A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 1

Xiang Qingnuan ran excitedly from the second floor down to the living room.

A child of four or five, she wore a tattered little outfit that looked somewhat out of place in the luxuriously decorated duplex villa.

“Wait a minute!” A woman’s shout came from upstairs. Following a series of thumping footsteps, a dark shadow flew through the air and landed right on top of the little girl’s head.

Xiang Qingnuan pulled the garment off her head and found it was a brand-new pink puffy dress.

“Change into this!”

The speaker was a middle-aged woman with a slightly chubby, round face—a look that should have been approachable, but her brows were currently furrowed in a sharp, mean-spirited expression.

Xiang Qingnuan pursed her lips. Just as she reached out to undo the first button, the woman’s face flashed with impatience. She stepped forward, roughly brushed the girl’s hands aside, and swiftly stripped the old clothes off her.

“Change yourself.” With that, she took the old clothes and headed back into the room.

Left alone, the little girl seemed accustomed to this. She picked up the little dress from the floor with a flicker of a smile and happily put it on.

Just as she zipped it up, the sound of tires rolling over the pavement came from outside. Xiang Qingnuan’s face lit up with joy, and she dashed toward the front door.

A low-profile black sedan drove into the neighborhood and stopped in front of the villa. The moment it came to a halt, the front door creaked open, and a tiny figure burst out from the foyer.

“Mommy, Mommy, you’re back!”

The little girl trotted on her short legs through the long flower gallery to the car door. Only after the engine cut out did she stand on her tiptoes to reach for the handle.

The door opened with a “click,” but when she saw the short-haired woman inside, the light in the girl’s eyes instantly died, and her excited smile vanished.

Lin Wen had been watching her and naturally saw the light fade from her eyes. A pang of pity and heartache shot through her.

“Hello, Sister Wen!” Xiang Qingnuan had already forced a smile back onto her face.

“Hello, little Qingnuan.” Lin Wen smiled back and got out of the car to pick the girl up. Feeling the feather-light weight in her arms, she frowned imperceptibly.

“Is Mommy not coming back again today?” Xiang Qingnuan tugged at her slightly yellowish hair, sounding dejected.

“Mommy is still filming and will be back late. She was afraid you’d get anxious, so she specifically asked Sister Wen to bring you a gift first. Are you happy, little Qingnuan?”

Lin Wen bent down and pulled a plush doll from the car. “It’s Miss Black Cat, everyone’s favorite! Do you like her?”

Miss Black Cat was a character from a very popular recent cartoon. The shop owner had told her that no little girl could resist it.

Xiang Qingnuan hugged the doll; the fluffy toy was taller than she was. Hearing that her mother would return today, she finally smiled again and nodded happily at Lin Wen.

Seeing the girl’s pure joy made Lin Wen’s nose sting.

Ye Feifei was currently the “it girl” of the entertainment industry. As her daughter, Xiang Qingnuan might live in luxury, but she rarely saw her mother.

As for the father, Xiang Nan—thinking of the famous director who was also at the peak of his career and had recently been nominated for a major international award—Lin Wen could only sigh.

Just then, the middle-aged nanny came hurrying out of the house. Seeing the visitor, she called out from a distance: “Oh, Assistant Lin, it’s you? Is the Madam back too?”

“Auntie Chen.” Lin Wen greeted her while walking over with Xiang Qingnuan in her arms. “Madam will be back later. Please get things ready.”

“Of course, of course.”

Auntie Chen smiled amiably, but in Xiang Qingnuan’s eyes, she looked like a terrifying witch. She shrank back, tightening her grip around Lin Wen’s neck and burying her face in her shoulder.

“Also, Auntie Chen, I have to say…”

Lin Wen frowned as they walked. “You need to take better care of the young miss. A four-year-old shouldn’t be this thin, and her face is so sallow. Does this look right to you?”

“Oh, you’re wronging me!”

Auntie Chen’s face immediately crumpled into a sob. “I give my heart and soul to the young miss, treating her better than my own daughter. You know my cooking; I exhaust myself making great meals for her, but she… sigh…”

“What about her?”

“Children are picky eaters. Every time she only eats a tiny bit, and no matter how much I coax her, she won’t eat more. It’s so hard for me, racking my brain to cook so many dishes…” Auntie Chen put on a sorrowful expression and muttered under her breath:

“Maybe she’s just taking after the Madam…”

Auntie Chen grumbled, and while Lin Wen wasn’t looking, she glared at Xiang Qingnuan. The little girl tucked her head deeper into Lin Wen’s shoulder.

Auntie Chen spoke softly, but just loud enough for Lin Wen to hear. Lin Wen’s brow furrowed. She knew that to maintain her figure under her agent’s strict control, Ye Feifei ate like a bird.

Children love to imitate adults; it was very possible she had picked it up.

She sighed, thinking she needed to talk to the little girl properly later. How could a child not eat?

Once inside the bedroom, Lin Wen sent Auntie Chen away. Auntie Chen didn’t argue, but before leaving, she pointedly poured some fish food into the goldfish bowl, smiled at them, and finally walked out.

Lin Wen sat the girl on her princess bed, knelt before her, and asked:

“Little Qingnuan, can you tell Sister why you don’t like to eat?”

Xiang Qingnuan looked at the little goldfish in the tank. Auntie Chen’s smile before leaving flashed in her mind. She looked back at Lin Wen, opened her mouth, but ultimately shook her head.

“Children shouldn’t be picky, or you won’t grow up to be pretty.” Lin Wen stroked the girl’s soft hair.

Xiang Nan and Ye Feifei were exceptionally attractive, and their daughter had inherited their best features—she was just too thin and small. If she had a bit more “baby fat,” she would be even more adorable.

Xiang Qingnuan just kept shaking her head, silent.

Lin Wen tried to persuade her a bit longer, but seeing the girl was unmoved, she gave up. She made a mental note to report this to Ye Feifei.

She opened her tablet, downloaded a popular cartoon for Xiang Qingnuan, and then went downstairs to bring up some afternoon tea and snacks.

She coaxed the girl into eating a little, then left her to the cartoon while she opened her laptop to manage Ye Feifei’s Weibo account.

The job of a superstar’s assistant was never easy.

The room fell quiet, save for the sound of the cartoon. Watching the screen, Xiang Qingnuan stole a glance at Lin Wen. Seeing her distracted, the girl quickly grabbed a snack from the plate and began to wolf it down.

She ate fast but cautiously, making no sound. Finally, she took a careful sip of honey tea to wash down the dry cake stuck in her throat.

She licked the crumbs from her lips with her little tongue, then stared blankly at the remaining pieces of cake.

Her eyes practically glowed green—it was obvious she was starving and wanted to finish the rest, but for some reason, she held back.

She peeked at Lin Wen again. The assistant was typing away with a serious expression, completely focused on her work.

Relieved, Xiang Qingnuan pulled out a small handkerchief, spread it over her knees, piled the remaining cakes onto it, wrapped them up quickly, and hid them away in her pile of toys.

“Qingnuan?”

Lin Wen’s voice from behind made the little girl jump. She rolled her eyes and turned around innocently. “Yes, Sister Wen?”

Though only four or five, her acting was enough to fool an adult. At least, Lin Wen noticed nothing.

Seeing her near the toys, Lin Wen didn’t think much of it. “Is the cartoon no good?”

“Um…” Fearing her hidden stash would be found if Lin Wen stood up, Xiang Qingnuan ran over and held out her arms for a hug.

Lin Wen lifted her onto her lap.

“Sister Wen, what are you doing?” Xiang Qingnuan looked at the screen and suddenly cried out, “It’s Mommy!”

Ye Feifei’s Weibo homepage was open, showing her latest post: a promotional still from her new drama.

It was a period piece. She wore an elegant lady’s robe, her hair styled in high clouds with ethereal makeup. In little Qingnuan’s eyes, the woman in the photo was as beautiful as a fairy.

“Yes, this is the new drama your mom is filming. Isn’t it pretty?” Lin Wen scrolled the mouse to show her more photos.

“Mhm! Mommy is the prettiest!” Qingnuan nodded vigorously. “Sister Wen, what is this thing that lets me see Mommy?”

“This…” Lin Wen hesitated. She felt she shouldn’t teach such a young child about Weibo. What if she got addicted?

Xiang Qingnuan sensed the hesitation. She twisted her fingers and asked anxiously, “Can’t you tell me?”

Lin Wen surrendered in a heartbeat. “It’s called Weibo. Adults use it to post words or pictures to record and share their lives.” (And other messy things, she thought).

Xiang Qingnuan didn’t fully understand, but she caught the main point: “Does Daddy and Mommy do it too?”

“Yes, this is your mom’s account.” Lin Wen scrolled through the feed, showing her Ye Feifei’s past updates.

The little girl’s eyes were glued to the screen, her almond-shaped eyes following the cursor. With every photo of Ye Feifei, her gaze brightened.

Then she suddenly remembered something and cheered: “I think my tablet has this too!”

She scrambled off Lin Wen’s lap, fetched her tablet, and pointed at the Weibo icon. “Sister Wen, is it this one?”

Lin Wen nodded.

“Then Sister Wen, can you teach me how to use it?” Fearing a refusal, Qingnuan grabbed her sleeve, her eyes full of longing. In a soft, milky voice, she pleaded:

“I want to see Daddy and Mommy. I just want to be able to see them. Sister Wen, please?”

Looking into those damp, deer-like eyes and hearing her plea, Lin Wen felt her own eyes grow moist.

A child of four or five, missing her parents so much she could only see them through a cold screen—the thought was heartbreaking.

Lin Wen’s sense of justice made her want to help this sweet child change her situation, but she was just a lowly assistant. What say did she have?

The only thing she could do was fulfill this tiny wish.

“Okay, Sister will teach you.” Lin Wen rubbed the girl’s head and nodded.

“Thank you, Sister Wen!” Xiang Qingnuan clapped her little hands happily.

“But remember,” Lin Wen warned. “If your parents find out later, you can’t say I taught you.”

“Mhm, I promise I won’t tell!” The little girl nodded solemnly. Her serious little face was so cute it nearly melted Lin Wen’s heart.