The van hummed smoothly along the city streets, its interior quiet and comfortable under the soft afternoon light. Sunbeams filtered through the tinted windows, casting gentle, shifting patterns across the leather seats and the peaceful figures inside.

The ride was smooth, almost soothing, with the faint, distant sounds of the city

—honking horns, passing vehicles, and the low murmur of life outside—creating a peaceful backdrop.

Shen Guoxing rested her head comfortably on Su Wanyan’s lap, sleeping soundly with a thin jacket draped over her face to shield her from the bright light. Su Wanyan’s left hand rested protectively on the child’s frail frame, almost like a hug, keeping her secure as the van moved forward.

Su Wanyan scrolled through her phone with her right hand, quietly reading medical articles to stay updated. Her expression was relaxed, a small, gentle smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

The soft afternoon light illuminated her face beautifully, giving her a serene glow that made her look even more approachable and kind. She was in a rare state of calm

—"nothing is going to ruin my day"—undisturbed by the world outside.

A new article popped up in her feed about Mo Xingxue, and Su Wanyan tapped on it curiously.

| Mo Xingxue once again escaped getting paired up with another alpha, stating she doesn’t want to pair up with any other alpha than Su Wanyan! |

The post expressed admiration for Mo Xingxue’s loyalty. The comments were overwhelmingly supportive, with fans lamenting the return of the "ice queen" Mo Xingxue and urging Su Wanyan to return to the show soon so they could see her smile again. Reading the heartfelt messages, Su Wanyan burst out laughing softly, her shoulders shaking with quiet amusement.

Just then, she heard rustling below her. Su Wanyan quietly set her phone aside and focused on the child sleeping on her lap, who was now stretching with a small, satisfied groan. After the stretch, Shen Guoxing removed the jacket covering her face.

However, she was immediately taken aback by the bright afternoon light hitting her still-sensitive eyes. Shen Guoxing winced and covered her face with her small hands. "Aunt Wanyan.." she let out, her voice still drowsy. "Close the lights, Aunt. It’s too bright," she murmured, turning toward Su Wanyan’s stomach in an attempt to find more darkness.

Su Wanyan laughed warmly and placed her hand on Shen Guoxing’s head. "Only God can close that bright light, Xing’er," she said, chuckling at the child’s oblivious behavior.

"Huh?" Shen Guoxing let out, fully removing the jacket and still wincing at the sunlight. "What are you talking about, Aunt—" Her voice stopped abruptly as she realized where she was. She suddenly sat up, her excitement clear in her wide eyes. Su Wanyan chuckled at the child’s eager demeanor.

Shen Guoxing looked out the window, her gaze filled with wonder as the scenery kept changing—cars passing by, buildings blurring, trees and people moving in the distance. Her eyes sparkled with pure fascination. Su Wanyan quietly took a short video of her reaction, planning to show it to Mo Xingxue later.

"Aunt! Aunt!" Shen Guoxing suddenly called out.

Su Wanyan hummed questioningly. Shen Guoxing turned to her, pointing outside. "Am I really outside?!" she asked, the excitement in her voice unparalleled.

Su Wanyan nodded gently. "Yeah, you’re really outside," she affirmed softly.

Shen Guoxing’s eyes and smile brightened even more as she started pointing at everything she saw—a colorful shop sign, a passing bicycle, a group of people laughing on the sidewalk.

Seeing her joy, Su Wanyan felt her own heart lighten, but she also couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. Such ordinary things, yet she’s so fascinated by them, she thought, her chest feeling heavy for a moment.

Not wanting to let her mood drop, Su Wanyan quickly shook her head. Now’s not the time for you to be depressed, Yanyan, she thought, lightly tapping her own cheeks to refocus. She moved closer to Shen Guoxing. "Do you want to go there?" Su Wanyan asked, pointing at a restaurant they passed by.

Shen Guoxing looked at her and nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" She looked out again. "I also want to go there with Aunt Xingxue and my meimei," she said shyly.

Su Wanyan looked at Shen Guoxing’s serious and sincere expression, then at her reddened ears. She wanted to laugh at the adorable sight but held back, not wanting to ruin the child’s ego.

Instead, Su Wanyan hugged her from behind. "Yeah, we’re going to all the places you want with Aunt Xingxue and your meimei," she said, her voice tender as she envisioned the future.

Shen Guoxing looked behind her and hugged Su Wanyan back tightly. "Thanks, Aunt!" she said.

Su Wanyan chuckled and patted the child’s back. "Anything for my eldest baby," she said tenderly, though she couldn’t resist one last tease.

Immediately, Shen Guoxing pulled back and frowned cutely. "I’m not a baby anymore!" she protested righteously, gently patting her own chest. "I’m a jiejie now, Aunt. A jiejie," she repeated as if doing so proved her seriousness.

Su Wanyan burst out laughing. "Okay, okay," she said, putting her hands up in playful defeat.

Shen Guoxing watched her with satisfaction, and the ride continued with the two of them talking animatedly about all the places Shen Guoxing wanted to visit—with Su Wanyan.. and Mo Xingxue and Mo Yan, of course.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+

The living room of the villa was alive with a light-hearted, buzzing energy as the afternoon sun streamed through the large windows, casting warm golden light across the plush sofa, polished wooden floors, and scattered personal items from the guests.

The air carried a mix of fresh scents—the faint sweetness of fruit from a nearby bowl, the subtle aroma of coffee someone had brewed earlier, and the clean, outdoor freshness that lingered from the open balcony doors.

Soft background music played from a speaker in the corner, adding to the relaxed yet excited atmosphere as the group waited for news from Su Wanyan and Shen Guoxing.

"I’m so pumped!" Zhao Yichen exclaimed, squirming in his seat with barely contained energy, his grin wide and infectious.

Han Jiho glared at him and elbowed him lightly in the stomach. "Stop moving so much, Chen," he said, though the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. Zhao Yichen immediately stilled, but the massive grin on his face betrayed any attempt at feigned calmness.

Meanwhile, Qin Yuran was kneeling on the floor, rummaging through her bag with increasing frustration. "Where is it?" she murmured, searching more thoroughly. The bag she often used when going out was spilled open on the floor, its contents half-emptied in her haste.

Seeing her in distress, Song Meiyu silently moved closer. She bent her upper body, bringing her head level with Qin Yuran’s, and whispered directly into her ear, "What are you looking for?"

Song Meiyu’s hot breath brushed against Qin Yuran’s ear, startling her so much that she suddenly jumped up and distanced herself. The things in her bag scattered messily across the floor with a soft clatter.

Song Meiyu looked at her with surprise, taken aback by how high she jumped and how fast she moved. Qin Yuran stared at her, covering the ear Song Meiyu had whispered into, her face and neck flushed a deep red. Her mouth hung open, though whether from Song Meiyu’s action or her own supernatural speed was unclear.

Seeing the scene, Zhao Yichen and Han Jiho burst into laughter at Qin Yuran’s flustered reaction. Zhao Yichen toppled over, clutching his chest. "Haha! Th-that was so fu-funny!" he said, his voice breaking with laughter. Qin Yuran glared at him. "Shut up, under," she said through gritted teeth. Zhao Yichen just laughed harder, not minding his image at all.

Qin Yuran glared at him one last time before clearing her throat and managing an embarrassed smile at the still-stunned Song Meiyu. "I’m sorry."

Hearing that, Song Meiyu finally snapped out of her daze. She smiled at her and patted her shoulder, to which Qin Yuran tensed up noticeably. Song Meiyu noticed and smirked mischievously. She pulled Qin Yuran closer and hugged the stunned and flustered alpha. "Ooh, that shocked me~" Song Meiyu said, acting shocked but clearly not sincere.

However, Qin Yuran, who was in her arms, couldn’t think of anything else but the close proximity and Song Meiyu’s peach blossom perfume enveloping her. S-she smells good, Qin Yuran thought, relaxing into the embrace for a brief second. But then she gasped and immediately pulled back, retreating several steps before falling onto her butt with a soft thud.

Seeing that, Zhao Yichen and Han Jiho laughed even harder. Zhao Yichen was already wheezing, and Han Jiho’s eyes were dripping with tears from laughing too much. Qin Yuran glared at them, and Song Meiyu stood up and strode toward her worriedly. "Are you okay?" Song Meiyu asked, stretching out her hands for Qin Yuran to use to pull herself up.

Qin Yuran blinked at Song Meiyu’s beautiful face, and it was as if all she could hear was a dreamy "la la la la la~." She snapped out of her daze and took Song Meiyu’s hand to stand up.

Qin Yuran brushed off imaginary dust from her bum and immediately went back to her bag. Song Meiyu followed her, offering to help, and Qin Yuran agreed, her cheeks red as a tomato.

The living room was in a light-hearted mood, the guests eagerly anticipating meeting Shen Guoxing now that she was awake. After all, seeing her just lying down wasn’t a proper introduction. The four of them had already asked for the best care and occasionally bought gifts for the child, wishing for her recovery.

Meanwhile, two people weren’t looking forward to it at all. The two of them just glared at the festive mood—it was Lin Xuanyu and Gu Chengze.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Aren’t they cute~? (Including Gu Chengze and Lin Xuanyu :>)

Btw guys, beware of AshesOT, yuriconnoisseur, ShiiroNovax, riyoko_xin, and you_knowwho, okay? I’m giving y’all heads up now, they’re dangerous af.