The house in the old district was naturally much smaller than the courtyard on the outskirts. The moment Ning Qing stepped inside, one sweep of her eyes took in the whole room—
Chen Banxia hugging a cushion and yawning; Chen Shu, who had opened the door for her; Auntie coming over with a broad smile; Uncle holding his phone. The coffee table was crowded with fruit and snacks, a little messy, but many were things she and Xiaoxiao loved. A drop of oil had been left unwiped on the dining table. Unless she was mistaken, Chen Banxia had cleaned up after breakfast, and Auntie would scold her when she spotted it.
Vegetables bought that morning sat untouched on the kitchen counter. Just from the ingredients, Ning Qing could already guess most of what they would have for lunch.
After that one glance, Ning Qing withdrew her gaze. As she changed into slippers, she greeted Lawyer Wei, who had come up to her.
"Hello, Auntie."
"Oh! It's been half a year, and Qingqing's even prettier! It's really a shame to make you date Chen Shu."
Chen Shu: ...
Ning Qing glanced up at him, pressed her lips together, and offered only one reply.
"It's all right."
Chen Shu: ...
The corner of Ning Qing's mouth lifted slightly.
Compared with the courtyard President Ning and Curator An lived in, this place felt much more like a home.
Once she had changed her slippers, Ning Qing went into the living room and sat down beside Chen Shu as naturally as could be. Then she tossed Peach onto the floor and let her play as she pleased.
The little girl did not change slippers; she was already wearing a pair. Once her sister moved away from the doorway, she came in, hopped into the