"My sister's hands aren't for nothing!" Little Yuanyuan's big, watery eyes looked at Xia Pengfei, and she blurted out unexpectedly.
Leng Siyu, her face cold, quickly opened the door to the first-floor apartment, picked up Little Yuanyuan like a chick, and carried her inside before casually closing the door.
Before the door closed, Xia Pengfei and his brother instinctively leaned forward to peek, wanting to know what the home of these two cold-hearted girls, one big and one small, looked like.
Unfortunately, Leng Siyu moved too quickly; they only caught a glimpse of the blue doormat and part of the beige shoe cabinet.
The two brothers stood at the doorway for a moment, then Xia Pengfei pulled Chongchong towards the stairwell.
Xia Chongchong turned his head and looked up, mimicking Leng Yuanyuan's mature tone, saying, "Brother, did we not pay the elevator fee? Why do you drag me up the stairs every day..."
Xia Pengfei ruffled Chongchong's hair and continued pulling him up the stairs, "Why use an elevator on the third floor? Your little body is so weak, if you don't exercise, you'll become a cripple!"
"Exercise? Like Sister Yu?" Xia Chongchong looked up at Xia Pengfei. Xia Pengfei asked, puzzled, "What?"
Chongchong's short legs followed Xia Pengfei upstairs. "Yuanyuan said she uses a punching bag as a toy, punching and kicking it hundreds of times a day… Brother, take my advice—don't mess with her anymore, or you'll get beaten up and won't blame me for not warning you!"
"Uses a punching bag as a toy?" Xia Pengfei imagined the scene, recalling their close encounter on the playground, and after a long pause, blurted out, "That's interesting…"
Xia Pengfei's expression changed. "But even if she's tough, she's still a girl. We boys have to protect them; it's our responsibility."
Chongchong seemed thoughtful. "No wonder Mom doesn't let me bully Yuanyuan. She's right…" "Besides, Yuanyuan is better... I like listening to everything she says, she's quite opinionated!"
Xia Pengfei ruffled Chongchong's hair again. "Look at you, so easily swayed. It's not good to listen to girls all the time, is it? At least you should have some opinions of your own, right?"
Chongchong touched the back of his head where Xia Pengfei had ruffled it, looking troubled. "What should I listen to, what shouldn't I listen to, and how much should I listen to?"
Xia Pengfei paused, remained silent for a moment, then used a combination of password and fingerprint to unlock the door. His dark eyes looked down at the little guy. "This is a profound subject, worth a lifetime of study..."
"Tch! Just being mysterious!" Chongchong scoffed, then ducked into the house.
...
As soon as Leng Yuanyuan, the little owner of apartment 0101, entered the living room, she grabbed the TV remote from the dark red wooden coffee table, kicked off the slippers she'd changed into, plopped down on the beige fabric sofa, curled up in the cushions, and grabbed a large panda plush toy to use as a chin rest.
But just as she turned on the TV, Leng Siyu snatched the remote and slammed it off.
"Read two poems before you watch!" Leng Siyu grabbed a copy of "Three Hundred Ancient Poems in Pinyin" from a small wooden table next to the sofa, pulled the plush toy from Leng Yuanyuan's hands, and shoved the book into her hands.
"Sister, you're just as ruthless at home as you are outside! Even fiercer than Mom! Are you even my real sister? Can't I experience the warmth of a family?"
Despite saying that, Leng Yuanyuan still pouted, opened "Three Hundred Ancient Poems in Pinyin" with her chubby little hands, tore off a handmade leaf bookmark, and lazily began to read aloud.
"Thinking of Chang'an and My Old Garden on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month While on Military Campaign" by Cen Shen: I long to climb to a high place, but no one brings me wine. I fondly imagine the chrysanthemums of my old garden, blooming beside the battlefield—"
Leng Siyu went to the standing water dispenser in the corner of the room and mixed two cups of warm water, placing one in front of Yuanyuan and sipping the other herself.
Then she approached the French windows and drew back the beige curtains. The Phoenix Residential Complex, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, came into view.
Leng Siyu, oblivious to the scenery, glanced back at her younger sister, curled up like a kitten on the sofa, and snapped, "Sit properly! Recite it loudly—"
Yuanyuan immediately sat up straight and impatiently recited, ""Written at the South Village of the Capital"•Cui Hu•Last year on this day, in this doorway, her face and the peach blossoms reflected each other's redness. Her face is gone, I know not where, but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze…Sister, isn't it too early for me to learn this poem at my age?"
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and memorize it. I'm going to cook." Leng Siyu went to the kitchen, tied on her apron, and started cooking…
…
"Pengfei, Auntie called and asked you to take Chongchong back to Feihu District for lunch tomorrow." As soon as Xia Pengfei entered the door, a young woman greeted him warmly.
The woman's name was Lanlan, twenty years old this year. She not only had a good figure but also a pretty face. She was a rural girl who had failed her college entrance exams and came to the city to work. Introduced by a relative, she came to the Xia family to take care of Xia Pengfei and his brother. "Okay, Sister Lan." Xia Pengfei changed his shoes and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.
A short while later, Xia Pengfei returned to the living room wrapped in a white bathrobe, lay down on the sofa, and glanced sideways at Xia Chongchong, who was reading *Zixu Children's Pictorial* beside him. "Chongchong, the remote control."
"Don't you have hands?" Chongchong gave Xia Pengfei a sidelong look, but still got up slowly, went to the TV cabinet, picked up the remote control, turned around, and threw it at Pengfei's head. "You're so lazy!"
"I've been at the sports meet these past few days, I've used up a lot of energy," Xia Pengfei caught it easily, then pointed in another direction. "And pour me a cup of tea, Tieguanyin, extra strong."
"I…" Chongchong was speechless, wondering if he should run away from home. "Let me do it, he's too small, I don't want him to get burned. The food's all ready, would you like to eat first?" Lanlan ran over, her slender white hand gently taking the cup from Xia Chongchong's hand... A faint, almost imperceptible fragrance wafted in the air.
"Sister Lan is so kind to me, Brother is the worst, he mistreats me every day," Xia Chongchong said, leaning against her fairy-like sister and acting spoiled.
Xia Pengfei suddenly remembered something, quickly put down the remote, stood up, and said, "Let's eat, let's eat. After dinner, I have to go to the school's ping-pong center; my classmates invited me to play."
Chongchong grinned upon hearing this, "Can I go too?"
Xia Pengfei looked disgusted, "Don't bother me on the weekend. I need my own space. Go find your friends."
Chongchong reluctantly said, "Then I'll go play games with Yuanyuan."
Xia Pengfei gave her a cold, indifferent look, "As long as you don't bother me, go find whoever you want."
Chongchong was furious, "Are you my real brother? Would it kill you to spend some time with me? Sister Yu takes Yuanyuan everywhere she goes!"
Xia Pengfei ignored Chongchong, stepped into the dining room, picked up his chopsticks, and began to shovel rice into his mouth.
Less than five minutes later, Xia Pengfei put down his chopsticks, rushed to the bedroom, took off his bathrobe, put on a set of all-black brand-name sportswear, and swaggered out the door.
Xia Pengfei rushed to the building entrance, but just as he was about to open it, the door automatically opened.
A middle-aged woman in a white dress with pink floral print walked in. Seeing Xia Pengfei, she gave a cold snort and looked away.
Xia Pengfei greeted her respectfully, "Hello, Aunt Lin!"
Lin Wanru, though nearing forty, still possessed a certain charm. From her delicate features and slender face, one could vaguely discern some of the traits of the Leng Siyu sisters.
Lin Wanru ignored him completely, treating Xia Pengfei as if he were invisible. With a cold face, she walked past him and opened the door to apartment 0101.
Xia Pengfei paused for a moment, watching Lin Wanru's retreating figure, then shook his head and left.
If anyone said this mother and daughter weren't related, he'd rather die than believe it…
"Mommy's home!" Little Yuanyuan, who was mentally berating Leng Siyu, rushed over as soon as Lin Wanru entered, affectionately throwing herself onto Lin Wanru's lap. "Mommy, hug me!"
"Go away, Mommy has something urgent to do. You're still so young, you'll be five in a few days!" Lin Wanru, completely oblivious to her feelings, pushed Little Yuanyuan away and hurried into the master bedroom.
When Lin Wanru came out again, Xiao Yuanyuan, clinging to her arm, began to complain, "Mommy, my sister scolded me!"
"She scolded you because you weren't obedient. Did you go to watch TV instead of studying?" Seeing Xiao Yuanyuan fall silent, Lin Wanru's face hardened. "From now on, you'll not only have to memorize two ancient poems every day, but you'll also have to study English every day, and your sister will teach you. Siyu, I'm leaving—"
Leng Siyu came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl, her clear eyes filled with reluctance. "Mommy, you're leaving again? The food is ready, eat something before you go?"
"No, I just came back to get my documents. I probably won't be back for a while. Siyu…you've worked so hard, having to go to school, do housework, and take care of Yuanyuan. If Yuanyuan is disobedient, just spank her!"
As she spoke, Lin Wanru was already putting on her shoes.
Leng Yuanyuan felt utterly miserable and furious upon hearing the news. Her biological mother, whom she rarely saw, not only refused to kiss, hug, or lift her five-year-old daughter, but also allowed her older sister to hit her at will. This was clearly the behavior of a wicked stepmother! Little Yuanyuan, heartbroken, dashed into her room, clutching a framed photo. She looked at the handsome man in camouflage in the picture and cried, "Daddy, when are you coming back? Those two female leopards always bully me when you're not here!"
Just then, the larger female leopard called from the living room, "Yuanyuan, Mommy's leaving. Remember, you're not allowed to play with the Xia family. Listen to your sister, understand?"
Leng Yuanyuan stomped her foot in annoyance and shouted, "I didn't hear you! I didn't hear you! I didn't hear you! I want to play with Chongchong!"
Lin Wanru raised her voice eight octaves, "Do you want me to beat you with a belt?"
Leng Yuanyuan retorted angrily, "Go ahead and hit me! Hit me! Kill me if you want!"
Lin Wanru turned and walked towards Leng Yuanyuan's door without even taking off her shoes. Leng Yuanyuan didn't have time to unlatch the latch and quickly used her round bottom to block the door shut.
Lin Wanru stood at the door for a moment without opening it, tossing out, "I'll deal with you next time I come back," before leaving.
Hearing the door close, Leng Yuanyuan quickly dropped the photo frame, grabbed a small stool, and ran to the balcony window. She climbed onto the stool and watched Lin Wanru's slender figure appear and disappear in the courtyard, until tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision…