Xu Qingqing felt a bit ashamed and told Lu Chuanbai not to rummage anymore.
She had been tying Xu An'an's braids for years, always rotating among the same few styles. She had never put in as much effort as Lu Chuanbai to study different ways.
"You're so amazing!"
Xu Qingqing thought Lu Chuanbai had taken over her job. She gave him two quick kisses on the cheek.
This meant she wouldn't have to tie Xu An'an's braids anymore.
"I can braid yours too." Receiving the reward, Lu Chuanbai's smile deepened at the corners of his lips.
The next day, Lu Chuanbai drove with the two kids and Xu Qingqing to pick up Jing Zhen from the hospital and help her move.
Unexpectedly, at the hospital entrance, they saw someone who was both expected and unexpected.
Xu Yan was there too.
Xu Qingqing closed the car door and saw Xu Yan pacing back and forth in front of the hospital gate.
"Brother, what are you pacing around for? You look like a fool."
Xu Yan looked away uncomfortably, his tone awkward.
"I heard you're helping someone move. You still have injuries on your back, so I came to help."
"What?"
Xu Qingqing looked at Xu Yan as if she was seeing him for the first time.
The injury on her back had almost healed with the special ointment Lu Chuanbai had found from a traditional Chinese doctor.
It was the first time Xu Yan had cared about her so much.
Xu Qingqing nudged Xu Yan playfully with her shoulder. "Brother, I'm afraid you're not here to help me. You're here to help someone else, aren't you?"
"Who said that?"
Xu Yan blushed and pushed Xu Qingqing's shoulder, urging her to go inside the hospital quickly.
"You're such a coward."
Xu Qingqing muttered in her heart.
In the hospital ward, Jing Zhen was getting her dressing changed. When she saw Xu Qingqing, a smile appeared on her face. But before she could say hello, she saw Xu Yan behind Xu Qingqing and her smile froze.
"Qingqing, you're here."
"Yeah."
Xu Qingqing directed Lu Chuanbai and Xu Yan to get the suitcases in the ward.
After Jing Zhen's head bandage was changed, Xu Qingqing affectionately put her arm around Jing Zhen and introduced her two kids.
"This is my little daughter, An'an. An'an, say hello to Aunt Jing Zhen."
"Hello, Aunt Jing Zhen." Xu An'an's eyes curved into a smile, showing two little dimples on her lips.
People always said daughters resembled their fathers more, but it was different in Xu Qingqing's family.
Xu Yiyi looked more like Lu Chuanbai, while Xu An'an looked like Xu Qingqing.
Especially when Xu An'an smiled, her eyes curved just like Xu Qingqing's peach - blossom eyes, forming crescent moons.
Jing Zhen stared and got a bit lost in thought. She suddenly wondered what it would be like if she and Xu Yan had a daughter.
Maybe she would be as cute and well - behaved as Xu An'an.
"Aunt Jing Zhen is so beautiful."
Xu An'an was very sweet - tongued. She took Jing Zhen's hand and asked, "Aunt Jing Zhen, what's wrong with your head? Does it still hurt?"
"Auntie accidentally bumped it. It doesn't hurt anymore."
Jing Zhen answered gently, telling a white lie.
There was no need for kids to see the dark side of society.
"Auntie must be more careful in the future."
"Okay."
After going downstairs, Xu Qingqing pulled Jing Zhen to get in the car.
But Xu Yan disagreed. He pressed on the car door to stop Xu Qingqing from opening it and told Jing Zhen to get in his car.
Xu Yan's reason was that there were cameras for the variety show in the car, and he didn't want Jing Zhen to disturb their family filming.
Looking at Xu Yan's serious face, Xu Qingqing wanted to go up and knock some sense into him.
Come on! If you want Jing Zhen to sit with you, just say so!
Why do you have to come up with so many reasons to blame her? Which girl would like you like this!
Xu Qingqing couldn't help but wonder how Jing Zhen had fallen for her brother in the first place. He had no emotional intelligence and no manners.
Jing Zhen stiffened. Even though Xu Qingqing said it was okay several times, she still got in Xu Yan's car.
Finally, they could set off.
Xu Qingqing sighed, secretly worried whether it was a good or bad idea to let Jing Zhen move into the Xu family.
In the car, Xu Yiyi and Xu An'an sang a new song they had learned in kindergarten in front of the camera.
"Little swallow, wearing colorful clothes, comes here every spring..."
Xu Qingqing clapped her hands to keep the rhythm, and Lu Chuanbai, who was driving in front, also gently swayed his head to the music. The atmosphere was great.
But the atmosphere in the car behind was not so good. Xu Yan and Jing Zhen sat in silence, and the atmosphere was freezing.
Xu Yan even regretted in his heart. He thought he should have let Xu Qingqing get in this car too.
He even wondered where all the things they used to talk about had gone. Why couldn't he say a single word now?
Xu Yan tried to start a conversation. "The weather is nice today."
Jing Zhen, who was sitting by the open window, looking at the overcast and cold sky covered by thick clouds, thought, Nice my foot! It's almost going to rain!
Jing Zhen coughed. "Yeah, it's great."
The conversation ended again. Xu Yan was a bit annoyed. He should have asked according to the actual weather.
The atmosphere in the two cars remained the same until they got back to the Xu family.
Xu's mother had cooked a big table of dishes and kept them warm in the pots.
She was worried that Xu's father would spoil the atmosphere, so she took him out to play with friends.
Smelling the delicious food at home, Xu Qingqing and the two kids took off their shoes and didn't even change into slippers. They sneaked into the kitchen and opened the insulated rice cooker.
There were sweet and sour spare ribs, which they all loved.
"Wow, sweet and sour spare ribs!"
The three of them stared at the colored spare ribs in the pot and exclaimed in unison.
Xu Qingqing took out three small plates for spitting out bones and put one piece on each plate.
The mother and her two kids hid in the kitchen and ate secretly.
Lu Chuanbai, who had parked the car, saw that the slippers by the shoe cabinet hadn't been taken. He sighed helplessly and picked up three pairs of slippers to the kitchen.
"You three, running around bare - footed again." Lu Chuanbai leaned against the door frame and looked at the mother and kids sideways.
The three of them almost simultaneously looked up, with a bit of sauce on their lips.
Looking at their big, innocent eyes, Lu Chuanbai couldn't bring himself to scold them. He put the slippers beside their feet.
"Put on your shoes quickly."
"After we finish eating." Xu Yiyi was munching on the spare ribs with gusto.
Lu Chuanbai flicked Xu Yiyi on the forehead and looked at Xu Qingqing, who was also burying her head in eating and not doing anything.
Lu Chuanbai coaxed Xu Qingqing gently, just like he was coaxing a little girl. "Hurry up. You're the oldest. Lead the way and put on your shoes."
His tone was soft, as if she was his eldest daughter.
"OK." Xu Qingqing put down the plate and put on her slippers.
Seeing their mother put on her shoes, the two kids also obediently put on theirs.
As soon as Jing Zhen and Xu Yan got out of the car, they felt it was too awkward to be together, so they went to find Xu Qingqing and saw this warm scene.
Xu Yan crossed his arms and complained disapprovingly. "No wonder Xu Qingqing has such a bad temper. It's all your fault for spoiling her!"
"When did I have a bad temper?" Xu Qingqing picked out two pieces of spare ribs, changed a pair of chopsticks and sent them to Jing Zhen.