Awkward
Their morning "deep discussion" ended with both of them exhausted and having to wash up again. By the time they were finally ready, dressed, and left the master bedroom, the clock on the wall was already pointing steadily to ten o'clock in the morning.
The sunlight was just right, streaming through the bright windows and filling the living room, making the new home bright and cheerful.
Sister Jin has already brought Qingran back from the park and is sitting on the carpet in the living room, playing with the new jigsaw puzzle that she just bought for Qingran.
Hearing the noise, Qingran was the first to raise her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked over and softly called out, "Brother! Brother Huaiyu! You're up!"
The little girl was wearing a light yellow dress, and her face was rosy; she had clearly had a lot of fun that morning.
She dropped the puzzle pieces in her hand and pounced over like a happy little bird, first hugging Qi Shuo's leg, and then turning around to pounce on Tan Huaiyu, who was adjusting his shirt cuffs.
Tan Huaiyu smiled, bent down to catch her, and ruffled her hair: "Hmm, did Ranran have fun at the park with her mother?"
"I'm so happy! I see so many flowers and little pigeons!" Qingran nodded vigorously, hugged Tan Huaiyu's neck, and looked up at him with her little face.
The morning light shone from the side, illuminating every inch of Tan Huaiyu's face clearly.
Suddenly, as if she had discovered something new, Qingran stretched out her little finger and curiously poked Tan Huaiyu's neck. There, in a place that was barely covered by the collar but not completely covered, there was a faint red mark that was not very obvious but could be distinguished upon closer inspection—it was the mark left by Qi Shuo when he couldn't control himself that morning.
“Brother Huaiyu,” Qingran’s voice was clear and full of innocent curiosity, “there’s a red dot on your neck, like you were bitten by a mosquito?”
She tilted her head, leaned closer, and examined it carefully. "Wait, it looks like... a small teeth mark? Brother, did you bite Brother Huaiyu?"
The clear, crisp voice of a child stood out particularly well in the quiet living room.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Qi Shuo suddenly stopped pouring water, almost spilling it.
Tan Huaiyu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and his ears began to burn at a visible speed, the heat spreading all the way to his cheeks.
He almost instinctively raised his hand to cover the mark, but as soon as his fingers touched his collar, he realized he was trying to hide something, so he stopped abruptly, almost losing control of his expression.
Jin Jie, who was looking down at the puzzle, looked up when she heard this. Her gaze first fell on her daughter's curious little face, and then followed the direction of her daughter's finger to look at Tan Huaiyu's neck.
She has sharp eyesight; even from several steps away, she immediately recognized that it wasn't a mosquito bite, but rather an ambiguous, fresh... hickey.
Sister Jin: "..."
Her expression shifted from initial bewilderment to confusion, then to a moment of understanding, finally settling on a subtle mix of understanding, helplessness, and a hint of "I understand, I understand everything."
She glanced at Tan Huaiyu, whose ears were bright red and who was trying to remain calm, and then at her own son, who seemed to be calmly pouring water but whose back was actually tense. She felt both amused and annoyed.
These two kids are young and hot-blooded, and in their new home... well, I can understand.
But when Ranran so innocently pointed it out on the spot... Sister Jin felt that as an elder, it was necessary and her responsibility to remind some of these reckless brats.
"Ahem," Sister Jin cleared her throat, breaking the subtle and awkward silence. She beckoned to Qi Shuo, her tone calm and unreadable, "Qi Shuo, come here for a moment."
Qi Shuo's heart skipped a beat. He forced himself to put down his water glass and went over: "Sister Jin, what's wrong?"
Sister Jin didn't say anything, but waited for him to get closer, and then with lightning speed, she grabbed Qi Shuo's ear with great force.
"Ouch! Sister Jin! That hurts!" Qi Shuo was caught off guard and winced in pain, but he didn't dare to struggle. He could only tilt his head, looking confused and aggrieved. "What's wrong? What did I do wrong again?"
Tan Huaiyu's eyelids twitched as he watched from the side, and he subconsciously wanted to speak, but was stopped by a look from Sister Jin.
Sister Jin grabbed her son's ear and pulled him closer to her, lowering her voice but making sure everyone in the living room could hear her clearly. Her tone was undisguisedly accusatory: "You have the nerve to ask? I'm asking you, did you hit Huaiyu?"
"Huh??" Qi Shuo was truly dumbfounded, his eyes widening. "I hit him? How could I possibly hit him? Mom, what are you saying!"
He's innocent! They love him dearly!
"Didn't you hit him?" Sister Jin raised an eyebrow and increased the pressure on his arm, causing Qi Shuo to gasp in pain. "Then take a look at Huaiyu's arm!"
As she spoke, she pointed at Tan Huaiyu with her other hand.
Because he had just hugged Qingran and subconsciously tried to cover his neck, Tan Huaiyu's shirt sleeves rolled up a bit, revealing a small section of fair skin above his wrist.
On that patch of skin, several clear, varying shades of finger marks and hickeys were clearly visible. Some were pale purple, others a fresh red, and in the sunlight, they contrasted sharply with the surrounding snow-white skin, creating a truly "shocking" sight.
Those were the "evidence" that Qi Shuo unconsciously left behind last night and this morning.
Tan Huaiyu: "!!!"
He suddenly realized what was happening, and in a flash, he pulled his sleeve down, his face instantly turning bright red, wishing he could disappear into the ground. He finally understood what Sister Jin's knowing look meant earlier.
Qingran curiously followed Sister Jin's finger and looked over. Although Tan Huaiyu moved quickly, she still caught a glimpse of it. She tried hard to understand, "Is Brother Huaiyu's arm injured too? There are so many colors... Brother, did you really not fight with Brother Huaiyu?"
Qi Shuo: "..."
I'm innocent!
Following Sister Jin's finger, he also saw the fleeting mark on Tan Huaiyu's wrist. When he met his mother's "caught red-handed and you still dare to argue" look, he was instantly speechless and unable to defend himself.
What could he say? If he said it wasn't from a fight, but... but... that... how could he explain that to Sister Jin? How could he explain it to Ranran, who looked so innocent and confused?
Overwhelmed by immense embarrassment and shame, Qi Shuo's ears were still being pulled, and his cheeks were burning. Looking at Tan Huaiyu's expression that seemed to wish she could disappear on the spot, and then at his daughter's pure, innocent, and inquisitive eyes, he could only turn to his mother for help, his eyes filled with pleading, "Sister Jin, I was wrong, please let go and don't tell Ranran."
Seeing her son's rare moment of embarrassment, his face flushed and speechless, and then looking at Tan Huaiyu who was so embarrassed he was practically fuming, Sister Jin felt a little amused, which finally overshadowed her intention to "punish" him.
She knew that young people, when emotions run high, are bound to get carried away... but it wouldn't be good for the children to see it, so she still had to remind them.
She released her grip on Qi Shuo's ear, but still kept a stern face and lowered her voice, scolding him in a volume only the three of them could hear: "Mind your manners! Ranran is still here! And don't you know how to be gentle!"
The second half of his sentence was followed by a meaningful glance over Tan Huaiyu's neck and wrist.
Qi Shuo covered his reddened ears, nodded repeatedly, and mumbled, "I know, I know, I'll pay attention next time, I'll definitely pay attention next time..." His voice grew softer and softer, and he lost all his confidence.
Tan Huaiyu lowered her head almost to her chest, the blush spreading from her ears all the way to her neck, her voice barely audible: "...Aunt Jin, I'm sorry, we...we'll be more careful next time."
Seeing the two young men like this, Sister Jin finally couldn't help but twitch her lips, almost losing her composure.
She quickly turned around, pretending to organize the puzzle pieces, but her shoulders twitched suspiciously twice.
Seeing the adults' strange reactions, Qingran became even more confused. She tugged at Tan Huaiyu's sleeve, tilted her little face up, and asked, "Brother Huaiyu, did you really not bully me? What happened to your hands and neck? Do they hurt? Let me blow on them for you, okay?"
Tan Huaiyu: "..."
All he wants now is to turn back time, or to learn the art of invisibility immediately.
Qi Shuo picked Qing Ran up and lifted her high, trying to change the subject: "Ranran, are you hungry? Brother... and Brother Huaiyu, shall we make you lunch? What do you want to eat? Sweet and sour pork ribs?"
"Great! Sweet and sour pork ribs!" Qingran's attention was indeed drawn to the food, and she clapped her hands happily, temporarily forgetting her earlier question.
The crisis was averted. Qi Shuo carried Qing Ran and fled towards the kitchen as if escaping, not forgetting to turn back and signal to Tan Huaiyu to follow quickly.
Tan Huaiyu took a deep breath, suppressing the heat on her face and trying to regain her composure. She said to Sister Jin, "Sister Jin, I'll go help," and quickly walked into the kitchen. However, her back view looked like she was fleeing in panic.
Looking at the tightly closed kitchen door, and listening to the faint sounds of Qi Shuo deliberately raising his voice to amuse Qing Ran, as well as Tan Huaiyu's low, helpless reply, Sister Jin finally couldn't help but chuckle softly and shake her head.
"These two silly children..."
Warm sunlight streamed into the living room, illuminating the colorful puzzle on the floor. The air was filled with the subtle aroma of food and the warmth of home. The little incident had passed; life went on, tinged with awkwardness, sweetness, and the most genuine warmth of everyday life.
Well, as for the origin of some of the "scars"... let's just say that the two "big dogs" at home accidentally went too far while playing.
Jin smiled and got up to water the lucky tree on the balcony.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com