"Sir, are you looking to buy clothes for this child? Take a look at this one over here, it's a brand new style that we just got, guaranteed to be comfortable."
Chu Qing took the clothes, touched the fabric, and found it to be quite nice to the touch.
Xiaxia, sitting on a small stool, glanced at the clothes, pursed her lips, and stared at her father.
"Xiaxia, how about you give it a try?"
"Dad, I'm a boy, I don't want to wear pink."
The short-sleeved shirt in Chu Qing's hand is a combination of light pink and light green, with a cute plush rabbit on the chest.
Xia Xia has fair skin, and Chu Qing thought he would look good in it, but unfortunately he didn't like it very much, so he regretfully put the clothes back on the hanger.
"Yes, but green is fine."
After Xiaxia finished speaking, she tiptoed and took the clothes down herself. She then peered around, looking for the fitting room. At this moment, the shop assistant reminded her:
"You can try it here too."
Most adults think that it's nothing for a three- or four-year-old child, after all, they are so young and it's just trying on a top.
Xiaxia herself was very aware of the importance of protecting her privacy and decisively shook her head.
"No, we need to go to the fitting room."
"Okay, little one, come over here with me."
The shop assistant had only said that for convenience, but now that Xiaxia's resistance was so obvious, she took the initiative to lead him to the fitting room and even opened the door.
Chu Qing stood by and couldn't help at all. Xia Xia took off her clothes herself, changed into new clothes, and even tidied up the wrinkles.
Xiaxia, who rarely wears such a pastel color, was still a little unaccustomed to it. After leaving the fitting room, she ran to the mirror to look at herself.
"This color suits kids very well."
Chu Qing agreed with the shop assistant's statement. Xia Xia was already quite cute, and this outfit made him look very lively.
Xia Xia stared at himself in the mirror for a long time. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he was indeed satisfied. After nodding, he wanted to change back into his own clothes.
Chu Qing then looked at another dress, put it in Xia Xia's hands, and gently nudged his shoulder, telling him to go to the fitting room and try it on.
Summer clothes are relatively light and thin, so you'll definitely need to buy two more at once.
When he and Xiaxia were tidying up the room in the morning, he noticed that Xiaxia's wardrobe contained very few wearable items; most of them were too small.
In the end, Chu Qing bought Xia Xia five sets of clothes, including pants. When it came time to pay, Xia Xia stared at the bill for a long time but still couldn't figure out how much it cost.
Having carried too many things after leaving the house, Chu Qing was too lazy to take the bus, so she hailed a taxi.
Xiaxia, who had been holding it in all the way, finally couldn't help but speak up after arriving home:
Rainy Day | Group: "Dad, do we have enough money?"
"That's enough, don't worry."
In the storyline, Xiaxia is the kind of early-age genius, not as extraordinary as a hacker, but her intelligence is undeniable.
Chu Qing wasn't sure if he saw this as a task or something else. He didn't want to see the clever Xia Xia take all the responsibility upon herself.
If possible, he would prefer Xiaxia to be like a normal child, crying and making a fuss.
She threw all the new clothes into the washing machine, and when it was time to prepare dinner, Xiaxia took her phone and went to the balcony while her father was busy in the kitchen.
Dad is immature, Xiaxia needs to be mature.
Author's Note:
Wei Yutang: Hmm? How come you're so sensible?
Xiaxia: I want money!
Chapter 3
Xiaxia still remembers the last time she went shopping with her dad. Her dad bought her a pair of pants, and the rest of the clothes he bought were for her, and he even asked Xiaxia to help carry them back.
I bought so many things for Xiaxia this time, but we didn't even go into an adult clothing store. It must be because we didn't have enough money.
The more Xiaxia thought about it, the more she felt wronged for her father. She secretly cursed her scumbag father in her heart and made a phone call as her father had taught her before.
The call was quickly connected, and surprisingly, the voice on the other end wasn't that of a secretary.
Wei Yutang assumed the caller was Chu Qing, and his tone was very cold, with a hint of impatience in his voice.
What do you want now?
Hearing his attitude, Xiaxia became even more convinced that her father was a scumbag!
"Hello, this is Xiaxia."
Upon hearing Xia Xia's voice, Wei Yutang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and his voice softened.
"Xiaxia? Why did the phone call suddenly end?"
Xiaxia didn't want to talk too much with this father; he had never been so fierce to his father before, so he directly stated his purpose.
"Dad took me to buy clothes, hurry up and give my dad the money."
“Xiaxia, I think... you might not be suitable to live with him.”
This thought had been lingering in Wei Yutang's mind for a long time; he genuinely felt that someone with Chu Qing's personality wouldn't be able to take good care of a child.
"Don't even think about taking me away from Dad."
Upon hearing that her father wanted to separate her from her dad, Xiaxia became so angry that her voice rose considerably.
"I'm not taking you away, Xiaxia. If you're willing to come back with me, you can have a better living environment."
When Wei Yutang visited Xiaxia last time, he saw takeout containers on the dining table that hadn't been cleared away yet, and he didn't know how long they had been there.
Xiaxia is still growing at this age, and with Chu Qing around, all she eats is instant noodles and takeout. Nothing she eats, wears, lives, or travels well.
"No, I don't want to, you bad father."
After saying that, Xiaxia angrily hung up the phone, threw it away, ran to the kitchen, and hugged her father's leg, afraid that her father would compromise because of the money that bad man gave her.
The sound of hot oil hitting the vegetables in the pan was loud. Chu Qing had heard Xia Xia's voice just now, but he couldn't make out what she said.
After Xiaxia came over, she turned off the stove, put the food on a plate, and asked:
"What's wrong, Xiaxia?"
Chu Qing was wearing a white T-shirt. When he looked down at Xia Xia, Xia Xia couldn't help but sniff.
"Dad... wait for me to grow up. When I grow up and become very capable, I can earn money to support you."
Although he is not as capable as his father now, Xiaxia believes that he will definitely be able to when he grows up, as long as his father is willing to wait for him for a while longer.
"Okay, I'll wait until you grow up. Xiaxia, you're still a little kid. Can you help Daddy get the chopsticks?"
"good!"
Chu Qing watched Xia Xia's hurried departure and couldn't understand what the little guy was thinking about all day long. His sudden words were truly puzzling.
After putting Xiaxia to sleep that night, Chu Qing was about to put the clothes in the washing machine when her phone rang.
After wiping the water off my hands, I unlocked my phone and saw that it was Wei Yutang calling.
Chu Qing walked to the balcony, closed the balcony door, and only swiped to answer the call after making sure it wouldn't disturb Xia Xia.
Hello.
"I hope you can seriously consider letting Xiaxia live with me."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qing gripped his phone tightly. Rationally, he agreed with Wei Yutang's approach.
From any perspective, it would be much better for Xiaxia to be with him than with herself.
Unfortunately, he was there on a mission, and if Xia Xia went back with him, the protagonist would apply for a job at the Wei family, and the plot would likely overlap with the original story.
Moreover, Xiaxia is so well-behaved that even though they haven't spent much time together, Chu Qing is already reluctant to let him leave her.
"No need for serious consideration, I refuse."
Wei Yutang had anticipated this answer before he even spoke, but he was still somewhat annoyed after hearing it. He flicked his cigarette ash and said:
“I can give you anything you want. I will transfer 500,000 yuan to your bank card every month. The contract will state that it is a voluntary gift. You can also come to see Xiaxia anytime.”
"Letting Xiaxia come with me will not do you any harm; in fact, it may even give you more freedom."
The conditions Wei Yutang offered were indeed very tempting, and even Chu Qing was momentarily tempted, but she quickly forced herself to calm down.
“I didn’t stop you from seeing Xiaxia. If it’s about this, I don’t think we need to continue talking.”
After finishing speaking, Chu Qing hung up the phone and stared at her phone for a long time. In the end, she still didn't add Wei Yutang to her blacklist, since Xia Xia still needed to contact him occasionally.
Some clothes were put into the washing machine, but Xiaxia's clothes still had to be hand-washed. By the time Chu Qing finished, it was almost ten o'clock.
Before going to bed, I checked my phone and saw that the landlord of the apartment I had been looking at had replied to my message, confirming that I would be able to view the apartment in a week.
A few days later, Xiaxia sat on the sofa looking at the picture books her father had bought for her. Occasionally, she would turn her head and see her father making lunch for her in the kitchen.
Holding the book close to his chest, leaning against the back of the sofa, he smiled so hard his eyes narrowed. He felt that his life was so wonderful every day.
Chu Qing poked her head out from the kitchen at this moment and asked:
"Should we add cilantro to the crayfish?"
Early in the morning, Xiaxia insisted on going to the market with him. They happened to come across some fresh crayfish, and she kept saying she wanted to eat them.
When we were cleaning the lobster, she offered to help, but she got pinched by its claws and cried out in pain. She then curled up on the sofa and quietly read a picture book.
Just as Chu Qing was getting the seasonings, she passed by him and overheard Xia Xia quietly comforting and coaxing her.
She said it didn't hurt, but when she cried, her father felt sorry for her.
Dad's words successfully made Xiaxia jump off the sofa and run to the kitchen.
"No, without cilantro."
Chu Qing didn't actually buy cilantro; she just wanted to tease Xia Xia, who hated cilantro and couldn't stand even the slightest hint of it.
Just then, their doorbell rang. Xiaxia patted her father and said, "..."
"Dad, I'll go open the door."