“Dad! Mom! I brought a friend home to play!”
A lively golden figure burst into the small villa. Unlike usual, the sun had not yet set, and this time, Ruan Zhixian held the hand of another little black-haired girl as she came home.
An Qing stood at the polished marble foyer, her gaze sweeping over the heavy rosewood furniture in the living room and the gleaming brass railings of the spiral staircase in the back.
She subconsciously shrank her worn shoes backward.
So this is Zhixian’s home… It feels even bigger and prettier than the homes of the uncles and aunts who wanted to adopt me before.
A sour and bittersweet feeling rose up in the black-haired girl’s heart. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to hide her out-of-place self in the cracks between the marble tiles.
“Zhixian’s back?”
A tall, slender, and handsome man stepped out of one of the rooms, wearing a perfectly pressed, spotless white shirt.
“This is the good friend you mentioned?” The man’s gaze turned toward An Qing.
“Yeah! That’s right! Her name is An Qing, she’s my new best friend!”
Ruan Zhixian lifted their joined hands high, replying excitedly.
“Is that so. So this is the little girl who was bullied that day… Looks like you and Zhixian get along well.”
“Hello, An Qing, I’m Ruan Shuhe, Zhixian’s father. If you don’t mind, you can call me Ruan Uncle.” The man smiled gently and nodded at the little girl.
“Ruan Uncle, h-hello, my name is An Qing…” An Qing hadn’t expected such a formal greeting and responded nervously.
“Come on, An Qing, wear these slippers from when I was little, they should fit!”
While they spoke, Ruan Zhixian had already rummaged through the cabinet and found a pair of somewhat old sandals for the black-haired girl.
“Ah, you don’t mind that I wore them before, do you?”
“No, not at all! Of course I don’t mind!”
An Qing immediately shook her head, her little black head bobbing like a rattle-drum.
“Good, that’s great.”
“By the way, Zhixian, what are you planning to play later? Do you want something to drink? Your mom’s out in the backyard with the plants. I’ll host you and your friend.” At this, Ruan Shuhe offered with a smile.
“Thank you, Ruan Uncle.” An Qing bowed politely.
“Zhixian and I plan to play hou—”
“Ah, ah, ah, dad!”
The short-haired, golden-haired tomboy immediately interrupted the black-haired girl.
“An Qing and I are just, um… going to play some games. Yes, just… kids’ games!”
“I’ll take An Qing to my room first! Go back to work, dad! I’ll get drinks and snacks for An Qing myself, no need to trouble you!”
As soon as she finished, Ruan Zhixian grabbed An Qing’s hand and whisked her upstairs in a flash.
“This child…”
Left standing there, Ruan Shuhe smiled helplessly and shook his head.
I really don’t know what she’s always in such a hurry about…
Come to think of it, did An Qing just say they were going to play house…?
For a moment, Ruan Shuhe’s expression turned odd.
That wild girl Zhixian, always running around—would she really sit down and play house…?
Must have heard wrong.
“Look, An Qing, this is my room!”
***
Ruan Zhixian pushed open a door on the second floor and welcomed the black-haired girl in with excitement.
In the center of the room was a beautiful white princess bed with a pale golden canopy.
But leaning against the headboard was a Dragon Skateboard, its deck emblazoned with a fire-breathing dragon.
A big teddy bear sat at the head of the bed, and the nearby display shelf was filled with all kinds of Ultraman toys.
The desk was a cute pink, but along with textbooks and homework, there was also a half-built Lego Mecha.
Everywhere in the girl’s room were these strange, clashing elements—just like how An Qing felt about Zhixian herself.
Clearly a cute girl, yet she liked dressing up like a boy; delicate like a girl, yet brave and dashing like a boy.
“Zhixian’s room… it really has its own style…” An Qing sighed softly.
“Ah? Really? Ahahaha, it’s alright, I guess.”
Ruan Zhixian seemed completely oblivious to anything odd about her decor, laughing as she scratched her head.
“An Qing, have a seat first. I’ll go get drinks and snacks. Is there anything you want to eat or drink?”
The black-haired girl sat down on the clean wool carpet, hugging her knees cutely, and shook her head.
“Then I’ll just bring whatever!”
Soon, the golden-haired girl set up a small table on the carpet and, like a busy little squirrel, piled all sorts of snacks on top.
“An Qing, what do you want to eat? I’ve got Planet Cups, Big Bubble Gum, Wow Milk Candy, Wangzai Little Buns, Qinqin Shrimp Sticks…”
As she stacked the snacks, she babbled on, introducing her collection.
The black-haired girl looked at the other’s shining green eyes and her face flushed with excitement, then looked at the little mountain of brightly wrapped snacks, and suddenly felt a tightness in her throat.
No one’s ever treated me so well.
No one has ever been so good to me.
She’s so good, so good that it’s like she can’t wait to offer her whole world to me.
An Qing suddenly felt like crying again.
“Zhixian, why are you so nice to me?”
The black-haired girl lowered her head, quietly clutching her shirt hem, and asked in a soft voice.
“Eh? Aren’t we friends? That’s what friends should do!”
Sitting cross-legged on the carpet and just opening a bag of chips, Ruan Zhixian looked up when she heard that. Her emerald eyes were sparkling, and her smile was sweet.
So, just being friends is enough to make you treat someone so well.
So it’s really that easy to become your friend?
Does that mean you could easily treat someone else like this, too? Could you become even better friends with someone else?
Then, what will I do when that happens…?
Will Zhixian still treat the unpopular me this way? Will she still play house with me, invite me to her room, and share her snacks and toys?
For some reason, little An Qing felt a pang in her heart. Looking at that carefree, cloudless smile just within reach, a strange fear suddenly seized her heart.
At the same time, something was sprouting inside her—hotter, closer, and more dangerous than mere “friendship.”
Suddenly, she didn’t want to just be friends with Ruan Zhixian.
But if not friends, what kind of relationship is even closer than friends…?
At this moment, in An Qing’s little mind, she still didn’t know much about the different kinds of close relationships people could have.
She just quietly buried these feelings deep inside her heart.
Maybe one day, when a certain chance arises, or after a word from someone, the deep emotions in her heart will truly grow tall and take root.