Later that night—
She laid Luoli down gently.
His tiny hand clutched her sleeve even in sleep.
She carefully slipped away and sat at the edge of the bed.
The room was quiet.
Mr. Shen's business card lay on the small desk.
Opportunity.
She picked it up.
Should I accept?
A stable job at a studio…
Regular hours.
Better pay.
Real growth.
She imagined daycare.
Luoli standing at the entrance.
Lower lip trembling.
"Mom…?"
Her chest tightened instantly.
No Not now.
He was still too small.
She placed the card back down.
"When you're older," she murmured softly. "We'll think about it then."
Her gaze drifted to the calendar.
One month.
His third birthday.
Three.
Time was moving too fast.
What would the original Qinran have gotten him?
The thought came quietly.
And stayed.
She didn't know.
"…I'll ask tomorrow."
For now — Let's sleep.
The Next Day
"Boss, Nana" she asked casually while wiping a table, "what do three-year-olds like? I want to buy something nice for Luoli."
Nana immediately perked up.
"Toys! Loud ones!"
The Boss gave her a measured look.
"What does Luoli like?"
"He likes the PC…"
Nana froze.
"…That's concerning"
Qinran ignored her.
A thought began forming.
Instead of buying something—
What if she made something?
A small game.
Simple.
Colorful.
Just for him.
Her fingers twitched unconsciously.
That… would be better.
Later That Night
She searched for ideas.
Toddler games.
Learning apps.
Color matching.
Puzzle tapping.
Too complex.
Too boring.
Too generic.
She frowned.
"…Why is everything either annoying or lifeless?"
She leaned back.
Maybe asking would be easier.
She opened the developer forum again.
"What would be a good, simple game idea for a 3-year-old?"
She posted the question and went to sleep
The Next Morning
Dozens of replies.
She scrolled while sipping her coffee.
"Oh… animal clicking game"
Tap an animal.
It makes a sound.
Bright colors.
Big buttons.
Simple.
Loud.
She glanced at Luoli still sleeping, mouth slightly open.
She chuckled.
"Yeah… that's definitely you."
She finished her coffee in one go.
Set the mug down.
Opened her laptop.
"Alright," she murmured.
"Let's build something just for you."
At work—
She stared at the code on the screen.
If I use that optimization Beichuan mentioned…
Her fingers paused on the keyboard.
Beichuan.
The name slipped out before she could stop it.
"…Oh. Sorry— could you repeat that?"
"I want to renew my membership," the customer said impatiently.
Qinran blinked and straightened.
"Yes. Of course."
She processed the payment automatically.
But her thoughts lingered.
Beichuan would've laughed at how simple this was.
She shook her head lightly.
Focus.
That life was over.
Late that night—
The room was dim except for the glow of her laptop.
Colorful animal icons filled the screen.
Rounded edges.
Oversized buttons.
Simple code.
"Alright…" she muttered. "If I press this…"
Click.
A deafening dog bark exploded through the speakers.
WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
The sound tore through the quiet apartment.
Qinran froze.
Ohno
From the bed—
A sharp inhale.
Then crying.
"Waaahhh—!"
She rushed over instantly, scooping Luoli into her arms.
"It's okay, it's okay… I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
She held him close, gently patting his back.
"My fault. I should've lowered the volume…"
He sniffled against her shoulder.
She rocked him slowly.
The laptop screen still glowed behind her.
Dog icon smiling innocently.
"…We'll fix that" she muttered quietly.
After a while, his breathing steadied.
He fell asleep again.
Qinran didn't return to the desk immediately.
Instead, she sat there holding him.
Two weeks before his birthday—
"You look tired Miyah"
Nana leaned over the counter, squinting at her face.
Qinran blinked.
"Do I?"
"You have those… dark half-moons under your eyes"
"…They're called eye bags"
"Yeah. Those"
Qinran smiled faintly.
"It's nothing. Just a project"
From behind the register, the Boss spoke without looking up.
"Personal or paid?"
Qinran paused.
"…Personal"
The Boss hummed quietly.
"That's usually the harder kind"
Silence lingered.
Qinran didn't respond.