Chapter 5

Rong Jin sat in the playroom and assembled Lego for half an hour.

At first, she was shocked that Su Xijing, a five-year-old girl, played with such high-IQ toys. She picked up a few half-finished models in the room and saw that Su Xijing had done quite well with them.

She was only five years old.

Later, Rong Jin tried it herself, and before long, she couldn’t stop.

These creative toys were truly captivating.

Her own home had a complete set of Lego robot series from various lines. Back in high school, Lego had just become popular in the country, and she had been obsessed with it. She even occasionally coded programs to make them run. She chose artificial intelligence in university because of it, but now she was too busy and hadn’t played in a long time. The toys at home were gathering dust.

Aunt Zhao accompanied Su Xijing nearby, playing with her. She couldn’t understand how these tiny, intricate parts fit together or how they could move on their own. She only handed things to Su Xijing when she asked for them.

Peppa Pig was still playing on the TV, but it didn’t catch the little girl’s attention at all as she focused on her Lego.

Aunt Zhao found it a bit strange. Normally, Su Xijing liked playing with toys while watching Peppa Pig. Why had she completely lost interest in it today?

Aunt Zhao said, “Little Miss, look, Daddy Pig is taking the whole family to Potato City in the car.”

Rong Jin didn’t even look up. “Oh.”

Aunt Zhao was puzzled. Clearly, Little Miss used to love the episodes where the Peppa Pig family was together, but today she seemed utterly uninterested. It was odd.

Aunt Zhao didn’t say anything.

A long while later, Rong Jin finally snapped out of it. She was now Su Xijing.

She had been so engrossed in the Lego that she almost forgot she was a five-year-old girl who liked Lego, Peppa Pig, and the pink Balala the Fairies Castle—a genius child prodigy.

“…”

Steady.

She had to stay steady.

Rong Jin forced a bright, innocent smile. “This is so fun.”

She even clapped her little hands, pattering away.

Only then did Aunt Zhao feel that Su Xijing was back to normal and relaxed.

Half an hour later, Su Qingqiu finished cooking and entered the playroom.

She took off her shoes and padded barefoot across the carpet, silent as a ghost.

Rong Jin was racking her brain over how to assemble a few small parts. It had been so long since she’d touched them that her hands felt clumsy. Her tender little fingers, almost as big as the parts themselves, fumbled awkwardly as she tried to fit them together.

The LCD TV in front of her was still playing episode 123 of Peppa Pig. Rong Jin occasionally glanced up, pretending to watch it seriously while playing with Lego. Her big doe eyes blinked innocently, making her look pure and adorable.

Just in case Aunt Zhao thought something was wrong with her.

Su Qingqiu watched her sitting on the carpet assembling Lego and couldn’t help but smile. She quietly sat down behind her and wrapped her arms around the little body from behind.

Rong Jin, lost in her game, jumped in fright. She turned back and saw Su Qingqiu’s face right there.

Being suddenly hugged from behind gave her goosebumps all over, and she felt deeply uncomfortable.

She had never been this close to anyone before, let alone Su Qingqiu. Her whole body stiffened.

Rong Jin silently chanted to herself.

I’m her daughter now. I have to play this role well and not let her notice.

I’ll endure it.

The self-suggestion did nothing; she couldn’t relax at all. She remained rigid in Su Qingqiu’s embrace.

Rong Jin: “…”

How long would these days go on?

Su Qingqiu gently took the small parts from her hands. With a flick of her fingers, she assembled them perfectly.

Then Su Qingqiu disassembled them and handed them back.

Rong Jin was captivated by her technique and followed along, reassembling them herself.

This time, she finally got it.

Su Qingqiu’s gaze swept over the half-finished model Rong Jin had completed and paused in surprise. She smiled at her. “Xixi is so amazing.”

In the past, it would have taken Su Xijing at least half a month to finish these, even in the best case. What happened today? In just half an hour, she’d done so much.

Su Qingqiu added, “Xixi, let’s eat first, okay? You can play more later.”

Her voice was so gentle that it sent a shiver through Rong Jin. She just couldn’t get used to it.

…

I’ll endure!

Rong Jin set down the assembled parts and slipped into her little slippers to walk away. She hadn’t taken more than a few pattering steps before she was scooped up from behind.

One arm passed under her armpits, and then her body lifted into the air.

Thinking she wanted to play with something else, Su Qingqiu picked her up from behind, held her close, and patted her back expertly.

Su Qingqiu’s long hair brushed past her ear and draped over Rong Jin’s face.

The fragrance made Rong Jin sneeze involuntarily.

Rong Jin: “…”

Su Qingqiu thought she had been startled and patted her back again.

“Alright, let’s go eat.”

Rong Jin was suddenly airborne and yelped in shock, staring in horror at the carpet at least a meter below.

This position was way too unsettling!

Su Qingqiu carried Rong Jin out of the playroom, with Aunt Zhao following behind.

Rong Jin was placed in her special children’s high chair.

The chair had been specially raised so she could reach the table, with a barrier in front to prevent her from falling if she fidgeted.

It felt just like being trapped, utterly undignified.

Rong Jin sat in the chair, her little short legs dangling and swinging. The chair was so high that if she wanted down, someone had to lift her.

It was so frustrating.

She thought, I’ve put up with so much grievance for Su Qingqiu.

If Su Qingqiu tried to feed her, she wouldn’t act anymore. She couldn’t. She really couldn’t.

Triple refusal.

Fortunately, Su Qingqiu didn’t try to feed her.

She used a child-sized bowl and a little silver spoon. The bowl held egg custard topped with finely chopped green onions.

Su Qingqiu didn’t know many dishes, but they were basically the few that Su Xijing loved.

Boneless sweet-and-sour spare ribs, broccoli with shrimp, corn chowder, and vegetable porridge.

Light flavors, all a bit sweet. The dishes covered the table.

Su Xijing was young and preferred sweet tastes, loving sugary things.

Su Qingqiu liked sweet foods too.

But Rong Jin didn’t.

She frowned, gripping the silver spoon with her tiny hand, and took a bite of the egg custard.

Su Qingqiu ladled her a bowl of porridge—Su Xijing’s current body could only handle light foods.

She thought for a moment and picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour rib. “Xixi needs to eat more to recover well.”

Rong Jin’s brows furrowed like little mountains, full of reluctance.

She bit into the rib meat, and her brows knit even tighter.

It was way too sweet.

Su Qingqiu asked, “What’s wrong? Doesn’t Mommy’s cooking taste good?”

“…”

I’ll endure!

Rong Jin lifted her bright little face. “It’s delicious!”

Su Qingqiu, you owe me big time.

After dinner, Aunt Zhao cleared the dishes, and Su Qingqiu lifted Rong Jin down from the children’s chair.

Stepping onto the carpet finally made her feel a bit more grounded.

Her little short legs didn’t move fast; she took one step, two steps, three steps. Her pink pajamas were adorably fluffy, and her pink slippers pattered along, giving her a somewhat silly look.

Su Qingqiu watched from behind, her gaze on the tiny figure.

This was the little angel heaven had given her.

She didn’t regret having Su Xijing at all.

Even if she had paid a heavy price back then to have her—and there would be many unpredictable risks in the future—she absolutely wouldn’t regret it.

Su Qingqiu followed Su Xijing around the living room. Rong Jin had planned to return to the playroom to finish her Lego and, if possible, code a program to make the robot move.

After all, she was Su Xijing now, with nothing else to do. Rong Corporation was in Su Qingqiu’s hands anyway. After years of busyness, this was a rare leisurely time.

Thinking that way, she even found a bit of fun in the misery.

Rong Jin was plotting when her body suddenly lifted again.

She flailed her little legs futilely.

Su Qingqiu had picked her up once more.

What was she up to now!

Rong Jin was furious, but she saw Su Qingqiu turn a corner and head toward the bathroom step by step.

Rong Jin was shocked and angry.

Su Qingqiu said, “It’s late, Xixi. Time for bathy-bathy and night-night.”

Bathy-bathy, night-night.

What the hell was bathy-bathy night-night.

Rong Jin thought that if Su Qingqiu dared to undress her and give her a bath, she really wouldn’t act anymore.

Let whoever wants to act do it—she was done!

In Su Xijing’s second-floor bedroom, in the little bathroom.

Every room in the villa had its own bathroom, and Su Xijing’s little one matched the room’s style perfectly.

Pink walls, pink lights, even a pink sink, with little stars stuck on the walls.

Rong Jin clutched her pink pajamas, her face full of resistance as she faced off against Su Qingqiu.

Even though it was Su Xijing’s body, she didn’t want Su Qingqiu bathing her.

If Su Qingqiu found out later, she wouldn’t have the face to face her.

How could she compete with Su Qingqiu in business afterward!

Su Qingqiu half-squatted in front of her. “Want Mommy to help with the bath?”

Rong Jin shook her head firmly, clutching her pajamas tightly.

Su Qingqiu was disappointed.

From childhood to now, she had always bathed Su Xijing herself.

Su Xijing had been clingy, liking to follow her. Sometimes when she went to work, she even brought Su Xijing along.

But after recovering from a serious illness and sleeping for seven days, she suddenly wasn’t clingy anymore and even knew to be shy.

She was only five.

Su Qingqiu felt a bit sad.

But there was no helping it; she always respected Su Xijing’s wishes.

Su Xijing loved soaking in bubble baths and was always happy during them, but Su Qingqiu didn’t dare let her use the tub—it was too dangerous. As a compromise, she used a special basin.

The little bathroom had a custom-made bathing basin tailored to her height, covered entirely in thick, soft silicone padding to ensure she wouldn’t slip or drown.

Rong Jin refused to budge.

Su Qingqiu filled the basin with water and added bubbles.

Not giving up, she asked again, “Mommy will just watch from the side. You wash yourself, okay?”

A five-year-old washing alone was risky; she really couldn’t relax.

Rong Jin shook her head firmly again.

Having Su Qingqiu watch was no different from washing her herself.

“Alright.” Su Qingqiu gave in. She had no bottom line with Su Xijing.

“Then Mommy will wait outside the door.”

Su Qingqiu left, and Rong Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

She took off her pink pajamas and examined the little body.

White, tender, with that soft, chubby baby flesh.

Rong Jin pinched the flesh on her waist.

So soft and cute.

If one day she returned to her own body, maybe she should adopt a child from an orphanage and raise one from infancy to make it familiar.

Of course, she wouldn’t spoil it like Su Qingqiu did.

Kids should learn independence early, like bathing alone.

Rong Jin padded barefoot across the bathroom floor, her little legs huffing and puffing as she stepped toward the basin.

She held the edge with her hand and lifted one foot into the warm water. Bubbles stuck to her leg, tickling a bit.

The water resisted, and as her right foot stepped onto the hard bumps of the silicone non-slip mat, it hurt a little, so she tried to shift sideways.

That’s when the accident happened.

Her left foot landed in a puddle, and as her right foot shifted, her balance wavered for a split second. Her left foot slipped. With a loud splash, accompanied by a huge spray of water, the world spun before her eyes. She fell backward into the basin. The water she splashed up arced high and crashed down on her face, drenching her.

The soft silicone padding cushioned her, so her body didn’t hurt much.

Just her face stung a bit.

Su Qingqiu, hearing the noise from the door, pushed it open and rushed in.

“Xixi!”

Rong Jin stared back at her with wide eyes.

“…”

This was too hard.

She was really suffering.

She truly had no face left to see Su Qingqiu.

…

Su Qingqiu checked her for injuries and, confirming none, ignored Rong Jin’s protests and forcibly bathed her. She wrapped her in a big bath towel like a bundle, changed her into pajamas, and carried her to bed.

Rong Jin, exhausted after a day of turmoil, half-opened her eyes.

Su Qingqiu sat on the edge of her bed, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight kiss.”

After the bathroom slip incident, Rong Jin no longer cared about such a minor detail as the goodnight kiss.

What a mess.

How embarrassing.

Giving up entirely.

Rong Jin wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. The pink blanket only revealed a small head, with a tiny whirl on top.

Su Qingqiu sat by her bed and didn’t leave.

Rong Jin blinked her eyes and looked at Su Qingqiu.

“Time to sleep.”

Su Qingqiu smiled gently and ruffled her hair.

“Mommy will watch Xixi sleep.”

Rong Jin was stunned for a moment.

Fine, whatever.

Children got sleepy early, and she was tired today too. Within moments of closing her eyes, she already felt very drowsy.

Just before drifting off to sleep, she felt a hand gently touching her face.

It was extremely gentle.

She suddenly wondered, if she had become the current Su Xijing, then where was that five-year-old girl’s soul now?

What if Su Qingqiu learned the truth?

She would surely be heartbroken.

Rong Jin sighed heavily in her heart, and with those thoughts, she slowly fell asleep.

After confirming that she was fast asleep, Su Qingqiu tucked in her blanket, turned off the bedside lamp, and switched on the Vast Starry Sky on the nightstand.

In an instant, the pink ceiling gradually transformed, presenting a deep ink-blue black.

The vast universe slowly floated in the room, with countless planets like specks of starlight, simulating precisely calculated planetary orbits as they moved slowly.

This was a simulated universe. If one looked closely, they could see that all the planets’ orbits matched the real universe perfectly, making it feel as if one were immersed in the starry sky.

Su Qingqiu reached out and virtually touched a small planet, but unfortunately, it was just an illusory light shadow—she couldn’t touch anything.

She suddenly withdrew her hand and quietly left the room.

Aunt Zhao was waiting outside the door. Seeing her come out, she said in a low voice, “I feel like the little miss is acting a bit off. Should we call the doctor again to take a look?”

In the past, Su Xijing had been very clingy with Su Qingqiu. Judging by today alone, she seemed unusually distant.

She hadn’t let her help with the bath, showed no appetite for her usual favorite foods, and even just now, Su Xijing hadn’t given her a goodnight kiss back.

Su Qingqiu also felt something was wrong.

Her first thought was that Xixi had assembled a Lego set in just half an hour today—one that used to take half a month before.

She rubbed her brow. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

She was tired too, and tomorrow she had a board meeting at Rong Corporation.