Chapter 101

"Yay, I guessed right!"

In the darkness, a pair of small hands encircled Qiao Wen's arm, and the baby's soft, squishy little body pressed against her side.

"With such a wonderful mother, he must be a good son."

Even though she knew the girl was always sweet-talking, Qiao Wen's lonely and cold heart was still warmed by those words, and she felt an indescribable sense of emotion.

"Go to sleep." She put one hand around the little girl's back and patted her gently, with just the right amount of pressure to lull her to sleep.

Before long, Xu Yirou gradually felt sleepy, and her eyelids drooped weakly.

As Xu Yirou's consciousness gradually faded, Qiao Wen gently helped her tuck the blanket in, and a soft, mosquito-like murmur suddenly entered her ears.

"I love my mom. I wish my mom was really chubby."

Qiao Wen's eyes suddenly stung with tears, her eyes, long accustomed to the darkness, quietly watching the sleeping little girl.

She had done a background check on Xu Yirou and knew how difficult it was for this girl who came from a terrible family. She also understood her sensitivity and low self-esteem.

So over the years, I have maintained a distance that is appropriate for both of us.

Looking back now at those cautious yet expectant eyes, perhaps what she wanted was not distance, but closeness.

She bent down and placed a kiss on Xu Yirou's fair cheek.

"From now on, I will be your mother."

*

The original plan was to stay one night and then go home, but after spending one night in the old house, several of the younger generation couldn't help but fall in love with the place.

The He family's old house has a history of more than 300 years. Although it has been renovated several times, every blade of grass, every tree, every piece of wood and every tile is full of the rustic charm that modern buildings do not have.

Everywhere you look, you can see traces of our ancestors. To put it romantically, isn't this like living under the same roof as our ancestors from a hundred years ago, across time and space?

It's nice to change your environment occasionally to relax.

The family treated their old house like a leisurely stroll, enjoying the pavilions, terraces, carved beams, and painted rafters reminiscent of Suzhou gardens, leaving them wanting more.

He Nianzhu leaned against the corridor, rubbing her sore legs: "This place is perfect for filming. Hengdian is nothing compared to this place."

Uncle Zeng, who accompanied him throughout, smiled slightly: "Second Young Master, if you want to film in the old house, you just need to let me know in advance."

He Nianzhu quickly waved her hand: "No, no, Grandma likes peace and quiet. There are too many people on the set, and it might disturb her."

Uncle Zeng said respectfully, "Second Young Master, there's no need to worry. This was specially instructed to me by the Old Madam. She knows that you often film period dramas, and the old house is a suitable location for filming, so please don't stand on ceremony."

Upon hearing this, He Nianzhu was completely flattered.

"Has Grandma seen my shows?"

"No way!" He Nianzhu exclaimed. "I'm not making any spy movies, tearing apart Japanese soldiers with bare hands, or family dramas."

He couldn't even imagine what Qiao Wen's expression would be when she watched his show.

Uncle Zeng was inwardly amused and exasperated, but outwardly maintained a friendly smile: "Second Young Master, the Old Madam is looking at you."

This time, He Nianzhu understood.

His grandmother, who was cold and aloof and kept everyone at arm's length, had actually been secretly watching him all along.

As expected, birds of a feather flock together; the eldest brother's cold exterior but warm heart are just like Grandma's.

He Nianzhu wasn't ungrateful; her eyes crinkled with delight as she expressed her agreement:

"So Grandma loves me so much, then I'll respectfully accept your offer. I'll definitely come to keep her company often for tea and to watch plays."

Tears of relief welled up in Uncle Zeng's eyes.

Great! That's wonderful. The old lady will be very happy to hear that.

The group ate, drank, and strolled around the old house for three days before returning home. During those three days, the three siblings often went to visit Qiao Wen together.

From initial restraint and trepidation to later relaxation and adaptation, He Nianzhu was the boldest among them, suddenly blurting out a few teasing remarks about Qiao Wen.

He broke out in a cold sweat, covered his mouth, and carefully observed Qiao Wen's expression. Seeing that his grandmother showed no anger, he immediately felt a sense of satisfaction.

From then on, he became increasingly audacious, constantly flirting with death.

Then they discovered that Grandma Qiao Wen, who seemed stern, old-fashioned, and unapproachable, was actually very tolerant of them.

He Nianzhu, being talkative and restless, seized an opportunity to ask arrogantly, taking advantage of the favored status:

"Grandma, my older brother has always wanted me to come back to the company to help him, but I just want to be in the entertainment industry, filming movies and reading scripts every day... Will you be angry if I'm not doing my job properly?"

Qiao Wen lifted her eyelids and glanced at him indifferently, then continued sipping her tea.

"The wealth accumulated by your ancestors is enough for you to do nothing for several lifetimes. We only have one requirement for you: abide by the law and do not commit crimes, steal chickens or dogs. Everything else is up to you."

The He family owns countless companies, so they don't need someone in charge to expand their territory; maintaining the existing business is enough.

If the descendants live peacefully and contentedly, eating, drinking, and having fun, and don't cause any trouble or leave any major problems, then the He family's future will still be bright and glorious.

Qiao Wen's unexpected answer left He Nianzhu stunned for a long time.

He abandoned his usual carefree attitude, sat up straight for once, and took a fresh look at his grandmother.

Qiao Wen didn't need to look to know what he was thinking: "I wasn't as open-minded when I was young as I am now."

“I also tried to force your father to take on a major role in the company, and I criticized him for not doing his job properly and for being hopeless.”

"You may not know that when he was twenty, he had a big fight with me because he didn't want to go out with me. He then ran away from home for five years, wandering around on his own. He was tricked into signing with a small media company, and he was determined to release an album and become a singer."

"He was a newcomer, unfamiliar with the place and the people, and had no power or influence. He wrote a few good songs, but they were all given to people with connections. He was struggling to make ends meet every month."

“He thought that by unilaterally cutting off contact with us, we wouldn’t be able to find him. In reality, we know exactly where he is and what he’s doing.”

He Nianzhu was stunned. The lovable, foolish guy Qiao Wen had described was actually her father?!

This is a completely different person from the cunning and elegant father he remembered.

"And then, Grandma?"

"Then, he got really angry and went home." Qiao Wen seemed to chuckle. "After he came back, he bought that small media company and kicked out the people who had stolen his songs."

Qiao Wen turned to look at He Nianzhu: "That company is now called Ruiying."

He Nianzhu nearly spat out her tea.

"Cough cough cough!" He turned his head and choked, his face and neck turning red. Wasn't that the company he had just signed with?

The He family has interests in many fields, and Ruiying is the only media company under their name. In its early years, it operated in a laissez-faire manner and lost a lot of money, but they did not sell it. He thought that the family was not short of money and simply couldn't be bothered to manage it.

Now it seems that it was clearly his father's 'deep love'!

He Nianzhu lowered her head, pressed her fist to her lips, and smiled with watery eyes: "I finally know who I resemble."

*

Because of the Xia family's situation, the three siblings have found a new kindergarten for Xu Yirou and plan to transfer the baby's mother to another school in the next few days.

To prevent Xu Yirou from feeling uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment, and also to take care of Paopao's feelings, Paopao will transfer schools as well.

The He family owns shares in the new kindergarten, so even if the Xia family tries to get involved, they will be turned away.

Everything is ready except for the east wind.

Xu Qingyan tried to persuade Xu Yirou to transfer schools by appealing to her emotions and reasoning with her. Little did he know that what he thought would be a great success would actually elicit a strong reaction from the mother of the cub.

"I don't want to transfer schools! No, I don't want to!"

"Mom, listen to me—"

"Aaaaaah, I don't want to hear it!"

Xu Yirou tossed her head, her chubby cheeks jiggling like jelly, every cell in her body filled with resistance.

Seeing this, He Nianzhu and Xu Niancheng quickly tried to explain. He Nianzhu rubbed her ears and comforted her, "Mom, don't ignore it. As the saying goes, the ears are the windows to the soul..."

Xu Yirou puffed out her cheeks and wiggled her little bottom: "The eyes are the windows to the soul! Erbao, out!"

"No, I haven't said anything yet, how am I out of the loop?"

“Shhh, Grandma Saudi!”

Xu Niancheng cast a mocking glance at He Nianzhu, whose microphone had been ruthlessly muted by her mother, and then casually grabbed a bottle of strawberry yogurt and handed it over.

"Mom, don't be angry, we can explain." She waved the yogurt in her hand. "Mom, let's have some milk and calm down, okay?"

Xu Yirou's eyes lit up uncontrollably. She tried her best to keep a straight face and said, "Mommy refuses bribes."

Xu Niancheng smiled and said, "It's not a bribe, it's a reward and a gesture of appreciation."

She unscrewed the yogurt lid, and instantly the sweet strawberry aroma wafted to the tip of the baby's mother's nose, faintly entering Xu Yirou's nasal cavity.

The cub's thin nostrils twitched, she blinked, and slurped a little saliva.

“Mom must be thirsty after talking with us for so long. This yogurt is to quench her thirst.” Xu Niancheng held the bottle to Xu Yirou’s lips. “After all, I’m Mom’s little darling.”

These words were so comforting; how could Xu Yirou, a mere four-year-old, resist her daughter's sweet talk?

She took the yogurt from her daughter and gulped it down.

Xu Niancheng's few words were like a gentle spring breeze, easily defusing the cubs' mother's anger, leaving her two older brothers in awe.

After Xu Yirou finished drinking half a bottle of yogurt, her anger subsided, and she entered a sweet girl mode where she could try to reason with her.

Xu Qingyan reappeared: "Mom, we arranged for you to transfer schools because we didn't want you to be disturbed by the Xia family. Also, the new kindergarten was built with our own funds, and it is far superior to the current Little Whale Kindergarten in terms of both environment and educational resources."

He Nianzhu, who plays the straight man, says, "Big brother is right, Mom, we're doing this for your own good."

The brothers' back-and-forth banter caused Xu Yirou's dissatisfaction to resurface.

Xu Yirou pouted her chubby little lips and pointed at the two of them angrily, saying, "Da Bao, Er Bao, don't think Mommy doesn't know, you're ABCing me!"

He Nianzhu: 0.0

Xu Qingyan, a retired cadre who had been disconnected from the internet, frowned slightly: "ABC? Mom, what are you saying?"

The focus shifted, and Xu Yirou's sweet voice rose two octaves: "Dabao, you don't even know ABCs?"

Xu Qingyan remained silent. Aren't ABC just the first three letters of the twenty-six alphabets? What special meaning could they possibly have?

Xu Qingyan racked his brains but couldn't figure it out.

Seeing her clever and capable son looking stumped, Xu Yirou secretly rejoiced, hands on her hips, her smile practically reaching the sky.

"ABC means moral blackmail~"

"Dabao, you're so unsophisticated! You don't even know this? Hehe, you're not as good as Mommy."

Xu Qingyan, who was ridiculed by her mother: ...

Why does ABC mean moral blackmail? How come there are so many strange internet memes?

He Nianzhu and Xu Niancheng exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and thought through the saddest things they had ever done in their lives—

However, there's a strong sense of déjà vu about this.

Hahaha, I couldn't help it, I just couldn't help it!