Xia Xiyao never expected Gu Xingyi to say something like that—and even gently wipe away her tears.

It had been so long since anyone had been this physically close to her. She immediately lowered her head in shyness. Her already flushed cheeks turned crimson, and all the jumbled thoughts in her head vanished.

Gu Xingyi thought she was still worrying about everything. By now, he understood—Xia Xiyao was afraid of change.

After staying home for so long, it was natural to feel that way.

So he spoke again. “I’m serious! Just leave Xiao Nainai to me. I’ll take good care of her! And like you saw, your contract gives you a lot of freedom. You can come back anytime! Don’t worry about us. Just take care of yourself out there!”

While Gu Xingyi kept talking, Xia Xiyao didn’t hear a word. Her mind was still replaying the moment he’d brushed her cheek.

From the sofa, Xiao Nainai had long since started secretly observing her parents’ interaction.

She clearly saw Mama’s lips curling upward, even as she lowered her head. And Papa? He was still rambling non-stop!

She didn’t understand exactly what was going on—just that Mama seemed happy.

And Papa seemed worried about Mama.

So, she suddenly leapt onto Gu Xingyi’s lap, looked up at him with big eyes, and had a brilliant idea.

“Papa! Nainai wants to sleep with Papa and Mama tonight!”

The moment those words came out, Gu Xingyi froze in place, and Xia Xiyao’s head shot up, staring at the little one in shock. Her heart pounded like a drum.

“Pretty please, Papa~~”

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Xiao Nainai switched into full-on spoiled mode, rolling around on his lap.

Gu Xingyi swallowed nervously and turned to glance at Xia Xiyao, whose neck was red all the way to her ears, avoiding his gaze.

“T-That… you need to ask your mama if she agrees…”

How was he supposed to answer that?! Xia Xiyao, flustered to the point of breakdown, jumped up and rushed toward the bathroom.

“I… I’m tired. I’ll go wash up and get ready for bed first.”

She fled the room, leaving Gu Xingyi and Xiao Nainai staring at each other.

Gu Xingyi was already panicking. He had no idea what to do. But Xiao Nainai climbed up and hugged his neck.

“Mama said as long as Papa’s ready, it’s fine!”

“…?” When did Xia Xiyao say that? Gu Xingyi glanced toward the tightly closed bathroom door, where he could faintly hear water running.

So… it’s okay?

He took a deep breath of Nainai’s sweet milky scent to steel himself. This was all for Xiao Nainai’s sake! Totally not for any other reason!

After a while, Xia Xiyao came out of the bathroom and quietly returned to the bedroom, never even glancing at the living room as she passed.

Only then did Gu Xingyi stand up with Xiao Nainai in his arms and take her to the bathroom for a quick wash. After a simple rinse himself, he carried her back out.

Now, his heart was racing.

The distance from the living room to the master bedroom felt longer than ever. By the time he stepped inside, his brain had gone completely blank.

A light fragrance filled the room—pleasant and enticing.

Gu Xingyi had never experienced something like this in either of his lives. Right now, he desperately wanted help. What was he supposed to do?

Xia Xiyao was already in bed, curled on her side facing away, pretending to be asleep. He couldn’t see her face, but the soft red tint of her earlobes gave away her true state.

Gu Xingyi gently closed the door. The sound made Xia Xiyao flinch, but she didn’t move.

He gave up. This was way out of his league. Even if he panicked, it wouldn’t change anything. Might as well go with the flow.

That thought calmed him down. He placed Xiao Nainai between them, sat on the other side of the bed, and began telling a bedtime story.

“Tonight, Papa’s going to tell Nainai the story of Snow White. A long time ago, there was a little princess just as cute as Nainai. Her skin was white as snow, her cheeks red like apples, and her hair dark and shiny like the night sky. So, her mama named her Snow White…”

His warm voice filled the room. Xia Xiyao’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the frantic beat of her heart began to settle.

Eventually, she dozed off without realizing it. So did Xiao Nainai, lulled by the sound of his voice.

As the night deepened and their breathing calmed, Gu Xingyi turned off the light and quietly slipped under the blanket.

The pillow smelled faintly familiar and fragrant. For the first time, Gu Xingyi realized—girls’ pillows actually smell this good.

He pulled Nainai close, and surrounded by warmth and that soft scent, quickly drifted off as well.

The night passed in peace.

The next morning, Gu Xingyi’s internal clock woke him at 6 a.m., just as the sky was beginning to lighten.

Still half-asleep, he instinctively hugged the soft body in his arms—then froze.

Since when had Nainai gotten this big???

Gulp.

He swallowed nervously and looked under the blanket.

Xiao Nainai was nowhere to be found.

Instead… it was Xia Xiyao.

Gu Xingyi was stunned.

When did she end up in his arms?!

The familiar sweet scent hovered at the tip of his nose. Her body was soft and warm. In an instant, his calm shattered.

Before he even realized it, he leaned in close. Her delicate breath brushed against his face, ticklish and sweet.

They were inches apart. He could see the flush beneath her fair skin.

Gu Xingyi froze there, locked in an internal war.

Then he saw her long lashes flutter.

Panic surged. He instantly sat up straight and carefully slipped his arm out from under her head, hunched over as he snuck out of bed and fled to the bathroom.

Once inside, he washed his face in defeat.

First thing in the morning, and life was already trying to kill him!

What he didn’t know was that the moment he left, Xia Xiyao opened her lovely almond-shaped eyes and let out a tiny breath of relief.

Face burning, she buried herself under the blanket, too embarrassed to be seen.

She had actually woken up when Gu Xingyi sat up.

She didn’t even know when she’d ended up in his arms—using his arm as a pillow, no less! So embarrassing!

Then when she felt his breath on her face, she started to panic.

What was he trying to do?! Kiss her in her sleep?! What was she supposed to do then?

She was so flustered she didn’t dare “wake up” and could only keep pretending to sleep. Luckily, he held back. Otherwise, she really wouldn’t have known how to face him afterward.

Still… now that he was gone, she felt oddly disappointed.

She wasn’t sure if she was ready. All she knew was that her heart was a complete mess.

After a long time buried under the blanket, Xia Xiyao finally let out a deep sigh.

Whatever happens, just let it happen.

She stayed curled up until around 8 a.m., when she heard the front door open again. Then she got up, got herself together, and stepped out.

Gu Xingyi was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. When he saw her, he greeted her a bit awkwardly.

“Morning~”

Xia Xiyao’s face wasn’t much better. She didn’t even look up at him—just quietly replied,

“Morning.”

Then she headed into the bathroom to wash up.

Gu Xingyi didn’t think much of it and turned back to cooking. But to his surprise, Xia Xiyao soon returned to the kitchen.

“Let me help.”

Her tone was calm as she naturally took the bowl from his hands and began rinsing the rice.

Gu Xingyi was a little startled but quickly adjusted and accepted her help with a smile, turning to wash vegetables.

They worked in sync—like a couple who had been living together for years.

In that small kitchen, the atmosphere felt especially warm.

Twenty minutes later, fragrant millet porridge and two side dishes were ready. Gu Xingyi took off his apron, washed his hands, and headed into the master bedroom to gently wake Xiao Nainai, who had rolled to the edge of the bed.

The family sat down for a cheerful breakfast.

Afterward, Xia Xiyao saw a cute hairstyle online that would look great on Xiao Nainai. Since her hair had grown out a bit, she coaxed her into going out for a trim.

Meanwhile, Gu Xingyi curled up on the sofa like a pro, pulled out his phone, and opened Douyin to scroll through videos.

Summer. Air conditioning. Wifi. Watermelon. Wife and kid not at home.

At that moment, Gu Xingyi felt like he had reached the peak of life.

He hadn’t even watched more than a few videos when suddenly—he saw it.

The trailer for Only Ordinary was already out!

Huayin’s speed was no joke! The full video was planned for the end of the month, and now on the 26th, the teaser was already live!

The trailer for Only Ordinary was simple—just a few short clips paired with two lines from the song, but it was enough to hook viewers.

As soon as Gu Xingyi hit play, his own voice echoed from the phone:

“Falling into darkness, into the abyss,
A face smeared with dirt—

No divine halo,
Only the ordinary we hold tight.”

Then three firefighters appeared on screen, standing before roaring flames, faces covered in ash, eyes filled with determination.

The video cut out suddenly, leaving only a deep, powerful voice:

“They… are nameless.
They… are ordinary.
But they… deserve to be remembered.”