C12 Chapter 12

Yanyou parted his lips, suddenly at a loss for words.

Saang Yuxin’s dad obviously looked kind—and ridiculously handsome too! How was he “wearing a sour face” at all?

Did Saang Yuxin have the wrong idea about his own dad?

But that wasn’t the point. His secret had just been exposed, so Yanyou quickly pressed a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. “You’re the only one who knows about this. Can you please not tell anyone else?”

“Hmph. I’m not interested in gossiping.”

Yanyou nodded in agreement. Saang Yuxin hardly ever talked anyway, so he probably wouldn’t go around telling people Yanyou’s secret.

“But can you tell me about your mom?” Saang Yuxin asked, his big round eyes doing their best to hide the curiosity and hope shining in them.

The moment his mom came up, Yanyou lit up. Completely oblivious to the fact that Saang Yuxin had smoothly taken control of the conversation, he started talking a mile a minute. “My mom? She is absolutely the sweetest mom in the whole world! And her cooking is the best too! Sweet and sour ribs, shrimp tofu, blueberry yam... everything she makes is amazing! If I ever get the chance, I really want to bring you over to my house so you can try her cooking. I promise once you taste it, you’ll want more. You’ll never get enough!”

Saang Yuxin swallowed, his bright eyes sparkling like they were full of stars. Carefully, he asked, “Would that really be okay?”

“Of course!” little Yanyou said enthusiastically. “It’s just that my mom’s been busy lately with a fashion design competition, so she’s swamped every day. Once the competition’s over, I’ll bring you over to my house! She’s a fashion designer, and a lot of my clothes are designed by her. Look”—Yanyou pointed at his shirt and pants—“she designed and made all of this herself. Pretty nice, right?”

Saang Yuxin studied Yanyou’s clothes seriously. Unlike the flashy outfits a lot of other kids wore, Yanyou’s colors looked soft and pleasing together. The print on his clothes was a cartoon version of Buzz Lightyear, probably designed by Yanyou’s mom herself. It was playful and adorable. Unlike his own clothes, which were always just whatever trendy kids’ outfits his dad picked out for the season. The designs weren’t bad, but somehow, when he wore them, they just felt cold.

Saang Yuxin nodded. A flicker of envy flashed through his eyes as he said, “Looks great.”

Xia Yanyou narrowed his eyes with a smile, pride written all over his face.

Still, little Xia Yanyou was the kind of kid who loved to share, so he quickly added, “One day I’ll take you to my house and have my mom make you a few outfits she designed herself!”

Saang Yuxin was already getting excited, but he had to fight down the thrill bubbling up in his chest and asked as calmly as he could, “Would it really be okay to ask your mom to make clothes for me?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? My mom loves making clothes. Having her whip up a few outfits for you is no big deal at all! Oh, and she even makes matching family outfits. When the time comes, I’ll have her make a few sets for you and your dad too!”

Saang Yuxin pressed his lips together, thinking that the matching outfits were definitely unnecessary. There was no way he wanted Xia Yanyou’s mom’s handmade clothes going to his dad.

He’d already be more than happy if Xia Yanyou’s mom made even one piece of clothing just for him.

Saang Yuxin held out his pinky. “Then it’s a deal. You’re not allowed to back out.”

Smiling, Xia Yanyou hooked his pinky around Saang Yuxin’s and shook it as he said, “I won’t! Pinky promise—cross my heart, hope to die, never ever change.” After making the vow, he pressed his small thumb against Saang Yuxin’s. “And seal it with a stamp! Okay, done!”

The corner of Saang Yuxin’s lips lifted slightly. For once, he was actually in a pretty good mood.