"Yes, Auntie said Chacha is a joy to behold, and it's good that she can make Grandpa laugh."
"Thank you, little darling." The old man teased her cheek with his rough fingers and then withdrew them, answering her question, "It's different. Your aunt may be pretty, but she doesn't laugh as much as your grandma."
Xu Chacha recalled and nodded in agreement, "That's right, Auntie always had a stern face."
Just as she was speaking ill of someone, the person in question came in carrying a food tray. Wen Mubai bent down and brought over the osmanthus cake and Longjing tea.
"You've only been gone a short while, and you're already talking about me?"
Xu Chacha's eyes darted around, looking at the sky and the ground but not daring to look at her. "We say Auntie is pretty."
"Thank you."
"Hahaha, stop teasing her." The old man picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and handed it to Xu Chacha. "Your aunt is much better now. After meeting you, she speaks with a more human touch. I heard from your dad that she treats you even better than her own sister, hahaha, is that true?"
Wen Mubai didn't respond. She didn't feel any change in herself and thought the old man was just saying that to make the child happy.
Xu Chacha held the osmanthus cake in both hands and put the whole cake into her mouth. Her round face was fair and tender. When she chewed the osmanthus cake, she looked like a squirrel eating diligently.
She was eating so deliciously that Wen Mubai couldn't resist picking up a piece and putting it in his mouth.
Perhaps because she hadn't eaten much in the morning and was hungry, she thought the cake was quite sweet and soft, so she took another piece.
"My biggest wish is for Auntie to be happy." She always managed to say things in the most natural tone that would melt Wen Mubai's heart.
Her blood relatives ignored her and even spoke ill of her, but Xu Chacha, who had no relatives, was wholeheartedly good to her. The old man only saw the special treatment he received from Xu Chacha, but he didn't know that the one who was actually healed was herself.
The old man knew about how Wen Mubai rescued Xu Chacha from human traffickers, but he didn't expect that this little girl liked Wen Mubai even more than he imagined. He nodded and echoed Xu Chacha's words, "Her grandmother thought the same thing when she was alive."
She never needed to worry about her daughter because she knew she was a wolf that couldn't be chained, but her granddaughter Wen Mubai was different.
She appears stronger than anyone else, but in reality, she is sensitive and fragile. Because of her father's strict upbringing, she dares not cry or speak out when she feels wronged. She keeps it all bottled up, and even those who want to care about her can no longer reach her heart.
“Speaking of which,” the old man tapped his cane on the ground, “where’s your father? What important meeting is it that’s been going on for so long?”
They could only start their meal after everyone had finished offering incense, but by early morning, they had made seven or eight calls to Mr. Wen, each of which was turned down by his secretary.
Wen Mubai lowered his eyes, his face expressionless. "He's always like this. Otherwise, let's not wait for him."
Xu Chacha looked left and right, knowing it was better not to interrupt the conversation, and could only stuff her mouth with osmanthus cake.
Not long after, Xu's mother came looking for Xu Chacha. Seeing her with a pastry in her left hand and a cup of tea in her right, she quickly picked her up and said, "Baby, why are you eating here? I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Huh?" Xu Chacha's eyes widened and her mouth puffed out. "Stay here with Auntie and don't run around."
“Come on, come with Mom. Don’t bother your aunt and grandpa.” Xu’s mother reached out to her.
Xu Chacha reluctantly said "Oh," wiped her hands, and went to take her hand, but the old man spoke up, "It's good that this little girl is staying here to chat. She's so interesting. I'm an old man, and I don't usually have anyone who wants to chat with me."
Xu's father stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Mu Bai's father has arrived."
"You've arrived." The old man nodded and was helped to his feet. "Then I'll go see him."
Xu Chacha followed Wen Mubai eagerly, but after a few steps she dared not go any further, afraid of disturbing his family's reunion.
Wen Mubai hadn't been home since the start of the semester, and this meeting was probably the first time since the father and daughter had argued.
"Mubai, you stay here and play with the little ones. I need to talk to your dad for a bit." The old man patted her hand.
"Okay, sure."
...
The old man had someone bring Wen's father in from outside. The man looked tired, and he had an umbrella on his back that he couldn't hold up to stop the raindrops from getting wet.
"Come in and sit down." The old man gestured to the seat next to him. He didn't say anything, nor was he curious about why Wen's father was late. He just wanted to resolve the matter that concerned him as soon as possible.
"I'm sorry, I really couldn't get away from that meeting. I've tried my best, and the road here was also congested..."
"What are your rules for dealing with subordinates who are late?" the old man interrupted his explanation. "Unconditional, no excuses, zero tolerance, is that what you said?"
The implication is that since you're making such demands of your subordinates, stop making so many excuses. Being late is being late, and that's an undeniable fact.
Mr. Wen's expression immediately darkened. He sensed that the old man's mood was off today, even though he hadn't been very friendly to him.
"Where's Mu Bai? This child hasn't answered my calls for a long time. I'd like to see her." Father Wen rubbed his hands together and sat down.
"I'll have her stay in the inner room. I need to say a few words to you first." The old man took a sip of his hot tea, put the teacup back on the table, and spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Do you think that the two women in our family who paint are shameful? Or do you not only look down on these two, but also think that all women who are involved in art deserve to be kept like caged birds by men who study business?"
His tone was flat, but each word he uttered was sharp and cutting, making Mr. Wen's breathing quicken.
"Making money is good, because you can only eat if you make money, so people like you are born superior, right?"
His casual question left Mr. Wen speechless, and he realized why he had put on this whole show.
"I think Mu Bai has talent, and we can't let it go to waste."
“Talent.” The old man scoffed. “What kind of bullshit talent are you looking at? My old eyes see her as having the greatest talent in design.”
"If that's what you're saying, then of course I can't refute it."
“Yes, if you don’t argue with me, go home and torment the kids.” The old man’s gaze sharpened as he met his eyes directly. “Is it because your family has a lousy company that needs someone to inherit it that our family’s heirloom paintbrush should be broken in half?”
The use of "your family" and "our family" immediately revealed the seriousness of the matter. Mr. Wen dropped his airs and quickly said, "Of course not, you misunderstood me."
Do you know what she said before she left?
"She" refers to Wen Mubai's maternal grandmother.
"Please speak."
"She said she dreamed about Mu Bai when she was little a few days ago. She said that when she was little, she was just like other girls, loving to laugh, loving beauty, loving to dress up, and loving to imitate her by painting with watercolors. She kept talking about this and then she cried, saying, 'How did I end up with these unreliable parents?' That's what she said." The old man's eyes were deep and his voice was very low, as if it came from a very far place. "She just wants Mu Bai to be happy and free for the rest of her life. Is that a little difficult for you?"
Mr. Wen's face flushed from his words, and he said sullenly, "I understand what you mean. I won't interfere when Mu Bai changes her major."
“What do you mean by changing majors? That’s called choosing.” The old man emphasized the words. “Stop showing off your ‘macho’ attitude in front of me.”
"You're right."
...
Wen Mubai didn't know what the old man and her stubborn father had talked about, but when the two of them were talking alone, his tendency to find fault with her in everything lessened considerably.
"Are you getting used to living alone?" He placed his hands on his knees, and after shedding his strict father persona, he became as polite as a distant relative whom you only see once a year during the Lunar New Year.
Wen Mubai replied emotionlessly, "It's a habit."
"Have you eaten your meals on time?"
"We won't starve to death," she said succinctly.
Perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, Wen's father rubbed his nose with his index finger. "Dad sees that you've lost a lot of weight and your face looks haggard. If you're not feeling well outside, just come home. I'll have Auntie cook you something delicious."
Perhaps touched by the word "father," Wen Mubai's expression finally changed. She looked up and met her father's gaze with a cool look. "What you meant by 'let's talk' is this."
From the very beginning, the conversations between the father and daughter had shrunk from warm greetings to efficient question-and-answer sessions. It's no wonder Wen Mubai felt it was inappropriate that the father's style had suddenly reversed.
"Have you been making your father angry?" Mr. Wen finally lowered his proud head and adopted an apologetic tone, "Dad knows he was wrong."
"How long can you hold onto this self-blame?" Wen Mubai's eyes were clear, unmoved by this hard-won tenderness. "Ten days? Twenty days? I don't need apologies or compensation. Just remember in your heart that I am a thinking, living person, not a puppet to be manipulated."
"Mu Bai, Daddy really wants to apologize to you."
"Okay, I accept your apology." Wen Mubai turned his head to look at him, his eyes expressionless. "Let's leave this topic here."
She didn't think his apology showed any genuine realization of anything, perhaps stemming from a slight sense of guilt, but she didn't want to escalate the topic, as that would only lead to spending more time dealing with more complicated issues, which might not even be resolved well in the end.
She would cut off the bad parts first, and then deal with the rest herself.
...
Once everyone had arrived and the worship ceremony was completed, everyone sat down to eat.
Restaurants often take advantage of weddings and funerals to serve dishes quickly and skillfully.
Xu Chacha ate too much osmanthus cake, and since she had already eaten lunch before coming, she couldn't eat any more and it wasn't served.
Wen Mubai ate a few bites and then got down to sit with her.
"Auntie," Xu Chacha said, looking up at her while playing with a flower wreath, "Are you going to stay here for a few days?"
Wen Mubai recalled her previous text message, "At least go to sleep tonight."
"Oh." Xu Chacha nodded thoughtfully.
Wen Mubai placed his hand on her head. "What's wrong?"
Xu Chacha placed the flower wreath she had made on her hand and asked softly, "Can I stay here tonight?"
Wen Mubai examined the object on her wrist, wondering if this was what it felt like to be indebted to someone for accepting their money. If so, she would indeed find it difficult to refuse Xu Chacha.
“There’s no air conditioning here, so you might not be comfortable sleeping here.” Wen Mubai gently brushed her hair away with his slender white fingers. “Go sleep in a hotel with your parents. Your aunt will come to visit you in a couple of days.”
Xu Chacha's lips turned down, and her eyelashes drooped listlessly. "I want to stay with Auntie tonight."
Wen Mubai slowed down his movements as he combed her hair, pondering what to do.
Xu Chacha pressed on, hugging her arm tightly and pressing her soft cheek against hers. "If I don't stay with Auntie tonight, how will I know if you've been secretly crying behind my back? I'm going to stay and comfort you."
Wen Mubai chuckled at her childish words and said with a smile, "It's not that Auntie doesn't agree, you have to ask your mom and dad first."
“So Auntie agreed!” Xu Chacha grasped the key point.
Wen Mubai smiled helplessly, "There's no reason to turn away guests."
Xu Chacha nuzzled her head against her like a clingy little dog, "I knew Auntie loved me the most."
Chapter 31
Regarding Xu Chacha's request to stay overnight, Xu's parents initially firmly refused, and her attempts to play the victim were ineffective.
Firstly, because their family finally had the opportunity to travel for a few days, and secondly, because they were afraid that Xu Chacha would cause trouble for others if she stayed here.
Finally, the old man, leaning on his cane, said, "I'll have no one to keep me company from now on. Can't I have a little ray of sunshine to keep me company for a few days?"
Xu Chacha immediately wanted to clap her hands and applaud: I am ashamed of my own acting skills.
Because of the old man's superb acting skills, Xu Chacha stayed. She made a promise with her family that she would go back with them during the lantern festival, and she also told them to have fun while they were out and not to think about her.
"You still always side with outsiders." Xu's mother pinched her nose, looking like she wanted to scold her but couldn't bear to. "You're really driving me crazy."
"Don't be angry, Mom." Xu Chacha cupped her face and gave her a kiss. "Chacha also wants to stay with Mom every day, but she's worried about Auntie."
"You little one, yet you're quite the worryer for others."