Tang Huiyi personally laid out the sofa bed in the living room for Tang Yan, while Ji Yuqing had already gone to the guest room, which had been tidied up in advance.
For the moment, the living room was quiet, and Tang Yan was the only one there. She opened her suitcase, took out her pajamas, and decided to take a shower first.
Just then, little Wang Yixuan suddenly dashed out of his room, holding a plush Ultraman doll in his arms. Tang Yan blinked, surprised.
“This is for you.”
“Why are you giving it to me?”
With a serious look, he said, “He’ll protect you, so you won’t be scared of big monsters at night.”
Tang Yan burst into laughter, charmed by his childlike sincerity. “But if you give him to me, what will you do?”
Wang Yixuan raised both arms, imitating the grown-ups he saw on TV, and declared with fierce determination, “I’m a big boy now. I can protect myself! Mommy said, when I grow up, I have to protect my sister!”
Tang Yan suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She knew those words came from their mother. Her heart was full—moved, and comforted. She gently pulled the little boy closer. “But you haven’t even called me ‘sister’ today.”
“I…” Wang Yixuan lowered his head, clearly shy and unsure.
“It’s okay, you feel a little awkward, right? No big deal. We still have a lot of days ahead. I’m sure I’ll get to hear you call me ‘sister,’ right?”
He kept his head down. His lips moved, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
“Alright, go back to your room now and rest. Big sis needs to sleep too.”
Wang Yixuan nodded quickly and ran off. When Tang Yan looked up again, he was already gone.
She picked up her pajamas and headed to the bathroom. After her shower, she climbed into bed. Feeling a bit bored, she turned on the TV in the living room at low volume—just enough for her to hear, without disturbing the others.
The sofa wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, and it did make her feel like more of a guest. But she had no complaints. She willingly gave the bed to Aunt Ji. If anyone was going to suffer a bit, she’d rather it be herself. That was the promise she’d made—to care for and protect her.
“You’re watching TV?” Tang Huiyi appeared out of nowhere, surprising her.
Tang Yan glanced at her and replied calmly, “Yeah, nothing else to do.”
Tang Huiyi sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sorry, sweetheart. You come all the way home, and we still make you sleep on the couch. Your uncle’s been talking about buying a bigger place—so next time you’ll have your own room. Honestly, we didn’t know your Aunt Ji would be joining.”
Tang Yan quickly shook her head. “I wanted Aunt Ji to have the guest room. She treats me so well—there’s no way I’d let her sleep on the couch. And… there’s really no need to move just for me.”
“Silly girl. Your uncle means well. He wants you to feel like you really belong in this home. I know we owe you a lot. But you’ve got to give us a chance to make it up to you.”
Tang Yan smiled and shook her head again. “You don’t need to make up for anything. I’m grown now. I understand things better. It wasn’t easy for you back then—I get it, and I don’t blame you.”
Tang Huiyi’s eyes turned red. She reached out and gently stroked her daughter’s hair. “My little girl’s all grown up and so understanding.”
Tang Yan grinned. “You’ve done a great job raising my brother.”
“Really?” Her mother laughed.
“Kids who grow up with their parents around are usually healthier emotionally than left-behind children.”
“That boy—before you came back, he’d talk about you every day. ‘When’s big sis coming home?’ ‘When can we go see big sis?’ But now that you’re here, he can’t even say it out loud. I’ll need to have a word with him.”
“Don’t,” Tang Yan said quickly. “He’s just a kid. I don’t want to be the reason he feels upset. I know he’ll call me ‘sister’ before I leave. I’m confident in that.”
“Alright, alright, we’ll do it your way.” Tang Huiyi patted her hand. “Is the blanket warm enough?”
“It’s perfect,” Tang Yan said with a smile. “It’s warmer here than in Huadu.”
“Okay then, I won’t keep you. You’ve had a long day. Tomorrow, I’ll make a feast for you.”
Tang Yan nodded obediently.
Once her mom went back to her room, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Aunt Ji in the guest room.
Tang Yan: Are you asleep? (chin-scratch.jpg)
Ji Yuqing: Nope, just got out of the shower.
Tang Yan: I really wanna sleep with you tonight. (frustrated.jpg)
Ji Yuqing: Resist!
Tang Yan: Okay, I’ll try. My mom came to talk to me earlier, but she didn’t bring up anything about my relationship.
Ji Yuqing: From what I know about your mom—and people her age—she’s definitely not going to let that go easily. Don’t get too relaxed yet.
Tang Yan: I know. I’ll stay alert. I just want a few more peaceful days with you. If she finds out, all hell’s gonna break loose.
Ji Yuqing: Haha. You sound terrified.
After replying, Ji Yuqing’s smile slowly faded. She didn’t dare think too far ahead. She just wanted to treasure the happiness they had now. Whether they could really be together in the end or not… at least the journey mattered. She didn’t want to hurt Yan Yan—or cause pain to Tang Huiyi again.
Tang Yan: That’s because I love you too much. No one can separate us.
Ji Yuqing: Alright, alright. Go to sleep, okay? I’m tired.
Tang Yan: Aye aye, ma’am.
Ji Yuqing: (kiss-kiss.jpg)
Tang Yan: (truly-love-you.jpg)
That was the last message. After she sent the sticker, the chat went quiet. Tang Yan sighed, set down her phone, and turned off the TV.
Maybe it was the unfamiliar bed, or the new environment, but she didn’t sleep well. She was up by 6 a.m., already washed and tidied up when her mom stepped out of her room, still half-asleep.
“You’re up early. Why not sleep in a bit?” her mom asked, surprised.
Tang Yan gave a sheepish smile as she fluffed the sofa pillows. “I couldn’t sleep, so I got up.”
“Are you hungry? Want me to go get some breakfast? We don’t really cook in the mornings.”
“No, no—let me go.” Tang Yan instinctively glanced toward the guest room. “I think Aunt Ji’s awake. I’ll ask her to come with me.”
Her mom quickly stopped her. “She’s a guest. We can’t ask her to go buy breakfast.”
“Right… then I’ll go alone. Just tell me what you usually eat.”
After getting instructions, Tang Yan went downstairs alone with her phone.
It was around 6:30 a.m. Not many people were out yet, but the breakfast shops near the entrance were already open. To her surprise, there was quite a line. Since the rest of the family was still asleep, she didn’t mind waiting.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Tang Huiyi was cleaning the living room and tending to the plants on the balcony. Ji Yuqing emerged from the guest room just then.
“You’re up,” Tang Huiyi said with a smile.
Ji Yuqing returned the smile. “Yeah.”
“Bathroom’s over there,” her host pointed out.
“I know—I showered there last night,” Ji Yuqing said as she headed over.
She noticed Tang Yan had already laid out her toiletries.
Back in the living room, Tang Huiyi lingered. She seemed to be waiting.
Just as Ji Yuqing stepped back out, she started, “About Yan Yan—”
“She went to buy breakfast already,” Tang Huiyi cut in with a smile. “She wanted to take you with her, but I told her guests don’t do that sort of thing. So she went alone.”
Ji Yuqing smiled, unsure what to say next. That’s when Tang Huiyi waved her over.
“Come here a sec.”
“What’s up?” Ji Yuqing asked, confused.
Tang Huiyi led her out onto the balcony. With Tang Yan gone, she finally asked the question that had been weighing on her.
“Is it true Yan Yan’s seeing someone?”
“Y-yes,” Ji Yuqing answered with a nervous smile, trying to stay calm.
“What kind of person? Are they decent?” she asked quickly.
“Well… I haven’t met them, actually,” Ji Yuqing said, a bit embarrassed.
“She didn’t introduce them to you?” Tang Huiyi looked disappointed. “She’s grown up now, keeps her own secrets. I don’t want to push her too hard, so I figured I’d take this chance to ask you.”
“I understand.” Ji Yuqing nodded sincerely—but a pang of guilt hit her for lying.
Tang Huiyi sighed. “I live so far from her, I can’t always offer advice or guidance. If you ever do meet the guy, please let me know. I just want to make sure she’s with someone good. Her life hasn’t been easy—I want the rest of it to be better.”
“I will,” Ji Yuqing said quietly, lost in thought.