The sound of reading beneath the moonlight gradually faded.
The scene shifted, and the consciousnesses of Ren Ye and the other four once again followed Song An's perspective back to a day in the past.
The sun shone brightly on the way home from school.
Song An, who looked only five or six, took big bites of his ice cream, his filthy schoolbag slung carelessly over one shoulder as he looked around at the sights along the street.
Behind him, his younger brother Song Yi walked home at an unhurried pace, his school uniform clean and tidy, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
"Hey, Song Yi."
Biting into his ice cream, Song An suddenly called out, "Do you have any money left?"
"What are you up to now?" Song Yi looked at him helplessly. "We haven't finished today's homework yet. We need to get home early."
By the roadside, the mischievous Song An waited until a shopkeeper wasn't looking, then casually tossed his ice cream stick into the shop, dirtying the floor.
He stepped forward, his eyes lively. "...You forgot, didn't you? It's Dad's birthday today."
"I didn't forget," Song Yi replied calmly.
"Take out your money. Let's go to the cake shop and buy Dad a cake. Give him a surprise, okay?" Perhaps Song An had had a flash of inspiration, or perhaps it was a sudden whim. Whatever the case, he had definitely said this without any preparation beforehand.
Children's thoughts jumped from one thing to another, and they learned quickly. They might read an extracurricular book during the day, or even watch a commercial, and decide they should show their parents some filial affection too, win their favor, and go home to wash their feet or give them a massage.
Song An was no different. He had made