Fine. Ten years, then ten years. I’m only six. Even if I went out, what could I do under that vast sky?

“I understand. I’ll work hard to grow strong.”

Dreamsound cups my head in both hands, her gaze steady as a winter lake. “Shengsheng… if I could, I’d keep you by my side like a lamp in the night. But I also want you strong enough to protect yourself in this world.”

“Maybe a bit of training outside would be best… just not yet. For a few years, stay with Mom. Keep me company, okay?” Her voice has the softness of rain asking for spring.

I scoot closer, lean into her warmth like a cat finding the sun. “…Mm.”

“Dream… come here a sec. I’ve got something to do.”

“What is it?” She asks, but her feet are already following, light as swallows.

“I want to practice the makeup tricks you taught me last time…”

Dreamsound lets out a laugh like a bell. “So Little Shengsheng wants to use me as the guinea pig?”

“Can’t I?” I puff my cheeks and glare. You fed me bread for two years. I deserve a little revenge.

“Alright, alright. Make Mom pretty, okay?”

She can’t help herself; her fingers pinch my cheeks like kneading soft dough. Seriously—are my cheeks that pinchable?

I pinch them myself. The touch is silky-springy, full and soft, like fresh tofu under the spoon.

I try the other side too. Symmetry matters.

“…Dream… why are you touching me?”

“Shengsheng, stop pinching yourself. Weren’t you going to practice makeup? How did it turn into playtime?”

“I—I’m just getting into the right state! Who’s pinching themselves…”

“Okay~. Is Little Shengsheng ‘adjusted’ now?”

“I am, geez…” I give her a gentle shove to vent the grumble in my chest.

“Then begin~.”

“Mm…” Truth is, I know nothing about makeup. I only wanted an excuse to gross out the old lady. But facing this moon-bright face, my hands won’t go heavy.

I work step by cautious step, afraid to smudge a porcelain teacup, afraid to chip a perfect statue. Until—

“Shengsheng, looks like you still need work.”

“Naggy…”

“Hey, Mom taught you so earnestly, even practiced with you. Yet you can’t manage a basic light look… sigh~.”

“I…”

“No good, Little Shengsheng. You need lots more practice. Too rough. I did better when I was six.”

“…Well, aren’t you amazing.”

But you’re right. I should practice. Practice. Practice!

…

“Um… Shengsheng, cooled off yet?” Dreamsound eyes the mirror, where her face looks neither human nor ghost, like a midnight masquerade gone wrong.

“…Mad? Dream… what are you even saying? I never get mad. You said I’m a fool. A fool doing makeup like this is normal, isn’t it?” I tilt my little head, puzzled, like a sparrow hearing thunder.

Maybe Shengsheng doesn’t like this tone, she thinks, like tea too bitter on the tongue. I should change.

She turns and looks at me with a warmth that melts frost. Then that ghostly-painted face leans closer and closer—

biu~.

In the mirror, a bright red lip mark blossoms on my forehead like a cherry stamp on rice paper. My cheeks redden at a speed you can see, like dawn sliding over clouds.

“You—you—what are you doing?!”

“Feeling better?” Dreamsound smiles, eyes curved like new moons.

“I… you… ahhh—” No good. My head’s too hot. Need a reset…

With the last intact thread of thought, I swipe the lip print away. Then I faint.

Dreamsound smiles down at me, cradled in her arms. She wipes the heavy war paint off with soulwater, the sheen vanishing like mist. “Still as shy as ever. And that’s exactly the Shengsheng I love most.”

“Happy birthday, Sheng… sheng.”

…

Where is this?

I open my eyes and find I’m lying on a huge, soft jelly. Hills of jelly rise around me like sugar mountains, and I’m on the highest one—strawberry flavor.

Is this… heaven?

I bury my face, rub like a kitten, and breathe in strawberry fragrance mixed with jelly sweetness. I’ve always loved jelly. Back in the orphanage, my little sister and I had no pocket money. Only on the seventh of each month would the director aunt bring us some. I’d split mine with my sister, so jelly was rare. Later, when we finally had money, I could eat recklessly, then learn to make it with my own hands…

I love jelly because it’s so springy and alive. Once I dreamed of building a house made of one giant jelly, then rolling in it every day like a happy dumpling.

Ahh~ too good. Soft is king. If I could just lie here forever…

Something pokes my cheek, a little tap like a chopstick.

“…?” The softness wrapping me shrinks, gathering away like tide pulling back. No! Jelly, don’t go!

I grab the remaining jelly, cling like an octopus and refuse to let go. Slowly, the jelly trembles, then stops shrinking. Phew. Got it. You’re… my Qingsheng Tangxue. You can’t escape…

“…Shengsheng?”

“…Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?”

My little brain boots up, lightning-fast. I replay the dream. My current pose might be… delicate. But I refuse to answer Dreamsound.

If I don’t stop, she’s the one who’ll be embarrassed!

I squeeze a bit tighter. A soft, little coo slips from my lips, like a dove in a warm cage.

“Ah…” Dreamsound smiles wryly and strokes my hair like smoothing silk. “You can nap a bit longer. But later you’ll get up, okay? Didn’t Little Shengsheng promise to practice?”

Right. If I keep slacking, when will I meet her expectations? But I really don’t want to rise… This pillow is so soft. I don’t want to let go…

No. No. No! Since when did I get lazy? I used to grind outside every day to survive—money and all. How can a soft pillow steal my will?

But it’s just too big…

“Let me hug it a bit more… I’ll get up… right away… to sleep.”

And the little princess sleeps till noon.

“Ahhh—why didn’t you wake me? It’s noon, it’s noon! I’ve never slept this late—ugh, I can’t go on. I’ll turn into a useless person, ugh…”

“I did call you. But you looked so sleepy, I wanted to let you relax for a little while, haha…” No way am I admitting the pillow was so comfy I dozed off too.

“Ugh… stop talking…”

“It’s okay, Little Shengsheng! We’ll make up the lost practice time with triple reps. You’ve got this!”

“…Thank you so very much for this brilliant suggestion, Mother dear!”