The Pei family didn’t hire a nanny or housekeeper. Because Pei Xu started kindergarten, they had only hired a cook in the past two months. Pei Qiqi was picked up by Pei Yi every day after school. Today was no exception. Pei Qiqi, who had just been soothed by a candy, felt his eyes heat up again. He raised his little hand to wipe his face, his hand covered in wetness.
The two parents who had picked up the children didn’t rush off. They both saw the anticipation in Qiqi and Youyou’s eyes. Holding the two little ones, they went to the playground. Beicheng children played in the snow from a young age. Snowball fights, running and sliding on the snow, collecting snow to make snowmen…
The stunned little guy was nudged on the back by his second brother. “Go play.”
The little guy carefully walked on the snow with his arms spread. The feeling under his feet was strange, a bit like stepping on sand, but cool. The little guy, who had never played in snow, reached out his little hand and poked the small snow pile in front of him. Cold and cool…
“Second Brother, it’s ice cream!”
Tang Dou, holding a handful of snow and crouching on the ground for the little guy to play with, couldn’t help laughing. Shen Lin reached out and touched a bit of snow, smearing it on the little guy’s lips. The snowflake immediately melted.
Su Youli’s eyes lit up instantly. He stuck out his tongue and licked. “It’s cold!”
Shen Lin was charmed by him and took out his phone to record a video. In the video, the little guy, tightly held by Tang Dou, walked slowly on the snow, feeling the wonder of nature.
“Brother Xiao Tang, where does snow come from?”
“The sky? Why does it snow from the sky?”
“Why isn’t there snow in summer? Is ice cream made from snowflakes?”
“…”
In the video, the little guy, bundled up, asked his questions in a milky voice, full of innocence. Pei Qiqi got a small snowman made by his uncle, palm-sized, held in his hand.
“Qiqi, is it pretty?”
Pei Qiqi nodded, looking at Pei Yi. “Uncle, the snowman you made is very pretty.” He paused. “As pretty as the one Dad made.”
Pei Yi thought of his brother, his heart aching. He touched Qiqi’s face. “When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll make you a big one, taller than you, okay?”
Pei Qiqi seemed to already see that snowman. He nodded hard. “Mm.”
“Alright, let’s go home. Your aunt has been calling me. If we don’t go back, she’ll scold me to death.”
Pei Qiqi was lifted by his uncle under his armpits. He instinctively hugged his uncle’s neck. His little face touched his uncle’s somewhat cold cheek. Pei Qiqi pressed his lips and pressed his warm little cheek against it.
“Don’t tell your aunt I took you to play in the snow when we get back, okay, Qiqi?”
Back in the car, Pei Qiqi looked sad, not hearing a word his uncle said.
Pei Yi: “?”
The car drove slowly and steadily on the road. Pei Yi looked back and saw his little cool kid looking at his own palm. Pei Qiqi’s mouth pouted, his nose twitching, about to cry. The little snowman his uncle gave him had melted.
Pei Yi coaxed the child while driving. “It’s okay. When we get home, Uncle will make you another one, an even prettier one.”
Pei Qiqi nodded and wiped his hand clean with a tissue. When they reached the door, they smelled the aroma of food.
Pei Yi led Qiqi in, changing shoes at the entrance. “Honey.”
Hua Zhao came over and quickly touched Pei Qiqi’s face and hands. Feeling they were warm, she relaxed.
“The flu is so serious lately. Why did you take Qiqi to play in the snow? You didn’t come back after school. What if he gets sick?”
They had returned later than usual. Hua Zhao guessed Pei Yi had taken the child to play in the snow. Hua Zhao held disinfecting tools, disinfecting the coats and shoes they’d taken off, then took Qiqi to change his clothes and put them in the washing machine, changing him into clean clothes.
At dinner, Hua Zhao brought something up. The commercial she’d filmed for ALLE was a success. She’d had many activities lately. Yesterday, at a banquet, she’d met a supermodel. But the other party was much more famous than her, a presence that even first-tier supermodels at home and abroad looked up to. The other party invited her to a cocktail party she was hosting that weekend. With a child at home, Hua Zhao rarely attended such private banquets. But the other party was a senior she admired greatly, so of course she couldn’t refuse.
Pei Yi held her hands. “Honey.”
He stared at Hua Zhao with affectionate eyes. Hua Zhao felt a bit disgusted and shook off his hand. “Shut up.”
Pei Yi pitifully swallowed his sweet words, planning to whisper them to Hua Zhao in the room tonight. Hua Zhao was too good, too good. How many women in the world could accept their partner raising a nephew like their own son? Hua Zhao was good, but Pei Yi couldn’t take it for granted. He hoped Hua Zhao would do what she loved, like her modeling career.
“Do whatever you want. Qiqi is much better now. Brother Shen and Sister Chu Ying are good people. If we’re busy, they’d definitely be willing to help watch Qiqi. Actually, I also want to find Qiqi another nanny.” His tone was envious. “If only we could find someone as good as Tang Dou.”
Hua Zhao: “…That might be a bit difficult.”
The two lay in bed. Outside, snowflakes fell, heavier and heavier. At nine in the morning, after breakfast, Pei Qiqi was led by his uncle, his eyes covered.
Pei Yi mysteriously led him to the door. “Ta-da!”
The world before him became clear. Pei Qiqi opened his eyes and looked in the direction. A charming snowman stood there playfully, as if waving at him. The snowman’s body was round. Two black beans for eyes. A slightly upturned carrot nose. A red scarf around its neck, tied into a careful bow. This cold winter, Pei Qiqi’s heart was warm. He ran toward the snowman, reached up to touch its nose, and smiled.
“Is it pretty?” Pei Yi crossed his arms, chin held high.
He and Pei Ye were brothers, with some resemblance, making Pei Xu, who had lost his father, a bit dazed.
Pei Qiqi looked at the snowman, then at his uncle, and nodded hard. “Pretty.”
“Do you like it?” Pei Yi crouched down.
“I like it!”
Feeling the child’s happiness, Pei Yi leaned his face in. “If you like it, give Uncle a kiss.”
Normally, Pei Qiqi wouldn’t cooperate and kiss him. He’d push him aside and go complain to Hua Zhao that Uncle was cheesy.
“Mwah.”
His cheek was touched by soft lips. Pei Yi was overjoyed. He immediately hugged Qiqi and kissed him several more times before letting go. The uncle and nephew played with the snowman at the door for a while before going back. While his uncle helped him change clothes, Pei Qiqi saw his uncle’s hands, red from the cold from making the snowman. His heart was filled with emotion. All the cold in his heart was dispelled.
Pei Qiqi helped his uncle get his shoes and looked up at him. “Thank you, Uncle.”
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