Chapter 78 Returning Home
Ling Shen and his father entered the courtyard almost at the same time. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue on the bluestone road.
Ling Shen's eyes swept across Ling's father's face, which looked like he had been reborn after being relieved of a heavy burden. He couldn't help but cough lightly in his throat and subconsciously turned his head away.
Su Nian naturally knew about the "good things" Ling Shen had done. He held back his laughter and his gaze fell on the faint dark circles under Ling's father's eyes, with a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
He took out the carefully selected chessboard from his bag. The edge of the chessboard was carved with delicate cloud patterns, and the wood was warm. When he handed it to Ling's father, his voice was uniquely elegant. "Dad, this chessboard is for you. I'll play chess with you later. Let's not rush, just play slowly."
Father Ling took the chessboard, stroking the familiar patterns with his fingertips, and the fatigue on his face instantly disappeared.
He rolled his eyes at Ling Shen, who was pretending to look at the scenery beside him, his eyes full of anger as if he was "you little bastard, you're harming people". Then he smiled and took Su Nian's wrist and walked towards the house, his steps becoming much lighter.
"A-Nian is really considerate, unlike some people who only care about making me angry. Come on, let's ignore that brat. Today I have to let you see my chess skills!"
Ling Shen was "ruthlessly" thrown into the courtyard by his own father. He looked at Su Nian being pulled forward by Ling's father, and she did not forget to turn around and curl her lips towards him.
He shook his head helplessly, but his pace unconsciously quickened, and he followed the two into the living room.
As soon as he entered the living room, Su Nian couldn't help but burst out laughing.
I saw Zhazha - the pitch-black cat, lying on the sofa with its legs spread out, its tail wagging constantly, looking lazy and comfortable.
Ling's mother sat beside her, holding a knitting needle in her hand. The silver-gray wool flew between her fingers, and the knitting needles made a light "tapping" sound when they collided. The warm sunlight fell on the loose hair on her temples, so gentle.
And Shuangshuang, the white dog, lay obediently at Ling's mother's feet. His once frail body had grown considerably, apparently thanks to what Ling's mother had fed him. Under his thickly padded paws, he held a yellow-orange rattan ball.
Its tail was like a small flag, swinging happily on the ground, and its body was swaying gently, and from time to time it made a satisfied "woohoo" sound from its mouth.
Ling Shen handed the specialty in his hand to the butler who came to greet him and turned his gaze to the center of the living room.
Ling's father couldn't wait to place the chessboard on the coffee table and was carefully taking out the jade chess pieces from the chess box. The chess pieces were shining brightly under the light.
As he set up the chess pieces, he kept muttering, "Ah Nian, you have to give me some leeway. It's all this brat's fault. My schedule has been jam-packed lately. I'm so busy my brain isn't working properly, and my thinking is even a little slow in the game."
Su Nian sat on the cushion opposite Ling's father, holding back her laughter as she picked up a white piece. Holding it with her fingertips, she gently placed it on the board, her voice teasing, "Okay, I'll let you go. But Dad, you can't cheat just because I'm letting you go."
Hearing this, Ling's mother stopped knitting and said with a smile, "Only Ah Nian is so good-tempered that she's willing to play chess with you. When you go out and play with those old friends, who's willing to give in to you? Every time you come back, you complain that no one wants to play chess with you properly."
As she spoke, she picked up the ball of yarn beside her and prepared to change the color, but as soon as she loosened her grip, the ball of yarn began to roll along the sofa and rolled to Zhazha's side.
The originally lazy Zhazha instantly pricked up his ears and opened his round eyes alertly, his sight was immediately attracted by the rolling ball of wool.
It carefully raised its paw and gently pulled at the ball of yarn. Seeing the ball of yarn move, it became even more interested. It kept pulling at it with its paw and had a lot of fun.
When Shuangshuang on the ground saw that Zhazha had a new toy, he stopped chewing on the sepak takraw and started circling around Zhazha anxiously, wagging his tail even more happily and making "woohoo" sounds from time to time, as if to say, "I want to play too, take me with you."
Seeing this, Ling Shen walked forward, gently picked up the ball of yarn from under Zhazha's claws, carried Zhazha, who was still struggling to breathe, to the ground, and rubbed its furry head.
His eyes fell on the small dress that Ling's mother was knitting. The dress was small and exquisite, with fine stitches. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mom, what are you knitting? It's so small, it doesn't look like it's for people to wear."
Mother Ling fiddled with the yarn in her hands, her eyes tenderly watching Shuangshuang chasing after Zhazha not far away. A smile played on her lips, "I'm knitting little clothes for them. Winter is almost here, and the weather is getting colder. You know how to put on more clothes, but they don't know the difference between cold and warm. We can't let them freeze."
Ling Shen followed his mother's gaze and saw Zhazha wagging his tail. He ran to the coffee table and then went behind the sofa.
This amused Sui Sui so much that he ran behind breathlessly, sticking out his tongue, looking stupid, and was being fooled around by Zhanzha.
Ling Shen looked at this scene and suddenly didn't want to admit that the two birds in front of him were his.
"Mom, they are pets. They have thick skin and flesh and are not afraid of the cold." As soon as Ling Shen finished speaking, Zhazha and Shuangshuang, who were still fighting, suddenly stopped as if they understood.
Zhazha pricked up his ears, and Shuangshuang put away his tongue. The two little guys turned their heads at the same time, and their wet dog eyes and round cat eyes stared straight at Ling Shen, their eyes full of accusations of "How could you say that to us?"
Being stared at by a cat and a dog like this, Ling Shen, who is always known for his coldness and composure in the business world, was inexplicably frightened.
He quickly raised his hands and waved them, his tone softening with a hint of compromise: "Okay, okay, okay, I was wrong. You are afraid of the cold, okay."
It was not until he saw Zhazha and Shuangsong turned around with satisfaction and started chasing and playing again that Ling Shen breathed a sigh of relief and sighed helplessly.
Alas, my status in the family is getting lower and lower. It would be fine if Su Nian was likable, but now even cats and dogs are more important than me.
Although he complained silently in his heart, Ling Shen always had a gentle smile on his face.
He leaned lazily on the soft sofa, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the wall of the cup, his eyes gently gazing at everything in front of him.
Beside the coffee table, Ling's father and Su Nian were concentrating on playing chess. From time to time, they talked in low voices, discussing the progress of the game, and from time to time they burst into hearty laughter.
Ling's mother sat beside them, her hands moving non-stop. As the silver needle flew, the wool yarn was outlined into shape.
Cats and dogs are chasing each other happily. The cat meows from time to time, and the puppy responds with a bark, adding a lot of vitality to this warm home.
"Ouch, why didn't I see this step? It's bad, it's bad." Ling's father slapped his thigh in annoyance, his face full of regret.
However, his hands carelessly swept across the chessboard, and with a crackling sound, all the pieces were mixed together.
"Oh, accidentally, accidentally, let's do it again." As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Su Nian with a hint of cunning in his eyes.
Su Nian naturally saw through Ling's father's "tricks", but he was not annoyed. He just smiled helplessly, then put the chess pieces away in a good-tempered manner and started a new game with Ling's father.
He patiently explained each move of chess, and Ling's father nodded from time to time like a student listening attentively, with an expression of sudden enlightenment on his face.
Warm yellow light enveloped everything, painting the entire living room with a soft color.
The air is filled with a faint scent of tea, mixed with the unique warmth of wool, which makes people feel at ease when they smell it.
The warmth and stability at this moment made him feel that all his busyness was meaningful, as if all his fatigue had dissipated in this warm atmosphere.
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