“Ye Ye, weren’t you supposed to be writing? How come there’s only one chapter today!?”

Ling Ning lay in bed, as usual, scrolling through the novels she was following. But to her surprise, her daughter’s novel had only one update today!

That didn’t fit Ling Ye’s reputation as a “human typing machine.” Plus, Ling Ning knew today’s chapter had been part of Ling Ye’s pre-written stockpile. So what had Ling Ye been doing all evening? Slacking off?

Hearing her Mom’s question, Ling Ye blinked nervously and stammered, “W-well, I just hit a bit of writer’s block! Don’t worry, Mom—I’ve already got my inspiration back. I’ll catch up tomorrow for sure.”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

“Of course! When have I ever lied to you, Mom?”

Ling Ning tilted her head thoughtfully. Something about Ling Ye’s words felt familiar. Then it hit her—weren’t those the exact same excuses she often used herself?

What could she even say to that?

A quick glance at her own novel’s stats showed everything running smoothly. Her old series maintained its steady readership, and her new one was gaining traction. If things continued this way, she’d soon be looking at double the royalties.

The thought of extra money in her pocket instantly lifted Ling Ning’s spirits.

Setting her phone on the bedside table, she turned to her daughter. “Ling Ye, is there anywhere you’d like to go tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow… I’m not sure yet. Let’s decide tomorrow! Right now, I just want to sleep~ I’m so tired.”

Ling Ye yawned as she spoke, snuggling into the blankets.

“Alright.”

Reaching over, Ling Ning turned off the light. Darkness enveloped the room, leaving only the sound of their soft, steady breathing.

Curled up in her Mom’s arms, Ling Ye felt the soothing scent and gentle rhythm of Ling Ning’s breath. A faint smile crossed her lips. She hadn’t realized before how pleasant her Mom’s breathing sounded.

Holding her daughter close like a pillow, Ling Ning couldn’t help but recall the scene earlier that day when Ling Ye was confessed to by a girl at school. She was impressed by her daughter’s charm—already drawing attention in middle school. At this rate, Ling Ye might become a school idol.

“Ye Ye, are you still awake?” Ling Ning asked softly.

“Yeah.”

“Just curious—do a lot of people try to pursue you at school?”

Ling Ye thought for a moment before replying, “Not really? I mean, I don’t keep track. But I’m not interested in any of them.”

She was already tired of the boys who constantly tried to chat her up. And ever since someone spread a rumor that Ling Ning was her sister, her fan base had grown even larger.

Sisters together? The very thought clearly sparked imaginations.

“That’s good to hear.” Ling Ning chuckled. After a pause, she added, “By the way, Ye Ye, you seem to have grown taller recently.”

“Oh! You noticed?” Ling Ye’s eyes lit up, the sleepiness vanishing from her expression.

“Of course! I see you every day, don’t I? How could I not notice? It’s only about a centimeter or so, but still, Mom noticed!” Ling Ning said proudly.

“Mom, you could’ve left out that last part.”

Ling Ye nearly burst into tears. Her Mom was right—she’d only grown about a centimeter. But still, the fact that her Mom noticed was impressive.

Realizing her mistake, Ling Ning gave an awkward laugh. “Uh, it’s getting late. Let’s just go to sleep now.”

If Ling Ning could see Ling Ye’s face, she’d find a very “ferocious” expression—the kind Ling Ye wore whenever she was about to bite someone.

“I’m gonna bite you!”

“Ahh! Ye Ye, let go! And don’t bite there!”

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Bzzz bzzz bzzz.

The piercing sound of an alarm jolted Ling Ning awake. Groaning, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and silenced the alarm. She’d forgotten to turn it off last night, and now it was barely six in the morning.

The alarm had woken Ling Ye as well, who groggily muttered, “Mom, it’s so noisy,” before falling back asleep.

Ling Ning considered going back to sleep herself but found she couldn’t. She felt oddly refreshed, wide awake for no apparent reason.

After lingering in bed for a while, she reluctantly got up.

Glancing at her sleeping daughter, Ling Ning tiptoed out of the room and into the bathroom to wash up. She decided to head out for breakfast.

Dressed and ready, Ling Ning stopped briefly in front of Xia You’s door. At this hour, Xia You was probably still asleep.

She went to her usual breakfast spot and bought enough for three. Just as she was about to head home, she felt a tug on her skirt. Turning around, she saw a familiar little girl, Dong Xue, holding onto her hem.

Behind her, Yang Bing approached in a hurry. Relieved to spot Ling Ning, she said,

“Ah, so you’re here. I was wondering why Xiao Xue suddenly ran off!”

Apparently, Dong Xue had darted into the crowd after spotting Ling Ning, leaving Yang Bing to frantically search for her.

Now seeing the two together, Yang Bing joked to herself—if she told people Dong Xue was Ling Ning’s daughter, they’d probably believe it.

“What brings you here so early, Teacher?”

Ling Ning asked while gently patting Dong Xue’s soft hair. As always, it was as pleasant to the touch as ever.

Dong Xue purred contentedly like a kitten being stroked, radiating pure cuteness.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Author’s Note:

This salty fish is already as salty as it can get. Wait… that doesn’t sound right. Never mind.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com