Zhou Yue trembled all over, frozen in place and unable to move.
“Auntie, you dropped this.”
Feifei held the blue headscarf up to Zhou Yue, her gaze clear as water, without the fear and disdain seen in other children’s eyes.
Zhou Yue turned around trembling, her hands still covering her face. Her rough hand reached out and then withdrew.
“Here, Auntie.” Feifei directly stuffed the headscarf into Zhou Yue’s hand. “Auntie, don’t be sad. Mom says true beauty isn’t about appearance.”
Zhou Yue’s eyes welled up with tears. “Th-thank you!”
“Feifei, time to go in.” Yan Songyu called out with a smile.
“Okay.” After agreeing, Feifei didn’t forget to wave goodbye to Zhou Yue. “Goodbye, Auntie.”
“Go-goodbye.” Zhou Yue’s murmur disappeared in the wind.
Yan Songyu and Feng Yu’s gazes simultaneously swept over Zhou Yue but didn’t linger. Finally, they exchanged a knowing smile and led Feifei into the kindergarten.
After the principal’s speech, Feifei, as the outstanding student representative, stood on stage speaking in her childish voice without any stage fright. “Respected teachers, uncles and aunts, classmates, hello everyone! I’m Yan Feifei from Senior Class Three…”
Yan Songyu sat below looking proud, and couldn’t resist showing off her daughter to Feng Yu. “Feifei is very popular in kindergarten. She ranks first in both academic performance and talents. Both teachers and classmates like her very much. She was even voted as the speech representative by her classmates.”
Feng Yu smiled in agreement, his eyes gentle as water with a hint of sunshine hidden within. “Feifei has always been an excellent little girl, just like her mother.”
A chubby boy nearby overheard their conversation and stretched his neck to speak to Yan Songyu. “Auntie, are you Feifei’s mom?”
Yan Songyu couldn’t help but pinch his chubby little hand. “Yes, hello there, little one.”
The chubby boy suddenly blushed, but he still managed to stammer out his words. “Auntie, my name is Kong Ying. I, I really like Feifei a lot.”
“Pfft~” Yan Songyu was amused by the chubby boy. Hearing that another child liked Feifei made her feel even more proud. “Auntie thanks you on Feifei’s behalf for liking her. You’re very cute too, and Auntie likes you very much!”
“Really?” The chubby boy looked at Yan Songyu in surprise, then awkwardly said something that was both funny and exasperating. “Then Auntie, can you let Feifei marry me? I like her so much, I don’t want to be separated from her. Dad said I need to marry Feifei to be with her forever.”
Yan Songyu: ???
Yan Songyu felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. What did she just hear? This chubby boy wants to dig up her preciously raised little cabbage?
Kong Ying’s mother had been watching her chubby child talk to Yan Songyu. Upon hearing this, her pupils dilated in shock, and she glared fiercely at Kong Ying’s father. “What have you been teaching our son all day?”
Kong Ying’s father glared at Kong Ying before saying, “That’s not what I said. I said we can’t accompany her forever, he needs to learn to be independent and shouldn’t cling to his mother anymore. He’ll have his own life in the future, will marry the girl he likes, and be together forever.”
“Auntie, is it okay? I’ll give all my pocket money to Feifei.” Kong Ying began making promises.
Before Yan Songyu could respond, Kong Ying’s mother immediately covered his mouth and stuffed him into Kong Ying’s father’s arms. “Sorry, Kong Ying doesn’t know any better. Please forgive his rudeness.”
Yan Songyu smiled faintly, “It’s alright, she’s just a child. Children’s words carry no harm. Kong Ying is adorable.”
“Finally, I want to thank my most beautiful, gentlest, and most elegant mommy, thank my most handsome grandpa, and thank you daddy—please get better soon! I hope our family can stay together forever!”
Feifei smiled as she looked at Yan Songyu, while the entire venue erupted in warm applause. Beside them, Kong Ying clapped with particular enthusiasm.
Yet Yan Songyu’s smile felt somewhat stiff. For the first time, she realized how deeply Feifei yearned for a father figure. Having grown up in a single-parent household herself, Yan Songyu had subconsciously assumed Feifei would be fine without a father—she would give Feifei double the love, just as a father would. But how could she have forgotten her own childhood longing for a mother?
Jiang Chengli wasn’t a good father, and she had always instinctively kept him at a distance from their daughter. But Feifei was still a child—how could she not crave a father’s love?
As soon as Feifei stepped off the stage, she threw herself into Yan Songyu’s arms. “Mommy!”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Yan Songyu’s guilt deepened.
Sorry for overlooking your emotional needs. Sorry for not providing you with a normal, healthy family.
After the meeting came the parent-child sports day. Everyone was enthusiastic, and watching the fathers charging ahead on the field, Yan Songyu felt especially grateful that Feng Yu had come. She could have participated herself, but competing with the fathers in terms of physical strength would surely have disappointed Feifei.
Feng Yu was currently helping Feifei complete the “little feet on big feet” task. Feifei had taken off her shoes and stood on Feng Yu’s feet. “Uncle Feng, am I stepping too hard?”
“You’re so light! I could handle three more of you without a problem. Don’t worry, Uncle will help you win first place!”
Feifei beamed, her sparkling eyes full of anticipation. “Okay!”
Feng Yu held Feifei’s hands firmly. At the sound of the whistle, he immediately turned 90 degrees and moved sideways like a crab, advancing much faster than those walking forward.
Yan Songyu cheered excitedly from the sidelines, “Go Feifei!”
Unsurprisingly, Feifei and Feng Yu took first place in the first event. Then in the second “three-legged race” and the third “ball-clutching run,” they also led the pack. After several rounds, Feng Yu remained unfazed—not flushed or out of breath—while some fathers were already panting and sweating profusely. Kong Ying’s father, a homebody programmer who rarely exercised, was particularly exhausted; carrying over sixty pounds for multiple rounds had nearly done him in.
“For the next event, moving the ocean balls, I’ll take over,” Yan Songyu offered eagerly.
“Yay!” Feifei jumped up and down, clapping. “I want to compete with Mommy too!”
Yan Songyu promised, “Mommy will do her best and definitely not hold you back.”
Feifei hugged Yan Songyu’s leg. “I’m just happy to compete with you, Mommy. Please be careful not to get hurt.”
Of course, Yan Songyu didn’t lose. She and Feifei cooperated seamlessly, transporting the most ocean balls!
For the final family event, Feng Yu and Yan Songyu joined hands and wrists to form a bridge. “Quick, sit on it, Feifei! Hold onto Mommy and Uncle Feng tightly.”
“Hahaha~ This is amazing!”
Feng Yu and Yan Songyu ran swiftly across the ten-meter distance, leaving behind a trail of Feifei’s joyous laughter.
“Wahh~”
Just as Feifei returned triumphantly, her little white teeth showing as she proudly held the trophy, Kong Ying was buried in his mother’s embrace, crying inconsolably.
“It’s okay, Yingzai, we’ll try harder next time. Even though we didn’t win the championship, you performed wonderfully! Mom is especially proud of you!”
“Wahh~ But… but I came in second to last while Feifei got first place. She definitely won’t like me anymore, wahh~”
Kong Ying’s mother: […]
Feng Yu and Yan Songyu exchanged glances and smiled helplessly. It seemed Feifei truly was quite charming!
After the parent-teacher meeting, Feifei suggested visiting Jiang Chengli at the hospital. She wanted to share her joy with her father, hoping that once he recovered, he could take her to competitions next time.
Though Yan Songyu felt worried inside, she still took her to the hospital.
“Dad, I came to see you!”
To her surprise, when Feifei happily pushed open the hospital room door, what greeted her wasn’t her father’s smile but a flower vase.