Baobao's arms tightened around Guiying's neck. She buried her face in his collar like she hadn't heard.
Three years old and already an expert at pretending not to understand.
Guiying didn't pry her off. He just shifted her weight and looked at Tiantian. "She's light," he said quietly. "Are you sure she can't stay five more minutes?"
Tiantian laughed, but it was the tired kind of laugh mothers get. "If I let her stay five more minutes, we'll never leave. Her Daddy promised her tanghulu if we're home before traffic."
At the word "tanghulu" Baobao's head popped up. Her eyes were glossy, but she reached for Tiantian anyway. Guiying set her down slow, like she was made of glass. Her little hands clung to his shirt for one extra second before she let go.
Yaoyao tugged at his sleeve. "Will Uncle Guiying visit us?"
Guiying crouched again, eye level with her. "I will. Next time I'll bring your Uncle Liuxian with me."
Yaoyao's face lit up. "Promise?"
