Chapter 496 I Remember All Her Preferences

Then, Zhou Mubin took off his dark gray suit jacket and gently draped it over the back of Cui Xiao's chair, while also adjusting the collar of the jacket to block the cold wind blowing in from the doorway.

"It gets chilly at night, wear something underneath, my coat is thick."

He waved to the waiter, ordered a clear broth base, and then rattled off the dishes without hesitation: "Freshly sliced ​​pork tenderloin, frozen tofu, hand-pulled wide rice noodles, freshly picked spinach, fried tofu skin rolls, and a side of shrimp paste, please make them into small balls so the kids can bite them easily."

As soon as the waiter left, Xiao Nuomi stared at Zhou Mubin curiously, "Uncle Zhou, how did you know Mommy likes to eat these? Mommy's favorite is frozen tofu cooked with wide rice noodles."

Cui Xiao paused as she picked up the teacup, leaving a faint tea stain on the cup's surface, and a blush crept onto the tips of her ears.

Zhou Mubin picked up a small spoon and scooped a bowl of warm bone broth from the boiling copper pot. He carefully skimmed off the surface oil before placing it in front of Xiao Nuomi. "Drink slowly and warm yourself up."

He smiled and gently ruffled Xiao Nuomi's soft hair, his fingertips tracing the top of the child's head, his tone gentle, "Because your uncle has been paying attention to your mother for a long time, I remember all her preferences."

Little Nuomi's eyes suddenly lit up. She covered her mouth with her little hand, leaned close to Zhou Mubin's ear, and whispered, but she couldn't control her voice, so Cui Xiao next to her heard it clearly, "Did you used to chase after my mom? Like a prince chasing after a princess in a cartoon?"

Cui Xiaogang's hand, which was scooping soup, suddenly stopped, and the scalding soup almost spilled. She quickly lowered her head and pretended to blow on the soup, but the blush from her ears spread to her cheeks.

Zhou Mubin didn't flinch at all. His gaze pierced through the rising steam and locked firmly in Cui Xiao's eyes. His voice was clear and serious, carrying an undeniable sincerity, "Yes, I did pursue her."

He paused, looking at Cui Xiao's suddenly raised eyes, her eyes reflecting the light of the copper pot and charcoal fire, full of tenderness, "And even now, Uncle is still chasing after her, he has never stopped."

Cui Xiao avoided his burning gaze, her fingertips gripping the chopsticks tightly, but a faint yet genuine smile involuntarily curled at the corners of her lips. Even she herself didn't realize how much tenderness was hidden in that smile.

Little Nuomi's eyes widened, with half a shrimp ball still in her mouth, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster, as she asked indistinctly, "Did you give her a gift when you confessed your feelings? In cartoons, princes always give princesses roses."

Zhou Mubin was amused by her appearance, picked up a tissue and gently wiped the soup from the corner of her mouth, his tone full of doting, "It's a gift."

"Wow! Did your mom agree back then?"

Little Nuomi leaned forward, her little hands gripping the edge of the table, forgetting even to pick up her favorite frozen tofu.

Zhou Mubin glanced at Cui Xiao, who was pretending to be cooking vegetables while her ears were red, and said, "No."

Little Nuomi immediately frowned, put down her chopsticks, put her hands on her hips, and looked at Cui Xiao with a fierce but cute expression. "Mommy, why won't you agree? Uncle Zhou is so nice!"

Cui Xiao was amused by her daughter's sudden "questioning" and chuckled, reaching out to tap her forehead. "Little traitor, you're siding with outsiders now?"

Zhou Mubin quickly picked up a piece of cooked wide rice noodles and put it into Cui Xiao's bowl, smiling as he helped her out of the predicament, "It's not your mother's fault, it's just that I'm not good enough."

He then turned to Xiao Nuomi, made a "shh" gesture with his hand, and said in a low voice, "But Uncle is confident that I will definitely get your mother's approval."

Little Nuomi immediately leaned close to his ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Uncle Zhou, I'll help you."

Zhou Mubin ruffled her hair and was about to speak when Xiao Nuomi suddenly picked up her chopsticks and pointed at the untouched wide rice noodles in Cui Xiao's bowl, "Mom, eat quickly, Uncle Lin specially ordered this for you."

Cui Xiao paused as she picked up the wide rice noodles, and when she looked up, she met Zhou Mubin's smiling gaze. In the steamy atmosphere, even her heartbeat slowed down.

——

The three of them stayed in the port city for another three days, revisiting the old streets' wonton noodles and the sunsets by the sea, before the day of their return quietly arrived.

At the airport security checkpoint, Zhou Mubin was carrying a suitcase in one hand.

Inside were almond cookies he specially got up early to queue for, vacuum-packed shrimp dumplings, and cartoon-shaped cookies he picked out for his daughter, Xiao Nuomi.

With his other hand, he subconsciously tidied Cui Xiao's bangs that had been ruffled by the wind, repeatedly reminding her, "Remember to send me a message to let me know you're safe when you get to Shanghai. There's a shockproof layer on the side of the suitcase."

Little Nuomi hugged the oversized plush rabbit Zhou Mubin had given her, stood on tiptoe and tried to reach his cheek, gave him a quick kiss, and said in her childish voice, "Uncle Zhou, you have to come to Shanghai to find us soon. I'll share half of my strawberry cookies with you."

Looking at the two figures, one tall and one short, Cui Xiao felt her throat tighten as if it were cotton soaked in warm water. All the words she wanted to say were condensed into a soft "Okay".

Then, she took Xiao Nuomi's hand and turned to walk into the security checkpoint.

After taking three or four steps, she couldn't help but turn back, and happened to bump into Zhou Mubin still standing there, his suit jacket fluttering slightly in the wind, his hands in his pockets, his gaze burning and focused on their direction. When he saw her turn back, he even waved gently.

The flight to Shanghai was an hour earlier than his flight to Hong Kong.

As soon as the plane landed, Zhou Mubin stepped off the jet bridge and dialed the administration's number, his tone more urgent than usual but still calm.

"Help me contact high-end residential properties in Jing'an District, Shanghai. Also, provide me with a preliminary framework for the law firm's relocation to Shanghai within three days. The location should be near Mingda Technology. There is no upper limit to the budget."

The administrator was already used to his decisive and efficient manner, so she was only taken aback for a moment before quickly agreeing, "Okay, are you planning to settle down in Shanghai?"

As Zhou Mubin walked, he said, "Yes, I plan to settle in Shanghai. Also, please inform the law firm's employees that those who want to go to Shanghai with me will receive a 30% raise, and those who don't want to go can collect three months' salary from the finance department this month."

"Understood, I'll take care of it right away."

Thanks to Zhou Mubin's top reputation and strong financial resources in the industry, things proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

When choosing an apartment, he specifically video-called the real estate agent to repeatedly confirm whether it was in the same building as Cui Xiao's.

Within a week, all the trivial matters, such as buying a house, finalizing the renovation plan, and settling the law firm staff, were settled, ensuring that the relocation would proceed without any obstacles.

After finishing up the remaining work at the Gangcheng Law Firm, Zhou Mubin, carrying only a simple carry-on suitcase, boarded a flight to Shanghai without hesitation.

Hesitantly, I boarded a flight to Shanghai.

——

Meanwhile, after Cui Xiao returned to Shanghai with Xiao Nuomi, her life quickly returned to normal.

Little Nuomi has long since regained her former liveliness, going to kindergarten every day with her little backpack. The nanny has also fully recovered and is managing the household perfectly.