Chapter 58 — The Wisdom of a Child

At last, they arrived at Lin Xiaowen’s house just before Ranran’s bedtime. The moment Ranran saw Cheng Yishu, she was as excited as a little sparrow, and when her eyes landed on the beautiful, delicate cake box, she was so thrilled that sleep was the last thing on her mind!

Although Lin Xiaowen complained that it was too late for Ranran to be eating sweets, she couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Recently, with the crew rushing to meet deadlines, the two of them hadn’t been able to see each other often. It was a rare occasion for Cheng Yishu to come by, so not only was Ranran delighted, but Lin Xiaowen herself felt overjoyed.

“It’s alright, but after you finish the cake, you have to brush your teeth well, alright?” Cheng Yishu’s affection for Ranran was so obvious that Lin Xiaowen started to doubt the truth of any rumors she’d read about him online.

Ranran was becoming more and more attached to Cheng Yishu, insisting on leaning against him even as she ate her cake, her small mouth gathering flecks of cream, making her look like a sweet little kitten.

“Brother Yishu, have a bite...” she said, offering him a trembling spoonful. Cheng Yishu accepted with relish, swallowing the cream in one bite and leaving a trace at the corner of his mouth. Ranran’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“You came by even after such a late wrap, aren’t you tired?” Lin Xiaowen noticed the faint shadows under Cheng Yishu’s eyes and felt both uneasy and distressed.

“I’m alright. If I hadn’t had an event tonight, I would’ve come by this afternoon.” Cheng Yishu gazed at her tenderly and said softly, “I haven’t had time to see you these days. Are you mad at me?”

He always worried that his work would drive Lin Xiaowen away—after all, few women would tolerate a boyfriend who was so frequently absent. It was one of the main reasons most artists avoided relationships.

“No, not at all...” Lin Xiaowen smiled as she looked at him, reaching out to gently wipe the cream from the corner of his mouth with her fingertip.

“I’m not some naive girl who has to cling to you all the time, am I?”

As her gentle finger brushed his lips, Cheng Yishu grinned mischievously, opening his mouth to lightly nibble her finger before quickly letting go.

Lin Xiaowen’s face flushed a deep red. Instinctively, she glanced at Ranran, who was still focused on her cake, oblivious to their exchange.

Relieved, she shot Cheng Yishu a mock glare and pinched his arm.

Cheng Yishu didn’t flinch. Instead, he laughed and caught her hand, holding it as if the pinch brought him nothing but happiness.

“That won’t do. It’s as if I’m not needed at all—clearly, I’m not a very qualified boyfriend!”

Lin Xiaowen saw his playful pout and couldn’t help but laugh again.

“We need you, very much... Just look around—the whole place is full of your handiwork. Sometimes I come home and wonder if I’ve walked into the wrong apartment!”

Satisfied, Cheng Yishu surveyed the apartment he’d redecorated: new curtains with SpongeBob patterns for Ranran, a pink desk she adored, a plush carpet, and the enormous sofa that the three of them now occupied—so large that it took up almost a third of the modest living room. Even the delivery workers had struggled to fit it through the door, but in the end, it just about squeezed in.

At first, Lin Xiaowen had been uncomfortable with all the changes and insisted Cheng Yishu arrange for the furniture to be moved out. But Cheng Yishu claimed everything was for himself—given how often he’d have to “sleep on the sofa,” he didn’t want to wake up on the floor every morning.

Lin Xiaowen ignored his reasoning, but Cheng Yishu leaned in and whispered, “Unless, of course, you want me to sleep in the bedroom.”

At that, Lin Xiaowen’s cheeks puffed up in indignation, and she never brought up moving his things again.

“Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you,” Cheng Yishu suddenly said, his tone turning serious. “The crew is heading to Japan for some overseas scenes in a few days, so I may be away a bit longer. Take good care of yourself and Ranran. Call me anytime if you need anything, alright?”

Lin Xiaowen had thought, with Children’s Day approaching, that Cheng Yishu would find time to spend it with them. But...

“Okay, I understand.” She smiled, nodding. “Don’t worry about us, just focus on your work. We’ll go to work and school on time, just as always. You don’t need to worry about us.”

“So sensible... Ah, I wish I could always be by your side and never have to go anywhere else,” Cheng Yishu said suddenly, resting his head on her shoulder with a childlike, woeful expression.

Lin Xiaowen looked at him, amused, and before she could push him away, she noticed Ranran had turned to watch them, her face alight with joy and just a touch of shyness.

Lin Xiaowen’s smile froze, her body stiffening awkwardly. She hesitated, wanting to say something to Ranran.

Ranran liked Cheng Yishu—Lin Xiaowen knew that better than anyone. But was that affection the same as the kind one might have for a future family member? Would Ranran agree if they became one? No matter how mature or precocious she was, she was still just a child, not yet six. If Lin Xiaowen asked for her opinion, could she truly express her feelings clearly?

Because of these worries, Lin Xiaowen hadn’t spoken to Ranran about it yet, nor did she intend to—she only wanted Ranran to feel that Yishu was good to her, good to her mother, and that was enough.

But Lin Xiaowen had overlooked one thing: Xu Ningning.

With Xu Ningning’s subtle guidance and analyses, eventually she patted her chest and solemnly told Ranran, “Ranran, Auntie Ningning can tell you with full responsibility—Lin Xiaowen is in love!”

“What does ‘in love’ mean? Is it getting married?” Ranran asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Uh... It’s the step before marriage,” Xu Ningning explained after a moment’s thought.

“Oh...” Ranran drew out the sound, seeming to understand, and then nodded gravely. “Then they need to hurry up!”

So, Lin Xiaowen’s worries proved entirely unfounded. Ranran looked at both of them seriously, wiped the cream from her mouth with the back of her hand, and declared, “You two should get married soon. This ‘in love’ business before marriage isn’t that interesting!”

For a moment, the air was still.

Cheng Yishu and Lin Xiaowen glanced at each other, then slowly turned their necks to look at Ranran, who was frowning in concentration.

Ranran was trying hard to recall Auntie Ningning’s words: “That’s right, Auntie Ningning said ‘in love’ is just the step before marriage!”

Cheng Yishu was the first to recover, feeling oddly nervous in front of such a little one. He chuckled at himself inwardly, swallowed, and in a gentle, coaxing voice—as if afraid of being refused—asked, “Ranran... Yishu wants to ask you, do you like Brother Yishu?”

The moment Lin Xiaowen heard his question, her heart skipped a beat, immediately realizing what he was about to say. She wanted to stop him, but Cheng Yishu turned and gave her a reassuring look.

Startled, Lin Xiaowen slowly released his arm.

Perhaps... she should trust him not to rush, that he would handle this in the best way possible.