Seafood congee paired with cloyingly sweet dim sum, plus a box of piping-hot thick omelet, ought to have been a rather odd combination.
But Bai Congming ate everything with such relish, taking great big bites, that simply watching him whetted the appetite.
As Bai Congming ate, he sidled up against Ding Ding to look at the phone in his hand.
"What are you looking at?"
Ding Ding said nothing. He opened the video Ding Shu had sent him and held the phone in front of Little Bai.
Ding Shu was very reliable about getting things done. On-screen, Ding Lai Di held her own phone, concealing the reluctance on her face so well that she seemed sincerely intent on conveying her apology to whoever watched the video.
"Big sister?"
Ding Ding murmured an assent. "They're leaving tomorrow and don't have time to come see you, Little Bai, so they asked me to show you this."
Bai Congming bit his lower lip as if he had something to say, but after waiting a long while without hearing anything more, Ding Ding reached out and tapped play.
The room was quiet. The hum of the robot vacuum drowned out nothing.
Ding Lai Di's voice reached both of them clearly.
"Little Bai, I'm your Brother Ding's third older sister, and of course, that makes me your third older sister too."
On-screen, Ding Lai Di coughed, her gaze wandering before returning.
"I said something wrong today. Our Little Bai isn't a little fool at all. He's the cutest, kindest, most amazing baby in the world. Ding Ding is lucky to be with you.
Since this was our first meeting, I didn't know you very well, so I said something nasty. I was awful, and I hope Little Bai can forgive me.
It's all right if