Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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The restaurant environment was unexpectedly nice to Tang Tang. The marble floor was gleaming, and the men and women coming and going were all well-dressed. A pretty girl was playing the piano in the center. It was clearly not an ordinary restaurant.
Tang Tang was startled; she knew without a doubt that this restaurant must be very expensive.
Tang Tang quickly grabbed Ji Yan’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong?” Ji Yan looked at her, puzzled.
Afraid that the waiter would hear, Tang Tang leaned close to his ear and whispered under his questioning gaze, “This place looks very expensive, it must cost a lot of money. Let’s not go in. I’ll go buy groceries and cook for you and the baby at home. That way, we can save a lot of money.” He was the only one earning money in the family now. She and the baby needed him to support them, and they also needed to hire Aunt Li to take care of the baby. He certainly didn’t earn much money as a soldier, so they couldn’t spend money recklessly.
Ji Yan was stunned. He hadn’t expected Tang Tang to say something like that. She was actually thinking about saving him money and didn’t want him to spend it.
Before, Tang Tang would constantly ask him for money, and the money he gave her each month was never enough. Now, however…
Ji Yan felt a mix of emotions. He then said, “It’s okay. We can afford to eat here occasionally. Xiao Zhuo really likes the food here.”
Hearing that Ji Xiaozhuo liked it, Tang Tang hesitated and let go of his hand. “Then… okay then, I won’t get ice cream. Just order one for Xiao Zhuo.”
Ji Yan was a little amused and exasperated. He could afford an ice cream; why did she need to save money on just one?
When ordering, besides the main dish, Ji Yan also ordered two ice creams, one for Tang Tang and one for Ji Xiaozhuo.
Tang Tang tugged anxiously at Ji Yan’s sleeve, “I don’t eat ice cream, why did you order it? One ice cream costs so much, it could buy two meals.”
“…It’s okay, I can afford one ice cream, eat it without worry.” Ji Yan couldn’t quite get used to her being so frugal, and felt like this wasn’t the Tang Tang he knew.
Seeing that his mother was reluctant to eat ice cream, Ji Xiaozhuo thought for a moment, then tugged at Tang Tang’s clothes and said, “Mom, don’t worry. After we finish eating today, I’ll eat less when we get home to save Dad money.”
Seeing that both father and son wanted her to eat, Tang Tang had no choice but to say, “Okay then, but when we get home, Mom will learn to make ice cream and make it for you at home so we can save money.” Tang Tang remembered that she had seen a kind of ice cream on a food show she watched last time, and she could learn to make it when she got home.
Ji Xiaozhuo nodded, “Okay, Mom, then I won’t buy ice cream anymore, to save Dad money.”
Ji Yan: “……” Just how poor did these two think he was that they had to make their own ice cream at home?
Afraid that the mother and son would continue to discuss how to save money, Ji Yan pushed the ice cream in front of them to interrupt their conversation, “Okay, eat it first, or it will melt.”
Hearing that it was going to melt, the mother and son quickly picked up their spoons and started eating. This was Tang Tang’s first time tasting ice cream. She had only ever seen it on TV before, and she never expected it to taste so good. Her whole mouth was filled with sweetness; no wonder Xiao Zhuo liked it so much.
Ji Xiaozhuo scooped out a spoonful of his own and brought it to Tang Tang’s mouth. “Mommy, try my strawberry flavor, it’s delicious.”
Tang Tang opened her mouth and ate it, then scooped out a spoonful of her own and fed it to the little one. The mother and son fed each other spoonful by spoonful.
“Ji Yan?” Just then, a woman’s voice interrupted this warm moment. A group of four people stopped at Ji Yan’s table: two middle-aged men and women and two young men and women. All four were well-dressed and had an air of sophistication; they were clearly not ordinary people. When Ji Yan saw the newcomers, the smile that had just been radiating from his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a blank expression. He showed no intention of acknowledging them.
The elegantly dressed middle-aged woman at the head of the table seemed unfazed by Ji Yan’s coldness. She glanced at the table and smiled, saying, “You brought Xiao Zhuo to dinner? What a coincidence! Why don’t we eat together? It’s rare to run into each other.”
Ji Yan frowned and said coldly, “I don’t think we’re acquainted. Please don’t disturb our meal.”
The middle-aged woman’s smile faltered, a little embarrassed.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man beside the woman’s eyes flashed with anger. He glared at Ji Yan and snapped, “How dare you speak to your elders like that! Where’s your manners?”
A cold glint flashed in Ji Yan’s eyes, and his aura seemed to drop several degrees. “Elders? Who are you to me? Please watch your words and don’t try to claim kinship with me.”
“You!” The middle-aged man was furious; no one had ever dared to speak to him like that before.
The middle-aged woman quickly patted the man’s back to comfort him, “Alright, alright, Lao Ji, don’t be angry with the child, let’s just talk it out.”
The young man following behind them glanced at Ji Yan and Tang Tang with a complicated expression, then said to the middle-aged man, “Dad, let’s go eat first, don’t disturb them.”
The middle-aged man patted his chest, snorted angrily, and left. The rest of the people followed him, but Tang Tang noticed that the young woman at the back was looking at her with a strange gaze, as if she knew her.
Tang Tang was about to ask Ji Yan if she knew the young woman when she looked up and found that Ji Yan was also looking at her with a strange gaze, as if he was investigating something.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Tang Tang asked blankly.
Ji Yan withdrew his gaze. “It’s nothing.”
Ji Xiaozhuo, sensing Ji Yan’s bad mood, stopped eating his ice cream and cautiously asked, “Daddy, are you unhappy? Were those bad people?”
Ji Yan shook his head. “Daddy doesn’t know those people, and I’m not unhappy. You should eat your ice cream, and then we’ll go home.”
Ji Xiaozhuo scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and brought it to Ji Yan’s lips. “Daddy, have some ice cream. It’ll make you feel better.”
Ji Yan’s expression softened. Not wanting to disappoint the little one, he opened his mouth and ate the ice cream, swallowing the sweetness. He then patted the little one’s head and said, “Okay, Daddy’s feeling better now. You can eat it yourself.”
The little one happily continued eating.
Tang Tang, however, wasn’t as easily fooled as Ji Xiaozhuo. She felt that the four people from earlier must know Ji Yan, and might even be his enemies, otherwise Ji Yan wouldn’t be in such a bad mood. However, the man claimed to be an elder, and she didn’t know what their relationship was.
However, Tang Tang didn’t voice her doubts. Anyway, she wouldn’t associate with people her husband didn’t like; if they didn’t know each other, they didn’t know each other.
….
The three of them returned home at 9:30. Ji Yan took the little one straight to the bathroom for a bath. Afterwards, just as they were getting ready for bed, the little one suddenly said seriously to Ji Yan, “Daddy, I think what we’re doing is really bad.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Ji Yan asked while drying his hair.
Ji Xiaozhuo said, “We’re together, but without Mommy. Mommy will be scared.”
“Hmm?” Ji Yan was taken aback, not quite understanding why he would say that.
Ji Xiaozhuo sighed, his chubby little legs crossed on Ji Yan’s stomach, revealing a little “spare tire” around his waist, and said, “I’ll sleep with you, but Mommy will sleep alone. Won’t Mommy be scared?”
Ji Yan understood what the little one meant but didn’t know how to answer.
Ji Xiaozhuo didn’t get a reply from his father, so assuming he didn’t know either, he rested his chin on his hand and analyzed, “Dad, I think Mom must be scared, because Zhuo Ran told me today that his mom is afraid to sleep alone at night and needs his dad to protect her. So his dad sleeps with his mom every night to protect her, but because there aren’t enough beds, Zhuo Ran has to sleep in a room by himself.” Besides, hus mother seems to be only half as fat as Zhuo Ran’s mother, so she needed even more protection.
Zhuo Ran was Ji Xiaozhuo’s deskmate.
Ji Yan: “…” This child’s parents are quite good at making things up.
“Dad, Mom is a girl, and we are boys, but we’re not going to protect Mom. Isn’t that wrong?”
Ji Yan was still speechless, so he could only say, “Then go keep Mom company?”
The little guy thought seriously for a few seconds and said, “Dad, let’s go sleep with Mom together. I’m a little kid, I’m not strong enough. You’re an adult, so it’s safer for you to protect Mom. I can help you.”
Ji Yan helplessly rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t explain it to the child, so he had to coax him, “But Dad can’t leave this room, otherwise Dad won’t be able to sleep. So you go sleep with Mom, and Mom won’t be afraid with you there.”
“Ah? Is that so…” The little guy scratched his head and suddenly thought of a good idea, “Then let’s call Mom over to sleep, that way Dad won’t be unable to sleep, and we can protect Mom together!”
For the first time, Ji Yan was troubled by his son’s cleverness and had to continue coaxing him, “No, Mom isn’t used to sleeping in other rooms, so you can only go and keep Mom company.”
“Really? Then I’ll go ask Mom.” The little guy jumped off the bed and ran to Tang Tang’s room without even putting on his shoes.
Tang Tang was still awake and was startled to see the little guy run in wearing only his underwear. “Baby, what are you doing here?”
Ji Xiaozhuo quickly jumped onto the bed, grabbed Tang Tang’s hand, and asked, “Mommy, can’t you sleep if you leave your room?”
“Huh?” Tang Tang was stunned by his question. “Why do you ask that?”
“Daddy said you can only fall asleep in your own room, so you can’t sleep in Daddy’s room with me. Mommy, is what Daddy said true?”
Tang Tang’s face turned red instantly. She could pretty much guess what was going on. She stammered, “Um… Mommy really can only… can fall asleep here.”
“Okay then.” So it was true. Ji Xiaozhuo sighed in disappointment. His dream of sleeping with his parents was shattered. He could only say with a heavy heart, “Then I’ll come and sleep with you. I’m a man, I can protect you.”
Before Tang Tang could figure out what was going on, the little guy ran off again. A few seconds later, he came running back like the wind. This time, he was holding his little pillow. Without saying a word, he stuck out his bottom and climbed onto the bed.
Seeing that he was having trouble climbing, Tang Tang reached out and pulled him up, helping him get on the bed smoothly.
The little guy sighed, neatly placed his pillow next to Tang Tang’s, and looked extremely satisfied. He patted his little chest and said proudly, “Okay, I’ll sleep with you tonight, don’t be afraid.”
When was she afraid?
“Aren’t you going to sleep with Daddy?”
Ji Xiaozhuo sighed rather wistfully, “But Daddy is a man, he’s not afraid to sleep alone. Mommy is a girl, she’ll be scared, so I want to protect you.”
Tang Tang was practically overwhelmed with sweetness. She hugged the little guy’s head and kissed him several times. “Mommy’s good baby, you’re so good, Mommy loves you.” Actually, Tang Tang had wanted to sleep with the little guy before. She was really worried about a child under four years old sleeping alone, afraid he would kick off the covers or roll off the bed at night. So she would secretly check on him several times during the night. But the little guy had been very resistant to her before, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask him to sleep with her. Now that the little guy had come on his own initiative, she was very happy. Even if the little guy misunderstood that she was afraid, it didn’t matter.
The little guy returned Tang Tang’s kiss, saying shyly, “I love you too.”
“You’re so cute!” Tang Tang opened her arms and pulled the little bundle into her embrace. The little guy was so soft and squishy, with a milky scent; he felt wonderful to the touch. Tang Tang couldn’t resist kneading and rubbing the little chubby ball. The little guy giggled and protested, “Mommy, stop kneading! You’ll make me skinny!”
“Haha, that’s good for weight loss! Daddy says you’re chubby!” Tang Tang kneaded the little chubby flesh a few more times, completely enamored.
“Giggle… I don’t need to lose weight! My flesh is so cute!” He wasn’t chubby at all; he was adorable.
“Haha, yes, you’re super cute.” Tang Tang unconditionally supported the little guy’s words.
To return the favor, the little guy also praised, “Mommy, you’re super cute too.”
Even though she knew the little guy was lying, Tang Tang couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t help it; women are just so vain.
Because the little guy had rushed in and forgotten to close the door, Ji Yan, who came out for a drink of water, heard the mother and son’s shameless mutual flattery inside the room, and his lips twitched.
The author has something to say:
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! Double update today to celebrate the festival, another chapter later.
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