Chapter 484 Who exactly is this little girl?

He suppressed his surging emotions, ruffled Xiao Nuomi's hair, and chatted with her for a while about her fun experiences at kindergarten, until the ward door was gently pushed open.

Cui Xiaogang had just woken up, her hair still a little messy, and she was clearly stunned when she saw the scene in the ward.

Zhou Mubin was half-squatting by the bed, patiently wiping the porridge stains from Xiao Nuomi's mouth. Xiao Nuomi leaned against him, holding half a crab roe bun to his mouth. The way the two of them were together looked just like a real father and daughter.

Her heart softened inexplicably, and the coldness in her eyes faded, replaced by a touch of emotion that she herself didn't even realize she was showing.

Zhou Mubin was the first to see her and quickly got up. "You're awake? Come and have breakfast with us."

Little Nuomi waved her little hand and shouted, "Mommy, come quick! Uncle Zhou bought lots of delicious food, including your favorite wontons!"

Cui Xiao walked over slowly, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Zhou Mubin and Xiao Nuomi's faces.

I used to think my daughter's eyebrows and eyes resembled Zhou Mubin's, but now that the two of them are sitting together, even the dimples at the corners of their eyes when they smile are exactly the same. The tacit understanding between them is impossible to hide.

She didn't say anything, slowly sat down at the table, and just as she was about to reach for a spoon, Zhou Mubin had already handed her a warm spoon.

He opened the insulated container of wontons and pushed it in front of her. The rising steam blurred the tenderness in his eyes. "I just bought them. They're still warm. Eat them quickly."

Cui Xiao nodded gently, pulled out a dining chair, and sat down quietly.

She picked up a porcelain spoon, scooped up a plump little wonton, blew on it, and then put it in her mouth.

The delicious broth, infused with the fresh aroma of shepherd's purse, spreads across the tongue, while the warm wontons slide into the stomach, allowing even the nerves that have been tense all night to relax slightly.

She didn't say much, just slowly chewed her words with her eyes lowered, but her ears were unconsciously following the conversation between her daughter and Zhou Mubin.

From new ways to play on the kindergarten slide, to whether the clouds seen yesterday evening looked like sheep from a cartoon, to the little stickers that Xiao Nuomi hid in her backpack.

Two people who had only spent half a day together found they had endless topics to talk about.

Zhou Mubin always catches Xiao Nuomi's every little topic perfectly, and he can even extend her words to more interesting content. The occasional laughter between the father and daughter is like a warm feather, gently brushing through every corner of the ward.

Just as Cui Xiao put down the porcelain spoon and picked up a tissue to wipe her mouth, Zhou Mubin suddenly stopped putting steamed dumplings on Xiao Nuomi's plate.

His fingertips gently traced the edge of the porcelain plate, his gaze lingering on his daughter's smiling face for a few seconds before he tentatively asked, with a mix of seriousness and trepidation, "Little Nuomi, Uncle has a question for you. How about... I be your dad?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing Cui Xiao to freeze in mid-air, her hand holding the tissue momentarily still, and even her breath caught in her throat.

She looked up at Zhou Mubin and met his expectant gaze. Just as she was about to speak to stop him, before she could utter a sound, Xiao Nuomi's eyes lit up as if she had heard the best news.

She immediately clapped her hands and cheered, nodding her head vigorously like a rattle-drum, "Great! Great! Uncle Zhou is a dad now, so I'll have a dad to take me to kindergarten too, and I won't have to envy other kids who have dads anymore!"

"Cough cough cough..."

Cui Xiao was choked by the sudden change and coughed violently. Her chest felt tight and she almost coughed up tears. She hurriedly picked up the warm water on the table and drank two big mouthfuls before she could barely calm down.

Seeing this, Xiao Nuomi immediately leaned over from the bed, gently patted her back with her little hands, her brows furrowed, and asked with concern, "Mommy, are you alright? Are the wontons too hot?"

As she spoke, she turned to look at Zhou Mubin and, like a little adult, instructed, "Dad, look, you've made Mom choke."

The moment that word "Dad" came out, Zhou Mubin's heart melted, and Cui Xiao's cheeks instantly flushed.

Zhou Mubin suppressed a laugh, took out a clean tissue and handed it to Cui Xiao. As he handed it over, he gently touched the back of her reddened hand with his fingertips. His tone was full of undisguised teasing, "Your mother is fine. She was probably just too excited."

Little Nuomi immediately chimed in, "Yes, that's right."

She shook Cui Xiao's arm to chime in, her little face full of self-righteous agreement, and she even analyzed point by point with her chubby little fingers, "Uncle Zhou is handsome, he peels eggs the best, and he knows that Mom likes to eat wontons, so he buys breakfasts that are all the things that Mom and I like to eat. With such a charming man as my dad, Mom must be so happy that she choked."

The father and daughter sang in perfect harmony, their coordination was impeccable.

Zhou Mubin even deliberately raised an eyebrow at Cui Xiao, his smile impossible to hide.

Cui Xiao's face flushed red and then turned pale in an instant, feeling both angry and helpless.

Zhou Mubin was clearly doing it on purpose, but seeing the joyful and satisfied look on his daughter's face, he swallowed back the words of rebuttal that were on the tip of his tongue.

He could only mutter in a very low voice with his head down, "What does a little kid like you know about charm... Eat your food properly and don't listen to Uncle Zhou's nonsense."

The little one was inevitably a bit disappointed. She really liked Uncle Zhou, but she sensed that her mother had some issues with him.

This matter can only be put on hold for now.

——

Most of the time, Zhou Mubin was with his daughter. During a break in the restroom, he quickly dialed Xie Nanzhi's number.

As soon as the call connected, he lowered his voice, his excitement almost bursting through the receiver, "Nanzhi, tell me quickly, what toys do four- or five-year-old girls like? What snacks do they like to eat? Most importantly, how can I quickly make her like me?"

Nanzhi, who was organizing documents on the other end of the phone, was taken aback by the sudden question, then chuckled, "A four or five-year-old girl, educational puzzles and cute plush toys are definitely good choices. If she likes princess-themed hair accessories, they would be very appealing."

When it comes to food, be careful not to buy anything too sweet or salty. Freeze-dried fruit and additive-free yogurt cubes are safer options, and you can also buy some cute little cakes.

She paused, then added, "If you want her to like you, you have to be patient, don't be aloof, play games with her, listen to her tell her whimsical little stories, and praise her more, such as praising her for her beautiful drawings or her interesting way of speaking. Kids all respond to that."

Zhou Mubin listened intently, one hand propped against the wall, the other pulling out his phone's memo app, quickly jotting down keywords while muttering to himself, "How big should the plush toy be? What color should the princess hair accessory be? What flavor of yogurt cubes do you want?"

Xie Nanzhi was amused by his rapid-fire questions. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen him so flustered and anxious. "Old Zhou, why are you so concerned? Who exactly is this little girl that our great lawyer Zhou is going to such lengths to please her?"