“Thank you for having us. Ye Ye and I will head back to the hotel now.”
Standing at Su Ya’s door, Ling Ning politely bid farewell to Su Ya’s parents.
“There’s really no need to leave! We have plenty of spare rooms, Ling Ning. You’re more than welco to stay here,” Su Ya’s mother offered warmly.
“I’ve already imposed on you for too long today. I’ll visit again tomorrow. Besides, I didn’t bring a change of clothes. Xiao Ya, see you~”
With a light wave, Ling Ning took her daughter’s hand and stepped back onto the snowy street. Fine flakes drifted from the sky as Ling Ning gently brushed her fingers through Ling Ye’s hair. “Ye Ye, are you cold?”
“I’m fine.”
Ling Ning glanced at her daughter, sensing that sothing seed off. Ever since watching the fireworks, Ling Ye had seed different. Was it just her imagination?
Perhaps Ling Ye was just tired.
The hotel they were staying at wasn’t far from Su Ya’s ho—just a ten-minute walk. Upon arriving in their room, Ling Ning casually hung up her coat and approached Ling Ye with a playful smile. “Ye Ye, want to take a bath together?”
“You go ahead, Mom. I want to watch so TV first.”
“Huh?!”
Ling Ye’s reply startled Ling Ning. She hadn’t expected her daughter to refuse such an offer—it was completely unlike her.
Ling Ning observed Ling Ye closely but didn’t notice anything unusual. Maybe Ling Ye just didn’t want to miss her favorite show.
“Alright, I’ll go first then.”
Taking her change of clothes from the suitcase, Ling Ning entered the bathroom. The frosted glass of the shower offered only a blurred silhouette, and Ling Ning didn’t bother closing the curtain—it was just her and Ling Ye, after all.
Watching her mother’s hazy figure in the bathroom, Ling Ye bit her lip. The scene from earlier that evening flashed through her mind. Maybe she couldn’t wait any longer.
If only she were older…
Ling Ye’s expression briefly turned lancholic but was quickly replaced with determination. She believed her mother belonged to her and no one could take her away.
After so ti, Ling Ning stepped out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel and dressed in light sleepwear—thanks to the room’s heating.
“Ye Ye, it’s your turn now~”
“Mm.”
Ling Ye glanced at her mother, who was drying her hair, sighed softly, and headed to the bathroom.
Her mood was so heavy that even the sight of her mother’s underwear didn’t stir her usual mischievous curiosity. Why had things co to this?
When Ling Ye finished her bath, she found Ling Ning asleep in a chair, her head resting at an awkward angle.
Quietly tiptoeing over, Ling Ye hesitated before leaning in and softly pressing a kiss to her mother’s lips. The softness made her want to linger, to lose herself in the mont.
Ling Ning, startled by the faint sensation on her lips, opened her eyes groggily. The first thing she saw was Ling Ye’s adorable face, and the sight of her daughter’s fingers brushing her lips explained the strange feeling.
“Ye Ye, what are you doing?”
“Mom, you said you’d dry my hair earlier~”
“I must have dozed off. You could’ve just woken up, you know.”
Ling Ning chuckled, pulling Ling Ye into her lap to dry her hair. As she worked, she noticed her daughter’s hair had grown quite long—though not unmanageably so.
Once Ling Ye’s hair was dry, Ling Ning stopped her from retrieving her laptop. “It’s already late. Let’s skip the computer and go to bed~”
“But I haven’t written today’s update yet!”
“Updates can wait. Just take the day off~”
Ling Ye’s expression turned comically disappointed. She knew her mother was bluffing—after all, Ling Ning had a stash of pre-written chapters scheduled to auto-publish during their trip.
Curse the stockpile!
Then again… wasn’t Ling Ye guilty of doing the sa?
Cuddled up in her mother’s warm embrace on the shared bed, Ling Ye let out a contented sigh. Despite having two beds in the room, nothing compared to sleeping next to her mom.
“Mom, are you asleep?”
“Not yet. What’s up?”
“I was just wondering… hypothetically, if I liked soone, what would you think?”
The question sent a wave of murderous intent surging through Ling Ning’s mind. Hypothetically? There was no way this was hypothetical.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ling Ning replied, “Sweetie, you’re still in middle school. This stuff is too early for you. Boys—or girls—your age are too immature, and relationships won’t bring you any benefits right now.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to date anyone. I was just asking what you’d think if I liked soone.”
Ling Ning pondered for a mont before answering, “Blessing you two? Not a chance. Honestly, I’d feel reluctant to let you go. If you did like soone, I might even get jealous and try to interfere—like the villainous mother-in-law in those cliché dramas~”
Ling Ning laughed, but inwardly she wondered if her possessiveness over her daughter was a bit too much. She had a nagging feeling this wasn’t heading anywhere good.
“Really?”
A small, satisfied smile tugged at Ling Ye’s lips. It seed her mom cared deeply about her, after all.
Clearing her throat, Ling Ning asked, “Why the sudden question, Ye Ye?”
“No reason. I just saw sothing on TV that made wonder.”
“Huh…”
Sothing about Ling Ye’s response didn’t sit right with Ling Ning, though she couldn’t pinpoint why. It was frustrating, but all she could do was stay vigilant. If any brat dared make a move on her daughter, she’d show them exactly what hell looked like!
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