I asked Xiaohui to sit on the sofa and handed her a bottle of iced Sprite.
She gently put the bottle back on the coffee table: "I haven't been feeling well these past two days, so I can't drink anything too cold."
I understood immediately and hurried into the kitchen to make her a cup of hot brown sugar water. When she took the cup, a subtle touch of emotion flashed across her eyes.
"I just moved in and haven't had time to buy ginger and dates yet, so I'll just make do with something hot for now," I explained.
She held the cup, sipping gently, the steam blurring her vision. After a moment, she said softly, "Guan Hongjun, sometimes I really don't know how to look at you. When I hate you, I wish I could tear you apart, chew you up, and swallow you. But when I think of you... I think you're the most caring man in the world."
These words were filled with a kind of heaviness and complexity that shook my heart. I changed the subject: "Do you think this room is okay?"
She took a deep breath, her eyes slowly sweeping across the spacious living room and bright balcony. "It's fine... Thank you, Xiao Min finally has a stable home."
I was worried that she might be upset, so I quickly said, "Pick one too, and I'll buy it for you."
Upon hearing this, she put the cup on the coffee table and said with a barely perceptible sharpness, "Guan Hongjun, do you think that just because you have money you can have beautiful women everywhere? You're wrong. I may not have money, but I have to earn my own money to buy Peng Xiaohui's house!"
My good intentions were met with resistance, and I felt a little embarrassed. I subconsciously moved closer to her and said, "You have such a strong sense of pride! When have I ever treated you as an outsider?"
The tense expression on her face suddenly broke, like spring ice, and a bright smile blossomed. The setting sun shone through the window, casting a soft golden edge on her beautiful profile. The halo had a breathtaking sense of purity. "Not an outsider? Then 'inside,'" she deliberately drawled out her tone, adding a touch of playfulness. "Accompany me to the kitchen. Don't you have a secret guest tonight? You can't let them go out in the cold, can you?"
"Aren't you feeling unwell? Can you touch cold water?" I was a little worried.
"Can't you lend a hand?" She stood up and pulled me up without saying anything. "Washing and picking vegetables are all yours! Let's go!"
We were so close to each other that a faint, unique fragrance of hers quietly entered my nose, which inexplicably lifted my spirits.
They smiled at each other without saying anything more. The two walked into the spacious and bright kitchen one after the other, and the concerto of pots and pans was about to begin.
I was standing by the sink picking vegetables, and she was leaning against the white quartz kitchen counter, looking at me with tenderness in her eyes.
At this moment, Xixi, sleepy-eyed, wandered out of the study. She glanced around vaguely, her eyes immediately locked on Xiaohui and me in the kitchen. She darted in like a happy little deer, threw herself at Xiaohui, hugged her thighs tightly, and called out crisply, "Sister!"
Xiaohui was stunned at first, but then she understood. She glanced at me with a smile and deliberately kept silent.
I quickly asked Xixi: "Are you sure this is Sister Xiaomin?"
The little guy turned his head and asked me seriously in a childish voice, "If this isn't my sister, then who is it?"
I couldn't help laughing and shouted towards the bedroom: "Xiao Min! Come out quickly and explain yourself."
Xiao Min responded and quickly walked out of the bedroom. When she saw the scene in front of her, she instantly understood what was going on and immediately walked into the kitchen.
At this moment, Xixi was completely stunned by the scene before her. She looked at Xiaomin who had just emerged, then looked up at Xiaohui. Her little head was obviously unable to comprehend how two "sisters" could appear at the same time, and they looked exactly the same.
Xiaohui leaned over and picked up Xixi, and asked softly, "You are the legendary little princess Xixi, right?"
Xixi reached out her hand suspiciously, gently touched Xiaohui's cheek, and asked from the depths of her soul, "Who... are you?"
At this time, Xiao Min walked to her sister and patted Xixi's shoulder gently: "Xixi, this is my sister's sister."
"Sister's...sister?" Xixi murmured again, her little brows knitted together in confusion.
I couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. If I kept going on like that, the little princess's head would probably burst into smoke. "Xixi, Xiaomin and her older sister are twins. They were born together and look exactly the same."
Xixi's eyes once again darted back and forth between the two similar faces, as if she still hadn't fully understood the relationship, but her focus had already jumped. "Dad," she suddenly turned to me, her face serious, "Do I have a twin who looks exactly like me?"
This tricky question made the three of us adults burst into laughter. Xiao Min smiled and took Xixi from her sister's arms, kissing her pink cheek. "Our Xixi, you are a one-of-a-kind little princess in this world. You don't have twin sisters."
The little guy's imagination was always unconstrained, and he immediately raised a new question: "Then how can I tell your two sisters apart?"
This question left me speechless for a moment. Yeah, if they were wearing the same clothes, even I probably wouldn't be able to tell them apart instantly—even though I'd been so close to them.
Xiao Hui smiled and replied softly, "It's easy to tell them apart. The one who tends to lose her temper is Xiao Min, and the one who doesn't is me."
I almost couldn't hold back my laughter.
Xiao Min immediately protested coquettishly: "Who likes to lose his temper?"
Xixi nodded seriously and agreed: "Yes, she really loves to lose her temper!"
This time, a louder, more personal burst of laughter erupted from the kitchen.
How I wish this warm moment could be frozen forever. However, beautiful things are always fleeting. Perhaps, cherishing the warmth within reach is the only comfort we ordinary people can offer.
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