If the kids are quiet, they're definitely up to no good

Early morning.

Mother Gu yawned as she walked out of the bedroom.

When she saw a certain lazybones vigorously mopping the floor,

Mother Gu momentarily thought she hadn't woken up yet.

"Gu Yue?"

"What are you doing?"

Seeing her daughter being sensible and doing chores, Mother Gu's face showed no joy or relief that her child had finally grown up and knew how to share the housework. Instead, it was filled with nothing but dread.

You see,

when your rebellious and lazy kid suddenly starts acting out of character,

she's most likely not turning over a new leaf—

she's probably gotten into trouble again!

Or else she wants money!

Think back to before.

When Gu Yue had messed up or needed cash, the most she'd do was help out by carrying a plate or washing a few dishes.

And even then, she'd drop everything the moment her request was granted.

But today she was mopping the floor!

Just how big a mess had she made to warrant doing such heavy housework?

"Hey?"

"Mom, you're awake?"

"Perfect timing."

Still lost in her worries, Mother Gu suddenly found the mop in her hand.

"Mom, can you finish mopping the floor for me?"

"After you're done, give it another wipe."

"Make sure it's thorough."

Gu Yue was wearing a triangular dust cap, and there was a smudge of black soot on her fair face, she didn't seem aware of it at all, focusing on her earnest instructions with a hint of adorable clumsiness, like a cute little country girl.

"Oh..."

"Okay."

Mother Gu was at a loss for a moment.

She had expected her daughter, the moment she saw her, to flash a fawning, ingratiating smile.

Begging sweetly for forgiveness, or asking for something big.

She never imagined Gu Yue's request would be so ordinary.

Everything happening before her was already stretching her understanding.

So she decided to just wait and see.

Find out what little Gu Yue was really up to this time.

Gu Yue, having passed off her task, walked away lightheartedly, like a deer that had feasted on delicious berries, hopping into the bathroom.

A moment later,

the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

If you listened closely,

you could also hear the soft, cheerful hum of a young girl.

Mother Gu was completely baffled by her daughter's strange behavior.

What was up with her?

Could she be in love?

Going on a date?

But if she was going on a date, why would she be cleaning the house?

And besides! What time was it now!

Mother Gu turned to look out the window.

The night outside was dark and deep, with no sign of dawn.

Even if she was getting ready for a date, this was way too early!

She instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall.

Four in the morning?

This Gu Yue!

Such a handful!

Though Mother Gu was a bit annoyed at having to do housework at this hour, she still took up the task Gu Yue had given her and started mopping the spots that hadn't been cleaned properly.

For a woman who ran this household all year round, this daily chore was as easy as pie.

No trouble at all.

After she quickly finished mopping and wiping,

Gu Yue was still humming in the bathroom.

Mother Gu carried the mop to the kitchen, planning to wash it and hang it on the balcony to dry, while also grabbing a drink of water.

But the moment she stepped into the kitchen, she sensed something amiss.

A few steps later, she suddenly realized: the kitchen was way too clean!

It looked as if it hadn't been used much at all.

The modest home Mother Gu had built through years of hard work was never truly dirty.

But with her juggling work and raising the family, she couldn't clean a house of over a hundred square meters every single day.

Besides, her daughter was a complete sloth.

So she usually did a deep clean over the weekend, tidying up the entire house.

That weekend's cleaning was supposed to be today.

But now, seeing the kitchen in such a spotless state—cleaner than anything she could manage herself—

Mother Gu felt that she could really take it easy this weekend.

A smile crept across her lips as a look of relief spread over her face.

It seemed this little rascal had finally grown up...

...Wait a minute, no!

Mother Gu suddenly twigged.

It was four in the morning! Not only had Gu Yue cleaned the kitchen, she'd also done most of the living room.

Their home might not be some luxurious penthouse, but it was far from small.

Getting all these spaces tidy would take a good chunk of time.

That meant Gu Yue had woken up very early to clean.

When did she ever get up this early?

Or had she not even gone to sleep?

As Mother Gu stood there in shock, the sound of water from the bathroom behind her died down.

She turned and saw Gu Yue wrapped in a towel, barefoot in slippers, slipping into her bedroom.

She was still humming that tune.

Her pitch wasn't as precise as a professional singer's,

but with her own little twists and dips, the melody had a charm all its own.

"Gu Yue?"

"Did you clean the kitchen too?"

Mother Gu quickly called out before Gu Yue could disappear into her room.

"Yeah."

Gu Yue turned around and nodded in confirmation, then said earnestly:

"Mom, when you cook, make sure you're careful about cleanliness."

"Don't mess up the kitchen I worked so hard to clean."

With that, Gu Yue ducked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

She left Mother Gu standing at the kitchen doorway,

her eyebrows raised in annoyance.

"You're telling me to watch the mess I make?!"

"What right does a slob like you have to criticize anyone?!"

...

By middle age, waking early becomes a habit.

Mother Gu sat on the living room sofa, figuring she couldn't get back to sleep anyway, and decided to catch up on last night's variety show.

She sat quietly on the couch,

watching the slim LCD TV on the wall.

Between her and the television, Gu Yue, in her thin little bee-patterned pajamas, flitted about like a flower fairy, now darting into the kitchen, now scurrying back to her room.

Finally, as Gu Yue was about to slip back into her room, Mother Gu couldn't take it anymore and called out:

"Running back and forth—what exactly are you doing?"

"Oh!"

"Just borrowing your perfume!"

Gu Yue tossed out the hasty reply before vanishing into the other bedroom.

A moment later,

she emerged carrying a cardboard box, its contents of cosmetics piled high, nearly spilling over.

Seeing Gu Yue looting her makeup like a thief, Mother Gu was about to get angry, when Gu Yue put on a pouty face and pleaded:

"Mom, just lend me your makeup—"

"Love you~"

"Momma~"

"Mwah mwah~"

"—╮(￣▽￣)╭ kiss~"

After kissing the air twice, Gu Yue hugged the box of cosmetics and trotted back into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.