Lin Yujing recalled how endearing her chubby little boy had been, the smile in her eyes impossible to hide. "Unfortunately, Little Yu only had eyes for food. He didn't even know what his little friends were fighting over."
Although Yao Maolin didn't remember much from his childhood, Lin Yujing's mention of it stirred a few hazy memories.
"Back then, none of us knew what was pretty or ugly. Little Fish was a chubby little thing, and people crowded around him wherever he went." Thinking of how popular Shen Yu had been in kindergarten, Yao Maolin couldn't help clicking his tongue.
"There were so many pretty kids, but all Little Fish had to do was grin, and everyone would gather around him without even thinking."
"That was why Little Yu came home from school every day with his cheeks pinched red," Lin Yujing added, looking at Shen Yu with a wealth of emotion.
In the blink of an eye, that chubby little boy had grown into a young teenager, though his boisterous personality hadn't changed.
"Oh, come on! You're embarrassing me!" Although he barely remembered any of it, being teased by his mother and friend made Shen Yu rub his arms as though he were right there again. He claimed to be embarrassed, but he was actually grinning from ear to ear.
Lin Yujing shook her head with a smile and handed out freshly squeezed juice to the boys, then stroked Shen Jun's and Shen Jin's heads before leaving.
Yao Maolin happened to be thirsty. He gulped down his juice in two swallows, then started muttering about their embarrassing kindergarten days again. "All I wanted in kindergarten was to follow you around, but you went off to be someone else's knight in shining armor."
"Impossible!" Under Yao Maolin's resentful stare, Shen