"Then go to sleep." Xu's mother hugged her head and let it rest on her shoulder. "Mommy will hold you while you sleep."
Xu Chacha nodded gently in response, and soon leaned on her shoulder and closed her eyes.
Xu's mother had a light lavender scent, which could be from laundry detergent or perfume. It was subtle and not overpowering, with a gentleness that seemed to seep into her very being. Xu Chacha reached out and pinched her fingers in her palm before her brows relaxed and she fell asleep.
Xu's mother looked down at the whorl of hair on her head and brushed her bangs aside.
There were some things she only dared to say after Xu Chacha fell asleep: “Baby, can you... call me Mommy?”
Soon, the person that Xu's mother thought was asleep moved her lips and uttered a few somewhat indistinct words.
"Mommy, hug Chacha." GZH: lesbian2088, all yuri resources are available.
Xu Chacha had another dream. She dreamt that when she was twelve years old, there was no plane crash and her parents did not leave.
That summer, her family got together again after a long time. She insisted on going to the beach, so her good-natured mother picked her up and put a swimming ring on her, while her father held her hand and taught her how to use her feet to maintain her balance.
She seemed to remember the feel of her father's calloused hands and the warmth of her mother's embrace.
So Xu Chacha hugged her arms tightly and murmured, "Mommy, don't go, don't leave Chacha behind..."
"Don't go, don't go, Mommy won't go, Mommy will never leave Chacha." Someone patted her back gently, a voice that was not very familiar, but carried the same tenderness as her mother in her memory.
Xu Chacha opened her sleepy eyes and found herself being carried in her mother's arms.
The surrounding lights weren't very bright, but you could still tell it was a garage. There were several rows of cars parked on the side, cars that, from the logo on them, fit the image of a "richest man".
"Baby, are you awake?" Xu's mother tidied her bangs again. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Xu Chacha shook her head, her moist doe eyes gradually regaining their light, "It was a good dream, I dreamt that my mother came to pick me up."
"Mom will always be here, she won't leave." Xu's mother felt sorry for her sensible nature. "Dad is already home, shall we go see him?"
"Dad... Dad?"
The original book described the original owner's father in some ways. He lived a very disciplined life from a young age. He was serious in life and decisive in business. Just by sitting there and giving a cold look, he could make his opponents feel guilty and tremble.
He was not only ruthless to himself, but also strict with his children. His adopted daughter, Xu Yanshu, whom he raised single-handedly, had a personality very similar to his, but was more sociable.
To put it metaphorically, if Xu's father is a cold-faced tiger, then Xu Yanshu is a smiling fox; neither of them are easy to deal with.
In the original storyline, it was because of Xu's father's insistence that Xu's mother agreed to expel the original owner of the body, who had made one mistake after another, from the family. People like them would not allow such a big stain to exist in the family.
Xu Chacha pursed her lips, swallowed, and her heart began to race.
"Mom, I'll get down and walk by myself."
Xu's mother was so flattered by the soft "Mommy" she kept calling her that that she didn't realize the little baby had already slid down her pants leg to the ground.
"Okay, then Mom will go open the door." Xu's mother entered her fingerprint, and the door opened immediately.
The two walked to the entrance hall, where Xu Chacha could already see the sofa.
Mr. Xu sat upright on the sofa, dressed in a dark suit. His hair was neatly combed back, and although there were some gray hairs at his temples, it did not affect his dignified aura.
Xu Chacha's heart pounded even harder.
"Come in, child." Mr. Xu beckoned to her, giving Xu Chacha the illusion that the headmaster was calling her to his office for a talk.
She stood still, rubbed her hand against her trouser leg, and looked down at the black spots on her shoes.
The area outside and inside the entryway are like two different worlds. Only when Xu Chacha stood here did she realize the fear in her heart.
"What's wrong?" Xu's mother squatted down and placed a pair of slippers next to Xu Chacha.
Upon receiving the news, Mr. Xu, who couldn't go immediately, immediately went to buy household items for the children, including these ugly little pig slippers.
She took off her shoes, stuffed her feet into slippers, and took Xu's mother's hand as she walked slowly inside.
"Plop plop—plop—"
The sound came from Xu Chacha's slippers...
She lifted her foot in confusion and discovered that the slipper had a white plastic whistle attached to the heel, which made a quacking sound like a duck with each step.
Even three-year-olds in their area wouldn't want to wear this anymore!
Mr. Xu, who was engrossed in reading the newspaper, heard the splattering sound getting closer and closer. His lips twitched involuntarily, but he quickly straightened his expressionless face.
"Come on, call me Daddy." Xu's mother led her to Xu's father and patted her little head.
Xu Chacha's two little hands were twisted together in front of her, her chubby fingers almost forming a pretzel, her tension and fear were clearly visible.
"Your current name is Cha Cha?" Xu's father stood up, and the 1.8-meter-tall Xu Cha Cha had to crane her neck at a 120-degree angle to see his face.
The man was like a dark, imposing mountain, blocking her way, scrutinizing Xu Chacha from head to toe with a serious gaze.
Xu Chacha swallowed hard, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible, "Yes, my name is Chacha."
She was petite, with a chubby face and soft little hands that were incredibly adorable. Her bright, expressive eyes, framed by her soft bangs, seemed to speak volumes. Combined with her sweet, childlike voice, she was like a kitten that had accidentally wandered into his garden—both obedient and endearing.
Xu Chacha had no idea how she looked in her father's eyes. All she knew was that with the way his eyes were glaring at her, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he wanted to swallow her whole.
Just when Xu Chacha thought the atmosphere was about to reach its freezing point, she felt her feet suddenly leave the ground. With a feeling of weightlessness, her eyes and her father's eyes were finally at the same level.
Mr. Xu kept holding her high up, forcefully pulling the corners of Xu Chacha's mouth apart to reveal a stiff and strange smile. "Chacha, be good, I'm your dad, don't be afraid."
Xu Chacha: Ahhh! Don't come any closer!
Chapter 9
In the end, Xu's mother used the excuse of dinner to take Xu Chacha back from Xu's father.
She led Xu Chacha to the kitchen to wash her hands, rubbed her little hands, and explained with a smile, "Your dad is a bit silly and doesn't know how to coax children. I hope he didn't scare you."
Xu Chacha recalled her father's stern and serious face; she guessed that only her mother would use the word "silly" to describe this man.
"No, Cha Cha is very brave." Xu Cha Cha puffed out her little chest.
"Okay, our Chacha is the bravest." Mother Xu took a towel and wiped the water off Xu Chacha's hands.
"Mmm." Xu Chacha stretched out her feet and got off the stool she was standing on, and her pig slippers made a "plop" sound again.
Xu's mother led the squeaky-squeaking Xu Chacha to the dining table.
Mr. Xu sat in the main seat, Mrs. Xu was to his right, and Xu Chacha was to his left.
The seat was a bit high, but Xu Chacha was already used to the feeling of her feet dangling in the air when she sat down. She placed her hands on her knees and quietly watched the couple without making a move.
Even though it was only dinner for three people, the kitchen staff prepared a very lavish meal, including three plates of chicken legs that Xu Chacha had mentioned to her mother in the car.
Crispy chicken drumsticks, braised chicken drumsticks, and curry chicken pieces were laid out in front of her.
"Why aren't you eating, Chacha?"
"Food." That's what she said, but Xu Chacha still held her chopsticks without moving them until she saw her father take a bite before she started eating.
Having lived under someone else's roof for so many years, she's developed a habit of not touching food until the host starts eating.
Xu Chacha took a bite of rice and was surprised by the moist and chewy texture of the grains. Sure enough, the rice from the richest family tastes better than other people's rice. Waaah!
"Don't just eat rice and not meat." Xu's mother put a chicken leg on Xu Chacha's plate. "Here, didn't you say you like chicken legs the most? Try this."
Xu Chacha swallowed the food in her mouth, smiled at her, and said, "Thank you, Mom."
The braised chicken leg sauce is thick and has a slightly sweet flavor, more like that of southern cuisine. The meat is tender and smooth, showing that a lot of effort was put into it.
This chicken leg was bigger than Xu Chacha's fist. She suspected that with her current appetite, she might only be able to finish half a bowl of rice after eating this leg.
She puffed out her cheeks and chewed with great effort, fighting the chicken leg with a very serious attitude, not even letting go of the cartilage in the tail.
Mr. Xu follows the rule of not speaking while eating, but his silence does not mean he is not paying attention to Xu Chacha. Seeing that the little girl only knows how to bury her head in her rice bowl and does not dare to reach out with her chopsticks, he feels quite complicated.
He had heard from his assistant that the couple treated Xu Chacha very badly. The child was not only not fed enough and was locked in the woodshed to sleep, but also had to do hard labor from dawn till dusk at a young age. She was also beaten frequently, and the beatings were so loud that everyone in the neighborhood knew about them.
Knowing all this, now seeing Xu Chacha being so cautious even when eating, this old man who would remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him at work actually felt a lump in his throat.
“Come on, eat this fish. Dad specially had it air-freighted back. It was still alive and very fresh when it arrived.” Xu’s father picked up a clean plate and served food to Xu Chacha. With one chopstick, he broke off half a fish as thick as an arm, almost filling the plate. “Now you are in your own home. Everything is yours. Don’t be shy, eat as much as you want.”
After picking up the fish, Xu's father didn't stop. He continued to pile up other dishes for Xu Chacha, trying to make sure that everyone got a share. In the end, a third of the dishes on the table were piled up in front of Xu Chacha, making it a mountain of meat and vegetables that she couldn't possibly eat even if she were stuffed.
Xu Chacha held up her chopsticks, her little hands trembling slightly.
"I can't eat." She was about to cry!
"It's alright, try everything. If there's anything you like, ask Auntie to make more next time."
Xu Chacha stared blankly: Isn't this too much?
"Yes, Chacha, you're at home now. Eat whatever you want, buy whatever you want." These words from Xu's mother were undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire for Xu Chacha's pitiful stomach capacity. "Try it, Mom will watch you eat."
"Hmm...okay." Xu Chacha picked up a small asparagus and put it in her mouth.
"How can you have energy if you only eat vegetables? You need to eat meat, fish, and shrimp."
Xu Chacha could only pick up a piece of milky white fish and stuff it into her mouth under the "supervision" of her mother.
"It's delicious." She nodded.
"This fish is rich in oil and tastes amazing. If you like it, Mom will buy it again next time."
Xu Chacha shook her head repeatedly, "No need, no need."
"What's wrong? Is the fish not tasty?" Xu's father asked.
"It's delicious, it's delicious." Afraid they wouldn't believe her, Xu Chacha took another big bite.
The fish was indeed well-cooked, rich in oil, fresh, smooth, tender and fragrant, and remarkably, it had absolutely no fishy smell.
Xu Chacha doesn't like eating fish, but for the sake of these two lovely parents, she can stuff herself a little more.
Seeing that Xu Chacha seemed to be in a good mood while eating, Xu's father gave Xu's mother a wink, and the latter tentatively spoke up.
"Cha Cha, there's something your mom and dad have to tell you."
"Please go ahead," Xu Chacha said, putting down her chopsticks.
"It's alright, keep eating." Xu's mother wiped her mouth, "Listen to what Mom says while you eat."
"good."
"First of all, Mom wants to tell you that Dad and Mom have never given up looking for you, and we have always cherished you as our precious baby."
Xu Chacha lowered her head and stuffed vegetables into her mouth. She could roughly guess what her mother was going to say next from the preamble—it was most likely related to her adopted daughter, Xu Yanshu.