The early-autumn sky was azure and clean.
In the garden, the golden osmanthus had just begun to bloom; fragrant little golden flowers peeked out between the dark green leaves, and the air was suffused with a sweet scent.
The door opened and the lady of the house led the two children out, speaking and smiling in a gentle voice. “Dongdong, play with your little sister here while Mama makes breakfast. Be good — stay in the yard, and don’t go onto the road.”
The little boy wore black-framed glasses and was quiet and introverted. “Okay, Mama.”
Click — the door shut.
He slowly turned and smiled at the girl. “Come on, little sister, I’ll show you around.”
But the little girl slowly backed up a step, nervous and wary.
The boy attacked without warning, shoving her to the ground. “Who said you could come to my house!”
Knocking her down wasn’t enough. He crouched, grabbed a fistful of gravel, and pelted her with it. “This is my house! What right do you have to be here! You’re trying to steal my papa and mama, aren’t you!”
He worked hard every day, striving to be their pride, to have all their love — so what right did she have, what right, to show up and steal his parents the moment she arrived?
Yu Mian shielded her face with her arms, biting her lip hard.
“Say it! Say you’re wrong! Say ‘I’m a worthless little brat nobody wants,’ and maybe I’ll stop hitting you!”
The girl’s small face was drawn tight, her chin lifted, her expression stubborn, and she said nothing.
“Dongdong! Sweetheart, the cake’s ready — come eat with your little sister!”
The lady’s gentle, sweet voice drifted from inside. The little boy stilled for a moment, adjusted his glasses lightly, and when he spoke again his voice was pleasant. “Okay, coming!”
He shot Yu Mian a vicious glare. “Get in there.”
Yu Mian slowly picked herself up off the ground, a little dirt on her pink coat. As she walked, she bowed her head to brush it off…
“Mianmian.”
“Mianmian?”
The child’s steps stopped short. She turned in disbelief, blinking — and through the iron gate, she saw… Auntie Pei.
But this time she didn’t run to her. She only showed a hint of a sweet smile, waved at her, then turned and followed the little boy inside.
She seemed, on the surface, to be doing well…
If she hadn’t seen her shoved to the ground across the road, seen the gravel rain down on her, seen the corners of her eyes reddening—
Pei Songxi drew a deep breath, dialing Wei Yi with one hand while pressing the doorbell hard with the other.
The lady of the house, apron on, peeked out and sent her son to answer. “It’s Miss Pei. Dongdong, go open the door for the guest.”
The little boy nodded obediently and went to open it. Faced with the stranger’s cold, grim expression, he backed up a step, frightened. “My mama’s making breakfast… please wait a moment.”
Pei Songxi fixed him with a gaze cold as ice. “Where is Yu Mian?”
“…She, she went back to her room.”
Pei Songxi fought down the urge to strike the child, strode straight inside, and demanded of the lady, “Which room?”
“The small room on the second floor… What’s wrong, Miss Pei?”
Pei Songxi gave a cold laugh, grabbed the little boy, and shoved him into his mother’s arms. “Ask your son and you’ll know exactly what’s wrong!”
She said nothing more and went straight upstairs. At the door of the small room, she finally let out a soft breath, slowly gripped the handle, and pushed the door open.
With a creak, a sliver of sunlight leaked in through the gap.
The small room was cozy and clean — pink wallpaper, a white desk, two fluffy teddy bears at the foot of the bed. Yu Mian lay with her back to the door, her small body curled into a shrimp, a tiny ball, seemingly sobbing softly.
Just then, Wei Yi and the master of the house hurried over as well.
The lady sounded displeased. “Miss Pei, we never stopped you from visiting the child. Why did you have to shove Dongdong just now? He nearly fell. Couldn’t you have talked things over properly?”
Pei Songxi gave her a cold, sidelong glance.
The husband, having taken Wei Yi’s call on the way back, had a rough idea of what had happened and hurried to put an arm around his wife and apologize. “I’m sorry, Miss Pei. We failed to discipline our son properly. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Won’t you first check whether Yu Mian is hurt? From now on we’ll certainly—”
Pei Songxi cut him off, her voice flat. “There is no ‘from now on.'”
Wei Yi took the hint and blocked the couple. “Mr. Ding, Mrs. Ding, please step outside to talk.”
The room finally fell quiet.
The child stayed facing the wall, neither turning nor speaking.
Pei Songxi sighed softly, walked slowly to the bed, and reached out to touch Yu Mian’s shoulder — her hand froze in midair… Now she could see clearly: curled into that tiny little ball, what Mianmian held so tightly against her chest… was that orange.
The once glossy, sweet fruit had shriveled, its skin wrinkled and shrunken into something tiny — but she held it as if it were her entire world.
Pei Songxi lowered her eyes, her thick, fine lashes veiling her emotions.
Her hand came down. Sliding past the child’s nape, she lifted her up. “Mianmian.”
The child nestled into her arms, cheek pressed to her shoulder, and only after a long moment spoke. “…Auntie Pei.”
Pei Songxi patted her back gently. “Sleep a little.”
Holding her with one arm, Pei Songxi looked around the room, gathered up her schoolbag, and walked out.
In the corridor, Wei Yi was speaking to the Ding couple. “Mr. Ding, Mrs. Ding. We reserve the right to pursue all legal liability. Please be aware of that.”
Seeing Pei Songxi carry the little girl out, Mrs. Ding looked ashamed. “We truly didn’t know… I’m so sorry. But we do genuinely love Mianmian. Couldn’t you reconsider—”
“No.”
Pei Songxi’s voice was indifferent, her cold gaze sweeping past the woman and landing on the little boy named Dongdong. “You. Come here.”
The child backed up a step, but one of the bodyguards Wei Yi had brought seized him by the collar and tossed him over. He sat on the floor bawling. “What… what are you doing! Papa! Mama! Hitting people is against the law!”
“I’m not going to hit you.” A faint smile surfaced on Pei Songxi’s usually cold face as she bent down slightly. “But I know a thousand ways to make you afraid. From now on, someone will be following you to school every single day. Your homework will be torn up. Your teachers and classmates will all despise you. Everyone will know what a bullying little brat you are.”
“Ah! I’m not a bad kid!”
“Miss Pei! He’s only a child, please—”
Pei Songxi walked out with Yu Mian in her arms, her palm covering the girl’s ears, cold and merciless, her patience entirely spent. “A child’s world has a child’s punishments too. I could always switch methods and have my bodyguards break his bones right now.”
Pei Songxi carried Yu Mian the whole way.
The car swayed gently. Finding a haven in her arms, the child fell asleep at some point, sleeping deeply, refusing to let go of the hem of her clothes.
The car stopped outside a small villa.
Pei Songxi carried her into the living room and called to her softly. “Mianmian, we’re home. Mianmian?”
The child nuzzled her cheek against her shoulder, and only after a while rubbed her eyes and murmured against her shoulder, “Mm… is this… is this your house?”
Pei Songxi smiled. “Our home.”
Yu Mian let out an “ah” and hopped down from her arms, tilting her head up to look at her, eyes shining, the picture of disbelief. “R-really?”
Pei Songxi nodded and led her out to see the Door Plaque outside the room — a red frame with black characters, delivered by courier on the way here. “Can you read what it says?”
The little girl knew quite a few characters, but not the first one. “What… Song… Xi… is it ‘Pei Songxi’?”
“Mm.”
“Pei Songxi… and Mianmian’s… home?”
Pei Songxi’s lips curved. She crouched down to her eye level. “That’s right. Pei Songxi and Mianmian’s home.”
“Auntie Pei!!”
Yu Mian jumped up in delight and threw her arms around her, planting a big kiss on her cheek, confirming over and over in disbelief, “Auntie Pei! Our home?”
“Mm! It’s written right on the plaque. Do you recognize it now?”
Yu Mian felt as if she were dreaming, dizzy with happiness. “Mm… I recognize it. It’s Pei Songxi and Mianmian’s home.”
Pei Songxi gazed at her, her voice cool and tender, and touched her forehead. “Welcome home, Mianmian.”
