Chapter 73: Daily Life + Raising a Child (Part 3)
"My dad can climb trees!"
"My father can breathe fire!"
"My father can break a boulder with his chest!"
"My father will..."
"Zhizhi." A deep male voice interrupted the children's heated argument.
The little girl with pigtails turned around at the sound, her pretty face flushed red, but her bright eyes lit up as soon as she saw who it was, and she called out happily, "Daddy!"
She quickly turned around and boasted to the children in front of her, "My daddy's here!"
After saying that, Xiao Zhiyi swung her chubby little legs and ran towards the tall man not far away.
Xiao Xu's gaze swept indifferently over the other children who looked surprised, and finally landed on his daughter.
With a long stride, she reached Xiao Zhiyi in just a few steps, bent down, and easily lifted the child high in her arms.
Xiao Zhiyi let out a joyful cheer and sat on her father's arm with practiced ease.
"Say goodbye to your friends," Xiao Xu said.
Xiao Zhiyi waved to the other children with a bright smile: "My daddy's here to take me home, goodbye!"
The children's gazes gradually shifted from surprise to envy as they watched the father and daughter walk further and further away.
On the path, Xiao Zhiyi wrapped her arms around her father's neck, her hands reaching behind her back to play with the jade on Xiao Xu's hair ornament.
Xiao Xu's view was blocked by a fair and delicate arm. Without changing his expression, he reached out and moved her arm away, then skillfully straightened the child's cuffs.
Xiao Zhiyi pouted and said unhappily, "Why is Daddy so late today? Zhizhi has been waiting for you for a long time."
"Yes, indeed. If it were any later, I would have heard Zhizhi say that I have grown wings and can fly, right?"
Xiao Zhiyi was taken aback and asked, "Really? Father, you can fly?"
"..."
Xiao Xu smiled helplessly: "No."
And he also cannot breathe fire or break large rocks with his chest.
Xiao Zhiyi frowned: "Father, you still haven't answered why you came to pick me up late!"
As they spoke, Xiao Xu had already carried his daughter to the place where the carriage was parked in front of the door.
Mu Shan was waiting by the carriage, but before he could even greet her, Xiao Zhiyi had already waved to him with a sweet smile: "Mu Shan!"
Mu Shan's gaze paused slightly, then immediately softened.
He bowed and said, "Greetings, young lady."
Xiao Zhiyi's smile vanished the moment her gaze left Mu Shan's face.
She maintained a serious expression, like a little adult: "Daddy, you haven't answered me yet!"
Xiao Xu did not arrive, but only gave Mu Shan a look to signal them to set off, and then carried Xiao Zhiyi into the carriage.
Just as Xiao Zhiyi sat down and was about to ask a question, Xiao Xu took out an exquisite food box from the side.
"Five Flavors Shop!"
"There were a lot of people today, so I'm late," Xiao Xu explained casually.
The little girl, who had just turned four, was just as easy to coax as her mother. She immediately beamed and snuggled against the strong arm of the man beside her, saying, "Daddy, you're so good, you're the best daddy!"
Xiao Xu raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly unconcerned, but those who knew him well could immediately see the satisfaction in his eyes, even a hint of smugness.
Xiao Zhiyi didn't look closely. After coaxing her father, she happily ate the pastries from Wuweipu.
Xiao Xu reminded him at the right moment: "Don't eat it all, otherwise you won't be able to eat dinner when you get home."
"Hmm," Xiao Zhiyi responded vaguely.
She was very obedient, and thus began to systematically choose her favorite flavors to eat.
But she soon discovered that there was only one piece of her favorite osmanthus cake left, which she had already eaten, and there was none left in the food box.
"Daddy, where's the osmanthus cake?"
Xiao Xu glanced down and said, "There weren't many osmanthus cakes left when I went there today."
Xiao Zhiyi twitched her nose slightly, making a sniffing motion inside the carriage.
She couldn't actually distinguish any different flavors, but her eyes had already spotted another food box beside Xiao Xu.
"Is there osmanthus cake in here? I'd like to eat some more."
Xiao Zhiyi reached out her hand but was stopped by Xiao Xu: "This is Mother's, you can't eat it."
Xiao Zhiyi was stunned, watching as Xiao Xu took action, shielding the food box even further behind him.
She pouted, "Daddy..."
Xiao Xu gently refused, "No."
Xiao Zhiyi knew that her father would not back down in the slightest when it came to her mother, not even for a piece of pastry.
She gave a haughty snort, crossed her arms and turned her head away: "Daddy is annoying. I'll go home and ask Mommy for it myself. Mommy will give me food."
Xiao Xu chuckled: "You were just saying I was the best father, and now you hate me?"
"That's because..." The clever little girl choked for a moment.
He stammered, "Because I want to eat osmanthus cake."
She looked very cute, with chubby cheeks, round eyes, and a small, rosy, glossy mouth with a few crumbs of pastry.
Xiao Xu stared at her intently for a moment.
He was certain that he wasn't this cute when he was a child.
Therefore, she is more like Yun Sheng.
My heart softened instantly.
But Xiao Xu said, "Your mother also wants to eat osmanthus cake. If Zhizhi eats it now, your mother won't be able to eat it later. You already ate a piece, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's right."
Xiao Xu patted her head and pinched her cheek: "Father will send someone to buy you a few more pieces of osmanthus cake early tomorrow. You can save the one you want for tomorrow, okay?"
Xiao Zhiyi's eyes darted around, and her mood instantly brightened: "Okay! Then I want to eat three pieces tomorrow, no, five pieces."
"Father, you really are my best father."
Upon returning to the Prince Zhao's residence, Shen Yuewan sent someone to the gate to pick up Xiao Zhiyi, saying that she wanted to invite her to stay for dinner.
Xiao Zhiyi bid farewell to her father and followed Granny Wenxin to Yi'an Hall.
Xiao Xu returned to the East Courtyard. He had just entered the courtyard when, perhaps a servant had already gone inside to announce his arrival, Yun Sheng hurried out of the house, calling out affectionately, "Zhizhi!...?"
Yun Sheng saw that there was only Xiao Xu standing in front of the courtyard gate, and she stood there stunned for a moment.
Then she noticed that Xiao Xu gradually frowned.
That's an unpleasant sign.
Yun Sheng glanced at him a couple more times before taking a step towards him.
Almost six years into their marriage, their child is already running, jumping, and acting cute. Yun Sheng knows this man who is with her day and night very well.
However, when she walked up to him, despite his displeased expression, she asked directly, "Where's Zhizhi?"
Why didn't you ask me?
“Aren’t you right here?” Yun Sheng looked at him amusedly, knowing what he wanted to hear, but she deliberately refused to say it.
"I mean, ask me."
"What do you want me to ask you?"
Xiao Xu's face had darkened. He kept a straight face and his lips were pursed, looking like he had anger but couldn't vent it.
Yun Sheng then noticed that Xiao Xu was carrying a food box in his hand, which was hidden behind his back.
"Did you buy this for me? Is it a pastry from Wuweipu?"
Xiao Xu nimbly dodged, and just as easily as he had stopped his daughter before, he blocked Yun Sheng's hand.
Xiao Zhiyi does indeed look more like Yun Sheng. Even Yun Sheng's frowning and dissatisfied expression at this moment is the same as Xiao Xu's expression when he saw his daughter in the carriage.
Before Yun Sheng could react, Xiao Xu released her hand and then grabbed her chin, pulling her closer.
Yun Sheng's lips were instantly pressed against a familiar warmth, and Xiao Xu's face loomed large before her eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat at first, but she quickly came to her senses and pushed the person away.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing? We're in the yard."
Xiao Xu stared intently at Yun Sheng's rosy cheeks.
He remembered that a long time ago, Yun Sheng had whispered to him in the middle of the night as she was about to fall asleep, "It's so strange, why does my heart still race every time I kiss you after so many times? When will it calm down and feel natural?"
She said she had been pondering this question for a long time, but had not yet received the answer.
At that moment, Xiao Xu stepped back from in front of her, his palm lightly touching her chest. The chaotic heartbeat pounded violently against his palm for that very instant.
"My heart is beating so fast," Xiao Xu stated seemingly casually.
Yun Sheng slapped his hand away: "Aren't you the same?"
"Yes, me too."
Having successfully stolen a kiss, Xiao Xu should now hand over the pastries.
But when Yun Sheng reached out to take it, he dodged again.
"You haven't asked me yet."
"..."
Yun Sheng gave him a helpless sidelong glance.
A moment later, she took his arm.
Xiao Zhiyi learned her tricks from Yun Sheng.
Over the years, Yun Sheng still seems to think she doesn't know how to coax people, but everyone can see that the Crown Prince's wife can coax the Crown Prince with just a few words. Even the young lady now imitates her, and the Crown Prince often has no way to deal with her.
Yun Sheng took Xiao Xu's arm and walked into the house, asking softly, "Husband, you're back. Were you busy today? Are you tired? Did you work hard? There's hot tea in the house, it's some new tea I bought. Come in and I'll pour some for you to try."
Once inside, it was Xiao Xu himself who poured tea at the table.
Because he had just placed the food box on the table, Yun Sheng didn't care about the teapot and happily propped herself up to open the food box.
Xiao Xu glanced at it, then silently picked up the teapot and poured Yun Sheng a cup of hot tea.
"The osmanthus cakes sold out quickly today; when I went there, they were almost gone. This is the last one."
Yun Sheng's food box contained only two osmanthus cakes, one more than Xiao Zhiyi's.
"Zhizhi also likes osmanthus cake, has she had any?"
"I ate one piece."
After pouring the tea, Xiao Xu turned to see Yun Sheng hesitating about whether to share a piece with her daughter, so he said, "I've already promised her that I'll send someone to buy her some more tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng smiled and then effortlessly fed the osmanthus cake into the cake.
"Then she must be happy."
"Yes, she said I'm the best dad in the world."
Xiao Xu put down the teapot and glanced at Yun Sheng indifferently.
Once he saw her, he couldn't look away and just kept staring at her.
"..."
Yun Sheng swallowed the osmanthus cake in her mouth, paused for a moment, and then got up with a smile and walked towards Xiao Xu.
She lowered her head and placed a kiss on his cheek: "You are the best husband in the world."
With a soft pop, Xiao Xu's expression remained unchanged, only the corners of his lips were slightly raised as he handed over the teacup beside him.
"Eat slowly, don't choke. I'll buy you a few more tomorrow."
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