Chapter 318: Childhood Friends Must Be Cultivated from a Young Age (1)

A new neighbor moved in next door.

Zhou Ruoyun originally planned to visit, but her two-year-old son accidentally fell and started crying in the living room. His beautiful eyes filled with tears that dripped down his chubby, fair cheeks, showing a completely aggrieved expression.

She quickly wiped her hands, went over to pick him up, and comforted him repeatedly: “Baby, don’t cry. Mommy is here; don’t cry.”

Upon hearing this, little An Ziyu cried even harder, using his soft baby voice to say, “It hurts…”

Zhou Ruoyun knew her son was usually very delicate, so she gently reassured him, “Mommy will blow on it, and the pain will go away.” After saying this, she blew on his little arm, which was like a lotus root, and couldn’t help but feel both amused and distressed seeing his pouting face.

An Ziyu finally stopped crying, though his eyes were still filled with tears. He clung to Zhou Ruoyun’s neck and whispered, “Hug.”

Faced with his plea for comfort, Zhou Ruoyun couldn’t help but smile and say, “Alright, a hug.”

An Ziyu looked up at her and softly said in his baby voice, “Hug for a long time.”

Zhou Ruoyun naturally agreed, “Alright, hug for a long time.”

An Ziyu sniffled, clung to her neck, and pressed his little face against her.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Zhou Ruoyun felt a bit hesitant, but then heard a soft woman’s voice: “Is anyone home? I’m the new neighbor next door.”

The gentleness in the voice seemed to emanate from deep within, making the listener feel very comfortable.

Holding her son, Zhou Ruoyun looked through the peephole and saw a graceful woman with a gentle smile that immediately evoked goodwill.

She had seen this new neighbor from afar before but didn’t expect her to be so elegant up close.

She quickly opened the door and said, “Hello, please come in.”

Only then did Zhou Ruoyun notice that the woman was also holding a little girl’s hand. The girl looked about the same age as her son, with delicate and beautiful features, skin as fair as milk, and large, lively eyes that were now looking at her.

Sensing her confusion, the woman smiled and said, “This is my daughter, Luoluo. Say hello to the auntie.”

The little girl tightly held her mother’s hand and said softly, “Hello, Auntie.”

Her cute and innocent demeanor immediately endeared her to Zhou Ruoyun.

Xiao Xueqing glanced at the little boy in Zhou Ruoyun’s arms, who was peeking at her but quickly buried his face again upon meeting her gaze.

She smiled slightly.

“Is this your son?”

Zhou Ruoyun smiled back.

“Yes, he’s a bit shy. Come in and have a seat.”

After they entered the living room, Xiao Xueqing placed a cake she had brought on the table and said, “I made this cake myself. I hope you don’t mind.”

Feeling an inexplicable fondness for the woman, as if they were old friends, Zhou Ruoyun quickly responded, “Not at all; you’re too kind.”

She put down her son, patted his head, and said, “Baby, Mommy is going to pour some tea. Can you sit here with Auntie and the little sister for a while?”

An Ziyu glanced over timidly, hesitated, but eventually let go of his mother’s leg and obediently said, “Okay.”