Chapter 144: The Real and Fake Daughters Who Were Switched at Birth – 3

The little one’s loud crying ended up waking the other baby girl as well. Xie Hui watched as she opened her eyes, dazed for a while, but didn’t cry or fuss. She just stared fixedly in one direction.

Curious about what had caught her attention, Xie Hui followed her gaze—only to see a balloon hanging there. Nothing special about it.

“Yuan Huan, your daughter’s awake too.”

As soon as he said that, Xie Qianjin’s crying paused for about three seconds—then grew even louder.

“Waaah! Waaaah!”

She wailed so miserably that Yuan Huan couldn’t bear to put her down.

“It’s okay, sir. Yuyu’s very well-behaved, she won’t fuss.”

Hearing that, Xie Hui glanced at the little one in his arms, flailing her hands in the air in protest, clearly furious. He cleared his throat and teased:

“Yuan Huan, why does your daughter seem so sensible? Not like my Jinjin—she cries all day, every day.”

The moment he said that, the little brat’s crying stopped. She switched to soft whimpering, looking incredibly aggrieved.

One tiny hand clutched Yuan Huan’s shirt, and when Yuan Huan looked down, she dramatically sniffled.

Her face was still red from crying so hard, and the pitiful look she gave made Yuan Huan’s heart ache.

“Sir, my daughter just really loves sleeping. All she does is drink formula and nap all day. Not like Jinjin—so lively.”

Just as she finished speaking, Xie Hui heard the baby girl in her arms let out a soft coo.

“Ya~ waa~”

He couldn’t understand what she was saying, but from her tone and expression, he could sense a hint of pride.

Xie Qianjin had been weaned after her one-month mark. Even though Xie Hui never asked Yuan Huan to do anything, she had voluntarily weaned her own daughter early as well.

Maybe a real baby wouldn’t care, but this “fake” baby—who was clearly not a real infant—might actually feel jealous.

Though Xie Hui never said anything, when Yuan Huan mentioned her daughter also drank formula, he made sure the steward bought the exact same brand as Jinjin’s.

The saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” really rang true. Obedient little Yuan Yu lay blinking in her stroller, while the ever-fussy Xie Qianjin was cradled in Yuan Huan’s arms, being gently soothed.

Xie Qianjin, wrapped in a baby’s skin, had no shame. But Xie Hui, watching all this, started to worry that Yuan Huan might be upset. He waved over one of the nannies and had her pick up the now-awake Yuan Yu.

Yuan Huan didn’t have much experience taking care of children—certainly not as much as the professional nannies—but the little brat really liked her.

Even if it wasn’t as comfortable as being cared for by a nanny, she still preferred clinging to Yuan Huan.

Whenever a nanny moved her the wrong way, she’d cry her lungs out.

But if it was Yuan Huan, she’d just pout.

Xie Hui had been thinking lately—if Yuan Huan hadn’t accidentally fallen to her death while being abused by that man…

Maybe when Xie Qianjin was finally found and brought back, she wouldn’t have turned out so bitter and disillusioned. She wouldn’t be like a prickly little hedgehog, always on edge.

Watching her now, barely able to sit upright but still trying her hardest to crawl toward Yuan Huan—it was obvious that before her rebirth, the bond between mother and daughter had been strong.

After the celebration ended, Xie Hui went upstairs, not wanting to bother the little girl.

She wasn’t even as long as his arm, yet already looked down on her own father.

Upstairs, he saw that Yuan Yu had been placed back in her crib by the nanny—probably asleep again.

Actually, Xie Hui didn’t think Xie Qianjin truly hated Yuan Yu.

Just like how she tried to act fierce even before her one-month mark, letting out little grunts. If she really despised Yuan Yu, she wouldn’t just be competing for attention.

In Xie Qianjin’s heart, Yuan Huan probably mattered more than her biological mother ever could.

If she were a little more extreme, she might even believe that Yuan Yu had stolen her father in her past life—and now, in this life, was trying to steal the mother she had claimed as hers.

But this little one hadn’t done anything over the line. She just loved competing for affection and craved Yuan Huan’s attention.

If she were a real baby, Xie Hui could properly teach her.

But since she was a reincarnated adult inside a baby’s body, those usual parenting lectures didn’t quite fit.

Yuan Huan was also a first-time mom, clueless about many things. Whenever she had a moment, she’d go ask the two professional nannies for advice.

The longer she stayed here, the more embarrassed she felt.

The two nannies Mr. Xie had hired were practically dedicated to her daughter, caring for her around the clock.

She couldn’t very well refuse, so she did her best to look after the clingy little girl who adored her.

In the first few months, when she was still developing, Xie Qianjin was mostly just attention-seeking.

Around the two-month mark, while the babies were napping, Yuan Huan took out some materials she had personally gone out to buy.

Newborns didn’t need pillows for the first three months since they were too delicate.

But now that they were over two months old, it was time to prepare small pillows for when they turned three.

Even though the steward had already bought some, Yuan Huan still made two by hand—it was her way of showing care.

That day, Xie Hui had just returned from work and saw Yuan Huan holding a pink and a green pillow, placing them in front of Xie Qianjin, seemingly letting her choose.

To his surprise, the little brat, though tiny, hugged the pink one to her left side and was struggling to drag the green one into her arms with her right hand. Her greedy little act made Xie Hui shake his head.

“You little rascal, why are you so bossy? Can’t you give one to your sister?”

Xie Qianjin grunted twice, completely ignoring him, still straining to grab the other pillow with her chubby hand.

The pink one had been handed to her by Yuan Huan after she pointed at it, but without Yuan Huan’s help, she couldn’t reach the green one no matter how hard she tried.

“Ya, yiya waa~”

Seeing this, Yuan Huan quickly moved to hand her the other pillow too.

Once she had both pillows in her arms, Xie Qianjin finally beamed with satisfaction.

“Give one to your sister, okay? Be a good girl, Jinjin.”

Xie Hui bent down, patiently trying to reason with the little girl.

But just as he leaned in, the now-more-mobile baby swiftly turned her head to the other side, completely ignoring him.

As he bent closer, he even heard her snort.

“Sir, I don’t have much going on lately. I can always make another one.”

Xie Hui noticed that after Yuan Huan said this, the little brat’s eyes darted over again—probably scheming to grab the next one too.

“Alright, I’ll take her out back to get some sun.”

The sunlight wasn’t too harsh now, and it was a good time for the little one to get some fresh air.

Before she could react, Xie Hui scooped her up and carried her to the backyard. As he walked along the cobblestone path, he looked down at her tightly clenched fists, sat on a stone bench, and decided it was time for a little talk.

“You can’t hog everything for yourself.”

“Yuan Huan is your sister’s mom too. If she sees you not sharing anything with her daughter, she’ll feel hurt.”

Those two little pillows were clearly made with great care. Xie Hui had seen Yuan Huan working on them all week—it was obvious how much thought she’d put into them.

Besides, babies this small only needed one pillow.

“Ya, hwaa!”

Xie Hui saw her clench her fists tighter in protest and gently patted her back to soothe her.

“Look, didn’t Yuan Huan let Jinjin pick first? That means she likes our Jinjin best.”

That made Xie Qianjin loosen her fists a little. Her grape-like eyes stared at Xie Hui, and she even waved her chubby hand, urging him to continue.

“So, how about giving one to your sister when we go back?”

Upon hearing that, Xie Qianjin simply shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Xie Hui looked down at her fluttering lashes and chuckled helplessly.

“Your lashes are twitching. That’s not how sleeping works.”

He didn’t know if she’d actually do what he said, but once the sun began to set, he carried her back to the living room.

Yuan Huan had already prepared the formula. She walked over with a bottle at just the right temperature, took the baby from Xie Hui’s arms, and began feeding her.

Even while drinking her milk, Xie Qianjin couldn’t sit still. She kept craning her neck, trying to spot someone. When she saw Yuan Yu being fed by the nanny, she looked smug and tried to grin—but ended up swallowing some air and started coughing.

Xie Hui turned to look just as she began spitting up.

Yuan Huan was flustered at first, but she’d gotten used to it by now. She calmly cleaned her up, then looked at her own daughter who had already drifted off to sleep, and back at the little troublemaker in her arms, still grinning from ear to ear.

She really did look helpless sometimes, but with all that boundless energy, it was hard not to melt a little inside.

Especially when she grinned at you, not caring in the slightest that she hadn’t grown any teeth yet—just a wide, pink, toothless gumline—and let out a soft, babyish “hehe.”

After Yuan Huan finished dinner and was getting ready to bathe the two little ones and put them to bed, Xie Qianjin struggled to push one of the green toys away.

“Hmm? Don’t like this one anymore?”

Yuan Huan looked down and asked patiently. Judging by the little one’s disdainful expression, she already had a pretty good idea, but still tested the waters:

“Then how about we give it to your sister?”

In response, Xie Qianjin waved her tiny arms.

Tonight, Xie Hui, for once, didn’t have any work to bring home. As Yuan Huan was bathing the two little ones, he came over to join them.

At first, Xie Qianjin was fairly well-behaved in the water, but the moment Xie Hui walked in, she started splashing like crazy. Thankfully, they were in the bathroom.

Yuan Yu, in the other tub, was much calmer. The nanny held her gently, and she only moved her hands and feet occasionally.

While Xie Qianjin flailed both arms and legs to make waves, Yuan Yu, bored, started blowing spit bubbles.

She was quiet by nature and loved to sleep. Incredibly well-behaved. When she smiled, it wasn’t like Xie Qianjin’s wide-mouthed grin that showed every inch of her gums. Instead, it was just a soft, gentle curve of her lips.

“Why are you always so naughty?”

Xie Hui frowned slightly as she splashed water onto his clothes, but there was no trace of scolding in his voice.

All her little antics—crying for attention, trying to steal Yuan Yu’s spotlight, or pulling petty revenge—were so obvious that they only proved she didn’t harbor any real malice.

“Yiya, wa!”

After Xie Hui spoke, the little girl let out a few playful grunts and splashed even harder. Once he’d washed his hands, he flicked a bit of water onto her arm in return.

After all, she was just a little brat—no match for Xie Hui.

Later, when she realized she couldn’t win, she pretended to cry, letting out a couple of exaggerated wails. Yuan Huan quickly scooped her up, dried her off, changed her into clean clothes, and used a silent hairdryer to gently blow-dry the few tufts of hair on her head.

Yuan Yu, still in the nanny’s care, was handled with much more practiced ease. But even so, Xie Qianjin, with her head propped up and letting her mother dry her hair, looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

If it had been something else, Xie Hui might have tried to make it up to the other child. But not this time—especially since the knot in Xie Qianjin’s little heart hadn’t fully unraveled yet.

Xie Hui had prepared just as much materially for Yuan Yu, but he rarely got close to her. Only when the nanny was overwhelmed would he occasionally help out by holding her.

Yuan Yu spent most of her days sleeping. When she was awake, she wasn’t fussy about who held her. Even the steward, bodyguards, or assistants could carry her without making her cry—unless they held her uncomfortably.

Though the pillows were clean and ready, they hadn’t used them yet. The nanny mentioned that in her previous jobs, families usually waited until the babies were three months old before introducing pillows.

That night, before bed, Xie Hui specifically called the steward over and instructed him to double Yuan Huan’s bonus when calculating her salary next month.

Yuan Huan was living at the Xie household and didn’t have many expenses. Later, when the kids grew up, there’d be plenty of costs. Giving her a little extra now wouldn’t hurt.

Xie Hui had thought the little one was already mischievous enough, but by the time she hit three months, she was even more energetic—and the older she got, the naughtier she became.

By around four months, both little ones had reached the stage where they wanted to grab anything they saw.

Especially when Xie Hui took them to the supermarket. Once they reached the fruit section, neither of them wanted to leave.

Yuan Yu struggled to grab a Red Delicious apple. Her tiny hands kept reaching, but the apple was too big for her to hold, so her fingers just kept twitching.

After a while, she seemed tired, pulled her hand back to rest, then reached out again, determined to get that big apple into her grasp.

The supermarket belonged to Xie Hui’s company, so he wasn’t worried about the kids causing trouble. He’d come after closing time anyway, so aside from a few staff members, there were no other customers.

Xie Hui searched around the fruit section and brought over two large plums. They were big enough that he didn’t have to worry about the little brats accidentally swallowing them, and just the right size for them to hold with both hands.

When he handed one to Yuan Yu, she took it obediently, struggling to wrap both hands around it—and even gave Xie Hui a smile.

Maybe because the two little ones spent so much time together, their habits were becoming more and more alike.

Yuan Yu, who used to only smile faintly, now grinned just like Xie Qianjin, gums and all, letting out soft, babyish giggles—adorable beyond words.

When Xie Hui offered the other plum to Xie Qianjin, he didn’t expect the little brat to push his arm away with a look of disdain.

She waved her arms insistently, signaling for Yuan Huan to take her elsewhere to look around.

When she saw the oranges, she reached out to pat one, then pushed it away in disgust, turning her head to glance at Yuan Huan with a series of babbles—clearly unimpressed.

At that moment, the nanny caring for Yuan Yu looked unwell, her face pale.

Xie Hui quickly had a bodyguard take her to the hospital and gently took Yuan Yu into his own arms.

Holding her, he glanced over at Xie Qianjin.

Her eyes were already big and round, but now she was glaring with even wider eyes.

Noticing this, Xie Hui walked over with Yuan Yu in his arms and asked with a teasing smile:

“The nanny’s not feeling well and went home. Jinjin, do you want Daddy to hold you?”

Still a bit stunned, Xie Qianjin immediately reached out and grabbed Yuan Huan’s clothes, letting out a couple of soft, muffled sounds.

“Hmm? Sounds like you really do want Daddy to hold you? How about we let Auntie hold Yuyu for a bit?”

As Xie Hui teased her, Yuan Yu curiously glanced at her sister in Yuan Huan’s arms and gave her a wide, toothless grin.

Xie Qianjin, seeing how silly she looked, pursed her lips and snorted through her nose, turning her head away in disdain.

Yuan Yu wasn’t bothered that her sister ignored her. She simply hugged her big plum and kept smiling at her mom.

Even without a verbal answer from Xie Qianjin, her actions said enough.

Later, as Xie Hui held the kids and let them touch various fruits, he remembered the nanny’s advice: at this age, kids are full of curiosity and want to touch everything.

Letting them explore safe objects helps nurture their sense of discovery.

Trailing behind them was a supermarket employee carrying a basket, collecting all the fruits the little ones had touched.

Yuan Yu, in Xie Hui’s arms, obediently only touched the fruits he handed her—big plums, big tangerines, big oranges.

Then, as they passed the dragon fruit display, Yuan Yu, who had been quietly nestled against him, suddenly reached out.

Xie Hui stepped closer, letting her touch the dragon fruit’s spiky skin.

It was clear she loved it. She even tried to wrap her tiny hands around it and lift it up.

But the dragon fruit was still too heavy for her. After struggling for a while, she gave up, panting from the effort.

Meanwhile, Xie Qianjin turned her head away, pretending not to watch. But as she looked around, her eyes landed on a massive, split-open durian on the display stand.

Instinctively, she thought it looked painful. But those sharp spikes intrigued her, and while Yuan Huan wasn’t paying attention, she reached out her chubby little hand.

She was so excited that her fingers stretched as wide as they could go.

“Waaahhh! Waaaahhh!”