"Huh? Did your bald boss yell at you again?"
Xiaxia clenched his little hands into fists. He had heard from his father's colleague that the boss was just making trouble out of nothing, and that even though it wasn't his father who did it, he blamed it all on his father.
Before Chu Qing could answer, the secretary poured water over, and Wei Yutang spoke up first:
"Sit down and let's talk."
"Yes, Dad, sit down for a while."
Chu Qing originally planned to go home and discuss this matter with Xia Xia. In front of Wei Yutang, he felt like he was making excuses to avoid work.
Wei Yutang sat down opposite Chu Qing, completely disregarding the possibility that Chu Qing was just putting on an act by looking for a job. Instead, he took the initiative to ask:
"Have you encountered any difficulties? Or is it something else?"
Wei Yutang concealed the concern in his cool voice very well.
Even after sitting down, Xiaxia didn't want to wriggle out of her father's arms. After listening to what her father had to say, she patted her chest.
"Dad, if you have any problems, just tell me, and I'll definitely help you solve them!"
Xia Xia's matter-of-fact attitude made Chu Qing's ears burn, especially after Xia Xia finished speaking, Wei Yutang actually nodded in agreement.
"Um."
"It's nothing, it's just that some kids got into a fight at the daycare Xiaxia used to go to today. The kid who got hit had to get stitches in his eye and they said it would leave a scar."
Every child is a treasure in their parents' eyes, and it's better for them to be safe and sound than anything else. Chu Qing felt a little scared after seeing the pictures posted by the parents in that group.
Xiaxia realized her father was worried about her, so she hugged his hands tightly and said with a giggle:
"Don't worry, Dad. Xiaxia is a good girl and never fights with anyone."
Wei Yutang shared the same thought as Chu Qing at this moment. He didn't take the child's promise to heart at all, but as a father, he only magnified the possible dangers countless times.
"Then don't go to the nursery."
“I will pay you a certain amount of money every month. We can sign a labor contract. You can stay at home and take care of Xiaxia. Is that okay?”
If Chu Qing weren't Xia Xia's other father right now, even a second of hesitation from him would be disrespectful to money.
Before he could figure out how to politely refuse, Xiaxia rolled her eyes and said disdainfully:
"Father, are you stupid in everything except work? Dad is taking me in because he loves me, that's why he doesn't want your money."
Chu Qing nodded gently, placed her hand on the back of Xia Xia's head, and tidied his messy hair.
"Yes, Mr. Wei, I am also Xiaxia's father."
Chu Qing had many concerns, the most worrying of which was the issue of their identities. The presence of Xia Xia already made their relationship somewhat ambiguous.
If there are too many entanglements, his and Xiaxia's existence will definitely be a thorn in the side for Mr. Wei's future wife, and if things get a little extreme, it might even cause trouble for him and Xiaxia.
After Xia Xia reminded him, Wei Yutang also realized that his actions were not quite right. After thinking about it carefully, he said:
"Xiaxia, you can stay with me until kindergarten starts."
I haven't really spent much time with Xiaxia, so it would be nice to have this opportunity to get to know her better.
Three- or four-year-old children grow up so fast that they go from being little babies to being able to jump and hop around without you even noticing.
Xiaxia rolled her eyes, crawled out of her father's arms, sat down next to him, and nodded in approval.
"You pick me up in the morning and take me back in the evening. Dad works so hard all day."
Wei Yutang could tell what Xia Xia was trying to say: Chu Qing was already working so hard, so he should feel bad asking him to come pick Xia Xia up again.
"good."
"It takes time to adjust to changing jobs all the time. Let me take care of Xiaxia for now, and you can focus on your work. We'll make other arrangements after she starts kindergarten. What do you think?"
Wei Yutang usually prefers to use a commanding tone when giving instructions. After he finished speaking, he realized that his tone was a bit harsh, so he added a sentence afterward.
"If you don't mind the trouble, of course you can. I'll take Xiaxia back first."
Chu Qing always felt a little awkward in this office filled with a business atmosphere.
As soon as it was time to leave, Xiaxia ran faster than anyone else. But when she reached the door with her father in her hand, she remembered that her father had taken care of her all day, so she turned around and waved goodbye.
"Goodbye, Father. Remember to pick me up tomorrow and bring two breakfasts, or I won't open the door for you."
After leaving here and reaching the bus stop downstairs, Chu Qing finally had time to ask about Xia Xia's clothes, pulling them down to straighten them.
"Newly bought?"
“I won’t send it away, Dad. My father has a lot of clothes at home that I can wear, but he won’t let me wear them. He said he’ll give them to children in the mountains when I can’t wear them anymore.”
Mentioning this reminded Xiaxia of something she had been thinking about all along.
"Dad, take me to get a paternity test with my father. I suspect... I'm not his biological child. How could an old man like my father, who always has a cold face and scares me, give birth to a cute and lively child like me?"
"Xiaxia, you can't say that. If your father finds out, he will be very upset."
Noticing her father's serious expression, Xiaxia pouted and obediently nodded in reply:
"I understand, Dad."
Seeing Xiaxia's aggrieved expression, Chu Qing swallowed the words she was about to say and gently patted his back, coaxing him:
“Your father is very good to you, isn’t he? And President Wei is young and promising, not old at all.”
Chu Qing tried her best to find Wei Yutang's strengths and tell Xia Xia that raising children involves not only providing for them but also educating them.
The next sentence made Xiaxia forget her grievances for a moment. Her eyes widened and she turned her head to the other side to calm down, but she inadvertently saw a couple kissing.
He quickly covered his eyes with his hands; this was not something a child should see.
After a while, Xiaxia was still a little dazed. Her father had actually praised her father?!
He had always been criticizing his father in front of him before. Surely his father couldn't possibly like his father, could he? No way, it can't be.
Xiaxia, increasingly anxious, didn't know how to ask, so she could only grab her father's clothes and raise her head, her face showing a hint of grievance.
"Hmm... But Dad, you just scared me with that cold face. I'm not happy. If you kiss me and coax me, I'll still love you so much."
"Okay, give me a kiss. What does Xiaxia want to eat tonight? We can go to the supermarket to buy it later."
Just then, the bus arrived. Chu Qing carried Xia Xia on board, found a seat, and sat down. Then, thinking about the baby's dinner, she forgot about what had happened earlier.
When they got off the bus near their home, Chu Qing first checked the farmers' market, but it was already closed. So she took Xia Xia to the supermarket on the other side.
After buying some groceries, Xiaxia turned to her father on the way home and promised:
"Don't worry, Dad, I'll definitely try to eat more here and fatten myself up!"
"Okay, you can call me if you miss me."
The house hadn't been tidied up yet. After Chu Qing started cooking, she went to the bedroom. There was still a faint smell of alcohol in the air, which made Xia Xia instinctively cover her nose.
I put the bedding in the washing machine, found some clean ones in the closet and changed into them, then opened the bedroom window to ventilate the room.
Xiaxia went back to her room and folded her blanket neatly. As long as she folded her blanket neatly and nicely, she could use the excuse of not wanting to unfold it to go back to sleep with her father at night.
After a busy day, Chu Qing lay on the bed, listening to the little one's breathing beside her, and completely relaxed.
Staring at the lights outside the window, Chu Qing thought about many things. Apart from her boss being a little difficult to get along with, the salary and holiday arrangements at this company were quite good.
I'd just gotten the hang of the job, and it would be a real shame to quit now. With these thoughts in mind, I drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Around seven o'clock the next day, there was a knock on the door in the hallway.
Chu Qing was very sleepy last night, so he left his dirty clothes until this morning. He went to the balcony to wash them before Xia Xia woke up.
Awakened by the knocking, Xiaxia, wearing a onesie with bunny pajamas, went to open the door in her father's slippers. When she saw her father standing at the door, she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Father……"
Wei Yutang stood there carrying the three breakfasts he had ordered from the chef. He walked in, closed the door behind him, glanced at Xiaxia who was still dazed, and squatted down to ask:
"Still not awake?"
Xiaxia, who has a bad temper when she's woken up, is only well-behaved in front of her father. Being woken up is already upsetting, and to make matters worse, her father asks her such questions. She angrily puts her hands on her hips and replies:
"Father, can't you see for yourself with your eyes right there?"
Xiaxia puffed out her cheeks in anger as she spoke, her hair, which had been messy all night, making her look like a cat with its fur standing on end. After she finished speaking, she muttered under her breath, "So stupid."
Chapter 13
When Chu finished washing the clothes and went to hang them to dry, she could vaguely hear Xia Xia saying a few words, her brows furrowed and her eyes showing some disapproval.
Xiaxia had just disliked Wei Yutang before, but what he said now was somewhat impolite.
In the original story, the protagonist was able to help Xia Xia accept Wei Yutang with his gentleness and love, but now it seems that Xia Xia is in a worse situation than before with him.
Chu Qing couldn't help but start to reflect on whether there was something she hadn't done well enough.
As soon as Xiaxia heard the water stop running on the balcony, she snapped out of her grumpiness and pulled her father's hand to sit on the sofa. She snuggled close to him and said sweetly:
"Father, thank you for bringing us breakfast. Xiaxia will give you a back massage."
The small fist landed on his shoulder with just the right amount of force, and Wei Yutang could still see a hint of ingratiation on Xia Xia's face.
Just as she was wondering, she saw Chu Qing walk in from the balcony and then she understood the little rascal's intention.
Xiaxia blinked her eyes innocently when she noticed her father watching her.
Good morning, Dad.
I originally wanted to talk about Xiaxia's Chuqing, but seeing this scene of fatherly love and filial piety in front of me, I had to give up.
Have you washed up?
"Not yet, Dad, wait a minute, I'll go now."
Xiaxia, who had only taken a couple of steps after standing up, remembered her father was there and subconsciously stopped and turned around.
"I'm a little kid who's scared."
The little guy practically had his thoughts written all over his face. Wei Yutang put down his things, stood up, and followed him.
Do you want me to brush your teeth for you?
"Okay, sure."