TSFLIP Chapter 447

Fengguang’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.” Ji Mian pulled her hood back up over her head. “It’s cold out here. Let’s go inside and talk.”

“But Xiao You…”

Ji Mian glanced at Ji You, who was already quietly playing by herself again. “Xiao You, I’ll come back tomorrow to build a snowman with you. For now, let’s go inside, okay?”

“Okay!” Ji You bounced happily over to them.

Seeing her come over, Fengguang instinctively took a small step away from Ji Mian. It was a reflex she’d picked up over time. Whenever the three of them were together, Ji Mian would never hold her hand unless she took the initiative. Gradually, she got used to keeping herself at the edge of things.

She was still young, too young to fully understand a lot of things. But her sensitivity and instincts had always been unusually sharp.

Still, she wasn’t sad about it. After all, Ji You was Ji Mian’s real sister. It made sense. Just like her own mother, her mother would flatter her friends in public, then turn to her in private and whisper, “Those kids are not nearly as cute as you. My Fengguang is the prettiest.”

But then Ji Mian suddenly stopped walking.

Fengguang looked up. “Big Brother… why did you stop?”

He stood still for a long moment. Then, without warning, he turned and gently took her gloved hand in his. His expression was warm, but behind that warmth was a complexity the little girl couldn’t understand. When he saw the surprise and confusion in her bright, innocent eyes, he couldn’t help but grip her hand tighter.

And just like that, he was filled with loathing toward himself.

Why did she have to be so obedient? Why did she trust him so easily? Why was she so sensitive?

If she lacked even one of those traits, he could’ve kept wearing the gentle “big brother” mask forever. But now… now he felt like he was worse than a beast.

Yes, that’s what it was. Taking advantage of a child’s trust and affection—what else could he call that, if not despicable?

It was Ji You who broke the silence. “Big Brother?”

Ji Mian let out a soft laugh. He looked down at Fengguang and said, “Let’s go inside.”

Before she could respond, he gripped her hand firmly and led her toward the door.

Ji You blinked behind them, tilting her head curiously. Why does Big Brother seem… a little off today?

Once they were inside the warm house, Fengguang gently tried to pull her hand away. But her strength was no match for Ji Mian’s. “Big Brother… can you let go of me?”

“Why?” Ji Mian smiled, but for the first time, even a child could sense the false note in it. “You don’t like it when I hold your hand, Fengguang?”

“It’s not that… I…” She felt a flicker of fear deep in her chest and answered cautiously, “I’m just hot…”

Indoors was nothing like the freezing yard outside. All her layers were suddenly suffocating.

She tugged at the scarf around her neck with one hand but couldn’t quite get it off.

Ji Mian paused, then crouched down in front of her. He finally let go of her hand, only to reach out and start taking her layers off himself. First the scarf, then her gloves, then the heavy coat.

When she was finally free of the bulky clothing, a small girl in a loose sweater stood before him, no longer shaped like a snowball.

She spun around once. “See, Big Brother? I’m not fat at all!”

Ji You chimed in, “Big Sister eats candy every day and still doesn’t get fat!”

“Every day?” Ji Mian raised an eyebrow, smiling. “But I thought… the nanny only lets Fengguang have one piece of candy a week?”

Fengguang stomped her foot. “Xiao You!”

Because she loved sweets so much, she had already experienced toothaches at her young age. So the nanny followed the dentist’s orders strictly—only one candy a week to satisfy her craving.