ll be even bigger anyway. No way was she letting her little sister take care of her.
The park was crowded, and after flying their kite for a while, the two sisters collapsed onto the grass, rolling around until they were covered in dirt like little mess-makers.
Other children, drawn to how adorable the sisters were, soon joined in, and before long, several families had gathered together. The parents chatted while the kids played.
Being the youngest, Le Qing was showered with treats and toys from the older kids. She sat cross-legged on the grass, carefully organizing her treasures, already planning to keep them by her bed when they got home.
This is so nice, she thought. Now I really have the same parents and the same home as big sister.
Just then, a ball flew over her head, and the other kids groaned. "Ugh, you kicked it too far!"
Having received so many gifts, Le Qing immediately jumped up. "I’ll get it!"
She chased after the ball on her short little legs, finally catching up near a trash can, panting heavily. As she picked it up, she overheard some adults nearby.
"Back again? Didn’t we teach you a lesson last time?"
"Listen here, brat, don’t think just because you’re a kid you can steal our spot. Scram, unless you wanna get tossed in the trash again."
"Say something!"
The harsh tone startled Le Qing. Clutching the ball, she turned and saw two rough-looking men cornering a boy near the trash can.
The boy held a few plastic bottles, which the men snatched away. His clothes were slightly too small but clean, and his unevenly cut hair gave him a comical look. As he glared at the men, his body trembled slightly—like he wanted to fight back but couldn’t. His face paled, reminding Le Qing of how her sister looked when she was sick.
The two men, grimy and unkempt, raised the bottles high and lifted a foot as if to kick the boy.
Without thinking, Le Qing hurled her ball at them. It only hit one man’s shin, but it was enough to make them turn. Seeing a tiny, doll-like girl glaring at them, they scowled. "What’s your problem?"
Le Qing clenched her fists but stood her ground. "Don’t bully people!"
"None of your business," one of the men sneered. "Kids who stick their noses where they don’t belong get snatched by beggars and sold."
"My parents are right there!" Le Qing pointed toward the grassy area where the other families were, some already looking their way. "And my sister and friends! They’ll call the police on you!"
The two men exchanged glances and, seeing adults approaching, quickly slunk off.
Le Qing picked up her ball and walked over to the boy. "Did they hurt you?"
Instead of answering, the boy took two steps back, his dark eyes fixed on her in silence.
Now that she was closer, Le Qing noticed that despite his messy hair, he was the most handsome boy she’d ever seen—just a little scary.
"Are you sick?" she asked, worried by his pale face. "You should see a doctor. Where are your parents?"
Still no reply.
But Le Qing could hear her mother calling her. After a moment’s hesitation, she stretched out her hand. "Do you want to play with us? There are lots of kids!"
If they all played together, no one would bully him anymore.
The small hand in the air was slender and pale, and the grubby little boy swallowed hard, his fingers itching to reach out and touch it.
He thought he must be sick, because at some point, he had started craving yet simultaneously despising the touch of others—anyone around him. But now, faced with this rare kindness, that resistance vanished instantly, leaving only the overwhelming desire to reach out.
Yet he clenched his fists tightly, standing frozen in place, wary and distant.
Le Qing waited but got no response. Thinking the older boy didn’t want to play with her, she withdrew her hand, disappointed, and followed her parents back to the grassy field.
But perhaps because she couldn’t stop thinking about the bullied boy, she kept glancing toward the trash cans.
That’s when she noticed—the boy hadn’t come with parents. He was alone, sitting on the flowerbed beside the bins. After a while, he crouched down. If someone tossed a bottle his way, he’d pick it up, stomp it flat, tuck it into a bag beside him, and then crouch again.
Le Qing tilted her head.
This boy reminded her of the older sister she’d once picked up and brought to the orphanage.
Back then, her sister had nowhere to sleep and often went hungry.
Le Qing wished every child without a home could find one.
So after a while, she couldn’t help but walk over again. This time, she saw the boy hunched over, clutching his stomach as it growled loudly.
She tapped his shoulder from behind. "Gege!"
Startled, the boy stiffened, too stunned to react. He just stared blankly as the ethereally pretty little girl stepped in front of him and bowed deeply.
Then, with great effort, she began pulling snacks from the hood of her coat—some falling to the ground, which she quickly picked up—before offering them to him with both hands. "Gege, eat."
There were packaged treats: cookies, jelly cups. Her hood seemed like a bottomless treasure trove. Even a few spicy strips slipped out.
At the sight of the spicy strips, the girl’s eyes widened in alarm. She glanced around furtively, snatched them up, hesitated, then pulled them from her pocket again and plopped down beside him. "We’ll eat these in secret," she whispered.
Her mom didn’t let her have spicy snacks.
When the boy still didn’t move, Le Qing introduced herself. "I’m not a bad person. My name’s Le Qing."
She tore open one of the spicy strips, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed enthusiastically, her bright eyes sparkling with delight. "This ish sho good!"
The boy stared at her, mesmerized, almost forgetting his hunger entirely.
Then she opened a packet of cookies and held it out. "Don’t be scared."
His throat worked. Driven by instinct, he finally reached out, gripping her hand as he ate the cookies straight from her palm—simultaneously satisfying his hunger and the strange craving in his body and mind.
The little girl was surprisingly patient. Even as he held her hand to eat, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she tilted her wrist forward, feeding him piece by piece until the packet was empty.
"There’s milk too." Le Qing fished a small carton from another hidden pocket, poked in a straw, and handed it over. "Eat slowly, gege."
Aside from her hood, she apparently had more secret snack stashes.
Noticing his gaze, she giggled sheepishly. "Gege, jiejie, Mama, and Baba all like hiding things in my clothes."
So she never knew what treats might tumble out.
The boy still didn’t speak, drinking the milk until not a drop remained.
"Still hungry?" Le Qing dumped the rest of her snacks into his lap. "Eat more so you can grow tall!"
The boy, dizzy with hunger earlier, finally regained enough strength to snap out of his daze. His voice was hoarse. "Thank you."
"You’re welcome." Le Qing plopped down beside him. "What’s your name, gege?"
He hesitated. "Xie Suizhi."
"Suizhi-gege?" She nodded sagely, like a tiny kidnapper. "Do you have family?"
Little Xie Suizhi frowned and shook his head silently.
"Want to come to the orphanage?" Le Qing was an expert at this. Though her old orphanage hadn’t been great, there were good ones where parents came to adopt kids. "That’s how me and jiejie got our Mama and Baba."
Xie Suizhi shook his head again. "I have a home."
No family, but he had a roof over his head.
It’s just that the people there weren’t family—they didn’t want him.
This thoroughly stumped Le Qing.
Gege had a home but no family, went hungry, and got bullied. Why?
Scrunching her face, she defaulted to her usual solution and patted his shoulder. "Where’s your home, gege? I eat lots now. I can share food with you every day."
She added solemnly, "Be my friend. I’ll protect you from bullies."
Kind-hearted Qing Qing, champion of all hungry children.
Xie Suizhi blinked at her determined expression, stunned.
This girl had zero sense of danger.
He looked down at the pile of snacks in his lap, the lingering sweetness of milk on his tongue, and lightly licked his lips. "Thank you. But no."
Le Qing blinked.
"But..." Xie Suizhi reached out, his eyes puzzled. "Can you hold my hand again?"
This time, Le Qing didn’t hesitate. She grabbed his hand immediately. "Okay! What’s wrong?"
Xie Suizhi tilted his head. "It’s weird."
"I think... I really like it when you hold my hand."
