"Auntie, I don't want to eat this," Li Xinyue threw down her chopsticks in a tantrum.
"Be good, Xinyue~ This is all we have for dinner tonight. I'll make you something delicious tomorrow, okay?" Li Yaoyao tried to suppress her irritation and comfort her.
"I want it now. I want meat. Make it for me, or I'll tell Mom and Dad you're abusing me." Li Xinyue threw a fit unreasonably.
"Xinyue, Auntie doesn't have any meat right now."
Li Yaoyao gnashed her teeth in hatred. You little brat. If it weren't for the task, she wouldn't have told her brother and sister-in-law that she'd bring her niece to the show.
"They all have it!" Li Xinyue pointed at Nuannuan's table and said indignantly.
"Miss Li, shall we give you this plate of stir-fried preserved sausage?" Fang Zhongwen didn't want the child's fuss to make everyone uncomfortable. After asking the others at the table, he brought the dish over.
"Brother Fang, that's not appropriate."
Li Yaoyao still wanted to decline a few more words, but Li Xinyue directly scooped up a spoonful of sausage and ate it with relish.
Chen Yi looked at the used stir-fried preserved sausage with disdain, but the temptation of meat was too much. After a tiring and hungry afternoon, she also reached out and took a bite.
"This girl is too much of a handful! I thought naughty kids were all boys."
"This child is spoiled at home."
"She's so arrogant!"
"Chen Yi is also thick-skinned. She looked disgusted but her hand didn't stop moving."
"I really can't watch this. The meat that the brother and Nuannuan got is benefiting these people."
After dinner, Li Yaoyao, feigning virtue, offered to wash the dishes for everyone to thank them for sharing the food. The three men didn't stand on ceremony and handed them over to her.
The day's live broadcast also came to an end. The director ignored the audience's wails and ruthlessly closed the livestream.
"Nuannuan, Fourth Uncle has prepared the bathwater for you. Can you wash yourself?" Although Nuannuan was only three years old, Ye Jingxing felt a bit awkward washing her himself.
"Okay, Fourth Uncle needs to help Nuannuan take off her clothes." Nuannuan said softly.
"Ah? Oh, okay. Fourth Uncle will take you in."
Ye Jingxing nervously helped Nuannuan take off her little dress and, with trembling hands, began to help her with her top.
"Fourth Uncle, are you sick?" Nuannuan asked curiously, looking at Ye Jingxing's trembling hands.
"It's nothing. Fourth Uncle is just a little nervous."
Ye Jingxing averted his gaze, quickly took off Nuannuan's top, wrapped her in a towel, and placed her in the bathtub.
"Nuannuan, you wash first. Call Fourth Uncle when you're done." He then hurried out, even leaving the door ajar.
Nuannuan looked down at the little panties on her body, sighed, and clumsily took them off.
Outside the door, Li Yaoyao knocked on Ye Jingxing's door.
"What is it?" Ye Jingxing looked at her warily, keeping the door half-open and blocking her from entering.
"Actor Ye, may I borrow your bathroom? The public bathroom downstairs is too crowded, and my Xinyue is insisting on taking a bath." Li Yaoyao tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and spoke with a slight blush.
"I'm sorry, but we need it too." He said, about to close the door.
"I'll just borrow the bathroom, and I can help Nuannuan bathe. It must be inconvenient for a grown man to look after his niece, right?" Li Yaoyao pushed against the door, revealing her motive.
Ye Jingxing frowned, feeling that this woman was somehow different towards Nuannuan, and became even more cautious.
"No need, Nuannuan is very independent and can wash herself. I don't like sharing bathrooms with outsiders. You should wait for the one downstairs!" With that, he slammed the door shut.
Outside the door, Li Yaoyao walked back with a contorted expression.
"I told you your plan was unreliable. Now you can't even get close to a child," the system taunted.
"Shut up! You can't do anything but make sarcastic remarks. Don't all systems in novels have items? Why don't you?"
Li Yaoyao gritted her teeth in hatred, having never been shut out by a man before.
"Is affection gained through items real? We want Ye Jinghuai to genuinely fall in love with you. If items could be used, would it be your turn?"
"Also, you dare to dislike me? Have you forgotten the punishment I gave you?" the system threatened sinisterly.
Li Yaoyao shuddered at the thought of being electrocuted.
"I'm sorry, System. It's my fault. I'll find another way."
"Hmph! You know better. I advise you to find the mission target as soon as possible and stop wasting your time here."
"Fourth Uncle~" Nuannuan walked out wearing a small bath towel.
"Nuannuan, why did you come out yourself? The bathtub is slippery, did you fall?" Ye Jingxing walked over nervously, picked her up, and checked her all over.
Nuannuan curled her toes and shook her head.
"Here, Fourth Uncle will help you put on your clothes." He took the nightgown from the bed and put it on Nuannuan, then casually tucked her into the covers.
"Nuannuan, you sleep first. Fourth Uncle will be back soon." Ye Jingxing patted Nuannuan's little head, which was peeking out from under the covers, and turned to take his bath.
When Ye Jingxing returned, Nuannuan was already asleep. He quietly got into bed, holding the fluffy little body, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, Nuannuan was still sleeping on his chest, drooling.
Ye Jingxing didn't mind. He lay there for a while playing with Nuannuan's little hands and feet, kissed her cheeks, and then woke her up.
"Ah! It's starting. Yesterday ended too suddenly, so I've been waiting since early this morning."
"Wow! Nuannuan looks so cute when she sleeps, even her drooling is adorable."
"Brother's expression is so doting!"
"Ahhh! I want to play with Nuannuan's little hands and feet too."
"Seeing Brother wake up so early makes me happy!"
"Nuannuan, it's time to get up!" Ye Jingxing pinched Nuannuan's soft, tender cheeks.
"Mmmph~ Fourth Uncle~" Her small voice was enough to melt anyone's heart.
"Good girl~ The sun is going to warm your bottom." He said, patting Nuannuan's little bottom.
"Okay, Nuannuan is getting up." She sat up softly, still resting on Ye Jingxing's chest, her eyes squinted and not fully open.
Ye Jingxing suddenly sat up, almost tipping Nuannuan over, but then she was caught by a pair of large hands.
"Ah! Fourth Uncle is bad!" Nuannuan woke up instantly.
"Fourth Uncle is wrong. It's my fault for scaring Nuannuan." Ye Jingxing leaned in and rubbed his face against Nuannuan's.
"Hahaha, Fourth Uncle, Nuannuan is so ticklish~" Nuannuan laughed and dodged. Ye Jingxing insisted on rubbing against her, and they started playing on the bed.
By the time they were ready and went out, half an hour had passed.
Before leaving, Nuannuan wanted Ye Jingxing to tie her hair. Ye Jingxing fumbled and tied Nuannuan's hair into a loose ponytail.
"Nuannuan, can sister help you re-do your hair?"
Li Yaoyao, having calmed her emotions after a night's reflection, looked at Nuannuan's messy hairstyle and spoke gently.
"Okay~ Thank you, sister." Although Nuannuan found this person strange, she really didn't want to wear such a messy hairstyle.
"Nuannuan's hair is so fine and soft, it's really lovely. Shall sister style it beautifully for you?" Li Yaoyao intended to get closer.
Li Xinyue, seeing her aunt's attitude towards Nuannuan, which was different from her own, looked at Nuannuan with jealousy.
"Thank you, sister. Nuannuan wants cute little pigtails."
"Okay, I'll style them into little pigtails for you." Li Yaoyao said with a gentle expression.
"Mmm-hmm~" Nuannuan responded cutely.
"Uh, I'm actually feeling a sense of mother-daughter affection."
"Upstairs, stop it! Li Yaoyao will never be Nuannuan's mother."
"Don't just ship them, okay? It's just tying hair."
"But I still feel like this woman is being fake."
"I'm telling you guys, don't be so malicious. I think the girl is quite nice, patient and gentle with the child."
"Heh heh~"