Warmth flickered in Fu Nanshan's eyes.
He crouched down and gathered the tiny girl into his arms.
Such a tiny little person, warm against him, so very real.
This was... the gift his younger sister had left them.
Once on the bed, Qin Yan lay right on top of Younger Uncle.
"Younger Uncle, am I heavy?"
She was very sleepy, rubbing her eyes as she asked drowsily.
Fu Nanshan lightly patted her back with his fingers. "No."
Huff, huff, huff...
Soft, even breaths reached his ears.
The little girl had already fallen asleep.
Fu Nanshan lowered his eyes to look at her, then held her tightly and closed his eyes too.
He thought he would dream.
Of his mother, or his younger sister.
But unexpectedly, he slept very well.
Early the next morning, sunlight spilled through the window.
Fu Nanshan was woken by the noise outside.
Qin Yan woke too. She climbed up by herself, sat rubbing her eyes, yawned, and raised her little arms for a stretch.
She went through the whole sequence with practiced ease.
"Huh?"
"What's happening outside?"
Qin Yan jumped off the bed and ran toward the window barefoot, without even putting on her shoes.
Fu Nanshan followed at an unhurried pace.
Then he immediately spotted Qin Yu coiled in a tree outside.
A ring of cats and dogs surrounded the tree, barking and meowing in a lively racket.
"Qin Yu, come down! Weren't you sleeping inside? How did you end up in a tree?"
The butler below had already developed strong nerves. Even faced with a half-human, half-snake creature like Qin Yu, he could remain quite calm.
Qin Yu pretended not to hear. He tilted his head, turning the back of it toward the butler, and continued sleeping where he lay.
The butler: ...
Having