"Brother," Su Li walked up to Su Bing and whispered, "Sister can talk now!"
"I heard," Su Bing whispered back, his mind racing.
Children's emotions were simple and pure; they were kind to those who were kind to them.
When Aunt Chu was at home, Lele never actively sought her out but would always come to him for comfort.
But today, as he held Lele, she actually wanted to be held by Gu Zi.
Su Bing pursed his lips and walked towards the dining room.
Su Li touched the back of his head, not quite understanding what his older brother meant but tagged along behind him anyway.
On the dining table were several large bowls of noodles, each topped with a beautifully fried sunny-side-up egg. Moreover, there was some braised pork in each bowl, emitting a delicious aroma.
"Gurgle." Su Li's stomach couldn't help but growl.
He quickly covered his belly with his hands.
Gu Zi sat at the dining table and then placed Lele in the seat beside her. She looked at the two boys and said, "Go ahead. There's more in the kitchen."
After saying that, Gu Zi picked up the bowl in front of Lele. It was only half filled because Lele had just eaten cake before dinner. She certainly wouldn't be able to eat much now.
After finishing the small portion of noodles, Lele happily patted her belly and gazed at Gu Zi, as if telling her that she was full.
"Are you full?" Gu Zi asked patiently.
Lele nodded.
Gu Zi began to eat as well. Now she noticed that the two brothers were eating without her prompting. They were devouring their noodles hungrily while she slowly enjoyed her own bowl of noodles.
Su Li quickly finished a bowl of noodles. He got up and walked to the kitchen. He scooped another bowl of noodles for himself before continuing to eat.
This was the first time he had eaten such delicious noodles.
Aunt Chu had never cooked noodles for them before, and the food she cooked was super disgusting.
Their stepmother was truly amazing; she could make such delicious noodles.
After finishing her meal, Gu Zi didn't say anything as the two kids voluntarily cleared their dishes and utensils. She left them to look after Lele and went upstairs to take a shower.
After Gu Zi left, Su Bing and Su Li quickly stopped what they were doing and gathered around Le Le.
Su Bing looked at Lele, who was smiling sweetly, and asked earnestly, "Lele, can you say 'Mommy' one more time?"
Lele waved her hands joyfully in the air and nodded, saying, "Mommy, mommy!"
Su Bing's eyes filled with amazement. Aunt Chu had complained to him before, saying that Lele was mute and couldn't speak. But his little sister was clearly intelligent and could talk.
Seeing Su Bing staring at her, Lele danced with excitement and said, "Brother!"
Su Bing's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Lele in disbelief.
Su Li was so shocked that he plopped down onto a nearby chair, his mouth wide open in astonishment.
"Brother!" Lele called out again.
Hearing Lele's repeated calls of "brother," Su Bing and Su Li's eyes began to well up with tears.
...
Upstairs.
Gu Zi had just removed her outerwear and was about to take a shower when she heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was Lele coming to find her, she began to put on a short-sleeved shirt, but before she could pull it down, she laughed and teased, "Lele, it seems like you can't be away from me..."
Gu Zi's shirt barely covered her chest, and she looked towards the door with a playful expression. However, when she saw Su Shen entering the room, her smile froze, and she stared at the door in disbelief.
Su Shen also paused for a moment, then immediately closed the door.
Gu Zi was taken aback but managed to pull her short-sleeved shirt down, looking at the doorknob with a hint of annoyance.
In her modern life, she had always lived alone and hadn't developed the habit of locking her bedroom door.
When she opened the door, she saw the man with his back turned, looking to the side.
Gu Zi looked at the man's back. The man was really too tall. His singlet was drenched and clung to his body. Vaguely, you could even see the contours of his back muscles.
She cleared her throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable, and asked, "What... what are you doing here?"
Su Shen turned around, his gaze slightly lowered. His eyes happened to fall on the strands of hair falling beside her face.
Her black hair accentuated her fair complexion.
Su Shen recalled the glimpse of her fair skin from just before he closed the door, and his earlobes turned slightly red.