Chapter 498 Pampering My Daughter

After a two-second silence, she stomped her foot, said with a hint of annoyance, "Sorry to bother you," and hurriedly pushed through the crowd to the side, forgetting even to pay attention to the child she was supposed to be waiting for.

Just then, the kindergarten gate opened, and the children in blue uniforms walked out in a line.

Little Nuomi spotted the two people in the crowd at a glance, "Mommy, Uncle Zhou."

Her backpack, printed with kittens, bounced back and forth as she broke free from the teacher's hand and pounced like a little cannonball.

First, it hugged Cui Xiao's leg tightly, rubbed its little head against her pants, and then looked up at the rabbit doll in Zhou Mubin's arms with its big, round eyes, like two bright black grapes.

Her childish voice was full of surprise, "Wow, what a big rabbit! It's so fluffy and cute. Is it for me, Uncle Zhou?"

Zhou Mubin immediately suppressed his coldness towards others. The corners of his previously tense lips slowly curved into a smile. He squatted down and carefully handed the rabbit doll to Xiao Nuomi. His tone was full of doting affection. "It's for you. Last time I asked you what gift you wanted, you said you wanted a rabbit that was 'taller than me.' I searched several stores before I could find it."

Little Nuomi hugged the rabbit doll that was half a head taller than her, her eyes crinkling into crescents with joy. She turned to Cui Xiao and boasted, "Mom, look, Uncle Zhou remembered that I wanted a big rabbit."

Cui Xiao watched her daughter hopping and skipping around while holding the rabbit doll, and then glanced at Zhou Mubin, who was gently watching his daughter beside her.

Sunlight filtered through his hair, casting soft shadows on his cheeks.

Xiao Hong's words echoed in her ears once again, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Cui Xiao's cheeks flushed uncontrollably, spreading from her cheekbones to the tips of her ears, as if bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, with even the back of her ears feeling slightly warm.

She hurriedly looked away and her gaze fell on the rabbit doll swaying in Xiao Nuomi's arms.

She cleared her throat, feigning composure as she changed the subject, "Xiao Nuomi and I are going to eat pizza. She's been talking about it for days. If you don't mind..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Mubin's voice eagerly followed, filled with undisguised joy, as if afraid that he was too slow to react and make her change her mind, "Of course I don't mind, I couldn't be happier."

Before he finished speaking, he bent down and steadily picked up Xiao Nuomi, letting her sit in the crook of his arm.

With her other hand carefully supporting the base of the bunny doll to prevent it from slipping, her eyes were full of smiles, as if they were filled with starlight. "Little Nuomi, how about riding in Uncle's car? Uncle has the strawberry lollipop you said you wanted to eat last time, and room temperature yogurt in Uncle's car, all prepared for you."

"Great! That's awesome!"

Little Nuomi immediately hugged Zhou Mubin's neck, nuzzled her head against his neck, and brushed her soft hair against his chin. She clapped her hands with joy, completely forgetting her own mother.

Seeing this scene, Cui Xiao shook her head helplessly, but couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling as if she had been sprinkled with sugar, feeling sweet inside.

On the road, Cui Xiao drove ahead in her car, and could always glimpse Zhou Mubin's car steadily following behind in the rearview mirror, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two cars, making them look like a pair of silhouettes walking side by side. Occasionally, you could see Little Nuomi leaning against the car window, raising her little fist and waving at her.

Zhou Mubin sat beside her, patiently adjusting the car window height to keep the wind out of her.

A dozen minutes later, the car stopped in front of the pizza shop on the street corner, and Zhou Mubin got out of the car carrying Xiao Nuomi.

As soon as we entered the pizzeria, the warm aroma of cheese wafted over us, and Xiao Nuomi immediately broke free from Zhou Mubin's hand.

With short legs propped on a low stool at the order counter, chubby fingers poked and prodded on the menu, pointing at the largest durian pizza and shouting, "I want this, the largest size, and also golden fries and fragrant fried chicken!"

Cui Xiao walked over and gently tapped her head with her knuckles, her tone stern with a hint of helplessness, "French fries and fried chicken are junk food. You can't order them every time, or they'll make you feel hot."

Little Nuomi immediately turned and pounced on Zhou Mubin's side, tugging at his clothes and shaking them. She tilted her little face up and blinked her big, wet eyes, pleading, "Uncle Zhou~ I haven't eaten this in so long, can I have it just this once?"

Zhou Mubin immediately stepped forward to smooth things over, smiling and nodding to the waiter, "One largest durian pizza, extra cheese, plus a serving of fries and a serving of fried chicken. Please make sure the fried chicken is without chili, and the fries have less salt, for the kids."

Just as Cui Xiao was about to frown and say, "Eating too much oily food isn't good," Zhou Mubin had already folded up the menu page with the freshly squeezed juice printed on it and handed it to her, lightly tapping the words "freshly squeezed orange juice" with his fingertip. "It's okay to have it once in a while. After all, childhood is a short time. By the way, I remember you like to drink this. With ice or at room temperature?"

Cui Xiao didn't say anything, only "room temperature".

While waiting for the food, Cui Xiao watched as Zhou Mubin took out a children's wet wipe he carried with him and carefully wiped Xiao Nuomi's fingers.

After wiping her hands, I blew on them and poured her a glass of warm water, telling her to "drink some water to fill her stomach first."

In fact, Zhou Mubin has never liked this kind of Western fast food that is heavy on oil and cheese. In the past, when he accompanied clients to eat this kind of meal, he would only eat a couple of bites at most, as the greasy cheese always made him feel uncomfortable in his stomach.

But seeing Xiao Nuomi take her first bite of pizza, her lips smeared with cheese crumbs and her eyes shining like stars, he felt genuinely happy. He even took a tissue and carefully wiped the crumbs from her lips, speaking softly and gently, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. By the way, if Xiao Nuomi likes it, how about Uncle gives you a pizza shop? You can come whenever you want, and the chef will make you durian pizza every day."

"Really?"

Little Nuomi suddenly stopped what she was doing, forgetting to chew the pizza in her mouth. Cheese strands hung from the corners of her mouth like a little mustache. When she hurriedly asked for an answer, she even let out a small burp. Her beautiful big eyes widened in disbelief.

Zhou Mubin was amused by her, reached out and gently pinched her little nose, his tone extremely serious, "Of course it's true, Uncle never lies to children, especially not to our little Nuomi."

Cui Xiao immediately objected, her brows furrowing slightly. "No."

Then she added, "We can't spoil her like this, giving her whatever she wants. It will make her not know how to appreciate things."

Zhou Mubin didn't seem to care. Seeing Xiao Nuomi's head droop down instantly, the smile in his eyes faded, and his tone became somewhat pleading.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice softened further. "It's not a big deal. Besides, the pizza shop can still operate, so consider it an investment. And... Little Nuomi is adorable, and we get along well. I want to fulfill all her requests."

This can be considered as making up for some of the regrets.