Against the Light - Chapter 154
Chapter 154: Hugs~
At noon, the mother and daughter were napping on the sofa.
In a tacit understanding, both of them rested their heads on their right hands. This identical sleeping posture greatly amused the audience, who exclaimed that the Little Milk Bun was too cute and they wanted one of their own.
As they slept soundly, the little one kicked off the blanket, which slid off the sofa and onto the floor. She rolled over, half an arm dangling over the edge.
【Ahhh, the Little Milk Bun is going to fall off!!!】
【Ran Zai, wake up, your cub is about to fall!!!】
【Where's the camera operator? Go help her!!】
In the bullet comments, netizens were worried sick, afraid the Little Milk Bun would fall.
On set, the Little Milk Bun's dedicated camera operator seemed to hear everyone's pleas. She quietly emerged from her tent and walked over to the sofa. Just as she raised her hand, before she could even touch the little one, the child rolled over and tumbled right into her arms.
The camera operator jumped, sighing in relief. She gently placed the little one back on the sofa. The Little Milk Bun pursed her lips and whimpered. The camera operator quickly patted her little body gently, stopping only when she had settled down. She then picked up the blanket from the floor, covered both of them, and tiptoed away.
【This camera operator is so nice, the dumplings weren't for nothing hahaha】
【I'm getting more and more curious, she seems like such a gentle person】
Gu Xinran's eyelids fluttered open. She glanced over and noticed that the little one's sleeping position had changed. Then she saw the blanket covering her. "What happened? Did she fall?"
"Almost," Xu Yi replied.
Gu Xinran touched her forehead, let out a sigh of relief, and said thanks. She got up, moved the little one further into the sofa, and placed a pillow on the edge to block her.
After sitting by the sofa for a moment to wake up, she went to the kitchen to figure out what to make for Xiao Ye's afternoon tea.
In the living room, the little one rolled over, suddenly lifted her head, and groggily opened her eyes, staring blankly into space.
A moment later, she saw her dedicated camera positioned right in front of her and immediately broke into a lovely smile. She climbed off the sofa and ran barefoot to the tent, lifting the curtain to peek inside.
"Auntie, are you sleeping?"
【Ahhh, the little baby is too adorable, I love those big eyes】
【She looks for the camera lady as soon as she wakes up? Haha, so cute】
【She's really her favorite, isn't she?】
"No, I'm not."
"Why aren't you sleeping? Aren't you tired?"
"Auntie has to work."
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow and pouted, looking unhappy. "Is it because you have to film Xiao Ye?"
"Mhm, that's right." The camera lady's eyes curved into a smile.
"Then… then Xiao Ye will stand here and not move, so Auntie can go to sleep!"
"Eh?"
【!!! She's too sweet!! How on earth does Ran Zai raise her child? How did she teach her to be so considerate!!】
【Ahhhhh I'm so jealous I could die, I want to be a camera operator too ahhh!】
【Sob sob, Little Milk Bun, look at me! My eyes are bigger and brighter than hers, sob sob】
Xiao Ye turned and ran back to the sofa. With great effort, she hugged the blanket and dragged it all the way to the tent, stuffing it through the window bit by bit.
"What is Xiao Ye doing?" a nearby camera operator asked.
"Covering Auntie so she doesn't catch a cold. If you get a cold, you have to get a shot, and shots are scary!"
"What about us? Don't we get one?" Xu Yi pretended to be jealous.
Xiao Ye was clearly taken aback for a moment. She thought about it, then nodded. "You do." With that, she turned and ran back to the bedroom, emerging a moment later dragging another blanket.
"No, no, it's okay, we aunties don't need one." Seeing how serious she was, Xu Yi quickly waved her hands to stop her.
"Cover up!" the little one ordered with a serious, domineering expression. The crew members were stunned for a second, then exchanged glances and couldn't help but stifle their laughter.
"Thank you, Xiao Ye."
"You're welcome."
Xiao Ye did a lap, and only after confirming that every tent had a blanket did she feel at ease. She walked to the center of the living room and stood perfectly still.
The camera operators were confused. "What is she doing?" they whispered among themselves.
"Xiao Ye? What are you doing?" Xu Yi asked.
"Can Auntie film me like this?"
"Yes, she can."
"Then I won't move. Auntie can go to sleep now." After saying that, Xiao Ye took a deep breath and stood motionless.
【???】
【I'm so jealous, she's so thoughtful at such a young age】
【Isn't this child just incredible!】
Gu Xinran came out of the kitchen with a fruit platter and immediately saw her Little Milk Bun standing in the middle of the living room. "Oh, you're awake?"
Gu Xinran placed the platter on the table and called for Xiao Ye to come have some fruit.
After waiting a moment, the little one still hadn't moved.
"Xiao Ye?" Gu Xinran called out twice, but the little one acted as if she hadn't heard.
Gu Xinran was puzzled. Was she playing a game with her?
Confused, she walked over and sat down in front of her.
She waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Xiao Ye? What are you doing? Are you pretending to be a statue?" she asked with a smile, gently pinching her little ear.
"Don't touch me, I can't move," Xiao Ye said with a straight face.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Auntie needs to sleep. If I move, Auntie has to move too, so I can't move!"
"Huh???" Gu Xinran didn't understand. She turned to look at the tents, and her eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw a familiar-looking blanket peeking out.
"Sister Ran, here's what happened." Fearing Gu Xinran would scold Xiao Ye, Xu Yi quickly explained the situation.
Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She wasn't bothered that Xiao Ye had given them the blankets. Instead, she held her hand out in front of Xiao Ye, threatening to tickle her.
"Ah, don't touch me, Mama!" the little one cried out anxiously.
"Alright, then why don't you act cute for Mama?" Gu Xinran rested her chin on her hand, smiling at her.
"Mmm~~ Mama, good Mama~" Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow, a look of reluctance on her face.
Gu Xinran was thoroughly amused.
"Want some fruit?" Gu Xinran took the fruit platter from the table, picked up a peeled grape, and held it in front of her eyes, wiggling it gently. The translucent green flesh glistened, and the little one couldn't help but swallow.
"Xiao Ye can't move." She was still firmly remembering her rule.
"Oh, what should we do then? I guess Mama will eat it herself." With that, Gu Xinran popped the grape into her mouth with a little nom and smacked her lips. "Mmm, this grape is so sweet~" she said, deliberately tempting her.
【Ahhhhh Ran Zai is so mean!! This is the kind of thing that gets you in trouble with your mom!】
【Hahahaha Xiao Ye is too cute, and Ran Zai is a real troll. Begging Teacher Bai to discipline her properly, what's with bullying a child??】
【Tagging @Teacher Bai, come control your wife!!!】
【Sob sob, stop teasing her, the baby is so pitiful】
【Ran Zai! Give it to her! Give! It! To! Her!】
"Do you want some?" Gu Xinran picked up a cup of yogurt, drizzled it over a piece of kiwi, speared it with a fork, and held it to Xiao Ye's lips.
Xiao Ye clamped her little mouth shut. When she said she wouldn't eat, she meant it. She was very resolute.
"Really not eating? Then Mama will eat it? When your Mommy gets back, you're not allowed to tattle and say I bullied you, okay?" After saying that, Gu Xinran ate it with a clear conscience.
Xiao Ye's mouth fell open in distress, and a line of drool trickled down.
"Pfft…" Gu Xinran burst out laughing. She turned to the cameras behind her, signaling them to zoom in.
【Hahahaha that drool is too real hahaha】
【Ahhhhhh Xiao Ye is too cute ahhhh!!!】
【Drooling from temptation is so adorable, I really want to squish her cheeks, sob sob sob】
"Still not moving? Then Mama is going to eat your favorite strawberry," Gu Xinran said, picking up half a strawberry.
"Wuu…" Xiao Ye's lip quivered.
"Hey, if you want to eat, just open your mouth. Don't drool." Gu Xinran fought back her laughter. The little one's lips were already glistening with saliva.
"How about this? You can secretly eat one. If you chew very slowly, it won't count as moving."
The little one blinked her big eyes and swallowed hard.
The moment Gu Xinran held the strawberry out, she eagerly opened her mouth. Then, she chewed very, very slowly, one bite at a time.
Seeing her serious little expression, Gu Xinran almost collapsed with laughter, clutching her stomach. This was just too cute!!!
Xiao Ye swallowed the strawberry with a gulp, licked her lips, clearly wanting more, and looked at Gu Xinran with her big, blinking eyes.
"What? Want more? Want to secretly eat another one?"
"Mhm!"
Gu Xinran fed her another one.
"Xiao Ye, which auntie is sleeping?" Gu Xinran glanced into the tents. Everyone was working; she didn't see anyone asleep.
"That one, my auntie."
"Oh, wait. She's not sleeping. Look, she's still filming you." Gu Xinran pointed, signaling for her to turn around.
Xiao Ye turned around with a puzzled look. "Auntie, why aren't you sleeping? Xiao Ye was being good and not moving." She ran to the tent, lifted the curtain, and poked her little head inside.
"Mhm, because Xiao Ye is too cute, Auntie wants to film you more."
Xiao Ye giggled and bit her lip.
"Auntie, would you like some fruit?"
"Hm? Thank you, Xiao Ye. Auntie doesn't need any. You can have it."
"Just have a little, just one strawberry. Mommy says strawberries are very nutritious, okay?"
Seeing Xiao Ye's enthusiasm, it was impossible to refuse.
"Okay, thank you, Xiao Ye."
Xiao Ye smiled sweetly, then bounced back to Gu Xinran's side, picked out a big, red strawberry, and ran back. "Auntie, I'll feed you."
"Thank you, Xiao Ye."
Gu Xinran rested her cheek in her hand and sighed heavily. "Hey, wouldn't you say this is a case of a child growing up and not needing her mother anymore?" she said, looking towards Xu Yi's tent.
"Pfft… it's not that exaggerated."
"Look at them, look at those two, interacting as if no one else is around. This little thing has never even acted this cute with me."
"Is Sister Ran jealous?"
"How could I not be! My daughter isn't close to me anymore. Hey, when you guys come tomorrow, can you switch camera operators?"
"Pfft, why don't you ask Xiao Ye if she's okay with that?" Xu Yi suggested.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow and turned to look.
"Xiao Ye?"
"What other fruits does Auntie like? Do you like grapes?"
"Xiao Ye??"
"Your mama is calling you," the camera operator said with a smile.
"Mmm, huh? What is it?"
"Hey, what's with that attitude? You were smiling so sweetly when you were talking to Auntie just now!" Seeing Xiao Ye's perfunctory expression, Gu Xinran was quite annoyed. She put her hands on her hips, clearly displeased.
"Mama is angry. Go cheer her up," the camera operator said.
"Mmm?" Xiao Ye belatedly ran towards Gu Xinran. "Mama?"
Gu Xinran ignored her, turning her head away.
"Mama, Mama~" The little one giggled, hugged her from behind, and climbed onto her. She pressed her little mouth to Gu Xinran's cheek and gave her a kiss. "Mama, don't be mad at Xiao Ye, okay?"
"Mama~ Mama~"
The little one was both sweet and persistent, and Gu Xinran was completely powerless against her. "Why are you just like your Mommy, such a little pest."
Helplessly, she lifted the little one onto her lap and booped her nose.
"Oh~ so that's how you act cute~" Ming Zhen glanced at Bai Yilan with a mischievous smile.
"I do not…" Bai Yilan was at a loss for words. That was clearly Xinran's move!!
"Hey, do you feel like Xiao Ye has become a lot more lively?" Yilan asked.
"Hm? I think so. And she can't stop smiling whenever she sees that camera operator. Her eyes are full of happiness. It seems like she really likes her."
"Mhm." Bai Yilan nodded in agreement. After observing for half the day, she noticed that Xiao Ye didn't seem as afraid of strangers anymore. She was getting along well with the camera operators and was very considerate of others. She had been worried that the little one would be nervous on camera, but it seemed she had been overthinking things.
"Xiao Ye, how about you help Mama make a cream cake later?" Gu Xinran hugged the little one, nuzzling her affectionately.
Yilan was usually strict and rarely let her eat sweets. Even when she had cake, she wasn't allowed to have cream. As a result, the little one had never tasted a cream cake before, which had been her absolute favorite food in her past life.
"Creamy slingshot?"
"Cake, not slingshot," Gu Xinran corrected her pronunciation with a smile.
"What is it?"
"It's… you'll know when Mama makes it for you. It's sweet and delicious."
"Mmm, okay! Let's make one for the aunties too!"
The corner of Gu Xinran's mouth twitched. This little rascal, she sure was thorough.
She immediately got to work, taking a cake base from the fridge, along with a dozen eggs and other necessary ingredients, and started making the cream.
Xiao Ye sat beside her obediently, watching for a while. She found it fascinating to see the eggs being beaten into a froth and asked Gu Xinran many questions. Gu Xinran patiently answered each one, explaining how cream was made.
"Mama, I want to try!" Xiao Ye was eager.
"Okay." Gu Xinran gave her the egg beater, letting her hold it while she held her hand. Mother and daughter worked together to make the cream.
Some of the egg mixture splattered out, landing right on Xiao Ye's cheek. The little one raised her hand to wipe it off but hesitated. She looked up at Gu Xinran. "Mama, can you wipe it for me?"
"Hm? Wipe it yourself."
"Hmph… it's sticky." Xiao Ye was a bit of a neat freak and started whimpering in distress.
"Alright." Gu Xinran helped her wipe it, but then smudged her egg-covered finger on her other cheek.
The little one's expression froze on the spot. She was completely stunned.
【Xinran, you're too mischievous!!! Teacher Bai, hit her!】
【That's going too far, the Little Milk Bun's expression changed instantly, haha, her facial expressions are so rich!】
【Xiao Ye: ??? Are you my real mom??】
"Mama!" Xiao Ye cried out in alarm.
Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing that the little one really couldn't stand it, she quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped her face clean. Afterward, the little one ran to the bathroom to wash her face herself before she finally felt comfortable again.
"Do you still want to help beat the cream?" Gu Xinran asked.
"No, no more." The little one shook her head and waved her hands.
Gu Xinran laughed. This kid's neat freak tendencies were quite serious.
The little one watched for a while longer before her attention was captured by Tom and Jerry on the TV. She sat obediently by the sofa, watching.
Gu Xinran finished whipping the cream and began to spread it on the cake. Following a picture she found online, she tried her best to shape it like a flower, placing a strawberry in the center as a finishing touch. When she was done, she was quite pleased with herself.
"Xiao Ye, come see what wonderful thing Mama made for you." She eagerly summoned Xiao Ye.
"Ah?" The little one's eyes immediately filled with anticipation.
With a mysterious air, she lifted the cover for Xiao Ye to see.
The little one followed her gesture and glanced down. Her expectant expression instantly changed. With a loud cry, she shot up from the sofa and ran to a corner, squatting down and covering her eyes. "Ah, Mama, take it away!!"
Gu Xinran was completely baffled. She looked down at the cream cake she had made.
"Xiao Ye? What's wrong? It might not be very pretty, but it's not that scary, is it??" Gu Xinran was starting to question her life. The cake she had made with her own hands was being rejected so vehemently by her daughter…
"It's a very scary thing, Mama, please take it away!!" Xiao Ye was on the verge of tears, her hands covering her eyes, completely unwilling to look.
"Take it away, please, wuuu Mama… Mama…"
Xiao Ye seemed to be having a breakdown, crying loudly. She ran around Gu Xinran and towards the tents, scrambling to crawl under one. "Wuuu, Auntie, save Xiao Ye!"
The camera operator was also a bit stunned. Seeing the teary-eyed little one who had suddenly squeezed in, she instinctively put an arm around her to protect her. "What's wrong?" she asked in a soft voice.
【??? What's going on? Is Xiao Ye afraid of cake??】
【No, no, she saw the cake base just now and wasn't scared at all. She also helped her mom make the cream, which means she's not afraid of cream either. But when the two are mixed together, she's terrified. That means she's afraid of cream cakes that look like this!】
【Why, why? Why would she be afraid of a cream cake?】
【Xinran seems baffled too. This must be the first time Xiao Ye has seen a cream cake, right?】
【??? This is the first time I've ever seen a child who's afraid of cream cake!! It's so strange!】
Gu Xinran was even more baffled, completely dumbfounded. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and put the cake away.
"Xiao Ye? What's wrong, tell Mama. Are you very scared of the cake?" Gu Xinran walked to the tent and crouched down, looking at the teary-eyed little one. She was so small, huddled in the camera operator's arms, looking especially pitiful. It made Gu Xinran's heart ache. "Come out first, Mama will hold you."
"Go on," the camera operator patted her gently.
"Wuu, I don't want the cake."
"Okay, Mama knows. I've already put it away. Come out, Mama will give you a hug."
Only then did Xiao Ye nod. She was about to crawl out from underneath when the camera operator stopped her, pulling open the curtain at the back to let her out that way.
Xiao Ye looked at the curtain seriously, as if committing to memory that this was a way in and out of the tent.
Gu Xinran scooped the little one up into her arms, wiped her tears, and kissed her cheek.
"I'm sorry, baby. Mama didn't know you were afraid of cake. Don't cry, okay?"
Xiao Ye sniffled and nodded.
Gu Xinran found it very strange. Xiao Ye shouldn't have ever seen a cream cake before. And she hadn't seemed scared at all while they were making it.
At Ming Zhen's house.
Ming Zhen and Yilan exchanged a look. "What's going on? She's actually afraid of cream cake?" Ming Zhen said in surprise.
Yilan shook her head. "I've given her cake before, and she seemed to like it. But I've always controlled it and never given her cream cake. Today should be the first time she's seen one."
Watching the pitiful sight of the little one crying on screen, Yilan was also extremely worried, desperately trying to figure out what was going on.
Suddenly, Yilan shot upright.
"What is it? Did you think of something?"
"No, it's nothing." Yilan's face was pale, her lips pressed tightly together. A bold idea had uncontrollably flashed through her mind.
After a while, once the little one was comforted, Gu Xinran looked at the covered cream cake and sighed.
It had been her favorite food in her past life. Back then, she had been scolded by Yilan more than once for trying to sneak a bite of cream. She had even blamed it on her, getting them both scolded together.
Thinking of this, Gu Xinran sighed again, filled with memories.
She looked up at Xiao Ye. The tip of her little nose was red, and she still hadn't fully recovered. Gu Xinran kissed her forehead. "There, there, wipe your tears."
"Mmm." Xiao Ye raised her hand and wiped her tears, smearing them on Gu Xinran's clothes.
Gu Xinran looked at her dotingly and put the little one down on the floor.
She took the cream cake to the kitchen and stood there with her hands on her hips for a moment. The little one suddenly ran in and stood at the doorway, looking at her. "Mama, phone."
"Okay, thank you, baby."
Gu Xinran picked up her phone and saw it was a call from Yilan. She answered immediately.
"Hello? Yilan."
"Mhm, I saw everything."
"How could this happen? Was she ever afraid of cream cake before?" Gu Xinran told Xiao Ye to go play, then turned and walked to a corner of the kitchen, speaking softly to Yilan on the phone.
"Try putting the cream inside the cake and showing it to her," Yilan said.
"Eh? Okay, I'll try."
Gu Xinran hung up, full of doubt. Following Yilan's instructions, she cut a small piece of cake and squeezed some cream inside, so it didn't look like a cream cake from the outside. Then, taking a deep breath, she went to the living room.
She glanced at the camera, as if signaling to Yilan.
"Xiao Ye, want a little piece of cake? This is the kind Mommy gave you before." Gu Xinran held up the small square of cake. To her surprise, Xiao Ye showed no fear at all!
Relieved, Gu Xinran held the cake to her lips. The little one took a tentative bite. "It's sweet!"
"That's right, it's sweet. It's the taste of cream."
"Cream?"
"Is it good?"
The little one pursed her lips and licked them with her little tongue. "It's yummy!" Her face lit up with surprise, and she eagerly took another bite. "So yummy!"
"Mhm, you can eat it all." Gu Xinran smiled and ruffled her hair, then returned to the kitchen and dialed Yilan's number.
"What's going on?"
"I'll tell you when I get back tonight."
"Mhm, okay." Gu Xinran suppressed her curiosity, hung up, and made a few more small cakes for the little one.
After realizing that cream was delicious, the little one got a mischievous idea. She scooped the cream out of the cake and ate it with great satisfaction, stuffing the cake part directly into Xinran's mouth. She giggled at her, and Xinran couldn't stay mad.
"You should eat a little less, or Mommy will scold me when she gets back."
Xiao Ye was happily eating, her nose dotted with cream. Hearing this, she licked her lips with her little tongue, her big eyes darting around. She turned to her camera operator. "Auntie, can you turn off the camera?"
"Huh??? You little thing, up to no good again, are you?" Gu Xinran tapped her on the head, feigning annoyance.
Xiao Ye giggled, her chubby little paw reaching for the plate again.
"Hey, hey, hey."
"Give it to Auntie!"
"Oh, go ahead."
Xiao Ye clutched the cake and ran gleefully to the tent. Just as she was about to lift the curtain, she seemed to remember something, went around to the back of the tent, pulled open the back curtain, and slipped inside.
Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Does she like this camera lady a little too much?" she chatted with the other camera operators.
"Exactly, we're all jealous. We never get any of the good stuff, and she gets to eat three portions all by herself, hmph!" Xu Yi deliberately said it loudly for Xiao Ye to hear.
In response, only Xiao Ye's giggles could be heard from the tent.
"Auntie, try this cream, it's super yummy!" Xiao Ye held out the cake in her flat palm with a reverent expression. She glanced at the cake and slurped up some drool.
The sound of her slurping was clearly picked up by the microphone. Gu Xinran and the others didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even without seeing inside the tent, they knew exactly what their little glutton was up to.
"See, the white part is the cream. It's fragrant and sweet, and… just like Xiao Ye!"
"Huh???" Gu Xinran was stunned.
"Pfft…" The other camera operators all burst out laughing in unison.
"Sister Ran, do you usually avoid talking like that in front of your child when you and Teacher Bai are chatting?" Xu Yi asked.
"I didn't teach her that, I really didn't…" Gu Xinran's face flushed, unable to defend herself.
The camera operator's soft laughter came from the tent. "You're drooling again."
"Mmm, slurp, hehe~"
"You can eat the cream," the camera operator said.
"No, I've eaten too much. Mommy will scold me."
"It's okay, she can't see."
"Mmm…" The little one seemed to hesitate.
Gu Xinran's eyebrows shot up. I can't see, but I can hear you!!!
"Then… I'll just eat a tiny bit." The little one smacked her lips.
"Xiao Ye?" Gu Xinran called out.
At her voice, the tent curtain was pulled shut.
"…"
"Mmm, Auntie, you eat it."
"Thank you, Xiao Ye."
"You're welcome!"
"…Hey, are those two just going to chat in there?" Gu Xinran sat in the living room, craning her neck curiously, trying to peek inside.
"Xiao Ye?"
"Does Auntie get bored sitting here?"
"Hm? You even know the word 'bored'."
"Mhm, Xiao Ye can say a lot of words."
"That's very impressive."
"So, does Auntie get bored?"
"No, I get to watch Xiao Ye. How could I be bored?"
"Hee~"
"Xiao Ye has such a cute smile. You should smile more often, okay?"
"Okay! Heh~"
"Mhm."
"You should go out now, everyone is waiting to see you."
"Mmm, okay."
A moment later, the little one crawled out of the tent.
As soon as she came out, she saw her mother staring straight at her. The little one swung her arms and walked purposefully towards the other camera operators' tents, peeking into each one.
"Are you trying to cover your tracks?" Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow, seeing through her little scheme.
"Huh? What tracks?" Xiao Ye asked with an innocent face.
"Hmph, you little thing~"
"Hee hee." Xiao Ye giggled and burrowed into her arms, burying her face.
Gu Xinran held her for a moment, then suddenly felt something was off. "Hey, hey, hey? Gu Baiye, are you shy? Are you blushing!?"
"No!"
"Then lift your head and let Mama see."
"No!"
"My goodness, what on earth are you shy about!" Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She patted the little one's back and sighed helplessly.
Time flew by, and the day passed in a flash. As evening approached, Gu Xinran remembered Yilan's instructions and quickly turned on the lights in every room to prevent the little one from being scared of the dark.
After they had dinner, Gu Xinran was cleaning up in the kitchen while Xiao Ye ran around the living room.
The doorbell suddenly rang. Xiao Ye froze, staring at the door.
"Xiao Ye, go open the door. Ask who it is," Gu Xinran said, walking to the kitchen doorway to look at Xiao Ye.
"Mmm." Xiao Ye walked to the door, placed her hand on the handle, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a tiny voice, "Who is it?"
"Hm? It's Mommy."
Hearing this, Xiao Ye's eyes lit up. She quickly opened the door. "Mommy!" she cried out in surprise, holding out her little hands for a hug.
Yilan entered the house, picked up the little one, and held her tightly for a moment. "Did you miss Mommy?"
"So, so much!" The little one snuggled into her arms.
Seeing her return, Gu Xinran also hurried over, hugging her wife and daughter and kissing Yilan.
Yilan kissed her back. "You've worked hard."
"Not at all." The two exchanged a smile.
"Didn't Teacher Bai say she would let the mother and daughter be alone for forty-eight hours?" Xu Yi asked in a low voice.
"Something came up that needs to be resolved today. I'm very sorry," Bai Yilan apologized to the crew.
When Xiao Ye, in her arms, heard that she was back to resolve something, her expression suddenly changed. She swallowed silently and turned her head away, not daring to look at her.
Yilan sensitively caught her little expression, took a sharp breath, her face displeased. She lowered her head and sniffed near her mouth, still able to smell the sweet scent of cream.
"How much cream did you sneak? Hm?"
Xiao Ye lowered her head, her big eyes blinking as she secretly glanced at Gu Xinran.
"Why are you looking at me? Didn't I tell you that Mama would scold you if you ate too much cream?" Gu Xinran had a gloating look on her face. The next second, Yilan shot her a glare, and she immediately wiped the smile off her face, lowered her head, and put on the exact same guilty expression as Xiao Ye.
【Hahahaha this mother-daughter pair is too alike, even their guilty expressions are identical!!】
【Haha, as expected, Teacher Bai's status in this family is the highest!!】
【Teacher Bai is the best! Your wife bullied Xiao Ye, punish her!】
【Sob sob, don't be harsh with Xiao Ye, she's already been so good】
"Go brush your teeth. Can you do it by yourself?" Bai Yilan asked.
"Mhm, I can." Xiao Ye nodded obediently.
"Go on." Yilan kissed her, put her down, patted her head, and watched her run back to the bedroom.
"Is Teacher Bai angry?" Xu Yi asked secretly.
"Hm? No, it's just that Xiao Ye is still too young to eat so many sweets, and she can't control herself. I can only put on a stern face to scare her," Bai Yilan said with a light laugh. Then, she turned around and pinched Gu Xinran's ear. "She doesn't know any better, but you don't either? Hm?"
"Hey, hey, stop, stop, have some mercy, I was wrong, I was wrong." Gu Xinran covered her face with one hand, secretly glancing at the camera. She didn't dare fight back.
"Hmph." Bai Yilan snorted.
Gu Xinran immediately took her bag and, like a lackey, put it back in the bedroom for her. Then she went to help Xiao Ye finish brushing her teeth and washing her face.
When the little one came out of the bedroom, she saw that the camera indicator lights were off. The aunties had all come out of their tents and were packing up.
The camera operators stood together, wearing identical uniforms, hats, and masks. Even their heights were nearly the same.
Gu Xinran glanced over and only recognized Xu Yi. But Xiao Ye, on the other hand, pattered over to one of the camera operators. "Auntie, are you leaving?" She looked up at her expectantly, reaching out to gently tug on her sleeve.
Even Gu Xinran was surprised. How did this kid recognize her dedicated camera operator?
The young woman crouched down to be at eye level with her.
"Mhm, Xiao Ye needs to rest, so it's time for us to go." The girl's voice was very gentle, and her eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they could shine. Watching from the side, Gu Xinran was suddenly dazed. This was the first time she had truly looked at this girl all day. For a fleeting moment, she felt that the girl's eyes and brows were familiar!
"Auntie, Xiao Ye doesn't want you to go…" Xiao Ye looked reluctant. She moved closer, gently shaking her arm, clearly acting cute.
"But Xiao Ye needs to sleep." The girl's eyes curved into a smile. She raised her hand as if to pat Xiao Ye's head, but her movement paused. She glanced at Gu Xinran and then retracted her hand.
"Wuu, but… but, wuuu, Auntie, don't go. Xiao Ye won't sleep. Auntie can film me some more!"
The girl's eyes crinkled, completely charmed by Xiao Ye. Disregarding that Xinran and Yilan were watching, she raised her hand and patted Xiao Ye's head. "Not sleeping won't do. Xiao Ye needs to rest well and grow up quickly."
"Auntie will be back tomorrow."
Xiao Ye's lip quivered, and a layer of mist formed in her big eyes. "Really?"
"You can't lie to Xiao Ye. Xiao Ye really likes Auntie."
"Mhm, I won't lie to Xiao Ye. Auntie will be back tomorrow, first thing in the morning. When Xiao Ye wakes up, you'll see Auntie."
"Pinky promise!" The little one was forced to compromise, but she was still a bit reluctant. She held out her chubby little hand and looked at the camera operator with a solemn expression.
"Okay." The camera operator also held out her hand, made a pinky promise with the little one, and sealed it with a thumb press.
Gu Xinran stood by with her hands on her hips, watching. Her expression gradually grew solemn as she stared intently at the camera operator.
Once the crew had packed up and were ready to leave, Xiao Ye was still clinging to the camera operator's hand, refusing to let go. She followed her all the way to the door, just short of going out with her.
"Xiao Ye? That's enough now. The aunties have worked hard all day. Let them go home and rest early, okay?" Yilan placed a hand on Xiao Ye's shoulder and patted it gently.
"Wuu, Auntie needs to rest well." Xiao Ye's lip quivered, tears welling up in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling.
"Okay, you too."
Yilan patted Xiao Ye's head. "Alright, let's go home?" Just as she was about to lead Xiao Ye inside, the little one suddenly rushed out, ran to the camera operator, and opened her little arms. "Hugs."
The tearful plea was impossible to resist. The camera lady crouched down and gathered the little one into a full embrace, gently stroking her small body.
"Alright, Xiao Ye, go back now. Rest well, good night?"
"Wuu, good night, Auntie."
Xiao Ye watched as they entered the elevator. Until the moment the elevator doors closed, the little one was still waving reluctantly.
Bai Yilan carried the little one back inside. The child was sobbing nonstop.
"Xiao Ye, be good, don't cry. You'll see her again tomorrow, what are you crying for?"
"Wuu wuu…"
"Is baby sleepy? Should Mommy pat you to sleep?"
"Wuu…"
Before long, the little one in her arms was breathing steadily. Yilan placed the child on the bed and patted her gently for a while. Once she was sound asleep, she went to the living room.
In the living room, Gu Xinran was sitting on the floor, staring with a grave expression at the tent where Xiao Ye's dedicated camera operator had been all day.
Yilan walked over and sat down beside her. "What's wrong? Why that expression?"
Xinran turned to look at her and was silent for a moment. "What was that with the cake?"
"Do you remember I once told you that when I was pregnant with her, I had a dream about the pre…." Yilan paused, glanced towards the bedroom, and lowered her voice. "About the past life, the scene where Gu Xinyuan was abusing Xiao Ye. In that dream, to trick Xiao Ye into signing the inheritance waiver, Gu Xinyuan used a cream cake to tempt her. The cake you made today looked very similar to the one Gu Xinyuan gave Xiao Ye. So I was thinking, could it be that Xiao Ye…"
"Also, when she cried this morning, it wasn't because she missed me. It was because she saw you on TV holding another child. Do you remember when she was eight months old, I took her to the set, and we happened to see that scene being filmed? Today, when she was watching TV alone, she saw that part and suddenly started crying, asking why you didn't go be with the older sister."
Gu Xinran was stunned into understanding.
"Her memory is much better than that of an ordinary child. Is it possible that she still remembers some things… from her past life?" Bai Yilan speculated.
They looked at each other. Based on the cake incident today, and hearing Yilan talk about that dream, they could basically conclude that this was the reason for Xiao Ye's fear of cream cake. It also practically confirmed the theory that she retained some memories from her past life.
"She's still so young. Won't the memories of two lifetimes be too heavy for her to bear?" Yilan was extremely worried. She hugged Xinran's arm and rested her head on her shoulder.
Gu Xinran pressed her lips together and patted her. "Let's not think of the worst for now. As it is, even if she has memories of her past life, they are just scattered fragments. This is something we really can't control. We can only pay more careful attention to her emotional changes in the future and guide her correctly, so she isn't troubled by her past life."
"Mhm."
Comments
Post a Comment