"Mommy," Qianqian called sweetly.
Her big, watery eyes were almost glued to her, and Ye Ziyu, even if she were slow-witted, could see her little thoughts.
She reached into her pocket, then spread her palm and held it out to Di Mingjue.
Without needing to speak, Di Mingjue took cash from his wallet and placed it in Ye Ziyu's hand.
Considering they had just finished dinner, and it was evening, eating too many sweets would affect their teeth. The custom of one cotton candy per person changed to three children sharing one.
After paying, the vendor scooped sugar into the machine. As the disc spun, the sugar turned into soft, cotton-like wisps.
"Mommy, you try first." Qianqian, after receiving hers, voluntarily offered the cotton candy to Ye Ziyu.
Three pairs of eyes watched her expectantly. Ye Ziyu lovingly stroked their foreheads, "You all eat, just don't get it on your clothes."
A single cotton candy made the three of them happy.
Seeing them carefully pulling pieces of cotton candy into their mouths, she couldn't help but take out her phone to capture the moment.
Compared to the sweetness of the cotton candy, their smiles made Ye Ziyu feel even sweeter.
Fearing they might trip while walking and eating, Ye Ziyu led them to sit on a nearby bench.
The long bench in the plaza could only seat four people. Di Mingjue had to stand nearby. From a distance, he looked like a bodyguard.
The weather had been erratic lately, alternating between hot and cold. After walking for a while, Ye Ziyu stopped, feeling a bit thirsty and warm.
Her gaze swept over the small stalls in front of her.
"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back," Di Mingjue said.
Before Ye Ziyu could react, he had already walked away. The children were too engrossed in eating to notice Di Mingjue's actions.
Time flowed by quietly, second by second.
The children finished their cotton candy and held up their sticky hands. The cotton candy began to melt towards the end, and none of them escaped without getting gooey.
"Don't rub it on your clothes, I'll wipe you," Ye Ziyu rummaged in her bag for tissues.
She stood up from the chair and worked like an assembly line, wiping them one by one.
"Miss Ye?"
The children stared nervously at the man behind Ye Ziyu.
"We really are destined," Gu Xiuyu quipped.
To run into each other in a crowded plaza, what could be a stronger proof of their fate?
Ye Ziyu looked at Gu Xiuyu, not responding to his words. She continued to switch to clean tissues, wiping Xiao Ran's palms.
Sensing her defensiveness and hostility, Gu Xiuyu reached out to touch Xiao Ran, who was closest to him. "Are you out alone with three children?"
"My Daddy is here too!" Xiao Ran exclaimed loudly, as if warning him not to get any ideas about Ye Ziyu.
Gu Xiuyu was stunned by the shout. When he recovered, his smile grew more pronounced.
"Such a cute little fellow!" he praised.
He seemed young, yet he was already protecting Di Mingjue by deterring men from approaching Ye Ziyu.
If he could have a child like this, it might not be bad. Thinking this, Gu Xiuyu's desire to win Ye Ziyu's heart intensified. If he could have her, what did a few more children matter?
Xiao Ran dodged Gu Xiuyu's touch and glared at him unashamedly, "Bad uncle, don't touch me!"
"Xiao Ran!" Ye Ziyu reprimanded.
Gu Xiuyu was indeed annoying, but he hadn't done anything wicked. She couldn't allow her children to insult others so carelessly just because of her own feelings.
Being called a "bad uncle" was something Gu Xiuyu hadn't anticipated. He waved his hand with a smile, indicating he didn't mind, "It's alright, he's quite polite."
Despite the "bad" descriptor, he still received the "uncle" title.