Teasing the Strawberry-Flavored Baby Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

For dinner, Auntie Wang and another auntie from the house, Zhao Fang, prepared a lavish meal together, tailored to the kids’ tastes, with dishes like fish ball winter melon soup, cheese-baked lobster, osmanthus sticky rice cake, and a table full of other dishes.

Seeing so many delicious foods prepared for Little Sister Lu, Shen Tian was thrilled. “Little Sister Lu, these are all so tasty. Let’s sit down quick!”

Shen Tian pulled Lu Ningwan to sit beside her, and only then did the others gather around the table to sit down.

Eating with Shen Tian’s family, Lu Ningwan felt a bit shy. The aunties, grandma, and grandpa were so warm to her, making her little heart feel a touch of warmth. This place was completely different from her uncle’s cold home.

“Here, Little Lu, Auntie will serve you and Tiantian some soup first. This fish ball soup is made fresh by Auntie Wang with fresh fish. There’s no extra seasoning, but it’s very fresh. Try it.” Shen Xian, sitting next to Lu Ningwan, served her a bowl of fish ball soup.

Having sat on cold benches at her uncle’s house for so long, Lu Ningwan felt a pang in her heart when someone suddenly served her soup. She couldn’t quite name the feeling, but she was genuinely happy. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Shen Xian smiled and said, “No need. We’re all family, Little Lu. You don’t have to keep saying thank you.”

“Yeah, Little Sister Lu, you’re my very best friend! These fish balls are so good. Try one quick!” Shen Tian took the bowl of fish ball soup her mommy served her and eagerly bit into a fish ball.

Watching Shen Tian’s cute expression, Lu Ningwan’s eyes curved with a smile. She mimicked Shen Tian, taking a bite of a fish ball. Just as Shen Xian said, the fish ball was fresh and tender with a hint of sweetness, and the soup was delicious too.

While the two kids were eating their fish balls, Shen Xian had already peeled two small bowls of lobster meat and placed them in front of them.

“Thank you, Auntie. You eat too, Auntie.” Being constantly looked after by Shen Xian, Lu Ningwan felt a bit embarrassed.

“Alright, I’ll eat too. If there’s anything you want but can’t reach, Auntie will get it for you.” Shen Xian then started eating her own food.

On the other side, Shen Tian was eating happily. If something was out of reach, Lin Qinghan helped her get it. While eating, she didn’t forget to urge Lu Ningwan to eat too.

“Little Sister Lu, this shrimp meat is delicious too.” She said, already digging in.

Looking at Shen Tian, Lu Ningwan’s shy feeling eased a bit. She started eating the shrimp meat. Her family used to have lobster often, and she loved shrimp meat. The lobster meat was big, and when her parents were around, they often had the auntie make it for her. But since going to her uncle’s house, these were things she didn’t even dare dream of.

Lu Ningwan ate slowly, her thoughts drifting far away, until her small plate was piled with cola chicken wings, scrambled eggs with wood ear mushrooms, and other dishes clipped by Auntie. Only then did she snap back to reality.

“Auntie, you don’t have to keep serving me. It’s too much. I might not be able to finish.” Lu Ningwan smiled at Shen Xian.

Shen Xian had been serving Lu Ningwan based on her own kid’s appetite and realized she’d served quite a lot. Worried about overwhelming the little girl, she stopped. “Okay, Little Lu, eat what you have first.”

Seeing her mommy serve Little Sister Lu, Shen Tian wanted to show off too. She clipped a piece of osmanthus sticky rice cake for Lu Ningwan. “Little Sister Lu, I got this for you. It’s so good.” She said, looking at Lu Ningwan with starry eyes.

Lu Ningwan found it amusing and took a bite of the osmanthus cake. Shen Tian then happily started eating her own food.

Though Lu Ningwan was a bit reserved at the start of the meal, with her little friend by her side and the auntie being so kind, she gradually relaxed.

After dinner, Shen Tian said she wanted to play with her little sister with Lu Ningwan. She held Lu Ningwan’s hand and led her to where Auntie Liu was playing with the little sister on the bed.

Shen Tian’s eyes lit up when she saw her little sister! The little sister was wearing the same pajamas as her and Little Sister Lu—cute little bunnies, though the little sister’s were much smaller. Suddenly, the room was filled with three pink, tender little bunnies.

The little kid, seeing both sisters in the same pajamas, got excited right away. She went to Auntie Liu to act cute, wanting to get down and play with her sisters.

Auntie Liu, amused, put shoes on the little kid and helped her go to her sisters. The little kid’s short legs pattered as she rushed into Shen Tian’s arms, then looked at Lu Ningwan and pattered over to play with her.

Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan stood on opposite sides, about five or six steps apart. The little kid pattered to Shen Tian, then to Lu Ningwan, busily running back and forth, having a blast.

When Shen Xian and Lin Qinghan came in, they saw three little bunnies playing joyfully. The little kid was clearly thrilled today, with two sisters to play with, so happy she didn’t know who to go to first.

The family played with the little kid for a while—or rather, the little kid played with them for a while. Then the adults went off to do their own things. Shen Tian, bouncing happily, pulled Lu Ningwan back to her room. She opened her desk cabinet and took out a bunch of colored pens, remembering that Little Sister Lu was going to draw for her!

“Little Sister Lu, is A3 paper okay?” Shen Tian waved the paper.

“Sure, then I’ll draw more for Tiantian.” Lu Ningwan said, opening Shen Tian’s big box of colored pens and starting to draw on the paper. Shen Tian pulled up a stool and sat beside her, watching her draw.

“Hey? Little Sister Lu, this doesn’t look like a duckling?” Shen Tian looked at the outline on the paper, thinking it looked like a person.

“Yup, the duckling will show up soon. Don’t worry.” Lu Ningwan smiled at Shen Tian.

In no time, a rosy-lipped, bright-eyed little girl appeared on the paper, with a ponytail like Shen Tian’s. Then, in the girl’s arms, Lu Ningwan scribbled, and a yellow duckling appeared.

Shen Tian excitedly asked from the side, “Little Sister Lu, is that me?”

“Yup, it’s Tiantian.” Lu Ningwan nodded with a smile.

The A3 paper was a bit big, and just drawing Shen Tian would look empty, so Lu Ningwan went ahead and drew both aunties, Shen Tian’s grandparents, and the little sister too. Shen Tian got happier the more she watched, guessing who Lu Ningwan was drawing while they both had fun.

When Lu Ningwan finished and capped her pen, Shen Tian’s little eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Little Sister Lu, everyone’s in here, but why didn’t you draw yourself?”

Lu Ningwan smiled. “This is your family.”

“Right, and you’re my family too, Little Sister Lu.” Shen Tian’s eyes widened, nodding at Lu Ningwan. She grabbed Lu Ningwan’s sleeve, acting cute. “Little Sister Lu, draw yourself next to me, okay?”

Lu Ningwan looked at the girl’s clear eyes, smiled, and picked up the pen. “Okay, I’ll be next to Tiantian.” She started drawing again.

Shen Tian happily watched Lu Ningwan draw herself onto the paper. “Awesome! Little Sister Lu drew our whole family. I’m gonna keep it safe.”

There was a knock at the door. Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan turned to see Shen Xian come in, holding two cups of hot milk.

“What are you two playing?” Setting the milk on the table for the kids, Shen Xian ruffled their heads and asked.

Shen Tian nuzzled her mommy, acting cute, and eagerly held up Lu Ningwan’s family portrait. “Mommy, Little Sister Lu drew our family. Isn’t it cute?”

Shen Xian looked at Lu Ningwan’s drawing and smiled. “It’s cute and looks so real. I didn’t know Little Lu could draw.”

Lu Ningwan’s face turned slightly red from the praise by Shen Tian and her mommy. She said softly, “Just doodling. It’s not that great.”

Shen Xian smiled, finding Little Lu quite adorable. Not wanting her to feel uneasy, she left after delivering the milk.

Shen Tian grabbed her cup of milk and gulped down half of it, leaving a milk mustache on her upper lip. “Little Sister Lu, drink quick. It’ll help you grow tall sooner.”

Lu Ningwan smiled, picked up her cup, and drank. “Okay, we’ll both grow up fast.”

“Yup, me and Little Sister Lu together. When I grow tall, I’ll definitely protect Little Sister Lu!” The milk mustache still on her lips, the little kid confidently talked about the future with Lu Ningwan.

Lu Ningwan burst out laughing at Shen Tian’s antics and pulled a tissue from the table. “You should wipe that milk mustache off first.”

Seeing Lu Ningwan laugh at her, Shen Tian wasn’t mad. She leaned closer to Lu Ningwan and said matter-of-factly, “Little Sister Lu, I can’t see where it is. Wipe it for me.”

“Alright.” Lu Ningwan used the tissue to wipe off Shen Tian’s milk mustache.

When they played until past nine, Shen Tian said to Lu Ningwan, “Little Sister Lu, I’m gonna go find Mommy to take a bath. Come with me.”

Lu Ningwan’s face reddened. At her uncle’s house, she always bathed herself. Being small and not very strong, she could only try hard to clean herself. Her auntie never helped her scrub.

Lu Ningwan shook her head. “No need. I always bathe myself at my uncle’s.”

“Then come with me, Little Sister Lu.” Shen Tian took Lu Ningwan’s hand.

“Okay.”

When they got to Shen Xian’s room, Shen Xian looked at the two kids. “I’ll bathe Tiantian. Qinghan, can you help Little Lu?”

Shen Tian nuzzled her mommy. “Little Sister Lu said she bathes herself.”

Lin Qinghan patted the little kid’s head, squatting down with a smile to Lu Ningwan. “Is Little Lu shy? Auntie’s not a stranger. Sure you don’t need help?”

Lu Ningwan’s little face flushed red. She was actually a bit tempted. Bathing herself, she couldn’t reach her back. After hesitating, she said softly, “Then, could Auntie help me scrub my back?”

After saying it nervously, Lu Ningwan felt a bit regretful. If she couldn’t reach her back, would it be dirty? Would Auntie think she was a dirty kid?

Before Lu Ningwan could take it back, Lin Qinghan smiled, pinched her cheek, and patted her head. “Sure, you start washing. When you’re almost done, call Auntie to scrub your back. Don’t worry, Auntie’s gentle. Ask Tiantian if you don’t believe me.”

The little kid nodded enthusiastically, even giving a thumbs-up to praise her mother. “Mother’s scrubbing is comfy!”

It had been so long since someone gently patted Lu Ningwan’s head or spoke to her so softly. It felt like her mother talking to her, and for a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.