Chapter 94: Ch 94: Under the Umbrella

The sun rose higher and brighter, bathing the resting area in warm golden light. Under the table’s built-in umbrella, the four of them sat in a comfortable pocket of shade, the earlier meal still lingering as a pleasant memory. Shen Guoxing swung her small feet back and forth beneath the table, a satisfied smile on her face.

"That was a good meal," Shen Gouxing announced cheerfully.

Mo Xingxue chuckled and reached over with a napkin, gently wiping a faint smudge of sauce from the corner of Shen Guoxing’s mouth. Su Wanyan calmly stacked the empty lunch boxes to one side, watching the two of them with quiet amusement.

Once the containers were neatly set aside, she glanced down at Mo Yan nestled in her arms and quietly activated her Heart of Nurture skill. The familiar soft warmth of the ability confirmed what she already suspected—Mo Yan was hungry again.

Su Wanyan let out an involuntary chuckle. She had only finished feeding the baby thirty minutes earlier. As if on cue, Mo Yan’s stomach let out a loud, unmistakable rumble. The sound was clear enough that even Mo Xingxue, who lacked Su Wanyan’s and Shen Gouxing’s enhanced hearing, heard it distinctly. The two adults and the older child all paused and looked down at the baby.

Mo Yan blinked up at them, then let out a series of indignant babbles that somehow managed to convey pure offense, as if demanding to know why everyone was staring.

Su Wanyan snapped out of her brief daze and laughed softly. "You little glutton," she murmured, pinching Mo Yan’s right cheek with careful tenderness. The baby protested with more incoherent babbling, wriggling in mild indignation. Su Wanyan shook her head fondly and looked across the table at Mo Xingxue, who was watching the exchange with a warm smile.

"Can you hold her for a second?" Su Wanyan asked gently, the request coming out almost as if Mo Xingxue were a stranger rather than the baby’s mother.

Mo Xingxue’s laughter rang out, light and musical, the kind that settled pleasantly in the chest of anyone who heard it. "Naturally," she replied, stretching out her arms. "What an odd request," she added, shaking her head with fond amusement. Shen Guoxing, ever considerate, hopped down from Mo Xingxue’s lap so her aunt would have both hands free, then giggled at Su Wanyan’s confusion.

Su Wanyan tilted her head, still not quite understanding. "What is?" she asked, carefully transferring Mo Yan into Mo Xingxue’s waiting arms.

Shen Guoxing grinned. "Aunt Wanyan," she called.

"Huh?" Su Wanyan answered without thinking.

"My meimei is Aunt Xingxue’s daughter," Shen Guoxing explained patiently.

Su Wanyan nodded on instinct, then tilted her head again in residual confusion. Shen Guoxing and Mo Xingxue exchanged a look and both burst into laughter. Su Wanyan gave them a mildly bewildered glance before turning to leave.

"Behave, you three!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away to prepare the bottle.

Mo Xingxue and Shen Guoxing laughed at her retreating back, then settled again. Shen Guoxing then immediately tiptoed closer and peered at Mo Yan with bright eyes.

"Hi, meimei!" she greeted energetically, stretching out her small hands. Mo Yan, sensing her sister’s intent, reached out in return and clasped Shen Guoxing’s fingers.

Shen Guoxing’s face lit up. She turned to Mo Xingxue, beaming. "Look, Aunt Xingxue! She finally recognizes me now!"

Mo Xingxue chuckled and reached over to pat Shen Guoxing’s head. "She has always recognized you," she said softly. "You are her jiejie, after all."

Shen Guoxing’s eyes curved into happy crescents under the gentle touch. "Hehe," she giggled, the sound melting Mo Xingxue’s heart. When Mo Xingxue looked down at her younger daughter, she found Mo Yan gazing up at her sister with a wide gummy smile, clearly content even if she did not fully understand the conversation.

A thought occurred to Mo Xingxue. "Xing’er," she called gently, pausing the pats to stroke the girl’s hair instead.

"Yes?" Shen Guoxing looked up, confusion in her eyes.

Mo Xingxue could not help another soft laugh. The puzzled expression on Shen Guoxing’s face was so reminiscent of Su Wanyan that it made her chest feel warm. "Do you want to hold Yan’er?"

Shen Guoxing’s eyes widened. She pointed at herself. "Me?"

Mo Xingxue nodded, still smiling at the adorable mix of shock and excitement. "Yeah. You."

"Aunt, are you sure?" Shen Guoxing asked, fear and excitement tangled together in her voice.

"You want to?" Mo Xingxue prompted, watching the stars appear in the child’s eyes.

Shen Guoxing pressed her lips together, glanced at her sister, and then nodded with sudden firmness. "Yeah. I want to!"

Mo Xingxue carefully transferred Mo Yan into Shen Guoxing’s arms, giving quiet instructions on how to support the baby’s head and body. "Lift your whole arms like this.. support her head here." Shen Guoxing followed every direction with intense concentration, adjusting until she found a position that felt secure for both of them. Once settled, she looked down at the small face in her arms.

Mo Yan was already staring up at her with clear, innocent eyes.

"Hi, meimei," Shen Guoxing said, her usual bright volume softened into something gentle.

Mo Yan blinked, then broke into a bright gummy smile. Seeing that, Shen Guoxing’s own smile widened. She glanced over at Mo Xingxue to make sure she had seen it and found her aunt watching them with a tender, loving expression. Shen Guoxing tried (and failed) to hide her wide grin before looking back down.

"I’m your jiejie," she told the baby, as if repeating it often enough would make the fact permanent.

Meanwhile, Mo Xingxue quietly pulled out her phone and began taking photos. Then, a moment later, Mo Xingxue switched to video, capturing the scene for future teasing.

Shen Guoxing gazed at her meimei, a soft, doting expression settling on her face. I can’t believe my meimei will be a villainess in the future, she thought. Someone this cute simply could not hurt people without a reason. Even if the novel claimed her meimei had been "just jealous," Shen Guoxing was certain there must have been good reasons behind it. She looked at Mo Yan again and nodded firmly to herself. Yep. Someone as angelic as my meimei just couldn’t do that.

A doting, slightly foolish grin spread across her face—the first quiet step onto the path of becoming a complete fool for her little sister. Besides, in that story people hated her, she continued thinking. But she’s not like that at all. She’s very, very loved. Everyone will love her in the future too. Many suitors will line up—

Shen Guoxing suddenly froze. Suitors? She shook her head hard. No! My meimei is not allowed to have any suitors! Those people don’t deserve her! They’ll have to go through me first!

She instinctively brought Mo Yan closer to her face, as though shielding her from imaginary threats. Mo Yan watched the rapid changes of expression on her jiejie’s face, blinked slowly, and then stretched out her short, chubby arms. Because Shen Guoxing had leaned in so close, Mo Yan’s hands successfully found her cheeks and gave them a light, comforting pat.

Shen Guoxing stopped breathing for a second so she would not startle the baby. When she finally exhaled, a soft smile returned. "Hehe.. sorry for worrying you, meimei," she whispered, beginning to rock her gently.

Seeing her sister’s expression settle, Mo Yan smiled again, gums on full display. Mo Xingxue, still recording, felt her heart melt completely, her own smile widening.

Just then Su Wanyan returned, bottle in hand and a small apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry it took a while," she began, then paused when she saw who was holding Mo Yan.

Shen Guoxing turned toward her with a bright, proud grin. "I know how to hold her now!"

Su Wanyan chuckled and reached over to pat her head. "You’re a certified jiejie now, huh?" She ruffled the girl’s hair for good measure.

"Ack! Aunt Wanyan!" Shen Guoxing protested, already mourning the state of her carefully arranged hair.

Su Wanyan laughed and lifted both children just long enough to settle Shen Guoxing properly onto the chair again. "Now your next task is feeding your meimei," she declared, eyes sparkling with mischief at Shen Guoxing’s startled face.

"Wait, Aunt Wanyan, can’t I learn one thing at a time?" Shen Guoxing bargained.

Su Wanyan shook her head. "Nope. You want to be the best jiejie, right?"

Shen Guoxing nodded reluctantly.

"Then you have to learn this too," Su Wanyan said, thoroughly pleased with her scheme.

Mo Xingxue simply shook her head at Su Wanyan’s transparent attempt to pass along parental duties, a private smile tugging at her lips as she continued recording the three people she loved most.

The four of them lingered beneath the umbrella, sharing quiet laughs and soft giggles. The morning light outside was bright and warm, yet the gentle radiance they created together under the shade was more than enough to rival even the sun’s strongest rays.

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THEY’RE SO CUTE! AND LOOK, ISN’T GUOXING-JIEJIE COOL??

Also, I tried a new format... is it okay or does it look/feel weird?