Ruanruan was dragged out of the house by Chen Zihao. While dealing with Chen Zihao, who was eager to go exploring, she secretly called out to the system.
“System, system, come out quickly! Did I get lost again?”
【Ding. Host request detected. Would you like to exchange 1000 points to unlock a blank regional map and mark locations?】
“1000 points?!”
Ruanruan’s little heart twitched. Thinking about the points she already owed, she hesitated.
“Ruanruan, how about we go this way?” Chen Zihao suggested.
But looking at the completely unreliable “guide” beside her, she gritted her teeth.
“Exchange it! Do it now!”
【Exchange successful. Remaining points: –. Please repay your debt as soon as possible.】
With the map now available, Ruanruan instantly felt confident. She stretched out her chubby little finger and pointed in the correct direction.
“Brother Zihao, let’s go this way!”
“Huh? Ruanruan, how do you suddenly know the way? You’re not just guessing, are you?”
Chen Zihao scratched his head, clearly doubtful.
Ruanruan blinked her big eyes and made up an excuse on the spot.
“I… I guessed! The road here is wider!”
“Oh my little ancestors! How did you two run all the way here?!”
They had barely taken a few steps when a loud voice suddenly rang out. A middle-aged man in work clothes rushed over and picked them both up before running off.
“Who are you?! Let go of us!” Ruanruan struggled desperately. Her dad had told her to beware of human traffickers. “You bad guy! Let go!”
Hearing her shout, Chen Zihao also began yelling for help.
The middle-aged man ignored them. Holding one child in each hand by their short little legs, he ran even faster.
Only when they saw the anxious teacher standing at the kindergarten gate did the children’s voices gradually weaken.
Seeing Ruanruan’s little hair buns almost falling apart, Lin Dayong—who had just run back and hadn’t even caught his breath—rushed forward like an arrow, his eyes red as he tightly hugged the sweaty little girl into his arms.
“Dad…”
Ruanruan could barely breathe from how tightly he was holding her. Just as she raised a hand to push him away, she felt a warm drop fall onto her neck.
Dad… was crying?
Chen Zihao was also being scolded by his family, his ear twisted as punishment. Just as Ruanruan was about to defend him, Su Ting stormed over aggressively.
“Lin Ruanruan! You’ve got some nerve now! On your first day of school you already dare to skip class and run around everywhere!”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, ready to discipline the troublesome child.
“Aunt Su!”
Chen Zihao suddenly slipped out of his mother’s grip and stood in front of Lin Ruanruan.
“Why are you yelling? It’s not Ruanruan’s fault! She got lost. Luckily she met me in the woods today. If she had met human traffickers instead, you’d be crying too late!”
His loud voice left Su Ting momentarily speechless.
Ruanruan lifted her small face from her father’s arms. Her bright black eyes glanced toward Su Xiaomei and Liu Qianqian, who were hiding behind the crowd.
The moment they met her gaze, both girls trembled and frantically shook their heads toward her, their eyes full of pleading.
Liu Qianqian was already so frightened that tears were falling.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Ruanruan’s small brows furrowed together. She stepped forward and tugged gently on Su Ting’s clothes, speaking in her soft baby voice.
“Auntie, I’m sorry. It’s my fault… Sister and Sister Qianqian were showing me around the school. My legs hurt a little so I walked slowly, and I lost them at a corner. I didn’t mean to run around.”
“And I also need to thank Brother Zihao for bringing me back!”
As she spoke, she rubbed her small knee as if it really hurt.
Sure enough, everyone’s attention immediately shifted to her short little legs. Looking at her flushed little face, no one could bring themselves to stay angry.
The teacher quickly stepped forward and picked Ruanruan up, trying to ease the situation.
“A false alarm, a false alarm. It’s good that the child was found.”
Seeing that Lin Ruanruan had spoken this way, Su Ting could no longer continue scolding. She simply nodded coldly.
“Behave from now on. No more running around, understand?”
Su Xiaomei felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly dragged Liu Qianqian back to the classroom.
After this incident, Su Xiaomei behaved the entire morning like a frightened quail. Even during recess she quietly sat on her stool and didn’t dare look at Ruanruan once.
At lunchtime, Su Xiaomei obediently took out the lunchbox and placed it in front of Lin Ruanruan.
Before coming that morning, she had already planned everything.
She intended to pick out all the best food for herself—or even trip Ruanruan up somehow.
In any case, she had no intention of letting her eat peacefully!
But now, she didn’t even dare lift her head. She simply pushed Ruanruan’s portion of food toward her and silently shoveled rice into her own mouth.
Watching Su Xiaomei’s guilty behavior, Ruanruan pressed her lips together.
Now she fully understood.
Su Xiaomei was exactly like those villains in the storybooks—pretending one thing to your face while doing something else behind your back.
The storybooks said that people like that wouldn’t change after just one lesson.
She had to stay vigilant and not give Su Xiaomei another chance to hurt her!
That evening after returning home, Lin Ruanruan put away the lunchbox. Then she looked up at Su Ting with her innocent big eyes.
“Auntie, can Ruanruan bring her own lunchbox from now on? Dad said we should handle our own things.”
Su Ting found it troublesome and was about to refuse, but she happened to meet Lin Dayong’s gaze.
She impatiently waved her hand.
“Fine. From now on everyone brings their own. That way there won’t be any fights.”
“Thank you, Auntie! Auntie is the best!”
Inside, Ruanruan secretly made a little victory gesture.
This way, she could avoid Su Xiaomei tampering with her food.
“Ruanruan is such a good girl,” Lin Dayong said. Looking at Su Xiaomei, who seemed to be shrinking into herself, something stirred in his heart. He walked over and rubbed Ruanruan’s head.
“Ruanruan, at kindergarten you should help your sister and be friendly with each other, alright?”
Before she could respond, he turned to Su Xiaomei.
“Xiaomei, you should also take care of your little sister at school, okay?”
Su Xiaomei wanted to say something, but when she met Lin Ruanruan’s eyes she quickly lowered her head.
“I understand, Uncle Lin.”
Ruanruan looked up at her father, then glanced at the unwilling Su Xiaomei.
Her little head filled with big question marks.
Dad clearly knew that Su Xiaomei didn’t like her, so why was he forcing them to be friends?
After dinner, Lin Dayong set aside his other matters and took Ruanruan out for a walk.
As soon as they stepped out of the house, he scooped the little chubby girl into his arms.
“Ruanruan, were you scared today?”
Lin Ruanruan shook her head.
“No, Dad. Ruanruan wasn’t scared.”
Lin Dayong stopped walking and looked at his daughter’s pure eyes. His tone became especially serious.
“Ruanruan, listen to Dad. From now on at home, you must behave well—especially with your stepmother. Sometimes you should learn to… act a little bit foolish, okay?”
Lin Ruanruan looked at him in confusion and firmly shook her head.
“Ruanruan doesn’t understand.”
Lin Dayong pinched her cheek gently.
“It means… don’t make her unhappy. Don’t upset her.”
Ruanruan became even more puzzled. She tilted her head and stared at him.
“Why? Dad, before you told me that if I’m unhappy I should make a fuss. And Ruanruan didn’t make Auntie unhappy!”
Lin Dayong was left speechless by his daughter’s question. He opened his mouth but didn’t know how to explain.
Seeing the conflicted and pained look on her father’s face, Ruanruan only felt that the things he said were strange.
Sometimes he said one thing.
Then another.