A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 35

Knock—knock—knock—

The door to the third-floor music room at the Xiang residence was knocked. The slender hands dancing across the black and white keys paused, and the melodious piano music came to an abrupt halt.

Qin Xuening looked toward the entrance. The door was pushed open gently, and Auntie Lin, the nanny, stood there, peering into the room.

Seeing that the girl had snapped out of her focus, Auntie Lin quickly put on a smile. “Miss Xuening, it’s time for dinner.”

Xuening froze for a moment. She glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and realized with a start that it was already dinner time. She nodded at Auntie Lin, indicating she would be down shortly. Understanding the signal, the nanny quietly closed the door.

Xuening gently lowered the piano lid. She sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the night sky outside. Since arriving at the Xiang residence, she hadn’t practiced until this late. Usually, by mid-afternoon, a certain little girl would come to pester her, insisting she come play in the yard.

It was because of that girl that she discovered the beauty of being in nature, of enjoying the sun and breeze to cleanse the soul. It was also because of her that she realized there were many vibrant, beautiful things in this world besides the piano.

But today, that little girl was not here.

From initial reluctance to gradually becoming accustomed to her company, it had only been a month. It wasn’t until this moment that Xuening understood that some emotions cannot be measured by time, and some forms of warmth are easily addictive.

She stood up slowly. Her peripheral vision caught the phone on the table. Following a sudden impulse, she walked over to check it. Aside from the text message from the morning, there were no other updates.

The girl’s eyes dimmed slightly. Did that little tot find new friends and forget all about me?

She pursed her lips and irritably turned off the screen. She had already tucked it into her pocket, but before letting go, she paused. Slowly, she pulled it back out and pressed a button; the screen lit up once more.

Simultaneously, the little girl’s brilliant, smiling face appeared before her.

Xuening traced the screen with her finger. Though the glass was icy cold, the sensation at her fingertip felt as if it were burning. She stared at it for a long time. It wasn’t until Auntie Lin came to urge her a second time that she finally put the phone down, took her crutches, and began the slow walk downstairs.

Auntie Lin found Xuening’s snail-like pace a bit hard to endure, but she didn’t dare rush her. Though this girl was merely a guest, the nanny had seen how everyone in the Xiang family treated her. Fortunately, while the girl looked like someone not to be trifled with, she had gradually become more “normal” after the initial gloominess she showed upon arrival.

Furthermore, there was an indescribable aura about her that was becoming increasingly apparent. Compared to when she first arrived, she was much more pleasant to be around.

“Miss Xuening, take your time. I’ll go down and dish out the soup for you first.” Auntie Lin made an excuse and hurried downstairs.

Xuening didn’t mind her. She walked step by step at her own pace and rhythm. As the saying goes, “it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone.” Even though children recover quickly, the doctor still advised against strenuous exercise or walking too fast.

Truth be told, walking was a very foreign sensation to her. In her past life, to save her life after the accident, the doctors had amputated both her legs. Being able to stand on her own again was a feeling that was… truly difficult to describe. Although her body retained its instincts, she hadn’t relied on her own feet to walk for nearly a decade. Completely adapting would take time.

By the time she reached the dining room, Auntie Lin had set out a lavish dinner. For a seven-year-old, three dishes and a soup was indeed a feast.

“Mr. Xiang said your body is still recovering and you need nourishment,” Auntie Lin said eagerly. “I specifically made bone broth. Have plenty.”

Auntie Lin placed a bowl of hot soup in front of Xuening and sat down to eat as well. Xuening looked at the soup. Tiny green onions floated on the milky white broth—it looked beautiful, but it made Xuening frown.

“Oh, look at my memory! Why did I add onions again?” Auntie Lin noticed the change in her expression and spoke quickly. “I’m sorry, Miss Xuening. I always feel like cooking has no flavor without them. I haven’t broken the habit yet. Let me pick them out for you…”

As she reached for the bowl, Xuening pressed her hand down and said softly, “No need.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

Xuening nodded. She picked up her spoon and, enduring the discomfort, drank the soup sip by sip. The little girl was out recording a show and likely suffering quite a bit; since she was living so well at home, Xuening felt she couldn’t justify being a picky eater in her own heart.

As she ate, she thought of Xiang Nan’s advice and the girl’s persistent pestering over the last month. She had seen the show Xiang Nan took her to in her past life. It was a massive hit—while not every season was a blockbuster, the hype was always there.

That was one of the reasons she didn’t want to go. She had no interest in entering the entertainment industry or attracting too much attention. Once her body fully recovered, she would continue her studies to make up for the regrets of her past life. As for music, she still had much to learn; the International Youth Piano Competition next year was her goal.

That night, Xuening leaned against her headboard as usual, flipping through her father’s music scores. Every time she saw his handwriting and those “bean-sprout” notes, she felt as if she were communicating with him face-to-face. Each reading brought new realizations and emotions.

But tonight, she felt a long-lost restlessness. she couldn’t settle her mind.

She glanced at the empty spot beside her and sighed. She closed the score, placed it solemnly back in its original position, turned off the light, and pulled the covers over her head to sleep.

The room fell silent for a moment. Then, after a while, there was rustling and creaking. In the dimly lit room, the bundled figure on the bed tossed and turned, changing positions every minute. It seemed no posture would allow her to fall asleep comfortably.

Click— Finally unable to take it, the figure sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.

The quiet light fell on her face. Usually expressionless, her brow was now slightly furrowed with the frustration of insomnia, giving her a more “human” air. After sitting alone for a while, she suddenly grabbed her pillow and climbed out of bed. She turned off the light and crept out of the room.

In the fish tank on the windowsill, the little goldfish was swimming lazily. Moonlight poured through the glass and fell upon it. Perhaps the moonlight was too bright, for the surface of its scales seemed to emit a faint fluorescence.

Clack— A sudden sound in the quiet night rang out clearly. The goldfish startled and instinctively blew a bubble. As its tail flicked, the fluorescence on its body turned into tiny specks of starlight that fell to the bottom of the tank among the plants, vanishing without a trace.

Done with that, it pretended to swim about nonchalantly, but its eyes stole a glance toward the door.

With the turn of the handle, the door creaked open. A slender figure slipped inside and quietly shut the door. The goldfish blew another bubble, watching this suspicious intruder warily.

Xuening released the handle. Holding her pillow, she slowly surveyed the little girl’s room. Even without the lights, she could vaguely see the pink, girly decor. She stepped toward the princess bed, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the fish tank. Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt the goldfish was watching her.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, she looked away. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked over, stood on her tiptoes, and poured a little food into the tank. The goldfish tilted its head to study her. Sensing a familiar aura from this human, it stopped caring and swam to the surface to eat the food bit by bit.

Xuening breathed a sigh of relief, crept to the bed, pulled back the sheets, and slid under the covers. Seeing a plush toy by the pillow, she grabbed it and lay down. The little girl’s bed was very soft—she wasn’t used to it—but the scent of Xiang Qingnuan on the mattress, the blanket, and the plushie made her feel at ease.

She tightened her hold on the toy, nuzzled her cheek against its softness, and soon drifted into a peaceful sleep as exhaustion took over.

The next morning, when the sunlight woke her, Xuening stared at the pink bed canopy for a good while. Eventually, she got up and restored everything to its original state. She walked to the window, said a silent goodbye to the goldfish, fed it, and left the room.

Another day without Xiang Qingnuan had begun.

On the afternoon of the third day, having finished the shoot, little Qingnuan finally bid farewell to the staff. She and her father, Xiang Nan, boarded the car for the return trip to their high-end neighborhood.

The Qi father and son were traveling with them. Because they had spent so much time together and were neighbors, the crew had put them in the same vehicle. Qingnuan looked at the familiar scenery, unable to hide her excitement and impatience. She was almost home; she would see Sister Xuening soon!

However, just as they neared the entrance to the neighborhood, Qi Jing, sitting beside her, suddenly called her name.

“Nuannuan…” The boy hesitated.

“Mhm?” Qingnuan looked at him curiously. Ever since the first introduction, this “big brother” hadn’t talked much. This was the first time he had approached her. “What is it, Brother Xiao Jing?”

“We’re almost home…”

“Mhm!” Qingnuan nodded happily.

“Let’s play together from now on…”

“Okay!” Qingnuan tilted her head and thought. “You can bring your little sister!”

A look of joy appeared on Qi Jing’s face. “I’ll bring my sister, so… you’ll bring your sister too, okay?”