Chapter 5 – Operation: First Kiss (Totally Scientific Reasons!)
"Alright! Today's mission is serious!" Lin Yue whispered, standing on a tree stump like some great general giving a speech.
Her gang of chaos—Chun Hei, the tomboy with a toothy grin, Meimei, the shy genius who always carried snacks, and bold little Jiajia with her messy hair—gathered in a tight circle behind the barn, eyes glittering with excitement and secrets.
"What's the mission again?" Meimei asked through a mouthful of dried berries.
"To kiss a boy," Lin Yue said with complete authority, arms crossed.
Jiajia nearly choked on air. "Like, on the mouth?!"
Lin Yue puffed out her cheeks. "Of course not! I mean... maybe. Just a small kiss. For... science."
"Science?" Chun Hei snorted. "You just wanna see why Auntie Qing moans like a ghost at night!"
Everyone burst into giggles, trying to cover their mouths.
After their highly classified peeking session last week (Operation Night Noises), curiosity had bloomed like forbidden fruit. They had witnessed something very strange: Auntie Qing and her husbands making odd sounds behind closed doors. Giggling, grunting, and the bed creaking like it was about to break. It sparked questions. So. Many. Questions.
And Lin Yue, fearless and nosy, decided it was time to investigate further—experimentally.
"Boys don't even know anything," Meimei muttered. "Last time, I told Bao'er his hair was nice and he cried."
"Exactly!" Lin Yue clapped. "They're harmless."
Their target was chosen: sweet, nervous little Liangliang, the baker's son. He had big doe eyes, soft hands, and always gave them extra buns when they teased him.
"He's perfect," said Chun Hei. "Like a real wife!"
They made a plan. Jiajia would distract him by pretending to have a tummy ache. Meimei would stand guard. Chun Hei would be the backup distraction if adults came. Lin Yue would go in for the mission.
"Remember," she said, tying her hair higher like a true commander. "This is for knowledge. For truth. For... future reference!"
The moment came. Liangliang was sitting by the garden fence, humming softly, brushing flour off his sleeves. When Lin Yue approached, he looked up with a shy smile.
"Yue'er? Need more buns?"
"N-no," she said, suddenly unsure. "Um… hold still."
Before he could ask, Lin Yue leaned forward and gave him the softest, tiniest kiss on the cheek.
Liangliang froze.
So did Lin Yue.
So did the entire universe, probably.
Then—he screamed.
Loud. Like he saw a ghost.
Lin Yue bolted.
The entire gang screamed and ran in different directions, crashing into baskets, knocking over a chicken coop, and scaring Granny Zhao so much she threw her cane.
"Abort mission!" shouted Chun Hei, half-laughing, half-crying.
They met under the big tree an hour later, covered in feathers and grass.
"Well," Lin Yue said, panting. "That went... exactly not as planned."
"Operation First Kiss failed," Meimei said solemnly. "But at least we know one thing."
"What?"
"Liangliang definitely can't handle science."
Everyone laughed so hard they rolled on the grass. And even though they were bruised, scratched, and would probably get scolded later, Lin Yue thought it was all worth it.
She didn't know why that tiny kiss made her heart flutter—or why she kept thinking of her strange dreams lately—but one thing was clear:
Being a kid in this world? Pure chaos.
And she loved it.