Nana came running toward Lan Jin, trying his best to make as little noise as possible. Lan Jin couldn't help laughing and shaking her head. "Honestly. Alright, I'll keep it down."
When she returned to the master bedroom, she saw the tiny bean fast asleep, breathing softly. Guilt tugged at her heart. Qiao Qiao was already over three years old, a crucial age for teaching and companionship, yet Lan Jin had done neither well. "Sigh… another day gone and I didn't spend time with you. Every day I just let you grow wild like this. I don't even know if you'll end up crooked. But for me… as long as you grow up healthy, that's enough. And Mama believes a child from our family won't have a bad nature."
Even before, when the little bean loved to "take apart" people, she only did it to those who meant harm. Toward Huang Jinghe, Lao Gao, Ling Jiang, or Grandma Ling, she never had that urge. Lan Jin understood—this was just Qiao Qiao's way of protecting them. Most of the time, she might not even follow through.
It wasn't that Lan Jin refused to correct her. It was simply that Qiao Qiao was still young, and as her memories faded, she had long stopped wanting to "take apart" anyone.
Sometimes, not bringing something up was the best way for a child to forget it.
…
Lan Jin still felt her best decision had been buying a dog for Qiao Qiao. Their Nana was both sensible and healing. "Nana, it's a good thing you keep Qiao Qiao company. If she were alone, I'd never be at ease."
Hearing his owner speak so sentimentally, and recalling the noises it had overheard in the space earlier, Nana instinctively felt something had happened outside today. It padded over to Lan Jin and licked her palm in comfort.
Lan Jin smiled faintly. "Nana, it's a bit unsafe outside these days. I don't want Qiao Qiao out there. Stay in the space with her and keep her company, alright?"
Nana nodded but then tugged at Lan Jin's pant leg with its teeth, as if saying it wanted to go out and help. But if it left, what about Qiao Qiao? "I always need you to watch the child. As for the rest… there's nothing you can really solve."
With a soft, reluctant whine, Nana gave in.
…
Lan Jin's stomach was growling after a long day of work. With so much ready-made food in the space, she wasn't about to deprive herself tonight.
She headed to the storage area, grabbed a generous portion of her favorite skewers from the cooked foods section, then picked up a steaming bowl of snail rice noodles, and finally a small drink before heading to the thatched floor to eat.
The rich scent of grilled skewers, the pungent odor of the noodles—none of it lingered in the air.
The space's purification function stripped all smells away, no matter how strong they might be outside.
Still, the flavors were the same once they touched her tongue. The food was kept at just the right temperature, ready to eat without waiting.
With the little drink in hand, she dug in, wolfing down her meal.
Nana sat nearby, drooling, and got its supper early that night.
But just as Lan Jin set down Nana's dog food, Qiao Qiao woke up.
She climbed out of bed, spotted her mother eating so happily in the living room, and bounded over. "Mama, you sneaky eat!"
Lan Jin quickly defended herself. "Mama's having dinner. How's that sneaky?"
"Because you eat good stuff. No bring me."
Before Lan Jin could reply, another round of howls sounded from outside the space.
Qiao Qiao's shoulders hunched. "Mama… who yell?"
Though she'd spent the day inside the space, she hadn't missed any of the outside noises. They had frightened her enough in daylight—at night it was even worse. "Mama, before they yell too. Who? Scary."
Lan Jin set her chopsticks down and pulled Qiao Qiao onto the empty chair beside her. "Something outside suddenly mutated. People turned into things like Nana—howling and very aggressive. It's too dangerous out there. That's why Mama needs you to stay inside these days."
Qiao Qiao immediately pouted. Without asking for permission, she grabbed a sausage skewer and bit into it. Then she clung to her mother's arm. "No. Want out. Inside stuffy. Qiao Qiao very strong."
But as soon as she said it, her face changed. She stuck out her tongue, fanning her mouth with her little hands. "Hot! Mama! Hot!"
Of course it was spicy. Lan Jin hadn't expected Qiao Qiao to wake up, so she'd only taken spicy skewers. She herself wasn't good with spice either, but she'd asked the vendor to add only a little. Not wanting a tantrum over being denied, she hadn't stopped Qiao Qiao from tasting.
Sure enough, after a few bites, Qiao Qiao was calling for water.
Lan Jin handed her the drink. "Here, take a sip. It'll feel better."
Qiao Qiao took a big gulp, and the burning eased.
Seeing her daughter recover, Lan Jin went back to her food. "If it's too spicy, don't eat it. This bread's roasted too, but no chili. Want bread instead?"
Qiao Qiao accepted the roasted bread and nibbled slowly. It was tasty, but compared to the other skewers, something felt… off, though she couldn't say what.
She didn't forget her earlier thought, though. "Mama, bored. Go out. If danger, come back."
"But if it's dangerous, how can I bring you back? Others might see." Lan Jin paused, thinking. "How about this: tomorrow I'll go out first and see what it's like. If it's not too dangerous, I'll let you come out. If it is, you stay here. And if you get bored, no books tomorrow. I'll put on cartoons for you, alright?"
The promise of cartoons dimmed Qiao Qiao's insistence. She nodded. "Okay."
Lan Jin was speechless. That tone sounded like she was doing her mother a favor.
Yet her swinging legs under the chair betrayed her happiness.
After all, she was still a little girl—easy to please.
…
With Qiao Qiao's cooperation, the next day…
Barely past midnight, Qiao Qiao had just fallen into her second sleep when Lan Jin couldn't stand staying in the space any longer.
Outside, there was the constant sound of banging and shattering windows. Those frenzied people had already left their homes and were pacing across the ice.
Lan Jin crouched low in a corner of the balcony, slipping on the night-vision goggles she had found in the space. One glance—and her heart nearly leapt into her throat.