“Mmm~”
Eve Nightburn rubbed her eyes and sat up from the bed.
“I slept so well last night~”
Eve felt that she had slept exceptionally soundly, though she wasn’t sure if it was because the bed was incredibly soft or because of the company of that giant teddy bear.
In any case, she had slept very peacefully.
It almost felt like someone had been there with her.
Pushing the covers aside, Eve got out of bed, slipped on her bunny-head slippers, and left the room.
After stepping out, she shook her head slightly, scanning her surroundings to find the restroom in the Dreamwell household to freshen up.
This house was so big it felt unfamiliar—though not as large as the palace she had once conjured using her secret language.
Just as Eve was feeling a bit lost, Jade Xiang, who had been sitting on the sofa watching TV, suddenly noticed her. “Xiao Yi, what’s up?”
Snapping out of her daze, Eve turned her gaze toward Jade. The moment she saw her, she instinctively blurted out, “Auntie Xiang?”
Hearing this, Jade wagged her index finger side to side. “Nope, that’s not right. We’re family now, Xiao Yi. Think again—what should you call me?”
It was only then that Eve remembered her name had been officially registered under the Dreamwell household…
“Uh…” Eve hesitated, unsure if she should say the word.
“Mo… Mom…” she stammered out haltingly.
“Yes!” Jade immediately spread her arms wide. “Come here, let Mom hug you!”
Ah…
Eve didn’t know what to do. What was the proper response in this situation? Was there a manual for this?
But since there wasn’t, she could only dumbly walk over to Jade and let herself be pulled into an embrace.
“Such a good girl, Xiao Yi~” Jade was very pleased with her new daughter. She gently stroked Eve’s head to soothe her. “You must get along well with Miri from now on, okay?”
“Mm…” Eve nodded blankly in response. “I’ll listen to Sis.”
“Good. Mom believes in you,” Jade continued, wanting to help Eve adjust quickly to the family. “If anything ever upsets you, you must come to Mom, okay? Don’t keep it bottled up—that’s bad for your health.”
“Mm…”
“Xiao Yi, you probably have a lot to sort out, right? Do you want to talk to Mom about it?”
Hearing this, Eve didn’t hesitate to voice her thoughts. “I want to return my rented flat and thank the landlord.”
“Do you need Mom’s help with that?”
Eve shook her head. “No, I can handle it myself.”
“By the way… Mom… which room do I use to wash my face and brush my teeth?”
“Huh? Didn’t Miri tell you?” Jade was surprised. Had her eldest daughter really not explained the house layout to her new sister?
“Mm…” Eve faintly sensed that Jade was about to scold Miri Dreamwell.
“N-no, it’s not Sis’s fault!”
Eve didn’t want Miri to get in trouble because of her, so she hurriedly explained.
“I had my blood drawn yesterday and only ate one meal, so I was super tired. Sis took me to my room, and I fell asleep almost right after.”
Jade seemed to understand. She got up from the sofa, took Eve’s hand, and led her to the restroom.
Once they reached the wash basin, Jade suddenly realized a problem. “The basin’s a bit too high for you…”
Looking at Eve, whose neck barely cleared the edge of the basin, Jade realized it was clearly too tall for her.
“Wait here, Xiao Yi. I’ll get you a stool.”
Jade quickly left the restroom, found a small plastic stool, and handed it to Eve.
Eve hugged the stool and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Auntie X—thank you, Mom!”
Jade patted her head affectionately. “That’s right. From now on, no more ‘Auntie,’ okay? It’s ‘Mom.’”
“Mm-hmm!” Eve nodded, then stepped onto the stool and began her morning routine.
Just as Jade was about to leave, Eve suddenly called out to her. “Mom, which toothbrush should I use?”
As she was about to brush her teeth, Eve realized she didn’t know which one was hers. Would using someone else’s be unhygienic?
But asking for a new one felt like an unnecessary expense.
Now she was stuck between two dilemmas!
“Oh, right!” Jade finally noticed the oversight. “Wait a sec, Xiao Yi.”
She crouched beside the wash basin, opened the cabinet below, and rummaged through it.
“I remember taking a lot of disposable toothbrushes from hotels before. Most are still sealed. Hold on, Mom will find one for you to use temporarily. Later, when we go out, I’ll buy you a new set.”
After a short while, Jade stood up, holding an unused disposable toothbrush and a clean cup, which she handed to Eve.
“Thanks, Mom!” Eve took them, climbed back onto the stool, and resumed brushing.
After washing her face, Eve’s gaze landed on the makeup shelf filled with cosmetics. Come to think of it, she had never used makeup since becoming a girl.
“I… I’m just curious! It’s not like I’ve really fallen into this!”
Right! She was just curious about how real girls lived—it wasn’t like she actually wanted to be one!
Having convinced herself, Eve called out to the door, “Mom, how do you use this makeup?”
Soon, Jade’s voice came from outside. “No need for that, Xiao Yi. You’re already pretty—makeup won’t do much for you. Besides, too much of it isn’t good for your skin. Try to avoid it if you can.”
Oh?
Eve pondered this, her stray hair curling into a question mark atop her head.
Well, if Mom said so, there was no need to dwell on it.
She soon stepped out of the restroom and sat beside Jade on the sofa.
Jade was snacking on sunflower seeds while watching TV and didn’t immediately notice Eve beside her.
Eve glanced at the screen—it was Chronicle of Hanwen, a drama set in the Divine Continent during Emperor Hanwen’s reign.
“Mom likes history?”
Eve asked without thinking.
“Hm?” Jade turned and only then realized Eve was next to her.
“All done washing up, Xiao Yi?”
Eve nodded.
“Good.” Jade turned off the TV and stood. “Let’s go. Mom will take you to buy the things you need.”
“As for this show, I was watching it with your dad. He likes it, and I was just catching up on the plot while he’s out. Honestly, I don’t really get it.”
Though Eve still wasn’t fully used to calling them “Mom” and “Dad,” at least she was starting to get the hang of it.
