Chapter 32 reveals that he no longer wants to let go.
The adorable little boy instantly transformed into an annoying younger brother, and Xing En immediately retorted angrily, "What? Can't I even hug him? Why are you so nosy?"
Mu Tingyu reached out and rubbed her face, which still smelled of perfume, and peeked out from behind Xing Ze.
Xing Ze stretched out his hand, completely blocking her face.
"......"
Xing En laughed angrily: "I said, can't you trust your sister even a little bit? What's with the way you look like you're afraid I'll kidnap her?"
"You have a criminal record."
Xing En: "......"
Xing En: "Hey, I really didn't snatch that male college student back then. He came with me on his own. How many times do I have to explain this to you?"
Xing Ze ignored her and carefully pushed Mu Tingyu back even further.
“Besides,” Xing En raised his chin, “Xiao Yu is different; she’s not like you…”
"--Did you have meal?"
Xing Ze suddenly interrupted her.
"What?" Xing En asked, bewildered. "I ate on the way here. Why are you asking this? I'll say..."
Xing Ze calmly asked, "You haven't eaten, have you? What do you want to eat?"
Xing En: "......"
She looked at her brother, whose eyes held a warning, paused for two seconds, and finally pouted, "I'm not eating. I'm on a diet."
Seeing that she had finally given in and quieted down, Xing Ze turned to Mu Tingyu and asked, "Have you finished your porridge?"
"I'm done drinking." Mu Tingyu tilted her head back. "Oh, I forgot to take it down."
"It's okay, I'll go get it."
Xing Ze seemed to have noticed something, and reached out to touch her head, somewhat surprised: "You washed your hair?"
"Ah," Mu Tingyu blushed, "I just washed up."
Why did you suddenly decide to wash your hair?
She would never give the reason, so she could only whisper a vague reply: "Just wash it if you want, it's been days since I've washed..."
Xing En's disapproving voice came from behind: "Honey, you can't wash your hair during your period."
Baby?
Mu Tingyu opened her mouth.
What does this mean?
Why is this woman so different from Xing Ze in personality? She's so outgoing and friendly, completely unlike the dignified image I imagined!
Is this what complementarity within a family means...?
Xing Ze clicked his tongue, seemingly displeased with the way he was addressed, and reluctantly asked, "Can't I wash it?"
"Of course not, do you have any common sense?" Xing En rolled her eyes at him. "Honey, it's easy to catch a cold if you wash your hair during your period, remember that."
She was originally speaking to Mu Tingyu, but when she said the last three words, she pointed her finger at Xing Ze from a distance.
Mu Tingyu blinked and looked at Xing Ze, then nodded.
Xing En stepped forward, affectionately touched Mu Tingyu's hair roots, and smiled, "It's okay now that it's dried. Drink some hot water later. Try not to wash your hair when you first get your period, and it's best not to take a shower either, as cold air can easily cause menstrual cramps."
No one had ever told her these things.
Mu Tingyu's face flushed crimson, and her ears burned. She replied somewhat shyly, "Okay, thank you, sister."
You're welcome, baby.
Just as Xing En was about to extend his evil claws, he was immediately glared at by Xing Ze and had no choice but to give up.
Xing Ze was really worried about leaving Mu Tingyu alone with Xing En, whose face clearly said "I'm about to cause trouble," so he put his arm around Mu Tingyu's shoulder and turned her around: "Let's go."
Mu Tingyu turned her head: "Sister, older sister..."
"Ignore her." Xing Ze reached out and turned her head back.
The force was too strong to refuse, so she had no choice but to be led forward, her voice soft as she asked, "Where are we going?"
"Drink brown sugar ginger tea."
"?"
She was on the verge of collapse, her voice rising an octave: "How come there's still some? Didn't you finish it last night?"
"It was just cooked this morning."
"...I really won't drink it anymore!"
"no."
With his sister still watching from behind, Mu Tingyu had no choice but to lower her voice: "It's wrong of you to take advantage of a vulnerable little girl like this!"
"How can someone so frail have the strength to wash their hair?"
"......"
Mu Tingyu couldn't argue with him, so she shook off the hand that was on his shoulder and quickened her pace resentfully.
Xing En watched as Xing Ze followed her into the kitchen, seemingly unfazed. She crossed her arms with interest and nodded.
"Looks like I don't need to take action after all..."
-
Everyone was busy in the kitchen, washing and preparing all kinds of ingredients.
They went shopping and practically brought back the entire barbecue stand, each carrying several large bags.
The countertop was piled high with all sorts of plates and colanders.
The washed cauliflower was cut into small florets, the chives and bok choy were dripping with water and were bright green, the garlic shoots were also cut into neat sections, and the enoki mushrooms and tofu sheets were arranged on a plate.
Frozen packages of chicken wings, saury, squid, and sausages were left to thaw in the sun, while fresh lamb and beef were cut into small pieces. Lively prawns occasionally jumped in the drain basket, and the oysters, with their hard shells, were all handed over to Zhang Xin to handle.
There were also various kinds of rice cakes, small steamed buns and other miscellaneous ingredients. The group was busy dealing with them while complaining to each other about why they had bought so much, and then they burst into laughter.
The atmosphere in the kitchen was cheerful, and even Xing En couldn't resist helping out. However, Xing Ze complained that her nails were too long, and the two even exchanged a few words.
Mu Tingyu, who wasn't really a patient, was ordered to sit on a stool and not move. She calmly held a cup of hot brown sugar ginger tea, as if she was about to enter a meditative state at any moment.
Huang Jing was standing by the sink, having just finished washing a few eggplants, when she turned around and bumped into Wang Jiale.
"Ouch!"
Wang Jiale quickly reached out to help her.
Huang Jing nearly dropped all the eggplants in her hands, hurriedly catching them: "What's wrong with you? You've been distracted the whole time, and you haven't done much work. Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." Wang Jiale glanced subconsciously in Xing En's direction, her expression somewhat unpleasant. "Don't worry about it."
Huang Jing glanced at him sideways: "Irritation."
The group busily started skewering the food with iron skewers. Mu Tingyu then remembered that she hadn't drunk her brown sugar ginger tea yet, so she quickly leaned over and took a sip. The next second, she was so spicy that she stuck out her tongue.
Was Xing Ze doing this on purpose?
Why does it taste spicier than what I drank last night?
How much ginger did he put in?!
Mu Tingyu disdainfully placed the cup on the table and pushed it away a bit.
Before he could even retract his hand, he was grabbed by that persistent ghost.
"Why haven't you finished drinking yet?"
"......"
She blinked innocently, "I'll drink it later."
Xing Ze took the cup back and placed it in her hand: "Drink now."
"No, let's drink it later."
Xing Ze remained unmoved: "If it gets cold, I'll have to reheat it for you."
Looking at the tall man who stood before her like a guardian deity, Mu Tingyu clenched her fist and asked, "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
Xing Ze raised an eyebrow: "Trying to splash water on my face?"
"......"
"You still have to drink it, and then you can spill it after you finish."
"......"
Mu Tingyu said sincerely, "How could that be? I just wanted to throw all the ginger in the house into the trash can."
Seeing that she couldn't escape, she made a brave decision, tilted her head back, and gulped down the cup of brown sugar ginger tea in one go.
As I swallowed the last bite, all the spiciness instantly returned, making my mouth, esophagus, and stomach feel like they were on fire.
Her face scrunched up, and after a long pause, she managed to speak with difficulty: "From now on... there can be no more... food with ginger in the house, okay?"
Tears welled up in my eyes, but before they could spill, a timely tissue wiped them all away.
"......"
Very well, the plan to feign pitifulness with tears has also failed.
Mu Tingyu squinted one eye and scratched Xing Ze's arm with her paw: "Go away, I'm annoyed with you right now."
Xing Ze chuckled softly, leaned down and pinched her cheek: "Sit here and don't move."
"What do you mean 'don't move around'? Am I a child?" Mu Tingyu said displeasedly. "Where are you going?"
Xing Ze's words drifted over lightly: "Wash the sheets."
"......"
Her face flushed red instantly.
Why does it feel so shameful when he says something so normal?
Okay, it does seem a little embarrassing.
"Just throw it in the washing machine..."
"The washing machine doesn't clean it properly."
"......"
She asked softly, "Is it too late for it to dry if I wash it now...?"
Xing Ze crossed his arms and waited for her to continue.
"Then what am I going to do when I sleep at night?"
The girl obediently tilted her head back, her fair cheeks flushed with a faint blush, pink and tender, and her lips were no longer as pale as they had been in the morning.
Xing Ze stared at her without saying a word.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Mu Tingyu smiled at him with her eyes crinkled, a hint of ingratiation in her expression.
The kitchen lights were off, and the sunlight streaming in through the window cast beams of light onto the floor, but did not fall on her.
Her eyes, however, shone brightly, captivating all who looked at them.
In that instant, he thought—
So be it, I'm despicable.
This is how it looks, this is how it looks with his eyes completely filled with him—
One look was enough for him to never let go.
At first, he was just a little curious about her, wondering how there could be such a simple and cheerful girl in the world, and he approached her with an attitude of observation.
But she has a natural talent that makes her impossible to ignore. Her voice is always clear and gentle, and when she smiles, her eyes crinkle into crescents, making her look cunning yet adorable, like a little fox. She is also very understanding and knows how to keep things in line, making it hard for people to say anything harsh to her.
Later, he discovered that the little girl wasn't as well-behaved as he had initially thought. She had her own temper, would grumble behind people's backs when she was unhappy, had many mischievous ideas, and liked to cause trouble and play pranks.
This updated understanding made her image in his mind more vivid. But strangely, he didn't find her annoying at all; instead, he lowered his standards again and again.
He began to care about her more and more. He would get upset when he saw Zhuang Ren talking to her, feel uneasy when he saw her injured, feel a wave of tenderness when he saw her smile at him, and feel unconsciously happy every time he heard her say "home" or "our home".
When did you start planting them?
Xing Ze looked at her with a deep expression, deep in thought.
The day he carried her home? The day he learned about her background?
No, possibly even earlier.
I don't know when it happened, but he just didn't want to let go anymore.
He made promises hastily, like a young boy, but when she tested him, his deep-seated considerations took over.
He was afraid she wouldn't have a choice, afraid she'd make a decision without fully understanding it and then regret it. So he said, "Don't rush."
Wait until she sees her own heart clearly, wait until she understands her own feelings, wait until she... and then he realizes he doesn't want to wait at all.
Xing En said to him, "With such slow progress, be careful someone doesn't get there first."
He also knew very well how likable Mu Tingyu was, and if he didn't hold on tight, she might run away at any time.
So what if she depends on him, or likes him? As long as it's him, it doesn't matter.
He can accept it entirely.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Seeing his silence, Mu Tingyu looked at him pitifully, pretending to squeeze out a tear, "I really didn't mean to..."
Xing Ze's eyes held a subtle smile: "Go sleep on the streets."
"?"
Mu Tingyu: "Listen to what you're saying, are you even speaking human language?"
He chuckled and gently patted her head in a good mood.
"Just kidding."
How could I bear to do that?
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