For an eight-year-old who was shy around strangers, taking the initiative to try holding a baby was undoubtedly a major step forward.
Everyone's attention was focused on the two children, one big and one small.
So no one noticed that the people beside them had somehow gone on high alert, entering "wartime" mode.
Li Qixian couldn't hear the inner thoughts. Seeing her younger son suddenly grow solemn again for no apparent reason, she found it strange.
"What's wrong?"
She crouched in front of Tang Xiancheng, looking up to study his reaction. "Are your arms getting tired?"
Tang Xiancheng looked at her in a panic.
Mom really can't hear my little sister.
What about my brother?
"If you're tired, why don't I hold her instead?"
Tang Xianqi gave him a gentle smile and stroked his head reassuringly, just as he always did.
There was nothing unusual about him.
My brother can't hear her either.
This really is too strange.
If he said he could hear his little sister's thoughts, his parents, uncle, and aunt would definitely think he was strange. They wouldn't believe him, either.
"N-no."
Tang Xiancheng hurriedly avoided his mother's and brother's eyes. "She... she grabbed my hand."
Li Qixian chuckled. "So our A-Cheng is feeling shy."
He was already shy around strangers. Asking to get close to Tangtang and even interacting with her had taken a great deal of courage. Then Tang Tang had responded, startling him. It was only natural for him to feel embarrassed.
"It's all right."
Tang Dongcheng sat down on his son's other side and demonstrated by touching Tang Tang's chubby little cheek with his index finger. "Tangtang likes playing with you, too. Spend some more time playing with your little sister."
Both A-Qi and A-Cheng could stir Tang Tang's emotions. A-Cheng in particular seemed to evoke a special sort of pity in Tangtang.
As long as both brothers stayed by her side, Tang Dongcheng believed Tang Tang would reveal more useful information.
Tang Tang really hadn't expected Tang Xiancheng to have this side to him as a child.
As an adult in his thirties, he was still afraid to talk to people, yet as a child, he was a clingy little thing who loved sticking to his brother and being praised by him.
The contrast was so stark that every change in his mood and expression was fascinating.
A month after being born, she had finally found a new source of amusement besides watching her scumbag dad get taken down a peg.
"Yes, yes, bowl-cut brother, you should play with me more!"
"Of course, I'll try my best to stay awake and play with you, too."
"But you should smile more. Do you know how cute you are when you smile?"
"Were you embarrassed just now because I grabbed your hand?"
"If I kiss you, will your whole face turn red?"
Tang Xiancheng: "..."
No.
Don't kiss me!
"Hehehe, I've finally found something new to amuse myself with!"
"Heaven knows how boring it is when all I can do every day is watch my scumbag dad get taken down a peg."
Tang Beichen: "..."
Sweetheart, please focus on your third brother. Leave innocent bystanders out of this.
Tang Tang grinned smugly, babbling as she reached her chubby little claws toward Tang Xiancheng.
"Wow, you really are so much fun!"
"My hand hasn't even touched you yet, and you're already scared."
"That reaction is too cute. I need to touch you some more!"
Tang Xiancheng: "..."
You're picking on me on purpose!
Tang Xiancheng grew frantic, but he didn't dare push Tang Tang away. He could only steel himself and dodge her little claws while seeking help from Tang Xianqi.
"Brother..."
"Your first reaction when something happens is to turn to your brother. You really do depend on him."
"Too bad your brother can only stay with you for another year at most."
"Your brother is your brother, and you're you. Both of you have to keep living even without the other. Don't go having some adolescent melodramatic episode at your age and become a fat shut-in with a bowl cut, without caring whether anyone else lives or dies."
The mind-reading adults: "..."
One year.
So it would happen that soon.
Tang Xianqi: "..."
Tang Tang, wasn't what you just said even more like adolescent melodrama?
Tang Tang kept up her commentary while waving her little claws.
With her pestering him, Tang Xiancheng couldn't concentrate at all. He only caught the last sentence clearly.
He pressed his lips together and looked at Tang Tang speechlessly, no longer dodging.
I'm not melodramatic.
I don't have a bowl cut.
I'm not fat, either.
And you should call me third brother.
He stopped so suddenly that Tang Tang couldn't pull her hand back in time, unexpectedly smacking him in the face.
"Ah... sorry."
"Why did you suddenly stop dodging?"
Tang Tang hadn't actually intended to kiss him. She knew bowl-cut brother was genuinely shy around strangers right now and didn't like getting close to people.
Besides, she was still too little to prop herself up into a sitting position, so she couldn't reach his face to kiss him anyway. She had only wanted to tease him and watch his funny reactions.
Who knew he would suddenly stop?
"Are you really angry?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you."
"All right, all right. If you don't like it, I won't tease you anymore."
Tang Xianqi: "..."
You already said that just now.
Unable to get the reaction she wanted, Tang Tang couldn't be bothered to keep trying.
She found herself a comfortable position and lay still, obediently playing the part of an adorable little baby.
"I thought I'd finally found something fun besides my scumbag dad. Who knew the happiness would be so short-lived?"
"Sigh. Life as a baby is so boring."
Tang Beichen: "..."
So all this time, you've only been using me as entertainment to pass the time?
Tang Xiancheng was indeed upset that his baby sister had given him so many nicknames, but he wasn't angry over being hit once.
When she actually settled down so suddenly, Tang Xiancheng found himself at a loss instead.
"I'm... not angry."
Tang Xiancheng lowered his head and tried his best to look Tang Tang in the eyes. "It didn't hurt when you hit me. I'm not angry."
Tang Tang was a little surprised, but she couldn't be bothered to think about why.
"Oh. Well, thank you."
"Good, good. You're already taking the initiative to communicate with me on our first meeting. You're not actually born with social anxiety, so try a little harder. Aim to shake off that fat, bowl-cut shut-in image someday."
Tang Xiancheng: "..."
Can I go back to being angry now?
"Tang Tang must be tired. She needs a little rest."
Su Xiajing came over to smooth things over. "A-Cheng, thank you for playing with Tang Tang for so long."
"Yes, our A-Cheng has already tried very hard today. Well done."
Tang Dongcheng rubbed the spot on his son's face where she had hit him. "If you're tired, let your brother hold Tangtang. You can stay beside them and play with her."
Trying to coax information out of a baby whose thoughts jumped all over the place was harder than reaching the heavens.
In truth, learning how much time A-Qi had left was already a major gain.
But as the boy's father, he naturally wanted as much detail as possible, so he still wanted to keep trying.
Tang Tang was transferred into Tang Xianqi's arms.
Her eldest brother was much more practiced at holding a baby. Tang Tang lay very comfortably, and whenever she looked up, she could see his gentle smile. Her heart was about to melt.
"Angel brother, I love you. Cuddles!"
But she only shouted it in her mind, then lay there obediently, admiring her eldest brother's beautiful face.
By the time the family of four left, Tang Dongcheng still hadn't obtained a second clue from Tang Tang.
On the way home, someone with a bowl cut walked past the car window.
Tang Xiancheng perked up. After staring at the boy outside for a while, he asked, "Brother, that person who just walked past had hair shaped like a bowl lid. Is that a bowl cut?"
No wonder my little sister dislikes it so much.
It's so ugly.
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