As Solo approached its closing time, the swimmers from the adjacent pool climbed onto the deck and departed. The rhythmic splashing of their long fins echoed through the vast, empty hall.
The ripples in Wen Wanbing’s heart mirrored the water in the pool—spreading wide and deep because of Fu Junxue’s casual yet soul-stirring words. Only as her reason resurfaced did the waves gradually settle back into a calm.
Wen Wanbing did not accept the offer immediately. She disliked being a burden to others, for she knew that an unquantifiable favor was far harder to repay than any physical gift. However, a hotel would indeed be foreign to Wen Xing. The child had never stayed overnight away from home. Having a familiar face nearby would undoubtedly provide a greater sense of security.
After a moment of reflection, Wen Wanbing said: “I want to follow the teacher’s suggestion first and let her get used to the feeling of sand. If she can adapt to that, I’ll contact you.”
She was always like this: unhurried, deliberate, and cautious before making a final decision.
Fu Junxue watched her, guessing that Wen Wanbing’s sensitive nature made her reluctant to accept such a big favor. In her mind, she labeled her: A slow, sensitive little snail.
“Sure,” Fu Junxue agreed readily. “As for the sand, Solo has some left over from a previous landscaping project. Pepper has been too lazy to throw it out. You can fill a bucket and take it home before you leave.”
Knowing it was sand meant for disposal eased Wen Wanbing’s mental burden. She nodded and said: “Okay, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Fu Junxue’s tone shifted slightly. “I really hope Xingxing can adapt so you both can come stay with me. The other night, someone was messing with my digital lock. It was quite frightening.”
Wen Wanbing froze, turning her head with concern.
The moment she looked over, Fu Junxue flashed a smile. Her slightly curved eyes looked misty and soft. She gazed at Wen Wanbing with a perfectly measured amount of vulnerability and whispered: “But it’s possible they just went to the wrong floor. I’ve changed the locks and informed property management, so it should be fine now.”
It was a masterclass in psychological maneuvering—she spoke as if she didn’t need company, yet every word whispered that she did.
Wen Wanbing found herself unable to meet Fu Junxue’s pitiful gaze, nor could she repeat her “we’ll see” stance. She couldn’t even bring herself to look away. She felt that any hint of rejection would only cause more distress to appear on the other woman’s face.
Lowering her long lashes, Wen Wanbing promised softly: “If Xingxing can adapt to the sand, we will stay at your place.”
It wasn’t just Xingxing who had never stayed overnight elsewhere; neither had she. As she spoke, Wen Wanbing couldn’t help but imagine them living under the same roof, and her ears began to flush crimson.
“Great.” Fu Junxue cleared her throat, her voice turning mock-serious. “It’s a deal then. If you break your word again, I’ll be very angry.”
In their time together, Wen Wanbing felt that Fu Junxue was someone who never got angry. Out of curiosity, she asked: “And how exactly do you get angry?”
In the next second, Fu Junxue’s low voice enveloped Wen Wanbing’s ear like an invisible bubble.
“I’ll bite you.”
The sensation was more overwhelming than a Frenzel maneuver underwater. It surged from her ears through her entire body, and the feeling didn’t fade until Wen Wanbing returned home.
Following the method provided by the intervention teacher, Wen Wanbing spread the sand in a basin for Wen Xing to play with. Wen Xing’s ability to accept new things was very weak; she stood outside the basin, looking lost, her eyes darting around.
Wen Wanbing tried using rewards to entice her, but the child remained unmoved. After nearly three hours of coaxing, Wen Wanbing finally said: “If Xingxing tries stepping inside, we can go to Auntie Junjun’s house to get the little hair clips.”
Only then did Wen Xing move. Very slowly, she held onto Wen Wanbing’s shoulder and stepped into the sand. She looked up at her mother and said: “Clip. Take it.”
“Yes, we’ll take it,” Wen Wanbing replied.
Beside them, He Xiuying gave a thumbs-up. “Oh, Xingxing is so brave! Taking the first step!” Then, she whispered to her daughter: “Are we really going to Xiao Fu’s place? Why not go to Hai Ling’s? He’s more familiar. You haven’t known Xiao Fu that long, and staying at her place with Xingxing seems like such a bother.”
Wen Wanbing, while messaging Fu Junxue about the hair clip bribe, reminded her mother: “Mom, Hai Ling is a man. It wouldn’t be right for a single woman to take a young girl to stay at a man’s house.”
“Oh, look at me. I’m getting old and muddled,” He Xiuying realized. “You’re right. We must avoid any rumors.”
Her phone vibrated twice with Fu Junxue’s reply.
Snowflake: 【The clip will be fixed by the day after tomorrow. Bring Xingxing over to get it.】 Snowflake: 【There’s a small folding bed in the study for Xingxing to sleep on.】
The second message included a photo of the bed. It was covered in adorable “Starry Sky Bear” sheets with a matching quilt and a star-shaped pillow. It felt slightly out of place to imagine the seductive, mature Fu Junxue using such childish bedding. It was clearly bought specifically for Wen Xing.
Snowflake: 【The small bed only fits one person. I’ve cleared the room so you can keep an eye on her at night. I only have one large bed in my room, so you’ll have to squeeze in with me.】 Snowflake: 【The first night of camping will be at a guesthouse, and the conditions there are quite simple. Think of this as a rehearsal.】
A rehearsal indeed…
On Wednesday night, Wen Wanbing finished her work early and went to her diving lesson for an hour. Afterward, Fu Junxue drove her home to pick up Wen Xing.
He Xiuying had already packed Wen Xing’s toiletries and clothes. While Wen Wanbing went to pack her own things, Fu Junxue sat in the living room. She noticed Wen Xing opening the display cabinet and walked over to check on her.
Wen Xing pointed at the shelf, babbling: “Auntie… sand… coaster… give… Auntie.”
Fu Junxue tried to interpret. Pointing to a water-blue quicksand coaster, she asked: “This one? You want to take it out?”
Wen Xing nodded slightly, still pointing: “Auntie.”
Fu Junxue looked where she was pointing. There was a row of clay figurines preserved in acrylic cases. One was a mermaid, and the other was a little diver. The mermaid figurine was holding a pearl—the gift Fu Junxue had given her during their first meeting. The diver’s suit was the same color as Wen Wanbing’s.
Was the first ‘Auntie’ referring to Wen Wanbing?
Fu Junxue pointed at the diver figurine: “This one?”
Wen Xing nodded. As Fu Junxue picked them up, she noticed a stack of certificates and trophies tucked away in the back. One trophy, shaped like a peach branch, was very familiar to her. She had a similar one in her family home—it was the most prestigious youth dance competition trophy in the country.
“I’m ready,” Wen Wanbing said, emerging from her room. Seeing Fu Junxue at the cabinet, she added: “Those two are for you. Xingxing made the clay figurines.”
So, the second “Auntie” was her.
Fu Junxue looked at the clay in her hand and bent down to Wen Xing’s level. “Thank you. I love them very much.” The little girl had made a chibi version of Wen Wanbing for her.
Wen Xing immediately hid behind Wen Wanbing’s legs, peeking out at Fu Junxue with a shy smile.
Fu Junxue stood up, her thumb grazing the coaster. The color scheme was strikingly similar to the ocean-themed ones she had seen at Starbucks—a deep blue sea with two little mermaids painted inside. She wondered if she was overthinking it, but the image of the two mermaids felt significant. They looked remarkably like her and Wen Wanbing.
“And this? Did Xingxing make this too?” Fu Junxue raised the coaster. The silver and blue sequins swirled inside, reflecting tiny points of light in Wen Wanbing’s eyes.
“I made that,” Wen Wanbing said, pursing her lips. “I didn’t know the value of your handmade clips or what you liked. I remembered you looking at those coasters at Starbucks, so I made one. It’s not very good, I hope you don’t mind.”
“How could I mind?” Fu Junxue’s smile deepened as she carefully tucked the gifts into her bag. “This is the first time I’ve received a handmade gift. I love it.”
The journey started well, but once they entered the elevator—a confined, unfamiliar space—Wen Xing began to feel anxious. She clung tightly to Wen Wanbing’s neck.
Fu Junxue’s home was much larger than Wen Wanbing had imagined—a modern, luxury style that was understated yet elegant. It was a stark contrast to the cozy warmth of Wen Wanbing’s own home.
Realizing she was staying the night in this strange place, Wen Xing’s body went rigid in her mother’s arms. The moment the door closed, she let out a piercing scream that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Wen Wanbing saw Fu Junxue jump in startlement, but she couldn’t focus on her. Wen Xing’s nails were digging into the skin of her neck. Enduring the pain, Wen Wanbing patted her back. “It’s okay, Xingxing. It’s okay. Auntie is here. Don’t be afraid.”
It had little effect. The noise rang in her ears, and a suffocating sense of oppression began to settle over her. Fu Junxue reached out to comfort the child, but before Wen Wanbing could stop her, Wen Xing violently slapped her hand away. In her unstable state, the child’s strength was immense.
Fu Junxue’s pale arm immediately turned red, with a faint scratch from a fingernail.
Wen Wanbing took a deep breath. “I should take her home.”
“I’m fine,” Fu Junxue said, frowning as she covered her arm. “The house is soundproof, so don’t worry about the neighbors. Let her scream; adaptation takes time.”
She suddenly remembered something and hurried to a room. When she opened the door, a black cat strolled out. It was the cat from her profile picture. It let out a series of clingy meows and jumped onto the hallway cabinet, tilting its head at Wen Xing.
Fu Junxue brought over the hair clip. “Xingxing, look at this. What is it?”
Wen Xing’s gaze lingered on the clip for a moment before shifting to the cat. Her screaming gradually subsided and finally stopped. The black cat scratched its ear, licked its paws, and then lazily jumped down to walk toward the living room.
Entranced, Wen Xing followed the cat. Wen Wanbing followed them into the living room, noting that Wen Xing was no longer as resistant. The cat began to eat, and Wen Xing sat quietly on a mushroom-shaped stool Fu Junxue had brought out, clutching her clip and watching the cat.
The tension in Wen Wanbing finally began to uncoil, replaced by an extreme sense of exhaustion. She sat on the sofa, watching Wen Xing’s back, her shoulders finally dropping.
Fu Junxue handed her a glass of warm water. “A new cup.”
“Thank you.” Wen Wanbing held the cup, drawing warmth from it in the middle of summer. Her eyes scanned Fu Junxue’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
She was used to saying “apologies” or “excuse me,” but this was the first time Fu Junxue had heard her say a genuine “I’m sorry.” The words carried a heavy sense of guilt that a simple “it’s okay” wouldn’t fix.
“It’s okay,” Fu Junxue said. Then, she paused and added with a troubled look, “But I’m still quite angry. What should I do?”
Wen Wanbing swallowed hard. After a few seconds of silence, she reached out her hand. “Then, you can hit me.”
Fu Junxue let out a soft laugh. “If I hit you, my hand will just hurt more.”
Wen Wanbing lowered her hand and asked seriously, “Then what should I do?”
“What else can I do? You asked me before what I do when I’m angry. Didn’t I already tell you?”
“I’ll bite you.” Wen Wanbing remembered the words.