Steamed soupy dumplings¹ taste very good. 

Mi Xi followed Chen Ying’s example on how to eat using chopsticks and soup spoon, and after eating two little dumplings, her face have lit up with joy. That appearance made Chen Ying almost believe that the young miss in front of him now, and the one with the cold face he’s seen before, were two different people. 

Mi Xi swept away all the soupy dumplings in one breath and swallowed the last mouthful. The bamboo steamer in front of her was now empty, and she looked at Chen Ying’s dumplings without thinking. The pitiful eyes instead caused Chen Ying to instinctively speed up his eating. After protecting his dumplings and stuffing them into his stomach, he looked at Mi Xi: did she want to have another steamer of soupy dumplings?

But Mixi has lowered her head and was now eating the congee, without having made any request. Chen Ying looked at her downcast, little head. Her ponytail was combed by Su Xiao Pei yesterday—it hadn’t changed at all—and the young miss never thought that the neat ponytail actually betrayed the fact that she didn’t sleep at all last night. Fortunately, she looked pretty okay now, because Chen Ying really didn’t want to face a crying girl. Up to now, the only thing about Mi Xi that has satisfied him was that she’s well-behaved and didn’t cause trouble. 

That being the case, he decided to reward her. “Want another steamer?”

Asking such a casual question actually caused the young miss to raise her head quickly, her eyes lighting up again. Although she didn’t say anything or even nod her head in response, the way she looked only made Chen Ying feel that if he didn’t buy another order, he would feel really sorry for her. 

Miss Mi Xi’s second order of soupy dumplings arrived at the table: this time she ate them slowly. While eating, she began to relax and chats with Chen Ying. 

“The dumplings made by my nanny are also delicious.” 

Ah, her nanny. That’s right, she was the daughter of the General’s Mansion; a young lady from a prestigious family. 

“I wanted to be a female general, but my father thinks I’m too delicate to be a great warrior, so he wouldn’t let me join the army.” 

Chen Ying almost swallowed a mouthful of congee the wrong way. She was still considered delicate? Her father’s requirements were really too high ah! 

“My father took me to the battlefield once, and I… I was so useless that I cried in fright.” When Mi Xi said this, shame appeaed on her face. “Father was very angry.”

Chen Ying swallowed the last mouthful of porridge. He took a napkin to wipe his mouth and watched Mi Xi eat. Mi Xi recalled the past, eating another dumpling. Chen Ying felt that for Miss Mi Xi, these steamed dumplings had the effect of wine.

“After I returned home, I was very sad and kept crying. The nanny made my favorite steamed dumplings, and she coaxed me, saying that eating more would make me stronger and more courageous.” Mi Xi stuffed another dumpling into her mouth, swallowed it. “But I’m really useless. I couldn’t save them. In the end, no one was saved.” 

Chen Ying kept silent. A young miss who would cry when she went to the battlefield, and one who wanted to protect her family. The young miss who fought against eighteen people alone; the young miss who ate steamed dumplings and blamed herself for being useless. If he was Yue Lao over there, he would definitely want to help her, too. 

Mi Xi’s nose was red, and her eyes were also a little red, but she didn’t shed any tears.

Chen Ying pretended not to notice and said in a relaxed tone, “You have eaten a lot, and your guts should be quite full. Fortunately, I can still afford it, and my heart is healthy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the alarm bell in his heart started ringing. Wait a minute! Didn’t he plan to ‘transfer’ her to someone else? 

Mi Xi looked at him, pursed her lips, and finally smiled along with him. There was shyness and embarrassment in her smile, but also some measure of intimacy and trust. 

A small one was still a small one, and two steamers of dumplings were enough. Chen Ying kept smiling and temporarily turned off the alarm in his heart. When the young miss looked at him with this expression, he thought to himself that it would be too inhumane to still ‘transfer’ her off.

After breakfast, Chen Ying took Mi Xi on a stroll home. Mi Xi’s mood was noticeably more relaxed, not so serious and cold as before, and she walked briskly all the way. She dared to run around and look around. She looked at the bus stop sign, and the huge advertising poster behind the stop sign. She stood at the intersection, looking at the various vehicles and pedestrians passing by. 

While she was too distracted to pay attention to him, he looked at the calendar on his mobile phone, and called his secretary, Lu Ya. “I’ll be there later today. You inform everyone that the nine o’clock meeting will be moved to ten o’clock. Let’s cancel the lunch meeting at noon first. I’ll reschedule the time. En, en, okay.” 

Mi Xi looked around the side of the road for about 20 minutes. She looked back from time to time to see that Chen Ying was still talking on the phone and hasn’t left, so she felt that she could continue to stay and watch this strange, new world. For his part, after finishing his call, Chen Ying saw that she’s still watching the road and thought she still wanted to watch more, so he made more phone calls.

After making several work calls, he finally remembered that he should call his dear brother. 

Chen Fei didn’t answer the phone for a long time. Chen Ying waited patiently, and when the phone stopped ringing, he dialed it again. This time it rang for a long time before Chen Fei finally answered it. 

“I thought you wouldn’t dare to answer my calls anymore.”  

“I did struggle for a while, but if I don’t answer the phone, you’d run to my front door and it would be even more annoying—so I just answered.”  

“Our brotherhood really runs deep ah.” 

“Yes.” 

Wasn’t it shameless to say ‘yes’ like this? 

“So what’s with this Yue Lao guy?” 

“Didn’t you meet last night?” 

“That guy Cheng Jiangyi told you?” 

“I thought you would call and scold me last night, but it dragged on until now. I didn’t get to sleep waiting all night.” 

“Not even gonna bother to tell you ‘you deserved it’.” Chen Ying still wanted to punch someone when he thinks about it, but he felt much more comfortable now, thinking about his brother waiting all night for his much deserved scolding. 

“Yue Lao was the one who helped connect Cheng Jiangyi and his other half, and so I’m still willing to believe his words,” Chen Fei paused and asked, “How is the young miss?”

“Crying to death. What a mouth filled with concern you have—how about I send her there to you now?” Chen Ying said deliberately. When he heard Chen Fei’s silence on the other end of the phone, he smiled, imagining that his brother must be frowning very much right now, wearing a serious expression. 

“How about this, I’ll pay for her living expenses,” Chen Fei quickly offered to forestall being pestered. 

“T’ch, can’t I afford it?” 

“Then you continue to take care of her,” Chen Fei hurriedly said and changed the subject. “I’m going out, I have a lot of work today. Cheng Jiangyi is on sick leave again, and I’m very busy. ” 

“I just saw him last night. He was so energetic that he could go catch ghosts. How dare he ask for sick leave today?” 

“He said his wife has a very bad cold, and he wanted to accompany her to recuperate.” 

Shameless, how could there be such a shameless person. “Then you drive around to my place first after work and pick up the young miss.” 

“Ah, how are our parents lately?” 

“They’re pretty good, but my brother and I are not doing well. Come and pick her up.” 

“Ah, why don’t you ask a tutor to accompany her or something. It would be better if someone watched her and took care of her. I won’t say anything else. I’m hanging up now, and I’m leaving.” Chen Fei hung up the phone, and Chen Ying swore audibly. What a despicable man who framed his younger brother then dared not take responsibility.

Turning around, he saw Mi Xi standing not far from him, looking at the roadside flower bed, her back to him. Chen Ying was startled. From this distance, she could probably hear him talking on the phone. Did he just say something about her? 

“Let’s go back.” Chen Ying led Mi Xi home. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that she heard what he said on the phone. She seemed down, and the spirits raised by two bamboo steamers of dumplings was gone. 

Chen Ying took her back and taught her to recognize the entrance of the community, recognize the building number. There was a security access panel at the entrance of the building—taught her how to open it, taught her to press the elevator buttons when getting on, then how to unlock the door. 

Mi Xi didn’t speak the entire time; she just listened to what he said with an expressionless face.

After entering the house, she lowered her head and walked towards her room, but Chen Ying stopped her. It should be explained, but he felt like he didn’t know where to start, and it’s a bit too deliberate to just bring it up. And he was actually guilty, because he did have the idea of ​​sending her away. 

Mi Xi obediently stopped and turned to face him. 

Chen Ying opened his mouth to say… what? That he had the idea of ​​sending her away, but he doesn’t think so now? 

He looked at her upright little face, sighed inwardly, and took her to the kitchen instead. 

“This thin faucet, look, it’s this one, turn it on like this—the water coming out of it can be drunk directly. From other faucets, you can’t. If you are thirsty and want to drink water, drink here. This is the refrigerator, open it like this, and there are drinks inside it. These bottles are wine, you don’t want to drink this, but you can drink the rest. Open this here, there are fruits inside. You want to eat, just take whatever you want—wash it under the faucet and eat it.” 

Mi Xi nodded. Her expression was a bit like when she first came last night. 

Chen Ying sighed again, led her to the sofa, found the TV remote control for her, and taught her how to turn on the TV. 

Mi Xi was startled when she saw someone talking on the TV. That expression made Chen Ying want to laugh, but as soon as Mi Xi turned her face back to him, the blatant curiosity in her eyes frightened him immediately. 

“Don’t ask me why there are people inside it. Anyway, there are people. All kinds of people. They will not jump out, and they can’t talk to you. They just play their roles in it, and you can watch. If you don’t like this, then change it.” 

He taught her to choose a channel and how to control the volume. She played for a while and seemed to feel better. Just as Chen Ying breathed a sigh of relief, Mi Xi turned to face him and asked, “Why is there someone inside?”

Chen Ying presented her with a defeated look, “We agreed not to ask this.” 

“How did that sound come out?” 

“Don’t ask this either.” 

“Then will they be hungry inside?” 

“No.” 

“Are they suffering?” 

“No.” If she continued to think like this, what if she saw a plot where some characters were abused? “It’s all from a show, and it’s all fake. It’s just to give you entertainment, just like when they would sing big dramas for you back then, but this is how they sing here.” 

Mi Xi didn’t quite understand…

“Anyway, you just watch it. By the way, it happens that you are learning to speak this era’s language. The people inside the TV talk, so you listen a bit more, and practice what normal speech is like.” 

Mi Xi’s attention was turned to the TV, and the news was currently commenting on economic phenomena. Mi Xi frowned and listened carefully, looking puzzled. 

Chen Ying couldn’t help but sigh, “If you don’t understand, you can change the channel. Come on, operate it yourself. This is called a remote control. Just follow what I taught you. Change it yourself.” 

Mi Xi looked at it for a long time. Biting her lips, she pressed the button with a very careful and heroic expression, and successfully changed the channel. She was nervous for a moment, then relaxed, and continued to frown and watch seriously. After watching for a while, she looked at Chen Ying again; Chen Ying nodded to her. She picked up the remote control and changed the station again. 

Chen Ying watched TV with her for a while. He confirmed that she had no adverse reactions, and then told her to drink water, eat fruit, and go to the toilet as needed, then informed her that he has to go out for work. 

When Mi Xi heard that he was going out, she nodded, looking a little pitiful. 

Chen Ying felt all soft again, and finally can’t help but say, “Since I took you in, I won’t abandon you.” 

Mi Xi blinked. 

Once Chen Ying said it, he really felt like it’s not a big deal—why not just raise a little miss, he can afford it! So he went on to say, “Did you hear me talking on the phone earlier? That’s my brother. I asked him to come pick you up, but no matter what I said, it was just a joke. I knew he wouldn’t really come.”

Mi Xi didn’t reply, simply pursed the corner of her mouth.

“I promise, I won’t abandon you,” Chen Ying said it again, and then he saw Mi Xi pursing her lips upward, a little happier now. The corners of her mouth were curved, very cute. 

He also laughed, and unthinkingly reached out to touch her head as a gesture of friendliness. He has just stretched out his hand, and even before he could touch her, he saw her eyes turn serious, staring at his hand. 

Chen Ying came to his senses immediately, and took his hand back. “Anyway, you have fun at home, eat when you’re hungry, and sleep when you’re tired. I’ll go to work and come back at noon to bring you lunch.” 

Mi Xi nodded. Chen Ying went to his room, took his suit jacket, took his computer bag, and went back out. 

Mi Xi obediently sent him to the door, and he told her, “I have a key and I can open the door myself. If other people knock on the door, you don’t need to answer it. Don’t open the door.” Although the community has good public security and private guards both, and no random people can come in, he wouldn’t feel relieved unless he explained.

Mi Xi nodded again. Chen Ying locked the door and finally left in peace. 

Going down to the underground garage, he handed over the keys of the car that Mi Xi smashed last night to the security guard, and then called the property manager. His community provided butler service. He first asked the property manager to send the car for repair, and then asked the property manager to find him a housekeeper, one who can cook lunch every day and provide half-day tutoring and escort. The property manager readily agreed, saying that they would call Chen Ying once the arrangements were made. 

Chen Ying drove his old car again, and his heart hurt while sitting inside. His precious new car! He’s so aggrieved! Being an uncle was expensive! 

___________

In Chen Ying’s big house, Mi Xi was sitting upright on the sofa watching TV, and a comedy period drama was playing in it. 

Mi Xi watched and shed tears silently. They don’t dress like this in her hometown, and people don’t talk like this. She missed her home and her family. 

_________________

FOOTNOTE:

 ¹ Xiaolongbao are steamed little dumplings made with very thin wrappings, filled with meaty goodness and with a bit of broth inside. They’re small, about the size of a golf ball, and are served several pieces inside a bamboo steamer. The way to eat it is to (1) prepare a dipping sauce made of a mixture of vinegar, some ginger, and possibly soy sauce or chili oil; (2) very gently pick up a bao using the edge of the chopsticks, dip it in the sauce, then place the bao on a soup spoon; (3) pierce the thin dumpling skin with the tip of the chopsticks (or nibble on the wrapping!) so the broth will seep out onto the spoon; (4) sip and enjoy the soupy bao (◠‿◠✿) ↩