The next morning, Lin Chen woke to a faint rustling.
He opened his eyes and found himself still sitting beside Sheng Cai'er's bed, just as he had been the night before.
The little girl was already awake, curled beneath the covers, her grayish-purple eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. Her hair was a little tousled from sleep, with one tuft sticking straight up like an antenna.
When she saw him open his eyes, she hurriedly pulled the blanket over half her face as though she had been caught red-handed. Only her sparkling eyes remained visible, carrying a hint of guilt at being caught peeking.
Amused, Lin Chen rubbed his slightly stiff neck. "You're awake? Hungry?"
Sheng Cai'er nodded beneath the covers, then shook her head. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Not hungry... I just wanted to see if you were still here, big brother."
As she spoke, she lowered the blanket a little, revealing the hair that had been pressed into an unruly tuft. Her voice was tiny. "You really didn't leave."
Lin Chen's heart softened. He reached out to tidy her tangled hair and pressed the stubborn tuft down. "I said I wouldn't leave, and I meant it. Get up and wash. We have something important to do today."
After breakfast, Lin Chen took Sheng Cai'er out into the courtyard.
The sunlight was just right, falling over the flowering trees, and a faint floral fragrance filled the courtyard.
He had deliberately made the courtyard comfortable. A teapot sat on the stone table, and beside it stood a little wooden stool somewhat shorter than Sheng Cai'er, clearly prepared for her.
Sheng Cai'er curiously ran her hand over the stool and tried sitting on it. When she found that its height was perfect, her eyes curved into a smile.
Lin