The room was quiet, breathing sounds interlaced on the Bed, playing a fresh little tune as the light outside gradually dyed the curtains bright.
Lin Yiren stirred first, her eyelashes trembling twice before her eyelids gently lifted.
Upon opening her eyes, she saw a small back rising and falling slowly. She blinked as her consciousness returned, remembering she was in the Eldest Miss’s Bed.
Lin Yiren rubbed her eyes and sat up, seeing the other two still asleep. Xing Yao was sprawled on the pillow with her small mouth slightly open, while Chen Zhaoyue lay opposite her, long hair covering half her face.
Lin Yiren watched for a while before looking away.
She picked up her Smartphone to check the time, rolled out of Bed, and light-footedly opened the door to leave.
By the time she finished rinsing the white foam from her mouth and returned to the room, Chen Zhaoyue’s spot was empty except for the tossed-aside blanket, and the sound of water came from the bathroom.
After more time passed than Lin Yiren’s own washing routine, the bathroom door opened. Chen Zhaoyue walked out, still wearing her nightgown. Her bangs were clipped back, her face looked refreshed, and a drop of water slid down her earlobe to her jawline.
“Good morning.” She revealed her pearly white teeth.
“Yeah, morning.” Lin Yiren raised a hand and waved.
Chen Zhaoyue picked up her Smartphone from the table and swiped through her messages.
“Hehe.” Lin Yiren propped herself up with both hands and slid over to Xing Yao’s side. She brushed away the messy hair on the girl’s face, her fingers sliding back and forth across a face as warm as a small furnace. Xing Yao’s face was soft and smooth; kneading and pinching it before she woke up had almost become Lin Yiren’s daily routine.
“What are you doing? Disturbing our daughter’s sweet dreams so early in the morning.” Chen Zhaoyue watched the girl crawling there, thinking she looked like a child herself.
“I’m waking Xing Yao up; it’s almost eight o’clock.” Lin Yiren spoke solemnly, unable to resist giving the little face a peck.
Under her Mama’s clutches, Xing Yao whimpered twice and finally opened her eyes. She squirmed, stretching her arms and legs, letting out a lazy “Mmm—.”
“You’re awake. If you didn’t wake up, the sun would’ve scorched your bottom.” Lin Yiren nudged the little dumpling and took the opportunity to lie down, pressing close to her daughter.
Chen Zhaoyue put down her Smartphone, rested her chin on her hand, and smiled. “Your Mama’s hands are just itching. Give her a couple of slaps as a warning.” Recently, when she tried to get close to her daughter, she was always greeted with small palms; it didn’t make sense for Lin Yiren to be able to snuggle up so freely.
“No.” Xing Yao hugged Yiren, burying her face below the collarbone, smelling the fragrance on her Mama’s body.
Oh, so there was a major advantage.
Chen Zhaoyue raised an eyebrow, rose from her chair, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the Bed. “I want in too.” She loomed over the two of them, wanting to join that soft, fragrant space.
Lin Yiren never thought the Eldest Miss would one day say such perverted words and hurriedly reached out to push her away.
“There’s no room for Mummy here anymore.” Xing Yao hugged her Mama even tighter.
Chen Zhaoyue clearly couldn’t accept being shut out of the family. With a flick of her hair, her lithe and firm figure slowly leaned down.
The result—
“Smack.”
Two palms, one large and one small, squeezed the Eldest Miss’s beautiful face into a bun.
Amidst the commotion, the sun rose higher.
***
“Breakfast is late.” Lin Yiren placed the steaming porridge on the table.
“I told you we could just buy something outside.” Chen Zhaoyue cut the fried egg drizzled with soy sauce in half and took a bite.
“There aren’t any breakfast shops around your Wealthy District.”
“I could have had someone deliver it.”
“Then you call for delivery next time.” Lin Yiren pursed her lips.
Chen Zhaoyue detected the slight unhappiness in her tone and immediately found the reason.
“But I still prefer eating your cooking. Mmm, the porridge is soft and fragrant, delicious.” Chen Zhaoyue scooped a mouthful of porridge and ate it, showing an expression of pure enjoyment.
“You’re being too dramatic.” Lin Yiren said, though the corners of her mouth curled into a small arc.
“It really is delicious. If you don’t believe me, ask Xing Yao.”
Lin Xingyao was currently battling an egg. Hearing this, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Yiren. “Mama’s cooking is the best in the world—can I not eat the egg?”
Chen Zhaoyue covered her face.
“No, you need to supplement your protein.” Lin Yiren cosplayed as her own mother.
Xing Yao pouted and had to take a bite of the egg she didn’t like, followed by a bite of the vegetable pancake she did like.
After breakfast, Chen Zhaoyue handed a document to Lin Yiren.
“What’s this?”
“You’ll know once you open it.”
Lin Yiren opened it with a confused look and saw an information form with a one-inch blue-background photo attached to the top right. The girl in the photo had a low ponytail, revealing a clean forehead. Her small face was elegant and refined, yet showed a hint of awkwardness—it was the Lin Yiren who had been arranged by Chen An to take an ID photo.
“This is…” Lin Yiren’s gaze swept over it. It recorded her school and major, with a note: “Took a leave of absence in the second semester of senior year; returning to school this September.”
“Your re-enrollment information form. In two months, you’ll be entering school as a female University student.” Chen Zhaoyue stood with her hands behind her back, looking down at it with her.
Lin Yiren’s hand brushed over the girl in the photo, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Seeing her getting lost in thought over a form, Chen Zhaoyue patted her shoulder. “There’s something even more worth reminiscing about.”
After saying that, she reached into the document bag for a moment and pulled out a card encased in a light blue sleeve with a male anime character on the back.
“Ah, isn’t this my campus card?” Lin Yiren’s eyes widened as she reached for it.
“I should say it’s your current campus card, but I kept the old sleeve for you.”
Sure enough, the campus card no longer showed a short-haired youth, but the current long-haired girl, with the name “Lin Yiren” written beside it.
The light blue sleeve had been bought by Lin Yiren in her freshman year. It was worn and faded after nearly four years of bumps and scratches, yet it now held a new card at the end of its journey.
Chen Zhaoyue’s hand appeared before her again, pointing at the department on the card. “I didn’t expect you to be in the Mathematics Department.”
“What do you mean ‘didn’t expect’? You dug up my school info a long time ago.” Lin Yiren unceremoniously exposed her, saying, “And how do I not look like I’m from the Mathematics Department?”
Chen Zhaoyue tapped her chin. “By not wearing black-rimmed glasses and speaking so formally?”
“Don’t use stereotypes, hey!”
Chen Zhaoyue smiled, thought of something, and suddenly turned serious.
“There definitely aren’t many girls in the Mathematics Department. When the time comes and flowers and love letters are sent every day, you mustn’t give in.”
“How could such a thing happen? It’s not like you haven’t been to University.” Lin Yiren’s mouth twitched violently as Chen Zhaoyue spoke about this with such a serious face.
Besides, it was impossible for her to like boys anyway.
“It’s also not okay if a girl confesses.” Chen Zhaoyue seemed able to see through her thoughts based on her expression.
Lin Yiren was startled and looked up at Chen Zhaoyue.
“What, do you want to have a sweet romance with a female University student?” Chen Zhaoyue met her gaze, her eyes burning like torches.Lin Yiren almost shook her hands off. “No, I’ve already…” Halfway through, she covered her own mouth.
“Already what?”
“Nothing…”
“Hmph,” Chen Zhaoyue pinched her face, “don’t you forget that you’re already a child’s Mama.”