Ever since Xue Qing saw Li Bin last time, she was captivated by his gentle and refined temperament and became infatuated with him. She had also promised Jiang Hua that she would take care of Jiang Kefan, so she frequently picked him up from school. Through these few days of interaction, Jiang Kefan realized that Xue Qing meant him no harm and grew accustomed to her presence. After all, being with Xue Qing was better than seeing Xu Xiaoxiao's sour face.
Of course, when Xue Qing went to pick up Jiang Kefan, he would inevitably run into Li Bin and his daughter Li Younan. Li Bin often invited them to his house for meals. Li Bin's cooking skills were superb. Over time, Xue Qing and Jiang Kefan's stomachs were hooked by Li Bin's dishes, and the two of them would shamelessly go to Li Bin's house for meals whenever they had free time.
"We're here again..." Xue Qing said shyly.
Li Bin was used to the two starving kids, one big and one small, often freeloading on his meals. It was just that with two more pairs of chopsticks and two more bowls, the house was much livelier with two more people. Compared to their quietness, he said, "Welcome..."
Li Younan was visibly much happier. His daughter's happiness made him happy too.
That day, Xue Qing went to pick up Jiang Kefan from school as usual. As soon as she arrived at the school gate, she saw Li Younan and Jiang Kefan, the two little devils, chasing each other as they ran out.
Xue Qing quickly stepped forward and pulled the two children back.
"Alright, stop running. There are so many people, be careful not to bump into anything." She grabbed one child with each hand and warned them. Looking up, she saw Li Bin not far away, also looking in their direction.
Li Bin gestured for her to stay put and walked towards them. The two children chattered away as Li Bin quickly approached.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Seeing Li Bin walking over, Li Younan excitedly jumped and ran towards him, but Li Bin caught her and held her in his arms.
"Haha, Dad, our guzheng competition is over, and I won first prize!" Before Li Bin could even speak, Li Younan couldn't wait to show off to her father, her little face beaming like a flower.
Li Bin looked at his daughter with doting eyes, "Of course, our You Nan is the best." Actually, the competition result wasn't important to him; he would support whatever his daughter did as long as she was happy.
"No wonder they were so happy when they ran out. It turns out You Nan won an award! Our You Nan is so outstanding!" Xue Qing was also happy for Li You Nan, and she said with a smile.
"Dad, shall we celebrate properly?" Li Younan pleaded with her father.
She was extremely excited that her daughter had won an award, and such a happy event was certainly worth celebrating. Li Bin, who always doted on his daughter, agreed without hesitation.
"Would Aunt Xue and Jiang Kefan come along too?" Li Younan turned to Xue Qing and Li Younan, blinking her big, clear eyes as she asked Xue Qing.
“Okay, then we’ll all celebrate with you.” Xue Qingxin readily agreed. She had originally wanted to mooch a meal from Li Bin, but now she didn’t even need to make up an excuse, and she was very happy.
"Then let's hurry home!" Seeing that Xue Qing agreed, Li Younan excitedly grabbed Jiang Kefan's hand, and the two children walked hand in hand towards home.
Li Bin's home is very close to the school, so close that they don't even need to cross the road, making it very safe. The two adults let their two children walk in front. They followed side-by-side behind, frequently reminding the children to watch out for cars.
Soon, the four of them returned to Li Bin's house together. From a distance, an outsider might mistake them for a happy family of four.
After returning home, Li Bin was still the head chef, and Xue Qing helped out whenever she had free time. The two children played on the sofa in the living room and watched cartoons.
Li Bin's house has an open kitchen connected to the living room, so the two of them can keep an eye on their two little ones while cooking. Li Bin is a man of few words, but Xue Qing is quite talkative. She helps by washing and chopping vegetables while talking, and Li Bin listens in. They chat and cook at the same time. With Xue Qing's help, the food is ready quickly.
Xue Qing arranged the dishes on the table like a hostess. To celebrate Li Younan's first place in the guzheng competition, Li Bin prepared six dishes and a soup, a perfect combination of meat and vegetables that made everyone's mouths water.
The two children were already hungry from the aroma. Xue Qing took them to the bathroom to wash their hands and prepare for dinner, while Li Bin went to the wine cabinet in the living room and took out some red wine and drinks.
With everything settled, the four of them sat down in the dining room, ready to eat. Li Bin poured drinks for the two children, and opened a glass of red wine to drink with Xue Qing in celebration.
"Come on, let's raise a glass together to congratulate Li Younan on winning first place in this competition," Xue Qing suggested, raising her wine glass. The four people at the table raised their glasses to celebrate Li Younan's achievement.
"good."
"Thank you, Aunt Xue."
After finishing their drinks, the two children began to wolf down their food.
Xue Qing drank it all in one gulp. She was very happy today. Li Younan had taken the initiative to invite her and Jiang Kefan over for dinner, which meant that Li Younan still liked her quite a bit.
"Drink slowly, this wine has a strong aftereffect," Li Bin said to Xue Qing as he poured her a second glass of wine.
"Okay, I understand. I'm happy for You Nan for winning the award." Xue Qing said nonchalantly. The wine tasted sweet and sour and had a low alcohol content, so she couldn't help but want to drink it.
"My dad's just a nag." Hearing Li Bin's words, Li Younan quietly stuck out her tongue and made a face at him. In her memory, her father rarely cared about anyone other than herself, but he always treated Xue Qing differently.
Ignoring the face Li Bin made at Li Younan, he got up and served food to Li Younan and Jiang Kefan, saying, "Eat more."
At the dinner table, Xue Qing enlivened the atmosphere, and the four of them chatted happily. Of course, it was mainly Xue Qing and Li Younan who were talking, Jiang Kefan chimed in a few words, and Li Bin mainly listened.
After a while, Li Younan and Jiang Kefan finished eating. The two returned to the coffee table in the living room and, without being urged by adults, consciously opened their schoolbags, took out their books, and got together to do their homework.
Xue Qing was talking to Li Bin, and she did most of the talking while Li Bin listened. Li Bin had married young and looked quite young, and the two of them, one lively and the other quiet, seemed like a perfect match.
Xue Qing was in a good mood and drank one glass of wine after another. At first, Li Bin drank with her, but when he saw that she had drunk a lot, he stopped drinking and sat quietly beside her. Xue Qing was also enjoying her drinks by herself.
The two children in the living room had finished their homework and were watching cartoons.
Li Bin sat at the dining table with Xue Qing, who was still clutching her wine glass, sipping it slowly.
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