The mere thought of Zhaozhao playing with other kids and not with him made little Sheng Chuyi's face scrunch up, his lips tightly pursed.
Actually, Zhaozhao had only been a tiny bit annoying, not that intolerable.
After a good while, the little guy awkwardly spoke up, "Sorry, Mom, I was wrong!"
"Wrong about what?" Qin Suxin asked.
Sheng Chuyi hung his little head and said, "I shouldn't have deliberately tattled to Aunt Ran."
I knew that little rascal did it on purpose.
"Knowing your mistake is good. Don't do it again, okay? Now, go play with Zhaozhao! She just got scared. Remember to comfort her well."
Qin Suxin kept her face impassive, but internally she was laughing her head off.
Brat, I've eaten more rice than you by over two decades, I can certainly handle you.
At night, after Qin Suxin had bathed the two little ones, she shooed them both to bed.
Sheng Chuyi expressed his protest.
But his protest was ineffective.
In the end, his bed was still shared with Zhaozhao.
But Zhaozhao, ever so easygoing, climbed onto the bed first, patted the pillow next to her, and in a very grown-up tone said to him, "Yiyi, come quick, I'll tell you a story to put you to sleep."
Zhaozhao's stories were stammered, and midway through, she fell asleep herself.
She slept on her belly, limbs splayed out, even beginning to snore softly.
Sheng Chuyi frowned and, with a look of disgust, grabbed his little blanket and covered her before finally lying down beside her.
The next morning, Qin Suxin came to wake them up and saw the two little ones head-to-head, cuddled up together, sleeping soundly.
Zhaozhao's little hand was on Sheng Chuyi's face, Sheng Chuyi's little foot was placed on Zhaozhao's chubby belly.
It had been a long time since she had seen such a loving picture of the two children sleeping.
Qin Suxin couldn't resist picking up her phone and started snapping away with a "click, click—".
The noise of the camera woke Sheng Chuyi up, and the little guy, rubbing his eyes, sat up and said, "Mom, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, it's time to get up for kindergarten." Qin Suxin hastily put away her phone, deciding to show the pictures to the kids when they were older.
Qin Suxin was thinking ahead; she even imagined showing these photos at the kids' future wedding ceremony.
Sheng Chuyi, still unaware that he had been photographed, glanced at Zhaozhao, who was sleeping like a little piglet next to him and, with a disgusted face, nudged her awake, "Get up already, your drool has dirtied my pillow."
"Hmm?"
Zhaozhao, pushed awake, opened her eyes to see Sheng Chuyi in front of her and couldn't help but flash a big smile, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck and planting a loud kiss on his face with her sweet baby voice, "Yiyi, good morning!"
Sheng Chuyi kept a straight face, pushed her away, and complained, "Don't kiss me, you got your drool all over my face!"
Qin Suxin watched on the side, unable to suppress an aunt's smile.
Zhaozhao, unfazed by the rejection, cheerfully got up and ran towards Qin Suxin, embracing her neck and repeated the earlier action, "Aunt Suxin, good morning!"
"Little Zhao'er, good morning!" Qin Suxin hugged her as they climbed down from the bed and touched her head, "Go brush your teeth and wash your face with Yiyi, it's time for breakfast."
"Yiyi, let's go quickly!" Zhaozhao turned around and took the initiative to hold Sheng Chuyi's hand.
Though Sheng Chuyi verbally disapproved, he still proactively grabbed a small stool to reach for his new toothbrush in the cupboard, prepared the toothpaste, and handed it to Zhaozhao.
The two little ones stood side by side, in matching pajamas, each holding a matching toothbrush, and the image of them brushing their teeth together was especially adorable.
Qin Suxin's auntly heart overflowed as she secretly took out her phone again.