She hesitated, wondering if she should walk further into the dark alley, where it might be cooler.

Before I could even move, a sharp curse suddenly erupted from my left rear.

"Still denying it was you! Still denying it was you!"

The middle-aged woman's voice was sharp and loud, and Lu Chuqing was so frightened that she jumped up.

Looking back, I could hear noises coming from a house on the first floor near the road.

Then came the sound of something hitting flesh with a "smack," accompanied by the muffled groan of a child in pain.

"Hey, where's the missing piece from your watermelon?!"

Even without seeing her face, she could already imagine how fierce the middle-aged woman's expression must be.

The sound of whipping continued, and a boy's fragile voice stubbornly rang out, "I didn't eat it!"

The middle-aged woman's voice rose even higher, "If you didn't eat it, then where's the melon? Where did it go?! Huh?!"

Just then, another boy's voice rang out, "Grandma, it was him who stole the food, I saw it all! After he finished eating, he even threw the melon rind on the small window of the toilet."

"Your brother said he saw you eat it, but you still won't admit it!" Then came another round of beatings and scolding from the middle-aged woman.

Lu Chuqing felt pain just listening to it from outside, let alone the boy inside who was actually touching her.

As the middle-aged woman yelled "Get out!", the room fell silent, followed by the loud slam of the door closing.

Lu Chuqing had considered turning around, but before she could, a small figure emerged from the stairwell.

The little boy was very thin, a little taller than her, with hair that covered his eyes. He wore an ill-fitting white sleeveless short-sleeved shirt that almost completely covered his dark blue shorts. He wore a pair of old, blackened, and cracked soft rubber slippers. He rubbed the red marks on his thin arms as he walked out step by step.

Noticing Lu Chuqing's gaze, he paused, his dark eyes peeking out from his hair as he stared straight at her.

Lu Chuqing stood frozen in place, inexplicably startled by the child's gaze.

In that instant, she was reminded of the greyhound that had bitten her before.

It's...very fierce.

She turned her head and pouted.

She didn't do anything to him, why is she so resentful!

The footsteps sounded again, and out of the corner of her eye, Lu Chuqing saw the little boy stop at the other end of the alley, squat down against the wall, and then turn his face back to her, staring at her with the same look.

She turned her head and met those bright black eyes.

Then she realized that the other person wasn't actually staring at her, but at the two lollipops in her hand.

She was feeling bored earlier and had already opened one, but hadn't had a chance to eat it yet.

The little boy's gaze was so intense and purposeful that she couldn't ignore it, so she paused for a moment, then popped the unwrapped candy into her mouth.

A whole lollipop propped up half of her little face, making a big bulge.

After letting the candy melt in her mouth, Lu Chuqing took it out. Her rosy lips, now moistened by the sugar syrup, became even more lustrous.

She looked directly at the little boy, waved the lollipop in her hand, and asked, "Do you want one?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the little boy's gaze became even more intense, and Lu Chuqing did not miss his thin, clenched fist.

However, she put the lollipop in her mouth again, smacked her lips which were full of the sweet taste of strawberries, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "If you want to eat candy, you have to work hard for it yourself! It's not like I'll give it to you just because you're staring at me pitifully."

After she finished speaking, Lu Chengyang, who was across the street carrying two large bags, called out to her, "Silly girl! Don't stand there anymore, let's go home!"

Lu Jun and Lu Ying each took several bags of things, so it seemed they had finished packing.

The little dumpling replied, "Okay, brother!"

As she spoke, she strode across the street with her chubby little legs, stuffing the remaining lollipop into the pocket of her shorts as she went.

Seeing that there were no cars, the chubby little dumpling ran towards Lu Chengyang.

The young boy opened his arms and picked her up when she came close, then turned and sat in the driver's seat, with the little girl nestled in his arms.

The car started up, then the tires rolled and quickly disappeared from sight.

The little boy looked away from the car that had disappeared around the corner, got up to leave, and caught a glimpse of a red spot on the road. He walked toward it.

Near the corner, in the middle of the road, a lollipop in red packaging lay quietly on the ground.

The little boy bent down and picked it up. The packaging had a strawberry pattern and the words "Strawberry Flavor" printed on it.

Recalling the sweet aroma that had filled the air not long ago, he gripped the candy tightly in his palm.

I will strive for it myself.

Beneath the long hair, those eyes shone with an intense, dark brilliance...

When Lu Chuqing finished taking a shower that evening, she saw Lu Ying holding the little clothes she had worn during the day, preparing to wash them. Suddenly, Lu Chuqing remembered that the remaining lollipop was still in the pocket of her little shorts.

After calling out to Lu Ying, she searched her pockets thoroughly but couldn't find the candy. Since her pockets were small and shallow, she figured it must have fallen out, so she stopped worrying about it.

Lu Ying, however, was worried that she would be sad, so she said she would bring her a big, colorful lollipop when she came back tomorrow.

Lu Chuqing didn't really want to eat it; she was just afraid that the candy would melt when she washed clothes if it was in her pocket.

Hearing Lu Ying say that, she could only tilt her little head and say, "Thank you, Mom, but eating too much candy will cause cavities, and it will hurt a lot. Then I'll look as ugly as Brother Tiewa."

Tiewa just turned nine a while ago. He hasn't finished losing all his baby teeth yet, and among the neighborhood boys, he's the only one with gaps in his teeth when he smiles.

Lu Ying smiled upon hearing this, affectionately pinched her little cheek, and said, "Okay, in order for our Qingqing to be beautiful in the future, Mommy will keep an eye on Qingqing!"

After discussing the name change that day, Lu Ying started calling her Qingqing.

At first, she was a little unaccustomed to it, but fortunately, "晴" and "静" sound similar, and she got used to it after listening to them a few more times.

Lu Ying has already told her family about changing her name, and the elders all support her.

Grandpa Lu Yongkang said with a smile, "Let's change our name and start a new life."

Lu Chuqing also thought her grandfather was right and cheered loudly that she especially liked the new name that Lu Ying had given her.

However, changing one's name isn't something that can be done on a whim. First, Lu Chuqing's household registration needs to be transferred over, which will inevitably lead to more contact with that scoundrel Liu Fengming.

Thinking of this, a hint of disgust flashed across Lu Ying's face.

But for the sake of her beloved daughter, she had no choice but to endure the disgust and continue to have contact with Liu Fengming.

Looking at the little dumpling sleeping soundly, Lu Ying felt a surge of tenderness in her heart.

Baby, wait for Mommy a little longer.

Mom will take care of everything as soon as possible, and then my daughter and I will begin a new life.

Although we will still be struggling financially for the time being, Mom will work even harder and make sure my baby lives a carefree and happy life.

Even though you don't have a father, you'd be better off without one. Your mother will love you even more and never let you suffer any injustice...