“…Mm! This should be enough.” Lianying looked at the large bags she held in each hand, packed with snacks, vegetables, and fruits.
“Ah, finally we can relax properly—let’s have fun all night tonight.”
Faced with Lianying’s somewhat outrageous but not unexpected proposal, Wuhua and Qinglan spoke in unison.
“Staying up all night is a bit… I’ll fall asleep halfway through, Lianying.”
“Then you can entertain yourself. Qinglan and I will put Wuhua to bed first.”
“How can you do that?! Xiaohua is mine… Well, I guess kids do need more sleep.”
.
It was now Friday after school, the most relaxing time of the week. The setting sun painted the crowded commercial street in shades of orange and yellow, along with a warm glow.
Since they had promised Xicheng to spend the night at her place, Lianying and Qinglan rushed home, picked up Wuhua, and stopped by here on the way.
Then, they took the bus to their destination—a single apartment a bit of a distance from Chunhui Community.
.
“Xicheng, we’re here!” As soon as they reached the door, Lianying knocked impatiently.
Soon, the sound of slippers and footsteps came from inside—
“Um, Xiao Ying, I think I told you the doorbell is on the right.” Followed by a slightly helpless reminder from a girl.
“Then you should know she never listens.” Qinglan pointed at Lianying beside her.
Then the door opened. The first thing they saw was Xicheng, wearing a casual home outfit, her orange-yellow ponytail hanging down her chest—the so-called wife hairstyle—
“…!” Wuhua’s gaze, as she observed her, naturally fell on her full chest.
‘She’s practically on par with Lianying. If I had the chance, I’d really like to—’
Just as Wuhua was lost in an embarrassing fantasy,
“Little Wuhua~” Xicheng rushed forward like a runaway horse and hugged Wuhua tightly.
“—” Due to their height difference, her swaying chest acted as a cushion, bumping into Wuhua’s face.
“Hey, hey. What are you doing to my little flower, you fox spirit?” Lianying put her hands on her hips and put on a displeased look.
“Meaning friends are less important than a friend’s little sister?”
“After all, little Wuhua is cuter than you two. I love her, I love her.” Xicheng hugged Wuhua and rubbed her against her chest, treating her like a doll.
“By the way, wasn’t your goal to become her mother? How did that turn into being her sister?”
“…We’re not at that stage yet. Anyway, let us in. We’re exhausted.” Lianying swaggered in as if she owned the place.
“And let go of my little flower.” She also took Wuhua, who was completely dazed, from Xicheng’s arms.
‘Xicheng… did she just take a shower? She has a very soft, fragrant scent on her.’
‘And this chest, so soft and big…!’
Unable to decide between Lianying and Xicheng for a moment, Wuhua walked into Xicheng’s home.
“Wow. So this is Xicheng’s home.” She looked around curiously, hoping to see something different.
For example, underwear drying on the balcony shelf, hug pillows and a laid-back sofa scattered everywhere, and junk boxes decorating every corner. Overall, it looked dense and stuffed full.
At the entrance was a foyer and a hidden shoe cabinet, along with an integrated stove counter. Beside it was a barely adequate bathroom. A little further in was the living room, a bed, and some scattered furniture.
It was the standard setup for a single apartment—small but complete. A very cozy little nest.
Since Wuhua had lived in a similar place before, she knew it all too well. She could even find her way around with her eyes closed.
“Sorry, the place is a bit small. Might not be enough for little Wuhua to play freely.” Xicheng came over with an apologetic look.
“Oh, no need to take off your shoes. I’ve already laid out mats on the floor.”
They were puzzle-shaped mats made of sponge, similar to those specially designed for kids to play on the floor. You could even lie down on them without worry.
“We can’t just make the mats dirty, can we?” Lianying gave her a helpless glance and led Wuhua to take off their shoes, walking inside in just socks.
“Mmm~ It feels like I haven’t been here in ages. The room has changed a bit.” Lianying remarked emotionally as she sat down on the laid-back sofa.
“Xiaohua. Come here.” She then reached out to call Wuhua, who was still a bit reserved.
“We were just here last week.” Qinglan also found a spot to sit. “But it has indeed changed a bit.”
“That’s because… since someone was coming, I had to prepare properly.” Xicheng picked up the vegetables she had taken from them.
“Well then, I’ll go prepare dinner. Make yourselves at home. Treat it like your own home.”
.
“Even if you didn’t say that, I would.” Lianying was completely unceremonious as she waited for Wuhua to come closer.
“Sit on my lap.” She patted her thigh, inviting Wuhua to sit on the sofa with her.
“Am I… heavy, Lianying?” Since the laid-back sofa tilted, Wuhua carefully sat on Lianying’s lap.
“Of course not. Kids have no weight.” Lianying hugged Wuhua tightly, and the two of them sank into the filling particles, only their legs sticking out.
“…This room looks like it’s been invaded by a female ghost.” Qinglan couldn’t bear to look at them and just scrolled through her phone.
As for Wuhua, she was enjoying the snuggle time with Lianying. Perhaps due to yesterday’s massage, their interaction was even more intimate than before.
Hair strands gently brushed across her cheek, the fragrance of freshly washed hair lingered at her nose, and smooth skin and touch teased each other.
“…What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” In the depths of the sofa, hidden from Qinglan’s view, Lianying and Wuhua gazed at each other from inches away.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Lianying.” Wuhua felt sincerely happy.
“Mmm. You’re saying that too early. The party hasn’t started yet.” As she spoke, Lianying slowly leaned in and touched her nose to Wuhua’s.
“What I’m going to give you definitely isn’t just this.”
.
.
Soon, after Xicheng’s hard work, with Lianying and Qinglan joining in to help halfway—
After Wuhua heard the warning “Kids aren’t allowed in the kitchen, it’s too dangerous” for ten minutes, they sat down at the slightly cramped temporary dining table—
“Lianying, don’t steal food from my plate.”
“Ah, the bowls are too close; I can’t tell whose is whose.”
“Hehe. Little Wuhua needs to eat more. Maybe you’ll grow up to have a better figure than Xiao Ying.”
“I’ve been wanting to ask, who is Little Wuhua? Don’t change my name, okay.”
“Th-thanks, Xicheng. I can’t eat that much.”
Saying that, Wuhua scooped up a piece of steamed egg with her spoon and put it in her mouth along with the rice. The fragrance and texture of the egg, combined with the seasoning, burst in her mouth instantly.
“…It’s so good, Xicheng.” Wuhua’s eyes lit up as she exclaimed.
“If it’s good, eat more. There’s definitely plenty.” Xicheng smiled and patted her head.
“By the way, Xiao Ying doesn’t cook at home, right? So what do you usually eat?”
“Guh. Pre-prepared dishes and… takeout.” Lianying’s expression was as if she had bitten into a bitter melon.
“Poor Wuhua. You should come eat at my place next time.” Qinglan fanned the flames.
“I-I’ve been trying lately. Although… it’s not at a edible level yet.” As she said this, Lianying looked at Xicheng with a sincere expression.
“Please teach me next time, Teacher Xicheng!”
“No problem. Cooking is one of my strong points.” Xicheng proudly put her hands on her hips and nodded.
“Xiao Lan, do you want to learn too? It might be fun.”
“No need. My parents usually prepare meals before they leave for work or business trips…” Qinglan answered subconsciously as she put food in her mouth.
But as soon as the words left her mouth, Wuhua saw Qinglan’s expression turn bitter and awkward, as if recalling something.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant. I just meant, so—mmm.” Qinglan put down her bowl and chopsticks and hurriedly tried to explain to the two beside her.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Qinglan?” Xicheng looked at her calmly.
“Eat up. We still have games to play together later.” Lianying didn’t take it to heart either.
‘Is it about… the topic of parents? Why did Qinglan apologize?’
As for Wuhua, she was left with guesses and unanswered questions—
For the first time in a long while, she was having homemade cooking that wasn’t pre-prepared dishes or takeout. A memorable moment.