Chapter 260
Suzy choked slightly on her own breath. Liam’s words struck a weak point.
Because something like that had happened before.
There had been a time when she stopped by to drop off supplies, then left without seeing Liam’s younger brother. The child had sulked for days afterward, refusing to forgive her no matter how much she coaxed him.
Now she found herself hesitating.
Liam stood quietly nearby, watching her without rushing her for an answer.
"Alright then. I’ll stay a little longer."
In the end, she gave in.
A few extra minutes would not hurt. She could greet the boy, chat briefly, and leave afterward. It would hardly delay her.
A faint smile touched Liam’s lips.
"Wait here. I’ll go get him."
He turned and headed toward the bedroom.
"If he finds out you’re here, he’ll be thrilled."
"Okay."
Liam crossed the room quickly and pushed open the bedroom door.
A dim lamp cast a soft glow across the space. The curtains were drawn tightly shut, sealing out the winter darkness beyond.
Curled beneath a thick blanket was a small figure. Only a fluffy head of messy black hair remained visible above the covers.
An old handheld gaming console rested beside the pillow, its screen displaying a game over message.
A helpless, indulgent smile appeared on Liam’s face.
The kid had obviously fallen asleep while playing.
The console had been a gift from Suzy. It was an old childhood classic that ran on batteries and seemed capable of lasting forever.
"Noah."
Liam walked over and lightly patted the mound of blankets.
The bundle stirred. A sleepy mumble drifted out from underneath.
The blankets remained firmly in place. There was absolutely no sign of anyone intending to get up.
Liam tried again, this time patting a little harder.
"Noah. Wake up."
"Don’t want to..."
The voice came out muffled and hoarse with sleep.
"So cold..."
The child burrowed even deeper beneath the covers, revealing only half a face. His eyes remained tightly shut. A small frown creased his brow as he fought one last desperate battle against consciousness.
He had finally managed to fall asleep. Why would he willingly crawl out from a warm bed into a freezing room?
The blanket was heaven. Everything outside it was suffering.
"Time to get up and eat."
Liam kept his voice gentle.
The boy rolled over and wrapped the blanket even tighter around himself.
"No."
Food sounded even less appealing. Their meals had steadily declined in quality lately. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason to abandon a perfectly warm bed for another depressing survival meal.
Besides, eating less saved food. He considered that very responsible of himself.
"I’m not hungry..." His eyes stayed closed. "You eat without me, Liam. I’m sleeping."
Liam studied him for a moment.
"There’s something good tonight."
His tone became slightly more persuasive.
"Dumplings. You’ll regret missing them."
The boy remained completely unmoved.
"Then they’re all yours."
What dumplings? Even if there were dumplings, they were probably terrible dumplings.
These days their diet consisted mostly of biscuits and crackers. How could dumplings suddenly appear?
For all he knew, Liam was talking about dumpling-flavored biscuits.
Clearly, he had become wiser. He was not falling for such tricks anymore.
Seeing that nothing worked, Liam finally brought out his ultimate weapon.
"Suzy is here."
The lump beneath the blanket froze instantly.
A second later, a pair of eyes flew open. Then he sprang upright as though launched by a catapult. His hair stuck out wildly in every direction, resembling a bird’s nest.
"Liam, what did you say?" His voice rose immediately. "Suzy is here?"
Liam laughed softly at the dramatic transformation.
"Yes. She’s waiting for you in the living room."
As expected. These days, only Suzy could trigger such a reaction from his brother.
Every time she visited, she brought delicious food, fun gifts, or something exciting.
It would have been strange if the child did not adore her.
And if Liam were being honest with himself, he had begun looking forward to her visits too.
The moment Noah learned Suzy was waiting outside, all thoughts of sleep vanished.
He threw aside the blanket and jumped out of bed barefoot.
The instant he left the warmth, a violent shiver raced through him. His teeth nearly chattered.
Still, none of that mattered. Suzy was waiting.
He fumbled desperately for his jacket, pulling it on while shouting,
"Liam, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Has she been waiting long? What if she’s getting impatient?"
"Slow down." Liam shook his head helplessly. "She’s not going anywhere."
But Noah either didn’t hear him or chose not to.
The moment he finished dressing, he rushed out of the room.
Suzy sat on the sofa in the living room. Hearing the commotion, she looked up and immediately met a pair of bright, round eyes.
The joy shining within them was impossible to miss.
"There you are."
"Suzy!"
He dashed forward, and the next second, he crashed straight into her arms. The force nearly knocked her backward.
Laughing, she wrapped an arm around him to steady him and ruffled his messy hair.
"Slow down. What if you fell?"
Noah tilted his face upward, cheeks flushed pink.
"When did you get here?"
"Just now." She pinched his soft cheek. "It’s New Year’s Eve, so I brought a few things for you both."
"If I’d known you were coming, I wouldn’t have gone to sleep."
The complaint slipped out immediately.
He had missed her. Even though they lived in the same building, Liam rarely allowed him to visit.
According to Liam, constantly running upstairs to see Suzy would only annoy her.
Noah hated hearing that. Still, he was terrified of becoming a nuisance. So he endured it and waited patiently for the days when she remembered to come see him.
Suzy’s gaze swept over him. The moment she noticed his outfit, her brows drew together.
"Why are you dressed so lightly?"
Only a thin jacket covered him. His feet were completely bare. The floor beneath them looked freezing.
"Go put on proper clothes first."
"There isn’t any need." He tried to sound brave. "I’m not cold."
Suzy did not believe that for a second.
She patted his shoulder. "Go get dressed properly. Be good."
Seeing the serious look on her face, Noah finally gave up arguing and nodded obediently.
At that moment, Liam spoke, too.
"Noah. Come here."
The boy trotted over immediately.
Liam led him back into the bedroom and made him put on thicker clothes and warm socks before bringing him out again.
Meanwhile, Suzy had already unpacked the insulated containers.
The dumplings inside remained steaming hot, their rich aroma filled the room.
She arranged the dumplings and dipping sauces neatly across the table before beckoning them over.
"Come eat."
A smile brightened her face.
"I brought dumplings. They’re best while they’re still hot."
The brothers inhaled the fragrance.
Their eyes fell upon the plump white dumplings lined neatly inside the containers.
Both swallowed instinctively.
Neither of them had enjoyed a proper hot meal in quite some time.
To conserve energy, they had been surviving mostly on crackers and bread.
It was efficient, but miserable. The food kept them alive and little more.
What Suzy had brought today felt less like dinner and more like a banquet.
In circumstances like these, a steaming plate of fresh dumplings might as well have been a state feast.
"So what are you waiting for?" Suzy laughed. "Hurry over and eat."