Wen Yin glanced up when Jian Tuo said that, irritation flickering across her face. "What a coincidence. Did you two come here to buy desserts?"
Jian Tuo seemed to realize, belatedly, how that had sounded. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and peered at the woman before him—her expression cool and unreadable.
"It’s nothing," he said carefully. "We were just passing by. Niannian kept begging to have tiramisu."
He nodded toward Jian Niannian. The little girl, catching Wen Yin's gaze, grinned and showed off a gap-toothed smile. Wen Yin had already seen how mischievous and endearing the child could be. The contrast between this bright, lively girl and the frightened, tearful child from yesterday was striking; whenever Wen Yin looked at her, something in her chest softened.
"Is that so? Which one do you like? I’ll get you a slice."
Strangers though they were, they’d run into each other several times these past few days—enough, perhaps, to qualify as fate. And Wen Yin genuinely liked the little sprite, so she wanted to buy her a cake.
Jian Tuo quickly waved his hand and pulled up the payment code on his phone. "No, it’s fine, sis. We’ll pay. We’ve bothered you enough already. Two strawberry tiramisus—we’ll eat them here."
Wen Yin didn’t like being fussed over, so she let him. Jian Niannian spent the afternoon tugging Jian Tuo around the shop, and he indulged her every whim. The dessert cafe buzzed as usual; when customers saw the tiny, adorable girl, many couldn't help but pinch her cheek. Niannian was outwardly friendly and outgoing—before long she’d attracted a small crowd of fans.
Wen Yin closed the shop early as usual. After they sold the last desserts, she took off her pink apron and stepped over to them. "Come by again when you have time. I’m closing up now."
Niannian sat licking a lollipop, her black eyes bright as grapes, and looked back at Wen Yin. The sight tugged at Wen Yin’s softest places. The little girl nodded with earnest force. "Okay, sis. We’ll head off for now."
Jian Tuo offered a sheepish nod. "Sorry for hanging around all afternoon. Niannian just wouldn’t leave."
Wen Yin waved him off. "It’s fine. Kids are kids."
He hesitated a moment, then asked, "You're Wen Yin, aren’t you?"
Even with half a mask on, the pair of eyes that showed were enough to tell a person’s looks—delicate and alert. Wen Yin raised a brow, a flicker of wariness in her gaze. Jian Tuo, seeing her guard up, hastened to reassure her.
"Don’t worry, I mean no harm. I just—I thought you looked familiar when I saw you at the police station."
Niannian tilted her head and asked, puzzled, "Do you know her, brother?"
"No, not really. She just seemed familiar."
Jian Tuo laughed embarrassedly. "I won’t tell anyone. I mean—I don’t have any bad intentions." He realized he was saying too much and stopped, scratching his head. There was something guileless about him that kept the encounter from feeling threatening.
Wen Yin’s mouth curved. "Alright. Please keep it to yourself."
Although some fans knew where her cafe was, she didn’t want tabloids or paparazzi sniffing around.
Jian Tuo nodded in understanding, then brightened into another offer. "It’s early. How about dinner? You helped me find Niannian yesterday—I should properly thank you. But if you don’t want to, that’s okay too."
He sounded politely eager, as if terrified of making Wen Yin uncomfortable.
Niannian, listening, tugged his hand and pouted in mock indignation. "Brother, why invite this sister and then not let her eat with us?"
Wen Yin sighed involuntarily. Jian Tuo shot the girl a warning look and tried to shush her. "We won’t trouble you, then. You go on with your work."
He was about to leave when Wen Yin surprised him. "Alright. Where are we going to eat?"
The little girl’s face lit up; her delight was contagious. "Yes! Yes! Come with us, sis!"
Wen Yin finished giving the staff their closing instructions, changed out of her apron, and stepped outside. Jian Tuo held Niannian’s small hand. The three of them walked side by side, Niannian between them, sometimes taking Wen Yin’s hand. Jian Tuo rubbed his nose, a little nervous.
"Hope this won’t be any trouble," he said softly.
Wen Yin shook her head, as if seeing the worry plainly. "It’s nothing. Just a meal."
Niannian, in high spirits, looked up earnestly at Wen Yin in a syrupy child’s voice. "Sister, can you hold my hand?"
Wen Yin smiled—an involuntary, warm thing. "Sure."
Niannian’s eyes brightened. She took both Jian Tuo’s and Wen Yin’s hands, skipping along as if they were a little family.
"Brother Gou, there’s nothing trending lately—no celebrity gossip, nothing. We’re starving for headlines!" the man called Gou scolded the reporter at his side with a dramatic slap to the other’s head. "Starving, starving! If you keep yelling 'we’re starving,' who else is going to be?"
He said it half-joking, half-worried; without a juicy story they really would be in trouble. Gou’s gaze swept the broad street and then snagged on a familiar figure up ahead. That silhouette... why did it look so familiar?