Just as Leon was racking his brains, a somewhat annoyed shout came from the direction of the Happiness Apartment lobby.
Quickly sprinting out from the main entrance, and grabbing the troublemaking little sister Melanie by the back of her collar just before she could escape, Anna put her hand on her hip and tugged on her ear angrily, saying,
"Don't talk nonsense! Miss Amy just moved next door and came by to visit the neighbors, how did she become your sister-in-law?"
Hearing Anna's scolding, Leon thought for a moment and remembered. So it was the eldest daughter from Charl Department Store. Back when he didn't know she was the owner's daughter, he'd recommended she move to Happiness Apartment.
But later on, she was kidnapped by the Marston family and the moving arrangement fell through. After he rescued her from Rose Manor, he thought she might not consider moving again, yet there she was after all.
Scorned by the stern looks of the grumpy old man, Leon, stricken with "benevolent brother syndrome," couldn't help but plead for the little Melanie, who was yelping from having her ear tugged,
"She's still young, she probably doesn't understand the meaning of those words. Just a gentle lesson to let her know she can't speak carelessly is enough. There's no need to go overboard... oh, look, her ear is already red."
"Yes, Sister Anna, let go. Melanie doesn't understand anything."
Seeing Leon speak up, William also nodded his little head in earnest and chimed in,
"She just told me that after Big Brother and Sister Amy get married, she'll take me along to rummage through the nearby garbage bins to see if they can find their niece or nephew first. She doesn't even know where babies come from. It was probably just a random thing she said."
Compared to Leon's fruitless persuasion, William's assistance was quite effective. Anna's already not-so-intense anger was instantly quenched, and she unconsciously released Melanie's ear.
"This time let's just forget it."
After rubbing Melanie's slightly reddened ear and watching her little sister hang her head dispiritedly, Anna squatted down, softly patting her back as she kindly explained,
"It's not that your sister wants to control everything about you, but your Sister Amy isn't even married yet. If these words are heard by some people who like to gossip, it might cause trouble for her, so you can't speak carelessly, understand?"
Melanie complied reluctantly, saying,
"But Sister Amy really fits well, why can't she marry in?"
Hearing Melanie's question, Anna couldn't help but glance at Leon, then began to coax,
"Whether she marries in is Miss Amy's business. These kinds of things still depend on your Sister Amy's thoughts..."
"Then I'll go ask her now! See if she's willing to marry in!"
"Oh, you stop right there!"
Once more grabbing Melanie by the back of her collar, stopping her from eagerly "proposing," Anna—faintly sensing something off—couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows and question,
"What's wrong with you today? Why are you so dead set on having Miss Amy as your sister-in-law?"
"Probably because Sister Amy is very generous."
Acting like a little adult, William put his hands behind his back and, taking advantage of his understanding of his twin sister's thought process, seriously deduced,
"The chubby-breasted sister who left our home this morning, while also very pretty, only bought each of us one piece of candy as a gift, whereas Sister Amy gave Melanie a new dress on her first visit. I guess she thinks since Big Brother has to marry someone anyway, instead of marrying that chubby-breasted sister, why not marry the more generous Sister Amy? That way she could get more gifts too."
"I! I'm not thinking like that at all!"
Hearing Sister Anna's breathing grow heavy, Melanie—realizing she was in big trouble—quickly struggled to defend herself,
"He's talking nonsense! I just have a better relationship with Sister Amy! It has nothing to do with the gifts!"
As Leon and Anna cast inquisitive looks towards him, William, feeling no psychological burden, sold out his sister and directly confessed,
"Just now while we were digging for worms, she told me that Big Brother seemed to prefer looking at those chubby-breasted sisters. Worried that Sister Amy couldn't compete, she forced me to sneak a bowl of the papaya soup Anna drinks over every day to see if it could make her a little chubbier too."
Hearing this, Leon and Anna both tensed slightly, feeling embarrassed but also exchanging a quick glance.
*You actually drink papaya soup every day?*
*No wonder you chose Miss Veronica!*
After exchanging a surprised yet awkward look, the two adults didn't say anything, instead simultaneously turning their gaze towards Melanie.
"You! You're talking nonsense!"
Sensing an impending crisis in her brother and Sister Anna's silence, Melanie couldn't help but struggle in a desperate effort to save herself,
"I never said those things!"
William seriously stated,
"And you even promised me that if the papaya soup I stole for Sister Amy successfully made her our sister-in-law, I could borrow your favorite doll to play with for two days."
At this point, William paused slightly, then disdainfully evaluated,
"How childish, I'm way past the age of liking dolls. How could I be moved by such a condition? If you'd offered the tin frog instead, maybe I would have kept it a secret for you."
"Then why didn't you tell me!"
Knowing there was no escape, Melanie gave up defending herself, glaring at him angrily,
"If you wanted to play with the tin frog, I could have borrowed it for you, why betray me?"
"Borrowing isn't as good as owning."
William seriously retorted,
"Helping you steal Anna's papaya soup would definitely lead to a beating, and even if it worked out, I'd only get to play with the tin frog for a few days. But if I turned you in, Sister Anna not only wouldn't beat me, she might even buy me a frog outright. What would you choose?"
"Don't worry, this beating won't be in vain. When my tin frog arrives, you can borrow it for two days too."
After knocking on the neighbor's door, the doll-faced girl—who lost to a tin frog—flashed a brilliant smile at Leon while holding a large bag filled with things.
"Mr. Lyon, I've moved here to be your neighbor!"
Although feeling a bit curious about her plans, Leon, being polite, didn't ask her why she moved to Happiness Apartment, instead inviting her inside first, and then glancing at the bag she was holding.
"Just some small gifts!"
The doll-faced girl batted her big, sparkling eyes and laid out the contents of the bag with a cheerful smile,
"Don't worry, they're just ordinary things. The most expensive one's this coat suitable for winter… Mr. Lyon! When you rescued me last time, the coat was scratched by Rose Manor's roses, it's only fair I get you a new one, right? As for the rest, this is a perfume for Sister Anna—it's a scent I made myself, so apart from the materials, it didn't cost much—and a few small toys for William and Melanie... Oh, where are they? I just heard their footsteps heading upstairs!"
Upon hearing Amy's question, Leon's expression froze slightly, glancing at the closed inner room. He then steeled himself to explain,
"Uh... they might be catching up on homework inside? Schools nowadays assign quite a bit of... um..."
A rather familiar voice cried out, interrupting Leon's fibbing.
"Sister Amy's chest isn't small at all! Not small at all! She really doesn't need to drink papaya soup! Sister Anna, you don't need to drink it either! Oh, stop hitting me! Boohoohoo, I really know I was wrong!"