“Big Sister said she’d read me a storybook!”
Zhao Anqing had no idea about Xu Yuting’s quiet hostility toward the convenience store’s big sister. He recounted everything truthfully.
“Hehe, that’s right—I’m reading a story for Anqing. Little one, want to listen too?”
Though Wang Wanying sensed the girl’s coldness, she kept smiling warmly, gentle and kind.
“Anqing, let’s go play outside.”
Xu Yuting refused to let her best friend stay with this “ill-intentioned” older girl. She urged him to leave.
“B-but… I want to hear the storybook.”
The boy, perhaps because the short-haired girl had taught *him* to write, now felt curious about words—and especially storybooks woven from them.
“Hehe, little girl, you can play outside alone. Anqing stays to listen. Isn’t that a win-win?”
Ignored but mature for her age, Wang Wanying stayed patient, especially around little ones.
“Then… I’ll listen with you.”
The girl had no choice but to agree, though she shot the older girl a quick, hidden glare.
Children are like that—possessive of what they cherish.
“Anqing! Yuting! What’re you doing? Buying snacks? Save some for me?”
Xie Jinxia, bored on a tiny stool nearby, swung her feet. Spotting the crowd at the counter, she hopped down and pitter-pattered over.
“Listening to Big Sister tell a story.”
The boy whispered softly, bright eyes fixed on the girl reading aloud.
“A story? So boring! Let’s play seesaw!”
Xie Jinxia, zero interest in tales, grabbed the boy’s hand with her small, pale palm—*him*, not her—and tugged toward the seesaw she’d been longing for.
……
Xu Yuting watched, annoyed the round-faced girl held his hand… but if this got them out of the store? She stayed silent.
“Wait… I want to hear the story.”
Anqing, deeply absorbed, wasn’t angry at the interruption—just slightly troubled.
“Little one, Anqing wants to listen. You can play with other kids.”
To Wang Wanying, only Anqing mattered. Seeing another try to steal her listener, she paused reading and spoke gently.
“No! I’m playing seesaw with Anqing!”
Stubborn by nature, Xie Jinxia never gave up once she set her mind. Right now? Launch Anqing high on the seesaw and make him cheer.
“Anqing enjoys my stories. Doing this will upset him.”
The girl patiently reasoned with the round-faced child.
“Upset… Then… when does the story end? I wanna play seesaw with Anqing!”
Xie Jinxia tapped a finger to her lips, head tilted in pretend thought, then chirped brightly.
She *was* considering his feelings—waiting till the story ended for that longed-for seesaw fun.
“‘Snow Prince’ is halfway done. Almost finished.”
Wang Wanying glanced at the boy’s eager face and felt her heart melt.
“Big Sister… I have a question.”
Hearing a story for the first time, the boy felt wonder bloom—as if a door to a new world had swung open.
“Mm? What is it?”
She gazed at him gently, waiting.
“Why… would Snow Prince’s father try to kill him? They’re family… shouldn’t they love each other?”
Zhao Anqing listened closely, remembering every detail.
In the tale, Snow Prince’s own father hired someone to kill him—a thought the boy couldn’t grasp.
“Well… he’s a stepfather, not blood-related. And he was jealous—of Snow Prince’s beauty. So he wanted him gone.”
Hearing such innocent confusion, Wang Wanying wondered if she’d picked the wrong story… but answered faithfully.
“Oh…”
The boy didn’t fully understand, but nodded thoughtfully anyway.
“Do… talking mirrors really exist? Ones that name the handsomest man in the world?”
Curious as a little sponge, he had a basketful of questions.
“Hehe, it’s just a story—we made it up. Not real.”
She chuckled softly while explaining.
“Mm-mm! I get it! Big Sister, keep going! Did the hunter really kill Snow Prince?”
No more questions now—just eager anticipation.
He felt so sorry for Snow Prince, hurt by his stepfather. So pitiful.
“Okay, I’ll continue.”
Her voice, clear and warm, carried the rest of Snow Prince’s tale with feeling.
…
Time flew for the boy. The story was wonderful.
Yuting stood quietly bored—but seeing his hopeful face, she endured.
The round-faced girl had long fled back to her stool, yet watched Anqing intently, waiting to drag him to the seesaw.
“What’re they doing?”
The short-haired girl hadn’t moved from her seat. Too far to see the counter, she finally asked.
“Anqing’s listening to that sister’s story. Ugh… so boring.”
Xie Jinxia fiddled with her fingers, face dull with boredom.
“Listening to a story?”
The short-haired girl’s hands stilled on the Rubik’s Cube.
She loved books—storybooks included.
Maybe next time… she could read one for Anqing.
But reading aloud wasn’t her strength.
She’d practice at home. Read smoothly. Make him smile.
Without realizing it, she’d already begun seeing the boy as a dear friend—wanting, instinctively, to please him.
“Ziqing, how do you even play this? Twisting it’s boring.”
Boredom drove the round-faced girl to eye the cube. She’d seen friends toy with it—looked easy.
“It’s a Rubik’s Cube. You’re not clever enough for it.”
Still lost in storybook thoughts, the short-haired girl replied flatly.
“I’m *not* dumb! I wanna play too!”
Xie Jinxia pouted, lips parting to show two tiny, sharp little canines.
