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

The first day of the Lunar New Year. The weather was clear and sunny.

The warm sunlight slanted in through the window and shone on the corner of the man's eyes.

Xu Nian squinted, yawned, and woke up from the soft bed.

As soon as he stood up, he felt a dull ache in his lower back, as if he had been overworked.

"Hiss..." He grinned and rubbed his aching lower back.

He was already middle-aged and no longer in control of his own life, while the little devil in his family was at the age where she was as vigorous as a wolf.

How can this be done?

He sighed, rested for a while, then put on his pajamas and went downstairs.

Throughout the journey, he held onto the escalator handrail, his steps somewhat unsteady.

In the kitchen, a graceful figure is diligently working at the stove.

She wore cute pigtails, a cat-patterned pajama top, and an apron with the words "Personally Poisoned" tied around her neck.

Her delicate little hands deftly tossed the pan, and the fried eggs inside sizzled.

Good morning, brother.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around and gave the man coming down the stairs a sweet smile.

"Good morning, Xiaoxi," the man replied with a yawn.

"Brother, breakfast is almost ready."

Xu Xi scraped the crispy fried egg out of the pan.

"Would you like to eat first, or eat me first?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian's drowsiness vanished instantly.

"Uh... let's eat."

He felt a chill in his lower back, and even his speech began to stutter.

The girl was amused and giggled, covering her mouth and letting out a silvery laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you, brother."

She pulled out a chair, took the man's hand, and invited him to sit at the head of the table.

"You've been cooking all this time, thank you so much! Come and try my cooking, how is it? Has it gotten any worse after all this time?"

Xu Nian looked at the plate in front of her and saw a delicate toast.

Freshly baked toast with a soft-boiled fried egg sandwiched in the middle.

The egg whites are crisp and crunchy, while the yolks remain moist and runny, like the soft, golden heart of a young girl.

A few slices of bacon and lettuce are arranged around the dish, smeared with bright red tomato sauce, making it a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, and whetting the appetite.

Xu Nian picked up the toast with both hands, brought it to her mouth, and took a bite.

The semi-solid, semi-liquid, smooth egg yolk, paired with sweet tomato sauce, perfectly balances the dryness of the toast, filling your mouth with a blissful taste.

"Did you make this yourself?"

"Yes, I even ground up black sesame seeds, black beans, black rice, and walnuts and added them in."

The girl's lips curled up slightly, and she placed her small hand on the man's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Eating this way can nourish the kidneys."

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian almost choked.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Xu Xi smiled, took a cup of hot milk from the microwave, and placed it in the man's hand.

"Take a sip, and it'll help you settle down."

Xu Nian picked up the cup and gulped down the drink.

After putting down the cup, he burped and picked a goji berry off his tongue.

"Why are there goji berries in the milk?" he asked, puzzled.

Xu Xi sat in the chair, her hands supporting her chin, cradling her angelic face, and gazing at the man with a smile.

"Brother, this is also good for your health, you should eat more of it in the future."

Xu Nian felt as if her self-esteem had been dealt a massive blow, but there was nothing she could do about it.

He looked at the girl's smiling face and gently pinched it.

Alas, there's nothing we can do. What can we do when there are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not fields that are ruined by plowing?

After finishing her meal, Xu Nian lay on a recliner by the French windows, lazily basking in the sun.

Xu Xi, meanwhile, lay on the sofa, swinging her pink little feet, watching anime on her tablet, and occasionally letting out a silvery laugh.

These few days in the first month of the lunar calendar are a time for families to visit relatives and friends, exchange New Year's greetings, and offer New Year's wishes.

The neighborhood was bustling with activity, filled with families traveling together to visit relatives for the New Year.

For a child who is still quite young, this is definitely the happiest time of the year.

Paying New Year's visits means giving out red envelopes or lucky money.

This was the only way for them to have enough money before they had the financial means and living expenses from their parents.

The toy I wanted to buy has been sitting in my shopping cart for a long time.

They've been drooling over the cool skins in the game for a long time.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with children whose New Year's money is confiscated by their parents.

This is actually understandable, because when children receive New Year's money from relatives, their parents are expected to give the relatives' children an equal amount of New Year's money in return.

New Year's money, seemingly a blessing for children, is actually just a matter of saving face between parents.

For families with average economic conditions, this would be a considerable burden.

Therefore, if one wants both face and substance, taking the money from the child becomes the only way.

Xu Xi was watching anime on her tablet when a transfer notification suddenly popped up on her screen.

"Brother, why are you transferring money to me?"

Xu Xi turned to the side and looked at the man in the sunlight.

"Lucky money."

Xu Nian scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Xu Xi chuckled, put down her tablet, walked over to the man, and sat on his lap.

"Brother, are you giving me lucky money so I'll wish you a Happy New Year?"

"Go ahead and pray if you want."

Xu Nian pinched her cute little face.

To be honest, he only recently learned about the custom of giving New Year's money from short videos.

He felt somewhat guilty because, in the past, as Xu Xi's nominal "guardian" and "elder," he had never given Xu Xi a single penny of New Year's money.

Now that Xu Xi has amassed a fortune that rivals that of a nation, giving him even more New Year's money would only be icing on the cake.

Xu Xi tilted her head slightly, rolled her eyes, and revealed a mischievous smile.

She found a basin in the kitchen, placed it in front of the man, knelt down, bent over, and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"Happy New Year, brother. I wish you good kidneys, plenty of energy, a confident stride, a sore back, strong legs, and the ability to stay calm in crucial moments."

"You little rascal, making fun of me again."

Xu Nian quickly grabbed her pigtails, lifted her up, and laughed and scolded her.

Hahahahaha.

Xu Xi laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, so she simply hugged the man tightly to steady herself.

Xu Nian blushed and sat back down on the recliner. She leisurely took out her phone and began searching for kidney-tonifying and health-preserving medicines on the Sinian Mall.

Damn it, I, a dignified seven-foot-tall man, have actually been reduced to being mocked by a little girl.

This is intolerable! Sooner or later, this brat will have to learn his lesson.