Chapter 495 Don't be afraid, the bad guys are gone.
Zhou Mubin paused, his tone growing increasingly cold, "Not to mention the money Cui Xiao has spent on you over the years, do you think the court will support your claims?"
He put away his phone, turned to the side and gestured for him to leave. "If you really think you have a chance of winning, you can sue me in court anytime. I will stand up for Cui Xiao and be ready to fight you anytime. But now, please leave. You've scared the child."
Seeing Zhou Mubin's confident demeanor and noticing the approaching security guards behind him, Sun Chengjian's face turned pale and then red. Finally, he gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Cui Xiao, and slunk away.
Zhou Mubin immediately turned around, squatted down and gently patted Xiao Nuomi's head, his voice soft, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Nuomi, the bad guys are gone."
He then stood up and gently placed his palm on her back to comfort her, saying, "Don't get angry with this kind of person. Even if he sues, his demands won't be supported."
Cui Xiao looked at Zhou Mubin's composed profile and softly hummed in agreement.
Afterwards, Cui Xiao took the child into the car.
The car's interior temperature had already been set to the most comfortable 24°C, and the child safety seat was covered with a cute bunny-shaped cartoon cushion, which was Little Nuomi's favorite.
That was a limited edition item that he had specially asked someone to buy last night. The storage bag next to it was neatly filled with sugar-free cookies, freshly squeezed orange juice, and even a pack of children's wipes and spare hair ties. He had gone around three streets this morning to buy all of them.
"Shall we take a stroll through the old street first?"
Zhou Mubin fastened his seatbelt and glanced at Cui Xiao in the rearview mirror. Seeing her staring blankly at the old signboard passing by the window, he added, "I remember you told me that when you were little, you always pestered your mother to take you there to buy sugar paintings, saying that your favorite was the one with a dragon design."
Cui Xiao unconsciously rubbed the cold handrail of the car door with her fingertips. Her fingertips paused slightly, and a barely audible "hmm" escaped her throat, but a faint warmth quietly rose in her eyes.
The old street's bluestone pavement has been polished smooth by time, and you can hear a faint "creak" when you step on it. The shops on both sides are decorated with bright red lanterns, and the warm light shines through the openwork patterns onto the ground, casting mottled shadows.
It's Saturday, and the streets are bustling.
The sugar painting stall was surrounded by chattering children. With a slight turn of the wrist, the craftsman created lively outlines of melted sugar on the bluestone slab.
Zhou Mubin first bent down and took Xiao Nuomi's little hand, gently wrapping the child's warm little fist in his palm, and then naturally handed the bag to Zhou Mubin.
Zhou Mubin was taken aback at first, then smiled and accepted it.
The bag strap was getting hot from her grip, so he deliberately slowed his pace and said in a low voice, "There are a lot of people, follow me and don't push." Cui Xiao accompanied Xiao Nuomi as she squatted in front of the stall to choose a design, patiently waiting for the child to finish deciding between "a little rabbit or a little phoenix." She watched as the vendor poured cane sugar onto the iron plate, carefully blew on the sugar painting before it cooled down, and then handed it to Xiao Nuomi, reminding her, "Eat slowly, don't burn your tongue."
When I passed by the wonton noodle shop at the alley entrance, the red paint on the wooden signboard was already peeling, but the aroma of bone broth wafting out was still familiar.
Zhou Mubin asked Cui Xiao to wait on the bamboo chair at the door with Xiao Nuomi while he quickly went in to order. He specifically instructed the owner, who was wearing a blue apron, "Three bowls of wonton noodles, less scallion, more seaweed, and one bowl without cilantro."
Cui Xiao sat on the bamboo chair, watching him skillfully exchange pleasantries with the owner. Suddenly, she remembered that when she was a child, she had cried her eyes out in this very shop because Jin Ping had used her scholarship money to buy a dress for Sun Lu. But Jin Ping hadn't offered a single word of comfort, and hadn't even ordered a bowl of rice for her.
After Sun Lu finished eating, Cui Xiao finished what was left, even drinking the soup.
The aroma of the bone broth back then is exactly the same as it is now.
After a simple meal, the suburban wetland park was bursting with life in the afternoon, its leaves just beginning to sprout.
Zhou Mubin took a folding picnic mat out of the trunk, carefully laid a fleece blanket on it, and then took out Xiao Nuomi's favorite plush rabbit toy and a food storage container filled with breadcrumbs.
He accompanied Xiao Nuomi as she chased butterflies on the lawn, deliberately slowing down his pace and pretending not to be able to catch up with the hopping child, which made Xiao Nuomi laugh so hard she couldn't stand up straight.
While feeding the pigeons, he broke the breadcrumbs into small pieces and guided Xiao Nuomi to open her palm. As the gray pigeons landed in the child's palm, he quickly took out his phone to capture the moment.
Little Nuomi got tired from running and threw herself into Zhou Mubin's arms for a hug. He held her steadily under his armpits and deliberately lifted her up and spun her around. Sunlight filtered through his fingers and fell on Little Nuomi's face. The little girl's laughter echoed on the lawn like silver bells.
Cui Xiao sat on the picnic mat, watching the two figures being stretched long by the setting sun, and her shoulders, which had been tense for a long time, gradually relaxed.
She quietly took out her phone. In the video, Zhou Mubin was bending down to wipe the sweat from Xiao Nuomi's forehead. His profile was soft, and even his usually sharp eyes were full of smiles.
Just as she pressed the shutter button, Zhou Mubin turned his head and looked over. He didn't expose her little trick, but just gave her a gentle smile, got up, picked up the warm milk from the insulated box, walked over, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.
"It's windy, have something warm to drink."
The warmth of the milk emanated from the glass bottle, making her fingertips feel warm.
As evening approached, the setting sun gradually sank below the horizon, turning the sky a vibrant orange-red.
Little Nuomi fell asleep in the child seat in the back, her little head tilted against the back of the seat, a little cookie crumb still stuck to the corner of her mouth, and her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyelids.
Cui Xiao turned to the side to wipe the crumbs from her daughter's mouth, her movements as gentle as if she were touching a fragile treasure.
The streetlights outside the car window lit up one after another, and the warm yellow light shone through the window, casting interplay of light and shadow on Zhou Mubin's well-defined profile.
As she watched him focus on driving, recalling all his thoughtfulness throughout the day, her throat tightened slightly, and she whispered, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
Zhou Mubin's hand on the steering wheel paused noticeably for a moment, then he turned to look at her, his eyes shining with surprise like stars, and even his voice had a slight, almost imperceptible rise in pitch.
"Okay, whatever you say."
Cui Xiao gave an address, her voice tinged with nostalgia, "It's a hot pot restaurant in the alley. Jin Ping brought me here to eat the night before she planned to sell me. The clear broth was very flavorful, and even the kids could eat it."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Mubin frowned.
How terrified Cui Xiao must have been at that time.
Growing up in such a family, it's almost a miracle that she's become so outstanding.
Unconsciously, a hint of heartache flashed in her eyes.
The hot pot restaurant is hidden deep in an old alley. Pushing open the mottled wooden door, a wave of steam mixed with the fresh aroma of bone broth wafts out.
The shop has more than a dozen wooden tables, all of which are full of people. Laughter and the bubbling of the copper pots mingle together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Zhou Mubin first carried the already awake Xiao Nuomi to the table in the corner and carefully placed the child on the high chair.
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