Jiang Cheng said, "Kids, you know—can't help themselves."
With that, Jiang Cheng craned his neck for a quick look inside.
Sure enough, a few turtles were in the shallow pool; two of them were stacked against the wall like a pair of acrobats.
Both were fairly large. The top turtle's shell was mottled, as if etched by time. Its head stretched out, straining hard.
The one beneath was slightly smaller, its shell a deep green flecked with pale yellow spots.
The two were neatly piled one on top of the other.
Annie's eyes widened in excitement again, her bright voice ringing out.
"Brother Jiang Cheng, come look! What are these turtles doing? Why is this one lying on top of the other? Oh no—will it crush the poor turtle underneath?"
Her little face brimmed with curiosity and worry, her big eyes fixed on the pair.
At her words, Jiang Cheng suddenly recalled a video he'd seen online.
In it, a small boy was venting angrily at the camera about his dad.
"I really don't like my dad. Every night he lies on top of my mom and makes her cry..."
The memory made Jiang Cheng awkward; he instinctively rubbed his nose.
He frowned slightly, pretending to ponder how best to answer.
Seeing him silent, Annie turned to An Xin. "Mom, what are they doing? The one on top is stretching its neck so long. Should we poke it off with a stick?"
An Xin stepped closer and took a careful look.
At first she didn't realize what was happening.
All she saw was one turtle lying on another.
Casually she told Annie, "The turtles are probably playing. They like stacking up—turtles do that for fun."
Annie tilted her head, puzzled. "Really? But it's not stacked—it's pressing from behind. Can't it climb up?"
An Xin had been about to nod when she noticed the lower turtle's head thrusting steadily back and forth.
In an instant her face burned crimson.
Turtle-stacking is an instinctive behavior—
especially on cold winter nights when they huddle together for warmth.
Yet this pair clearly wasn't just cuddling or trying to escape; they were, quite simply, making baby turtles.
She turned slowly and caught Jiang Cheng watching her with a half-smile.
Her cheeks flushed an even deeper, bashful red, like ripe apples.
She didn't flinch, though; instead she shot him a coy glare, as if scolding him for staring so brazenly.
When no one answered her, Annie glanced around, then noticed a long twig under the tree.
She hurried over, picked it up, and offered it to Jiang Cheng. "Here, Brother Jiang Cheng, use this stick to help it climb."
Her eyes were clear and earnest, full of innocent wish to help the little creatures.
An Xin couldn't help covering her face at Annie's purity.
She said quickly, "Annie… let's go inside."
"Wait—let's help them. Turtles are so slow and look so clumsy. See? The bottom one has its eyes closed, waiting for the other to get up."
She batted her big eyes, pleading with An Xin.
Jiang Cheng said gently, "Let them play by themselves; don't disturb them. Maybe this is just how they like to play."
Annie fell silent at his words.
Then, convinced, she nodded obediently. "Mm, you're right."
By now Qiao Yinyin had finished filming. Seeing them approach, she walked over.
An Xin regarded Jiang Cheng with a teasing half-smile.
Curiosity and amusement flickered in her eyes as she asked, "Both of them your girlfriends?"
Jiang Cheng rubbed his nose and denied it. "No, just the one on the left."
An Xin nodded silently.
When Qiao Yinyin reached them, she politely nodded to An Xin and Annie.
Jiang Cheng introduced, "This is my girlfriend, and her classmate, Huang Yao."
"And this is Annie's mom, An Xin."
An Xin gracefully peeled off the sleek black glove on her right hand.
She extended her well-kept, slender hand to Qiao Yinyin.
"Miss Qiao, pleased to meet you," she said courteously.
Qiao Yinyin smiled equally politely, shaking her hand. "Hello, Sister An."
After that, Huang Yao greeted An Xin as well.
Huang Yao then wandered off to look around.
At the sight, the little girl's rosy mouth puckered as if it could hook an oil pot.
She tugged at Jiang Cheng's heavy coat with her small hand and cooed, "Brother Jiang Cheng, are you here to eat too? Can I eat with you?"
Before Jiang Cheng could answer, the sharp-eyed An Xin noticed and frowned. "Annie…"
"I haven't eaten with you in ages, please? I'm so busy with school now, I hardly ever see you."
Annie gazed up at Jiang Cheng with glistening eyes,
her long, curled lashes fluttering nonstop.
Her look brimmed with hope and entreaty; it was impossible to refuse.
Even An Xin, let alone Qiao Yinyin and Huang Yao, felt her heart melting at the adorable sight.
They say maternal love is every woman's instinct.
Facing this little angel, they finally understood the truth of that saying.
No girl could resist such a cute plea!
Online, some hard-core feminists claim they dislike children.
Yet if every child were as sweet and lovely as Annie, who could help adoring them?
At that moment Qiao Yinyin broke the silence. "Then join us—we're eating right here. The more the merrier."