Back home, Xiao Wanqing changed her shoes and headed straight to the kitchen. She sorted out the groceries—storing the ones not needed immediately into the fridge and placing the ingredients for dinner into the sink.

  Lin Xian, on the other hand, quietly took her newly purchased bag of Sofy pads and tiptoed into her room to find a place to hide them.

  Just as Xiao Wanqing pulled an apron from the hook on the wall and started putting it on, Lin Xian’s voice came from nearby, laced with a hint of amusement. “Need a hand?”

  Xiao Wanqing turned as she tied the apron on. Lin Xian stood there in her brand new Totoro slippers, smiling radiantly. Xiao Wanqing smiled back and replied, “No need, it’s not much work. I can manage on my own.”

  After a brief pause, her tone softened. “Dinner will take a little while. If you're bored, feel free to explore the rooms. Don’t be shy—treat this as your own home.”

  Lin Xian’s lips curled up in a teasing grin. “What if I accidentally uncover some shocking little secret of yours?”

  Xiao Wanqing blinked, puzzled. “Like what?”

  Lin Xian laughed but didn’t answer, just winked and said, “I think I’d better help you instead. Let you show me around later.”

  Xiao Wanqing chuckled lightly. Seeing her insist, she gave in. “Alright then, see the carrots on the counter? Could you peel them for me?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty!” Lin Xian saluted playfully.

  Xiao Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh.

  To her surprise, Lin Xian peeled the carrots quickly and well. Soon, she asked for another task, so Xiao Wanqing handed her the yam, a slightly tougher job.

  “Are you always this obedient at home?” Xiao Wanqing asked, watching her work deftly.

  Lin Xian glanced up, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You should ask my mom. If I say I’m obedient, that’s like a melon seller praising their own melons.”

  Xiao Wanqing laughed out loud. As she sliced the carrots into thin strips, she suddenly murmured, “It wouldn’t be so bad having a daughter like you.”

  Lin Xian paused briefly, then mock-protested, “Exactly! My mom hit the jackpot having me and still finds reasons to complain all the time.”

  Xiao Wanqing couldn’t stop laughing. “Aren’t you praising yourself again now?”

  Lin Xian tilted her head, her high ponytail swaying gently. She grinned. “Do you think I’m just bragging?”

  Xiao Wanqing froze for a second, her eyes gentle and amused. “No. I think you’re telling the truth.”

  Lin Xian beamed, looking like a Samoyed that just got its fur smoothed.

  But not long after, Xiao Wanqing regretted ever praising her for being “well-behaved.” As she finished cooking two dishes and began handling fresh river shrimp, Lin Xian started stirring trouble.

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  The shrimp were alive—jumping and twitching in the bowl. Xiao Wanqing, living alone for years, had mastered these tasks. She took a pair of scissors and began trimming the long whiskers and sharp head spines one by one.

  Lin Xian was rinsing string beans and watching with interest.

  When Xiao Wanqing began using a toothpick to pierce the shrimp where the head met the body and dig out the black line, Lin Xian suddenly said, “It’s struggling so much… do you think it hurts?”

  Xiao Wanqing’s hand trembled involuntarily.

  Lin Xian continued, voice low and eerie, “Look at its eyes—they’re staring at you, round and black and full of accusation. I bet it hurts a lot.”

  Xiao Wanqing reflexively glanced at the shrimp’s eyes, and her skin prickled with goosebumps.

  Still not done, Lin Xian added, “Is that red stuff near its head… blood? Are you going to rip its head off next?”

  Xiao Wanqing finally broke in, her voice trembling slightly, “Lin Xian, stop…”

  Trying to stay calm, she placed the shrimp back into the bowl, turned to the mischievous girl, and sighed, “Well, bad news—I think you won’t be eating shrimp for a while.”

  Lin Xian’s smile froze. Realizing she had pushed too far, her eyes dimmed. “I was just teasing… I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Xiao Wanqing didn’t scold her. She placed the shrimp into the fridge and gently said, “I know. It’s fine, I’m just a bit of a scaredy-cat.”

  To reassure her, she shared a story, “I once saw a movie in college where they turned a humanoid octopus leg into ground meat. It looked so real, and the leg was so thick… I’ve never been able to eat octopus since.”

  Lin Xian looked down, even more guilty. “I won’t scare you again,” she mumbled.

  Xiao Wanqing smiled kindly. “Alright, it’s fine.” She quickly changed the topic. “Can you peel a few garlic cloves for me?”

  Lin Xian nodded.

  Once she’d peeled and washed the garlic, she walked over to hand them to Xiao Wanqing. At that moment, Xiao Wanqing happened to turn around. Their eyes met, and Xiao Wanqing smiled, eyes glimmering.

  A few strands of hair had fallen across her forehead, blocking her view. With her hands occupied, she tilted her head awkwardly to brush them away.

  Lin Xian giggled and stepped forward without thinking, reaching out to tuck the strands behind her ear.

  But just as her fingers were about to touch Xiao Wanqing’s forehead, Xiao Wanqing flinched back reflexively.

  Lin Xian’s hand froze in mid-air.

  After a beat of awkward silence, she withdrew it and said with a casual smile, “I’ll go find you a clip.”

  Xiao Wanqing quickly followed up, “Sure. It’s in the top drawer on the right side of the bathroom.”

  Lin Xian nodded and skipped off.

  Half a minute later, she returned with a small, delicate hair clip. Xiao Wanqing washed her hands, accepted it, and while pinning her hair, joked, “If you end up finding hair in the food, don’t freak out—I washed my hair an hour before you arrived.”

  Lin Xian laughed and accepted it. She returned to the counter, dropped the garlic into the dish tray, and turned to Xiao Wanqing again. She wanted to ask what else she could help with. She looked at Xiao Wanqing’s calm profile and opened her mouth to call her name: “Xiao…”

  But the rest of the name caught in her throat.

  Xiao Wanqing turned, puzzled. Lin Xian smiled and said sweetly, “Auntie Xiao, is there anything else I can help with?”

  Xiao Wanqing looked around the counter and smiled. “Not really. The kitchen’s a bit smoky—why don’t you rest in the living room?”

  Lin Xian smiled but didn't reply, and in a flash, she ran out of the kitchen.

  Xiao Wanqing smiled, and thought that Lin Xian had agreed with what she said. Still such a playful child.

  But moments later, Lin Xian returned—with a small chair. She set it at the kitchen door and sat down with a bright, clean smile. “I’ll sit here and chat with you. Otherwise, wouldn’t you be bored alone?”

  Xiao Wanqing paused in surprise. Then her eyes sparkled with laughter. “Okay.”

  Lin Xian leaned back and watched her graceful figure. Her gaze gradually grew thoughtful. The few close interactions they’d had left her with an odd feeling.

  This gentle, elegant woman always wore a soft smile and seemed so kind and easy to approach. But sometimes… she felt distant, like there was a quiet wall around her.

  Lin Xian rested her chin on the back of the chair and stared at her silhouette, a single thought surfacing in her mind: “Time reveals the heart.”

  She smiled to herself, sunshine blooming quietly on her pretty face.

  That’s fine, she thought. She still had plenty of time to figure out who Xiao Wanqing really was.

  Even if… she didn’t yet understand why she was so curious about her.