Xia Yan slept until two in the afternoon before waking up. Lin Xujia was still in the dorm organizing her things. She woke up entirely because of Xiao Han's incessant phone calls. Rubbing her sore, puffy eyes, she checked the time. If she remembered correctly, Xiao Han had said three o'clock, and there was still an hour left.
Realizing this, she abruptly flipped over and sat up. Under Lin Xujia's astonished gaze, she quickly changed clothes, brushed her hair, and got everything done as fast as possible before calling Xiao Han back.
"Xiao Jia, I have something to do and need to head out."
As for what Lin Xujia said, she didn't catch it clearly. She sprinted all the way to the school gate, where the driver Xiao Han had arranged to pick her up was already waiting. She dashed to the car and gave the driver an apologetic smile. Fortunately, she hadn't delayed Xiao Han's school event. Arriving at Xiao Han's school, she knew it was a famous elite school in Jiangcheng, where the students were either children of high-ranking officials or wealthy families.
She found Xiao Han's classroom, and he immediately ran over to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, tilting his head up, and looking at her pitifully. "Sister Yan, you didn't take me seriously at all."
"It's my fault. Sister apologizes to Xiao Han. Will Xiao Han forgive me?" Xia Yan coaxed him. Noticing the teacher on the podium watching them, she patted Xiao Han's head. "Xiao Han, the teacher is looking at us."
"Let them look."
"...Let's focus on the important stuff."
With that, Xiao Han took Xia Yan's hand and led her to his seat. From the moment she entered the classroom, she felt strange glances from all directions. She instinctively touched her cheek and whispered to Xiao Han, "Is my face messy?"
"No."
Xia Yan sat on the stool, and Xiao Han sat on her lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a young woman sitting not far from her, their gazes meeting ambiguously. She couldn't decipher the meaning in that woman's eyes.
"Lu Yihan, who's that you brought?"
"None of your business?"
"Is she your mom? She's way too young."
Xia Yan felt Xiao Han's mood shift noticeably in her arms. Hearing the little boy next to him speak, she quickly hugged Xiao Han tighter. She had known Xiao Han for a while but rarely heard about his mother.
Watching Xiao Han shake his fist at the classmate, the one who had just spoken immediately fell silent. Xia Yan couldn't help but laugh, though a pang of melancholy and sympathy stirred in her heart.
The homeroom teacher explained the steps for today's event on the podium. First, students would go up and read a letter they'd written to their parents, followed by outdoor activities for parents and children to participate in together. The goal was to understand the child's school life and encourage parents to take time out of their busy schedules to engage with their kids and be part of their childhood.
When it was Xiao Han's turn, Xia Yan listened intently. Watching him stand calmly on the stage like a little prince, dressed in a black suit with a stoic, cool expression as he looked down at the audience, she focused.
The content of Xiao Han's letter mentioned little about his mother, focusing mostly on his father. For some reason, Xia Yan couldn't take her eyes off the small figure on stage, a wave of sadness washing over her involuntarily.
Fortunately, this segment didn't take long. Next came the outdoor activities, and Xiao Han led Xia Yan to the changing room. "Xiao Han, you need to change?"
"Yeah, this outfit won't work for the activities." As soon as he finished speaking, he walked straight into the changing room. Xia Yan sat on the chair outside, feeling a bit bored. The young woman who had been sitting next to her in the classroom suddenly approached, smiling at her.
Xia Yan smiled back.
Xiao Han changed quickly. Xia Yan stood up and walked over to him, adjusting his collar. "Let's go, little prince."
"Childish."
Xiao Han's sudden remark caught Xia Yan off guard. She noticed the blush spreading across his cheeks and couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you're embarrassed?"
"Don't pinch my face! I'm not embarrassed at all."
Seeing Xiao Han glare at her with a mix of anger and shame, Xia Yan covered her mouth and whispered, "Yes, Xiao Han isn't embarrassed, just a little shy."
"Sister Yan!"
"Prince, your mom is so pretty..." A little girl ran up and said.
Hearing this, Xiao Han's face turned pale and then red. Without a second thought, he grabbed Xia Yan's hand and ran outside. Xia Yan, confused, glanced back at the little girl chasing after them, her voice echoing behind.
"Can't shake her off!" Xiao Han stopped abruptly, furious.
The little girl caught up and grabbed his hand without hesitation. "Prince, why do you run away when you see me?"
"..."
Xia Yan watched the serious-faced Xiao Han with amusement. Were kids these days maturing this early?
The little girl's mother caught up, and upon hearing her daughter's words, she looked at Xia Yan with an equally awkward expression.
"Prince, let's be in the same group, okay?"
"No."
"Mei Mei, I'll be in your group."
Xia Yan turned to see a little boy approaching from the other side. The little girl, undeterred by Xiao Han's refusal, boldly declared, "You can only be in my group."
She completely ignored the boy's words.
Xia Yan saw the truth of it. The rejected boy refused to give up, insisting on being in her group.
Xiao Han, who had been silent, suddenly spoke coldly, "If you lose, stop bothering me."
"...Don't worry, I won't let the prince lose."
The outdoor activity was simple, requiring good teamwork. Xiao Han and Xia Yan found a quiet spot to warm up. Xia Yan was halfway into a squat to stretch her legs when the first activity—a race—was about to start...
A man in a gray casual sportswear approached from a distance, the green trees on either side seeming to frame him. Xia Yan stared at the figure drawing nearer, disbelief written all over her face.
Before Lu Zhengting could get close, Xiao Han ran over. "Dad, you finally made it."
Lu Zhengting ruffled Xiao Han's hair, then glanced sideways at Xia Yan, who was still crouched on the ground, stunned. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he walked up to her, waving his well-defined fingers in front of her face.
"Sister Yan, what's wrong?"
"Lu Zhengting, why are you here?"
"Sister Yan, isn't it normal for Dad to come to school events?"
Hearing this, Xia Yan frowned. "Xiao Han, didn't you say your dad was too busy with work and couldn't make it?"
"Yeah, but he finished work and could come." Xiao Han's matter-of-fact reply seemed reasonable, but why did she feel like she'd been set up again?
The loudspeaker called Xiao Han's name. Lu Zhengting and Xiao Han walked ahead, and when she didn't move, Xiao Han turned back, took her hand, and led her to the playground.
As Xiao Han held Xia Yan's hand on one side and Lu Zhengting's on the other, stepping into everyone's view, Xia Yan felt the surrounding gazes shift to curiosity and surprise. What was she doing? Participating in Xiao Han's school event with Lu Zhengting, as if they were parents?
Time was tight. Xiao Han pulled a red ribbon from his pocket, crouched down, and tied it around their three feet. At the signal, Xia Yan was pulled along by the two of them.
"Sister Yan, don't zone out."
Pausing, Xia Yan listened to the noise around her—screams and shouts nearly deafening. She blinked. Fine, let's win the race first.
And they did. Resting at the sidelines, Xia Yan saw the little girl who had insisted on being in Xiao Han's group walk up to him, beaming. "Prince, we won."
Xia Yan was about to say "great" when the girl added in a soft voice, "So I can keep bothering you now."
Lu Zhengting, arriving late, seemed uninterested in all this. He sat stiffly beside Xiao Han, casting a brief glance at Xia Yan.
Rarely seeing Xiao Han at a loss, Xia Yan was glad she wasn't drinking water—she'd have burst out laughing. Catching Xiao Han's warning look, she blinked and whispered in his ear, "You dug this hole yourself."
The little girl then turned to Xia Yan with a smile. "Sister, you heard him too. You have to vouch for me, Lu Yihan—you can't go back on your word."
"Alright, I'll definitely vouch for you. Xiao Han is a man of his word."
Xiao Han shot her a sharp glare, but when Lu Zhengting's indifferent gaze swept over, he pouted. So unfair...
The little girl then noticed Lu Zhengting, blinked her big eyes, and pointed at him. "Uncle, you're really handsome."
"...Uncle?" Xia Yan muttered, about to laugh, when Lu Zhengting's piercing stare landed on her. She quickly looked down, stifling her laughter.
Lu Zhengting was annoyed. This little girl called him "uncle" and Xia Yan "sister," putting him a whole generation above her?
"Yinyin, don't talk nonsense. You should call her auntie," the woman who had been slowly approaching said seriously. Yinyin pouted and looked at Xia Yan. "Auntie."
"Yinyin, just call me sister." Auntie? She was still young and vibrant—she couldn't handle that title.
Lu Zhengting's mood, which had improved, soured again at Xia Yan's words.
For the remaining activities, Xiao Han dragged them both along, and they won first place in every one. At the end, the teacher's comment about their "great teamwork" startled Xia Yan. Did she and Lu Zhengting even have such a thing?
After the activities, Xiao Han happily held both their hands the whole way, occasionally lifting his feet to swing like a pendulum.
He glanced at Xia Yan, then at Lu Zhengting. "Dad, I'm hungry."
"What do you want to eat?"
Xiao Han thought for a moment, then turned to Xia Yan. "Sister Yan, what do you want to eat?"