Apocalypse: My Sweetie Is Tough but Cute

With trepidation and confusion in tow, Su Shu picked up her "niece," Xiao'ai, from the Songshan Welfare Institute in City B.

She had never cared for such a small child before, and felt utterly at a loss as she opened the door, inviting the tiny, adorable child inside.

Five-year-old Xiao'ai, less than the height of her legs, her hair braided into two Wi-Fi signal braids, carrying a small yellow duck backpack, hesitated before looking up at her, silently taking off her shoes, and then obediently entering the house.

Throughout it all, Xiao'ai didn't say a word.

Before they had even begun living together, Su Shu already felt an enormous weight of pressure.

After closing the door and taking off her own shoes, she took her bag inside. There were no slippers for children in the house, so Xiao'ai had to walk around in socks. Fortunately, the floor was wooden, and the weather was still good, so walking on the floor wasn't too cold.

All the way back from City B, she had been digesting the sudden fact that she had a relative.

From shock to confusion, from confusion to acceptance, and from acceptance to delight, it took little effort for Su Shu to happily accept this suddenly emerged, sweet burden.

For others, raising a child, especially one from a relative's family, might be troublesome, but for Su Shu, it was as if a huge pie had fallen from the sky, making her so happy!

Since the death of her parents, she had been an orphan for many years. At this moment, looking at the little one sitting on the sofa, joy brimmed from the depths of her heart, an elation she could hardly conceal.

Her happiness had come so unexpectedly that she was overwhelmed.

And Xiao'ai's silence made her unsure of what to do now as the only guardian.

Finally—

"Xiao'ai, from today on, you and Auntie will live here together. Whatever you want, just tell Auntie," she said, placing her bag to the side and sitting cross-legged on the carpet in front of Xiao'ai, their gazes aligning.

She had heard that this height made it easier for a child to accept someone.

Novice caregiver Su Shu was swift to assume her new role.

Xiao'ai had a pair of watery, clear, and bright big eyes, quite beautiful, with long eyelashes fluttering, it made one eager to hold her close and cherish her dearly.

The moment she went to pick Xiao'ai up, she was struck by the little one's upturned gaze that first moment, looking at her.

The natural sense of closeness brought about by blood relationship made her take an instant liking to Xiao'ai.

But...

Su Shu sighed heavily in her heart, not knowing why Xiao'ai refused to speak from start to finish. No matter what she asked, the child's expression seemed indifferent.

Yet, she distinctly saw a spark of liveliness in those beautiful big eyes.

A five-year-old cherub who was sparing with words... In the future, living under the same roof, how would the two of them communicate?

As she pondered what topics could break the awkwardness between them, the little cherub suddenly took off her yellow duck backpack, bounced off the sofa, and, barefoot, began to look around the house.

Su Shu watched her actions with surprise.

Xiao'ai, with her small braids bouncing, opened all the doors inside the house, not even skipping the bathroom, then marched around each room, circling from inside to out before coming back.

Watching her, Su Shu had an odd feeling, almost believing that the five-year-old Xiao'ai, wandering around, looked like a little lion patrolling its territory...

After completing her "patrol," Xiao'ai came back to stand in front of her.

The five-year-old child, about the same height as the seated Su Shu, locked eyes with her; Su Shu was puzzled, unsure of what the standing Xiao'ai... meant.

Xiao'ai blinked, and Su Shu, nervously, blinked back.

Why was she so anxious...?