“Um… sorry, Sister Lianying.” Wuhua’s expression and tone carried a hint of apology.
“It’s a rare holiday and amusement park trip, and I still have to trouble you to take care of me.” Recalling what happened on the Ferris wheel, she only remembered Lianying’s gentleness. Nothing else really stood out.
As the final stop of the day, after getting off the Ferris wheel, they started on the path back home from the amusement park. It was already getting late. In the distance, the boundary between sunset and night was visible, the faintly lit sky displaying a unique hue.
Xicheng’s home was in a different direction, so she had said goodbye early. After the fervor of the carnival faded, only a sense of autumn loneliness remained.
“Don’t say that. It’s only natural for an older sister to look after her younger sister.” Lianying tightened her grip on Wuhua’s hand, matching her slower pace.
“Besides, being able to spend time with friends and important family… This is the happiest and most fulfilling Saturday I’ve ever had.”
Lianying’s smile held not a trace of falseness. It was deeply etched into Wuhua’s heart.
“…Yeah. It’s thanks to Wuhua that we can gather like this.” Qinglan chimed in from the side. “If it were just the three of us, Lianying would never suggest going to the amusement park. She doesn’t like troublesome things.”
“Ugh… don’t say it so absolutely. Occasionally—well, not often, but I could organize something, right?” Lianying herself wasn’t sure, counting on her fingers when the last time was.
“Hehe, and on top of that, we got to see a side of Lianying that’s usually impossible—a pretty adorable one.” Qinglan covered her mouth with a sly giggle. “That was the most interesting part of today for me.”
“Forget it, forget it, forget it…!” Lianying pouted, half-embarrassed, and lightly punched Qinglan.
“Adorable… side?” Wuhua tilted her head in confusion, though there was no doubt that Lianying was adorable.
“Oh, right. Since it was a rare chance, I even took a picture.” Escaping from Lianying, Qinglan ran ahead and held out her phone screen for Wuhua to see—
It was a truly precious image of Lianying coaxing Wuhua to sleep. Before Wuhua could look for more than a few seconds, Lianying blushed and rushed over.
“Delete it right now!”
—
“Haah… I’m exhausted, I’m exhausted. What a blast.” The moment she said goodbye to Qinglan, Lianying pushed open the door and stepped inside.
“I’ll take a shower first, so Xiaohua can handle ordering dinner tonight.” With that, Lianying handed her phone to Wuhua. “You… know how to use it, right?”
“Mm, mm. Back at the orphanage, one of the sisters taught us.” Wuhua made up a quick excuse.
“Oh. That’s pretty thoughtful. But yeah, everyone relies on their phones these days.” Lianying grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. “I’ll buy one for Xiaohua soon too.”
While pondering what kind would be best, Lianying headed into the bathroom. On the other side, after days of primitive living, Wuhua finally touched a phone again—a gem of human technology and industry.
“Hmm… cute wallpaper and case, and this kind of wobbly font. So this is a girl’s phone.” Marveling at how she was accumulating strange new knowledge, Wuhua was about to skillfully open the food delivery app.
‘Wait. This might be a good opportunity.’
Suddenly, a mischievous thought arose.
If there’s any personal item that contains more privacy, information, and traces than others, it’s definitely devices like phones and computers.
Everyone has different usage habits, and through these habits, you can infer anyone’s personality and thoughts.
‘Just… a little peek shouldn’t hurt, right? As long as I don’t tell Mingji.’
After successfully convincing herself, Wuhua opened the photo album with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
“Th-this!?” The sheer volume of information and impactful images hit her like the first time she’d stumbled onto a certain kind of website—overwhelming and dazzling.
Aside from the occasional stray cats and dogs, homework assignments, pictures of lunch and dinner, and some playful selfies—
The rest were all photos of Wuhua.
“Even when I’m asleep or eating…” Wuhua scrolled briefly. Such photos occupied almost the entire screen.
Except for the time before she had met Lianying. Before that, the album hadn’t yet been conquered by the creature called “Wuhua.” Back then, it was mostly records of Magical Girl activities.
“Just how much does this kid like me…?” Though she had vaguely sensed it before, Wuhua’s understanding kept being refreshed. She realized just how important she was in Lianying’s heart.
With a feeling that was both heavy and pleasant, Wuhua exited the album. She then opened the browser, another concentration of personal traces.
After skillfully checking the history, there was none of the juicy or high-school-student-style content she had imagined—
It was all search engines and various questions attached to them.
For example, the most recent searches were: “How to put a child to sleep,” “Healthy ingredients suitable for children,” “Things to note when bathing a child,” “Where is a good place to take a child on weekends,” “What kind of topics to discuss with a child on a regular basis,” and so on.
—
“Lianying…” For some reason, both happiness and bitterness sprouted in Wuhua’s heart. She pressed her lips together tightly, at a loss for words.
How could a high school student still in school possibly know how to take care of a seven-year-old and get along with her?
But Lianying had been striving toward that goal all along, just as she had said from the beginning—she wanted to become Wuhua’s mother and important family.
Yet what supported her to this extent, even to the point of adopting a child, remained a mystery.
Knowing that thinking alone would never yield an answer, Wuhua stared blankly at the phone screen for a long time.
—
“Ahh. There’s nothing like a bath. I feel reborn.” Towel on her head, steam trailing behind her, Lianying slowly walked out of the bathroom after her shower. “How’s it going, Xiaohua? Find anything good to eat?”
“No… nothing much.” Wiping her face to hide her embarrassment, Wuhua brushed it off casually. “Maybe Lianying should choose instead.”
“I see. Okay, leave it to your big sis.” Lianying took the phone and began scrolling through options expertly. “I’ve tried every takeout within five miles. I guarantee Xiaohua will be satisfied.”
“…Thank you, Sister Lianying. Really, thank you.” Wuhua nodded earnestly.
“Hey hey, what’s wrong? Xiaohua is being a little strange today.” Lianying smiled and patted her head. “Apologizing and thanking me—Big Sis doesn’t need that.”
“Then… what does Big Sis want?” Wuhua lowered her head, puzzled.
“Hmm… well.” Lianying seemed to have never thought about it, so she began to consider seriously. Soon she arrived at a satisfying answer, and as if making a wish upon a shooting star, she spoke with devout sincerity:
“Me? I hope to live happily with Xiaohua like this, forever.”
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