Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Su Xiajing visits Tang Xia with Tang Tang and insists that Tang Xia become Tang Tang’s godmother, arguing that saving her daughter deserves a lasting bond.
• Tang Xia tries to refuse, saying Tang Tang’s fall was minor and that the thanks and gifts are already enough. But when Tang Tang calls her “Godmother” and hugs her, Tang Xia cannot bring herself to reject her.
• Tang Tang declares Xiao Xiang her new big brother, and he shyly accepts. Su Xiajing and Tang Xia agree to arrange a family celebration when their schedules allow.
• On the ride home, Tang Tang privately worries about getting Xiao Xiang examined for a tumor and paying for treatment. She knows her parents are already supporting ill relatives and doubts they will accept her money.
• Su Xiajing overhears Tang Tang’s thoughts and realizes why she has been visiting Xiao Xiang’s family. She then calls Zhang Zhang and arranges for Xiao Xiang to be cast in the next movie, with an advance path to a medical checkup and the acting fee paid from her personal funds.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Xia moves from polite resistance to an emotional, if unspoken, acceptance of Tang Tang as her goddaughter. Tang Tang’s affection awakens her grief and longing for the daughter she lost.
• Tang Tang is bold and affectionate, quickly treating Tang Xia as family and Xiao Xiang as her brother. Beneath her cheerful confidence, she is anxious about Xiao Xiang’s health and finances.
• Su Xiajing is determined to formalize the bond with Tang Xia, but also shows deep maternal love and concern as she reflects on Tang Tang’s hardships. After learning Tang Tang’s real worry, she quietly finds a practical way to help.
• Xiao Xiang is initially bewildered by Tang Tang’s sudden declaration that he is her big brother, but happily accepts the idea.
• Zhang Zhang is baffled by Su Xiajing’s unusual request and the increasingly complicated family connections, providing comic contrast to her decisive plans.

Significant themes

• Chosen family and gratitude: A rescue turns into a lasting family bond, even when Tang Xia feels the original event did not warrant such a commitment.
• Unspoken grief and healing: Tang Tang reminds Tang Xia of the daughter she lost, drawing her toward a new relationship.
• Care expressed through action: Tang Tang worries about Xiao Xiang, while Su Xiajing responds by arranging work and medical care without forcing help directly on his family.
• A child’s hidden burdens: Tang Tang’s cheerful behavior conceals serious concerns about illness, money, and the adults’ difficulties.

Plot and key events

• After coordinating with Zhang Zhang, Su Xiajing tells Tang Tang that she has recommended Tang Tang’s older brother, Xiao Xiang, for a child acting role. He will still need to audition.
• Tang Tang is delighted: the opportunity may let her support her birth family without giving them money directly, which she expects Tang Xia would refuse.
• Tang Tang calls Tang Xia and Xiao Xiang. To reassure them about Su Xiajing’s status, she guides them through searching her name online. They recognize her as the famous actress from a movie they have seen.
• Tang Xia is impressed but worries that Xiao Xiang has no acting experience. Tang Tang and Su Xiajing reassure her that the director can guide him, and the family agrees to the audition.
• After lunch, Tang Tang privately offers Su Xiajing the card holding her gold savings and pocket money, proposing that the money be passed to her family as Xiao Xiang’s acting fee.

Character developments

• Tang Tang is resourceful and determined to help Tang Xia’s family, eagerly seizing the acting opportunity and devising a way to provide financial support. Yet her plans also reveal how much responsibility she has taken on herself.
• Su Xiajing supports Tang Tang by arranging the recommendation while gently allowing her to feel she is helping. She recognizes that Tang Tang is carrying worries a five-year-old should not have to manage.
• Tang Xia moves from confusion and disbelief to cautious hope once she learns who Su Xiajing is, though she remains concerned about her son’s lack of experience.
• Xiao Xiang is excited by Su Xiajing’s fame and interested in the opportunity, but looks to his mother before responding.

Relationships and interactions

• Tang Tang and Su Xiajing act as a close mother–daughter team: Su Xiajing creates the opportunity, while Tang Tang urges it forward and shares her deeper plan.
• Tang Tang’s warmth toward Xiao Xiang and Tang Xia is evident in her eagerness to improve their circumstances.
• Tang Xia and Xiao Xiang rely on one another as they assess the offer, with Xiao Xiang deferring to his mother.

Significant themes

• Family care and generosity: Tang Tang wants to repay and support the family she loves.
• Childhood and adult responsibility: The chapter’s emotional core is the contrast between Tang Tang’s age and the burdens she assumes.
• Trust and opportunity: Su Xiajing’s influence opens a door, while the family must still face the audition.
• Pride and accepting help: Tang Tang seeks a discreet way to assist because she believes Tang Xia would reject direct financial aid.

Plot points and events

• Tang Tang wants to use her money to repay her godmother, Tang Xia, for her kindness. Su Xiajing praises her generosity but asks to handle the responsibility until Tang Tang is grown, encouraging her to enjoy childhood instead.
• Tang Tang agrees, but asks Su Xiajing to give Tang Xia more money, offering to use her own savings if needed. Su reassures her that she will provide suitable support and that Tang Tang’s savings are for her own future.
• Su takes Tang Xia and her son, Xiao Xiang, to meet Zhang Zhang for a brief audition, then explains Xiao Xiang’s acting contract. The role pays 300,000 yuan.
• Tang Xia is startled by the amount and worries that filming could interfere with Xiao Xiang’s schooling. Su explains that the production will provide a tutor and that roles are infrequent and usually take little time.
• Reassured, Tang Xia signs the contract as Xiao Xiang’s guardian. Tang Tang is relieved that her family has gained an opportunity and can worry a little less.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Tang shows both generosity and an ingrained habit of taking responsibility herself. Su’s offer to shoulder that burden helps her experience being protected and respected. She also tries to reassure Tang Xia with cheerful claims about celebrity pay and her own modeling income.
• Su Xiajing acts as a caring, practical guardian: she respects Tang Tang’s intentions while setting an age-appropriate boundary, and she patiently addresses Tang Xia’s concerns. Privately, she thinks Xiao Xiang deserved a higher fee and considers raising it for future work.
• Tang Xia is cautious and unfamiliar with entertainment-industry contracts, but she trusts Su’s explanations and agrees once her concerns about pay and schooling are addressed.
• Tang Tang and Su Xiajing share a tender exchange about money and responsibility; Su and Tang Xia build trust through a transparent explanation of the contract; Tang Tang and Tang Xia connect as godmother and goddaughter, with Tang Tang eager to help her.

Significant themes

• Caregiving and childhood: Adults should carry responsibilities for young children, allowing them to enjoy being children.
• Trust and respect: Listening to a child’s wishes while setting protective limits helps Tang Tang feel supported.
• Family security and opportunity: Xiao Xiang’s paid role offers financial relief and a hopeful path for Tang Xia’s family.
• Money and perspective: Tang Tang has little desire for possessions, viewing security and family wellbeing as more important than personal wealth.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Xia brings Xiao Xiang to spend time with Tang Tang, then leaves for work after Su Xiajing agrees to look after the children.
• Su Xiajing takes Tang Tang and Xiao Xiang to lunch. There, they run into her brother, Su Zhihao, who introduces his longtime friend Lu Hengyuan.
• Tang Tang proudly presents Xiao Xiang as her big brother. Su Xiajing explains that he is also her godson, making him Su Zhihao’s godnephew.
• Lu Hengyuan is immediately struck by Su Xiajing’s beauty and calls her “Sis,” prompting Tang Tang to tease the men for being so dazed.
• After an evening catching up with old schoolmates, Su Zhihao mistakenly goes to his father’s villa. The next morning, Su Jiansen scolds him for drinking, then tells him he plans to divorce Su Zhihao’s mother.
• Su Zhihao responds calmly, questioning why his father assumes he has been wronged. He says that if the issue concerns his mother and “Sister Chuchu,” Su Xiajing is the person his father should apologize to.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Tang is affectionate and enthusiastic with Xiao Xiang, proudly treating him as her older brother and recommending the restaurant’s food.
• Xiao Xiang is polite and quickly accepts Su Zhihao as another uncle.
• Su Zhihao readily embraces Xiao Xiang as family once Su Xiajing explains their relationship. His old friendship with Lu Hengyuan is also shown to remain close despite years apart.
• Lu Hengyuan is captivated by Su Xiajing and adopts the familiar “Sis” address to feel closer to her.
• Su Zhihao’s reaction to his father’s divorce plan reveals that he is more understanding and resilient than Su Jiansen expects. He redirects attention from his own feelings to the harm Su Xiajing may have suffered.

Significant themes

• Chosen and extended family: Xiao Xiang is welcomed into the family through Tang Tang’s affection and Su Xiajing’s godmotherly bond.
• Beauty and first impressions: Lu Hengyuan’s immediate admiration of Su Xiajing becomes a light comic moment.
• Parental guilt and adult children: Su Jiansen fears that divorce will hurt his son, while Su Zhihao challenges his father’s assumption that he needs protection.
• Unresolved family hurt: Su Zhihao’s reference to Su Xiajing suggests a painful past involving their mother and “Sister Chuchu,” and implies that Su Xiajing—not he—is owed an apology.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Su Zhihao reassures his father, Su Jiansen, that he does not blame him for the family’s past and would accept his decision to divorce. He also tells his father he is free to visit Xia Jing and Tangtang, but Jiansen assumes Xia Jing would not welcome him.
• Su Xiajing tells Tang Tang that Xiao Xiang must undergo a physical examination before filming in a high-altitude region. Tang Tang is suspicious of the convenient timing but accepts the explanation and arranges to bring Xiao Xiang in.
• The examination reveals that Xiao Xiang has an early-stage benign tumor. Su Xiajing explains the diagnosis and arranges surgery for two days later. Tang Xia agrees, and Tang Tang persuades her to let Xiao Xiang recover at their well-equipped home, where he can be cared for.
• Xiao Xiang undergoes surgery, stays in the hospital for five days, and is discharged the following day. His cheerful nature persists: after an initial moment of fear, he cooperates with treatment and even comforts his worried parents.
• Tang Tang devotes herself to caring for Xiao Xiang and declines her brothers’ invitations for nearly two weeks. Her brothers, unused to going so long without seeing her, decide to visit.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Zhihao shows maturity and compassion, easing his father’s guilt while recognizing that Jiansen’s relationship with Xia Jing remains strained.
• Su Jiansen still regrets his past actions and wants to reconnect with Xia Jing and Tangtang, but his fear of being rejected keeps him from approaching them.
• Su Xiajing uses her resources to secure Xiao Xiang’s examination, diagnosis, and treatment, then offers practical support to Tang Xia.
• Tang Tang is perceptive about the circumstances surrounding the examination, but responds with empathy and determination once Xiao Xiang’s health is at stake. She supports Tang Xia and stays by Xiao Xiang throughout his recovery.
• Tang Xia trusts Su Xiajing enough to accept help, despite her initial worries about the examination and surgery.
• Xiao Xiang proves notably optimistic and resilient, reassuring his parents even as he faces treatment.
• Tang Tang’s brothers, especially Tang Jian, are puzzled and hurt by her absence. Their concern underscores how much they value their regular time together.

Significant themes

• Family estrangement and regret: Su Jiansen longs to repair his relationship with Xia Jing, but remorse alone has not overcome the distance between them.
• Care and generosity: Su Xiajing and Tang Tang use their means to help Xiao Xiang and his family, turning an unexpected diagnosis into a manageable crisis.
• Resilience and optimism: Xiao Xiang faces illness with remarkable cheerfulness, helping ease his parents’ fear.
• Family bonds and responsibility: Tang Tang’s devotion to Xiao Xiang temporarily disrupts her routine with her brothers, revealing both her compassion and the strength of their attachment.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Tang skips swimming lessons without explanation, so her siblings worry and ask cousin Tang Xianqi to let them visit her.
• They arrive at Su Xiajing’s home and find Tang Tang relaxing with Xiao Xiang, watching cartoons. Though Sister Wang calls her “busy,” the siblings discover she is simply spending the day with her friend.
• Xiao Xiang greets the visitors and calls himself Tang Tang’s “big brother.” After a brief misunderstanding, Tang Xianqi explains that he and the others are Tang Tang’s cousins and older siblings; Xiao Xiang clarifies that he is her godbrother.
• Tang Xianqi says they came because they were concerned she might be ill. Tang Tang thanks him and offers the group snacks, leaving them to help themselves or ask the household staff.
• When Tang Xiancheng asks whether Tang Tang skipped lessons to spend time with Xiao Xiang, she happily says she enjoys having him around. Her siblings silently resent how warmly she treats him.

Character developments

• Tang Tang shows that she values time with Xiao Xiang and is unusually affectionate toward him. She is initially disappointed that her siblings interrupted their time together, but appreciates that they came out of concern.
• Tang Xianqi acts as a responsible, considerate older cousin, checking with Tang Lin and explaining the visit to Tang Tang.
• Xiao Xiang is sociable and comfortable with the family, but becomes self-conscious when he wonders whether his visits have been a bother.
• The other siblings move from concern to curiosity and then jealousy as they notice Tang Tang’s special warmth toward Xiao Xiang.

Significant themes

• Family and belonging: The children sort out the difference between cousins, siblings, and a “godbrother,” showing how affection can create family-like bonds beyond blood relations.
• Jealousy and favoritism: Tang Tang’s closeness with Xiao Xiang makes her siblings feel displaced and compare how she treats them.
• Care expressed through action: The siblings’ visit—and Tang Xianqi’s explanation—shows that their concern for Tang Tang motivates them to interrupt their lesson.

Character interactions

• Tang Xianqi reassures Tang Tang that the siblings came to check on her, not to scold her.
• Xiao Xiang warmly introduces himself to the cousins, while Tang Xianqi patiently clarifies everyone’s relationships.
• Tang Xiancheng tries to learn why Tang Tang skipped class; Xiao Xiang worries he may have imposed, and Tang Tang quickly reassures him.
• The siblings watch Tang Tang’s affectionate exchange with Xiao Xiang and privately feel that she is playing favorites.

Key plot points and events

• The Tang siblings grow jealous and suspicious when they see Tang Tang treating Xiao Xiang like a close older brother.
• Xiao Xiang explains that he has been staying with Tang Tang and her godmother since leaving the hospital two days earlier. He shows the siblings the bandage over his abdominal surgery and calmly describes the pain and itching.
• The siblings are impressed by how bravely he endures his discomfort. Tang Youzhen, especially, admires him and resolves to learn from him.
• A mix-up over ages follows: Xiao Xiang is nine, while the sturdy-looking twins Tang Youzhen and Tang Youhao are only eight. The discovery embarrasses Youzhen, who is already touchy about being called a crybaby.
• Tang Jian and the others introduce themselves and explain their ages and places among Tang Tang’s older siblings. Xiao Xiang warmly praises them and quickly joins the group.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Xiang is open and matter-of-fact about his surgery, but privately struggles with pain and tries not to worry Tang Tang or his parents. His composure earns the siblings’ admiration.
• Tang Youzhen shifts from curiosity to awe, then feels embarrassed and slighted when he learns Xiao Xiang is older and hears himself called a crybaby.
• Tang Youhao silently teases his twin with a contemptuous glance, while Youzhen protests that he had the same mistaken impression.
• Tang Jian lets go of his earlier jealousy and takes the lead in welcoming Xiao Xiang. The other siblings follow with friendly introductions.
• Tang Tang smooths over the siblings’ obvious jealousy by saying they are shy around strangers, then worries that her easygoing brother will be led astray by the lively Tang siblings.

Significant themes

• Courage and resilience: Xiao Xiang’s willingness to endure pain without complaining makes a strong impression.
• Jealousy and belonging: The siblings initially resent Tang Tang’s closeness with Xiao Xiang, but their respect for him helps them accept him.
• First impressions and mistaken assumptions: Xiao Xiang and the twins misjudge one another’s ages based on appearance.
• Family warmth: Introductions and teasing turn an awkward meeting into a friendly group welcome.

Key plot points and events

• The Tang siblings are unsettled when Tang Tang calls them “useless,” a familiar insult that revives old embarrassment for Tang Xiancheng. He is especially self-conscious now that he knows Tang Xianqi can hear Tang Tang’s thoughts too.
• Tang Xiancheng asks Xiao Xiang how long his recovery will take. Xiao Xiang explains that his doctor has ordered a month of rest and dietary restrictions, but he looks forward to seeing the siblings once he is well.
• Tang Xiancheng invites Xiao Xiang to join the group’s weekly swimming lessons. Tang Tang reveals she will stop attending next term because she will be filming, and Xiao Xiang says filming and school will keep him busy too.
• The siblings are alarmed by Tang Tang’s announcement and worry that they will see her less. They offer to take up whatever new activity she chooses, while Tang Tang privately wonders why they are so attached to their weekly gatherings.
• The group’s mood lifts when Xiao Xiang explains that his godmother’s company hired him for a film. His acting earnings helped pay for his surgery, which impresses the children. Tang Jian clarifies that their modeling income is only pocket money by comparison, and Xiao Xiang realizes how significant his achievement is.

Character developments

• Tang Xiancheng remains sensitive about his past and worries that others are judging him, though he relaxes when he realizes they cannot hear Tang Tang’s thoughts.
• Tang Tang is practical and independent. She assumes the older children should spend more time with their own friends, not center their schedules around her.
• The Tang siblings reveal how much they value time with Tang Tang: her casual plan to stop swimming lessons makes them fear losing their connection with her.
• Xiao Xiang is modest about his acting job and its earnings, but the siblings’ admiration helps him recognize his own accomplishment.

Significant themes

• Family attachment and belonging: The siblings’ eagerness to keep seeing Tang Tang contrasts with her belief that they should each live their own lives.
• Misunderstanding and affection: Tang Tang’s practical comments are interpreted by her siblings as consideration for their well-being, while their worry surprises her.
• Work, money, and achievement: Xiao Xiang’s earnings have a concrete impact on his family, distinguishing them from the children’s relatively small modeling income.

Character interactions

• Tang Xiancheng tries to comfort and befriend Xiao Xiang by asking about his recovery and inviting him to swim with the group.
• Tang Tang’s announcement prompts the siblings to press her about her plans and volunteer to join her.
• Tang Xianqi smoothly redirects the conversation toward Xiao Xiang’s filming, giving him room to share his good news.
• The children praise Xiao Xiang, while Tang Jian explains the difference between his acting pay and their modeling income.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Xiang asks why the Tang siblings and Tang Tang do not pursue acting. Each gives a different reason: they dislike it, worry it would interfere with school, dislike being around strangers, or would miss spending time with Tang Tang. Tang Tang says acting sounds tiring and troublesome.
• The family discusses Tang Tang’s plans after she stops swimming lessons. She says she already knows how to swim and would rather stay home and sleep.
• When Tang Tang asks why the others care so much about her activities, they tell her they want to play with her because they like her.
• Tang Tang is surprised and uncertain, having assumed the older children’s affection was mostly because she had once been a cute little child. The siblings worry that she may not like them.
• Tang Xianqi reassures her and proposes that they spend time together until she finds an activity she truly enjoys. The siblings agree to make time for her and even offer to join her in future activities.
• Tang Tang objects that they are clinging to her and jokes that she hopes their excellent grades will suffer so they have to go to tutoring and stop disrupting her lazy life.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Tang’s attentive care for Xiao Xiang contrasts with her brothers’ description of her as extremely lazy. She quietly redirects the conversation by feeding him juice, which makes Tang Jian jealous.
• The younger siblings show how strongly they want Tang Tang’s company, openly pleading to spend time with her.
• Tang Tang’s reaction reveals her difficulty trusting that people her own age genuinely like her. She is not hostile toward the siblings, but finds them noisy and is unsure she wants constant company.
• Tang Xianqi takes a gentle, protective role, stroking Tang Tang’s head and reassuring her; the siblings try to accommodate her while insisting on staying close.

Significant themes

• Belonging and affection: Tang Tang is learning that the siblings’ fondness for her is genuine and not dependent on her being little or cute.
• Independence versus closeness: She wants the freedom to choose her own activities, while the siblings want to share them and remain part of her life.
• Family care expressed through humor: Jealousy, teasing, and playful complaints sit alongside sincere concern and affection.

Key events

• The siblings realize Tang Tang genuinely no longer wants swimming lessons or their usual weekly get-togethers. Tang Xianqi pauses the discussion, suggesting they all think it over before deciding what to do.
• While the family is eating snacks, a television drama shows a suicide scene. The younger children are frightened, and the siblings reassure them that it is staged.
• Tang Tang matter-of-factly critiques the scene’s portrayal of suicide, describing the pain and fear involved. Her unusually detailed, detached comments shock everyone.
• Tang Xianqi asks where she learned this. Tang Tang says she read an online article but cannot remember which one. He tells her to avoid such material, and Tang Jian urges her to spend more time with her siblings.
• The siblings try to cheer up the atmosphere by offering to play with Tang Tang. They stay for dinner, then leave. On the way to the bus stop, Tang Yiyi asks whether they should keep visiting if Tang Tang does not want to see them.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Xianqi acts as the family’s steady mediator, first postponing the disagreement and later responding with unusual concern and sternness to Tang Tang’s comments.
• Tang Tang remains firm in her wish for distance from her siblings. Her calm, clinical knowledge of suicide clashes with her age and sweet manner, hinting at a disturbing past or unusual experience. She brushes off her siblings’ concern and privately resents being treated like a little child.
• Tang Jian supports Xianqi and tries to draw Tang Tang back into family life, while teasingly invoking Tang Youzhen as an example.
• Tang Youzhen is frightened by the television scene but quickly calms down; he feels embarrassed when Jian uses him to lecture Tang Tang.
• Tang Yiyi and Tang Xingya offer to spend time with Tang Tang, showing that the siblings still want closeness despite her rejection.

Significant themes

• Family attachment versus personal boundaries: The siblings want to preserve their bond, while Tang Tang resists their efforts to include her.
• Misunderstanding and uncertainty: The siblings are unsure how to respond to her withdrawal and fear that their past efforts have failed.
• Childhood innocence contrasted with painful knowledge: Tang Tang’s clinical comments unsettle the family and expose how little they understand about what may lie behind her behavior.
• Care expressed through pressure: The siblings’ offers and advice come from affection, but they risk overlooking Tang Tang’s wishes.

Plot points and events

• The Tang siblings debate whether to keep visiting Tangtang after she seemed genuinely unwilling to spend time with them. None wants to cut ties, though Tang Yiyi worries Tangtang may not like them.
• At home, Tang Xiancheng asks Tang Xianqi whether Tangtang hates them. Xianqi reassures him that she likely hasn’t stopped caring; she may simply not know how to show affection anymore. The brothers decide to find a way to stay in her life.
• Later, unable to sleep, Tangtang recalls how hurt and uncertain the Tang siblings looked when they left. When her mother returns from work, Tangtang goes to her room and asks to sleep beside her.
• After learning the siblings came because they were concerned, Tangtang asks her mother what she should do after saying something that hurt them.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yiyi admits she fears Tangtang dislikes them, but confirms she does not want to lose their relationship.
• Tang Xingya, Tang Xiancheng, and Tang Jian firmly intend to keep visiting. Xiancheng is especially distressed by Tangtang’s different treatment of Xiao Xiang; Xianqi responds with patient reassurance.
• Tang Xianqi interprets Tangtang’s behavior not as rejection but as difficulty understanding or expressing affection, and encourages his brother not to give up.
• Tangtang begins to recognize the emotional impact of her bluntness. Though confused by the siblings’ affection, she is troubled by their hurt expressions and seeks comfort—and advice—from her mother.
• Su Xiajing warmly welcomes Tangtang into bed and gently explains that the Tang siblings care about her.

Significant themes

• Misread affection: Tangtang’s rejection seems clear to the siblings, while they continue to care for her.
• Emotional vulnerability and repair: The chapter shifts from the siblings’ fear of losing Tangtang to Tangtang wondering how to make amends.
• Learning to connect: Xianqi suggests Tangtang may not know how to like or accept people anymore, framing her coldness as emotional difficulty rather than simple dislike.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Tang tells Su Xiajing that her cousins seemed upset after she said she wanted to stop swimming lessons and refused their offers to join her next activity.
• Su helps Tang Tang distinguish between disliking her cousins and feeling overwhelmed by their noise and frequent attention. Tang Tang admits she cares that she hurt them, though she remains unsure what that means.
• Su encourages Tang Tang to apologize. Reluctant but persuaded that she was wrong, Tang Tang asks how to make the apology sincere and considers giving her cousins gifts.
• The next morning, Tang Jian rushes to Tang Xianqi’s house after barely sleeping. Once fed, he raises concerns about Tang Tang’s earlier, unusually calm remarks about suicide.

Character developments

• Tang Tang shows growing awareness of other people’s feelings. Though she sees relationships as burdensome and finds apologizing embarrassing, she is willing to reconsider her behavior and make amends.
• Su Xiajing responds with patience and affection, guiding Tang Tang’s emotional understanding rather than simply scolding her. She is visibly delighted that her daughter has come to confide in her.
• Tang Jian shifts from unease to active concern. He questions whether Tang Tang’s knowledge of suicide can really be explained by online videos, given her age and limited ability to search or read.
• Tang Xianqi calmly supports Tang Jian, first making sure he eats before hearing him out.

Significant themes

• Emotional understanding and empathy: Tang Tang is learning to recognize that caring about someone’s hurt may reflect affection.
• Repairing relationships: The chapter frames apology as a meaningful response to unintended harm, even when it feels awkward.
• Childhood vulnerability and adult responsibility: Tang Jian’s questions suggest that Tang Tang’s familiarity with suicide may point to a deeper concern that the adults should investigate.

Character interactions

• Su gently questions Tang Tang, offers reassurance, and helps her identify what she feels toward her cousins; Tang Tang trusts her enough to admit uncertainty and ask for advice.
• Tang Jian hurries to confide in Tang Xianqi, who listens after providing breakfast, and together they begin considering the implications of Tang Tang’s remarks.

Plot points and events

• Tang Jian tells Tang Xianqi and Tang Xiancheng that Tang Tang’s unsettling remarks have made him fear she might be in danger—not from an outside threat, but from her own despair.
• The cousins agree that her words suggest a troubling past and decide to watch her more closely. Tang Xiancheng reassures them that Tang Tang may not dislike them; she may simply not know how to express affection.
• Tang Tang briefly sends a message to their WeChat group, then recalls it. The cousins and Tang Xingya and Tang Yiyi notice the notification and wait for her to write again, assuming she needs help.
• At home, Tang Tang is baking apology cakes and cookies with her mother. She wants to invite everyone over but struggles to phrase the message so it sounds sincere and appropriately humble.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Jian shifts from nervous speculation to genuine concern, voicing the fear that Tang Tang could hurt herself.
• Tang Xianqi remains composed and helps turn the worry into a practical decision: keep a closer eye on her.
• Tang Xiancheng offers a more sympathetic interpretation of Tang Tang’s distance, suggesting she is too young to understand how to show that she likes them.
• Tang Xingya and Tang Yiyi share the cousins’ concern and consider contacting them if Tang Tang does not follow up.
• Tang Tang is taking a tentative step toward repairing her relationships, though her private thoughts remain exasperated and blunt.

Significant themes

• Emotional distance: Tang Tang is physically close to the family, yet her relatives feel they have never truly entered her inner world.
• Concern and care: The family recognizes that her unsettling words may point to deeper pain and responds by watching over her.
• The difficulty of connection: The relatives wait anxiously for a message, while Tang Tang agonizes over how to make a simple invitation and apology feel right.
• Dramatic irony: The family interprets Tang Tang’s recalled message as a possible request for help, while she is actually preparing an apology and struggling with its wording.

Plot points and events

• Unsure how to contact her siblings, Tang Tang follows Su Xiajing’s suggestion to send photos of their baking to the family group chat.
• The siblings respond enthusiastically. Tang Tang invites them over for cake and cookies, and they immediately set out to visit.
• While they travel, the lively group chat reminds Tang Tang of her old classmates and gives her a rare sense of warmth and familiarity.
• Tang Tang and Su Xiajing prepare milk tea, juice, and fruit together. When the siblings arrive, they eat cookies and drinks while Su Xiajing finishes decorating the cake.

Character developments

• Tang Tang takes a small but meaningful step toward reconnecting with her siblings, discovering that reaching out can be simple and warmly received.
• She is pleased by their kindness but also feels guilty, believing she has hurt them and behaved badly.
• Su Xiajing gently guides Tang Tang and enjoys working alongside her, showing an easy, caring rapport.
• Tang Tang’s siblings are eager to see her and quick to praise Su Xiajing’s baking.

Character interactions

• Su Xiajing encourages Tang Tang to use photos as an easy way to start a conversation, then helps her prepare to host.
• The siblings respond to Tang Tang’s invitation with excited messages and rush over.
• At the house, they gather around Su Xiajing as she decorates the cake, reassuring her that they will enjoy it regardless of how it looks.

Significant themes

• Connection and belonging: A simple invitation helps Tang Tang feel included in a lively family group.
• Forgiveness and kindness: Her siblings welcome her without showing anger, deepening her remorse and prompting reflection.
• Family warmth: Shared baking, food, and casual conversation create a comfortable sense of closeness.

Plot points and events

• Su Xiajing makes a fruit-and-cream cake while the children watch. They crowd around to photograph it, then enjoy slices of cake and cookies.
• The siblings learn that Tang Tang did most of the baking herself, with Su Xiajing mainly reading instructions and helping. They admire Tang Tang’s skill.
• Tang Jian theatrically asks Tang Tang to teach him, prompting teasing from Tang Xingya and the others. Tang Tang advises her sister that the best way to handle Jian’s narcissism is to ignore him or play along.
• Tang Xianqi suggests that the siblings bake together another time. Su Xiajing offers recipes and promises to have ingredients prepared.
• Xianqi mentions that he and A-Cheng will visit White Cloud Temple the day after tomorrow. He invites Tang Tang, who asks whether she can go.

Character developments

• Tang Tang downplays her baking ability, even though her past experience makes her more capable than she admits. She also shows practical insight into how to deal with her showy brother.
• Su Xiajing is proud of Tang Tang but lightly challenges her claim that she cannot bake, and encourages her to join activities with her siblings.
• Xianqi takes initiative in planning a group activity and thoughtfully invites Tang Tang.
• Tang Jian remains flamboyant and self-satisfied, while Tang Xingya grows exasperated with his antics.

Character interactions

• The siblings enthusiastically praise Tang Tang’s baking and tease one another over the cake.
• Tang Xingya appeals to Su Xiajing to “take away” Jian because of his exaggerated performance; Jian responds by proudly praising his own acting.
• Tang Xianqi and Su Xiajing coordinate a future baking session, drawing the younger children into the plan.
• Tang Tang asks Xianqi about visiting Taoist Master Yunlong, revealing her interest—and apprehension—about the temple trip.

Significant themes

• Family warmth and belonging: Shared food, joking, and plans for future activities bring the siblings together.
• Modesty and hidden ability: Tang Tang conceals how much she knows, while the family gradually recognizes her competence.
• Humor and personality: The lively teasing highlights the siblings’ distinct temperaments.
• Uncertainty about the past: Tang Tang suspects her master has been avoiding her, and fears she may again fail to see him at White Cloud Temple.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Xianqi tells Tang Tang she can visit White Cloud Temple whenever she wants. Her siblings ask to join her, and Xiao Xiang is invited too. Tang Tang knows which buses go to the temple, surprising everyone with her detailed memory.
• The children discuss how much to donate. Their parents have visited the temple regularly since a talisman from Taoist Master Yunlong helped Tang Xianqi survive a car accident five years earlier.
• After spending the day baking, cooking, and playing at Tang Tang’s home, the siblings receive packaged cookies to take with them.
• As they leave, Tang Tang shyly asks them to bake together again. They enthusiastically agree, recognizing the invitation as her way of apologizing for having pushed them away the day before.
• On the morning of the temple visit, Tang Tang wakes unusually early, anxious she may not see her master. Online fortune and horoscope predictions warn her not to go out, but she dismisses them.

Character developments

• Tang Tang takes small but meaningful steps toward repairing her relationships with her siblings. She realizes that apologizing and reaching out are less frightening than she had imagined.
• The siblings show patience and affection: despite having been rejected, they understand Tang Tang’s struggles and welcome her attempt to reconnect.
• Tang Xianqi remains attentive and accommodating, arranging the children’s visit and reassuring them about temple donations.
• Xiao Xiang is excited to be included, while Tang Tang’s impressive recall of bus routes hints at her unusual familiarity with the temple.

Significant themes

• Reconciliation and trust: Tang Tang uses shared baking and a quiet invitation to make amends; her siblings respond with warmth rather than resentment.
• Family belonging: Working, eating, and sharing treats together help the children feel connected.
• Faith versus superstition: Tang Tang’s anxiety leads her to check predictions, but she rejects their warnings with the chapter’s central reminder: superstition cannot be trusted.

Character interactions

• Tang Xianqi reassures Tang Tang she may visit the temple and helps the children plan their trip.
• The siblings and Xiao Xiang discuss transportation and donations together, with Su Xiajing explaining that any contribution is acceptable.
• Tang Tang gives each sibling cookies and invites them to bake again; their enthusiastic acceptance confirms that they forgive her.
• Alone before the trip, Tang Tang wrestles with fear about seeing her master and rejects the bad-luck predictions she finds online.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Tang travels with her family to White Cloud Temple, where she separates from the others to visit the rear courtyard and find Taoist Master Yunlong.
• A young priest confirms Yunlong is there with important guests. Tang Tang waits in his courtyard, avoiding interrupting the meeting, and passes the time circling the pond.
• Chu Yun arrives. Tang Tang recognizes him as her future “little senior brother” and learns that he has come with his parents to ask Yunlong to become his apprentice. The meeting has already lasted half an hour, but Chu Yun doesn’t know when it will end.

Character developments

• Tang Tang’s nerves settle as she approaches the temple, which feels familiar and comforting to her. Her memories of the future shape how she sees both the courtyard and the young Chu Yun.
• Chu Yun is introduced as a quiet, literal, observant child. He answers Tang Tang’s questions carefully and notices that she has circled the pond twice.
• Tang Tang’s affectionate excitement contrasts with Chu Yun’s reserved manner, hinting at the older, aloof senior brother she remembers.

Significant themes

• Memory and time: Tang Tang recognizes a place and a person from her future, comparing their present appearances with what she remembers.
• Familiarity and belonging: The temple feels like a place of calm to Tang Tang, and she hopes to reunite with her master.
• Childhood and contrast: Chu Yun’s chubby, earnest childhood self differs from the composed teenager Tang Tang remembers.

Character interactions

• Tang Xianqi and the others let Tang Tang explore alone, trusting her familiarity with the temple.
• Tang Tang politely questions the young priest, then waits rather than interrupting Yunlong’s guests.
• She enthusiastically approaches Chu Yun, calling him her little senior brother and asking about his apprenticeship. Chu Yun keeps his distance at first, introduces himself, and gently exposes that he had been watching her circle the pond.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Tang and her young junior brother, Chu Yun, wait separately in the temple courtyard while their parents speak privately with Taoist Master Yunlong. Chu Yun makes a careful circuit of the courtyard, then sits quietly. When he leaves, he unexpectedly turns back to wave goodbye to Tang Tang, and she waves back.
• After Chu Yun and his parents depart, Tang Tang confronts Yunlong about avoiding her during her visits over the previous five years. He admits that “it wasn’t time yet,” but does not explain further.
• Over tea, Tang Tang tells Yunlong that this life has been unexpectedly peaceful. She has followed his advice to let things take their course, and has enjoyed being a child surrounded by people who care for her.
• She reflects on how her family members have changed from the people she remembers: her brothers have become kinder, and her loving parents—especially her mother—have welcomed and indulged her. Tang Tang is grateful but uneasy, worrying that their generosity could expose them to harm.
• Yunlong reassures her that her parents give freely because they love her, and encourages her not to overthink their care. Tang Tang recalls that her mother is willing to talk openly with her, and says being her daughter makes her happy.
• Tang Tang says she has accepted starting elementary school, though she wonders how long she will remain there. She asks Yunlong to tell her how long she can live this time. He says her present circumstances cannot be compared with her past lives. Tang Tang ends with a guarded question: how could she dare hope for a life she feels she has not earned?

Character developments

• Tang Tang remains perceptive and sharp-tongued, but she has settled into childhood more than she expected. She acknowledges genuine happiness and affection while still carrying memories of past rejection and loss. Her gratitude is mixed with suspicion and fear of becoming too attached.
• Taoist Master Yunlong is calm and affectionate, listening patiently and gently challenging Tang Tang’s tendency to analyze and distrust love. He remains evasive about her past visits and her fate.
• Chu Yun appears unchanged in his quiet, orderly manner, but his deliberate farewell suggests a small, sincere attachment to Tang Tang.

Significant themes

• Letting life unfold: Tang Tang’s decision to live as a child and accept ordinary experiences has brought her five peaceful years.
• Love and belonging: Her family’s care contrasts sharply with the neglect she remembers, forcing her to reconsider whether she can simply accept being loved.
• Memory and change: The people around Tang Tang differ from the versions she recalls, suggesting that new circumstances can alter relationships and personalities.
• Hope versus fear: Tang Tang is happy in this life but remains reluctant to hope for its continuation, fearing that survival may be more than she is entitled to ask for.
• Childhood and identity: She performs the role of a child while retaining the memories and reflections of her past lives.

Character interactions

• Tang Tang and Chu Yun share a quiet, awkwardly peaceful wait; his farewell breaks their silence and reveals a tentative connection.
• Tang Tang challenges Yunlong for avoiding her and presses him on her past and future, while he responds with warmth, tea, and selective reassurance.
• Their conversation shifts between playful teasing and serious reflection: Tang Tang disputes his advice and worries about her parents, while Yunlong urges her to accept their love and speak with them directly.

Key plot points

• Tang Tang visits Taoist Master Yunlong and discusses her reluctance to fight for what she wants, especially the right to keep living. She dismisses the issue as something she can think about later, citing her age and everyday concerns.
• She complains that her siblings are unusually attentive and clingy, even though she claims their company makes it harder to enjoy peace and quiet. Yunlong suggests that her complaints reveal she has grown fond of them.
• Tang Tang again asks Yunlong to formally accept her as his disciple. He gives no new answer, and she assumes the timing still is not right. Before leaving, she asks him not to hide from her.
• Her siblings wait for her at their meeting point and grow concerned when she takes longer than expected. Seeing her appear thoughtful and downcast, they rush over and assume she may be upset about not seeing Yunlong.
• They offer to return another day and make plans to ask their uncle when Yunlong will be at the temple. Tang Tang silently listens as her family crowds around her to comfort her.

Character developments

• Tang Tang shows a contradiction between her self-protective detachment and her growing attachment to her siblings. She still speaks as if their affection is a nuisance, but their patient concern visibly affects her.
• Her passing remark that she has no right to fight to stay alive points to deep despair rooted in her past lives. She is not ready to confront that belief directly.
• Yunlong remains a calm, perceptive mentor. He gently challenges Tang Tang’s assumptions, praises her for living in the present, and recognizes the affection she struggles to acknowledge.
• The siblings demonstrate how closely they care for Tang Tang: they wait without complaint, worry when she is delayed, and immediately try to reassure her.

Significant themes

• The right to live and self-worth: Tang Tang believes that repeated rebirths have denied her the right to fight for survival, though Yunlong questions that conclusion.
• Family and belonging: Tang Tang calls her siblings bothersome, yet their steady care suggests she is becoming part of a lively, supportive family.
• Living in the present: Yunlong encourages her to accept the ordinary joys and responsibilities appropriate to her age rather than force an answer to every serious question now.
• Noise as a sign of life: Yunlong’s observation that “noise, fuss, and bustle” are part of life gains meaning when Tang Tang is surrounded by her siblings.

Character interactions

• Yunlong gently challenges Tang Tang’s belief that she has no right to fight for what she wants, while allowing her to defer the question.
• Tang Tang vents to Yunlong about her siblings; he responds by teasingly interpreting her complaints as evidence of affection.
• Tang Tang and Yunlong share a familiar, affectionate exchange over her repeated request to become his disciple.
• Her siblings greet her with concern and encouragement, mistaking her pensive mood for disappointment. Their noisy, wholehearted attention leaves Tang Tang reflecting on Yunlong’s words.

Plot points and events

• Tang Tang reveals that she finally met Taoist Master Yunlong, who had been occupied with guests when she arrived. Her siblings are relieved and excited, and decide to celebrate by going out to eat.
• The children head down the mountain noisily, then spend the afternoon eating and browsing downtown. Tang Tang is unusually willing to keep going despite being tired, and her older brothers eventually escort everyone home.
• After a nap, Tang Tang wakes to find her mother, Su Xiajing, home. They share a warm moment before Su heats up dinner.
• Tang Tang tells her mother that a boy her age was at the temple to become Yunlong’s disciple. She explains that Yunlong refused to accept her as his disciple.

Character developments

• Tang Tang remains quiet and easily overwhelmed by her siblings’ noise, but she goes along with their plans and shows unexpected enthusiasm for the outing.
• Her longing to become Yunlong’s formal disciple is still intense; his refusal leaves her deeply frustrated.
• Su Xiajing is affectionate and attentive, while also anxious about Tang Tang making major decisions without consulting her.
• Tang Xianqi and the other siblings show a protective, celebratory side, organizing the outing and making sure the younger children get home safely.

Character interactions

• Tang Xianqi offers Tang Tang his hand as they leave the mountain, giving her a sense of security amid the lively group.
• The siblings include Tang Tang in their plans, though she has tuned out much of their conversation.
• Su Xiajing comforts and cares for Tang Tang, then gently questions her about the temple visit and whether she tried to become Yunlong’s disciple.

Significant themes

• Family affection and belonging: The siblings’ celebration and Su’s warm welcome show Tang Tang’s place within a caring family.
• Contrasts in temperament: Tang Tang’s quiet, inward nature stands out against the children’s energetic crowd.
• Longing and frustration: Despite meeting Yunlong, Tang Tang remains disappointed that he will not formally take her as his disciple.