Wang Qiqi didn't wake up until well past noon. She had originally planned to go to her Great Aunt’s house to drop off a gift, but she was simply too exhausted. So, she called Song Yao and told her to come by in the evening to pick up the presents instead.

Hearing that Wang Qiqi was back, Song Yao immediately grew excited, clutching Taotao as she hailed a cab to Qiqi’s place. Just as Qiqi had finished a small bite to eat and was preparing to go back to bed, she heard a knock at the door.

Feeling puzzled, Wang Qiqi opened it to find Song Yao there. “Sister, why are you here?” Checking the time, she wondered if Song Yao had rushed over the moment she got off the phone—that was way too impatient.

Song Yao grunted an acknowledgment, placing Taotao on the sofa before heading straight to Qiqi’s kitchen as if she owned the place, rummaging through the cupboards for food.

Wang Qiqi really wanted to remind her that she’d only just returned yesterday and hadn't restocked anything, but she worried about what would happen if Taotao shifted on the sofa and tumbled off. It was summer, and there were no thick blankets to cushion a fall. If anything happened, Song Yao, as the mother, would face scolding from Wang Damei, and Qiqi herself wouldn't escape blame either. Busy tending to Taotao, Wang Qiqi forgot to warn Song Yao.

After searching every cabinet, Song Yao finally looked dejected. “Ahhh, Qiqi, how come you don’t have a single thing to eat in this house!” No snacks, no fruit—this shocked Song Yao immensely. She knew Wang Qiqi liked to snack on fruit while playing computer games or watching TV and usually restocked diligently; it was impossible for her house to be out of snacks.

“I got home yesterday and crashed immediately. How could I have food?” Wang Qiqi shot her an exasperated look. She had clearly told Song Yao when she was returning, yet Song Yao acted as if there should be snacks stocked up. “When are you leaving?” If Song Yao planned to stay a while longer, Qiqi would go buy some food; if they were leaving right away, she wouldn't bother.

“After we eat dinner, we’ll wait for your brother-in-law to pick us up.” Song Yao thought to herself, Leave me and my kid? Not so easily. “Your brother-in-law and the others have a banquet tonight; it’s just me and Taotao at home.” Otherwise, why would she have rushed out with Taotao so quickly? It wasn't just that she didn't mind the trouble; the others wouldn't have agreed anyway.

“Auntie is going too?” That couldn’t be right. While it was normal for her Great Aunt to attend such functions before, since Song Yao became pregnant and gave birth, Auntie had been avoiding social engagements whenever possible.

Song Yao nodded. “It seems the factory received some big honor, and the company is throwing a huge celebratory dinner. Dad took Mom with him. Mom headed straight there after getting off work. As for your brother-in-law, he has overtime tonight.” So, Song Yao’s intention was perfectly clear: they were staying here for dinner.

Fine, so they came to raid the landlord. “I’ll take a nap first, then I’ll go buy some food.” She was truly exhausted; even after sleeping for more than ten hours, Wang Qiqi still felt worn out.

Watching Wang Qiqi yawn constantly, with dark circles prominent under her eyes, Song Yao couldn't help but ask with concern, “Was the trip very tiring?”

Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. “And on the flight back, the person next to me snored the whole way, making it impossible to sleep.” The first few days of the trip were actually nice—sightseeing and browsing everywhere. But the last day was incredibly stressful: all the shopping and queuing for tax refunds. She’d counted on sleeping on the plane, but that unexpected... alas, a complete miscalculation. However, this lesson ensured Wang Qiqi would never travel without earplugs and an eye mask again; otherwise, if she met another passenger like that, she seriously thought about jumping out of the plane. “And I have to take the train to the capital tomorrow night. Just thinking about it is tiring.” Already tired, Wang Qiqi felt she was truly leading a miserable existence by this point.

Song Yao understood. No wonder Wang Qiqi didn't even have time to deliver gifts; it turned out this was the reason. “It’s okay, it’s okay. You take Taotao and go to sleep; I’ll go buy groceries.” Song Yao thought that since the other person was this worn out, she should be the one to shop. “Get some good sleep, we’re counting on you for dinner.”

Wang Qiqi mumbled an acknowledgment and carried Taotao toward the room. If it had been a different child, Wang Qiqi would have preferred going grocery shopping to staying inside, simply because other babies were so fussy. But Taotao was different; he was very quiet, only making noise when he needed to relieve himself or was hungry.

“Oh, right, Qiqi, check on Taotao to see if he needs to pee in about half an hour.” Song Yao suddenly remembered something: she had just breastfed Taotao before leaving. Calculating the time, the little guy would need to go soon. Unsure if she could make it back in time, she reminded Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi acknowledged with an "Oh," waving her hand to show she would take good care of Taotao. Song Yao looked at Qiqi, swaying slightly with her eyes already drooping, and initially considered delaying her trip out. But then she realized if she didn't leave now, she might not have anything to eat for the next half hour? Song Yao reasoned that perhaps Wang Qiqi would remember, or, at worst, she could just hurry up.

Wang Qiqi placed Taotao on the bed and immediately drifted off to sleep while holding him. She had initially planned to wake up later to check if Taotao needed to pee, but the moment she entered deep sleep, Wang Qiqi completely forgot.

Song Yao returned with heavy bags loaded with snacks, drinks, and groceries, and immediately headed to the room to check on her sleeping son. When she pushed the door open, she saw water seeping out from under the duvet. She rushed to the bedside and found that the baby’s clothes were soaked, as were Wang Qiqi’s clothes. The blanket covering them was even worse off.

Song Yao quickly carried Taotao out to the living room, changed his wet clothes, gave him a quick bath with warm water, and dressed him in dry clothes. After all this fuss, Taotao finally woke up. Song Yao talked to him for a long time, played with him, and coaxed him into drinking some milk before finally settling him back to sleep. Although Taotao was generally sleepy, the doctor had said this was normal because he was premature, so sleeping a lot was beneficial. Now, anyone at home who saw Taotao awake would tell him stories or make funny faces. The effort paid off, as Taotao now had a bit more focus when looking at people.

After Song Yao managed to lull Taotao back to sleep, she noticed Wang Qiqi still hadn't emerged. She worried Qiqi might be sleeping right in the puddle without realizing it. When she entered the room, she found Wang Qiqi completely wrapped in the damp duvet, still snoring loudly.

Song Yao was speechless. What kind of sleeping skill was this? But it also proved just how much Qiqi had suffered on this trip. Normally, if Taotao had wet the bed onto her before, Wang Qiqi would have jumped up three feet high, immediately rushing to change clothes. Yet this time, she slept like a log—how exhausted must she be? While Song Yao genuinely wanted Qiqi to sleep longer, she then considered how Qiqi would react when she finally woke up to see herself in this state—wouldn't she scream? That would only make her angrier.

Weighing the options, Song Yao gently shook Wang Qiqi awake. Since Wang Qiqi was in a deep slumber, being disturbed by Song Yao naturally tested her temper.

But before Wang Qiqi could snap, she felt a strange wetness on her body. Given the lingering heat of early autumn, Wang Qiqi had been sleeping with the air conditioning on; sweat was impossible. The current situation could only mean one thing: the dreadful little child had wet the bed.

This realization made Wang Qiqi shriek. Sensing trouble, Song Yao quickly moved to cover Wang Qiqi’s mouth. “Taotao is sleeping outside, don’t say anything...”

Wang Qiqi immediately shook her head. Although Taotao was generally a good baby, that only applied when he woke up on his own. If his sleep was disturbed by external factors, the little master wouldn't be polite, and he’d start wailing, which Wang Qiqi absolutely couldn't handle.

Seeing that Wang Qiqi was refraining from shouting, Song Yao removed her hand and made an apologetic gesture. What choice did Wang Qiqi have but to forgive? Should she storm over to the sleeping child and lecture him? Forget it; such foolishness, if known, would only bring shame. “I’m going to take a shower and wash this duvet.” Sigh, normally she’d just wash the sheets, but thanks to the shameless little man, Wang Qiqi couldn’t just let the duvet go without a proper wash. “Thank goodness I’m leaving tomorrow, or I’d have to pack all this up, otherwise...” Wang Qiqi playfully shook her fist at Song Yao, signaling that otherwise, she wouldn’t let the little dumpling off so easily... damn him.

Song Yao didn't take Wang Qiqi’s threat seriously. Of course, as the mother, she couldn't let her son's mistake go without making amends. “I’ll help wipe down the straw mat.” It was a blessing that Wang Qiqi hadn’t used a thick mattress pad, or it would have created a massive headache, with no space on the balcony to dry everything.

After Wang Qiqi finished cleaning everything up and hung the duvet on the balcony to dry, just as she was about to sit down for a rest, she discovered the culprit, Taotao, was awake again. She immediately clustered around him, making funny faces and muttering, “You little rascal, trying to work your little aunt to death, huh?” Wang Qiqi thought, This little thing—if I can’t use corporal punishment, can’t I just nag you to death? To emphasize her anger, Wang Qiqi deliberately put on a stern, angry face.

Faced with Wang Qiqi’s scowl and her nonstop chatter, Taotao remained perfectly calm, showing no sign of crying. This infuriated Wang Qiqi further. “Hey, you brat, don’t you think I have ways to deal with you?” Wasn't this a direct challenge to her status as an elder? This was absolutely unacceptable; Wang Qiqi felt she needed to educate Taotao properly right then and there.

【Red Chamber’s Allure】 Author: Ye Yu Jing He Synopsis: The cannon fodder family of Red Chamber powerfully counterattacks, bringing their baby along.