Extra 7 : To appear more suitable for her.

Xie Heng had successfully been admitted to Jiang City Police Academy.

His first-choice school had been A City Public Security University, the top police academy in the country. Unfortunately, he had missed the cutoff by more than thirty points.

But as Xie Heng put it himself: “I never planned on going to another city anyway. Not getting in is just perfect—I can stay home, eat, and sleep whenever I want.”

Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao were very tolerant of his self-consolation and chose not to expose him.

To ensure he had the most relaxing and enjoyable summer vacation, Xie Yizhao deliberately didn’t tell him that he was dreaming too beautifully.

Once he started police academy, he wouldn’t be able to leave campus freely. Even on weekends, he would still have to return to school at night unless he applied for leave.

During the summer, Lu Xi signed Xie Heng up for a premium small-group overseas tour, sending him, Xu Jiaming, and Song Siyang on a trip together.

Xu Jiaming hadn’t forgotten his dream of becoming a doctor. He applied to Capital Medical University and even achieved the title of the province’s top science student.

With his score, admissions officers from the country’s top universities flew in overnight to recruit him, but he remained steadfast in his choice.

As for Song Siyang, he only started putting in effort in the second half of his first year of high school but eventually got into a sports academy, which he was quite satisfied with.

Even though the admission score for sports academies was lower, it was still a legitimate first-tier university!

Besides, he loved running and jumping around—it was the perfect fit for his major.

The three teenagers each embarked on their own paths, with bright futures ahead.

The day after they returned from the trip, their admission letters arrived at home. Xie Heng deliberately waited for Xie Yiczao and Lu Xi to return from work before opening his letter in front of them.

Xie Heng didn’t act overly ecstatic because his results were well-earned after three years of hard work.

But he still couldn’t help but show off to Lu Xi.

“Well? Aren’t you proud of your son?” Xie Heng waved his hand grandly, handing her the admission letter. “Go ahead, take a picture and show it off!”

Lu Xi : “Can I refuse?”

However, Xie Heng’s expression made it clear that refusal was not an option. She had to post it on her social media.

At eighteen, Xie Heng was no longer the reckless boy he once was. Now, having successfully gotten into a prestigious university, he was bright and cheerful, gradually becoming the kind of ‘model child’ others envied.

But in front of Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao, he was still childish at times, occasionally having moments of teenage bravado.

And Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao? They were more indulgent toward him than ever before.

Because they knew that once he entered the police academy, life would get much tougher for him.

So, they let him have this last bit of freedom at home.

Now that he was an adult, university would be followed by work—one step at a time into the complex world of adulthood. But in front of them, Xie Heng would always have the right to be a child.

A child who was eighteen years old, 1.88 meters tall, and weighed over seventy kilograms.

Most of the time, this child was considerate and made Lu Xi feel incredibly reassured. Even Xie Yizhao felt that their son had matured a lot, and the father and son could now have meaningful conversations.

But he also seemed to have a mischievous streak in his bones, occasionally driving them crazy.

As for that strange dream, Xie Heng had always remained silent, never bringing it up with Lu Xi.

One night, Lu Xi accidentally found an old strawberry hair clip in her jewelry box, the very one that Xie Yizhao had given her.

She was certain it hadn’t been there a few days ago. Xie Heng must have secretly put it back.

This little rascal…

She took the hair clip and confronted Xie Heng. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Xie Heng’s first reaction was to feign ignorance, shaking his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lu Xi sneered. “You little brat, do I have to kiss you before you tell the truth?”

Memories he had buried suddenly came flooding back, hitting him like a critical strike. His face flushed red as he rubbed it in embarrassment, looking aggrieved. “So you do remember, huh…?”

He had suddenly recalled that memory during the trip.

For him, the recollection was more shocking than embarrassing. After all, he had only been a little kid back then.

But being mocked by his own Mom to his face? That was a 999+ damage hit.

If he hadn’t come home to find that hair clip mysteriously appearing in his drawer, he wouldn’t have believed it was real.

Lu Xi smirked. “Of course I remember. Your Dad does too. So, tell me, was it you who spilled that milk tea?”

Oh… it probably was.

But Xie Heng showed no guilt at all. Instead, he said righteously, “That was called an assist! I was helping you two build your relationship.”

Lu Xi could only sigh and rub her temples.

She said seriously, “Last night, I was talking to your Dad about whether you’d start dating in college. Now I realize, I was probably overthinking it.”

At first, Xie Heng didn’t catch her meaning. A few seconds later, he did, and was immediately offended. “What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?”

Lu Xi nodded. “Yes, I’m definitely looking down on you on this one.”

Xie Heng recalled how she used to hold him and smother him with kisses, calling him cute like she couldn’t get enough of him. He knew she was just being stubborn.

But he decided not to expose her.

Because now, he had gotten into his dream police academy and was about to become a proud university student. That also meant it was time for him to grow up.

Let Ms. Lu be the only childish one!

---

School started in early September.

The day before the semester began, the family of three went out for dinner. This time, both father and son drank quite a bit, so much that even Xie Yizhao’s face turned slightly red.

Xie Heng had a lower alcohol tolerance than his Dad, and by the end, his tongue was practically tied.

Xie Yizhao took away the glass in front of his son. “If you get drunk again this time, I’m not carrying you.”

“You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. You will carry me,” Xie Heng said smugly, as if he had already seen through his Dad.

Xie Yizhao looked at Lu Xi speechlessly.

Lu Xi blinked innocently. “Why are you looking at me? If you don’t carry him, do you expect your delicate wife to do it?”

At that moment, Xie Yizhao realized. His wife and son were his destined nemeses.

Xie Heng knew he was drunk, but he was in high spirits tonight, feeling utterly content.

Besides, he knew there would be plenty of chances in the future—to have meals with Ms. Lu and drink with Mr. Xie.

But thinking about how he would be living on campus soon, he suddenly felt reluctant to leave.

“Tomorrow’s the first day of school. I have a few things to say.” Xie Heng stood up, his drunken eyes misty as he looked at his parents across the table.

“First,” he declared, “when I’m not home, don’t fight. It’ll affect my studies.”

Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao exchanged puzzled glances.

Had they ever fought?

“Second,” Xie Heng continued, “I’ll only be home on weekends. Don’t miss me too much.”

Lu Xi : “Don’t worry, we won’t.”

Xie Yizhao chuckled and gave his son a meaningful look. “Once you’re gone, we won’t have to move anymore.”

“…” Xie Heng didn’t quite get it, but he was sure they were just being stubborn.

“And also, tomorrow is my first day. If you’re busy, you can just go to work. It’s not like I absolutely need you to take me—”

Before he could finish, Xie Yizhao nodded. “Alright then. The school is only about ten kilometers away. You’re old enough to handle it yourself. Your mom and I won’t go.”

Lu Xi gave him a thumbs-up. “Go get ‘em, little champ!”

He had just been saying it casually! How could they take it seriously?

They called him ‘little champ’ but wouldn’t even see him off?

That night, Xie Heng felt a little uneasy.

What he didn’t know was that upstairs, in the master bedroom, his parents were secretly scheming.

The mastermind was Lu Xi. Xie Yizhao’s job was simply to cooperate, unconditionally.

Lu Xi said, “Tomorrow, we’re giving our baby a surprise. You get what I mean?”

To show he was listening carefully, Xie Yizhao even furrowed his brows and paused for a few seconds before answering, “You mean… we’ll send him to school together?”

Lu Xi nodded at first, then shook her head. “I mean, we’ll get to the school before him and give him a good scare.”

Xie Yizhao saw the determination in her eyes and agreed without hesitation. “No problem. But… can you wake up that early?”

Lu Xi froze for a moment.

That was a real problem.

Xie Heng planned to leave at nine and arrive at ten. At her usual pace, she’d have to get up at six to get ready.

That was going to be tough.

Lu Xi lowered her gaze, looking dejected. “But I’ve never sent him to school before. I missed kindergarten, primary school, middle school, and high school… If I miss university too, that would be too sad.”

Her disappointment was real, and Xie Yizhao could see it.

He ran his fingers through her hair, thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone, sat her down beside him, and searched for a hotel near the university. Right in front of her, he booked a room. “We’ll go tonight, stay there, and you can sleep an extra hour tomorrow morning.”

For him, solutions always outweighed difficulties.

Lu Xi’s eyes lit up. She threw her arms around him and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “That’s why I love your simple, decisive, no-nonsense execution!”

Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow. “Am I rough?”

Lu Xi rolled her eyes.

Last month, someone almost made the same mistake again—nearly gifting Xie Heng a little brother or sister. She was too lazy to bring it up.

And tonight, someone had ulterior motives, hoping to mix business with pleasure. She was too lazy to bring that up too.

Hand in hand, the Xie couple walked into the dressing room to pack their overnight bags and outfits for tomorrow.

Standing in front of his wardrobe, Xie Yizhao frowned, trying to pick something younger and more casual.

Nothing too formal—he wanted to match Lu Xi’s vibe.

He had no intention of letting any reckless young men flirt with his wife.

But… what should he wear?

For the first time, the all-capable Mr. Xie stared at his overflowing wardrobe for a full minute, utterly lost. Then, helplessly, he turned to his wife. “Xixi, all my clothes are outdated. Will you take me shopping tomorrow afternoon?”

---

Author’s note :

Xixi was ecstatic to have accomplished both sending her son to school and taking her husband shopping on the same day!

The extra chapters end here. After some thought, I’m not planning on giving the blue-haired brat a sibling. He deserves all the love from his parents. Now that he’s off to school, it’s a good time for the Xie couple to enjoy some time alone. After all, having and raising children is a real hassle, right?

---

Extra 7 : To appear more suitable for her.

That morning, after waking up, Lu Xi sat on the bed in a daze for a long time.

It wasn’t until Xie Yizhao came back from his morning run and saw her looking absent-minded that he sat beside her with concern.

Lu Xi looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

She had a bizarre dream last night. She dreamt that she was being chased by a giant monster. That monster was taller than a skyscraper and pursued her relentlessly.

Lu Xi ran for her life, sprinting down several streets, almost to the point of exhaustion.

The scariest part was that the monster kept laughing behind her—“hee hee hee hee.”

Damn, that was even creepier!

Lu Xi finally couldn’t run anymore. She stopped, turned back despite herself, and saw that the monster was already within arm’s reach, about to grab her.

Only then did she get a good look at it.

Why did this monster look so much like Xie Yizhao…? No, wait, that was just a giant-sized Xie Yizhao!

It was even wearing a suit!

Just as Lu Xi was reeling from the absurdity, a small child suddenly descended from the sky. He wore his underwear on the outside, had a cape tied around him, and was bathed in golden sunlight, making a dazzling entrance.

The little chubby-faced boy frowned deeply and shouted in his childish voice, “Mommy, I will protect you! Daddy-monster, go away!”

Even though he was still a little short-legged kid, he exuded immense power.

With his tiny fists clenched, he dashed forward at the speed of a sprinting champion, then took flight. With a hook punch and a flying kick, he sent the Xie Yizhao-monster crashing to the ground.

Physics? Logic? None of that mattered.

Lu Xi was so startled by this dream that she woke up immediately.

That’s why, when she saw Xie Yizhao now, she found him both strange and hilarious.

She had no idea why she had such a dream… but both the monster version of Xie Yizhao and the little Xie Heng in her dream were ridiculously funny.

And it suddenly dawned on her. The monster wasn’t laughing “hee hee,” it was actually calling out, “Xi Xi…”

Even this detail was devilishly weird.

She struggled to hold back her laughter and went to the bathroom to wash up. Once inside, she finally let herself laugh out loud. But she was so loud that Xie Yizhao overheard her.

Xie Yizhao was the kind of person who remained composed.

At first, he didn’t think much of it.

But at the breakfast table, Lu Xi kept sneaking glances at him, stifling her laughter, and then pretending nothing had happened. It was impossible for him not to notice.

Xie Yizhao: “What’s so funny? Share it with me.”

Lu Xi cleared her throat, blinked innocently, and tried to play it off. “Nothing, I just had a weird dream.”

Xie Yizhao paused slightly, then said, “Tell me about it.”

“I dreamt I was being chased by a monster, and then a superhero appeared to save me. That’s all.” Lu Xi was kind enough to spare him the truth.

Xie Yizhao glanced at her.

He frowned slightly, hesitating as if he had something to say. After a few seconds, he finally asked, “Was that monster me?”

Lu Xi nearly choked. “How… how did you know?”

Did she talk in her sleep last night?

Xie Yizhao: “What if I told you I had the exact same dream? Would you believe me?”

Lu Xi was dumbfounded and nodded.

There was no other explanation.

Then, as Xie Yizhao described what had happened in his dream, Lu Xi realized that their dreams were completely identical—just from different perspectives.

In Xie Yizhao’s dream, he inexplicably became a giant and uncontrollably chased after Lu Xi.

Well, it was a dream.

Anything absurd could happen—even getting knocked down by a five-year-old version of Xie Heng.

But having the same dream, down to the tiniest details, was simply bizarre.

It felt like something worthy of a ten-episode <Beyond Science> documentary.

Over the next few days, even stranger things happened.

Lu Xi started experiencing sudden, vivid memories—completely out of the blue. It happened while she was working, eating, even while sleeping.

After discussing it with Xie Yizhao, she discovered that she wasn’t the only one being ‘attacked by memories of the past.’

They both suddenly remembered—back in middle school, they had already met.

Xie Yizhao had once picked up a little bear for her.

She had accidentally spilled her milk tea and stained his shoes.

She had attended his mother’s birthday banquet.

On the eve of her birthday, he had given her a strawberry hair clip.

These memories had been buried under layers of dust, locked away for years, until some unseen force blew them back into their minds.

Lu Xi could no longer tell if these memories had truly existed, or if something about that dream had changed reality.

Maybe, even her ‘coming back to life’ had something to do with that little bear.

After all, the last two gifts she had received—one was seeing Xie Heng again, and the other was getting what she had always wished for.

Looking at her life now, she realized that because of that strange experience, she had received the most perfect gift of all.

Lu Xi had always believed that fate had given her a second chance so she could save Xie Heng.

But now, she could no longer tell which was the cause and which was the effect… Not that it really mattered.

What mattered was that everything was fine now.

She hadn’t expected, however, that while she had easily accepted this reality, Xie Yizhao had quite a strong reaction.

Lu Xi noticed that Xie Yizhao was going to work later and coming home earlier.

He still went on his morning runs as usual. Before, after his run, he would shower, have breakfast, and head straight to work. But now, unless something urgent came up, he would wait for Lu Xi to wake up, have breakfast with her, and if time allowed, even take a detour to drop her off at work.

And in the evenings, after coming home, he no longer buried himself in his study after dinner.

Instead, he preferred to bury himself in hers.

Xie Yizhao was quiet; most of the time, he just sat on the sofa by the window in her study, handling work on his phone, never disturbing her.

Luckily, Lu Xi enjoyed slacking off. She liked doing things at her own pace, playing on her phone, and now that there was someone else in the study, she could chat with him from time to time. It was nice.

He used to do this too, keeping her company in her study while working on his own tasks.

But after a week, Lu Xi started to feel that something was off.

Lately, there seemed to be an excessive amount of Xie Yizhao in her study.

Not only that—on nights when she wasn’t working and was just watching dramas in the bedroom, he would still hover around her.

He kept appearing in and out of the room throughout the evening, making his presence known.

It didn’t bother him, but Lu Xi was getting anxious just watching him.

That night, when Xie Yizhao walked into the room for the fifth time, Lu Xi finally couldn’t hold back. “What are you here for this time?”

The word ‘again’ in her sentence was unfiltered, clearly showing her confusion.

Calmly, Xie Yizhao replied, “I forgot my phone earlier.”

But if she remembered correctly, he had just come in half an hour ago to put his phone down.

Lu Xi looked at him.

Xie Yizhao knew she had caught on. His gaze was bright and open, meeting hers directly, as if he wasn’t afraid of being found out.

Looking at his handsome face, Lu Xi sighed and beckoned him over. “Come here.”

The man obediently approached and sat beside her.

Without warning, Lu Xi reached out and pinched his nose. “You know lying makes your nose grow longer, right?”

“Pinocchio?” Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow. “I’m not too familiar. Want to tell me the story?”

Lu Xi shot him a glare. She had recently come to understand something new about this man—

When he decided to be unserious, he was truly unstoppable.

He could play dumb so convincingly, as if he genuinely didn’t know what she was talking about.

Lu Xi stared at him seriously and said, enunciating each word, “I told you. I won’t leave, and I won’t suddenly disappear. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Maybe it was that strange dream that had planted some ominous thoughts in Xie Yizhao’s mind.

They had never openly discussed it, but someone as intelligent as him had probably made certain connections. For example, he never used to believe in metaphysics, nor did he follow business-world superstitions like feng shui.

But lately, she had caught him reading a book on metaphysics. Occasionally, he would take her on hikes, have vegetarian meals, and even visit temples to offer incense.

Whether he truly believed in it or not, at the very least, he was seeking peace of mind.

Caught red-handed, Xie Yizhao averted his gaze for a moment. “Who said I was afraid?”

“Then why are you clinging to me all the time?”

Xie Yizhao : “Oh, so Madam finds me annoying now?”

Lu Xi : …This man got caught overthinking and still had the audacity to twist things around?

Ha.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t so easily outmatched.

Lu Xi closed her tablet, set it aside, and lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand. Her gaze, like a hook, slowly scanned the tall, sharp-featured man standing under the light. With a teasing smirk, she challenged, “That’s right. I am annoyed. So, what are you going to do to make it up to me?”

Xie Yizhao chuckled.

He looked at Lu Xi with an unusual intensity, took a step back, and placed a hand on his tie. Slowly, he began to loosen it. Seeing her eyes lock onto his hands, he deliberately slowed his movements…

Lu Xi : “…”

This man definitely knew what he was doing.

But, well, she never got tired of watching.

She realized that Xie Yizhao had been getting better and better at this. He had learned to play into her tastes, to tease, to deliberately leave her hanging.

Luckily, Xie Heng wasn’t home these days, giving Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao the greatest possible freedom. They no longer had to sneak off for the night and return early in the morning. Moving out wasn’t even necessary anymore.

---

Extra 6 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (6)

By the time Lu Xi came back out, Little Bear had returned to his normal size.

She returned to the courtyard and directly shoved Xie Heng into Xie Yizhao’s hands.

“Hold him for me for a moment, I need to go inside and find my aunt for something.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the countdown on her phone stopped, displaying [Mission Success.]

Lu Xi strolled casually around the house before returning to the courtyard as if nothing had happened.

She glanced at Xie Yizhao’s face and seemed to catch a trace of bewilderment.

And the way he was holding the teddy bear was like it was a live grenade. His hands were stiffly grasping the bear’s arms, and his posture was rigid. One person, one bear, both looking equally lost.

Lu Xi was stunned.

“Classmate Xie, he’s a stuffed toy, not a biochemical weapon.”

For as long as Xie Yizhao could remember, he had never played with anything so fluffy. Hugging the bear in his arms felt impossible.

Meanwhile, Xie Heng was internally fuming: Exactly! He was so cute, why was his dad holding him at arm’s length?!

Xie Yizhao pursed his lips slightly and gestured to hand the bear back.

“Here, take it back.”

Lu Xi noticed Little Bear’s pitiful, expectant gaze and felt a little soft-hearted. He looked like a little cub that had been abandoned by his ‘Dad.’

She asked, “Don’t you think he’s cute?”

Xie Yizhao hesitated. On one hand, the fluffy texture felt unfamiliar, but after hearing her words, he couldn’t deny it. It was kind of cute. He nodded awkwardly.

“He is… indeed cute.”

The little bear practically wanted to kick its little legs in pride!

Then, Xie Yizhao noticed something odd. The bear in his arms looked exactly like the strap on Lu Xi’s phone earlier.

But now, the mini bear on her phone had disappeared.

Was it just a coincidence?

He asked, “Is this bear yours?”

Lu Xi had already prepared her answer.

“Tomorrow’s my birthday, remember? I ran into an acquaintance earlier, and he gave it to me as a gift.”

There were so many people around tonight. She doubted he’d pay attention to such small details.

Xie Yizhao glanced down at the bear again, suddenly finding it a little… annoying.

Xie Heng : Why did it feel like his Dad just glared at him? What did he do wrong?!

Lu Xi was about to take the little bear back, ready to head home, when Xie Yizhao suddenly said,

“Wait a second, I have something for you.”

He called a servant over.

“Go to my study and bring the gift bag on my desk.”

The servant moved quickly.

Before Lu Xi could even process what was happening, Xie Yizhao had already handed her the gift, along with the little bear.

“A birthday present for you.”

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned. She looked at his calm expression and hesitated.

“Thank you… Can I open it now?”

Xie Yizhao touched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

“Maybe… wait until you’re home?”

But before she even got the chance to open it, she found out what it was on the way back.

[Congratulations! You’ve received a Strawberry Hair Clip. Please give it to the little bear cub to send him on his journey home.]

Lu Xi instinctively tightened her grip on the little bear.

She felt a little lost.

Send him home?

Did that mean she’d never see him again?

When she got home, her Aunt tried to pull her into conversation, but Lu Xi was too preoccupied. She found an excuse and rushed to her room.

After locking the door, she immediately transformed the little bear back into his child form.

Xie Heng touched his face. His cheeks were still red from where his ‘Mom’ had kissed him earlier.

Lu Xi asked, “Xiao Heng, are your parents still around?”

Xie Heng hesitated.

“Dad is… Mom…”

He paused, conflicted.

“Back then, she wasn’t… but now, she is.”

He nodded hesitantly.

So that was it.

Lu Xi realized she had misunderstood.

She felt a little sad but also happy for him. She was reluctant, but if the cub had a real family, then sending him home was the right thing to do.

No one wanted a family reunion more than she did.

She patted the little cub’s head.

She had noticed from the start. Xiao Heng looked a little like her. Maybe that special connection was why they had bonded.

And because of that, she wanted the best for him.

She opened the gift and took out the strawberry hair clip.

It still felt a little surreal.

A red strawberry, dotted with six tiny pearls, surrounded by a ring of delicate crystals.

She took a picture and used an image search.

She quickly found the exact same model.

This brand was not cheap.

The price? Over 5,000 yuan!

Lu Xi knew that 5,000 yuan was probably just a week’s pocket money for Xie Yizhao, but considering how casual their relationship was… Was he always this generous?

Tsk tsk. Truly a young master who had no concept of money.

But more importantly, why had Xie Yizhao chosen such a girly and aesthetically pleasing gift for her?

The only logical explanation… was that the system must have arranged it.

She couldn’t resist trying it on.

Today, she had tied her hair into a cute bun, so she clipped the accessory to the side.

It looked adorable!

Lu Xi admired herself from different angles, taking out her phone for a series of selfies.

Of course, she had to take pictures to commemorate the moment.

After all, she’d have to give it to that silly little bear soon.

However, since this was a gift from someone else, Lu Xi planned to buy an identical one later to avoid any questions from Xie Yizhao.

Though reluctant, Lu Xi generously took off the strawberry hair clip.

Thinking about parting with the little cub, Lu Xi couldn’t resist playing a prank. She deliberately placed the clip on Xie Heng’s small head. “Here, it’s for you.”

Xie Heng froze, his eyes widening.

He couldn’t see how he looked at the moment, and since Lu Xi’s movements were gentle, he simply blinked, not feeling the need to resist.

Little cub’s thoughts: Mom must have her reasons for doing this!

Xie Heng beamed at Lu Xi, his babyish smile soft and warm. He reached up to touch the clip on his head, feeling completely content.

Today, Dad held him and even called him cute.

Mom also gave him a strawberry hair clip.

Xie Heng felt like the happiest child in the world.

But… it seemed like he had forgotten something. Try as he might, he just couldn’t remember.

Lu Xi, however, remembered clearly.

She felt a little anxious, worried that the little cub might suddenly disappear. She didn’t even bother doing her homework, choosing instead to lie on the bed and focus on spending time with him.

After all… they might have to say goodbye very soon.

Lu Xi patted her pillow, signaling Xie Heng to lie down. He obediently complied, his bright black eyes gazing at her, his chubby little hands resting on her arm.

Children’s gazes were pure and full of wonder.

Being watched like this gave her a peculiar feeling, as if, in the little cub’s world, she was his everything.

Lu Xi felt a deep sense of calm. She just wanted to chat casually with him.

“Do you like green peppers? Are you a picky eater?”

Xie Heng : “Green peppers are okay, but I don’t like eggplant. I love meat the most.”

“Who’s your best friend?”

Xie Heng furrowed his brows. “I used to be closest to Lele, but I don’t want to play with him anymore.”

Lu Xi chuckled. “Then who will you play with?”

The little cub thought for a moment before saying, “There’s a new kid who just moved in, named Song Siyang. He looks kinda silly, but he gave me fried chicken. I’ll play with him.”

Lu Xi: …This little cub’s approach to making friends is a bit absurd. So he can be won over by just a piece of fried chicken?

Their conversation went on casually until Lu Xi started feeling sleepy. She yawned. “So, do you like Dad or Mom more?”

Xie Heng answered without hesitation : “Mom, of course!”

He used to like Dad the most, but that was before he met Mom.

Mom cuddled him to sleep, gave him warm kisses, took him to school, and always told him he was cute. Unlike Dad, who actually had the nerve to call him ugly!

Lu Xi was overjoyed.

Even though it was still far away, if she ever had a child, she hoped they would be as cute and sweet as little Xie Heng.

Oh, right!

Lu Xi suddenly remembered something and opened the app. She saw that the affection meter was now filled with five glowing red hearts.

A new notification sparkled at the back of the shop menu.

This time, the system made the choice easy.

Instead of the usual six options with only two selectable, there were only two gift boxes on the screen. No real choice to make, but both were exactly what she wanted.

[One day in the future, you will reunite with Xie Heng.]

[Your lifelong dream will come true.]

Lu Xi’s eyes lit up.

She was thrilled at the thought of seeing the little cub again.

But her lifelong dream… there was only one thing she had ever truly wished for: to have a home of her own, filled with love and happiness.

Could it really come true?

Lu Xi drifted off to sleep.

Xie Heng carefully, very carefully, crawled out from under the blanket.

He was still in his cub form, which was strange, as it had already been several hours.

Bear Bear’s voice echoed in his mind. “Time’s almost up. You have three minutes before I send you back.”

Xie Heng responded with a soft “Oh,” feeling reluctant to leave.

But he still hadn’t figured out what birthday present to give Mom.

Bear Bear couldn’t say much, but it comforted its tiny master: “Don’t worry, you’ve already given Mom the best gift in the world. When you grow up, she will return.”

Xie Heng sniffled, feeling both happy and sad.

He tilted his head, looking at Lu Xi’s sleeping face. He thought she was so pretty.

How did Dad, who was always so annoying, manage to win her over?

“Oh! Bear Bear, can you give Mom a nice dream?”

Bear Bear agreed. That wasn’t too hard, it had just enough energy left to do it. “What kind of dream?”

Xie Heng, who had seen plenty of monster movies, immediately let his imagination run wild.

“Mom is being chased by a big monster, and the monster won’t leave her alone! Then, I make a dramatic entrance, kick the monster away, and protect Mom. After that, Mom calls me a good boy!”

The little bear fell silent. This kid… does he even know what a ‘nice dream’ is?

“Well… do you want me to give Dad a dream too?”

The grudge-holding little cub didn’t even hesitate. “Yes! Dad is the monster!”

---

Extra 6 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (6)

Xie Yizhao was completely unaware of the emotional damage he had inflicted on Xie Heng.

Nor did he sense that the bond between father and son was on the verge of collapse.

Once the classmates had mostly finished eating, Xie Yizhao took the initiative to offer them a tour of his home.

Before hosting the banquet, the Xie family had locked up certain private areas, but the rest of the house was open for guests to explore freely, and many did just that.

Lu Xi picked up her phone and followed along.

The Xie residence was enormous. It was rumored to be the result of merging two buildings. It was more than three times the size of the Lu residence.

As she walked through the grand halls, Lu Xi had only one thought: If a thief broke in, they’d probably get lost inside.

That said, with the Xie family’s tight security, such concerns were unlikely.

Trailing behind the group of classmates, Lu Xi found little interest in touring someone else’s house.

After enjoying the delicious food, she was already thinking about heading home.

But seeing how enthusiastic everyone else was, she felt a little awkward bringing it up and decided to wait for the right moment.

She held her phone, pretending to send a voice message.

In reality, she was talking to Little Bear.

Pinching its soft ears, she teased, “So, do you still want him to be your Dad?”

The floppy bear ears drooped unhappily.

Lu Xi chuckled. “So the song was right, only Mom is good in the world¹?”

Little Bear nodded vigorously. That song really hit the mark!

Dad was just too hateful…

Xie Yizhao noticed that Lu Xi had fallen behind and glanced back a few times, only to see her holding her phone, mumbling to herself at times, grinning at others, as if chatting with someone on the other end.

—So she stayed behind on purpose…

As the host, Xie Yizhao naturally had to lead the way at the front.

After completing the tour, he brought his classmates to the courtyard garden. It was a beautiful place. Though he himself was indifferent to it, most guests found it stunning. His mother had hired top designers to meticulously craft the landscape, featuring many rare plant species.

While the others eagerly wandered inside, Xie Yizhao remained outside.

Lu Xi noticed his gaze drifting toward her, so she put away her phone and smiled at him as if nothing had happened.

Xie Yizhao walked toward her.

Teenagers at this age often felt awkward—unlike their carefree childhood selves, who could interact freely, yet also not as mature as university students.

Even if there was mutual attraction, it was vague and inexperienced, making him hesitant to look directly at her face.

Instead, his eyes were drawn to the little bear strap dangling from her phone. It swayed back and forth, catching his attention.

For some reason… he felt like the bear was glaring at him, its tiny face scrunched up in an adorably fierce scowl.

Xie Yizhao cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, “Are you bored?”

Lu Xi wouldn’t say that outright to the host, so she responded with a flawless smile, “Not at all. I just stayed up late last night, so I’m feeling a little tired.”

Xie Yizhao gave a small nod.

He was always composed, never losing his cool in any situation, and rarely found himself at a loss for words. But now, he hesitated.

After a brief pause, he finally said, “If you’re leaving later, let me know. I’ll see you off.”

Lu Xi was slightly taken aback by his courtesy but nodded nonetheless.

A silence settled between them.

Lu Xi disliked awkward pauses. She wasn’t particularly shy and usually got along well with guys, but with Xie Yizhao, for some inexplicable reason, she always felt a bit nervous.

Just as she was considering slipping away to the greenhouse, Xie Yizhao suddenly spoke in a soft voice:

“Happy birthday in advance.”

Lu Xi froze. “How did you know?”

Her birthday was tomorrow.

Xie Yizhao lowered his gaze slightly, hiding a trace of embarrassment in his eyes, and answered calmly, “I heard a classmate mention it.”

That was true. But bringing it up now made him feel somewhat uneasy.

The air grew awkward again.

It was the kind of unease unique to teenage boys and girls.

Both hesitated, unsure of what to say next.

Little Bear peeked out clumsily, glancing back and forth between Xie Yizhao and Lu Xi, reading the large, bolded word ‘awkward’ written all over their faces.

“…” This is so frustrating, Little Bear thought.

—Daddy, you’re so lame. Why are you so slow at wooing Mommy? Your flirting skills are terrible.
—You know it’s her birthday, so why didn’t you bring a gift?

Oh! Right!

Since he just found out, he had to prepare one!

Lu Xi had no time to dwell on how Xie Yizhao knew her birthday, because just then, his father appeared, walking over with a few guests, including her own Uncle and Aunt.

“Yizhao, how’s it going with your classmates?” Xie Mingheng smiled kindly at Lu Xi. “You must be Xiao Lu.”

Lu Xi was surprised. His memory was impressive. He remembered her name after just one introduction?

She pressed her lips into a polite smile. “Hello, Uncle Xie.”

Xie Heng, meanwhile, was curiously staring at the older man.

—So this is Daddy’s Dad… which makes him Grandpa?

He had never met his Grandpa before. Dad had once told him that Grandpa had passed away from an illness before he was born.

For some reason, the little cub suddenly felt a bit sad. He didn’t quite understand what ‘passing away’ meant yet, but he knew it was something bad. However, when he looked at Grandpa, Grandpa seemed to be in great spirits, looking so young and full of life.

Lu Yuehua and Cen Yun walked over to Lu Xi. Cen Yun said, “We just found out that Xixi and Xiao Xie are classmates. We didn’t expect that you would know her as well, CEO Xie?”

Xie Mingheng thought, Of course, after all, she was the first girl Xie Yizhao ever mentioned on his own.

Standing beside him was a well-dressed middle-aged couple, accompanied by a girl with straight bangs.

“Shasha, this is your Brother Xie. Go on, say hello.”

The girl glanced at her mother, looking a little embarrassed. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum: “Brother Xie.”

Her father chuckled and said, “Didn’t you just say you don’t know anyone here? Go on, follow your Brother Xie around and let him show you around.”

The girl took another look at the aloof young man standing across from her and spoke even more hesitantly, “I’d rather not… I don’t know him.”

“If you start spending more time together, you’ll get to know each other soon enough! Our family and the Xie family have been close for generations.” The man looked at Xie Mingheng as he spoke, but the latter simply smiled faintly and did not comment.

Lu Xi had already figured it out. So this was a matchmaking setup for a wealthy family alliance?

Feeling a little amused, she snuck a glance at Xie Yizhao, only to meet his gaze head-on.

Xie Yizhao was completely composed. Lu Xi suddenly felt like someone who had been caught laughing at someone else’s misfortune.

Unexpectedly, she was dragged into the situation herself.

Cen Yun suddenly put an arm around her and smiled. “Xixi, our family is also on good terms with Uncle Xie. And since you’re Xiao Xie’s classmate, why don’t you join him in showing Shasha around?”

Lu Xi : “…”

How did this involve her now?

She was puzzled for a second, then saw the encouragement in her aunt’s eyes and instantly understood what she meant.

She felt like curling her toes in embarrassment.

Wait… she really wanted to ask her Aunt, where did her Aunt get the confidence that their Lu family could be considered a match for the Xie family?

She didn’t know much about business, but it was obvious to anyone that the gap was too wide.

Just moments ago, she had been an outsider watching the drama unfold, but now the fire had spread to her. Lu Xi couldn’t help but glance at the girl across from her.

Shasha looked back at her and gave a small, helpless smile. Clearly, Shasha also found her parents’ arrangement absurd.

When it came to marriage, there was a vast difference between how adults and children saw things.

Xie Mingheng was well aware that his son’s marriage wouldn’t be entirely up to himself in the future. There would inevitably be various factors to consider, and his son would have to find a girl from a family of equal standing. However, he still hoped to maximize Xie Yizhao’s happiness.

If it had to be a marriage alliance, the best outcome would be if the two children actually liked each other.

Lu Xi quickly found an excuse to slip away. She rushed into the greenhouse and blended in with her classmates, determined not to get involved in adult matters.

Xie Heng had no idea what was going on. He just heard a group of adults talking endlessly, saying a bunch of things he couldn’t understand.

Now he was starting to feel sleepy, looking drowsy and listless.

Lu Xi noticed it. Her Little Bear wasn’t as excited as when they first arrived.

Was it because his ‘Dad’ had called him ugly, and he was still upset about it? This little cub sure held a grudge.

But then again, he was just a baby. Lu Xi could understand.

Xie Yizhao was the real problem. How could he not see how ridiculously cute this Little Bear was?

Around 8 PM, some classmates began leaving as they had arranged with their parents. They politely bid farewell to Xie Yizhao, and Lu Xi was eager to leave as well.

But her Aunt had already told her that they would leave together later, so she had no choice but to wait.

Besides, she still had one more thing to do.

Once most of the classmates had left, Lu Xi walked over to Xie Yizhao and said, “I’ll be leaving with my family later. Thanks for hosting us tonight.”

Xie Yizhao nodded. “Would you like to take some desserts home?”

Lu Xi blinked in surprise and let out a soft “Ah?” She hadn’t expected Xie Yizhao to be so hospitable.

“N-no need…” Taking food after eating here already? That felt a little shameless.

Xie Heng had been dozing off but suddenly woke up when he heard his Dad’s voice.

He wasn’t the type to hold grudges. After a nap, he had already forgotten the earlier unpleasantness. He rolled over in Lu Xi’s palm and stretched out his tiny paw to scratch at her.

Lu Xi felt it at the same time her phone chimed with a notification.

Little Bear Cub : [Want Daddy to hold me.]

[Task countdown: 1 minute.]

Just one minute?

Lu Xi was dumbfounded.

This Little Bear, who had been sulking just moments ago, was now thinking about his Dad again?

He really had two different faces.

And he was only giving her one minute. Was he really that desperate?

“You wait right here, don’t move.” Lu Xi’s tone was serious.

Xie Yizhao : “…”

Lu Xi didn’t have time to think. She quickly removed the bear strap and rushed to the first-floor restroom as fast as she could.

---

1. It’s a Chinese children’s song titled 世上只有妈妈好 (shìshàng zhǐyǒu māmā hǎo). Literally, the title means “Only Mom is Good in this World.” The lyrics describe a mother’s selfless dedication to her child, praising her warmth and protection. ↩︎

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Extra 5 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (5)

Lu Xi didn’t think much of it and signaled to Xie Yizhao with her eyes: “Is this yours?”

Xie Yizhao lowered his gaze, pressed his lips together lightly, and said in a calm tone, “This weekend is my mother’s birthday banquet. I invited a few classmates over, and I’d like to invite you as well.”

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned.

Invite her? Did she and Xie Yizhao even count as classmates?

It didn’t seem like they were that close.

Xie Yizhao asked, “Are you free?”

Lu Xi didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she curiously flipped open the invitation and glanced at it. The banquet was on Saturday evening, held at Xie Yizhao’s home.

Wangyue Mountain Residence… She had heard her Sunt mention this wealthy neighborhood before. She had always dreamed of buying a house there one day. In fact, her Uncle’s family had enough money, but buying a place there would be a bit of a stretch.

Her Uncle and Aunt had attended a banquet at the Xie family’s residence before. Last year, the Corporation hosted a charity gala, and they had taken her two younger cousins along.

Her Aunt had told her that these kinds of events were dull and that she’d probably find it boring if she went.

Lu Xi didn’t really care. She hadn’t wanted to go anyway, she would have preferred to go shopping with her friends.

But this time, Xie Yizhao had personally invited her, which was unexpected.

Madam Xie’s birthday banquet…

The invitation was exquisitely crafted, clearly custom-designed, and even carried a subtle, elegant fragrance. Suddenly, Lu Xi felt a little interested. She blinked at Xie Yizhao and asked, “Will it be fun?”

Fun? Xie Yizhao had never heard of someone attending a banquet just for entertainment.

He frowned slightly and answered honestly, “Probably not. Even I think it’ll be boring.”

Lu Xi let out a disappointed “Oh” and decisively shook her head. “Then I won’t go.”

Xie Yizhao wasn’t surprised. The moment he said it wouldn’t be fun, he had already guessed that Lu Xi would refuse.

After a brief pause, he said softly, “But there will be good food.”

Lu Xi lifted her head to look at him.

Seeing the sudden brightness in her eyes, with flecks of light sparkling in her amber pupils, Xie Yizhao couldn’t help but smile slightly. “We’ve invited some well-known chefs and pastry artists this time. The food should be pretty good.”

He often saw Lu Xi around campus, always holding a cup of bubble tea. She probably had a sweet tooth.

Lu Xi did enjoy sweets.

Hearing this, she suddenly thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go after all?

She didn’t hesitate and promptly accepted the invitation, carefully placing it in her backpack.

Just as she was about to ask for a pen, she suddenly thought of something and smiled at him. “Since I’ll be a guest at your house, can you make an exception for me today?”

She looked at him with hopeful yet nervous anticipation.

Xie Yizhao asked, “Make an exception for what?”

Lu Xi hesitated, then said, “I was late just now… Can you not report my name?”

Xie Yizhao raised an eyebrow. “Were you late? I thought I was the one who delayed you, which is why you were standing here.”

With that, he handed the umbrella back to Lu Xi, took the notebook from her hands, and said in a low voice, “Hurry inside.”

Lu Xi snapped out of her daze, glanced at him, and softly said, “Thanks.”

She quickly walked through the academic building and entered her classroom.

She was lucky today, she hadn’t run into the homeroom teacher and had dodged a bullet.

But as for Xie Yizhao… Was he really not going to report her name?

She had only tried asking on a whim and wasn’t confident that Xie Yizhao would cover for her.

After all, he always seemed indifferent and aloof, giving off the impression of someone who kept to himself and wasn’t particularly warmhearted. Plus, they didn’t share any special bond.

But by the afternoon, everything remained calm.

The class monitor hadn’t approached her, nor had the homeroom teacher. It seemed like she had indeed escaped writing a self-reflection.

Lu Xi breathed a sigh of relief. But at the same time, she grew even more puzzled.

She couldn’t quite figure Xie Yizhao out.

Soon, she heard that Xie Yizhao hadn’t just invited her. He had also sent invitations to a few other students. Some from the school’s sports teams, some from his own class, both boys and girls.

As the school’s most talked-about figure, Xie Yizhao was always the center of attention. Anything related to him spread quickly.

This was the first time he had ever invited classmates to his home, and for his mother’s birthday banquet, no less.

Hearing this, Lu Xi felt relieved.

So she wasn’t the only one invited. That was good.

She had no intention of getting romantically involved with Xie Yizhao. If rumors of an early relationship spread, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but she already received enough attention at school. She didn’t want even more eyes on her.

Her Uncle had also advised her against dating too early.

She definitely didn’t want a talk from the homeroom teacher—or worse, from her Uncle.

Since many people were going, her presence wouldn’t stand out too much.

Now, all she needed to do before Saturday was prepare a gift for Mrs. Xie.

The problem was, aside from her Aunt, she had no experience giving gifts to older women. She couldn’t think of what to give.

Luckily, a few close friends in her class were able to give her some ideas.

Lu Xi hadn’t intentionally kept her invitation to the Xie family banquet a secret. Something like this couldn’t be hidden anyway. Rather than letting others gossip about it afterward, she decided to be open about it. She even took out the invitation to show her friends. This way, there would be less idle chatter.

Friend A : “Jewelry, like a necklace or bracelet. Mrs. Xie will definitely like it.”

Lu Xi thought : Any jewelry that could catch Mrs. Xie’s eye must be insanely expensive. She’d heard that Mrs. Xie usually bought her jewelry at private exhibitions or auctions, spending money like it was nothing.

A broke middle schooler like her couldn’t afford that.

Friend B : “The best way to choose a gift is to cater to her interests. Why don’t you ask Xie Yizhao what his mom likes?”

Lu Xi : That’s a good idea! Jotted it down in her notebook. If nothing else works, she’ll just have to ask him.

Meanwhile, the little bear in her pocket had been buzzing with excitement all day.

He had overheard everything this morning. His Dad had invited his Mom on a date! Amazing! Since his Dad was making the first move, their story was finally unfolding! That meant he wouldn’t disappear!

This thought made him so excited he couldn’t sleep all day. He kept squirming around in Lu Xi’s pocket.

Lu Xi could feel his excitement.

It was strange. Maybe it was the effect of the app binding them, but she felt like she was becoming more in sync with the little bear and could sense his emotions.

Like right now.

If he weren’t stuck in her pocket with limited space to move, she was sure he’d be bouncing up and down with joy.

Several times during class, he had wriggled around so much that she got annoyed and had to reach into her pocket to poke his little head as a warning.

Finally, when she got home from school that evening, she let him out.

The little bear had been holding back all day. The moment he landed on her soft bed, he was so happy that he clumsily rolled over.

Lu Xi had experience by now. She quickly dressed him in tiny clothes, then kissed his bear face to turn him into his human form, so he wouldn’t be running around naked.

Little Xie Heng transformed back and looked a bit embarrassed.

He was now wearing one of Lu Xi’s old pajamas—pink and lacy, making him look like a little girl… Fortunately, only his Mom would see him like this.

Otherwise, the kids at kindergarten would definitely laugh at him.

Lu Xi ruffled his hair and asked, “Do you really like Xie Yizhao that much?”

Xie Heng nodded seriously, “Of course, I like Daddy!”

“So he’s your Dad, I’m your Mom, and you’re our baby?” Lu Xi had already gotten used to his nonsense and could even answer ahead of him.

Xie Heng nodded happily.

Lu Xi stroked her chin and frowned, “I get it now. Do I look like your Mom, and does he look like your Dad?”

Xie Heng shook his head. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that he was actually their future child.

But an invisible force prevented him from saying it.

The little one suddenly felt downcast, lowering his head in disappointment.

Seeing him like that, Lu Xi’s smile faded.

Did she accidentally bring up something sad for him?

Right… A child this young, not living with his parents but instead bound to some strange app—could it be that something happened to his parents? Were they… gone?

Thinking of her own past, her heart sank.

She instinctively reached out to pat his head, then leaned down and gently hugged him.

What a poor little thing.

When her parents had their accident, at least she had relatives to take her in. Living with her Uncle’s family all these years, she never had to worry about food or shelter.

But this little one was so young, yet he had to be bound to a stranger. And if he failed his mission… who knew what kind of punishment he might face?

Sensing Lu Xi’s sadness, Xie Heng didn’t know how to comfort girls. He just clumsily hugged her tighter.

Mommy was so warm and smelled so nice.

The little one decided—being held by Mom was the best. Dad’s arms might be bigger, but his chin was always scratchy. Not like Mom, whose face was soft, and who held him so gently.

Unable to resist, he snuggled deeper into Lu Xi’s arms, rubbing against her affectionately.

Lu Xi took the chance to hug him close and inhale his sweet baby scent. He smelled like milk and was incredibly soft and cute.

Only after she had her fill did she reluctantly let him go. “In a few days, I’ll be going to your Dad’s house for dinner. I’ll bring you along, okay? Excited?”

Xie Heng lifted his head, his eyes sparkling. “Then… can Dad hold Xiao Heng?”

Lu Xi paused. “Your name is Xiao Heng? Which ‘Heng’?”

The little one tilted his head and answered crisply, “The ‘Xie’ from ‘Xiexie’, and ‘Wang Xing Heng’¹.”

“Oh, I see! So that’s your name.” Lu Xi happened to recognize the character and couldn’t help but show off a little. “My teacher said this character refers to a type of jade. Jade is rare and precious. Your parents sure picked a great name for you.”

Xie Heng proudly raised his chin.

Of course! Lots of people had complimented his name before.

He had heard that his Dad was the one who named him…

Suddenly, Xie Heng felt a pang of longing for his Dad.

Lu Xi still remembered the cub’s question from earlier. She thought for a moment and said, “No problem, I’ll find an opportunity to let Xie Yizhao hold you, but you can’t give yourself away.”

“Okay! I… I won’t move around or talk!” Xie Heng made a motion of tightly covering his mouth.

With the little bear cub settled, Lu Xi finished her homework and started browsing an online shopping site for a gift.

Xie Heng hadn’t turned back into a cub yet. He sat on Lu Xi’s lap, watching with her.

“Is this for Grandma? She likes silk scarves. Let’s get her a silk scarf.”

Lu Xi was still wondering who ‘Grandma’ was, but when she saw the cub’s serious little expression, she suddenly understood.

Since Xie Yizhao was his ‘Dad,’ wouldn’t that make Xie Yizhao’s mother his ‘Grandma’?

She was speechless.

Wasn’t this little guy getting way too comfortable with the role?

That said, a silk scarf was a good idea. It was an accessory, not too expensive, and within her budget. She could pick out a nice one for Mrs. Xie.

Lu Xi bought it online right away, and it would arrive within three days.

She ordered two scarves, same brand, different styles.

Two days later, when the package arrived, she gave one to her Aunt.

“For me?” Her Aunt was surprised. Her Aunt’s birthday had already passed last month.

Lu Xi nodded. “I’m attending Mrs. Xie’s birthday banquet this weekend. I bought a gift for her and got one for you as well.”

Cen Yun was stunned for a moment before hesitantly asking, “You mean Xie Mingheng’s wife?”

“Yes, Xie Yizhao is my classmate. He invited me,” Lu Xi replied naturally.

Cen Yun looked a little awkward and let out a sheepish laugh. “What a coincidence. Your Uncle and I are going too. We were just about to ask you. Let’s go together then.”

But Lu Xi shook her head. “I’ve already made plans with my schoolmate. We’re going together.”

Although she lived here, her relationship with her Uncle and Aunt wasn’t particularly close. They usually didn’t take her to these kinds of events, and she understood. It wasn’t like they were a real family.

Still, as someone living under another’s roof, she couldn’t always do as she pleased.

Sometimes, she had to play along with social niceties.

But there were times when Lu Xi couldn’t help but imagine the future.

One day, when she was an adult, maybe she would have a home of her own. Maybe then, she would feel freer and happier.

She didn’t know when that day would come or if it would be as wonderful as she imagined.

On Saturday night, Lu Xi went with a female schoolmate.

The girl had also received an invitation from Xie Yizhao. She was his class monitor, well-liked at school, and someone Lu Xi often hung out with.

On the way there, Lu Xi learned that all of Xie Yizhao’s invited guests were the classmates sitting around him in class.

“That morning after our early study session, Classmate Xie gave invitations to his seatmate and the students sitting in front, behind, and beside him. I just happened to sit in front of him,” the girl said, looking both delighted and confused.

Clearly, she hadn’t expected to be invited, since she and Xie Yizhao weren’t close at all.

Lu Xi : …Wasn’t this way of handing out invitations a little too random?

If the Xie family weren’t so wealthy and didn’t lack gifts, she might have suspected Xie Yizhao of inviting them just to pool together presents.

It seemed that the invitation she received that morning was just a matter of chance.

She didn’t dwell on it, though. She was more excited about the desserts tonight.

This time, the little bear was hanging from her phone.

She had specially bought a phone case with a strap attachment. Following the seller’s tutorial, she modified it slightly so she could hang the cub on it.

That way, he could easily watch his ‘Dad.’

Lu Xi was now completely unfazed by the cub’s childish chatter. She was used to it. All she was thinking about was finding the right moment later to let Xie Yizhao hold this clingy little bear.

But when she arrived at the Xie residence, she was stunned.

Tonight… why were there so many people?

The Xie family had indeed invited many guests. Some were business associates, and Mrs. Xie, being well-connected and influential in high-society circles, had also invited many ladies from her social group. She had even founded a charitable foundation, so there were plenty of female guests tonight.

In comparison, the classmates Xie Yizhao had invited were just a small group.

But since they were personally invited by him, they were still considered important guests. The butler made sure to take good care of them, seating them together at a table near the buffet area.

When Lu Xi saw Xie Yizhao, she deliberately raised her phone, letting the little bear see him.

Xie Yizhao was busy tonight.

Although this was technically his mother’s birthday banquet, it was more than just a celebration—it was also a social event.

He was used to it. Following his parents around, he was both learning and making connections.

But tonight was different.

Xie Mingheng was introducing him to an elder when the butler suddenly came over and informed him that his classmates had arrived.

Hearing this, Xie Yizhao looked over to the table he had prepared for them in advance.

And his gaze landed right on Lu Xi’s bright eyes.

She smiled at him and waved, looking sweet and confident.

Xie Yizhao unconsciously smiled at her.

Xie Mingheng noticed this, looked over, and happened to catch the scene. He paused slightly, glanced at his son, and couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint smile.

“Are your classmates here? Then go keep them company,” Xie Mingheng said.

It was time to let the kid relax a little.

Xie Yizhao hesitated for a moment before nodding.

As he walked over and sat down, his classmates greeted him enthusiastically, though with a hint of restraint.

Among them, only a few boys from the school team were somewhat familiar with Xie Yizhao; the rest weren’t particularly close to him.

Noticing their unease, Xie Yizhao took the initiative to chat with them. When his parents walked by, he even introduced his classmates and led them to the buffet area to get food.

His attitude was courteous but not overly warm, striking a perfect balance. Before long, his classmates relaxed.

Lu Xi had never seen this side of him before.

Most boys their age were impulsive and restless, but he was rare—calm and composed. If he wanted to, he could make people feel at ease, like a gentle spring breeze.

Tonight, Lu Xi discovered another of his strengths.

He didn’t lie.

“Your family’s desserts are really delicious. I love this coconut-flavored ice cream.”

That was the first thing Lu Xi actively said to Xie Yizhao that night.

Xie Yizhao wasn’t particularly interested in desserts, but hearing her say that, he suddenly wanted to try it. So he got up and brought back two servings.

Placing one in front of Lu Xi, he said naturally, “The portions are small. If you like it, you can get more.”

Lu Xi was briefly stunned and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

She had only admired how considerate Xie Yizhao was toward others, but now that this thoughtfulness was directed at her, she couldn’t help but feel a bit different.

Her face seemed to warm slightly.

Unconsciously, she picked up her phone. Just then, she felt a soft little paw scratching her palm.

Xie Heng, looking exasperated : “Mommy, you’re blocking my view of Daddy!”

Lu Xi : …

She suddenly realized—this little cub called her ‘Mommy’ and called Xie Yichao ‘Daddy,’ and now, with Xie Yizhao sitting right beside her, she inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed.

Fortunately, Xie Yizhao was completely unaware, so she managed to keep a straight face and continued eating her ice cream.

Casually flipping her phone face-down on the table, she pointed at the fluffy little bear on her keychain and showed it to Xie Yizhao. “Remember this little bear? You picked it up for me that day.”

Xie Yizhao nodded lightly.

Looking at the bear, he felt like it seemed… a little smaller than before. Was it just his imagination?

He never liked plush toys, but for some reason, this tiny thing looked unexpectedly amusing.

“It’s actually kind of cute,” Xie Yizhao said, giving the bear’s face a little squeeze. Then, in all seriousness, he added, “Ugly-cute, actually.”

Little Bear felt like it had been struck by lightning.

Ugly?

No one had ever called it ugly before…

Lu Xi nearly burst out laughing.

Case closed! Even if Xie Yizhao was the cub’s Dad, he was definitely a stepdad!

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1. In the raw, he said, “谢谢的谢,王行珩。” The first part 谢谢的谢 (xièxiè de xiè) means “Xie of xiexie(谢谢/thank you)”. Then, the second part is 王行珩 (wángxíng héng). In itself, the word 王行珩 (wángxíng héng) didn’t have any meaning and didn’t refer to anything. I think he’s talking about how the character is wirtten. Combining 王 and 行 into one character becomes 珩(héng). See the footnote on Chapter 1 for more details on what the name meant. ↩︎

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Extra 4 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (4)

That night, in the study on the second floor of Xie mansion.

This was where Xie Yizhao usually did his homework. On weekends, the family would invite teachers to tutor him here as well.

The study was spacious, over 130 square meters, and even had a piano.

Aside from classes and daily practice, Xie Yizhao rarely touched it.

He was working on a ninth-grade math test when he heard a knock on the door.

The sound was steady, just two knocks. Xie Yizhao knew immediately that his father had returned.

A few days ago, his father, Xie Mingheng, had been away on a business trip. The butler had mentioned his father would be back today.

Every few days, his father would check on his studies and also share some insights from his business trips.

Xie Yizhao understood, his father was intentionally cultivating his business acumen.

“Come in,” he said.

Xie Mingheng pushed the door open.

Seeing his son working on his homework, his expression remained neutral. His usually serious face showed only a faint smile as he walked over to the desk.

After asking about his studies and discussing some business matters, he brought up the birthday banquet that weekend.

“Your mother likes lively gatherings, so we’ve invited quite a few guests this time. After your golf lesson in the morning, come back to help with the reception,” Xie Mingheng said.

Xie Yizhao nodded. “Got it.”

Seeing his son’s indifferent expression, Xie Mingheng knew that he had no interest in these social events.

In fact, Xie Yizhao had always been like this—reserved, never particularly enthusiastic about anything, and often seeming detached. But he was intelligent, steady, and never caused trouble for the family.

Even if there were things he didn’t like, he would still put in the effort if the family required it.

This was something Xie Mingheng appreciated and found reassuring.

A future leader of the family business needed such a composed temperament.

Everything his son had learned so far—his education, his training—had all been arranged by him. Yet, his son had rarely ever made personal requests.

Except for that one time…

When Xie Yizhao was eight, he was nearly kidnapped. Fortunately, the bodyguards arrived in time, and the kidnappers failed.

That was the only time Xie Yizhao had ever asked for something—he wanted to learn self-defense.

Without hesitation, Xie Mingheng had agreed and arranged for the bodyguard who had saved him that day to be his instructor.

Now, Xie Yizhao had grown into an exceptional young man, and Xie Mingheng was confident in him.

But sometimes, seeing how mature his son was beyond his years, he also felt guilty—his child had borne responsibilities he shouldn’t have had to. He wished his son could let himself relax once in a while.

So, he took the initiative and asked, “By the way, do you want to invite any close classmates over this time?”

“Classmates?” Xie Yizhao was slightly taken aback.

Xie Mingheng nodded. “Yes. There will be many guests this weekend, and they’ll bring their children too, but you might not be familiar with them. You can invite any friends you’d like.”

Xie Yizhao knew the type of guests the family would invite, and indeed, he wasn’t close to many of them.

He hadn’t really considered inviting classmates over before.

But suddenly, a person came to mind.

“Father, are the Lu family among the invited guests this time?” Xie Yizhao looked at his father.

Xie Mingheng paused for a moment before asking uncertainly, “Lu family? You mean Lu Yuehua?”

Xie Yizhao nodded.

“I invited him. Why? Are you close with his sons?” Xie Mingheng’s eyes showed a hint of doubt.

He had seen Lu Yuehua’s two sons before. Whenever there was a banquet, he would bring them along. But they were quite ordinary, not outstanding.

He doubted his son would be interested in befriending them.

“Not really…” Xie Yizhao paused for a moment before saying, “The Lu family has a daughter, she’s my classmate.”

Xie Mingheng frowned slightly.

He had never heard about this before, nor had he ever seen Lu Yuehua bring his daughter out in public.

He had other matters to attend to, so he couldn’t question his son further. He simply told him, “If you’re close, invite her over sometime. It’s up to you.”

With that, he left in a hurry.

Later that night, just before going to bed, he suddenly recalled the conversation and casually mentioned it to his wife.

Mrs. Xie, however, was well aware of the situation. “That’s not Lu Yuehua’s daughter, she’s his older brother’s daughter. The girl’s parents passed away, so she’s being raised by her uncle.”

So that was the case…

Lying down, Xie Mingheng closed his eyes and replayed the events of the day in his mind. The last thing that surfaced was the rare trace of youthful nervousness in his son’s eyes when he mentioned this female classmate.

Could it be that his son was experiencing his first crush?

He had never discussed relationships with Xie Yizhao, nor had he forbidden him from dating early. That was because he was confident that even if his son had such inclinations, it wouldn’t interfere with his studies.

Whether they were just classmates or something more, he would know soon enough, depending on whether this girl eventually showed up at their home.

He trusted that his son wasn’t a coward. If he truly liked someone, he wouldn’t be too afraid to invite her over.

---

Early the next morning, as he was leaving for school, Xie Yizhao asked the butler for some invitation cards, saying he wanted to invite some classmates.

The butler handed him ten invitations at once and said with a smile, “If it’s not enough, just let me know, Young Master. I’ll have more sent to your school.”

Xie Yizhao shook his head.

He wasn’t interested in inviting that many people.

It was just that inviting only one person would seem too obvious, and he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

But when, and how, should he give it to her? He had no experience in this at all. He thought about it the entire way but still had no clue.

Today, he was assigned as the duty student, responsible for recording late arrivals at the school gate.

His car dropped him off at the entrance, where he stood with other duty students and teachers. Once the bell rang for morning self-study, any student who arrived late would be stopped and required to write down their name before they could enter.

---

Lu Xi had stayed up late watching dramas the night before and overslept this morning. Predictably, she was late.

She wasn’t particularly worried about tardiness, but the homeroom teacher had a rule: if a student was late more than three times a month, they had to write a 1,000-word reflection.

Lu Xi had already been late twice this month. She really didn’t want to write that reflection.

Her driver rushed as much as possible, but she was still late.

Lu Xi was not in the best mood.

Her little cub sensed that she was unhappy about being late, but he didn’t know how to comfort her.

The Brother next door had once told him that if you were late, you could just climb over the wall, no big deal.

Couldn’t Mom climb walls?

The little cub clenched his fists. When he grew up, he would definitely teach his Mom how to climb walls!

---

At the school gate, Lu Xi saw the group of duty students standing there and knew she couldn’t avoid getting caught this time.

Usually, as long as she wasn’t caught at the entrance, she could slip into class unnoticed, unless the homeroom teacher happened to check.

It was raining. She held up her umbrella and kept her head down as she casually walked up to one of the duty students.

She saw that he was holding a notebook and pen at his side and couldn’t help but pout.

As someone who had a thing for hands, she would usually appreciate his long, clean fingers, but she wasn’t in the mood now.

“You’re late,” a cool voice sounded above her. “Write your class and name in the notebook.”

Lu Xi found the voice familiar. She looked up.

The first thing she saw was a handsome, refined face.

Of all people, she had to run into Xie Yizhao?

She was stunned for a second, her expression slightly complicated.

She knew he was in the student council and sometimes took duty shifts at the gate. She had encountered him before, but back then, she hadn’t thought much of it. But now…

Lu Xi didn’t feel embarrassed about being late, but a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Could Xie Yizhao let this slide?

Just as she was about to make an excuse, he simply handed her the notebook and gently urged, “The sooner you write it down, the sooner you can go in.”

Lu Xi : “…”

She suddenly understood why Xie Yizhao was so good-looking yet didn’t have a girlfriend.

Feeling speechless, she glanced at him, then raised her umbrella slightly. “I can’t write while holding an umbrella.”

Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together slightly. Without hesitation, he took the umbrella from her and moved a little closer to shield her from the rain.

Lu Xi gave him another look and sighed lightly. “You haven’t given me the pen yet.”

As she flipped open the notebook, she noticed a delicate invitation tucked inside.

---

Extra 4 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (4)

Lu Xi was momentarily confused by the cub’s words.

After a brief pause, she furrowed her brows and asked, “You mean… you also bound with Xie Yizhao?”

So, were the two of them co-parenting this cub?

Xie Heng shook his head blankly, not quite understanding what ‘bound’ meant. He replied, “I only have Mommy. Today was the first time I met Daddy.”

Lu Xi : “…”

Talking to a kid was exhausting.

But she more or less understood now. He hadn’t bound with Xie Yizhao… That was a relief.

Otherwise, it would’ve been way too weird.

Co-parenting a random cub with Xie Yizhao? Just the thought of it sounded bizarre.

Still, something felt off. She asked again, “Then why did you want me to get close to him?”

The cub answered confidently, “Because he’s Daddy.”

“…” Lu Xi frowned, exasperated yet amused. She let out a short laugh, then couldn’t resist reaching out to poke the cub’s head. “You’re just picking based on looks, aren’t you? Whoever looks good, you decide they’re your Dad?”

Xie Heng pouted in grievance, rubbing his head as he countered, “But if Mommy didn’t care about looks, how would she pick Daddy to be my Dad in the future?”

Lu Xi was stunned.

Had she picked? Picked what? The future…?

She didn’t get it.

Just as she was about to press for answers, the cub suddenly transformed back into a little bear, flopping weakly onto her bed.

Lu Xi was speechless.

At least this time he lasted longer than before, long enough for an actual conversation. It seemed like this transformation skill really could be upgraded.

A friend called her for a voice chat, and soon, she forgot all about her earlier confusion.

After playing around for a bit, she finally started half-heartedly doing her homework. She even placed the little bear on her desk, making him watch her work.

Bonding time. Build goodwill. Earn little hearts. That way, she could pick another gift next time.

Even though the cub was sometimes mischievous and caused her trouble, Lu Xi still liked him quite a lot.

Having a virtual pet materialize in real life was unexpectedly fun!

Due to his current form, Xie Heng couldn’t move around easily. He had no choice but to sit obediently and watch Lu Xi do her homework.

Watching her furrow her brows in frustration one moment and scribble furiously the next, even he, a mere cub, felt like sighing.

Right now, he was only in kindergarten, so he barely had any homework—just some arts and crafts, which he couldn’t be bothered to do. He always made the uncles and aunties at home help him.

But when he saw slightly older kids learning piano and English, he thought they had it rough.

The butler uncle told him that once he started elementary school, he would have to do his homework every day, and no one would help him anymore.

The cub felt a little sad about that.

But he wasn’t scared!

Homework wasn’t hard at all. His Dad was so amazing, so surely, he would be just as smart. When the time came, he’d definitely be a top student!

Xie Heng was full of confidence.

However… watching his Mom struggle so much with her homework made him start to wonder, was she… bad at studying?

But Daddy was a genius! If his Mommy didn’t know how to solve a problem, she could just ask Daddy for help. Would Daddy dare refuse?

This thought flickered across the cub’s mind.

But no!

His Mom was mad at him earlier, probably because he caused her trouble today…

His survival instincts kicked in. He decided not to stir up any more mischief tonight.

Lu Xi heard her phone vibrate and picked it up, but there were no new messages or notifications in the app.

Was her crappy phone acting up again?

The math homework was tricky. By the time she finally finished it, it was past nine. She stretched lazily before standing up.

Picking up the little bear, she spun around the room several times in delight.

The cub got dizzy from all the spinning.

His Mom was so different when she was alone.

At school, she was composed and elegant, every move exuding goddess-like grace.

But at home, she would immediately change into loose loungewear, sit cross-legged to do homework, or sprawl on her bed snacking while watching dramas, feet swinging in the air.

And when she got excited, she would squeeze and smother him in a hug.

The cub was utterly resigned.

Now he finally understood how his own teddy bear must have felt when he hugged it to sleep all the time. When he got back, he’d definitely treat it better.

But… when would he go back?

Xie Heng really missed his Dad.

But at the same time, he didn’t want to leave his Mom.

And he still hadn’t gotten her strawberry hair clip…

The cub fell into deep thought.

That night, Lu Xi only washed the little bear’s feet and back—just the parts that had gotten dirty from the milk tea spill earlier.

After she fell asleep, Xie Heng fought off his drowsiness, waiting patiently for her to loosen her grip on him. When she finally turned over, he seized the chance to wriggle free from the blankets.

Luckily, as a little bear, he wasn’t affected by the cold.

But this body was so clumsy! His round paws and feet had no grip. He struggled endlessly, inching his way to the foot of the bed. Then, tilting his round head upward, he looked at the desk.

So high…

He remembered that next to the desk was a vanity table. Before heading out in the morning, Lu Xi would sit there to freshen up. There were quite a few things on it—he wasn’t sure if there was a hair clip among them.

The little bear struggled to lift his arms.

He couldn’t reach the desk… He stretched again!

Still no luck.

The cub let out a sigh, full of disappointment, and glanced toward the other end of the room, which felt impossibly far away. He was so exhausted.

He no longer had the strength to crawl over. Instead, he chose to collapse on the spot. If he was tired, he’d just sleep right there.

That night, Lu Xi had a strange dream.

She dreamed of Xie Yizhao.

The dream was chaotic and fragmented, with no clear beginning or end. By the time she got up the next morning, she had already forgotten most of it after brushing her teeth.

But two scenes remained crystal clear.

Because they were simply too shocking!

She dreamt that she was dressed in a pure white wedding gown, running toward a man and throwing herself into his arms.

The next moment, she was holding a baby in her arms, and beside her was the same man.

That face… No matter how she looked at it, it was Xie Yizhao.

Lu Xi was utterly speechless. Even after stepping out of the bathroom, she couldn’t help but glare at the little bear several times.

When she woke up that morning, the cub wasn’t by her side. She lifted the blanket completely and finally found him curled up at the foot of the bed, looking pitiful.

At first, she felt a little guilty, thinking that she must have kicked the poor thing in her sleep.

But now… Even if she had, he deserved it.

It was all his fault for stirring up so much trouble yesterday! Otherwise, why would she have dreamed of Xie Yizhao?

Lu Xi scooped up the little bear and ruffled him vigorously, even flipping his soft ears back.

The sleepy cub, confused about why his Mom was upset, felt terribly aggrieved.

He couldn’t help but kick his legs in protest.

Seeing how soft and easy to bully he looked, Lu Xi finally let go, half-annoyed and half-amused. “Alright, little bear, what’s your plan to torment me today?”

The cub’s eyes sparkled.

The next second, the notification sound from the app rang out.

Little Bear : [Mommy, can you give me your strawberry hair clip?]

[Mission countdown: 5 minutes.]

Lu Xi chuckled. “That’s easy! It’s just a hair clip, I can give you ten if you want. But with your short fur, are you sure you can even wear one?”

Xie Heng : …It’s not for him! He’s a boy!

Lu Xi liked collecting small accessories and had a jewelry box just for them.

She had bought so many that some were worn only once before being stored away. She had no recollection of whether she had a strawberry hair clip.

Sure enough, she didn’t find one in the jewelry box.

Frowning, she shook her head at the little bear. “I don’t have a strawberry hair clip.”

The little bear tilted his head.

Impossible. The voice had clearly told him he had to get a strawberry hair clip from his Mom.

But Lu Xi was worried about something else.

If she didn’t have one and couldn’t buy one within five minutes, wouldn’t that mean she’d fail the mission?

Would the little bear disappear? Or would something happen to him?

Her heart clenched.

[Countdown : 3 minutes 21 seconds.]

Lu Xi frowned and instinctively glanced at the door.

No… The only ones in the house who might use hair clips were her and her aunt, and her aunt definitely wouldn’t wear a strawberry one. No need to ask, she wouldn’t have it.

The neighbors had a six-year-old girl, though!

But it wasn’t even 7:30 yet. Wouldn’t it be weird to ask?

As she was worrying, her eyes caught a small glow from the shopping mall icon.

Only then did she notice she had earned two new red hearts. Could she exchange them for gifts?

Though it wasn’t the best time, she couldn’t resist the temptation and tapped in.

Two rows, six gift boxes.

The first row contained:

[A lottery ticket that guaranteed a 5,000-yuan win]

[A one-time chance to improve an exam ranking by 50 places]

[A pearl necklace you would receive in the future]

Lu Xi wasn’t short on money.

Besides, she was great at answering test questions. The second option only applied to one test, meaning she’d go back to her usual ranking next time, what was the point?

The third option, however, sounded interesting.

Something she would receive in the future? That was exciting.

She picked it without hesitation.

As for the second row, one phrase immediately caught her eye.

[Within a week, someone will give you a strawberry hair clip.]

Lu Xi’s eyes lit up, and she pointed at the text. “Does this count?” she asked Xie Heng.

The little bear hesitated, suddenly wanting to scratch his head.

He was still little, he couldn’t read that many words yet.

Seeing his blank face, Lu Xi knew she wouldn’t get an answer from him. She simply decided to take the gamble and selected it. The other options didn’t interest her anyway.

As soon as she tapped the button, two gifts expanded with a burst of confetti effects, shimmered for a moment on the screen, and then automatically exited the shop.

At this moment, Lu Xi saw that the task box had disappeared, and the countdown was no longer visible.

Did this mean she had just muddled through this task?

She quickly slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed to school, not forgetting to shrink the little bear and bring it with her.

All the way there, she kept wondering, who would give her the strawberry hair clip?

When she arrived at school, Lu Xi found a gift inside her desk.

The packaging was exquisite. The gift box was small and felt almost weightless in her hand.

Could it be the hair clip someone had sent her?

Lu Xi smiled. Without caring that the homeroom teacher was still on the podium, she eagerly unwrapped the gift inside her desk.

Her deskmate was stunned.

She often saw Lu Xi receiving gifts, but it was the first time she had seen Lu Xi so impatient to open one. Which boy was lucky enough to give it to her?

However, as soon as Lu Xi unwrapped the box, the smile on her face quickly faded.

It wasn’t a hair clip.

It was a necklace.

Lu Xi couldn’t help feeling disappointed—so it wasn’t what she had hoped for…

Inside her desk, Xie Heng, who was in his bear form, saw her expression and froze for a moment. He hesitated and shrank back slightly, curling his little bear paws.

Uh-oh.

Had he just made things harder for Mom again?

That person, seriously, why give such a useless necklace? If you’re going to give something, give a strawberry hair clip!

No wonder he couldn’t win over his Mom, he had no sense at all! Hmph.

If only his Dad could step up right now… Wait, that’s right! Why was his Dad so clueless? How did his Dad not know to give his Mom a gift?

---

Extra 3 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear

Just then, the girl beside Lu Xi suddenly tugged on her sleeve and whispered excitedly, “Xie Yizhao is here!”

Lu Xi froze for a second and looked toward the cafeteria entrance.

Sure enough, she saw Xie Yizhao walking in with a friend.

Since her table was near the aisle, he had to pass right by her.

Lu Xi didn’t have much of a reaction to his arrival. Unlike the others, she didn’t stare at him. She was just a little surprised. It was the first time she had seen this Young Master in the cafeteria.

But in those few distracted seconds, she didn’t notice the little bear’s antics.

Xie Heng had already used all his strength to push against the milk tea.

And it tipped over.

The girl beside her let out an “Aiya!” just as Lu Xi noticed her milk tea had suddenly tipped over. She reacted quickly, lifting her little bear out of the way, but it was too late to save the milk tea.

Even though the cup was sealed, the impact of the fall caused it to burst open, sending milk tea spilling all over the floor.

Xie Yizhao had been listening to music with his headphones on and hadn’t noticed the commotion beside him. It wasn’t until his friend tugged on him, motioning for him to look down, that he realized—

His sneakers had stepped right into the puddle of milk tea.

And judging by the splashes, his pants weren’t entirely spared either.

Xie Yizhao frowned slightly.

Lu Xi : “…”

How did this even happen? She was sure she had placed her milk tea properly. Why did it suddenly fall? This was seriously weird.

And of all people, it just had to involve him.

Lu Xi felt like today was just an unlucky day. She should’ve checked the calendar before heading out.

Feeling a bit awkward, she still walked over graciously and gave Xie Yizhao an apologetic smile. “Sorry, that was my milk tea. It fell by accident.”

Xie Yizhao glanced at her.

Her again.

If he counted, this was already the second time today that her things had ‘accidentally’ fell around him.

He replied indifferently, “It’s fine.”

How was this fine? Lu Xi glanced at his shoes, now stained with milk tea, even the upper part wasn’t spared. She frowned and pulled out her phone. “How much were your shoes and pants? I’ll transfer you the money.”

Xie Yizhao shook his head. “No need. I’ll just wash them when I get home.”

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned. She thought to herself, This rich kid is surprisingly down-to-earth. But oh well, she had already offered, and if he refused, she wasn’t going to push it.

So she simply nodded, went back to her seat, and helped her friend clean up their table.

She had checked her little bear earlier. The back was a little dirty, but it was still salvageable. A tissue wipe should do the trick.

The little bear rested in her palm, its two black bead-like eyes looking innocent and obedient.

Lu Xi had initially suspected that the bear might have had something to do with the milk tea tipping over. But after thinking about it, it was just a small plush toy—how much damage could it really do?

Besides, the little bear looked so well-behaved. It was probably innocent, right?

Maybe she simply hadn’t placed the milk tea properly.

Xie Heng, however, was feeling a little guilty.

He had been anxious for a while, but seeing that Lu Xi neither suspected him nor got angry—and even continued treating him gently—he finally relaxed.

The young cub had no idea that he had only escaped suspicion thanks to the bear’s adorably dumb expression. If stuffed animals could make complex facial expressions, he would’ve been caught already.

---

On the other side, Xie Yizhao and his friend sat down with their lunch.

His friend couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Lu Xi’s table and teased, “Damn, a lot of girls ask for your WeChat, but this is the first time a girl has tried to send you money at first sight. She’s got skills.”

Xie Yizhao frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“What do you mean nonsense? I even heard she deliberately dropped something near you this morning, just so you’d pick it up for her.”

Xie Yizhao responded coolly, “And what if she did?”

His friend clicked his tongue. “Scheming. This is classic scheming. She’s an expert. First a small encounter, now she’s finding another excuse to get close to you.”

“…So you’re saying she’s intentionally trying to approach me?” Xie Yizhao glanced at Lu Xi’s table.

All he saw was her delicate and striking profile as she stroked the head of a little teddy bear.

The same one he had picked up for her this morning.

The bear had a chubby, goofy look, with round black eyes that seemed extra bright as they met his gaze.

Even its stitched-on smile somehow seemed… smugger than before.

Xie Yizhao : “…” Must’ve been his imagination.

His friend interrupted his thoughts with a grin. “Come on, admit it. You’re definitely going to remember her from now on. If you see her at school, you’ll recognize her immediately, won’t you?”

Xie Yizhao cleared his throat and shot his friend an unimpressed look. “I already knew who she was.”

He had only transferred here recently, but he had heard plenty of people mention Lu Xi’s name. How could he not recognize her?

---

After lunch, classes resumed, and before long, the school day was over.

Lu Xi’s friend was enthusiastically trying to drag her along to watch the upcoming basketball game.

Lu Xi refused outright. “You know I hate watching basketball. I don’t get it. Don’t torture me.”

Her friend pleaded, “But Xie Yizhao is playing!”

Lu Xi deadpanned, “Is watching him play going to fill my stomach?”

Her friend countered, “We can buy snacks and eat while watching! Besides, just looking at him is enough to satisfy me.”

Lu Xi wanted to say that, honestly, she could relate.

But for some reason, she felt like she and Xie Yizhao were clashing too much today. She didn’t want to run into him again.

She shoved her hands into her pockets—when suddenly, she felt a tiny bear paw tap her.

At the same time, her phone vibrated with a new app notification. A new task has arrived.

Little Bear : [Go watch Dad play basketball and talk to Dad.]

Lu Xi froze.

…Dad?

A moment later, Xie Heng finally clarified.

[Dad = Xie Yizhao.]

Lu Xi : “…”

She was utterly confused.

Why did this little bear suddenly decide that Xie Yizhao was his Dad? Was this cub really that obsessed with good looks?

But a mission was a mission.

She had already experienced firsthand how the bear’s ‘hearts’ could be exchanged for real rewards. It was magical. Of course, she had to keep raising it.

So she immediately changed her mind and agreed to go.

Her friend found this sudden shift strange but assumed she had just been acting tsundere earlier. Without questioning it, the friend happily dragged Lu Xi toward the court.

By the time they arrived, the indoor basketball court was already packed with people.

Her friend clung to her excitedly. “Today’s game is between Xie Yizhao’s class and the second graders. Who do you think will win?”

Lu Xi didn’t care in the slightest.

Her hand remained in her pocket as she couldn’t help but squeeze the little bear’s belly.

Seriously, what a task to assign her—making her talk to Xie Yizhao in front of so many people. By tomorrow, the whole school would probably be spreading rumors that she was chasing after him.

Hah. Tonight, when she got home, she’d make the little bear transform and spank his tiny bare bottom.

The cub shivered involuntarily.

He could feel his Mom’s anger.

A classmate had saved a seat in the front row, and Lu Xi was dragged through the crowd by her friend, squeezing past people all the way.

Lu Xi hated crowded spaces. It felt suffocating. When she finally reached the front, she took a deep breath of fresh air and felt instantly refreshed.

Immediately, her gaze landed on Xie Yizhao, who was sitting slightly to her left, tying his shoelaces.

The boy had a refined and noble air about him, exuding a sense of calm maturity that went beyond his years, completely different from the other boys nearby who were drenched in sweat.

He was the kind of person who effortlessly drew attention.

At that moment, Xie Yizhao had his head lowered, but Lu Xi’s eyes were first drawn to his slender, elegant hands. She couldn’t help but take another glance.

The little bear felt it was too noisy around him. He rubbed against Lu Xi’s palm a few times, trying to crawl out.

Just as she pulled him out, the little bear struggled to hold back a stretch and instead curiously observed his surroundings.

This was… a basketball court?

Yes! His Dad plays basketball here!

The little cub was all too familiar with his Dad’s face. He quickly spotted his father sitting opposite him and excitedly clenched his tiny bear paws.

Feeling the little cub’s excitement, Lu Xi was exasperated.

A total face fanatic, huh? Did he want Xie Yizhao to be his Dad that badly?

A sudden sourness crept into her heart… If he liked Xie Yizhao so much, why not just bind Xie Yizhao and make Xie Yizhao raise the cub?

The cub, oblivious to his Mom’s jealousy, tugged lightly at her sleeve, looking at her expectantly.

—Go talk to Dad!

If Mom and Dad didn’t know each other, what would happen to him in the future?

Lu Xi glanced at the task countdown. Three minutes left.

She frowned and looked around. Almost everyone nearby was one of Xie Yizhao’s admirers. She felt very stressed

She had always been on the passive end of conversations. Initiating one? Never tried it before.

She never thought it would be this difficult…

Suddenly, she felt a deep respect for the guys who had tried to strike up a conversation with her in the past.

How should she start?

—“Hello, Xie Yizhao.”?

—“Good luck with your game.”?

—“Would you like to be my cub’s Dad?”?

Ugh! So embarrassing! So hard!

Just as Xie Yizhao finished tying his shoelaces and looked up, he saw Lu Xi sitting across from him, staring at him with an unreadable expression—sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling strangely.

The moment their eyes met, Lu Xi knew—this was it.

She took a deep breath and walked toward him.

As she moved, countless eyes followed her, watching in astonishment.

Lu Xi ignored all the stares and kept going.

Soon, she was standing in front of Xie Yizhao. Success! No tripping, no embarrassing falls.

But… now what? She hadn’t figured out what to say next.

Xie Yizhao was more than a head taller than her. Looking up at his sharp jawline, she felt even more nervous.

The culprit in her hand was still scratching at her palm, urging her on. Annoyed, Lu Xi suddenly had a brilliant idea.

She glanced at the little bear.

Then… she let go.

Plop.

The bear landed right at Xie Yizhao’s feet.

“…” Xie Yizhao thought, That was way too deliberate.

Lu Xi’s almond eyes softened as she blinked at him, flashing a sweet smile. “I dropped my bear. Could you pick it up for me?”

That counted as talking to him, right? No problem!

Even if Xie Yizhao refused, her mission should still be complete!

As composed as he was, Xie Yizhao was momentarily stunned.

This… was definitely an unconventional opening line.

But for some reason, Lu Xi’s radiant smile made him momentarily dazed… like a scene from a dream, an unsettling sense of déjà vu breaking through time itself.

The teasing murmurs from their classmates snapped him back to reality.

Xie Yizhao curved his lips slightly. “Okay.”

He bent down, picked up the bear, dusted it off, and handed it back to her. “Your bear is really cute. Hold onto it, don’t lose it again.”

Lu Xi stared at his strikingly handsome face, momentarily dazed.

Meanwhile, the little cub, who had been unexpectedly thrown to the ground, wasn’t hurt at all but felt a little wronged—almost like he wanted to cry.

But seeing that Mom had finally spoken to Dad, he couldn’t help feeling happy too. His emotions were a mess.

That night, after evening self-study, Lu Xi returned to her dorm, locked the door, and placed the little bear on her bed. She then pressed a firm kiss on his soft belly.

The cooldown time was over.

Soon, the little bear transformed into a round, chubby cub.

Having learned from last night, Lu Xi had prepared a piece of clothing in advance. The moment she saw his bare bottom, she swiftly covered him up.

Still, the cub’s face turned red.

Before he could crawl under the blanket, Lu Xi poked his forehead.

“You like Xie Yizhao that much? Tell me—are you my good cub, or his good cub?”

Xie Heng looked at Lu Xi, small and pitiful.

He opened his mouth, pouting. “I’m both of your good cub.”

---

Extra 3 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (3)

Lu Xi snapped out of her thoughts, turned back, walked up to Xie Yizhao, and took back her little bear. “Thanks.”

Xie Yizhao gave a slight nod.

They didn’t know each other and had nothing else to say. Each walked into the school gate and returned to their respective classes.

However, quite a few onlookers had witnessed the scene. Within a single morning self-study session, the incident had already spread to many ears.

At first, the story remained fairly normal. Just that Lu Xi had dropped something, and Xie Yizhao happened to pick it up and return it to her.

But soon, the rumors spiraled out of control.

Many of Lu Xi’s friends in her class heard a different version:

“Xixi, someone from the next class said you and Xie Yizhao are dating, and he even bought you a plushie! Is that true?!”

“No, no, I heard that you asked for his WeChat, and he actually added you!”

“Wait, what? I heard you guys broke up, and he returned the gift you gave him!”

Lu Xi : ?

What kind of nonsense is this?

Rolling her eyes, she shut down the rumors in one sentence: “I don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me. That’s it. He just picked up something for me.”

But judging by everyone’s expressions, they clearly didn’t believe her.

It wasn’t for no reason. After all, the two rumored protagonists of this gossip were both widely known at their school.

Their school had never officially held any ‘School Beauty’ or ‘School Hunk’ contests, but everyone tacitly agreed that if such a title existed, it would belong to these two.

Lu Xi had striking features and a unique aura. Ever since she started at the school, receiving confessions and gifts had been an everyday occurrence. She had even been scouted by talent agents, hoping to sign her for acting.

As for Xie Yizhao, he had caused a school-wide sensation the day he transferred in. His looks, height, demeanor, and family background were all top-tier, and on top of that, he was an academic genius—the perfect male lead straight out of a romance novel.

Yet, despite being at the school for nearly two years, there had never been any gossip about Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao. No one had even seen them talk to each other.

Lu Xi also found it a bit odd.

Just now, Xie Yizhao had called her by name?

But thinking about it, it wasn’t that surprising. She knew his name, too. In school, her reputation was just as big as his. Of course, he would know her name.

There was another time they had appeared on stage together, during a school-wide awards ceremony.

Back then, Xie Yizhao had stood right in front of her.

The difference was, he was the one receiving the award, and she was the one presenting it.

At that time, Xie Yizhao had been polite yet distant, simply thanking her before stepping off the stage.

After that, their paths never crossed again.

Of course, Lu Xi considered them to be from two different worlds and never intended to have any connection with him.

Not that she didn’t think he was handsome.

She had always been a sucker for good looks, and her taste was impeccable.

But Xie Yizhao was clearly the kind of untouchable ‘male god’ type, and with his family background, Lu Xi could almost guarantee that his future marriage would be a business alliance—power marrying power. Falling in love freely? Not an option.

So, that face of his? Nice to look at, but that’s about it.

Lu Xi took out the little bear and placed it on her desk.

Her deskmate, Chen Xin, a round-faced girl with short hair, lit up at the sight of it. “So cute!”

Lu Xi smiled and patted the teddy bear’s head. “Yeah, this is my little cub.”

Xie Heng’s face turned slightly red.

He knew that outside, he couldn’t just move around as he pleased, so he obediently let Lu Xi pat his head.

But he was still curious. He really wanted to see where his Dad was.

Earlier, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of his Dad’s face. He tried hard to get a good look but only saw that his Dad had turned so much younger—about the same age as the middle schooler Brother who lived next door.

But still super handsome!

Xie Heng had watched TV dramas before, and in his opinion, his Mom and Dad were a perfect match. They were even better looking than the actors on TV!

No wonder he was so adorable and everyone loved him…

Soon, the first period of the morning began.

Lu Xi left the teddy bear on her desk but didn’t pay it much attention. She let it lie flat as if it were sleeping and focused on class. Occasionally, when she zoned out, she’d check her app for any new task notifications.

Lu Xi’s academic performance was slightly above average. Out of nearly fifty students in her class, she consistently ranked in the top fifteen.

She put about 60% of her effort into studying. She paid attention in class, completed her homework on time, and never cheated on exams. She didn’t want to be a bad student, but she also didn’t push herself too hard. As long as her grades were decent, she was fine with it.

Her homeroom teacher had once told her, “You’re smart and have talent, but you don’t work hard enough.”

Lu Xi completely agreed with that statement. She simply wasn’t willing to work too hard, she was a total slacker.

As for her future, she had no concrete plans and didn’t bother thinking too much about it.

People who didn’t know her well often thought she was cold and distant, but once they got to know her, they realized she was actually quite easygoing. She was laid-back, focused on enjoying life, and not one to stress over unnecessary things.

Her friends often joked that she was the type to marry into wealth—living a luxurious life with a house full of servants, getting chauffeured around in fancy cars, and buying designer bags as casually as buying groceries.

Lu Xi always laughed at that idea.

At their prestigious private school, everyone knew about each other’s family backgrounds. Some parents had even arranged marriages for their children early on, and their classmates would tease them about it.

At their age, everyone thought family-arranged marriages were outdated, true love was the real deal.

But Lu Xi didn’t really care.

She figured marrying into wealth wouldn’t be too bad, especially if her husband was the kind who was always away on business trips but super generous with money. That would be the ideal setup for a slacker like her.

But marriage was something too far away for her, a middle schooler, so she rarely thought about it.

Whatever.

But rich or not, he definitely couldn’t be ugly. That was very important for someone who cared about looks.

---

The morning passed.

At lunchtime, Lu Xi went to the cafeteria’s second floor with her friends.

Of course, she brought her little bear cub along.

The second floor of the cafeteria was a popular spot for students. Originally, there was a street outside their school filled with food vendors, but it had recently been demolished, and the vendors had moved away. With only two hours for lunch, unless students went home to eat, most chose to eat at the cafeteria.

Lu Xi and her three friends managed to grab a table.

She ordered clay pot rice and checked the app again—no new tasks. So, she focused on her meal, eating happily.

The little bear lay quietly in her pocket.

Having learned her lesson from the morning, Lu Xi made sure to place him deep in her pocket this time to prevent him from falling out.

Halfway through her meal, Lu Xi suddenly said, “I’m going to buy milk tea. Who wants to come with me?”

The girl next to her asked, “What do you want to drink?”

Lu Xi replied, “Mango pomelo sago.”

“Let’s finish eating first, then we’ll go. I want some too.”

Since all her friends agreed, Lu Xi had no choice but to wait.

She didn’t notice the boy sitting at the table behind her stand up and walk past her.

A few minutes later, a cup of milk tea was suddenly placed in front of her.

Lu Xi looked up and saw a boy in a hoodie standing there, his face slightly flushed.

“Hi, Lu Xi. I—I’m Dong Zerui from Class 2, Grade 9. This is for you.”

Her friends and even some nearby students exchanged knowing looks.

Lu Xi, however, was well-practiced in handling such situations. She gently pushed the milk tea back toward him and smiled politely but coolly. “Sorry, I was planning to buy one myself later.”

The boy was briefly stunned but didn’t seem upset. Scratching his head, he took out his phone and asked, “Then… can we add each other on WeChat?”

…

Lu Xi glanced at his face.

Fair-skinned, scholarly, good-looking features, well-dressed, and polite in his speech.

She didn’t mind getting to know him.

So, she casually took out her phone and let him scan her QR code.

The boy looked delighted. He thanked her, then shyly pushed the milk tea toward her again. “It’s mango pomelo sago. I wasn’t sure how sweet you like it, so I got it at 50% sweetness. Is that okay?”

Lu Xi smiled and didn’t refuse this time.

The boy, blushing, returned to his seat.

Her friend sitting across from her winked and whispered, “Are you sure? He’s handsome, but he’s nowhere near Xie Yizhao’s level!”

Lu Xi was speechless.

She had no idea how much longer people were going to tease her about Xie Yizhao.

Meanwhile, the little bear in her pocket started to get restless.

Even though he couldn’t see what was happening, he could feel it.

Someone was trying to steal his Mommy!

Panic surged through Xie Heng’s tiny heart.

No way! If Mommy didn’t end up with Daddy, then… would he even exist in the future?

For the baby cub, that question was too profound. His little brain couldn’t process the answer.

But there was one thing he was absolutely sure of.

He could not let this guy win over his Mom!

The little bear clenched his chubby paws and started wriggling his way out.

Lu Xi quickly noticed his restlessness. After thinking for a moment, she simply took him out and placed him on a clean napkin, letting him sit there against the milk tea cup.

That should keep him calm, right?

Xie Heng was anxious.

He didn’t want to sit still, he wanted to cause trouble!

Even though the teacher said being naughty wasn’t what good kids did, he didn’t care anymore. If he didn’t do something bad now, he might not even get the chance to exist!

Just then, Xie Heng realized something.

He was leaning against the milk tea cup.

A dangerous thought popped into the baby cub’s head.

What if… just what if… he used a little force and pushed back? Would the milk tea tip over?

But then, he might get himself dirty.

The little cub with a cleanliness obsession hesitated.

Actually, if Mom married someone else, it just meant she’d have a different husband. He should still be born… right?

If she had a different husband, maybe his Dad wouldn’t be as busy, wouldn’t always be on business trips, and could stay home with him. That… didn’t sound so bad?

His little brain was running so fast it was about to overheat.

At that moment, Lu Xi had already picked up the straw, about to take a sip.

The little bear panicked. He instinctively wanted to knock over the milk tea to stop her from drinking it.

---

Extra 2 : The Cub Turns into a Little Bear (2)

Midnight.

A girl and a bear stared at each other.

Xie Heng was placed on the table. He felt a bit sleepy and instinctively raised his paw to yawn—but then he remembered something.

He glanced at the unfamiliar older sister and dared not move.

Although he was young, he had common sense. Right now, he was just a stuffed bear. If he moved recklessly, he might be thrown away as some kind of little monster.

But… was she really his Mom?

The little bear widened his black bead-like eyes in confusion.

Lu Xi was also studying him.

She took out her phone and opened an app. The countdown progress bar had disappeared, and for now, there were no new prompts.

This app was simple and straightforward.

But also very mysterious.

The background image had changed from her front yard to her bedroom.

It was the first time Lu Xi had seen a cartoon version of her own bedroom. The layout and decorations were mostly the same, but the colors were extra girly, with a dreamy filter that hit her right in the heart.

Including this adorable little bear.

In the top left corner of the app, a red progress bar was displayed. Lu Xi tapped on it, and three words appeared : {Life Value}.

Currently, the little bear’s life value was at 80%—good condition.

A prompt immediately popped up:

[The little bear needs warmth and cleanliness to help restore its life value faster.]

Below the life value, there were five transparent peach-shaped hearts. Right now, only half of one was lit up.

She tapped again, and the words {Affection Level} appeared.

[The more the little bear likes you, the more hearts will light up. One full heart can be exchanged for a gift!]

A gift?

Only now did Lu Xi notice a {Shop} icon in the top right corner of the app.

She tried to enter, but a message popped up:

[Insufficient hearts. You need at least one full heart to access the shop.]

Lu Xi felt a little disappointed.

But after a moment, she realized something was off.

Why did this little bear only have half a heart of affection for her?

She touched her face… Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough?

Lu Xi pulled out a chair, sat down, and frowned as she stared at the little bear, clearly unhappy.

Curious, she asked, “Are you a Brother Bear or a Sister Bear?”

Xie Heng : “…” He was probably a Son Bear, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

Lu Xi reached out and poked his forehead with her finger.

“Why do you only have half a heart for me?”

The little bear kept his mouth tightly shut.

His Dad had shown him pictures of his Mom before. She was really, really pretty and looked a lot like this Sister.

But… this Sister should still be a teenager, just slightly older than him.

Xie Heng suddenly didn’t know what to do.

Under Lu Xi’s scrutinizing gaze, he felt both shy and troubled. Unable to help himself, he scooted his little plush butt around, turning to face the wall instead.

Lu Xi : ???

What’s with this bear? Was he seriously turning his back on her?

Just then, the app’s background image changed slightly.

On the screen, the little bear had also turned his back. At the same time, a comic-style speech bubble appeared beside his head :

Little Bear : [I hate my Mom who has no boundaries! Carrying me in upside down was so uncomfortable.]

Little Bear : [Of course, I’m a little boy! Hmph.]

Lu Xi : “…”

She had just realized now that earlier, she had actually carried it in upside down…

Wait, no, not ‘it’—him.

This little bear cub sure had a temper, huh?

But according to the app, there was a young child trapped inside the plush bear, meaning he was just a child, probably only a few years old. Being a little immature was perfectly normal.

“Alright, I was too rough just now. I won’t carry you like that again, okay?” Lu Xi gently patted the plush bear’s round head, explaining patiently, “My family is all asleep. I didn’t want to wake them up, so I just tried to bring you in quickly without thinking too much.”

The little bear’s ears twitched.

Hmm?

Daddy, Uncle Butler, and a few aunties had all said that children who could apologize were good kids.

And he was a man, after all. Of course, he had to forgive Mommy.

So, after some hesitation, he turned back around.

Looking into the little bear’s bright black eyes, Lu Xi couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, a task notification popped up in the app:

[The little bear is all dirty and needs a bath! Once he’s clean, he’ll feel more comfortable, and his health and affection levels will increase! Countdown: 30 minutes.]

Without hesitation, Lu Xi took the little bear to the bathroom.

He really was a bit dirty. It had rained earlier that night, and the courtyard soil was still damp. Several muddy spots clung to his fur.

Luckily, her room had its own bathing area, so she didn’t have to go outside.

This time, Lu Xi was extra careful. She gently picked up the little bear and carried him into the bathroom.

She filled the sink with warm water, tested the temperature, and then placed the little bear inside.

Like a professional stylist, Lu Xi asked, “How’s the water? Too hot?”

The little bear blinked and stayed obediently still.

Lu Xi had never bathed a person before…

Wait, no, not a person, but a bear? Or rather, a cub?

Thinking about it that way felt a bit weird. But all she really felt was the soft, fluffy texture of the plush, and the adorably dopey face of the little bear, which kept the moment from being awkward.

But Xie Heng, on the other hand, was feeling rather embarrassed.

He was five years old now. He had already learned to bathe himself. He understood the differences between boys and girls, knew that boys used the men’s restroom, and that when bathing, boys and girls shouldn’t look at each other.

But right now, he was just a little bear.

And she was his Mom…

The water was pleasantly warm, and her movements were gentle. Xie Heng knew that if she didn’t help him, he wouldn’t be able to get clean on his own.

So, he could only resign himself to fate.

Fortunately, he was just a plush toy at the moment, and it didn’t feel the same as a real bath.

Closing his eyes, he let the minutes slip by.

Once she had washed him clean, Lu Xi took out a hairdryer, setting it to the lowest setting to carefully dry him off.

“It’s like drying a kitten,” she murmured, marveling at the fluffiness in her hands.

In just those few minutes of bathing the little bear, she had already made up her mind.

She was going to keep this app and take good care of this little bear.

First, she couldn’t delete it anyway. She could feel that whatever was behind this app was something beyond the current level of technology.

Second—well, the little bear was just too cute!

Lu Xi, who had never been fond of stuffed toys, found herself inexplicably captivated by this little bear. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it, as if there was some mysterious bond between them.

At her age, she was naturally curious and bold enough to explore anything that piqued her interest.

She knew this whole thing was a bit supernatural, yet she couldn’t help but feel excited.

She wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, she was curious, what did the child’s real appearance look like? Was it really that cute?

What would happen if she kept raising it?

And, could the app really grant her wish as it claimed?

Lu Xi carefully dried the little bear and placed it on her bed.

Then, she glanced at the app again.

Sure enough, the beginner’s guide had clearly stated that all she had to do was kiss the bear to restore its original form.

Without hesitation, Lu Xi leaned down and gave the bear a big smooch on its forehead.

Xie Heng froze, blinking in stunned silence.

How could she just kiss him like that?!

His teacher had told him that boys shouldn’t kiss girls casually. So, didn’t that mean girls shouldn’t kiss boys either?!

But before he could protest, Lu Xi had already kissed him.

Almost instantly, he felt something was off.

He couldn’t move.

A soft white light suddenly enveloped him—

Before he could react, he had transformed back into his child form!

Lu Xi was utterly stunned, holding her breath in disbelief.

How… How was there suddenly a naked little boy on her bed?!

Xie Heng nearly died of embarrassment.

He buried his face into the pillow and grabbed the blanket, pulling it over himself in a panic.

He had clearly been wearing clothes when he slept, why was he naked now?!

So embarrassing!

The little cub secretly vowed never to come out again. He would just suffocate himself under the blanket.

However, Lu Xi wasn’t about to let that happen.

She knew the little guy was just shy, so she tried hard to stifle her laughter. Gently pulling back a corner of the blanket, she saw the cub’s soft, milky-white face flushed bright red—even the tips of his ears were burning.

His wide, glistening eyes darted around nervously, like a startled puppy.

Were kids these days really so concerned about privacy?

Lu Xi didn’t usually like children, especially her two rowdy younger cousins, but this little one inexplicably made her feel protective and affectionate.

Something crossed her mind, and she smiled. “Should I find you some pajamas?”

Xie Heng hesitated for a moment before giving a small, timid nod.

Just as Lu Xi turned to go to the wardrobe, she caught a glimpse of the blanket suddenly sinking down.

She paused, then carefully lifted the blanket again.

…?

The naked little boy was gone.

Only the little bear remained, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling in speechless resignation.

Lu Xi : “…”

She was speechless, too.

That transformation didn’t last nearly long enough!

She hadn’t even gotten a good look at his face!

She quickly checked the app on her phone. A countdown timer had appeared next to the bear. When she tapped on it, a message popped up:

[The little bear can transform again in 24 hours.]

Lu Xi : …

So this ability had a cooldown period?

His affection level hadn’t changed, but his health had recovered to 90%.

Lu Xi couldn’t figure out why, but she set aside her confusion for now.

Maybe this skill worked like in games. Since it was only Level 1 right now, after a few more transformations, the cooldown might shorten, and the transformation duration might extend?

That would be nice.

Even though he was just a little kid, it still felt weird having him sleep in her room, in her bed.

But as a stuffed bear? That was no problem at all!

Lu Xi patted the bear’s head. “Let’s sleep. Your health will be full by morning.”

Xie Heng also played games, so he knew what health points were.

Right now, he was indeed feeling sleepy.

Everything that had happened today felt like a dream. His teddy bear suddenly talked, brought him to this strange place, let him meet his Mom, and now she had even taken him home.

Xie Heng suddenly thought of his Dad.

The little bear curled up under the blanket, anxiety creeping in.

What if he couldn’t go back? What if he never saw his Dad again?

Would his Dad cry when he realized he was gone?

He wanted to go back soon…

But… he had just met his Mom.

After she had apologized, she became so gentle, so kind. She even gave him a bath, and when she saw him embarrassed, she immediately went to find him pajamas.

And she smelled nice. The bed smelled nice, too.

Xie Heng really wanted to stay with his Mom a little longer…

Besides, he still had to save her. He needed to get her strawberry hair clip first…

Silently, the little cub apologized to his Dad in his heart.

He had already spent five years with his Dad, so what was wrong with staying with his Mom a little longer?

Anyway, his Dad was a grown man. If he wanted to cry, then let him cry! It wasn’t like he’d lose a piece of flesh from shedding a few tears!

Thinking about this, the little cub quickly fell asleep.

Lu Xi had always been a good sleeper. Even with an extra little bear beside her, it didn’t affect her at all.

The night passed.

Lu Xi was awakened by the alarm she had set.

It was seven o’clock, time to get up for school.

Drowsily, she got up and washed up. After coming out of the bathroom, she rummaged through her wardrobe, pulling out a few clothes to change into.

With her eyes still half-closed, she grabbed the hem of her pajamas, about to take them off, when she suddenly remembered something.

She whipped her head around to look at the bed.

The little bear was still there!

So last night wasn’t a dream!

In the app, the little bear’s health bar was full, and there was even half a new red heart.

Lu Xi’s heart instantly blossomed with joy.

It was just like playing an otome game¹—except the one she was ‘romancing’ wasn’t some domineering CEO, but a little bear cub.

The screen had changed too. Night had turned into day, and the little bear lay obediently in the blankets, only his round little head peeking out.

A new dialogue box had appeared.

Little Bear : [Boys shouldn’t watch girls change clothes, 🫣]

Little Bear : [Cubs shouldn’t watch their mom change clothes either.]

Lu Xi couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She walked over and ruffled the fluffy fur.

He was too cute!

He actually called her ‘Mom’?!

Lu Xi was completely smitten. It really felt like she was raising her own little cub.

She couldn’t resist hugging the bear and giving him a kiss. But this time, nothing happened. Seemed like she had to wait for the cooldown to end.

Lu Xi felt a little disappointed.

Considering how shy the little cub was, she considerately took her clothes to the bathroom to change before coming out.

“All right, I’m off to school now. I’ll see you tonight, so stay put, okay?” She patted the little bear’s head and said goodbye.

Just as she turned around, the little bear suddenly reached out a paw and grabbed onto her backpack strap.

Lu Xi turned back and met his round, black, beady eyes.

The little bear blinked, looking a bit reluctant to part.

“…You want me to take you with me?” Lu Xi asked hesitantly. “But… you’re so chubby, you won’t fit in my bag.”

The little cub looked like he’d been struck by lightning.

H-he… was… chubby?

Boohoo.

People had always called him cute, but no one had ever called him fat! He was clearly thinner than Lele!

The little bear painstakingly rolled over, falling into a sulk.

Lu Xi was momentarily stunned.

Could it be that calling him chubby made him mad?

This little rascal sure had a big temper.

Lu Xi suddenly felt a bit troubled.

He wasn’t just an ordinary stuffed bear, she couldn’t bear to leave a little kid alone at home.

Besides, what if the app issued a new task today? If the bear wasn’t with her, wouldn’t she fail the game?

Just then, her phone vibrated.

The app had a new notification!

[You have collected one little heart! You can now exchange it in the store for a gift.]

At that moment, Lu Xi noticed that the store logo had turned from gray to black. She tapped it and entered the store.

Three gift boxes were displayed on the screen, each with a description beneath it.

[1,000 yuan in cash]
[The boy you like will confess to you]
[The little bear can change size at will]

Lu Xi: “…”

She wasn’t short on money.

She didn’t have a crush on anyone.

Only the last option was appealing, so she picked it without hesitation.

[Congratulations! You’ve successfully redeemed a gift! From now on, you can change the little bear’s size at will. Just imagine it in your mind, and it will happen.]

Lu Xi raised an eyebrow slightly.

This was like some power straight out of a cultivation novel.

Well then… let’s make him as small as the little bunny keychain on her bag—that way, she could carry him around in her pocket.

The moment she thought of it, the little bear instantly shrank down.

Now, he was only palm-sized.

Lu Xi was a bit amazed, but after everything she had witnessed last night, she wasn’t even surprised anymore. The little bear could already transform into a human cub, changing sizes wasn’t that strange.

Without overthinking it, she tucked the tiny bear into her pocket and headed to school.

Xie Heng stayed obediently in Lu Xi’s pocket.

He had slept especially well last night and was feeling great.

Even though she had kissed his face again earlier, he was still overjoyed that she had agreed to take him to school.

He felt a little shy, but at the same time, his heart was warm and fuzzy.

He suddenly felt that his Mom was being so kind to him, spoiling him so much.

Lu Xi got out of her car and walked toward the school gate.

Suddenly, she noticed a large crowd gathered at the entrance, mostly girls.

As she approached, she heard excited voices rising one after another.

“Is that really Xie Yizhao? Ahhh, he’s so handsome it’s making me cry today too!”

“He’s playing in tomorrow afternoon’s basketball game! I’ll skip class if I have to, but I have to watch!”

Xie Heng : !!!

Xie Yizhao!

That’s his Dad’s name!

Wait a minute, is his Dad now around the same age as his Mom?!

Lu Xi heard the name but remained indifferent. She only glanced at Xie Yizhao before walking past the crowd, eyes fixed straight ahead.

However, Xie Heng didn’t manage to keep his cool.

Too excited and curious to see his Dad, he only meant to stretch his neck out for a look, but lost his balance entirely. He fell forward in a full-body tumble, landing face-first on the ground, then rolled a few more times.

The little cub : Wuwuwu, so embarrassing!

He didn’t realize that he had rolled right to Xie Yizhao’s feet.

At this moment, he had shrunk so small, smaller than Lu Xi’s palm. Fortunately, Xie Yizhao was observant and had sharp eyesight, noticing the tiny thing that had rolled beside him at once.

The boy glanced at the girl walking ahead of him. Her petite back somehow exuded a sense of effortless confidence.

Pressing his lips together, he picked up the small bear and raised his voice slightly, “Lu Xi, your bear fell.”

Lu Xi froze.

She instinctively patted her pocket, finding it empty. Then, turning around, she saw the bear in the boy’s hand.

?

Did this little cub see a handsome guy and decide to run away from home?!

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1. An otome game is a story-based video game where the main character is a female and the goal is to develop a romantic relationship with one of several male characters. ↩︎

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