After Cheng LiQi finished speaking, she crooked her finger at her mother and looked at her mother, "Mom, am I right?"
Cheng Jinlan stroked her hair gently and smiled at her, "Little LiQi is very right."
Seeing her mother smile, Cheng LiQi's originally serious big eyes also curved into a smile.
Shao Yunzheng stared fiercely at Cheng LiQi, his sunken eye sockets bursting with anger. But if you look closely, you can see that in those filthy eyeballs there is still a trace of fear. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and all the words were stuck in his throat without saying anything.
Cheng Jinlan leaned sideways to protect Cheng LiQi behind her back, and said to the people outside the door, "Shao ChengZe went to the supermarket downstairs and will be back soon. The owner is not at home, so I won't invite you in. You can wait for him outside, or call him."
After finishing speaking, Cheng Jinlan closed the door.
Cheng LiQi poked her head out from behind her mother's back, "Mom, who was that old man?"
Cheng Jinlan held her back to the living room and put her on the sofa, "An irrelevant person." She looked at her arm, "Does your arm still hurt?"
Cheng LiQi shook her head, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Usually injections would also hurt, but she didn't know why today she would feel particularly painful. Maybe it was because her mother was here, and her father was here too. She wanted to cling to her parents and act coquettishly for a while longer.
"Mom, where's Dad?" Cheng LiQi looked around the house with her eyes.
"He went to the supermarket because you wanted to eat pizza."
"Oh~~ Mom, is this Dad's house?"
"Well."
"Dad's not here, can we visit his house?" She was very curious about her father's residence.
"You can visit, but don't mess with anything."
Cheng LiQi nodded happily. However, looking at her bare little feet, she wrinkled her nose, "Mom, can I visit barefoot?"
It was her first time at her dad's house, and her dad probably didn't have her slippers here. She actually preferred walking barefoot on the floor, but her mother didn't really like it.
"You sit down, and Mom will get you slippers."
When they entered the door earlier, he pointed out the slippers in the shoe cabinet, summer and winter models, arranged in two rows, one large and one small. Cheng Jinlan took out a pair of pink slippers from the small row.
Just as she was about to turn around, her eyes fell on the white slippers at the very bottom of the shoe cabinet, and her eyes stalled for a moment.
Seeing the slippers, Cheng LiQi's eyes lit up, "Wow, Dad prepared slippers for me, I like them so much."
Cheng Jinlan put on her slippers and Cheng LiQi got off the sofa. Holding her mother's hand, she visited from the living room to the study.
Cheng LiQi thought, Dad really likes black. The sofa is black, the floor is black, the bookshelf is black, and the desk is black. Coming out of the study, she entered the next room. Cheng LiQi's eyes widened. This was a pink room full of dolls, toys, and fairy tale books. There was even a pink piano in the corner.
Cheng LiQi turned to look at her mother, "Mom, is this the room Dad prepared for me?"
Cheng Jinlan stroked her rosy red cheeks with her fingers, "You can ask him when he comes back."
"When will Dad come back?"
Cheng Jinlan replied, "It should be a while."
Shao ChengZe received Shao Yunzheng's phone call and was rushing back from the supermarket. In fact, the property manager could also prepare these things, but he wanted to choose them himself. He regretted leaving the mother and daughter at home alone and going out. No one answered when he called back, so he wasn't sure if she would still be there when he returned.
Shao Yunzheng was waiting downstairs, his brows deeply furrowed, his hands tightly grasping his cane.
Very similar, not just the eyes, but also the expression when lecturing with a stern face, and the smiling appearance when eyes curved. He thought Shao ChengZe already looked very much alike, but Shao ChengZe only resembled her in superficial appearance, while the little girl resembled her in temperament. So many years had passed that he thought he had long forgotten what she looked like, but he hadn't forgotten, he just didn't dare to remember.
Shao ChengZe slammed the brakes and stopped to one side, got out of the car in large strides and stood in front of Shao Yunzheng, "Why did you come over?"
Shao Yunzheng snorted heavily through his nose, "What, I can't come over? If I don't come over again, are you going to get married and start a family?"
Shao ChengZe said, "Don't worry about that, it hasn't reached that step yet. I do want to get a license with her as soon as she agrees, unfortunately she doesn't agree."
Shao Yunzheng stared at him viciously, pronouncing each word, "I said, anyone is fine, but absolutely not anyone from the Cheng family."
Shao ChengZe replied seriously, "For me, there is no one but her."
"Good, very good," Shao Yunzheng's chest rose and fell rapidly a few times, "Then get out of Shao's immediately."
Shao ChengZe glanced at his watch, "Okay, the board will receive my resignation by 8pm tonight."
Shao Yunzheng's face had already turned iron blue.
"If there is nothing else, please go back. It's going to rain again soon. If you catch a cold from the rain, and your wife blames it on me again, I can't afford that responsibility. My place is small, so I won't invite you upstairs," Shao ChengZe was about to leave, then stopped, "Oh, when you have time to come over, it would be better to pay more attention to what your wife has been busy with lately, there may be surprises, and very big ones."
Shao Yunzheng directly threw his cane at him. The cane hit Shao ChengZe's chest and fell to the ground with a clang.
Shao ChengZe brushed his clothes and bent over to pick up the cane. Looking at the cane, he smiled, "Grandpa, although you don't want to admit it, you really are old. In the past, a hit like this from you would leave me bruised for two or three days. Now it feels like leaves falling on me, no different."
"Uncle Wang, send the old master home." Shao ChengZe threw the cane in his hand to the driver next to him. The smile on his face disappeared completely as he turned and strode away.
Seeing that the shoes were still in the foyer, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Cheng LiQi ran over, "Dad, you're back."
A warm smile flowed from Shao ChengZe's eyes. He bent down to look her in the eye, "Dad is back. Did little LiQi sleep well?"
"I slept very well, and my arm doesn't hurt anymore. I'm just waiting to eat the pizza you're going to make, Mom doesn't feel well, so let her rest quietly at home."
Shao ChengZe understood, "I'll go buy things for her."
"No need, I brought them." Cheng Jinlan's bag always had backup supplies out of habit. She looked at him, "Did you see the person? I didn't let him in."
"He's gone now. Sorry, I didn't know he would come over."
Cheng Jinlan didn't want to discuss these things in front of Cheng LiQi, so she interrupted him, "Where are the things you bought?"
Cheng LiQi giggled, "Mom, Dad was so eager to see you that he left the things in the car and forgot to bring them up." She put her arm around her dad's neck and whispered in Dad's ear, "Dad, just now a very fierce old man came, glaring with a pair of eyes, and was so fierce to Mom. I told the old man that it was because he was impolite to Mom first, so Mom was impolite to him."
Shao ChengZe's face stiffened for a moment. He stroked her hair, "Little LiQi did very well. Were you scared by the old man?"
Cheng LiQi shook her head, "No, with Mom here, and in Dad's house, I won't be afraid."
The bathroom door opened, and Cheng Jinlan walked out. She glanced at him without saying anything.
Shao ChengZe carefully looked at her complexion, it was clear and plain, and he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, just a little pale. He walked towards her, "Do you feel unwell?" Cheng Jinlan reluctantly nodded. Her period came two days early.
Shao ChengZe understood, "I'll go buy things for you."
"No need, I brought them." Cheng Jinlan's bag always had backup feminine products out of habit. She looked at him, "Did you see the person? I didn't let him in."
"He's already left. I'm sorry, I didn't know he would come over."
Cheng Jinlan didn't want to discuss these things in front of Cheng LiQi. She interrupted him, "Where are the things you bought?"
Cheng LiQi giggled, "Mom, Dad was so eager to see you that he left the things in the car and forgot to bring them up." She put her arm around her dad's neck and whispered, "Dad, let's go downstairs together to get them. You're going to make pizza for me, and I want to help. Mom doesn't feel well, so let her rest quietly at home."
"Okay, little LiQi will go downstairs with Dad."
This was exactly what Shao ChengZe wanted to hear. He was afraid that Cheng Jinlan would leave with little Cheng LiQi while he went downstairs to get things. It was perfect that he could take the little one away, forcing the big one to stay at home. When they got back, Cheng LiQi would still be there.
Cheng LiQi really did want to help. As her dad carried up two big heavy bags of stuff, she helped carry a carton of milk. As her dad washed his hands, she brought him a towel. As her dad went into the kitchen, she followed him in. As her dad brought her mom a cup of hot water, she covered her mom's belly with a blanket. As her dad peeled apples, she stood by, eating raisins. She thought they were so sweet that she cupped a whole handful in her little hands and ran into the living room to offer some to her mom. "Mom, eat these. They're really sweet."
Cheng Jinlan tried a couple and said, "You're right, they are very sweet."
Little Cheng LiQi smiled sweetly and sat down next to her mom, leaning on her mom's lap. She looked at the cute little cat mug in front of her mom. "Mom, your mug is so pretty. Dad said it's your special mug."
Cheng Jinlan's eyes lingered on the mug for a moment before taking another raisin and putting it in Cheng LiQi's mouth. "Your special mug is very pretty too. You love Elsa the most."
"That's right," Cheng LiQi sat up straight and took a big gulp from her own little mug. Then she called towards the kitchen, "Thank you Dad for buying me this mug. When I drink from it, the water tastes sweet."
A low, smiling voice came from the kitchen, "As long as little LiQi likes it."
The rain continued to patter outside, raindrops hitting the window in long streaks, obscuring the cloudy sky. No matter how hard it rained or how windy it was outside, it could not affect the warm, orange lamplight glowing inside.
Cheng LiQi was immersed in her cartoon, eyes glued to the screen without blinking. Cheng Jinlan carried her empty mug into the kitchen. Shao ChengZe looked up and took the mug from her hands, refilling it with hot water before placing it back in front of her.
"Do you remember this mug?"
They had bought this set of mugs, white for her and black for him, on a trip to the supermarket long ago.
Cheng Jinlan was silent for a while before answering, "You kept all this stuff?"
The slippers at the bottom shelf of the shoe cabinet, the vase on the table, and the mug she held in her hand right now.
"I put everything away before. I was going to have the cleaning service throw them out but kept forgetting to tell them, I guess subconsciously I wanted to keep some memories and couldn't bear to throw them away. I took everything back out when I was tidying up over the past couple days. I thought that if by some chance I could get you to come over someday, and you saw them, I might earn back some points."
Cheng Jinlan quirked her lips. "You're very honest."
Shao ChengZe looked at her earnestly. "The things that happened in the past taught me a painful lesson. I don't want there to be any more misunderstandings between us, so I can't hide any thoughts from you anymore."
Cheng Jinlan met his gaze directly without looking away.
"I'm sorry," Shao ChengZe said softly.
"Sorry for what?"
"No matter what he said, before or now, don't take it to heart."
Cheng Jinlan's eyes shifted. "Some words are hard not to take to heart, especially since I'm petty."
Shao ChengZe moved to meet her gaze. "Are you angry?"
Cheng Jinlan didn't reply.
Shao ChengZe took her hand. "Hit me or yell at me, let your anger out. Don't make yourself sick being mad."
The oven dinged crisply.
"Go check your pizza," Cheng Jinlan pulled her hand away, wanting to leave.
Shao ChengZe blocked her path, slipped on oven mitts, and took the pizza out. The delicious aroma wafted out along with it. He sliced the pizza and blew on a piece before lifting it to her lips. "Try it? It's not hot anymore."
She didn't open her mouth, so his hand didn't move.
Finally, Cheng Jinlan took a bite from his hand.
Shao ChengZe looked at her expectantly. "How is it?"
Cheng Jinlan answered, "So-so."
"Really?" Shao ChengZe bit into the spot she had just bitten. Looking at her, he said, "I think it's pretty good."
"It's not good at all."
Shao ChengZe accepted the criticism. "Then I'll keep working at it, and do even better next time."
"You have to, not just try to."
Shao ChengZe raised a brow.
Cheng Jinlan's lashes fluttered as she looked at him. "You want to marry into our family, little LiQi is easy to coax, but my parents are tough critics. Your cooking skills still have a long way to go."
Since the old master of their family already detested her so much, she didn't mind making him detest her more. Just like what Cheng JinChuan said, stealing their most outstanding grandson into the Cheng family would probably make him hopping mad.
Shao ChengZe was taken aback.
Just then, Cheng LiQi smelled the aroma and ran into the kitchen. "Mom, what does marrying into our family mean?"
Cheng Jinlan pushed him away, but Shao ChengZe grasped her wrist. His dark brows and eyes lit up as he locked eyes with her. He replied to Cheng LiQi, "It means...your dad wants to marry your mom."
Dad wants to marry Mom? Does that mean Dad wants to be the bride?
Cheng LiQi was excited and curious. "Dad, will you wear a wedding dress?!"
