Upstairs, the sound of a door opening echoed.
Su Wanqing looked up and saw Shimu coming down the stairs. His small face was still a little pale.
“Mu Mu, are you still feeling unwell?” she asked.
The little dumpling shook his head and sat down at the dining table.
Su Wanqing stood up, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to him. “Drink some water.”
Then she went into the kitchen, brought out the porridge she had kept warm, and placed it in front of him. “I made chicken congee this morning. Eat some.”
Shimu looked slightly surprised and reached for the spoon.
“You should drink some water first before eating,” Su Wanqing reminded him gently.
He obediently drank the warm water.
After that, he took a bite of the steaming chicken congee.
The soft, well-cooked porridge didn’t require much chewing. It slid down his throat into his stomach, bringing a steady warmth with it.
For him, breakfast had always just been bread, fried eggs, and milk. He had eaten them so many times that he no longer knew whether he liked them or not.
Eating was purely mechanical—just to fill his stomach.
No one had ever bothered to understand his preferences. Even when he was sick, the servants at home didn’t dare intervene openly. He had long gotten used to being treated as invisible… or as a punching bag.
If he could drink this every day…
That would be nice.
“Mu Mu, you’re not going to school today. If you still feel uncomfortable later, go upstairs and rest a bit more,” Su Wanqing said after seeing he had eaten enough.
Shimu nodded.
After a moment of hesitation, he whispered, “I… I still want to eat more.”
Hearing that, Su Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh softly.
He was finally making a request.
It wasn’t anything big, but it was still progress.
“Be good,” she said gently. “You can’t eat too much right now, or you’ll feel sick again. If you get hungry later, I’ll serve you more, okay?”
She really didn’t want to refuse him, not even for something so small—but she also didn’t dare let him overeat and end up uncomfortable again.
Shimu obediently nodded.
So well-behaved… so soft.
Su Wanqing almost wanted to reach out and pinch his cheeks.
“Do you want to go upstairs and rest?” she asked after he finished his last bite.
He shook his head.
“Then… do you want to watch cartoons in the bedroom?” she asked again.
“Can I… really watch?” The little dumpling tried hard to suppress the joy rising in his chest.
In this house, his existence had always felt like a mistake. So he had learned to be invisible. Even watching TV felt like a luxury he wasn’t allowed to have.
“Of course you can,” Su Wanqing said immediately. “You’re just a little kid—you can do anything you want, and you can ask for anything too.”
Seeing the cautiousness in his eyes, her heart tightened.
“I’m not going to work today. I’ll stay home with you all day.”
She took his hand and led him upstairs into her bedroom.
It was the first time Shimu had entered her room. He looked slightly stiff and uneasy.
Su Wanqing let him sit on the sofa, then took out an iPad.
Knowing how precocious he was, she didn’t choose anything too childish. Instead, she opened Detective Conan.
She handed him the tablet and crouched in front of him.
“Mu Mu, just hold it and watch. If you don’t like it, I’ll change it.”
She pointed to the side. “I’ll be there handling work. If you need anything, just call me. Water is right here, and don’t forget to take your medicine later, okay?”
Shimu held the iPad tightly, his small brows furrowing slightly.
“…Will I disturb your work if I stay here?”
“I can stay somewhere else too.”
He didn’t say the last sentence out loud.
Because—he actually wanted to stay with her.
Su Wanqing gently patted his cheek. “Of course you won’t disturb me. Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter.”
“You’re a little kid. You can do whatever you want. Got it?”