The room wasn’t secluded, but everything around it felt unusually quiet. The courtyard previously was probably home to some bizarrely exotic plants, but now, all that remained was dry, cold fragrance.
“Ice Girl, it’s lunchtime!”
Ying Qi gently knocked on the door, but there was no response, so she pushed it open.
Li Mo shivered—he hadn’t felt this cold in ages—but he still peeked into the room.
Sunlight poured in through the window, dust dancing in the light, illuminating the chess set on the table where a game had just ended.
The little girl sat quietly in front of the chessboard, her cheerful red dress giving off an air of elegance and breathtaking charm.
Little Ice Chunk had a delicate face, wearing an expression that was far too serene for her age.
There was no trace of that ethereal quality yet, but she did give off a sense of otherworldly spirit. If it weren’t for her lashes fluttering just a bit, one might mistake her for a delicate porcelain doll.
She glanced back, her eyes holding a hint of confusion.
“This is Li Ge’s child, the one you’ve met.”
Ying Qi introduced, opening the food box.
Little Ice Chunk seemed to not remember him?
Li Mo pondered on this.
After all, they had only met once. If she did remember him, wouldn’t that mean her subconscious was awakening, and she would wake up from her dream?
“Ice Girl, I made your favorite dishes.”
“Mom, I’m not hungry,” the little girl replied softly, her voice like chimes.
“You hardly ate anything yesterday,” Ying Qi expressed her concern.
Little Ice Chunk nodded and took a small bite of the food, then immediately scrunched her face in distaste.
After just two bites, she tightly closed her lips, refusing to eat anymore.
“Auntie, who’s she playing chess with?” Li Mo hopped onto the table across from her.
“She’s playing against herself; no one at home has the gall to challenge her anymore.”
“Then how about I have a game with her?”
Little Li’s expression was mysterious, cool as ice.
“?”
She lifted her gaze, the frost in her eyes seeming to freeze mid-fall.
Dazed Little Ice Chunk.jpg.
Li Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. Ying Bing had looked a bit like this as a child too—most people would think the little girl was a bit off, but he found it inexplicably adorable, especially when she was lost in thought.
“So, care for a match? I’ve got this brilliant strategy: if I connect five pieces, I win. What do you say?”
Little Ying Bing remained silent, but her small hands began tidying up the black and white pieces on the table.
Looks like Little Ice Chunk had a strong competitive spirit even at a young age…
Ying Qi was a bit surprised; she had never seen her daughter show interest in anything before.
But what surprised her even more was—
Ten minutes later.
Her daughter, who was practically a Go master, actually lost!
Though they weren’t playing Go, connecting five pieces was obviously much easier.
“Pretty impressive, huh?” Little Li Mo grinned, exuding a vibe reminiscent of a big Ice Chunk.
Little Ying Bing squinted slightly, “The person who plays first always wins.”
“!”
Li Mo leaned back a bit.
He had lost many rounds before finally discovering this truth! Truly, she was Little Ice Chunk, even in her cub form, still terrifying!
“Sis, it’s time to eat.”
Little Ying Bing instinctively nodded and picked up her chopsticks.
When the food finally reached her mouth, her beautiful eyes lit up for a moment, seemingly puzzled as to why her actions were so natural, even if she was just responding to him saying “time to eat.”
Ying Qi gasped and covered her mouth.
Her daughter was usually so cold, especially after getting sick; even with her father, she rarely showed any emotional fluctuation. Now she was actually…
“Can I go out and play with Ice Sister later?”
Li Mo kept his cool, internally thrilled.
Looks like Ice Chunk’s subconscious still remembered him.
Victory assured!
“Ice Girl?” Ying Qi looked at her daughter with eager eyes, her tone a bit excited.
Her daughter hadn’t left the house for a long time, and she genuinely worried that staying inside might make her sick again.
“Sis, take me out to play!”
Little Li Mo said seriously.
Don’t get him wrong; even though he was a mischievous little rascal at his private school, his cute looks could still captivate anyone, even when he was dead serious.
“Hmm…”
Little Ying Bing’s cheeks twitched hesitantly, her voice barely a whisper, before she cautiously started eating again.
After lunch.
Li Mo was the first to exit, and the threshold was a bit high, so he had to hop a little.
Little Ying Bing put down her bowl and, under her mother’s encouraging gaze, lifted the hem of her rosy skirt, prepared to jump over the threshold. Just then, a hand reached out in front of her.
She looked up, seeing the sunlit little boy, beaming back at her.
“Let’s go!”
“Mm-hmm.”
Little Ying Bing momentarily lost her composure. Still unsure in her heart, her body had already made the decision for her.
By the time she realized what was happening, her little hand was already warm, gripped by a bigger hand.
Ying Qi: “?”
She had just tidied up some dishes, and now she felt like she missed something crucial.
Also…
Was Ice Girl really willing to quietly let other kids hold her hand?!
The trio ventured back to the bustling courtyard.
“Little sister is going out?”
“Am I seeing things? Or am I still half asleep?”
“Ugh… if you’re half asleep, then what was that pinch for?”
“Look, she’s really being led out by another kid!”
“Isn’t that Li’s little brat?”
Don’t be fooled by Little Ice Chunk’s small stature; at Ying’s family, her status was quite high, and some kids her age were nearly adults.
As the Ying family cousins saw the two emerge from the courtyard, they rubbed their eyes, all too familiar with the tales of this little sister.
Seeing her finally come outside was more exciting than New Year’s!
“Hey, honey, look.”
“Hmm?”
Ying Xuliang was chatting with a friend when he turned around and found two little ones holding hands, resembling a pair of golden boys and jade maidens.
It was a good thing that his daughter was willing to come outside.
As the saying goes, a daughter is a father’s little cotton-padded jacket—but his little jacket not only let the chill in; it was made of ice!
Counting on his fingers, he hadn’t spoken more than ten words to her in three days, and his daughter’s chilling brilliance often made him feel like his own IQ was taking a dent.
Now, she was being led around by another boy, looking so serene and obedient?
The old daddy’s emotions were complicated—excitement mixed with an inexplicable gloom.
“Ying Uncle, what’s up?”
Little Li Mo held Ying Bing’s hand and stepped in front of the couple.
For some reason, being under Ying Uncle’s gaze made him a little nervous.
“Nothing, you two go have fun, but don’t wander too far.”
“…..”
Looking at the lively Ying family courtyard, Li Mo’s lips moved, and in the end, all he could do was nod in response.
Tonight, when the winners would honor their ancestors, everyone would d*e.
But he was just a kid; who would believe him if he spoke such dark stuff during the New Year? He’d be lucky if he didn’t get kicked out!
Also,
This was a dream.
