Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

A new cultural and creative bookstore called "Xiaomili" has opened on Pingjiang Road.

The shop is hidden in the shadows of the trees, and a round white cat pattern is embroidered on the cotton and linen curtain above the entrance.

Several pots of daisies were placed on the stone steps, their white petals surrounding tender yellow centers. They swayed gently in the breeze, as if greeting passersby.

Pushing open the door, warm yellow light shines on the wooden bookshelves, and the air is filled with the scent of paper and linen.

In the corner, there were several beanbag chairs, grayish-white, slumped softly into the floor.

On the table by the window, the shop manager often huddles in weaving straw, turning the straw into grasshoppers, dragonflies, and mantises with his fingertips, while a long string of them hangs on the wall.

Tourists passing by, whenever they see this scene, can't help but step into the store.

Flip through books, look at straw weaving, or buy some cultural and creative products.

At the bar table in front of the bookshelf, several girls huddled together, their faces beaming and whispering excitedly:

"Ahhh, his eyes are so beautiful! Could he be a cosplayer? I can't believe it, I really want to ask him what kind of contact lenses he's using!"

"Wanting contact lenses is a lie, wanting WeChat is what you really want!"

"I don't think it's going to work. Look at his hands."

Following the line of sight, a light blue floral scrunchie was prominently displayed on the boy's long, slender, and fair wrist.

He was carrying a stack of postcards and placing them on the shelf, his hair tie swaying gently on his wrist with each movement.

Her wispy bangs fell to her eyebrows and eyes, and a silver stud earring peeked out from her earlobe. It was inconspicuous but added a touch of roguish charm.

She was lazy, indifferent, and aloof in everything she did, but her gaze softened instantly when it inadvertently swept over the hair tie, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

Realizing that the guy already had a partner, no matter how handsome he was, they could only admire him from afar. All their romantic thoughts vanished instantly, and the group tacitly steered the conversation towards other single, handsome men.

"Oh, by the way, you told us last time about your cousin, Zhou Shao, a well-known figure in Beijing's social circle, who changes girlfriends more often than he changes clothes. He's been pursuing one girl for months now, has anything happened?"

"Wow, let me tell you, not long ago there was a drone confession, showering him with all sorts of designer jewelry and bags, using every trick in the book, but it was all in vain. My cousin has really turned over a new leaf this time, he's truly fallen for it."

"A drone confession? How romantic! What was the girl's reaction?"

"She said they were all leftovers from her husband's time, which made my cousin furious. What a laughingstock!"

"Huh? Honey? This isn't just an excuse to reject my confession, is it?"

"Who knows? By the way, that girl's name is the same as this store's name, 'Xiaomi'. I saw her once from afar when I went to my cousin's school. She's not particularly stunning at first glance, but the more you look at her, the cuter she becomes. She's the kind of girl that grows on you. My cousin has never dated anyone like her before, I don't know why he's so infatuated with her."

Just as they were having a lively conversation, a tall shadow suddenly loomed over them.

Each person now has a bag of exquisite postcards and small trinkets in front of them.

"These are for you. Could you tell me more about what we were talking about? I'd like to hear it too."

Several girls looked up at the same time and met the face that had just been discussing them.

The handsome man still had a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes were cool and icy, showing no sign of gossip.

The air was silent for two seconds.

"sure."

Who could refuse such a handsome guy's request?

What's more, he also knows how to offer benefits.

*

Summer vacation has started, and Chai Mingde specially drove to pick up his daughter.

His wife, who loves to dress up, gave birth to a vain and beauty-loving daughter. They had so much stuff that it was like moving house, with big bags and small packages, and suitcases weighing dozens of kilograms. He was exhausted and out of breath when he brought them home.

Just as I was about to reach for the glass of water that had been poured on the table, my daughter snatched it away first.

Chai Xiaomi's face was flushed from the heat as she took a big gulp.

next second.

"puff--"

Artificial fountain.

Old Shiba Inu, who got sprayed all over: ?

Following their daughter's shocked gaze, the father and daughter looked over together.

A boy was sitting on the sofa.

His posture was impeccable, occupying only a small portion of the front edge of the sofa, his back ramrod straight, as if afraid of soiling it. His loose white T-shirt was spotless, making him appear both well-behaved and quiet.

He slightly raised his head, smiling, looking completely harmless.

"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Sister."

Her voice was soft and gentle, sounding incredibly sweet.

Yao Xue carried a plate of sliced ​​fruit out of the kitchen and greeted the father and daughter with a smile, "You're finally back!"

"Let me introduce him. This is Wu Li. As I mentioned before, my ancestors had a very close Miao friend, a bond even stronger than that of family. However, as times changed, we gradually lost contact. Not long ago, when our station was producing a program about ethnic culture, we traced our roots and, by sheer coincidence, we encountered that person's descendant."

Chai Xiaomi pursed her lips, thinking to herself: This isn't a descendant, this is the real one!

Yao Xue continued to explain to Wu Li.

"Xiao Wu, is this the eight-year-old daughter I told you about who secretly wore her mother's high heels and fell into the fish tank?"

Chai Xiaomi: !!!

"And then there's my husband, who got his pants caught on a hook while fishing and fell into the fishpond screaming."

Chai Mingde: !!!

The father and daughter's past has been completely exposed.

Yao Xue is warm and frank, and she also believes in first impressions. The moment she saw this boy, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness: "Although this is your first time at our house, don't be too reserved, just make yourself at home."

This isn't my first time here; I delivered a package here several months ago.

Chai Xiaomi stood frozen in place, her fingers nervously twisting together.

At that moment, she felt like a guest who had just arrived.

I felt uneasy, nervous, and a little excited.

Speaking of which, after reuniting with Wu Li, she spent a day planning their future together.

The first step is to settle down locally.

The second step is to gradually teach him the rules of survival in contemporary society and the necessary life skills.

The third step is to formally introduce him to your parents after he has become a qualified "modern person".

All steps are proceeding smoothly.

Wu Li brought the Qiankun Bag with her; it contained all the dowry and betrothal gifts from her wedding. Any item she took out would be worth a fortune if she took it out and found a knowledgeable collector in the antique market.

With the start-up capital in place, we took over a two-story shop and had a foothold.

Although the two are currently living in different cities, if she has a thought in her heart and the silver bell on her ankle rings, it's only a matter of minutes before she wants to see Wu Li.

The plan is perfect.

But Chai Xiaomi never expected that this guy would actually barge in like that! This isn't what we agreed on!

No wonder he didn't reply to her messages on the way back; she thought he was just not familiar with using his phone.

Chai Xiaomi secretly broke out in a cold sweat. As Yao Xue passed by, she whispered a scolding, "Have you forgotten all your manners? Even though he's a year younger than you, he knows better than you. You've been standing here for ages without even greeting the guest."

Yao Xue placed the fruit plate on the coffee table and called to the boy, "Xiao Wu, come and try it! Auntie picked this watermelon, I guarantee it'll be sweet! I cut off most of it, and left a quarter for my daughter. You wouldn't believe it, she has a lot of little quirks. She insists on eating watermelon with a round spoon, she won't accept any cut pieces. And she has to scoop it out perfectly round like a ball."

Although her words were a sarcastic complaint, her eyes were full of affection: "I'm sorry you had to see this."

"No." Wu Li's lips curled up slightly. "This habit is quite cute."

He's eaten so many oddly shaped balls, how could he not know about her little quirks?

"Hey, you silly girl, what are you standing there for? Xiao Wu even praised you for being cute, but you didn't give any feedback. You haven't even greeted the customers yet. You're getting more and more immature as you get older."

Seeing that Chai Xiaomi was still standing there like a wooden statue, Yao Xue went over and gently patted her bottom.

Chai Xiaomi chuckled twice, slowly moved to the sofa, and cleared her throat: "Hello, little brother."

The word "younger brother" was uttered.

Wu Li paused slightly with his fork, then calmly forked a piece of watermelon and put it in his mouth.

With her eyes crinkling into a smile, she said to her, "So sweet, sister."

"Auntie said this melon is sweet, right?" Yao Xue came out of the kitchen carrying a tray, beaming with joy upon hearing the praise.

On the tray was a whole slice of watermelon, and next to it was an exquisite round spoon with a handle shaped like a chubby little cat's head.

Seeing the boy staring at the spoon, Yao Xue smiled and explained, "Our Xiao Mi really loves animals. We used to have a cat, but it passed away. This spoon was custom-made based on that cat. Xiao Wu, do you have a favorite animal?"

Wu Li thought about it carefully: "I like kittens, puppies, hedgehogs, chicks, ducklings, rabbits, lambs, calves, foxes... I like them all."

"Wow, so many!" Yao Xue couldn't help but laugh as she watched him earnestly counting them. "I didn't realize Xiao Wu was such a kind-hearted guy, unlike our Xiaomi, who only likes pretty things."

"Auntie, I've kept quite a few small animals, but my favorite animal isn't among them."

Yao Xue leaned closer curiously: "Oh? So what's your favorite animal?"

"It's small—"

Before he could finish speaking, half a watermelon ball was suddenly stuffed into Wu Li's mouth.

He chewed a few times naturally and swallowed.

Their movements were so fast, as if they had rehearsed countless times.

Yao Xue was stunned.

Chai Mingde, who had just changed into clean clothes and walked out of the room, was also dumbfounded.

Even the person who started it was dumbfounded.

Chai Xiaomi wanted to beat her own hand. She didn't know if it was to shut him up or if it was just a subconscious habit, but she just naturally put it in his mouth.

She awkwardly withdrew her hand, chuckling dryly, "I ruined this ball... Sorry, little brother, I accidentally mistook you for my dad. I used to feed him the balls I ruined, so please don't mind."

Wu Li said, "I don't mind at all. This is the first time I've ever eaten such a sweet watermelon. Thank you, sister."

When Yao Xue heard these words, her heart clenched.

Recalling her recent in-depth conversation with him and learning about his difficult past, she secretly made a decision.

*

My maternal grandparents came over in the evening.

Chai Mingde cooked a large table of dishes to entertain the guests.

Wu Li held the bowl, staring blankly at the pile of food that was almost forming a mountain.

Steaming white smoke rose from the dining table, making his eyes sting.

This scene made Yao Xue think: Sure enough, only someone who has never received love from their family would be at a loss when faced with a table full of hot food.

Therefore, she became even more determined in her heart to make a decision.

"What are you daydreaming about? Eat up." Chai Xiaomi nudged him lightly with her elbow when no one was looking, and whispered while covering her mouth with her hand.

Grandma added another piece of braised pork to his bowl.

"You're a handsome young man, but good looks alone aren't enough. You need to eat more; you're too thin."

He lowered his head, took a bite of rice, and said softly, "Mmm."

"I don't think he's thin," Chai Xiaomi couldn't help but correct her. "Grandma, you don't know, there's a trend online now called 'looking thin in clothes, but muscular when undressed.' It's true that skinny guys look completely different when they take their clothes off."

Grandma laughed heartily: "Sweetie, you're talking as if you saw it with your own eyes."

"Of course! There are tons of handsome guys in drag videos online, like those with double abs and eight-pack abs. I'll find some for you to see later~~~"

"Okay, okay."

The grandfather watched speechlessly as the grandfather and grandson made faces at each other in front of him.

Chai Mingde's lips twitched. He couldn't control his elders, but he had to discipline the younger ones, especially in front of guests: "What are you thinking about all day long? Those men online who twist and turn and pull down their clothes to show you, what kind of good people can they be in private?"

As he spoke, he raised the back of his chopsticks and gently tapped Chai Xiaomi on the head.

Actually, no force was used at all; it was just a small, indulgent gesture.

But it was suddenly intercepted by another pair of chopsticks as swiftly as lightning.

"Uncle, there's a mosquito." Wu Li blinked innocently.