A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 23

Hearing Auntie Lin’s words, Xiang Qingnuan froze at the top of the stairs, the smile vanishing from her face.

The big sister’s mommy and daddy are both dead? Images of a hall draped in black gauze flashed through her mind—a black wooden box sitting in the center, and inside it, the grandmother who used to love her most.

Qingnuan blinked, feeling lost.

Were the big sister’s mommy and daddy also sleeping in black boxes? A wave of sadness washed over her.

She remembered the second photo she saw of the big sister on Weibo. She was looking down, so sad and unhappy… was it because her parents were also sleeping in black boxes and would never talk to her again?

“Auntie Lin, stop talking nonsense,” Zhu Lin’s voice drifted up. “Miss Xuening’s father did pass away, but her mother is still here. She’s just in a coma, resting in the best hospital in the capital.”

“That’s just a nice way of putting it. Isn’t she a vegetable? Who knows if she’ll ever wake up?” Auntie Lin muttered.

“You shouldn’t say that. As long as she’s alive, the child has something to hold onto,” Zhu Lin said, finding her words quite harsh.

“I suppose so. That little lady really is pitiful,” Auntie Lin sighed while mopping. “But then again, if one parent weren’t dead and the other in a coma, she wouldn’t have been brought to Mr. Xiang’s house, would she? Does this count as an adoption?”

“No, her aunt is still around. She’s just staying here.” Zhu Lin frowned, deciding to give her a warning.

“Auntie Lin, don’t say I didn’t warn you: you signed a non-disclosure agreement before you started. Don’t ever say those things again. It’s one thing to say it in front of me, but if the Master, the Madam, or the two young misses hear you, you won’t be working here anymore!”

Xiang Nan had asked Zhu Lin to supervise, and she hadn’t forgotten; she now carried the air of a proper housekeeper.

Auntie Lin’s expression shifted. She quickly stopped her work and apologized with a forced smile, promising to be careful. This job paid more than double her previous one, and she cherished it deeply, so she promptly shut her mouth.

Zhu Lin nodded and let her continue working.

Meanwhile, Xiang Qingnuan didn’t listen any further. She no longer wanted water. She turned around and slowly climbed back up to her room.

In the fish tank, the little goldfish was drifting lazily among the plants. The moment it spotted Qingnuan, it perked up. It stared with its large, round eyes, swimming in circles and even leaping out of the water in a graceful arc, creating a small splash to show its joy.

But her little owner didn’t give her a radiant smile like usual. She kept her head down until she heard the splash; she looked up, saw the fish, and silently walked over to pour a little food.

Then, the girl slumped over the small table, her short legs dangling dejectedly.

The fish food floated on the surface, smelling tempting, but the goldfish had no appetite. It swam toward the girl and beckoned to her with its tiny fin. It gazed at her sadly, as if asking: Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you unhappy?

In the room next door, Qin Xuening opened her eyes to the stinging morning sun. She raised a hand to block the light, squinted, and rolled over. Her hand dropped onto the mattress, and she realized the spot beside her was empty—the little “tot” from last night was gone.

She brushed back her messy hair and looked blearily at the wall clock—it was nearly eight o’clock. Startled, she shook off the sleepiness and sat up.

A good start to the day begins in the morning; she couldn’t waste time. Though, truth be told, she hadn’t slept this comfortably in a long time.

Xuening stretched, loosening her muscles, before laboriously moving her cast-covered legs into the wheelchair by the bed. She didn’t call for help; in her past life, she had grown used to doing things alone. Unless absolutely necessary, she refused to beg for pity.

By the time she successfully settled into the chair, beads of sweat had broken out on her forehead. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then rolled her wheelchair out of the bedroom.

As she passed Xiang Qingnuan’s room, she stopped. The door was open a crack. Her hearing was sharp, so even though the girl was speaking very softly, she could hear every word.

“Fishy… the big sister’s mommy and daddy died…”

Inside the room, Qingnuan stared at the goldfish, her lip trembling as large tears rolled from her eyes.

“The aunties said that if the big sister’s mommy and daddy hadn’t died, she wouldn’t have come to our house…” She covered her eyes, crying with a sense of self-reproach and guilt, as if she had done something wrong.

“Waaaah… Fishy, do you think… do you think it’s because I said I wanted a brother that… that the big sister’s mommy and daddy died?”

In the hallway, Xuening’s grip on her wheelchair tightened as she listened to the girl’s tearful monologue.

“Waaaaah—” The girl’s back was to the door, her small shoulders heaving as she sobbed.

Xuening sighed and gently pushed the door open. As she rolled inside, she accidentally bumped the frame, making a noise. Qingnuan turned around instinctively and froze when she saw Xuening.

Did the big sister hear what I just said? Will… will she hate me now? At the thought, Qingnuan’s lip wobbled again, and more tears emerged.

Xuening rolled her wheelchair slowly to her side. Qingnuan rubbed her eyes desperately, trying to wipe the tears away, but they just kept falling like broken strings of pearls.

“Sister Xuening…” Qingnuan called out, her face scrunched up from crying.

“Stop crying.”

The unfamiliar voice rang through the room, making Qingnuan freeze. She stared blankly at her big sister; she was still hiccuping from the force of her sobs, but at least the crying had stopped.

“It’s ugly,” Xuening said, looking at her red nose and watery eyes, telling a white lie.

“I’m sorry…” the girl choked out.

Xuening looked at her. Sitting on the stool, the girl was a bit taller than her. Xuening reached out, her cool fingertips brushing against the girl’s cheek to wipe away the tears.

“It has nothing to do with you. No need to apologize,” Xuening said softly.

How could her parents have had an accident just because of one sentence from this girl? In fact, if her wish was truly what caused the changes in this life, Xuening should be thanking her instead.

Qingnuan was still dazed. This was the first time the big sister had ever spoken to her. Her voice was beautiful and very special—even a bit familiar—but she couldn’t remember where she had heard it.

She stared blankly at Xuening. They were so close she could feel her breath. The big sister was wiping her tears, carefully and lightly; that gentle look was exactly how she had imagined an older sister would be.

Seeing her dazed expression, Xuening couldn’t help but reach out and rub her small head.

Feeling the touch on her crown, Qingnuan felt a surge of joy. Does the big sister really not blame me? She broke into a smile through her tears, revealing two cute dimples.

Seeing her stop crying, Xuening withdrew her hand.

“My mommy is fine. She’s just sick and staying in the hospital,” she said, using language a child could understand. “Don’t worry about it.”

Qingnuan nodded innocently. Feeling she had explained enough, Xuening turned her wheelchair to leave. Seeing this, Qingnuan quickly wiped her face, scrambled off the stool, and pitter-pattered after her. “Sister Xuening, wait for me!”

In the tank, the goldfish pouted at being ignored. It turned away huffily and dove into the plants, leaving only a golden tail sticking out…

The next few days passed without incident. During the day, Xuening practiced the piano while Qingnuan prepared snacks and tea, playing nearby to keep her company. At night, Qingnuan would grab her pillow and sneak into the room next door; after the first time, even if Xuening wanted to refuse, she couldn’t stop her.

In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday. At dusk, two black vans drove quietly into the Xiang family villa.

The people inside were, of course, the Xiang couple—Xiang Nan and Ye Feifei. They had agreed that no matter how busy they were, they would make time to come home together at least one night a week to be with the children.

They intended to surprise their daughter, but before they even entered the house, they saw the girl on the second-floor balcony, waving at them over the railing. “Daddy! Mommy!”

After shouting, she ran inside and burst out of the front door a moment later. Xiang Nan and Ye Feifei smiled helplessly and hurried to meet her, scooping up their little princess. The three of them began to play and laugh in the yard.

Meanwhile, across the street, two men were standing at a doorway saying their goodbyes.

“Mr. Qi, thank you so much for your cooperation!” one man said. “Please rest assured, this is a very positive program. Under the premise of safety, your son will certainly get some training, and you’ll have time to spend together. I believe this will be an unforgettable experience for both of you!”