Becoming my world? What a load of nonsense.
Tang Yu angrily increased the strength she put into her hands, causing the wet cloth to make screeching sounds as if grinded against the table.
Many soldiers were killed in action during her previous life because of the arms smugglers. Although she had successfully prevented this tragedy from repeating in this life, one of the criminals still got away. Or, in more official terms, the criminal's whereabouts were unknown.
Usually, this could mean that the criminal was either alive and escaped or dead but his corpse was missing. However, when she factored in what would happen in the future, that criminal was most likely still alive.
Three years from now…
Tang Yu straightened her back and took a deep breath. No matter the case, she needed to take more precautions. Even though she had successfully prevented the first disaster, if she failed the next one…
Having her world crumble upon her twice was already more than enough. If it crumbled on her again, she would probably go crazy…
By the time Tang Yu was done letting her thoughts run wild, she realized that she had already finished cleaning up her room. Tilting her head, she couldn't help but be surprised at how good she was at multitasking.
After taking a look at the bedside clock, Tang Yu frowned when she saw that it was already eight in the evening. Her family should have started to have dinner by this time already, yet why hadn't either of her parents come to call her for dinner?
Her head filled with confusion, Tang Yu went downstairs to see what was going on.
Nobody was in the kitchen, so her parents should have finished cooking already. As for the living room…
Tang Yu's eyes widened in shock when she looked into the living room. Then, she turned away in a panic, her mind repeatedly chanting, Not for children. Not for children.
The noise Tang Yu caused gave the two adults in the living room a scare, the two hurriedly separating. Yu Wanrou hurriedly covered her lips with her hand, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Meanwhile, Tang Zhengyang faked an awkward cough before reaching for the glass of water on the coffee table.
"L-Let's have dinner…" Yu Wanrou got up from the sofa and trotted to the kitchen, pretending as if nothing had just happened.
Tang Yu awkwardly coughed twice as she watched her mother bring out several dishes from the kitchen. For a moment there, she thought she was going to have dog food[1] for dinner…
After the unexpected kissing interruption, the atmosphere at the dining table grew strange.
Tang Yu was someone who could read the room. She swiftly finished her dinner and fled back upstairs, letting the two embarrassed adults heave a sigh of relief.
"There better not be a next time," Yu Wanrou coldly said as she lowered her head and focused on eating.
"Okay, okay, okay. I won't do it again in the living room."
…
Autumn leaves scattered across the military compound, covering the ground in a thick layer of yellow leaves. The leaves made crisp sounds when pedestrians stepped on them. Then, they broke into tiny pieces that were swept away by the wind.
Crack— Crack—
Thick layers of leaves continuously cried out in anguish, the culprit behind their suffering walking backwards as she smiled and looked at a silent girl.
The tip of Tang Yu's nose had reddened because of the chilly winds. While crushing the leaves under her feet, she looked up with her watery eyes and stared at the blue sky.
Another year has gone by…
"Tang-Tang, will you be going home at noon tomorrow?" Yin Zhao-an asked as she picked up a half-green half-yellow ginkgo leaf from the ground and handed it to Tang Yu.
Tang Yu accepted the ginkgo leaf. The leaf was cool and very soft to the touch, and its color depicted the transition between spring and autumn.
"No. Mommy won't be home," Tang Yu answered.
Having expected this answer, Yin Zhao-an smiled and said, "I'll bring two lunchboxes tomorrow, then."
"I can eat bread..."
"No!" Yin Zhao-an instantly shot down Tang Yu's suggested solution, the smile on her face disappearing. "How can you have bread as a staple food? Anyway, I'll be bringing two lunchboxes tomorrow. If you don't want to eat it, just throw it away."
The corner of Tang Yu's eyes twitched a little, her mind thinking, Do you think I won't dare to throw it?
Despite what Tang Yu said in her mind, her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she silently looked at her...meaty little paws.
Tang Yu had hardly ever gained weight during her previous life. Even when she adhered to a normal diet of three meals a day, her weight would not be affected in the slightest. In this life, however...
Yin Zhao-an had never stopped feeding her!
Yin Zhao-an would bring Tang Yu a bottle of hot goat milk every morning. Moreover, she would only leave after watching Tang Yu finish the bottle. After this continued for over a span of a year...Tang Yu gained weight.
Tang Yu, who never experienced being fat before, squeezed her fleshy hands and found that they felt...not bad?
"Yin Zhao-an!"
A harsh male voice broke the brief silence. Tang Yu and Yin Zhao-an looked up at the same time and saw a boy wearing a denim jacket approaching them.
The boy's hair was parted, and he had a pair of pearly eyes on his fair face. At first glance, he looked like a boy who was going to become a womanizer in the future.
Yin Zhao-an subconsciously stretched out her arm to shield Tang Yu when she saw the boy. Then, she squinted her eyes and scrutinized the unfamiliar boy for a moment, only to then come to a realization.
"Oh, so it's you!" Yin Zhao-an smiled meaningfully. "Zhao Yu."
Zhao Yu calmly glanced at Tang Yu. Then, his ears reddened a little as he said, "Yin Zhao-an, can you come over here for a moment? I have something to tell you."
Yin Zhao-an originally grew a little unhappy when she saw Zhao Yu looking at Tang Yu. However, she didn't expect him to call her name instead.
"Wait for me, Tang-Tang. I'll be back in a moment," Yin Zhao-an said as she patted Tang Yu on the shoulder before walking over to Zhao Yu.
The two children didn't go far. However, Tang Yu couldn't hear what they were saying. She could only see Yin Zhao-an's expression becoming more and more complicated. Then...
Zhao Yu handed something to Yin Zhao-an.
…
TL Notes:
[1]dog food(狗粮): It's an internet slang in China that references a couple showing off their love to a single person(single dog -单生狗 [also an internet slang]). Nowadays, any couple showing off their love to someone(doesn't have to be someone who's single) is considered "feeding someone dog food".