Early the next morning, the sunlight of the Alps streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling across the polished floor of the manor’s dining room.
Tong Hua was awakened by hunger—last night, she had been too preoccupied with the immersive experience of social embarrassment to eat much, and by the early hours, her stomach had begun to protest.
Thus, as soon as the horizon began to glow with the first light of dawn, she quickly stuffed herself into a comfortable blue cat-themed cotton outfit, her slightly messy, wavy hair peeking out from under the hood. The two three-dimensional cat ears on the hood swayed gently with her movements.
With a pair of fluffy slippers dragging on her feet, she padded softly across the floor, driven by an urgent craving for food, and appeared in the bright breakfast dining room.
Her eyes practically gleaming, she made a beeline for the dazzling buffet spread, especially the area filled with various Western pastries, cakes, and puddings. Rubbing her hands together excitedly, she began carefully selecting her treats.
Her focused expression made it seem less like she was choosing breakfast and more like she was performing a solemn ritual.
“Khan’s grand roll call! Whoever I point at gets eaten—you, you, and you!” She then proceeded to point randomly, and whatever she pointed at ended up on her plate, leaving herself no real choice at all.
Only children make choices—and she was no longer a child!
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo, who had just finished her morning workout, and He Sui’s group of four, who had also risen early to enjoy breakfast, entered the dining room almost one after the other.
Xiao Yu immediately spotted the blue cat-like figure lingering by the dessert table. He nudged Nan Chao beside him and whispered, “Whoa~ Look over there. The little one’s up early—seems like she’s got a grudge against desserts?”
Nan Chao watched as Tong Hua earnestly compared two small cakes, her brow slightly furrowed as if making some major decision. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Does she really love cat-themed stuff that much? But with that energy—gentle yet a bit wild—no wonder she had such a strong grip when she pulled on someone’s pants yesterday~ Hahaha! It kind of matches the vibe she gives off.”
Si Jin chimed in, “Isn’t that why she’s like a kid? Don’t let the fact that she’s a junior fool you. Her mentality—her real age is probably cut in half.”
He Sui glanced over casually just as Tong Hua finally settled on a cream cake adorned with strawberries, carefully placing it on her plate. The satisfaction in her big eyes seemed almost ready to overflow.
He withdrew his gaze and interrupted his companions’ paternalistic remarks with a flat tone. “Hey, are you guys really treating her like a baby? She’s eighteen, not eight months old. If you really want a daughter, you can still work hard and have one to play with.”
“…Unromantic old jerky.” Xiao Yu, Nan Chao, and Si Jin all muttered in unison, unanimously condemning He Sui for ruining the mood.
He Sui ignored them and went to get his own food, preferring a simple Western breakfast and black coffee.
Tong Hua, carrying a plate piled high with desserts, contentedly found a seat by the window.
Just as she picked up her small spoon, Jiang Mo approached with her own plate. Fresh from sweating it out at the gym, Jiang Mo’s plate was filled with protein-rich fried eggs and chicken breast, along with a bowl of oatmeal.
“Little Tong Hua, eating so many sweets first thing in the morning—aren’t you worried about feeling sick? It’s not good for your stomach either.” Jiang Mo sat down opposite her, eyeing the colorful but sugar-laden spread on her plate, and couldn’t help but offer a gentle reminder.
Tong Hua scooped up a spoonful of cake and happily popped it into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out as she mumbled, “I was too busy being embarrassed last night to really savor all these delicious treats. It feels like such a waste—might as well eat them now.”
Jiang Mo was amused by her confident yet slightly aggrieved explanation. “Alright then, just don’t come crying to me about a toothache later~” She vividly remembered a few months ago when this little genius had been in tears from a cavity, and the three of them had practically dragged her to the dentist.
Tong Hua paused mid-bite, as if struck by a painful memory. She glanced at the remaining cake on her plate, her eyes flickering with hesitation. In the end, she reluctantly pushed a piece toward Jiang Mo with a small fork, her tone tentative and bargaining. “Um… maybe I’ll eat a little less? Here, you can have this piece?”
But inwardly, she was wailing: I can’t cut back any more! Any less and my breakfast happiness will be ruined!
Jiang Mo’s heart softened at the sight of her reluctant but determined restraint, but she remained firm for the sake of Tong Hua’s dental health.
She took the piece of cake and set it aside on her own plate, then stood up and walked over to the Chinese breakfast section. Moments later, she returned with a steaming bowl of pumpkin and millet porridge, a few delicate Cantonese-style shrimp dumplings and siu mai, and a warm cup of soy milk fragrant with the scent of beans.
“Little Tong Hua,” Jiang Mo pushed the Chinese breakfast toward her, her tone carrying a sisterly command as she ruffled the cat-eared hat on her head. “As a Chinese girl, you should eat food that suits a Chinese baby’s constitution. Go on, eat up. I’ll hold onto these sweets for you for now.”
Tong Hua looked at the fragrant porridge and dim sum in front of her, then at the confiscated cake, and finally, the memory of her past toothache helped reason prevail.
She obediently picked up her spoon and took a sip of the porridge. The warm, soothing texture felt comforting to her stomach.
But her big eyes still betrayed a hint of disappointment at not being able to indulge in the sweets. She let out a small sigh, her slender shoulders slumping slightly. Her dejected expression wasn’t put on—it was a natural, genuine flicker of regret at having her joy curtailed.
Jiang Mo felt a pang of sympathy but steeled herself. “Be good, okay? It’s best not to eat so much sugar in the morning or at night. Don’t you remember what the dentist said?”
“Oh… I know,” Tong Hua mumbled, lowering her head to take a sip of soy milk.
Then, her eyes widened slightly as if she’d discovered something new. “Huh? This soy milk… it’s actually pretty good!” It wasn’t bland or overly beany—just the right balance of subtle sweetness and richness.
“See? I didn’t lie to you, did I? This is the most comforting breakfast.” Jiang Mo smiled, watching her expression brighten.
“Mhm, mhm, mhm!” Tong Hua nodded vigorously, as if to prove her point. She took another big gulp of soy milk, then picked up a translucent shrimp dumpling and took a bite. The savory broth and springy shrimp instantly won over her taste buds, making her eyes crinkle with delight as if little stars were twinkling in them.
The flavors of Cantonese morning tea unexpectedly suited her palate perfectly. She immediately threw herself into exploring Chinese breakfast, temporarily setting aside desserts.
Not far away, Nan Chao, who had taken in the entire scene, began stifling laughter again. Covering his mouth with his hand, he said to his companions, “I’m dying. She was just unhappy a moment ago, and a single shrimp dumpling cheered her right up. Truly a kid—emotions come and go so quickly.”
Xiao Yu joined in the laughter but couldn’t resist being cheeky again: “Yeah, loving sweets is also just like a kid. Unlike some people,” he said meaningfully, glancing at He Sui across the table, who was leisurely sipping black coffee, “born without a sweet tooth—no wonder he’s a clueless old piece of jerky who can’t appreciate the joy of desserts~”
He Sui set down his coffee cup, his gaze sweeping past the little blue cat stuffing her cheeks with food and looking utterly content, then landing precisely on Xiao Yu. His tone was calm but lethally sharp: “Hmph, Xiao Yu, do you remember in fifth grade when you ate so much stolen candy that your teeth were full of cavities? You were rolling around in pain, and the girl from the next class you had a crush on saw you and said disgustedly, ‘Stay away from me, your teeth are so ugly’?”
Xiao Yu’s smile instantly froze, as if he’d been stepped on by a cat’s tail. He nearly jumped out of his chair, his face flushing red: “Damn it! He Sui! Would it kill you to keep your mouth shut about my embarrassing past?!”
He Sui elegantly picked up a napkin and dabbed the corner of his mouth, revealing an infuriatingly nonchalant smile: “Fine. But first, that mouth of yours, which constantly needs to assert itself, should grow a hemorrhoid to keep it quiet.”
The implication was clear: if you want me to shut up, you’d better control yourself first.
Xiao Yu was so angry he rolled his eyes but could do nothing about it. He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice: “Alright, you’re the boss. I know better than to mess with you!”
He Sui ignored him after that, his gaze inadvertently drifting back to the seat by the window.
He watched as Tong Hua was completely immersed in the food, chatting with Jiang Mo between bites, her little face glowing with pure, food-induced joy. Occasionally, when she tasted something particularly to her liking, she would unconsciously give a slight shake of her head, making the cat ears on her hat tremble along.
He calmly withdrew his gaze and took another sip of coffee.
Somewhere deep inside, his impression of this kid seemed to have vaguely added “foodie” and “easily appeased” to the existing labels of “brain not connected to Bluetooth” and “surprisingly strong grip.”
Meanwhile, completely unaware of all this, Tong Hua was single-mindedly enjoying the delicious breakfast suited to most Chinese kids’ constitutions, temporarily casting aside yesterday’s social embarrassment and future complicated entanglements to the far ends of the earth.
After all, in this wide world, nothing matters more than eating!