Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
âYou donât have to be so tense,â smiled the middle-aged woman. âIâm the nanny here. Mister Lu had informed me that a new nanny would be joining me today. There are too many children for me to handle alone, so itâs good that you are here. Oh, you can call me Aunt Gu by the way.â
As she was speaking, three children came thumping into the room from different directions. Two of them wrapped themselves around the nannyâs legs, while the one who didnât get a leg stood there pouting.
The nanny laughed. The kids clearly werenât believers of âsharing is caringâ. Being the youngest and the frailest, the little sister had the right to be a little selfish. But shouldnât the elder brother humor his little brother?
She reached out and lifted the forlorn child up.
âNana...â his mellow, baby voice was heart-melting.
Liu Fang looked up and saw the three kids.
No wonder the nanny said there were too many children for her to handle. Three was a lot.
She pointed at the boy in the nannyâs arms, then at the boy around her leg. They twins looked almost identical! What a sight! She had seen twins in her village, but they didnât look alike as much as these two. They both had bowl cuts, large pretty eyes, and moist red lips. Even their overalls were the same, including the socks on their little feet.
âAre they twins?â With the way they look, they had to be twins, right?
âNah,â the nanny put down the child in her arms and made the children line up. âThey are triplets. Elder brother, Lu Qi. Second brother, Lu Guang. And this is the third sister, Lu Wei. Sheâs the smallest here. We all call her Xunxun.â
Trip...triplets!
Liu Fang would have been amused if she could see her own expression right now. She was absolutely stunned! Giving birth to twins was impressive enough, but giving to triplets?! Incredible!
Not to mention the three kids were all very pretty. Especially the little girl who wore a dress and had a small strawberry hairclip in her hair. Her features were more beautiful and delicate than any child she had ever seen. And whiter too. She had to resist the temptation to pinch her cheeks. They looked so soft and squishy.
âOh my. Where are my manners? Do come in,â said the nanny as she quickly stepped aside. The three children tailed her. They could be a handful for her and Miss Yan sometimes. Often, they would have to neglect one child to take care of the other two. Itâs okay when Mister Lu is at home, but Mister Lu had to work during the day, and things often got chaotic during that time.
Liu Fang was very fond of kids. She had grown up in the mountains and had a pure and natural air, very much like the earth itself. She was patient and good-tempered. When she played with the children, she herself was like a big child. That made the children warm up to her quickly.
The door clicked open. Xunxunâs eyes immediately curved into little crescents. Delighted, she raced for the door. In her hurry, she lost her balance and began falling.
Liu Fang was aghast. She tried to help, but it was too late. Right as Xunxun was about to face-plant the carpet, a hand reached out and picked her up. Canât let the little ball scrape her face.
It would be heartbreaking to see a scratch on such a pretty face.
âMama, mama...â Xunxun hooped her arms around her motherâs neck happily. She wasnât the type to learn from mistakes. Despite having fallen a lot of times already, she was just as naughty as before.
Yan Huan gave her squishy cheeks a pinch.
The little girl thought her mother was playing with her, and gave her a wet, sloppy kiss.
Yan Huan set her down and grasped her little hand.
Liu Fang quickly stood up, a little ill at ease. This must be the female owner of the house. Even though Aunt Gu said they were nice people that never hit or scold anyone, she felt tense. This was her first job, and she didnât want to screw up. The salary was good too, and she wanted to save up some money for her brotherâs bride price.
âLiu Fang...â For some reason, the gentle voice was imbued with a subtle pathos.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âYes Maâam,â said Liu Fang, looking up. When she matched eyes with Yan Huan, she quickly looked down again. She was a knockout. When she wasnât smiling, she was a cool beauty, and when she were, she glowed with sunny radiance. Also, she reminded her of a celebrity she had seen on TV earlier.
âLiu Fang,â cooed Yan Huan. âDo you not recognize me?â
Liu Fang jerked her face up. Where had she heard this voice before? She had definitely heard the voice before, though she could not remember where. Was it when she was watching television? Did her female employer not only look like the celebrity, but also sound like her?
âItâs me, Liu Fangâ she said, approaching. She rubbed Xunxun on the head.
âGo play with your brother, sweetie. I need to talk to the big sister here.â
Xunxun nodded and marched off to pester her brothers.
Liu Fangâs eyes widened, as though she had remembered something. Then her face fell. She couldnât remember even if her life depended on it.
âIâm Xiao Yan,â said Yan Huan, lifting a hand to cover the left side of her face. Surely that would jog her memory.
Liu Fang paused at the mention of the time, then began studying Yan Huanâs face intently. Slowly, she began to see Xiao Yan in the woman before her. Her eyes, her nose, her pursed lips... There was no way she could forget her eyes. They were the prettiest she had ever seen.
âSister... Xiao Yan?â asked Liu Fang in disbelief. âAre you really Sister Xiao Yan? For real?â
âItâs me alright,â smiled Yan Huan. Her smiles were partly warm, but mostly cold. Just like Xiao Yan. At this point, Liu Fang had no doubts remaining. This was Xiao Yan from the village.
âYour face,â Liu Fang pointed to her face. âYou have recovered!â
âYup,â said Yan Huan, running a hand across her face. Wherever she touched, it was smooth and silky, without the slightest signs of uneven scars.
âYou have become so beautiful, Sister Xiao Yan,â said Liu Fang, lighting up. She was genuinely happy and relieved at learning that Yan Huan was Xiao Yan.