The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Five meters, four meters, three meters...

As she got closer and closer to the shadowy figure, Xu Nian's heart leaped into her throat.

In a daze, he saw a thin, hairy thing swaying gently in the darkness.

Xu Nian's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously shivered.

It really is a mouse! Even its tail is showing!

Finally, after the shadowy figure entered his attack range, Xu Nian raised his broom high and let out a loud shout to bolster his courage.

"You stinking rat, damn it!"

Then, he suddenly exerted force with his hand, swung the broom, and slammed it down hard.

"what!"

The scream did not come from Xu Nian, but from the dark figure.

Xu Nian was startled and paused for a moment, the broom in her hand hovering in mid-air.

Taking advantage of the brief moment, the dark figure quickly took two steps back, curled up into a ball, and said tremblingly, "Don't...don't hit me! It's me!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Xu Nian was startled.

He quickly turned on the kitchen light and was shocked to find that the dark shape wasn't a mouse at all, but Xu Xi wearing her Togepi pajamas!

And that gently swaying "tail" is actually the ahoge (cowlick) on the top of her head!

"Little...Little Stream?" Xu Nian was completely bewildered. "Weren't you sleeping in bed? How did you end up in the kitchen?"

Xu Xi covered her face, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I...I..." she stammered, "I heard noises in the kitchen, so I came to check if a mouse had gotten into the house..."

Just then, an instant noodle packet slipped out of her pajama pocket at an inopportune moment, landing on the floor with a crisp rustling sound.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Xu Nian stared at the packet of Master Kong Spicy Beef Noodles and couldn't help but chuckle.

"There really are mice in the house, but it's you, the big mouse."

"Ah! No...no, let me explain...ah, no...explain!"

Xu Xi waved her two little hands in the air, and steam seemed to rise from the top of her head.

"This...this instant noodles weren't taken by me. Who put them in my pocket? Who was it?"

With that, she grabbed Mai Mai by the back of the neck, who had rushed over to see what was going on, and lifted her up, demanding fiercely, "Was it you? You little glutton, you secretly hid the instant noodles in my pocket?"

"Meow meow meow?"

Countless question marks rose in Mai Mai's head. She stared innocently at Xu Xi's blushing cheeks, as if to say: I'm not human, but you really are a dog!

Xu Nian suppressed a laugh, stepped forward to rescue Mai Mai from the "ruthless iron hand," bent down to pick up the instant noodles on the ground, and said with a half-smile.

"Since this packet of instant noodles was hidden in your pocket by an unknown suspect, I'll take the trouble to confiscate this 'stolen item' for you."

"No...no...no...no, no, no, damme damme!"

Xu Xi suddenly reached out her little hand and grabbed the corner of the instant noodle packaging bag. She raised her little head and stared at Xu Nian with teary eyes, her eyes filled with grievance.

Seeing that the little girl had completely lost her composure, Xu Nian couldn't hold back any longer. Clutching her stomach, she burst into laughter: "No, Xiao Xi, didn't you want to eat healthy boiled vegetables without oil, salt, or sugar? Do you know how long it will take your body to metabolize this packet of instant noodles?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xi's face suddenly flushed. She looked around and, finding no one else to blame, simply buried her head in her knees, turning herself into an ostrich.

Xu Nian chuckled, tore open the instant noodle packaging, sniffed the faint oil and salt smell on the noodles, and immediately let out an extremely comfortable groan.

This feeling is like a lost traveler who has been trapped in the desert for a long time seeing an oasis in the distance. Even before tasting the sweet spring water, he has already gained a great sense of satisfaction.

Seeing the man's blissful expression, Xu Xi could no longer restrain herself. She pounced on him, waving her small hands, trying to snatch the instant noodles from his hands.

"I found the instant noodles first, give them back to me!"

"Didn't you say you wanted a light diet? You can't eat oily and salty foods like instant noodles!"

"Ugh, I don't care anymore! We can worry about light meals later, just let me have one bite... just one bite!"

......

After arguing for two and a half minutes, the two finally reached an agreement to split the instant noodles in half.

The moment the lid was lifted, a fragrant, spicy, and salty aroma filled the room.

The brother and sister drooled as soon as they smelled the aroma.

In no time, the two of them devoured the bowl of instant noodles, leaving not a single drop of soup behind.

Xu Nian rubbed her stomach, still feeling unsatisfied.

He swore that this bowl of instant noodles was the most delicious food he had eaten in years, and that even the high-end Western food in five-star hotels could not compare to its taste.

He glanced sideways at Xu Xi beside him, who was holding a bowl of instant noodles, her pink little tongue sticking out as she secretly licked the bottom of the bowl. He smiled gently and teased, "What, not eating your boiled vegetables anymore?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xi's cheeks flushed red, and she mumbled in a barely audible whisper, "Boiled vegetables... they're so awful. I feel like my stomach has been craving them for days."

"Me too," Xu Nian sighed. "That stuff is just so hard to swallow. Who on earth is advocating eating boiled vegetables to stay healthy?"

"It's this video blogger." Xu Xi said as she took out her phone, scrolled to a video account page, and handed it to Xu Nian.

"This person specializes in teaching parenting knowledge, and each of their videos gets a high number of views."

Xu Nian glanced at her twice and asked curiously, "Is she a doctor at which hospital?"

"No." Xu Xi shook her head. "She's also a mother, and she shares her pregnancy and parenting experiences online."

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian frowned: "Why don't we ask the doctor if there's any merit to eating boiled vegetables for health?"

"You're right." Xu Xi nodded and then dialed Leng Huaqiu's number.

"Wait a minute." Xu Nian's lips twitched. "Isn't he a psychiatrist? Not an obstetrician. What's the point of asking her?"

"Sister Qiu used to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, but the sanatorium's obstetrics and gynecology doctor positions were full, so she switched to becoming a psychologist."

While Xu Xi was explaining, the call was connected, and Leng Huaqiu's yawning, sleepy voice came from the other end.

"Coming to see me so late at night, you certainly didn't come here to flirt, did you? Tell me, what happened?"

......