A moment later in the dining room, Yiyi’s little legs suddenly halted, her nose twitching ever so slightly.
Her round eyes grew even wider, and even the faint flush that had been on her cheeks moments ago drained away in an instant.
The little girl cradled in Xiami’er’s arms made Yiyi’s heart skip a beat for another reason.
Behind that girl was a pink, heart-shaped little dragon tail, tipped with a soft, warm light; even the way it swayed matched Yiyi’s own tail perfectly.
“Got you, Yibao~ What are you looking at?”
Lilia’s warm palm gently settled on Yiyi’s shoulder, her tone holding a hint of triumphant amusement.
Following Yiyi’s frozen gaze, a flicker of surprise flashed in Lilia’s eyes.
“Wow, whose little darling is this?”
Yiyi was still frozen, her little mouth slightly agape.
She didn’t even dodge Lilia’s touch.
Her eyes were glued to the little girl in Xiami’er’s arms—or, more accurately, glued to that tail identical to her own.
It was the same soft pink heart shape, with a faint, warm glow wrapped around the tip.
At this moment, it swayed gently with the little girl’s breathing, its arc so soft and relaxed that it was indistinguishable from how Yiyi’s own tail looked when she let it down.
“You two look so alike! Yibao, is that your little sister?”
Seeing Yiyi dazed, Xiami’er’s eyes softened with a gentle smile.
She patted the little girl in her arms on the back and spoke softly, “Yibao, this is your little sister, Yao Yao.”
“Little sister?”
Yiyi’s voice was still hoarse from crying, her little head buzzing, her gaze fixed straight on Yao Yao.
“All right, you three little ones, take your time chatting. I have to attend court now.”
Xiami’er ruffled Yiyi’s hair, then gently tapped Yao Yao’s little nose, her gaze full of tender reminders: “Yiyi, you’re the elder sister. Take good care of Yao Yao, okay? No bullying your little sister.”
With that, she turned and swept out of the dining room, her skirts fluttering and bringing a cool breeze in her wake.
The dining room immediately fell quiet, with only the sound of birdsong outside and the clink of tableware left.
Yiyi was still frozen in place, her round eyes still stuck to Yao Yao’s tail—identical to her own.
Her little mouth was slightly open, the shock from earlier not yet faded.
Yao Yao felt a little embarrassed under Yiyi’s intense gaze.
Her small hand gripped her skirt tightly, her pink tail swaying lightly.
The warm glow at the tip brushed against the leg of the chair, leaving a faint glimmer as her soft voice came, shy and curious, “Big sister…”
That one word jolted Yiyi to her senses.
Her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively moved her own tail in front of her, as if afraid it would be taken away.
Still, she replied in a small voice, “Mm… Yao Yao.”
Seeing Yiyi respond, Yao Yao’s eyes instantly lit up.
She tentatively let go of her skirt, reached a hand towards Yiyi, took two steps forward, and then, unable to keep her balance, fell right into Yiyi’s arms.
Yiyi staggered back two steps from the sudden impact, but instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around the little figure in her arms.
Her nose bumped gently against the top of Yao Yao’s soft hair, carrying a faint milky scent.
“Mm…”
Yao Yao snuggled into her embrace, rubbing her little head gently against Yiyi’s chest.
Instead of crying, she reached out and hugged Yiyi’s waist.
Her pink heart-shaped tail rested docilely atop Yiyi’s tail, the glowing tip brushing gently as if seeking affection.
“A-Are you all right?”
Yiyi’s cheeks turned crimson, standing stiffly as Yao Yao clung to her.
She forgot to even raise her hand, letting Yao Yao hold her as she pleased.
Feeling the soft, warm little body in her arms, her heart pounded wildly, as though a rabbit was thumping inside.
“Oh my, Yibao has a little sister now? So, does that mean I can finally have my ‘breakfast’? Hmm? Yibao?”
Yiyi was so flustered from Yao Yao’s soft hug that her whole body felt feverish.
Hearing Lilia’s teasing voice, her cheeks grew even redder.
She gently pushed the little dumpling in her arms away but couldn’t bear to use much force.
“Stop messing around! Yao Yao’s still here!”
“She…”
Yiyi started to speak, but Lilia cut her off.
Lilia bent down, poking Yao Yao’s soft cheek with her fingertip, eyes sparkling with laughter.
“I’m your big sister’s closest companion, you know. And I’ll be Yao Yao’s good friend, too.”
With that, she deliberately leaned in close to Yiyi and murmured softly, so only the two of them could hear, “I’m still the one who gets to eat Yibao’s ‘special breakfast’~”
Yiyi’s ears burned instantly.
She swatted at Lilia, but Lilia grabbed her wrist instead.
Lilia led her to the dining table, pulled out a chair for her, and then picked up a fluffy custard bun, holding it to Yiyi’s lips: “Eat something first and fill up a little. Then you can ‘recharge’ me later, all right?”
Yao Yao climbed onto the little chair next to them, her short legs dangling above the floor.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the custard bun in Yiyi’s hand, her pink tail swishing against the seat, its glowing tip flickering.
Noticing Yao Yao’s hungry look, Yiyi’s embarrassment faded a little.
She split the bun in half and handed it over.
“Here, Yao Yao.”
“Thank you, big sister!”
Yao Yao’s eyes shone as she took the bun and nibbled at it, custard smearing the corner of her mouth.
Her tail wagged even more happily.
It brushed across the back of Yiyi’s hand, the warm, gentle touch making Yiyi curl her fingers reflexively.
Lilia’s gaze never left Yiyi, her fingertips sneakily brushing against Yiyi’s tail tip every now and then.
Each time, Yiyi would shudder all over, but with Yao Yao present, she didn’t dare retaliate.
She could only glare at Lilia, face bright red, and quietly scoot her tail toward Yao Yao, as if seeking a “safe harbor.”
Yao Yao finished her custard bun and curiously examined the two intertwined pink heart-shaped dragon tails.
She gently poked Yiyi’s tail, then her own, whispering, “Big sister’s tail is as soft as mine.”
“Mm…”
Yiyi’s cheeks burned, but she let her little sister touch her tail, a sudden warmth blooming in her heart.
Having a little sister just like herself… didn’t seem so bad, after all.
Seeing this, Lilia’s teasing look softened into gentle affection.
She reached out to ruffle Yiyi’s hair: “Yibao is a big sister now, getting more and more well-behaved.”
Seizing Yiyi’s distraction, Lilia stole a quick kiss on her cheek.
“That’s your reward.”
“You!” Yiyi puffed up instantly, her face red as a cooked crab, reaching out to push Lilia, but Lilia held her firmly by the shoulders.
Lilia’s eyes curved into smiling crescents: “All right, no more fooling. Hurry up and eat, or you’ll have to ‘feed’ me soon.”
Yao Yao tilted her little head, watching the two play around, her own mouth stretching into a sweet dimpled grin.
After a while, Lilia looked at Yiyi beside her, then at Yao Yao, and gently asked, “Yao Yao, your big sister and I need to step out for a moment. Will you wait for us here in the dining room?”
“Okay!”
Yao Yao agreed crisply, grabbing a strawberry and popping it into her mouth, her face full of expectation.
Lilia’s eyes sparkled as she immediately led Yiyi out, gripping her hand tightly and skipping lightly with excitement.
The moment they slipped into the shaded corridor, Lilia spun around, pressing Yiyi against the cool carved railing, their noses nearly touching.
“No one’s here now, so Yibao, you can’t get out of it,” Lilia whispered with a husky laugh, her warm breath brushing against Yiyi’s lips, her eyes filled with boundless affection and longing.
Trapped in her arms, Yiyi’s back was against the cool wood, but her face was burning hot.
She instinctively grabbed Lilia’s clothes, her tail tip curling up with nerves.
“I-I’m not trying to get out of it… just a little while, okay!”
“All right~ whatever Yibao says.”
Lilia smiled, lowering her head.
First, she nuzzled Yiyi’s blushing neck with her nose, feeling the tiny tremor that ran through her, then softly bit down on that patch of tender skin.
Yiyi tensed all over, then went limp, wrapping her arms around Lilia’s waist, her little face buried in her shoulder, letting out a muffled whimper.
“Mm~ hu~!”
Her tail wrapped itself around Lilia’s leg uncontrollably, the glowing tip swaying shyly with dependence.
The faint scent of blood mixed with the milky fragrance on Yiyi, deepening the smile in Lilia’s eyes.
She continued **, her fingers gently stroking Yiyi’s back, soothing her anxiety.
Meanwhile, back in the dining room, Yao Yao waited, watching the door for a long time without seeing Yiyi or Lilia return.
She blinked, then slowly climbed down from her chair, scampering out on her little legs.
Yao Yao stopped at the corner, her round eyes blinking as she curiously watched the entwined figures in the corridor’s shadows.
Yiyi’s face was buried in Lilia’s shoulder, her shoulders trembling faintly, while her familiar pink heart-shaped tail was wrapped tightly around Lilia’s leg.
“Big sister… what are they doing?”
Lilia was nestled into Yiyi’s neck, arms firmly encircling her waist.
Yao Yao tilted her head, clutched her skirt, and murmured softly in confusion: “Are they… cuddling?”
Just as Yao Yao was about to go ask, Luoli suddenly appeared, covering Yao Yao’s eyes and scooping her up, saying as she carried her away, “Yao Yao, let’s go wait for your sister, all right?”
Yao Yao squirmed a little in Luoli’s arms, her hands gripping her arm as she protested, “But Sister Luoli, I haven’t asked big sister yet. What are they doing?”
Luoli gently patted her back, her voice as soft as a spring breeze: “That’s a little secret between Her Highness and your big sister. You’ll understand when you’re older, Yao Yao.”
She quickly made her way back to the dining room, careful to avoid the corridor so the little one wouldn’t catch another glimpse.
Yao Yao nodded in half-understanding, resting her head on Luoli’s shoulder, but her hands still lingered: “But I want to play with big sister… When will they come back? I want to eat more of the custard bun big sister shared with me.”
“They’ll be back very soon.”
Luoli smiled and comforted her, setting her back on the little chair in the dining room and handing her another custard bun.
Yao Yao held the warm bun, her eyes still glued to the door, nibbling in little bites as her pink tail idly swept across the seat.