A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 2

As Ye Feifei’s assistant, Lin Wen managed several “sockpuppet” accounts for her. For safety’s sake, however, she picked a brand-new, blank account and registered the ID “Fei-tally in Love with You.”

She stared at the ID for a few seconds before turning to little Qingnuan. “Nuannuan, what do you want your Weibo name to be?”

“A name?” Qingnuan tilted her head. “Can’t I use my own name?”

Lin Wen shook her head. Not only was the name likely taken, but using her real name would expose her identity instantly.

“Qingnuan, Qingnuan…” Lin Wen looked at the girl and had a sudden flash of inspiration. “How about ‘Nuannuan’s Little Sunny Day’? What do you think?”

Even as she asked, she was already typing. Qingnuan didn’t quite understand, but she nodded cutely. “Mhm, I’ll listen to Sister Wen.”

Lin Wen quickly changed the name and was delighted to find that the ID wasn’t taken. She deleted all default followers and the “Weibo Assistant” bot, leaving only two accounts in the following list: Ye Feifei and Xiang Nan.

She was genuinely afraid of Qingnuan seeing inappropriate content. Kids these days were sharp as tacks; if she accidentally learned something bad, Lin Wen’s conscience would never rest.

“Alright, Sister will teach you how to use it.” Lin Wen picked her up and patiently showed her how to open the app and check the updates of the people she followed.

The software was intuitive, and with a child’s quick mind, Qingnuan learned it in no time.

“I’ve got it! Thank you, Sister Wen!” Qingnuan thanked her again, her smile revealing two adorable dimples.

“Okay, go play then,” Lin Wen rubbed her head. “Sister has to get to work.”

Ring ring ring—

Lin Wen’s phone suddenly went off. She glanced at the screen and answered immediately. “Hello, Sister Feifei, it’s me. Yes, Qingnuan is right here…”

Qingnuan had already recognized her mother’s voice. Her eyes lit up instantly. Hearing her name, she shouted, “Mommy, Mommy!”

Lin Wen handed the phone over.

“Mommy, it’s me.” The girl’s voice instantly became soft and sweet. She remembered her mother telling her that girls should speak like little ladies.

“I have some things to handle, so I can’t come back today. I’ll come see you another day,” Ye Feifei’s voice came through. It was quiet with a slight echo, suggesting she had stepped away from the crowd to call.

Qingnuan’s face fell. She bit her lip, wanting to say something, but Ye Feifei spoke again with a hint of impatience: “Be a good girl, okay?”

The girl’s eyes clouded with mist. She blinked, forcing back the tears, and said obediently, “Okay, I’ll be good.”

“Good girl,” Ye Feifei said. “Now give the phone back to Lin Wen.”

“Okay. Goodbye, Mommy.” Qingnuan handed the phone back and ran off with her tablet.

Lin Wen opened her mouth to speak, but watching the lonely figure run away, she couldn’t find the words to comfort her. After finishing the call regarding the schedule, Lin Wen packed her things to leave.

Qingnuan followed her to the door, clutching her sleeve. “Can’t Sister Wen stay and play with me?”

“Sister has work.” Lin Wen gently pulled her hand away and got into the car. “Eat well. I want to see a plump little Qingnuan next time I visit!” She waved through the window.

Qingnuan stood at the gate, watching until the black car disappeared around the corner in the twilight.

“Miss, it’s time to go in.”

The middle-aged woman’s voice from behind made Qingnuan’s back stiffen. She turned around to see Auntie Chen looking down at her. The kind smile she had shown Lin Wen was gone, replaced by a cold look of disgust.

Qingnuan shrank back and followed her inside. As soon as they entered, Auntie Chen shut the door and locked it with a sharp click that echoed through the empty house.

“Did you say anything to her?” Auntie Chen leaned in, asking in a sinister tone.

Qingnuan didn’t dare look at her. She shook her head and stared at her toes.

Auntie Chen snorted. “If you dare talk too much, I’ll cook those goldfish your father gave you. Understand?”

With red eyes, Qingnuan nodded.

“Speak up! Are you a mute?”

The girl bit her lip and whispered, “Mhm, I understand.”

Having delivered the threat, Auntie Chen softened her tone insincerely. “You have to listen to me. That’s what your father and mother said.”

“Mhm…” The girl wiped her eyes, looking frail and helpless.

Auntie Chen showed no mercy. She waved a hand and said, “Fine, go to the kitchen and wash the dishes. I’ve put them on the floor. Don’t get the floor dirty.”

Qingnuan nodded and ran to the kitchen.

“Wait! Change out of that dress. I don’t want to have to wash it if you get it dirty.” Auntie Chen threw the tattered old clothes at her.

Seeing the girl move slowly, she crouched down and helped her change while grumbling: “Hmph, your mother… saying she’s coming back and then not. All my hard work for nothing!”

To hide her tracks, she had cleaned the whole house once she heard the news. “She’s just doing this to torture people! My back is aching. Fine, since you had snacks this afternoon, you don’t need dinner.”

With that, she pushed the child into the kitchen. On the floor sat a basin of soapy water and a pile of dishes.

Auntie Chen had cooked a feast to welcome Ye Feifei. Since the mistress wasn’t coming back, the food was hers. She had already packed it up to take home to her own children.

She sneered at the child crouching on the floor. Rich kids, huh? They still have to live by my rules. If I’m happy, they eat. If not? They starve.

“Wash them well. If you break one, you won’t eat tomorrow morning either.” She went to the living room to eat fruit and watch TV.

In the kitchen, the tiny child crouched by a basin nearly as big as herself. Her small hands gripped plates five or six times the size of her fist. She scrubbed away the grease with a rag. Her movements were clumsy but practiced; clearly, she did this often.

It took two episodes of Auntie Chen’s show before she finished. Afterward, Qingnuan sat slowly on the floor. Her legs were numb, and she knew if she stood up too fast, she’d get dizzy.

Grrr— her stomach growled.

She licked her lips. She was exhausted and starving, but the thought of the hidden sugar cakes gave her strength.

“Done?” Auntie Chen appeared at the door.

Qingnuan jumped. She stood up, waiting for the rinse water.

“Fine, go upstairs and sleep. I’ll do the second rinse,” Auntie Chen said, mostly because it was almost 8:00 PM and the kid was too slow.

Qingnuan exhaled and followed her upstairs. She stood by the door and watched as Auntie Chen closed it and locked her in.

Auntie Chen only bathed her once a week unless guests were coming, and never tucked her in. But Qingnuan didn’t mind; she preferred being left alone by the “mean auntie.”

Since her mom was supposed to come home, she had been bathed and felt fresh. Thinking of the cakes, she felt even better. She swapped her dirty rags for a pink nightgown and did a little twirl in her “princess room.”

After admiring herself, she ran to the desk to watch her goldfish blow bubbles. She fed them a little, then retrieved the handkerchief full of cakes from the toys.

Munching on a cake, she opened her tablet and clicked on Weibo as Lin Wen had taught her. Immediately, a new post appeared about her father, Xiang Nan.

Qingnuan couldn’t read, but the photo caught her eye. It showed a man on a glittering stage, holding a crystal trophy and smiling.

She smiled back, clicked the post, and scrolled down. There were many comments, but she couldn’t read them; she just scrolled for fun.

Suddenly, she accidentally tapped a profile picture. It was an old man with a white beard who looked very kind, standing next to a cute sika deer.

The screen jumped to his homepage. Qingnuan blinked and rubbed her eyes. She thought she saw the old man’s eyes move, but when she looked again, it seemed like an illusion.

Curious, she scrolled down and saw a picture of a fish. It was a chubby cartoon fish that looked just like her goldfish. She instantly loved it.

She tapped randomly at the chubby fish for a while, then let out a big yawn. Feeling sleepy, she hid the remaining cakes and went to the bathroom.

On the tablet she left on the desk, a message was displayed: “Repost Successful.” The account “Nuannuan’s Little Sunny Day” now had its first and only repost.

Splish splash—

The sound of water came from the bathroom. After finishing her business, Qingnuan scrambled into bed.

I hope Mommy and Daddy can come back tomorrow…

Clutching her doll, she drifted into a dream.

The room grew silent.

After a long while, a golden light flickered in the darkness. It outlined the figure of an old man. He looked at the girl on the bed, then at the goldfish in the tank.

The goldfish looked back blankly. The old man tapped his staff, and a golden light arced through the air, landing perfectly into the fish tank. With a smile, the old man faded away into nothingness.

The little girl slept on, knowing nothing of what had happened…