Getting out of the car, Yan Xia couldn't wait to rush towards Lan Mengfan. The little girl was waiting for her very obediently with a schoolbag on her back. When she saw Yan Xia coming, she tilted her head up and called out "Mommy" in a milky voice.
The teacher was relieved to hand Lan Mengfan over to Yan Xia. "Mrs. Lan, you're finally here. This kid is so well - behaved. She's been quiet all the time and waited for you here with me obediently."
"She's always been a good girl." Yan Xia was very pleased. "Thank you, teacher. You've been so kind."
Lu Qianzhou also got out of the car and came to Yan Xia's side. He was now looking into the eyes of Lan Mengfan, who was looking up at him curiously.
"You're welcome. It's my job." The female teacher looked at Lu Qianzhou suspiciously. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before. Just by looking at his dressing and the car he drove, she knew he must be a rich man. Out of curiosity, she casually asked, "And this gentleman is?"
Before Yan Xia could answer, Lu Qianzhou had already said, "I'm the kid's dad."
"He's not!" Yan Xia explained to the teacher. "He's just an ordinary friend of mine. You've met the kid's real dad before."
Yan Xia was referring to Fang Jiangyi.
The female teacher's inquisitive eyes darted between the two of them. "Oh, right. Well, I'll leave the kid to you then."
Yan Xia took Lan Mengfan and got into the back seat of the car. Although there was no child safety seat in the car, Yan Xia still carefully buckled up the seat - belt for Lan Mengfan.
Since there were two people in the back seat, Lu Qianzhou had to sit in the front passenger seat. After getting in the car, the driver asked Lu Qianzhou where they were going.
"Take us home, please." Yan Xia didn't look at him but still politely said, "Thank you."
The driver looked at Lu Qianzhou.
"Let's go for dinner first. I'll have you dropped off later."
So the driver drove the car towards a nearby shopping mall. There was a food street behind it.
Lan Mengfan was sitting on the back - seat, looking around the car and the people in it with wide, curious eyes. This car was completely different from the one Fang Jiangyi usually drove to pick her up.
"Mommy, why didn't Daddy come to pick me up today?"
Yan Xia said, "He's busy with something."
Lan Mengfan nodded half - understandingly. Her eyes met Lu Qianzhou's in the front seat again.
This time, Lu Qianzhou looked much gentler than the first time they met. His eyes were no longer as fierce as before. Because of the first impression, Lan Mengfan was actually a bit scared of him. So she tightly grabbed Yan Xia's hand and summoned up the courage to ask Lu Qianzhou.
"Uncle, are you also competing to be my daddy?"
She asked this question completely because of what Lu Qianzhou had said himself, "I'm the kid's dad."
"Also?" Lu Qianzhou squinted slightly. "Besides me, who else is competing?"
Lan Mengfan thought seriously for a while and counted on her fingers.
"Daddy Fang counts as one, Uncle Shangguan also counts as one, and now you count as one too." Her little face drooped, looking a bit troubled. "What should I do? So many people are competing for Mommy, but I still want to save Mommy for my real daddy. He'll be out soon, and he will definitely like Mommy too."
"Mengfan, don't talk nonsense." Yan Xia stopped her. "There's no such thing as competition. They're just my friends."
"Okay." Lan Mengfan obediently shut up.
But to be honest, she still hoped most that Yan Xia and Fang Jiangyi would get together. After all, they had lived together for three years. Fang Jiangyi had been very kind to both her and Yan Xia. In every way, they were more like a family.
Lu Qianzhou taught Lan Mengfan in an elder's tone, "I'll be your legitimate daddy. Don't call other people daddy casually from now on, okay?"
Yan Xia couldn't stand it anymore. She knew this man had some bad intentions when he was so enthusiastic about driving her to pick up the kid today.
"Lu Qianzhou, could you stop talking nonsense in front of the kid?"
Lan Mengfan, though young, had a knowing look on her face. She even comforted Lu Qianzhou specially.
"It's okay. Everyone has a fair chance to compete. I'll also make a fair choice. My mommy is the best." Her little expression was full of pride.
The driver dropped them off outside the food street. There were too many pedestrians, so the car couldn't go in. Yan Xia had always wanted to go straight home, but Lan Mengfan was in high spirits. Since coming back from abroad, she had been a bit melancholy, and she hadn't been this happy for a long time. Yan Xia couldn't bear it, so she had to take her and Lu Qianzhou to have dinner together.
Yan Xia held the kid's hand all the way, while Lu Qianzhou held Lan Mengfan's other hand. The three of them walking together really looked like a family of three, and a very good - looking one at that.
Because of their high good looks and Lu Qianzhou's special status, they were being watched by people outside the shops all the way.
"What do you want to eat, Mengfan?" Yan Xia asked.
Lan Mengfan said, "Mommy, I want to eat hamburgers and fries."
Normally, Yan Xia rarely let her eat such things. The reason she dared to make such a bold request today was that Lu Qianzhou was here. After observing just now, Lan Mengfan thought Lu Qianzhou could definitely intimidate Yan Xia.
For someone to be with her mommy, they must get permission from her, the daughter. If the uncle wanted to curry favor with her, he would surely agree to her request.
"There's a place just up ahead, Mommy. It's very close." When Yan Xia hesitated, Lan Mengfan added.
Not wanting to stay outside for too long or spend too much time with Lu Qianzhou arguing about what to eat, Yan Xia agreed to her request.
After entering the hamburger joint, Lu Qianzhou scanned the QR code to order food. Knowing that there were some things Yan Xia wouldn't allow to be ordered, while the phone was in Lu Qianzhou's hand, Lan Mengfan ran over to him very eagerly. Protected in his arm, she ordered hamburgers, fries, cola, and even chicken legs.
The little girl was extremely smart, like a little genius. She knew when to curry favor with whom. At this moment, Lu Qianzhou, who usually disliked kids, saw Lan Mengfan's naughty smile and her self - assured little tricks. Her little expression was exactly the same as Yan Xia's.
His heart melted unconsciously. Looking at the little girl in his arms, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips slightly, showing a tenderness he didn't even notice.
"Do you want anything else?" Lu Qianzhou asked.
Lan Mengfan smiled happily. "No, this is enough."
Lu Qianzhou was about to hand the phone to Yan Xia for her to see what she wanted to eat, but Yan Xia shook her head and refused. Just by looking at Lan Mengfan's expression, she knew the little girl must have ordered a whole bunch of things. Kids had small appetites and surely couldn't finish them all. In the end, she would have to clean up.
While waiting, Lu Qianzhou even gave his phone to Lan Mengfan to play games.
Yan Xia knocked on the table boredly with her fingers. Seeing the two people across from her having so much fun, she couldn't help but say, "Don't spoil her too much. Kids shouldn't eat too much junk food, and they shouldn't get into the habit of playing with phones."
Lu Qianzhou had a smile on his lips. While Lan Mengfan was concentrating on the game, he looked at Yan Xia with affectionate eyes without any hesitation.
"I didn't expect you to be so strict with the kid."
"There are many things you don't know."
They were sitting by the window. People around them were secretly taking pictures of Lu Qianzhou with their phones, but he didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, Yan Xia was getting impatient.
"Don't come looking for Mengfan again. Your face is just too eye - catching." It would attract too much attention, and she wasn't used to it.