\n\nThe middle-aged man in the photo had a kind and warm smile. He was holding a boy of about seven years in his arms. It could be seen from his eyebrows that this boy was Qin Xingli. A woman was standing next to the man, but her face was blurred.\n\nHe Xing stared at the picture frame in a daze, Qin Xingli suddenly came over, putting the picture frame on the TV cabinet down softly.\n\nHe Xing was stunned and turned to look at him.\n\nThere was still a faint smile on Qin Xingli's pretty face. It was dull and shallow, just like a sunflower under the moonlight. He Xing didn’t know whether she saw it wrong, but she always felt that the smile on Qin Xingli's face did not quite reach his eyes. His eyes also revealed a coldness that could rarely be seen on ordinary days.\n\n"Senior, are you always alone at home?" He Xing blinked, and her eyelashes cast a dark shadow on her eyelids. "I feel like you're always alone. Eating noodles in the noodle shop downstairs, going to the supermarket, and going home alone …"\n\n"My dad goes on business trips a lot. He first left for ten and a half days, and then left two days after coming back. I'm already used to it."\n\nQin Xingli walked into the kitchen with a shopping bag. He Xing followed and saw him take the ingredients out of the bag. He sorted through the ingredients, putting some in the storage basket and some in the refrigerator. Finally, he took two onions and peeled them, and threw the skin into the trash can.\n\n"Little Star, can you cook?"\n\nQin Xingli looked at He Xing, with a warm smile blooming on his face.\n\nHe Xing honestly shook her head: "I can't."\n\nQin Xingli said with a smile, "Then come and help me wash the vegetables. Can you wash it? Do you want me to teach you? "\n\nHe Xing pouted: "How difficult could washing vegetables be? You don't need to teach me, I will wash them myself."\n\nShe snatched the two peeled onions from Qin Xingli and put them under the faucet.\n\nQin Xingli looked at her with a smile: "What do you want to eat? Braised pork ribs? Steamed perch? Scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Pepper shredded pork?"\n\nHe Xing heard Qin Xingli solemnly give her the names of those dishes. He sounded as if he could really cook them.\n\nShe wanted to eat steamed perch, but she found it difficult to see the fresh perch swimming in the basin.\n\nDid she have to kill the fish herself? It seemed too cruel to her. She couldn't do it. Besides, she didn't know how to kill fish! Chop to death with the blade or knock to death with the back of the knife? Did she have to gut and remove the fish’s gallbladder? How to scrape off fish scales? Should the fins be cut off?\n\nCountless questions hovered in He Xing's mind. When she thought about it, she realized that she really couldn't do it. But she didn't want to show any weakness in front of Qin Xingli. She said, falsely: "I want to eat braised pork ribs. Senior, the two of us shouldn’t cook too many dishes, otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to finish them. "\n\nQin Xingli agreed with her words: "Okay, then let's cook three dishes. That much should be enough for us to eat."\n\nHe Xing poured the chopped ribs into the basin that was filled with water and stirred the ribs by hand.\n\nQin Xingli glanced at her.\n\nHe Xing was humming softly, and her long black hair was scattered over her shoulders. Her skin was as white as snow. She wore a girlish light blue striped skirt and washed the ribs carefully with her head bowed slightly. Her mouth unconsciously bent into a smiling curve. She looked really lovely.\n\nQin Xingli's mood became as sunny and bright as her smile.\n\nGoing home every day, whether in the living room or bedroom, kitchen or balcony, it was quiet and lonely everywhere. He was only accompanied by his shadow. It was rare to hear someone else's laughter like today. It felt like a ray of light brightening up all the darkness and loneliness.\n\nHe Xing washed the ribs and presented them to Qin Xingli as if it was a treasure. She looked as if she was waiting for his praise.