Chapter 26, Section 26: "Relax."
Meng Ran paused.
She only meant that she would eat pizza later, but heaven knows how Chen Miaoying interpreted it as her needing help.
Looking up at Chen Sulin, she saw that the man didn't seem to object at all; he just looked at her with a leisurely air.
Do you want her to be the bad guy?
Okay, Chen Sulin did play the bad guy a few times today: he was the one who told Chen Miaoying that she could only eat pizza once a month and only two chicken wings.
It's normal for it to be her turn now.
Thinking this, Meng Ran looked at Chen Miaoying and said earnestly, "Baby, you have to do things for yourself. Look at you, you can eat by yourself now, and Mom can do it by herself without anyone's help."
Chen Miaoying looked at her with her big eyes and shook her head decisively: "Mom is wrong."
Meng Ran was taken aback.
Chan Miu-ying: "Anna also eats freeze-dried food by herself, but I like to feed her freeze-dried lollipops because I love Anna so much!"
The little girl concluded logically: "So that's what love is! When you love someone, you can't help but want to feed them!"
Meng Ran: "..."
She discovered that Chen Miaoying had a great talent for debating; her words were clear, logical, and difficult to refute.
If one had to find a flaw, perhaps it would be that... Chen Sulin didn't love her that much.
However, Meng Ran couldn't bring herself to say such a thing; it would be too cruel to tell a little girl that her father didn't love her mother.
Seeing that her mother remained silent, Chen Miaoying asked again, "Mom, is what I said reasonable?"
Meng Ran: "...Hmm."
Chen Miaoying smiled, her dimples appearing and disappearing at the corners of her mouth: "Then I'll feed Mom a bite first!"
She decided to set an example for her parents first.
Her teacher taught her that this is called the power of role models!
Chen Miaoying carefully picked out the largest slice of pizza from the plate, tore it off, and handed it to her mother's mouth.
This was the first time Meng Ran had been fed by a child. She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and took a bite.
Chen Miaoying watched her mother eat with satisfaction, then reached out and handed the pizza to her father across the table.
Meng Ran swallowed the pizza in her mouth and felt two gazes fall on her face at the same time.
One came from her expectant daughter beside her, and the other from the man opposite her.
Her face tightened slightly, and Meng Ran glanced around guiltily.
The fast food restaurant was noisy, with customers chatting and talking, and no one paid much attention to what was going on in their area.
Meng Ran took a deep breath, looked up to meet Chen Sulin's gaze, and said with a look of grim determination, "Then you can do it."
The moment she finished speaking, she saw the corners of the man's mouth turn up slightly.
He just stared at her, but didn't move his hands.
Meng Ran: "..."
Damn it, she felt like this person was ganging up with her daughter to make fun of her.
Of course, her precious daughter couldn't possibly have bad intentions; the real culprit was the man in front of her.
Meng Ran was annoyed by his smile. Ignoring her daughter's presence, she asked irritably, "What's wrong?"
She thought she had finally made something of herself; she used to be so careful when talking to men, but now she dared to be fierce towards him.
Chen Sulin's smile deepened: "I was afraid you'd change your mind."
As he spoke, he finally raised the pizza in his hand and brought it to her lips.
Meng Ran felt her cheeks steaming.
Not to mention Chen Sulin, she had never been fed like this by any man since she could remember.
She reluctantly leaned forward and took a bite, then quickly sat up straight and made a "it's done" gesture.
Chen Miaoying chewed on her pizza while looking at her mother.
She noticed that her mother seemed to be blushing.
Mom has been coming to our house for so long, why is she still so easily embarrassed?
No, from now on Daddy should feed Mommy more often!
Besides chicken wings and pizza, there were various other snacks on the table.
Chen Miaoying wanted to eat everything, but after only two bites, she felt a little full.
She looked down at her already round belly, hesitated for a few seconds, and decided to sacrifice her stomach for the sake of her food.
Just as Chen Miaoying was about to grab the cheese balls on the table, Chen Sulin moved the plate back a few inches.
The little girl immediately pouted and looked up accusingly, "Dad!"
Chen Sulin: "You're already full, so don't eat anymore."
Chan Miu-ying immediately said, "I'm not full yet!"
Chen Sulin: "Really?"
Chen Miaoying pursed her lips guiltily.
Chen Sulin: "Last time at kindergarten you secretly ate all the other kids' snacks, and your stomach hurt so much that you cried and had to call the doctor. Have you forgotten?"
Chen Miaoying felt even more guilty, but still whispered in defense, "Dad, I didn't steal it. Zhu Haoran said he didn't like the snacks that day and offered them to me."
As she spoke, she looked at her mother beside her, seeking an ally: "Mom, it really was Zhu Haoran who gave it to me. If you don't believe me, go ask Zhu Haoran yourself on Sunday."
Meng Ran laughed.
"Mom believes you," she said. "Then tell Mom, is it true that Dad said you ate too many snacks and your stomach hurts?"
Chen Miaoying remained silent.
A few seconds later, realizing she was in the wrong, she muttered, "Fine, I won't eat it then..."
Meng Ran looked at the little girl throwing a tantrum with amusement.
As expected of a child, no matter how sensible they are usually, they will still throw tantrums at adults from time to time.
Fortunately, Chen Sulin is a father with principles. If it were her, seeing her daughter like this, she might really have been unable to bear it and let Chen Miaoying eat another cheese ball.
Chen Miaoying crossed her arms and sulked for a little while, then suddenly looked at Meng Ran and said, "Mom, I want to take the train later, okay?"
Meng Ran: "By train?"
Chen Miaoying: "Yes, it's that little train downstairs. I saw other children riding it!"
Meng Ran realized that when she was shopping earlier, she seemed to have seen a small train slowly moving around the atrium on the first floor of the mall.
Chen Miaoying: "Can I, Mom?"
Meng Ran looked at the coquettish girl with amusement.
She said that Chan Miu-ying is a very cunning child who knows how to take advantage of the adults' guilt when one request is rejected to make another request.
She's so shrewd with money; I wonder if she inherited her father's business acumen.
Meng Ran glanced at Chen Sulin.
After exchanging a glance, Meng Ran replied, "Okay, but you have to promise Mom that you won't eat too much no matter what, otherwise you'll get a stomachache and won't be able to ride the train or play games."
Chen Miaoying was overjoyed: "Great!"
The thought of riding the little train later swept away Chen Miaoying's gloomy mood from not being able to eat the cheese balls.
She sat in the booth, swinging her legs, glancing at her mother and then at her father.
After a while, she called to her mother, "Mom, can you take a picture of the pizza I ate today and send it to my WeChat?"
Meng Ran: "Okay, but what do you need the photos for?"
Chen Miaoying answered seriously, "I want to post it on WeChat Moments!"
Meng Ran was amused by her.
I almost forgot, this five-year-old already has a year of experience managing his WeChat Moments.
Meng Ran did as instructed, taking photos of the remaining pizza on the table and handing them to Chen Miaoying for review: "So, Ms. Ying, which one do you think is the most satisfactory?"
Chen Miaoying looked it over with great seriousness: "I think it's all very good. Assistant Meng, you did a great job. Here's a little red flower for you!"
Meng Ran suppressed a smile: "Thank you for your appreciation, President Ying."
As she spoke, Meng Ran casually clicked into Chen Miaoying's profile and asked a question she had been curious about for a long time: "Did you post all of these on your own?"
“Yes!” Chen Miaoying nodded, “But the words inside were written by my dad and Aunt Zhang.”
Meng Ran: "So who did you learn to post on WeChat Moments from?"
Chan Miu-ying: "My dad taught me."
Meng Ran glanced at Chen Sulin with some surprise.
She clicked into Chen Sulin's WeChat profile, and his Moments were completely blank.
So how did someone who never posts on WeChat Moments himself come up with the idea of teaching his daughter to do this?
Before she could think further, Chen Miaoying explained from the side: "One day I said to my dad, 'Mom, you're recuperating so far away. If my pretty dresses get too small and I can't wear them anymore, Mom won't be able to see me wearing them. What a pity!'"
"Then my dad told me to take a picture of myself wearing the dress and post it on WeChat Moments so that when my mom comes home, she'll know when I wore my new dress!"
Meng Ran's throat tightened: "...So that's how it is."
She dared not imagine what would happen if she never "came back"...
Meng Ran picked up her water glass and took a sip, suppressing the sudden sob that welled up inside her.
A thought popped into my head.
When Chen Sulin was teaching his daughter how to post on WeChat Moments, did he ever think that he might never come back?
After a moment of disorientation, Meng Ran looked up and met Chen Sulin's calm gaze.
She thought that he couldn't possibly know what she was thinking at that moment.
But at that moment, Meng Ran had a strange feeling: she seemed to read the answer in the man's dark eyes.
Startled, Meng Ran quickly looked away.
What is she making up in her head?
After leaving the pizza shop, Chen Miaoying eagerly urged her parents to take her to ride the little train.
After arriving on the first floor of the mall and storing their bags, the three of them went to the ticket office for the miniature train.
The train has three carriages in total. The first two carriages are already occupied by families of three. The train will depart as soon as they board.
The sign reads the ticket price: It costs 70 yuan for one adult and one child to ride the miniature train around the central courtyard once, and an additional 70 yuan for each additional adult.
The price left Meng Ran speechless: it really wasn't cheap.
Seeing that the other children were accompanied by their parents, Chen Miaoying was not to be outdone and wanted her parents to come with her as well.
Meng Ran thought to herself, thankfully she doesn't have to worry about money right now.
Otherwise, she would have said in the past: "Baby, Mommy will stay with you, and Daddy will take pictures for us outside, how about that?"
Sacrificing Dad's experience to save seventy yuan seems like a great deal.
After paying by scanning the QR code, Chen Miaoying skipped and hopped, pulling her parents onto the bus. She first sat in the middle of the carriage herself, and then made sure to help her mother and father find seats.
Chen Miaoying: "Mom, you sit on my left! Dad, sit on my right!"
The carriages were originally designed for parents accompanying children, but since they are amusement facilities for children, the space is not very spacious for adults.
Meng Ran shifted her position and managed to find a relatively comfortable sitting posture.
Chen Sulin had it much harder than her. He was tall, and his long legs were confined to a limited space, so he could only bend his knees and tuck his limbs in.
The man, who was usually so upright and confident, was now so restrained that Meng Ran couldn't help but laugh.
Taking care of a child is really not easy; even a domineering CEO has to compromise.
"Why don't you let Miaoying sit on my lap?" Meng Ran kindly suggested, "That way you'll have more space on your side."
The little train only travels on flat ground and moves slower than an adult walking, so there's no need to worry about safety.
When Chen Miaoying heard that she could sit in her mother's lap, her eyes lit up: "Okay, then Mom, you hold me while I sit!"
She loves sticking together with her mom!
So the three of them adjusted their positions again, with Chen Miaoying being held in Meng Ran's arms.
Meng Ran meant well, but she immediately regretted it once the train started moving.
The train was indeed very slow, but it was still moving, and there were many people in the mall, so it had to change direction from time to time.
This resulted in Meng Ran feeling Chen Sulin's leg touching her several times when the carriage swayed.
Meng Ran had tried her best to tense up, but Chen Miaoying was restless in her arms, constantly looking around and moving around.
No matter how she tried to avoid it, she couldn't avoid physical contact with men from time to time.
Meng Ran felt annoyed: Why are this person's legs so long?
To avoid making the atmosphere too awkward, she had to pretend not to care when responding to the questions that Chan Miu-ying asked from time to time.
The only saving grace was that she was wearing trousers today, not a skirt.
Just as my nerves were on edge, someone gently patted my forearm.
Meng Ran almost cried out in surprise, and subconsciously glanced at her daughter in her arms.
Chen Miaoying was completely absorbed in waving and greeting the staff dressed as mascots outside the train, oblivious to what her parents were saying.
Meng Ran looked to her side.
Chen Sulin said in a low voice, "Relax."
Meng Ran: "..."
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; she could have pretended not to have noticed anything.
Now even pretending things were fine was no longer an option; Meng Ran felt her entire face burning.
Her heart was pounding, but on the surface, Meng Ran still pretended to be calm and replied to him in the same soft voice, "I'm not nervous."
The man's deep voice sounded in my ear again: "Is that so?"
Meng Ran followed Chen Sulin's gaze and looked down, only to find that her fingers had once again gripped the hem of her clothes.
She released her grip as if she'd been electrocuted, filled with regret.
Good heavens, this is the second time already.
If it weren't for Chen Sulin, she wouldn't have known that she had this habitual little movement when she was nervous.
Meng Ran forced a smile and explained, "Well, I'm used to having something in my hand, otherwise I always feel awkward."
Chen Sulin: "Hmm."
Meng Ran: "..."
She cleared her throat and finally couldn't help but pat Chen Miaoying on the shoulder, telling her to behave.
Chen Miaoying turned around: "What's wrong, Mom? Are you tired of carrying me?"
Meng Ran: "Yes, a little."
Chen Miaoying thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll come down."
The little girl moved down from her mother's lap and sat back down between the two of them.
With Chen Miaoying acting as a physical barrier, Meng Ran could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The little train circled the first floor of the mall once before finally stopping.
Meng Ran was on edge for most of the journey, and felt completely exhausted afterward.
Chen Miaoying, however, seemed to have no sense of fatigue. Not long after getting off the train, she set her sights on the photo booth next to her.
"Mom, I want to play that!"
Meng Ran rubbed her temples.
She used to think that netizens were exaggerating when they saw posts saying that "hearing the word 'mother' gives me a headache".
Especially for a cute little girl like Chen Miaoying, what's wrong with calling out "Mom" a few more times?
Now Meng Ran completely empathizes: when she heard Chen Miaoying call "Mom" again, she felt her temples throbbing.
Meng Ran: "Sweetie, we've already ridden the little train today."
Chen Miaoying pouted: "But... I've never taken a photo booth picture before."
Meng Ran: "Next time we come to the mall, Mom will take you to take pictures, okay?"
Chen Miaoying thought for a few seconds: "But the malls Dad took me to before didn't have this machine. Will Mom bring me here again next time? Dad said it's very far away."
Meng Ran was stumped by the question.
Bringing children to such a far place is indeed not an easy task.
Putting everything else aside, the two-hour round trip alone is enough to make things difficult.
Meng Ran relented: "Okay...we'll go today."
Chen Sulin continued, "Mom is a little tired today. After we finish taking pictures, you can't play anything else. You have to go home obediently."
Meng Ran glanced at Chen Sulin gratefully: He definitely has more experience taking care of children; this must be discussed beforehand.
Otherwise, if Chen Miaoying suddenly decides to do something else after the photo booth pictures are taken, she will definitely have a meltdown.
The photo booth was even smaller than the train carriages; if three people tried to squeeze in, the outcome would be predictable.
Meng Ran decisively told Chen Miaoying that the photo booth was too small, so she could only choose one person to accompany her inside.
Chen Miaoying thought about it carefully for a while: "Then can Mom and Dad take turns keeping me company?"
Meng Ran: "That's fine too."
Chen Miaoying nodded excitedly and first pulled her mother into the photo booth.
Meng Ran remembers that when she was a child, these photo booth machines were very popular, but they have become rare since she grew up.
Unexpectedly, seven years later, photo booths have made a comeback in the arts.
Meng Ran examined the machine and found that apart from the significantly higher pixel count and the change to QR code payment, the process was not significantly different from that of more than a decade ago.
First, choose a border and background, take a photo, and then add various special effects.
However, for little Chen Miaoying, all of this was very new and interesting.
Chen Miaoying tapped around on the screen with great interest. If it weren't for the time limit, Meng Ran suspected she could have played there for the whole afternoon.
After taking several sets of photos, Chen Miaoying looked up with lingering enthusiasm: "Mom, I'll go call Dad in."
Meng Ran replied "Okay" and was about to get up.
Chen Miaoying grabbed her: "Mom, wait a minute! Let's choose a background first, then call Dad in to take a picture together, it'll be quick! You can go out after we're done, okay?"
Meng Ran: "...Okay then."
Chan Miu-ying: "Yay!"
She selected her favorite rainbow background on the screen, then pulled back the curtain and ran out to call for her father.
A moment later, Chen Sulin lifted the curtain and walked in.
The man sat down next to Meng Ran, and this time, because the space was even more cramped, their arms were touching.
Meng Ran shifted uncomfortably.
They were too close; Chen Sulin's aura almost enveloped her entirely.
Fortunately, Chen Miaoying quickly squeezed in, her small body wedged between the two, chattering and calling out, "Daddy, sit down quickly," breaking the awkward atmosphere that had left her feeling helpless.
The flash went off a few times, capturing the expressions on the three people's faces.
As Meng Ran emerged from the photo booth, she felt a bit hot.
It must be because it's too small and cramped inside.
Meng Ran let out a breath and looked at the freshly taken group photo of the three of them in her hand.
In the photograph, Chen Miaoying is squeezed between her parents, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.
In contrast, Chen Sulin's expression wasn't as radiant, but his eyes were unusually gentle, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
She was smiling at the camera, but if you looked closely, her smile seemed a little reserved.
Meng Ran was slightly lost in thought.
Anyone who sees this photo would think they are a happy family of three.
If I could continue like this for the rest of my life... that wouldn't be so bad.
Realizing what she was thinking, Meng Ran's heart skipped a beat.
After a long pause, she gave a self-deprecating smile.
To start thinking about "a lifetime" just because of a single photo—haven't you learned your lesson from the past?
A few minutes later, Chan Miu-ying and Chan Su-lin came out of the photo booth.
Chen Miaoying took all the photos from Meng Ran's hands and looked through them one by one.
"I like this one the most!" Chen Miaoying picked out a family photo of the three of them. "I want to put it in my room!"
After finishing, Chen Miaoying asked curiously, "Mom, which one do you like the most?"
Meng Ran smiled and pointed to one of the photos of Chen Miaoying making a face at the camera.
"This is Mom's favorite picture."
Meng Ran liked Chen Miaoying's carefree and unruly demeanor the most.
Perhaps because it was something she couldn't do when she was a child.
Chen Miaoying giggled and said, "I like it too!"
"And what about Daddy?" Chen Miaoying looked up at Chen Sulin. "Which one do you like, Daddy?"
Chen Sulin hesitated for a moment, then pulled out one of the cards.
Chen Miaoying looked over curiously, then drawled out an "Oh," and said, "I knew it! Dad loves Mom the most!"
Meng Ran was drawn in by Chen Miaoying's tone and looked over.
In the photo Chen Sulin pulled out, Chen Miaoying was hiding behind her shoulder, showing half her face and making a peace sign on her head.
Of all the photo booth pictures, this is the only one in which she is in the center of the frame.
...
After riding a miniature train and taking photos in photo booths, the three of them finally boarded the bus home.
Chen Sulin had called Uncle Dong in advance, and the car was already waiting for them in the mall's underground parking lot.
Once in the car, Chen Miaoying's energetic demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a complete lack of energy.
Chen Sulin helped her into the car seat and fastened the seatbelt.
Chen Miaoying's eyelids were almost closed, but she still tugged at Chen Sulin's clothes: "Dad, you and Mom have to take me out to play again next time, okay?"
Chen Sulin gave a helpless "hmm".
Chen Miaoying managed to say a few words at first, but after the car drove out of the underground parking garage, she could only hear her even breathing.
No wonder, after spending the whole day at kindergarten and then being excited for several hours at night, even the most powerful battery would be completely depleted.
Meng Ran was also exhausted.
She stared at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face for a while, then closed her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, the driver and Chen Miaoying were gone, and she was no longer in the car.
Meng Ran snapped out of her drowsy state and, upon realizing her current predicament, almost cried out in alarm.
Her legs were dangling in the air, and she was being held horizontally in Chen Surin's arms.
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