Shen Moran had no idea she had kicked the wrong person. She saw Su Nian still chattering away to Sun Heng and kicked out even harder with her foot.
“Ouch.”
Sun Heng could not help but let out a soft groan. She looked slowly toward Shen Moran, who stared back, her expression one of utter confusion.
Shen Moran: What are you looking at?
Sun Heng: [No response]
Just then, Su Nian finished her cola. She tossed the empty cup to the side, stood up, and said to them, “Sister, I am going downstairs to buy some milk tea. I will bring one back for both of you. What would you like?”
“Anything is fine,” Sun Heng said with a smile. “Just do not make it too sweet.”
Su Nian knew Shen Moran’s preferences and did not bother asking her. She headed downstairs as happily as a cheerful little bird. Once she was gone, Shen Moran realized something was off. She tilted her head slightly and looked under the table, only to discover that her own toe was resting against Sun Heng’s calf.
There was a faint white mark on the blue jeans, which looked exactly like the spot she had just kicked.
Shen Moran: [No response]
Sun Heng retracted her leg and could not help but rub it with her hand. She gave a dry laugh and teased, “I did not expect your kick to be so powerful. Do you always kick your sister like that?”
Shen Moran was incredibly embarrassed. She was used to kicking Su Nian, but she never imagined she would kick the wrong person this time.
“I am sorry,” Shen Moran apologized. “I do not usually kick people. Su Nian is just a child, and sometimes I have to keep her in line. Occasionally, I have to give her a little reminder.”
It seemed Su Nian was often on the receiving end of her sister’s discipline.
Sun Heng actually found it quite heartwarming. Having never experienced a harmonious family life, she felt a bit envious of this natural sisterly dynamic.
“It is quite nice,” Sun Heng said while opening a bottle of mineral water to take a sip. “It shows how close you two are.”
“Yes.” Shen Moran nodded slightly, leaned back in her chair, and fell silent.
Sun Heng tried to bring up several topics to chat with Shen Moran, but she noticed the other woman did not seem interested and had even begun looking at her phone. Sun Heng glanced over and realized Shen Moran was actually replying to messages in a work group.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, “You still have to work after hours?”
Shen Moran brushed away some stray hair that was bothering her and sighed. “Problems must be handled promptly. My phone is on standby twenty-four hours a day. The evening is actually my busiest time.”
Sun Heng hummed softly at the sight of her phone and watched Shen Moran with a contemplative look.
A woman focused on her work is truly beautiful.
Shen Moran had long eyes and pale skin. Her jet-black hair hung softly over her shoulders, even without much grooming. When she lowered her head slightly, stray strands slid down to brush against the tip of her nose, highlighting her stunning eyes.
Her fingers made no sound as they tapped on the screen, and her rounded, rosy nails moved with great speed, as if she were in a hurry to reply.
Sun Heng stared until she became slightly dazed, only looking away when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
Su Nian returned with three large cups of milk tea, handing one to each person. Sun Heng noticed that the little girl had bought her jasmine milk green tea, a refreshing blend of milk and tea that was not overly sweet.
Having finished their meal, there was nothing left to do, and since Su Nian had school the next day, the three prepared to head back.
Shen Moran tried to pay the bill, but Sun Heng dragged her away.
“Feel free to come over whenever you want to eat here,” Sun Heng said generously to the sisters. “Queue if you want to queue, but if you do not feel like it, just go upstairs and eat. No one will notice.”
Su Nian was thrilled. She jumped up to hug Sun Heng and shouted, “Thank you, Sister Sun Heng, you are so kind!”
Sun Heng laughed happily, picked the little girl up, and spun her around.
Shen Moran stood behind them, watching their playful antics, and shook her head helplessly.
“Wait?”
Su Nian suddenly noticed the familiar hair tie on Sun Heng’s head and asked curiously, “Is that not the hair tie my sister lost at the orphanage? Why is it on your head, Sister Heng?”
Sun Heng touched it, feeling a hint of triumph in her heart. She smiled and replied, “Your sister does not want it anymore, so I just used it. It looks quite nice, and since it is not broken, why throw it away?”
Su Nian nodded at Sun Heng. “Yes, yes, my sister is always losing things. She uses hair ties until she loses them all.”
Sun Heng laughed. “Really?”
Su Nian flicked her ponytail and lifted her chin. “Of course, it is true.”
“Su Nian.”
Shen Moran, hearing the little brat dare to slander her in front of an outsider, raised her foot to kick the girl’s rear, but Su Nian, agile as a sparrow, jumped out of the way.
“Haha, you missed!” Su Nian mocked her.
Shen Moran glanced at her, too lazy to bicker with a child. As the three reached the car, Shen Moran said to Sun Heng, “Let us stop here for today. We are heading back.”
Su Nian was disappointed, but she knew it was already ten o’clock and she had to go home to sleep for school the next day.
“Alright, drive carefully then,” Sun Heng said with a gentle smile. “Send me a message when you get home.”
Shen Moran nodded and walked to the other side of the car to get in. Su Nian’s dark eyes darted around. Once she saw her sister was inside, she leaned over to Sun Heng and whispered, “Sister Heng, my phone was confiscated. I have a half-day break from tutoring this Sunday afternoon, and I did not tell my sister. Can you take me to the orphanage to play?”
Sun Heng’s eyebrows shot up. She whispered, “You are taking a break without telling your sister?”
Su Nian puffed out her cheeks and looked bashful. “It is hard enough to get a half-day off. If I tell my sister, she will definitely arrange for me to go study at Mom’s place. I do not want to study anymore; I just want to go out and play.”
Sun Heng patted the child’s head. “Alright, I will try to find time that day to take you out.”
Su Nian was overjoyed. Just then, Shen Moran rolled down the window and frowned. “What are you doing? Get in the car.”
“Coming, coming!” Su Nian quickly pulled open the door and mouthed to Sun Heng, “Make sure you come!”
Sun Heng waved at them with a smile. She watched as Shen Moran drove Su Nian away through the alley. Staring at the taillights, she touched her chin in thought before deciding to head home herself.
The moment she arrived, a message from Shen Moran popped up, consisting of two simple sentences: “I am home. What about you?”
What about you?
What about you?
Sun Heng felt her heart was stuffed with cotton candy. She sat in the car, laughing foolishly to herself for a full minute before dialing a voice call to her.
Shen Moran, having just arrived home, was changing her clothes, waiting for Su Nian to finish showering so she could take her turn. Hearing her phone ring and seeing it was Sun Heng, she assumed something had happened and answered.
“Hello?” Shen Moran asked. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing much, just wanted to tell you I am home.” Sun Heng’s voice came from the other end. She hesitated before saying, “There is something I think I should tell you.”
Shen Moran paused, listening intently.
On Sunday, Sun Heng arranged her work matters and drove to the tutoring center to pick up the child.
At noon, the alley was filled with students in uniforms carrying schoolbags, leaving their classes. Sun Heng felt her eyes swimming as she struggled to tell the sea of boys and girls apart. She worried that she would lose the child on her very first day picking her up from school.
Ping.
A small green bubble popped up on the phone in Sun Heng’s hand.
Su Nian: [Sister, sister, I am out of class. Where are you?]
Sun Heng picked up the phone and pressed the voice key. “I am parked by the black sedan. If you come out and walk a few steps, you will see me. I really cannot find you in this crowd, so just come over to me.”
After sending the message, Su Nian replied with a Capybara nodding emoji. Sun Heng thought the sticker was adorable and could not resist adding it.
Soon, Su Nian came running toward Sun Heng, bag on her back, through the sea of students.
It had to be said that the sisters were indeed from the same parents; both were quite pretty. Even in school uniforms with simple ponytails, they looked much better than the ordinary children around them.
They were as beautiful as proud red-crowned cranes.
“Sister, sister!”
The little crane ran over, breathless. “Why did you park here? It is too close; it will be hard for you to drive out later.”
Sun Heng looked around and realized she was indeed the only car parked there, surrounded by students leaving school and snack vendors with small tricycles. She sighed helplessly. “This is my first time picking up a child from school; I did not realize it would be so congested.”
Su Nian was in a good mood. She had the whole afternoon, so she reassured Sun Heng, “Do not worry, we can leave after the crowd thins out.” She then offered to treat her. “Sister, I will treat you to something delicious. Wait here while I go buy it!”
Soon, Su Nian went off to buy snacks. Sun Heng watched from a distance as Su Nian squeezed through the crowd to buy things at one stall, then moved to squeeze through another. She found it both amusing and endearing.
How could there be such a cute little sister?
If only she belonged to her.
Sun Heng thought this, then took out her phone to check. Shen Moran’s last message was from half an hour ago, saying she would be finished with her meeting in an hour.
Sun Heng pressed the voice key and left a message: “I have picked up your sister, we will come to find you in a moment.”
Su Nian was still oblivious, having bought plum cakes, starch sausages, a box of spicy noodles, and a small box of sushi for a yuan each. She ran back to Sun Heng, offering the treasure-like haul.
Sun Heng ate a sausage and, seeing that the crowd had mostly dispersed, started the car with Su Nian.
Su Nian was thrilled. She played on her phone and hummed a song in the car. Suddenly, she realized they had arrived at Shen Moran’s law firm, and her song came to a screeching halt.
“Sister?” Su Nian looked at Sun Heng in terror and asked in a tearful voice, “What are you going to do?”