At the Chi family's dinner:
“Shulan, have some more,” Chi's mother said with a warm smile, offering some food.
Zhu Shulan smiled as she accepted the dish, “Alright, thank you.”
Chi Yu's cold and stern face showed no emotion as he continued eating his rice in silence.
After a while, Chi's mother turned to him and asked gently, “Why hasn’t Xiao Ye returned from Weiwei's house? He’s been gone all day.”
Chi Yu paused, a glint flickering in his eyes, “What’s he doing there?”
Chi Yu didn’t know Luo Wei's address and had asked Chi Ye to tell him, but Chi Ye had kept his lips sealed, determined to protect the secret, leaving Chi Yu with no choice.
Chi's mother chuckled, chewing on a piece of food, “What else could he be doing? He probably missed his Weiwei sister.”
She then called a servant over and instructed, “Call Xiao Ye and ask if he's coming home tonight.”
The servant nodded and went to the living room to make the call.
Shortly after, the servant returned and said, “Madam, the second young master said he won’t be coming home tonight.”
Chi's mother clicked her tongue and smiled at the servant, “Alright, I understand.”
After the servant left, Chi's mother was about to turn her head when she noticed Zhu Shulan looking troubled.
Sensing something, Chi's mother hesitated and then spoke softly, “Shulan, I... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned Weiwei...”
Chi's mother's voice carried a hint of guilt. She knew that Zhu Shulan was filled with remorse toward Luo Wei, who had not given her any chance to make amends.
Thinking about this, Chi's mother’s expression also dimmed.
Zhu Shulan took a moment to collect her thoughts, then forced a smile, “It's alright, Xiaolan, I’m fine.”
“I really... deserve this. I still remember when Weiwei got first place in her exams, and Qianqian came in tenth. I was biased and praised Qianqian while accusing Weiwei of cheating, thinking she couldn’t possibly have gotten first place. The look of disappointment on Weiwei's face is still vivid in my memory.” Zhu Shulan spoke slowly, a bitter smile on her lips.
Chi's mother set down her chopsticks and placed her hand on Shulan's, “Shulan, Weiwei will forgive you.”
Zhu Shulan smiled faintly, but she knew that it wouldn’t be easy to forgive herself for her past actions.
Hearing this, Chi Yu also looked up at Zhu Shulan. Perhaps her words resonated with him—he too had failed to cherish what he had when he had it, only to regret it once it was lost.
——
After dinner, Chi Ye said he had to go back to the company to work overtime, and after some flattery, he left.
The sky was darkening, and a gentle breeze blew as Luo Wei and Mo Huai held hands and went for a walk.
Luo Wei lazily hooked her pinky finger around the man’s ring finger as they strolled leisurely.
Luo Wei took a deep breath, smiling happily, “The air outside is so nice.”
Hearing this, Mo Huai stopped and looked at her, “Then how about we come out every night?”
Luo Wei smiled, showing her white teeth as she waved her arms, “Yes, yes!”
“Don’t jump around so much; you’re still pregnant,” Mo Huai narrowed his eyes slightly, gently patting the top of her head.
Mo Huai's dark eyes were full of tender affection.
Luo Wei snorted, tilting her head up, “Got it, you’re so naggy.”
Mo Huai watched her with amusement, a warm feeling rising in his heart.
Taking advantage of a moment when Luo Wei wasn’t paying attention, he tightly interlocked his fingers with hers—a sight that would make anyone envious.
Luo Wei occasionally overheard the conversations of passing girls.
“That girl is so lucky; her boyfriend is so handsome.”
“Looks like he’s probably her husband.”
“That man is even more handsome than a movie star. I wish he were my boyfriend.”
“Haha, stop dreaming.”
“I’m not saying this to be mean, but that girl doesn’t seem to match up with that man; she looks way too plain.”
...
Luo Wei pursed her lips. She had heard similar comments countless times, but now they stung more than ever.
Before, she hadn’t cared, but hearing it repeatedly had created a small knot in her heart—a knot that could someday grow into a towering tree.
Mo Huai seemed to see through her thoughts. He stepped in front of her, bending down to look her in the eyes, “Are you taking it seriously?”
Luo Wei understood what he meant. She didn’t want him to know about her insecurities, so she pretended to be strong, “No.”
“Really?” Mo Huai asked, half-believing, half-doubting.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Luo Wei nodded, trying to make him believe her, “I won’t care about other people’s gossip.”
Mo Huai looked at her, her expression resembling someone in discomfort, and then he flashed a charming smile, “Are you jealous?”
“Huh?” Luo Wei exclaimed in surprise. Was this jealousy? She had always thought it was insecurity.
But now she realized that her emotions were indeed a mix of jealousy and insecurity. To be precise, she was jealous first, which then led to insecurity.
“N-no, I’m not jealous,” Luo Wei stammered, her face instantly turning red as she avoided looking at him. She didn’t know that Mo Huai was watching her with a smug expression.
“Alright, if my girl says she isn’t jealous, then she isn’t,” Mo Huai decided not to press further, as her current shy expression was evidence enough.
He felt quite pleased—finally, she was jealous for him. After all the times he had been jealous of Chi Ye, who knew?
Mo Huai’s dark, starry eyes sparkled, his thin lips and chiseled features making him irresistibly attractive.
Luo Wei’s face turned as red as a cooked shrimp. She playfully pushed him, “Let’s keep walking.”
With that, Luo Wei quickly walked ahead, while Mo Huai watched her back with a satisfied smile.
As Luo Wei walked a few steps ahead, the neon lights in front seemed to be spelling something out.
Sizzling Tofu.
Luo Wei squinted her eyes, trying to see clearly, and finally, her eyes lit up with excitement.
At that moment, Mo Huai caught up with her and stopped in front of her, asking, "What's wrong?" Luo Wei raised her hand and pointed to a spot about 500 meters ahead.
Mo Huai raised an eyebrow, understanding what was on her mind, and gently advised, "That's a street vendor, operating without a license and likely unhygienic. If you really want to eat, I can ask Assistant Xu to get it from a proper restaurant."
As Mo Huai spoke lightly, Luo Wei quickly interrupted him.
"No need, Assistant Xu is probably asleep by now, right? Hehe." Luo Wei felt genuinely embarrassed. Last time, because she craved sizzling tofu, Mo Huai had called Assistant Xu, who then drove for one or two hours just to get it for her.
Luo Wei felt that the food was no longer just food; it was the result of Assistant Xu’s hard work and dedication, a mission he had to fulfill.
"You’re not allowed to eat it," Mo Huai sternly replied, pinching her fair cheek.
Luo Wei pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, pretending to be angry as she threatened, "If I can’t eat it, I won’t move."
Someone gave her a glance and surrendered, turning to walk toward the food stall.
A sly smile appeared on Luo Wei's face.
Before long, Mo Huai returned with a fragrant, steaming plate of sizzling tofu and handed it to her. Her mouth watered at the sight.
Mo Huai carefully picked up a piece with a fork and offered it to her mouth. "Just eat half, okay?"
Luo Wei blinked her big eyes and said, "Okay, I’ll eat half."
She responded with her mouth, but in her mind, she thought, "I’ll eat half, then another half—might as well finish it."
Mo Huai shook his head, his eyes full of affection as he gazed at the girl.
—--
T/N: They are so wholesome…
10 new chapters added to Advance Access so you can read ahead to Chapter 110 here
Thank you to my new supporter. You made my entire year!
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