Lu Siye's thin lips curved into a handsome smile. "Thank who?"
Ning Yan spoke softly and sweetly, "You."
"Who am I?" Lu Siye pressed on relentlessly.
"Husband." Ning Yan said sweetly.
Lu Siye smiled with satisfaction, his gaze tender and his tone doting. "Alright, husband will help you zip it up."
Ning Yan nodded obediently and turned her back to Lu Siye.
Ning Yan was very slim with fair skin, her complexion as fine and smooth as the finest silk. Her dress hung slightly open, revealing her smooth, fair back and delicate shoulder blades.
Lu Siye reached for the zipper and slowly helped Ning Yan zip up her dress.
As the zipper came down, Lu Siye's Adam's apple rolled slightly.
"Done." Lu Siye's voice was hoarse, as if it had been scraped with sandpaper.
"Thank you, husband."
"Mm." Lu Siye hummed a light, noncommittal sound.
Lu Siye's gentle gaze suddenly retracted, his eyes turning stern. "Why aren't you wearing socks?"
Ning Yan pouted unhappily and complained, "It's so hot out, I don't want to."
"Go put them on." Lu Siye's low, raspy voice carried a hint of anger.
Had she forgotten how her stomach had hurt when she was on her period?
The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, Lu Siye shook his head. Well, she was only six years old now—how could she possibly remember?
"Be good. Girls need to keep warm." Lu Siye raised his large hand and patted Ning Yan's head.
"I'm hungry. Can we eat first?" Ning Yan tugged at Lu Siye's big hand and shook it. Her dark grape-like eyes seemed filled with starlight, sparkling and beautiful.
Lu Siye shook his head helplessly. "Alright."
"Carry me. My feet hurt." Ning Yan stepped forward and threw herself directly into Lu Siye's arms.
Lu Siye's thin lips curved into a handsome smile.
He bent down, leaned over, and scooped Ning Yan up horizontally—every movement was fluid and effortless.
Holding the person in his arms, Lu Siye's posture grew even straighter. Carrying Ning Yan was too easy; the person in his arms was so light that he felt as if she weighed nothing at all.
Downstairs.
At the dining table.
Lu Siye was just about to set Ning Yan down when she clung tightly to his neck, refusing to let go.
"Yanyan, let go." Lu Siye's hoarse voice carried a gentle coaxing tone.
Ning Yan stubbornly shook her little head, her voice soft and delicate. "No."
"The chair is too cold. Yanyan's tummy will hurt."
Ning Yan's fair little face was full of seriousness—she wasn't lying.
Lu Siye's brows furrowed even deeper.
"Is husband disgusted with Yanyan?" Ning Yan noticed Lu Siye's tightly knitted brows, her own delicate brows slightly furrowing as she asked the person before her cautiously.
"No."
"I'll have someone bring a cushion." Lu Siye coaxed the person in his arms in a low voice, afraid that she might start crying again at any moment.
This girl was like she was made of water—she kept crying nonstop.
Ning Yan nodded. "That works. Or sitting on husband's lap works too."
Lu Siye's hand resting on Ning Yan's waist stiffened, and his Adam's apple rolled. "Yanyan can't be naughty."
Did this girl know what she was saying?
"Fine, if I can't sit, then I can't sit. No need to be so fierce about it." Ning Yan raised her little pink fist and pounded Lu Siye's chest, then jumped down from his arms.
"Careful." Lu Siye supported Ning Yan as she sat on the chair, his face full of worry.
She doesn't remember anything, but her stubborn temper is still the same.
Lu Siye let out a helpless sigh, picked up Ning Yan, and set her down on his lap.
Ning Yan smiled with satisfaction and delight.
The dining table was laden with dishes Ning Yan loved—crab roe buns, braised pig trotters, oil-braised shrimp, and more.
Lu Siye kept one arm wrapped around Ning Yan's slender waist, asking softly, "What do you want to eat?"
Her waist was so very slim—one hand could encircle it completely.
"Buns." Ning Yan pointed at the crab roe buns on the table.
Lu Siye picked up a crab roe bun with his chopsticks and placed it on her plate.
Ning Yan took the bun and bit into it, her eyes lighting up. "So yummy! I want to eat this every day, okay?"
Because she hadn't swallowed the bite of bun yet, her words came out a bit muffled.
Lu Siye's expression darkened slightly, and he said patiently, "Yanyan, you have to swallow before you speak, understand?"
Ning Yan nodded thoughtfully. "Oh."
Forget it. Let her be.
The entire meal, Ning Yan ate while sitting on Lu Siye's lap.
The two servants nearby began whispering among themselves.
"What's wrong with the young mistress? Did she change her ways?"
"The young mistress eating on the young master's lap—that's simply unbelievable."
"The young master carried the young mistress back from the hospital. Could she be pregnant?"
"Impossible. The young mistress has never let the young master touch her. The two of them have always slept in separate rooms."
Though Ning Yan's memory had stopped at age six, her ears were still sharp.
"Honey, what does 'pregnant' mean? And what's 'separate rooms'? Why split up a perfectly good house?" Ning Yan's little head was full of questions, firing them off one after another at Lu Siye.
Lu Siye glanced at the two servants and immediately understood.
"Uncle Bai, I don't want to see them tomorrow."
Bai Lang nodded. "Yes, young master."
"I'll carry you upstairs." Lu Siye lifted the person on his lap and headed up the stairs.
"Lie down in bed obediently and don't run around." Lu Siye's slightly cold voice carried a note of command, leaving no room for Ning Yan to argue.
Ning Yan nodded obediently, her voice soft and sweet. "Mm, Yanyan promises not to run around."
Lu Siye's heart melted completely.
"Does your foot still hurt?"
Looking at the white gauze wrapped around Ning Yan's ankle, Lu Siye felt a pang of self-blame.
If he had grabbed her in time, she wouldn't have been hurt, and she wouldn't have…
Ning Yan's sweet, soft voice carried a hint of grievance. "It hurts."
She might as well not have said it—hearing it only made Lu Siye's heart ache even more.
"Honey." Ning Yan called out to Lu Siye sweetly.
"Mm, what is it?" Lu Siye knelt half beside the bed, asking the girl before him.
That man who was so arrogant and unyielding in all of Yuncheng was now kneeling before the girl he loved, coaxing her in a low, gentle voice.
"I want to eat potato chips." Ning Yan blinked her big, sparkling eyes at Lu Siye.
Lu Siye gave a slight shake of his head, his tone turning serious. "No."
"Aren't you full from just eating?"
"I'm not hungry, I just want some. Yanyan saved room in her tummy." Ning Yan giggled and patted her belly.
Lu Siye's brows furrowed slightly. He'd never noticed before how cunning this little girl could be.
"Junk food isn't allowed."
"Who says so?" Ning Yan lifted her little face, puffing out her round eyes to challenge Lu Siye.
Potato chips are delicious—what's wrong with that?
Tomato flavor, spicy flavor, seaweed flavor, sea salt and pepper, lime flavor, cucumber, and so on.
Just thinking about it made it sound incredibly delicious.
"I want to eat them." Ning Yan's beautiful brows furrowed, her small face turning sullen, as if to say, if you don't give them to me, I'll cry right in front of you.