PCMWF Chapter 156

At the hotel entrance, Mi Huan and Wang Zhi were already waiting. Five minutes earlier, they’d learned from a phone call that the three kids had fallen asleep. Mi Huan and Wang Zhi had taken everyone’s luggage to their rooms and adjusted the air conditioning, so the kids could sleep when they got back. Ten minutes later, Shen Yan and Hua Zhao arrived with the four little ones. The little guy, who had been full of energy before getting in the car, had also joined the piglet club, snoring softly in his brother’s arms.

The four little ones were all asleep, leaning against each other. When they were carried out of the car by their parents, they started to wake up. The first to open his eyes was the little guy. He rubbed his eyes, saw Aunt Hua Zhao holding Brother Qiqi, let out a little sound, and reached for Pei Qiqi. Pei Qiqi seemed to sense it, squeezed his hand, and held Youyou’s little hand tightly. They couldn’t be separated. Niu Niu and Mi Le were the same. Their heads had been resting against each other in the car. Everyone looked at Hua Zhao, the eldest, for guidance.

“Let the kids sleep for a while. The rooms aren’t too small, are they?”

Wang Zhi, holding Niu Niu, shook his head: “All four rooms are big. Two are family suites.”

“Then let them sleep together. One person can stay with them while the others go unpack.”

The four little ones were taken to Mi Huan and Mi Le’s room. The temperature was just right. They were laid neatly on the bed. The moment they touched the mattress, they wiggled and quickly settled into the soft bed, surrounded by familiar friends, falling back asleep almost immediately.

“I’ll stay with them. You guys go unpack,” Mi Huan said, covering the four little ones with a blanket.

Wang Zhi watched the deeply sleeping children, amazed: “Kids really can sleep through anything.”

Hua Zhao smiled: “Children do need longer sleep.”

The adults went to their rooms to unpack. The four little ones slept until dinner time. The production team had enough footage, so they weren’t in a rush. The children had done so well. They could sleep as long as they wanted. Mi Le was the first to wake up. Mi Huan had placed him on the edge so he could wake him up easily. Mi Le opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling in confusion, and then saw his brother sitting cross-legged by the bed.

“Brother,” he called out.

Mi Huan paused, turned, and smiled: “You’re awake. Hungry? Dinner will be here soon.”

Mi Le sat up and rubbed his eyes, then saw his three friends lying beside him. It was the first time he’d slept with his friends, a novel experience for him. Soon, the other little ones slowly woke up too. Since they were in his room, Mi Huan didn’t rush them to wash up. He called the hotel to order dinner and asked for children’s utensils. Su Youli and Pei Xu were playing a game of “peek-a-boo,” covering their faces with the blanket and then suddenly opening it. A very childish and silly game, but they were having a great time. Mi Le had already started braiding Niu Niu’s hair. Despite his short fingers, he was actually good at it.

“Mi Le, you’re amazing.”

Mi Le wasn’t modest: “I’ve braided my mom’s hair too.”

The four little ones started playing hide-and-seek on the bed, diving under the covers.

Mi Le grabbed Pei Qiqi’s foot: “Gotcha!”

Su Youli came to help, but Mi Le held him off with one hand. Mi Huan would occasionally glance over to make sure Mi Le wasn’t going overboard and that he was gentle with his friends, then he’d relax. Dinner arrived, and the aroma of food drew the four little ones, who had been playing, to line up for the bathroom to wash up. By the time they were done, the others had arrived.

The parents settled their children and placed the kids’ plates in front of them. The four little ones were no trouble at mealtimes. After the long flight and a good sleep, they were hungry. Su Youli was now quite good with chopsticks, though he was still a bit slow. The little guy frowned, his movements careful and cautious. The steak on his plate had already been cut into bite-sized pieces by Shen Yan, and the little guy picked one up and ate it in one bite.

After dinner, the little ones, who had slept so well during the day, were full of energy. When the director announced they would be interviewed one by one, their eyes were wide open. This was a new segment added by the production team. It would both exercise the children’s communication skills and show the audience what they were thinking during the tasks.

Mi Le was the first to be interviewed, still holding the cotton candy Youyou had bought for him. He wasn’t going to eat it. He just wanted to show it off to everyone. This was cotton candy from Youyou. Soon, the interviewers noticed that Niu Niu and Pei Qiqi were also showing off their cotton candy, just like Mi Le. Niu Niu was shy, and Pei Qiqi was quiet, so they weren’t as obvious. The interviewers found it amusing and started with the questions:

Q: “Were you scared when you took the subway with your friends today?”

Mi Le: “Of course not.”

Pei Qiqi: “A little nervous.”

Niu Niu: “A little scared.”

Q: “Why didn’t you give up?”

Mi Le: “Of course we couldn’t give up. Youyou was waiting for us!”

Pei Qiqi: “Because Youyou would be lonely and scared… I had to find him.”

Niu Niu: “Because Youyou was waiting for us.”

It was the first time the staff heard the children’s thoughts. They were moved by their bond. They exchanged looks. If they had to find a friend in a foreign country with a language barrier, it might take them a whole day.

“What made you so determined to find Youyou?” they asked.

“Because Youyou is my friend. A friend I really like.”

The three children answered in perfect sync.

Everyone in the room was deeply moved by their pure and innocent hearts.

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