Chapter 27 Winter and Summer Fairy Tale (Bonus Chapter 2)

Shi Banxia was awakened by a subtle, unusual noise.

It wasn't an alarm clock, nor was it the sound of Ji Rendong quietly preparing breakfast; rather, it was a sound that... sounded more like a small animal rustling and fumbling.

She reached out in a daze, and instead of touching her girlfriend's warm, slender body, she touched a small, curled-up, soft, warm thing.

Shi Banxia instantly woke up and abruptly opened her eyes.

As the morning light shone through the gap in the curtains, Shi Banxia noticed a small bulge in the blanket beside her.

She carefully lifted a corner of the pillow, and her breath caught in her throat—on the pillow lay a little girl who looked only four or five years old!

The little girl had fair, rosy skin and long eyelashes. Although her features were still somewhat childlike, the contours of her eyebrows, her tightly pursed pale lips, and the aloof and detached air she exuded even in her sleep...

Shi Banxia's heart began to pound.

This is clearly a miniature version of Ji Rendong!

"Ren... Sister Rendong?" Shi Banxia's voice trembled without her even realizing it. She couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the little girl's cheek.

The little girl's dream was disturbed. She wrinkled her little nose in annoyance and opened her eyes groggily.

Those eyes were still beautifully shaped, but they had lost their usual calm and depth, becoming like black grapes soaked in water, crystal clear, with the innocent confusion of a child just waking up.

She looked at Shi Banxia, ​​who was staring at her in shock, and seemed a little confused. She tilted her head and called out in a childish voice, "...Sister?"

That one word, "sister," terrified Shi Banxia so much that she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She sprang from the bed, but dared not disturb the child, so she could only lower her voice and stammer, "No... I... you... Ji Rendong?! What's wrong with you?!"

Little Honeysuckle seemed startled by her reaction. She pouted, her eyes quickly reddened, and her eyes filled with tears. She looked at Shi Banxia with a pitiful expression, as if she was about to cry at any moment.

Shi Banxia panicked immediately, throwing all her wild thoughts to the wind.

She quickly scooped the little one, blanket and all, into her arms, gently patting her back and soothing her with the softest voice she'd ever used, "Oh, don't cry, don't cry, it's okay, it's okay, sister's here... don't be afraid..."

Little Honeysuckle was held by Shi Banxia. Smelling the familiar scent on her body, she slowly calmed down, buried her face in the crook of her neck, and sobbed softly.

Holding the soft little thing in her arms, Shi Banxia's feelings were extremely complicated.

Her girlfriend, Ji Rendong, who could remain calm in a blizzard, had a rigorous logic, and could occasionally make her blush, suddenly turned into a little kid who needed to be coaxed.

For the next half day, Shi Banxia experienced the most chaotic and hilarious time of her life.

She tried to dress Xiao Rendong, but Ji Rendong's simple and neat shirts and trousers were a disaster for a small child.

In the end, I had to rummage through my drawers and find one of my soft old T-shirts to make her wear as a dress. The length dragged on the ground, and the little one walked like a clumsy little penguin.

Breakfast is an even bigger problem.

Shi Banxia's cooking skills are limited to boiling instant noodles and frying eggs, which is obviously not suitable for a child's stomach.

She was looking at the refrigerator, feeling troubled, when little Ren Dong tugged at her sleeve, pointed to Ji Ren Dong's coffee beans on the shelf, and said in a childish voice, "Sister... Dong Dong... wants to drink that bitter one..."

Shi Banxia was both amused and exasperated: "Children shouldn't drink coffee, it will keep them awake."

She eventually managed to make a poorly presented but at least cooked milk and oatmeal porridge using the only ingredients she had in the refrigerator.

Little Honeysuckle held the spoon and ate slowly but earnestly. A ring of milk stains appeared around the corner of her mouth. Shi Banxia couldn't help but chuckle and wiped them off with her fingertips, feeling a warmth in her heart.

What surprised Shi Banxia the most was that even though Ji Rendong had shrunk and lost his memory, some of his instincts seemed to still be there.

When Banxia took her laptop to the living room to work, Xiaorendong sat quietly on the carpet next to her, drawing with the colored pencils and paper that Banxia had given her.

It wasn't just random scribbling; it was actually drawing something quite professionally... lines and circles that looked like molecular structure diagrams...?

Shi Banxia leaned over to take a look, and Xiao Rendong pointed to one of the circles, explaining in a serious tone, "This is... a water molecule, sister."

Shi Banxia: "..." As expected of Dr. Ji.

"Dongdong," Shi Banxia gently rubbed the little honeysuckle's head, trying to communicate with her in a coaxing tone, her voice gentle, "Do you still remember... who you are?"

Little Honeysuckle raised her head, blinked her eyes, pointed to herself, and answered in a childish voice, "Dongdong." Then she pointed to Shi Banxia and added, "Sister is... Xiangxiang's sister."

After saying that, she gave Shi Banxia a sweet, unguarded smile, revealing a few small teeth.

Shi Banxia's heart was instantly struck, and she was so touched that her heart trembled.

Good heavens, was Ji Rendong really this cute when she was little?! The nickname "Xiangxiang's older sister" made Shi Banxia both laugh and cry, and secretly happy at the same time.

After playing for a while, Little Honeysuckle rubbed her eyes and snuggled into Shi Banxia's arms, whimpering for a hug.

Shi Banxia held her on her lap, gently rocking her and softly patting her back. The little one nestled against her chest, her breathing gradually evening out, and she fell asleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon them, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere.

Shi Banxia looked down at the unguarded, adorable sleeping face in her arms, her heart filled with an indescribable tenderness.

She gently poked the little honeysuckle's chubby cheek and whispered, "If only you could always be this good and clingy to me..."

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she chuckled and shook her head.

How could that be? Her sister, Honeysuckle, is independent, strong, and someone she can rely on.

This feeling of complete dependence on her was novel and sweet, but she missed Ji Rendong even more—the one who would gently call her "Banxia," calmly help her analyze problems, and make her blush and her heart race during intimate moments.

Worry gradually rose in my mind.

What exactly happened? Is it a phenomenon that science can't explain? Or is there some unknown problem with Sister Rendong's body? What should she do? Who should she contact? Sister Xueqing? Or the research institute?

Just as she was frowning in worry, the "little pendant" in her arms moved.

Little Honeysuckle woke up groggily, tilted her head back, looked at Shi Banxia's furrowed brows, reached out her little hand, clumsily touched her forehead, and whispered, "Sister... don't furrow... Honeysuckle, be good..."

At that moment, Shi Banxia's heart melted completely, and her nose tingled with emotion.

She hugged the little body tightly, buried her face in the baby's sweet-smelling shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "Mmm, Dongdong is the best... Sister loves Dongdong the most..."

Just then, a piercing alarm clock suddenly pierced my ears!

Shi Banxia jolted awake and sat up abruptly in bed, her heart still pounding wildly.

She subconsciously reached out and touched the side—her hand touched Ji Rendong's warm and real body, wearing a familiar silk nightgown, with a slender figure and steady breathing.

Ji Rendong was awakened by her movements. She turned over sleepily, her voice still heavy with sleepiness: "Banxia? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

That tone and expression were exactly the same as Ji Rendong, whom she knew best.

Shi Banxia stared blankly at her, then looked at the bright daylight outside the window and the quiet alarm clock on the bedside table.

No babies shrinking, no oatmeal, no T-shirts worn as skirts…

So... it was all a dream?

A dream that felt incredibly real, born from pre-sleep daydreams or an amplification of the subconscious dependence on Ji Rendong that occasionally surfaced?

Seeing that her face was pale and her eyes were vacant, Ji Rendong sat up worriedly and reached out to touch her forehead: "Xiaxia, you look so pale, are you feeling unwell?"

Feeling the real, warm touch on her forehead, Shi Banxia finally came to her senses. She suddenly threw herself into Ji Rendong's arms, hugged her tightly, buried her face in her chest, and her voice was choked with sobs.

"Sister Rendong...you're alright...that's so good...so good..."

Although Ji Rendong was a little confused, he still gently hugged her back and patted her back softly, like comforting a frightened puppy. "It's okay, it was just a dream. I'm here."

Shi Banxia snuggled against her, inhaling the comforting cool fragrance emanating from her, and her emotions gradually calmed down.

She looked up and saw Ji Rendong's concerned eyes. Suddenly, she remembered the little boy in her dream who called her "Sister Xiangxiang," and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Ji Rendong raised an eyebrow, confused by Shi Banxia's alternating crying and laughing.

"It's nothing," Shi Banxia stopped laughing, but her eyes were full of tenderness and amusement. She leaned in and gently pecked Ji Rendong's lips. "I just dreamt about... haha... my Rendong sister, you must have been super cute when you were little."

Although Ji Rendong didn't know exactly what she had dreamed about, seeing that she had regained her energy, he felt relieved. He then wrapped his arm around her waist, deepened the good morning kiss, and asked with a smile,

"Isn't it cute now?"

Shi Banxia blushed and kissed her back forcefully, thinking to herself: The best version of you is the one who knows how to flirt and is complete.

However… she will probably secretly remember the image of that little bean curd calling “sister” in his cute baby voice for the rest of her life.

A note from the author:

Dongdong was such a well-behaved baby when he was little!

Don't you think it's adorable when a calm and mature couple suddenly turns into a child again...?

That concludes the extra chapters! After thinking about it, since it's my own work, I really can't bear to revise the first six chapters! So I won't change them, haha~ (Although part of the reason is also because I'm currently too busy, please understand).

New story to be released in January! Currently drafting.

"No Disrespect to Your Boss": The story of a couple on opposite sides of the road, a cold and strict secretary and a seemingly carefree but actually adorable CEO, is about to begin.