International schools start their winter break in mid-December, and a week before the break, Yan Xiao finally received the item that she had secretly requested her aunt to get for her – a limited edition Transformers signed by a certain superstar1The raws says 球星, literally meaning ball superstar, but it is unclear which ball sport it is referring to..

That superstar is Qiu Li’s favourite and his idol in life.

The reason why it took so long was because she asked her aunt to get the superstar’s autographsigned specifically “To XXX”, and so her aunt flew all the way there just to pick it up.

The night before, Yan Xiao stuffed the Transformers into her schoolbag. Luckily, her aunt had previously bought her many schoolbags of various sizes, otherwise it would not have been able to fit in her schoolbag.

Early in the morning, Chen Ziyi saw her daughter sneaking towards the car while carrying her schoolbag.

She pretended not to see anything and continued to set the tableware.

Yan Xiao had looked for her aunt behind her parents’ back, and spent tremendous effort in order to get this personally autographed Transformers. She and her aunt promised to keep this a secret between the two of them – lest her parents think that she was good friends with Qiu Li.

After hiding her schoolbag under her seat, she pretended to have just returned from a walk and went to the dining room for breakfast.

Chen Ziyi wanted to laugh at her daughter’s look of feigned cleverness, “What are you doing so early in the morning?”

Yan Xiao climbed onto her high chair, and deliberately put on a straight face to prevent drawing her mother’s suspicion, earnestly replying, “I went out to see if it will snow today ……”

The sun is almost out, how could it still snow, huh?

After saying this, Yan Xiao also felt that she was trying too hard to cover up, and immediately added, “The weather is good today, so it definitely won’t, sigh ……”

Her little face drooped as she let out a long sigh, “When is it going to snow ah.”

“Soon,” Chen Ziyi did not expose her, “The weather forecast says that it will snow next week.”

Yan Xiao: “Great!” She had been worried about not having an excuse to go to the Qiu’s house during vacation break next week, and when it snows she could say that she wanted to have a snowball fight with Qiu Yan.

“It’ll be winter break soon,” Chen Ziyi said to her daughter after breakfast, carrying a gift bag that she had prepared long ago, “These are some biscuits that Mom baked, you can share them with the kids in your class.”

Yan Xiao’s mind was not on the biscuits at all, she only wanted to hurry to school to give the Transformers to Qiu Li.

After arriving at school, Yan Xiao took her schoolbag out from under her seat in front of her mother, and looked up to meet her mother’s smiling gaze, Yan Xiao: “……”

She slipped up.

“I, I brought ……” she laughed while scratching her head, “I brought a gift for a friend.”

Of course, she knew about it since her sister had specially gone to their house the day before. However, her sister had sternly warned her not to mention it, otherwise Xiao Xiao will think that she, her aunt, is not trustworthy and will not trust her anymore. Hence, Chen Ziyi did not expose them.

“Mmm,” she helped her daughter adjust her scarf: “Hurry along, do you want Mom to help you to carry the biscuits?”

Yan Xiao carried the giant schoolbag that was almost as tall as her, and waved her hands, “No, no, I can do it by myself!”

She was not yet four years old, and she was wrapped up in an ankle-length down jacket, along with a hat and scarf. She looked bulky just by carrying an extremely oversized schoolbag, and when she added a large tote bag in her hand, she resembled a big squirming ball.

Chen Ziyi almost choked with laughter while watching from afar. She felt reassured enough to leave only when she saw Qiu Li, who waits for her daughter at the school gate every day, running over to help her carry the tote bag.

“What’s this?” Qiu Li helped her carry the bag towards the school.

“Biscuits!” Yan Xiao, who only exposed two eyes, peeled off the scarf that was in the way, and her milky voice slurred: “My mother made the biscuits herself, to share them with the other kids in class ……”

Qiu Li’s lowered eyes contained slight envy.

“Here’s a box for you too!” She peeled off her scarf and let out a long breath.

Qiu Li looked up at her, his eyes twinkling like the stars, he also gets some?

Yan Xiao was struggling to put down her schoolbag because she was dressed too thick, her hands were too short, and her bag was too big. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get it off, causing her to almost jump in anger.

She was just about to ask a teacher for help when her shoulders were suddenly relieved from the burden.

She turned her head and saw Qiu Li helping her to pull her schoolbag off her shoulder, “Your schoolbag is so full, is it also biscuits?”

Yan Xiao: “…… It’s not.” She was a bit embarrassed that she couldn’t take down her schoolbag.

Then again, Qiu Li doesn’t talk much and doesn’t pay much attention to others, so he is unlikely to say a word about it. With such a thought, Yan Xiao’s expression brightened again. However, just as she raised her head, she saw Qiu Li’s lips slightly tugging upwards.

Even though it was very slight, and only for a moment, but she can be sure that he had just smiled.

Yan Xiao: “…………”

Laughing at me?!

Yan Xiao was dressed like a snow-white ball today, with a creamy-white long down jacket and hat, and a pair of small white boots. She had initially only revealed two big black eyes, but after pulling off the ivory white scarf, her cute nose and chin were exposed, and she was panting with her mouth slightly open from carrying too many things…… and she looked even more adorable.

After her schoolbag was taken down, there were two small beige wings on her back.

Qiu Li couldn’t resist and the corners of his mouth raised as he smiled by the doorway full of teachers and students walking in and out.

He only smiled for a moment before immediately pressing the corners of his mouth down again.

Yan Xiao had a mental breakdown from seeing him giggle at her then returning to his apathetic look, pretending as if nothing had happened.

That’s going too far.

It was a waste that she had spent so much effort, kissed her aunt so many times and praised her aunt so much, just to get this autographed Transformers ……

They, were, all, in, vain!

Qiu Li was oblivious to Yan Xiao’s thoughts, and weighed the big schoolbag he was carrying in his hand, “What’s inside the schoolbag?” It looked big but doesn’t weigh much.

Yan Xiao: “……” Even dare to act enigmatically with me!

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Qiu Li asked again, “Is it also a gift for your classmates?”

This isn’t the schoolbag she usually carried.

Yan Xiao: “…… It’s not.”

Forget it, there’s no point in being petty with a little brat.

She took the schoolbag, unzipped it, took out the Transformers and handed it directly to Qiu Li: “Here you go!”

Qiu Li: “……”

The Transformers graphics on the box was particularly eye-catching, and Qiu Li was stunned.

She wanted to say that this was to compensate the one she previously broke, but the words at the tip of her tongues changed into: “Isn’t it a thousand times better than your previous one, which breaks the moment it drops?”

Qiu Li: “…………”

He looked down at the bow-tied gift box, and then looked at Yan Xiao, and he pursed his lips.

She remembered!

Since that day, he had been looking forward to receiving a Transformers from her. Actually, he doesn’t like Transformers, and even loathes this series of toys just because Qiu Zhan likes them.

But, it’s different when it’s from her.

He had waited for a long time but still did not receive it. Although he was slightly disappointed, he reasoned that she might have forgotten since she was still young. Additionally, they meet at the school gate every day to exchange candy, and she also looks for him at noon every day. Gradually, that slight disappointment faded away.

She is still young, so it is normal to be forgetful.

But now ……

He tightly gripped the box in his hand. Due to the large force exerted, his fingertips whitened and even the rim of his eyes began to turn red.

No one has ever given him such a nice gift!

Yan Xiao noticed his unusual expression and thought to herself, this little villain really has strong self-respect, she didn’t even say anything but he already got so angry?

She thought about it and changed her tone, pointing to the corner of the box: “There is XX’s signature2The raws was also written as XX的签名., a limited edition, and the only one in the world ……”

Qiu Li’s eyes followed the direction she was pointing and landed on the corner of the box – To Paul.

Paul is his English name.

His hand gripped the box even harder.

Yan Xiao stared at him for a while, and seeing that he just lowered his head and firmly gripped the box like he was suppressing something, she stopped talking.

This Transformers was not meant for brushing points, so anyway ……

[Ding, 35 points.]

Yan Xiao: “……”

She looked up in disbelief at Qiu Li, who was still staring at the Transformers with his head down.

5 points?!

She obtained 5 points from a limited edition Transformers?

Is he, is he that angry?

Yan Xiao was dumbfounded and glanced up and down, sizing up the silent Qiu Li. She couldn’t tell from his appearance that he had such a bad temper at such a young age.

What do you call this?

An unintentional positive outcome3The raws were 无心插柳柳成荫which is the second half of the saying 有心栽花花不开,无心插柳柳成荫. It means that even after spending a lot of effort into growing a flower, the flower still didn’t bloom; the result wasn’t as intended. Conversely, a causally planted willow grew into a tree even without any care; an accidental act led to a good outcome.?

Although it was a surprise, gaining 5 points for free still made Yan Xiao very happy.

The things have been delivered, and it was cold outside, so Yan Xiao intended to go back to the classroom. She took out a box of biscuits from her tote bag and put it on top of the Transformer box: “This is also for you, I’m going to class.”

“Yan Xiao ……”

Just as she carried her schoolbag to leave, Yan Xiao heard Qiu Li calling her. Her ears under her hat twitched, why did his voice sound a bit odd, as if he was about to cry?

She turned around and looked at him.

Qiu Li’s expression was indeed very odd, a strangeness that she could not seem to describe. Yan Xiao unconsciously bit her lips, so angry ah? It seems that the system was right, the villain big boss has strong self-respect, and was a gloomy loner who bears grudges.

She blinked and tilted her head, asking, “What?”

He won’t possibly seek revenge on the spot and kill her off like a cannon fodder, right?

Qiu Li: “…… Thanks.”

Yan Xiao: “………………”

She froze there and anxiously swallowed, thank …… thank you? Thanks for what?

Is this sarcasm?

Aren’t the villains in the movies and TV shows always smiling on the surface, but secretly severing skin and tendons?

She instinctively took a step back.

Qiu Li thought that she was unsteady because the things in her hand were too heavy, and reached for her tote bag.

At almost the same time, Yan Xiao’s clumsy short arms quickly hid the handbag behind her back.

Don’t even think about throwing my stuff!

Qiu Li: “……”

Thinking she was being stubborn, Qiu Li didn’t insist. He thought about it for a moment, and pulled out the newly unsealed marshmallow from his schoolbag and handed it over, “Here.”

Yan Xiao’s eyes rounded from her staring.

Sure enough, he bears grudges!

She had assumed that the marshmallows he returned to her every day were the same ones she had given him the day before. It turns out that he bought the exact same marshmallows in order to provoke her back. So young, yet so scheming.

She looked at the nearly full packet of marshmallows, and then looked at Qiu Li, her small eyebrows slowly furrowed ……

Just because of the transformers, he was angry enough to retaliate with a whole packet of candy?

As expected of you, villain big boss!

Many people, including Qiu Li, were aware of Yan Xiao’s family rules for her eating candy. He thought that she didn’t dare to take it, so he directly stuffed the candy into her schoolbag: “Hide it well, your parents won’t know.”

Yan Xiao felt like her heart was hit by an arrow.

Going as far as mocking her for not having candy?!

He merely giggled earlier, but now he even attacked verbally.

She let out a humph and turned her head to walk away.

Because she was too angry, plus she was carrying a lot of things in her hands, it caused the two small wings behind her to shake.

Qiu Li, who never believed in God, now felt that angels really existed.

Because he met one.

1The raws says 球星, literally meaning ball superstar, but it is unclear which ball sport it is referring to.2The raws was also written as XX的签名.3The raws were 无心插柳柳成荫which is the second half of the saying 有心栽花花不开,无心插柳柳成荫. It means that even after spending a lot of effort into growing a flower, the flower still didn’t bloom; the result wasn’t as intended. Conversely, a causally planted willow grew into a tree even without any care; an accidental act led to a good outcome.

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