The child looked at her with his bright, clear black eyes and nodded.
Chu Yi reached out and gently patted his head.
She straightened up, and Qiao Anchen took Li Yan's hand, preparing to open the door, when Chu Yi called him back.
"Wait."
"What's wrong?" Qiao Anchen turned around in confusion, watching Chu Yi lean closer, staring at his chin, and suddenly reached out to straighten his bow tie.
"Your tie is crooked," Chu Yi said. Qiao Anchen was wearing a formal uniform because he had to appear in court today, and he felt that something was off about the place where Chu Yi had touched him earlier.
Qiao Anchen pursed his lips, nodded at her without changing his expression, and then took Li Yan's hand and went out.
Throughout the journey, Qiao Anchen remained silent, his face tense and serious. Li Yan secretly glanced at him, then looked at him again, keeping her head down and not daring to utter a sound.
Even after entering the elevator, Qiao Anchen couldn't help but reach out and touch his bow tie. His reflection in the smooth mirror opposite him caused the man inside to involuntarily curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Li Yan blinked hard, wondering if she was seeing things.
After seeing the two off, Chu Yi yawned and went to make breakfast in her pajamas.
She ate casually by herself because she had to pick up Li Yan in the afternoon, so she started drawing early.
After burying himself in his desk for most of the day, Chu Yi finally looked up and stretched. The black and white line drawings on the screen in front of him were beginning to take shape. His work efficiency was pretty good today.
She got up and stretched, walked to the refrigerator, opened it, took out a bottle of yogurt, and took two sips.
I ordered takeout again for lunch. After eating, I rested on the sofa for a while and then continued drawing for another two hours. I glanced at the time and realized it was almost time for Li Yan to get out of school.
She left home early, and as she hailed a taxi, she began to consider whether she should buy a car.
She got her driver's license back in college, so she's one of those people who only have a theoretical license but no practical experience. Letting her drive on the road without proper knowledge could be a bit dangerous.
I used to go out less, so I didn't need to go out much in the first year of junior high school, but recently I feel like I should pick up this lost skill again.
When I arrived at the school, there were already many parents waiting outside. I found a spot with a good view and soon heard the bell ring.
A group of kids carrying backpacks rushed out with great enthusiasm. Li Yan, mixed in with them, walked quietly with his head down, clutching his backpack strap, looking quite out of place.
Chu Yi spotted him immediately.
"Xiao Yan!" she called out. The child looked up and smiled the moment he saw her.
"Sister..." he said softly as he walked over. Chu Yi patted his head, took the small schoolbag from his back, and held it in her own hand.
"How was your day at school?" Chu Yi asked as he led his son forward.
Li Yan nodded, tilting her head back as she replied, "It's fine."
"Have you eaten enough, slept well, and listened attentively in class?"
"Yes! I have." He nodded vigorously again. Chu Yi shook the hand that was holding his and said with a smile, "Xiao Yan is so good. Today, your sister will make you a little cake."
"Okay!" The child immediately beamed with joy, his clean and innocent face showing simple happiness. When Chu Yi looked at him, her heart felt like it had been twisted hard, and she felt so sad that she wanted to cry.
"Ah... does Xiaoyan like matcha, mango, or strawberry flavors...?"
She sniffed and said. The two chatted as they walked home, the child's hand in hers, soft and warm, just like she felt at that moment.
When Qiao Anchen returned that evening, he brought some bad news.
Li Yan's relatives on her side suddenly ran into some trouble and won't be able to return to China for another week.
The child lowered his head and remained silent after hearing this. Chu Yi and Qiao Anchen exchanged a glance. She patted his shoulder, gently comforting him.
"Xiaoyan, I heard that your aunt's company has an emergency, and she has to finish dealing with it before she can come pick you up. Can you be a little more patient with her for two more days?"
"It's alright." After a moment, the child raised his face, gave her a weak smile, and spoke very softly.
"Sister, I can wait."
After he finished speaking, he added something very quietly.
"As long as she can come, that's enough."
That night, Chu Yi stayed in Li Yan's room, keeping him company while he took a shower, talking to him, and reading him a short story before bed to lull him to sleep.
It's the fairy tale "The Little Prince".
Finally, the Little Prince returned to his planet and found the rose…
As these words fell, the child lying beside her succumbed to sleepiness and slowly closed his eyes, murmuring, "Sister, the Little Prince has gone home..."
“Yes, our little darling Li Yan will come home too,” Chu Yi said softly, stroking his head.
"Um…"
The child fell into a deep sleep.
A moment later, Chu Yi closed the book in his hand, quietly turned off the light, closed the door and went back to his room.
The wall clock pointed to eleven o'clock. Qiao Anchen looked to the side and saw that Chu Yi was silent with her back to him. She hadn't said a word since she came back.
Qiao Anchen put away the book and turned off the light.
"Are you in a bad mood?" He lay down and reached out to pull her into his arms. Chu Yi still had her back to him. After a long while, she softly hummed in agreement.
Qiao Anchen thought for a moment and said, "Because of Li Yan?"
"Um."
“Everyone has their own path to walk.” Qiao Anchen thought for a moment and said slowly, “You can’t be responsible for someone else’s fate.”
"But I just happened to see it." Chu Yi couldn't help but turn around and stare at him in the darkness.
"I can't help but think about it."
"Then, should we be nicer to him these next few days?" Qiao Anchen said after thinking for a moment, and Chu Yi suddenly deflated.
"Do you need to tell me!"
Qiao Anchen fell silent. Indeed, Chu Yi had always been very good to Li Yan, so good that even he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Don't think about it anymore, go to sleep." Qiao Anchen kissed her forehead one last time and whispered. Chu Yi didn't say anything, but just buried her face in his chest.
Two days later, the elementary school students had a holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival. Chu Yi wanted to take him out to relax and asked Qiao Anchen in advance, and he quickly agreed.
Chu Yi wanted to take him to an amusement park. Kids love those kinds of places—they're lively, fun, and filled with a dreamy sweetness.
Putting everything else aside, when Chu Yi recalls his childhood, many of the beautiful memories were born in amusement parks.
Exciting and novel bumper cars, like a carousel in a fairy tale, sweet ice cream, and all kinds of cute little toys.
At 10 a.m., Chu Yi and Li Yan got themselves ready and went out with their bags on their backs.
The child rarely showed such a bright smile these days; it was clear he was genuinely happy. He skipped and hopped along the way with his short legs.
Chu Yi held his hand, feeling herself unable to contain herself, and they both became joyful.
Qiao Anchen received a phone call early in the morning, apparently needing to go to the procuratorate to provide some documents. Before she even got out of bed, she drove off.
Before leaving, he gave the sleepy Chu Yi some instructions, telling her and Li Yan to set off first, and he would go directly from the procuratorate to meet them.
Before leaving home, Chu Yi called him. Qiao Anchen said he would be a while longer, and Chu Yi told him to hurry up.
Today is a holiday, and there are many people at the entrance of the amusement park. The sun is shining brightly, and it's quite hot.
Chu Yi bought the tickets first, and then she and Li Yan found a place to sit down. They bought two cups of juice and slowly drank them while waiting for Qiao Anchen.
Time passed by, and after about half an hour, just as Chu Yi was about to urge him again, Qiao Anchen suddenly called her.
He apologized on the other end of the line, saying that something urgent had come up and he couldn't come, and told her to have fun with Li Yan.
Chu Yi glanced at the expectant face of the child beside her, held back for a few seconds, and finally did not lose her temper. She just gave a cold reply and hung up the phone.
"Xiaoyan, Uncle suddenly had an urgent matter at work and can't come over. Let's ignore him and play by ourselves, okay?"
Chu Yi smiled and joked. Although Li Yan was a little disappointed, she still nodded vigorously and her eyes crinkled into a smile.
"good!"
The two spent the afternoon having a blast at the amusement park, trying out every ride they could think of, including the miniature train, the castle world, the log flume, and many others. Chu Yi's voice was almost hoarse from shouting, while Li Yan's face was flushed with excitement.
"Sister, this is so much fun! Can we ride it again?!" He pointed to the children's roller coaster behind him, still wanting more. Chu Yi gritted his teeth for a few seconds and nodded.
"Okay! Let's go line up then!"
As the sun set, I returned home completely exhausted.
Chu Yi lay weakly on the sofa, while Li Yan, still holding the souvenirs he had won in the game that day, was still in a state of excitement.
"Sister, this pink one is for you. Hers is a girl, and mine is a boy." He held a pair of small dolls in his hand, one pink and one blue. Chu Yi reached out and took them, and then heard Li Yan say.
"The pink one is Xiao Chu, and the blue one is Xiao Yan. They are a brother and sister who love each other very much."
Chu Yi couldn't help but smile. She took the child's hand, hugged him, and rubbed his head.
"Xiaoyan, are you happy today?"
"happy!"
"That's good. I'll take you out to play again next time."
When Qiao Anchen opened the door, Chu Yi and Li Yan were preparing to eat. The dishes were all cooked and neatly arranged on the table, emitting steam.
Beside them, each held a small, delicate pink cake.
—He's the only one who doesn't have it.
Qiao Anchen's gaze lingered for two seconds, then he pursed his lips and apologized earnestly: "I'm sorry, a client suddenly came to see me today, so I couldn't go to the amusement park with you."
He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll definitely make it up next time I have time."
"It's alright, Uncle." Li Yan spoke first, then looked away from Qiao Anchen and secretly glanced at Chu Yi across from him.
The air was silent for a few seconds before Chu Yi spoke calmly.
"Let's eat first."
Author's note: The truth will be revealed tomorrow.
I went to the hospital for an eye exam today, and the doctor said I've become nearsighted. He said I need to reduce my screen time, especially computer and phone use, and not spend more than half an hour on a single day. Everyone should pay more attention to their health and adjust their routines promptly if anything seems wrong, so we don't end up like me.
P.S., you really can't be too naive, otherwise you'll all end up like Qiao Anchen. Since hints didn't work, I'll just say it outright. My new novel, "Youthful Feelings," will have extra chapters when it reaches 1,000 favorites, 1,500, and 2,000.
I, Jiang Dalv, mean what I say!