I Want Her to See Only Me - Chapter 5

The puzzle Xia Xiuyin gave to Xia Yu was twenty pieces by twenty pieces, with an image of a cluster of purple irises on the front, their tender leaves unfurling gracefully.

Xia Yu held the puzzle pieces but remained unmoving, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. She contemplated how she could beg her sister for mercy, and chaotic thoughts consumed her. At the very least, she determined, she would have to finish the puzzle before leaving.

When Fang Duan called from upstairs, she was comparing two very similar pieces, each piece’s color blending into the next piece’s hue to form a suitable match.

“Little sister?” Amidst her focus, Xia Yu heard a scornful laugh, and the two puzzle pieces slipped from her hands.

The voice belonged to a young man, deep and pleasant, with a hint of hoarse sleepiness, yet something about it made Xia Yu feel uneasy.

A soft tapping sounded on the door; it was Aunt Chen, holding a delicate plate of pineapple tarts. Xia Yu sat up straight, nervously watching her.

“They’re freshly baked; let’s have our little friend here try them first.” Aunt Chen closed the door, shielding the children from the ruckus in the living room.

When she turned around, Aunt Chen was taken aback by Xia Yu’s tense demeanor. The child’s face was small due to malnutrition, which made his pair of bright black eyes seem even more striking, and a faint wetness in those eyes tugged at her heartstrings.

Xia Yu told himself he needed to become more likable.

She opened her mouth several times, wanting to greet Aunt Chen, but after so long without social interaction, she found herself struggling to speak.

“Chen… Aunt Chen…” Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

As soon as she finished speaking, she carefully observed Aunt Chen, as if she would burst into tears at the slightest sign of displeasure on her guardian’s face.

Aunt Chen had a son who lived out of town, and he rarely visited. Seeing Xia Yu’s small figure and timid demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel affection toward her.

“Darling!” she responded. “What a sweet kid you are.”

Xia Yu hadn’t expected such an endearing term of address and momentarily froze. Once she came back to his senses, she slowly lowered her head.

A small silver fork and a piece of pineapple pastry were then presented to Xia Yu.

“Try it and see if you like it,” Aunt Chen said. She was only in her early fifties, but fine wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes when she smiled.

Xia Yu looked at it shyly, then placed the pastry piece back into the box, extending her hand to take the fork. The fork’s handle was pale, and the corner of her lips turned pink as she licked it, leaving a trail of saliva that made her look slightly healthier.

The freshly baked pastry was soft and sweet, and Xia Yu’s eyes lit up. Children were simple; it took very little to make them happy.

“Is it good?” Aunt Chen asked.

Xia Yu nodded, her eyes unconsciously drawn to the dessert in Aunt Chen’s hands. Though she was a quiet girl, her expressions were adorable, and her eyes could “speak,” making her quite endearing.

Aunt Chen smiled and found a small tea table, placing the plate on it. “We’ll eat the rest ourselves; no need to give it all to the young miss.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu slowly withdrew her outstretched hand.

She hid the fork behind her back, then, seeing Aunt Chen’s puzzled expression, placed it back on the saucer and shook her head, refusing to eat any more.

Aunt Chen was initially mystified, but she soon understood. A strange feeling, soft yet painful, filled her heart.

The child was trying to save the dessert for her mistress.

When the Xia family hosted evening parties, Aunt Chen often went to the old residence to help with the cooking. She had seen many spoiled children who, despite being well educated, were often self-centered and rarely considered others. Xia Yu’s consideration, though silent, was thus a rare trait.

Aunt Chen found herself genuinely looking forward to Xia Yu’s life with the Xia family. A sweet and obedient child who remembered her mistress even when offered a morsel of food—a child who understood gratitude and was sensible beyond her years might just be able to add some color to Xia Xiuyin’s otherwise bitter life.

She stuffed the fork back into Xia Yu’s hand, and seeing the child’s helpless gaze, smiled and said, “Silly child, Aunt Chen was just teasing you. There’s plenty more in the kitchen; your mistress won’t miss this little bite.”

Xia Yu’s eyes widened slightly, as if to ask, Really?

Aunt Chen wanted to reach out and pat this sweet little girl. “Yes, Aunt Chen would never lie to you.”

Having received her guarantee, Xia Yu relaxed. She ate with grace but gusto, pursing her lips after each bite, her eyes curved in adorably.

Once she’d eaten nearly half, Xia Yu gently placed the fork on her plate, looked up, and noticed Aunt Chen smiling at her. She couldn’t help but lower her head again.

Aunt Chen was about to urge her to eat more when she noticed that the remaining dessert was exactly half of the original portion, the cut neat and straight.

The child had stubbornly left half of the dessert for its rightful owner.

Without any material possessions and not being a talkative child, Xia Yu used this method to express her gratitude and care.

Swallowing back all the words she had prepared, Aunt Chen said, “Aunt Chen will return to the kitchen first; there are still some things I need to clean up.”

Xia Yu obediently raised a hand and waved slowly, saying goodbye.

Aunt Chen smiled and opened the door.

Suddenly, Xia Xiuyin’s clear and determined voice rang from the living room.

The girl’s tall and slender figure came into view.

“I want her to take my surname, Xia.”

“Her name is Xia Yu.”

Aunt Chen instinctively looked at the child.

Xia Yu’s dark eyes, clear and bright, suddenly gathered a layer of transparent tears. She blinked, and the blurry mist swiftly vanished.

Aunt Chen couldn’t quite describe the expression on the girl’s face. It resembled confusion, yet also fear; a complex and contradictory mix of emotions that finally transformed into a small, cautious smile on Xia Yu’s face.

Aunt Chen’s heart seemed to ache in sympathy.