Chapter 56: Coaxing to Sleep

The girl wore a long-sleeve pajama printed with a small bear cartoon, with lace flowers on the collar and hem pockets.

She looked very cute.

Muyin, come.

Shu Shu walked to the dressing table, greeted Pei Muyin to sit on the soft stool, then used two small clips to pin Pei Muyin's hair to one side, picked up a bottle of moisturizer, opened the cap, scooped some out from the inner opening, applied it to her hands, melted it with her palm's warmth, then slowly spread it on Pei Muyin's face.

While applying, she said, "Even in air-conditioned rooms in summer it can get dry, so we need to pay attention to moisturizing."

A gentle touch came from her cheeks, accompanied by a faint fragrance; together they felt like a soft warmth spreading to her limbs.

Pei Muyin quietly lifted her eyelids, looking at Shu Shu who was close at hand.

Her gaze quietly fell on Shu Shu's long eyelashes, sparkling peach-blossom eyes, delicate nose bridge, and flawless fair skin.

Then she shyly pressed her lower lip.

Sister, you're so beautiful...

"All right." After a moment, Shu Shu lowered her hand, bent over, gazed at her, and said, "Such a pretty face should be well protected, right?"

"Thank you, sister."

Shu Shu: "Muyin, can you promise me one thing?"

Upon hearing that, Pei Muyin sat up straight and listened seriously: "Mm-hmm."

"From now on, don't say thank you to me." Shu Shu said, "I know you're a very well-behaved, polite good child, but you see we've known each other for a long time, we're familiar, we are... very good friends, right? Between good friends there's no need to always say thank you, okay?"

"... Okay."

Pei Muyin agreed.

Shu Shu patted the girl's head: "It's late, let's go, time to sleep."

…

Shu Shu asked Pei Muyin whether she was used to sleeping on the left or right side; Pei Muyin said either is fine.

Until she lay in bed and covered herself with the quilt, Pei Muyin still felt that moving to live with Auntie Mùsī's home and living together with Auntie Mùsī was unreal, like a dream.

Shu Shu adjusted the bedside lamp to a brightness suitable for sleep, tucked the quilt for Pei Muyin, then said to her, "Good night."

Pei Muyin hugged the stuffed bear in her arms: "Sister, good night."

About ten or so minutes passed.

Shu Shu turned her head and saw Pei Muyin still awake, eyes open: "What's wrong, can't you sleep? Are you a bit not used to the bed?"

"No, I'm not not used to the bed." Probably because the night made the whole world quiet, Pei Muyin spoke softly: "Maybe it's because I'm a bit too happy, so I can't sleep."

After saying that, the girl gave a light laugh, looking truly in a good mood.

Shu Shu also chuckled, then thought and said to Pei Muyin: "I have a method that can help with sleep; want to try it?"

Pei Muyin: "Mm-hmm, okay."

Only saw Shu Shu turn to her side, lie up a bit, and open her arms toward Pei Muyin.

Pei Muyin first froze for a second, then understood, and without hesitation dove into Shu Shu's embrace.

Shu Shu slipped one hand around Pei Muyin's neck, the other hand rested on her back, gently patting, while softly humming: "In the blue sky's galaxy, there is a little white boat; on the boat grows an osmanthus tree; white rabbits play..."

It is one of very ordinary lullabies.

Pei Muyin always knew that Auntie Mùsī had a nice voice; she plays the violin, so she is especially sensitive to sound.

She felt that Auntie Mùsī's humming was pitch-perfect, and the voice carried a special tenderness; entering her ears, it was a warm auditory feast.

A faint orange fruit scent lingered at the tip of her nose; as Pei Muyin listened, her nerves unconsciously relaxed.

Drowsiness gradually came; just before she was about to fall asleep, Pei Muyin moved closer into Shu Shu's embrace, murmuring half-asleep: "Sister, I actually have always wanted to tell you, your scent smells wonderful, it always makes me feel especially warm, I can't help wanting to get close to you."

The last syllable faded softly, and the girl's even breathing could also be heard.

She had fallen asleep, not noticing that Shu Shu's patting had stopped, and her eye sockets had already become moist sometime earlier.

…

Shu Shu still remembers that heart-wrenching day.

She wore a hospital gown, her lips pallid, ignoring the nurses' obstruction, weakly and firmly came to the hospital mortuary.

The doctor took out a black bag from a freezer.

Cold air drifted out, the sound of the zipper opening was like a saw repeatedly cutting at Shu Shu's trembling heart; then she watched, wide-eyed, as a curled-up little infant appeared before her.

So tiny, so tiny, just quietly closing her eyes, her little hands clenched into fists against her chin, looking so well-behaved, as if lowering her head to kiss her cheek would make her whimper awake and come seeking her mother's embrace.

But the reality was, her whole body was bluish, she had already lost breath.

Shu Shu's tears streamed down her face, a feeling of suffocation swept her mind, she opened her mouth, so grief-stricken she couldn't even cry out.

Obviously every prenatal checkup result was healthy, the two babies were growing well in the womb day by day, just waiting to personally meet this world, and she would give them the best of everything in this world.

But why did this happen, she repeatedly blamed herself and reviewed every step.

The doctor beside her repeatedly comforted, saying childbirth itself is extremely risky and cannot be guaranteed 100%, then expressed their regret.

Shu Shu never imagined her daughter was still alive.

How was she swapped, and how did she end up beside that person.

Shu Shu's phone still retained the investigation information from two hours ago, which said that after many years, the doctor and nurse who performed that delivery for her had either retired or transferred away.

In short, they lost trace.

What a loss of trace.

…

Emerging from the memory, Shu Shu only felt a chill all over, but soon warmth came from the embrace and palm, dispelling the chill.

She lowered her gaze and saw the girl's lips slightly curved, the peaceful sight of her asleep.

Shu Shu raised her hand to gently sweep aside Pei Muyin's bangs, lowered her head, closed her eyelids, and pressed affectionately, self-reproachfully, against the daughter's forehead.

"Baby, sorry, it's Mom's fault, I didn't protect you well."

From now on, it won't happen.

…

At that moment, on the other side of the wall, was Shu Lingchen's room.

The boy has always been carefree and outgoing; even his sleeping posture is sprawled, with one foot hanging off the bed, the blanket pulled askew.

He breathed evenly, sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed beneath his messy black hair, and unconsciously in his sleep he lifted a hand to cover his chest.

For some unknown reason, a sore, aching feeling came from there, a sensation of being pulled.