Chapter 24: A New Character Appears!

An-an’s days passed by in a gentle blur: Mr. Lu and Mr. Yin occasionally vying for her favor, Yin Yuanxun stopping by to whisk her away for the day, Lu Huaiche taking her out for adventures, and the occasional trips accompanying Lu Jinqiao to the office.

In the blink of an eye, An-an had been with the Lu family for three months.

It was November now, and the temperature in H Province had plummeted into the single digits. Sudden gusts of wind and sharp, erratic temperature drops made catching a cold all too easy. Fortunately, An-an was kept well-protected, so the viruses steered clear of her.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll discuss it with Jinqiao once he’s back, and then I’ll let you know."

"Sure, let’s leave it at that. I’m hanging up now."

Mr. Lu ended the call and let out a long, weary sigh. What a mess this was.

Seeing the worried expression on Mr. Lu’s face, Uncle Chen asked, "What’s wrong, sir?"

Mr. Lu reached out and grabbed Uncle Chen’s arm, acting like a child. "Oh, Chen, it’s nothing much, really. It’s just an old friend of mine. Their family's internal power struggles have become so chaotic that the younger generation is suffering the consequences."

"Take that boy from the Song family, for instance—the one about the same age as A-Che. He injured his leg during one of their family infights, and it still hasn't healed. The doctors say there’s not much hope for a full recovery."

"His parents recently found out about some specialists abroad, so they’re planning to take him there for treatment. But with his leg and his overall condition, he isn't fit for the rigors of travel. They were hoping to send him here to stay for a while."

"I don't know if Jinqiao will agree, though. I’ll have to talk it over with him when he gets home."

"Ugh, what a headache!"

Uncle Chen patted Mr. Lu’s hand. "Don't fret too much. Miss An-an should be waking up soon. Shouldn't you go check on her?"

At the mere mention of An-an, Mr. Lu instantly cast his worries aside and went to find her.

An-an wasn't quite fully awake yet. She was sprawled face-down, bottom in the air, arms splayed to the sides. If one listened closely, they could hear the soft, rhythmic sound of her snoring.

Seeing this sleeping posture, Mr. Lu suppressed a chuckle. He leaned in to gently turn her over, fearing she might wake herself up if she couldn't breathe properly.

To his surprise, the movement woke her right up. An-an’s eyes were half-open, clearly still battling sleepiness; one eye remained shut while the other struggled to stay open.

"Goodnight, Great-Grandpa... An-an will get up in a second."

Mr. Lu laughed and glanced at Uncle Chen. "Look at how sleepy she is."

Uncle Chen chuckled and nodded. "Haha, Miss An-an is truly adorable, but if she doesn't wake up soon, she’ll miss breakfast."

At the mention of food, An-an’s eyes snapped open.

"Hmm!? Eat! An-an wants to eat!"

As she spoke, she struggled to push herself up, kneeling on the bed with her upper body slumped limply in Mr. Lu’s arms, her eyes still mostly closed. "Want to eat, An-an wants to eat-eat!"

"Great-Grandpa eat too, mustn't be hungry. Grandpa Chen eat too, everyone eat." An-an mumbled, waving her tiny hands vaguely.

Mr. Lu chuckled and carried her to the bathroom. Together with Uncle Chen, they helped her wash up, by which point An-an was fully alert. She hopped out of Mr. Lu’s arms and found Cheng Han to help her change.

Since it wasn't cold inside, An-an was dressed in a light, fleece-lined outfit. Today, she was wearing a green dinosaur costume, complete with a tail and a hood. As soon as she put it on, Cheng Han was absolutely smitten. She scooped An-an up and gave her a big hug. "What a little cutie!"

An-an was still dazed; there was no mirror in the room, so she had no idea what she looked like.

As soon as she stepped out, Mr. Lu started cackling, pulling out his phone to film her from every angle. Because An-an was so small, the high-angle perspective made her look even tinier, as if she could be held in the palm of a single hand.

An-an tilted her head to look up, but the hood blocked her view. She raised her tiny arms, trying to push the hood back, but she couldn't quite figure it out. Her short arms could barely reach the top of her head—and that was only when she looked down. Since she wasn't looking down, she was just swatting at the air, failing to hit the hood.

Mr. Lu stood by, watching without helping, faithfully recording every move.

"Ah! So cute, so cute! An-an is so adorable! Old Lu is so cunning!" came the voice of Mr. Yin