Near the children’s park stood a small shop stocked with all kinds of snacks. Xu Yuting and her friends often came here to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Three girls, accompanied by a timid little boy, stepped inside.

“Pick any ice cream bar flavor you like—just one each!” Xie Jinxia declared, pulling out her pocket money with generous flair.

“Hehe, little friends, welcome! What would you like?”

The shop owner was away; her daughter—a high school girl with straight bangs and long, sleek black hair—was minding the store today, greeting the kids with a warm smile.

“Sister, I want strawberry!” Xie Jinxia chirped first. Too short to reach the freezer, the children relied on her.

“Right away!” Wang Wanying smiled, handing the round-faced girl a strawberry ice cream bar. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“I’ll have chocolate,” Chen Ziqing said without hesitation.

“Got it.” Wang Wanying passed it over, then turned to the last two.

A girl in a tiny black dress—adorable and sweet—held a boy’s hand, whispering to him.

“An Qing, don’t refuse kindness… What flavor? Strawberry, chocolate, milk…” Xu Yuting murmured gently.

“Decided yet, little friends?” Wang Wanying asked softly, keeping her customer smile.

“An Qing… don’t be scared. Just say it,” Xu Yuting encouraged.

The boy didn’t want to accept—he knew he couldn’t repay her—but after a thoughtful pause, he whispered, “Sister… the cheapest one… please.”

“What? You’re my friend too! I’d never treat you unfairly. Pick anything!” Xie Jinxia frowned, licking her ice cream bar. She’d been hesitant at first, but once she called someone friend, she meant it—no exceptions.

“I… I…” Zhao Anqing bowed his head, cheeks flushed with shame.

“I’ll have the same as An Qing—two milk ice pops!” Xu Yuting stepped in smoothly. As a regular, she knew the cheapest option.

“Those taste bland. Pick something else,” Xie Jinxia grumbled, confused why her kindness felt rejected.

Chen Ziqing, busy licking her treat, gently kicked the round-faced girl’s foot—a silent *stop talking*.

“Hey! Why’d you kick me?” Xie Jinxia muttered, baffled.

“Jin Xia, An Qing and I eat what we like. We can pay ourselves if needed,” Xu Yuting said flatly, annoyed by the unsolicited advice.

“You… Are you guys idiots…?” Xie Jinxia’s face turned crimson—her goodwill twisted into something ugly.

“Sister, just two milk ice pops,” the girl said firmly to Wang Wanying.

“Mm-hmm…” Startled from observing the boy, Wang Wanying quickly handed them over. “Hehe, this little boy’s your new friend? Haven’t seen him with you before.”

“Yes! He’s Zhao Anqing—my best friend!” Xu Yuting beamed proudly.

“Mm.” Zhao Anqing looked down shyly, a faint smile on his lips.

“Fickle… She used to say Ziqing and I were her best friends,” Xie Jinxia muttered sourly under her breath.

“That’s called favoring a pretty face over friendship,” Chen Ziqing whispered back. Young as she was, her vocabulary—and understanding—ran deep.

“An Qing, try it! Milky, sweet, soft, cold… actually pretty tasty,” Xu Yuting said, swiftly unwrapping the ice pop and guiding it toward his mouth. She was endlessly thoughtful with him.

“I can do it…” he mumbled, fumbling clumsily with the wrapper—his first time.

“Let me.” Seizing the moment he opened his mouth, she popped it gently into his cherry-red lips.

“Mmm… thank you,” he accepted quietly, fingers closing around the stick.

“Good?” Xu Yuting, long bored of these treats, cared only for his reaction.

“Milk ice pops are cheap… can’t beat my strawberry bar,” Xie Jinxia grumbled, no relief at saving money.

Zhao Anqing glanced between the round-faced girl and Yuting. “It’s… quite nice. I personally like it,” he offered carefully, sparing everyone’s feelings.

“How unsophisticated…” Xie Jinxia couldn’t grasp how anyone would enjoy such a cheap treat.

What she didn’t know: the boy rarely tasted ice pops all year—let alone ice cream bars.

“Dear kids, thank you for visiting often! One lollipop each, on the house~” Wang Wanying smiled, handing them out.

“An Qing, yours…” She beamed at the tiny, strikingly cute boy, tenderness swelling in her chest—that’s why she’d added the candy herself.

“Thank you, Sister…” Zhao Anqing accepted it, shy but delighted.

“Hehe, how old are you? What grade?” Wang Wanying asked warmly, lingering a little longer.

“An Qing’s six. He hasn’t started school,” Xu Yuting answered brightly, stepping protectively between them. She sensed something off about the older girl.

“Oh! Here’s yours.” Wang Wanying offered an awkward smile and passed the lollipop to Xu Yuting.