"Mom, it's Christmas today. You prepared a gift for me on this day last year," Lu Fenglin said, his eyes full of nostalgia and expectation. A long-lost gentle look softened his gloomy face.
Sitting opposite the hospital bed, Lu's father peeled an apple given by the hospital and handed it to Lu Fenglin. Seeing that Lu Fenglin's lips were chapped, he carefully reminded him, "It's dry and cold. Drink more hot water."
Without even looking at his father, Lu Fenglin still stared at his stepmother. "I don't want to eat apples. You can have it."
Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Lu's father's eyes. But he still stubbornly held out the apple. "Have a little. Apples are good for your health."
"I've already said I don't want any. Can't you hear me?" Lu Fenglin's relaxed mood immediately tightened. He looked coldly at his father and then got up and left the ward.
When he needed his father in the past, his father never paid attention to him. Now that he didn't need his father's attention anymore, all he wanted was to cure his mother. But now his father was trying so hard to get close to him!
Watching Lu Fenglin's back disappear outside the ward, Lu's father's face showed a look of sadness. He sat back down heavily on the chair. "It's all my fault..."
He put the apple on the table, looking dejected. He buried his head in his hands in grief.
It was all his own doing. If he had cared more about Lu Fenglin back then, he wouldn't have pushed his son further and further away. And he shouldn't have beaten Lu Chuanbai without asking for the truth last time. He must have hurt Lu Chuanbai's feelings.
Lu's father even felt too ashamed to see his grandchildren. Although he missed the two cute kids very much, he didn't know how to send them the Christmas gifts he had bought for them a long time ago.
Unlike the depressing and sad atmosphere in the ward, the atmosphere at Xu Qingqing's home was full of joy.
Lu Chuanbai bought a lot of seafood and abalones and cooked a seafood hot pot at home. The boiling red soup in the pot added a festive and lively atmosphere.
Xu's father and mother were there. Xu Yan and Jing Zhen also came to have hot pot.
Jing Zhen felt very uncomfortable sitting among the family members. She was too embarrassed to pick up food.
Seeing Jing Zhen being so timid, Xu Yan directly picked up a strainer and fished all the meat out of the hot pot into Jing Zhen's bowl.
Xu Yan said in a disdainful tone, "These meats are overcooked. You can have them."
"Hey, my shrimps!"
Xu An'an, who had put the shrimps in the hot pot and was waiting for them to be cooked, was very unhappy to see her shrimps being fished out by Xu Yan. She pouted and exposed Xu Yan. "Uncle, if you want to please Aunt Jing Zhen, you should cook the food yourself. I finally cooked these shrimps well, and you fished them out!"
Looking at the mountain of seafood in her bowl, Jing Zhen felt very embarrassed after hearing what Xu An'an said. She raised her hand and wanted to put the shrimps back. "I'm sorry, An'an. Auntie will give the shrimps back to you right away."
Xu Qingqing pressed Xu An'an back into her seat. "It's just a few shrimps. It doesn't matter. Mom will put some more in for you."
"Okay then," Xu An'an said unhappily as she sat on the chair and swayed her legs.
While putting more shrimps into the pot, Xu Qingqing smiled and told Jing Zhen to continue eating. "Sister Jing Zhen, you can continue eating. The shrimps just fished out from the red soup are very spicy. They need to be rinsed in cold water for her."
"I'm really sorry."
Jing Zhen's face turned as red as the cooked shrimps in the pot. She retracted her hand and gave Xu Yan, who was sitting beside her, a sideways look. "Who told you to pick up food for me! If you want to pick up food, you should at least pick up the ones you cooked yourself!"
It was a hot pot meal, after all. Everyone was supposed to cook their own food. With Xu Yan's action, Jing Zhen felt so embarrassed. It was as if she had snatched the food that others had been waiting for.
But Xu Yan didn't care. He waved his hand to comfort her. "Once the ingredients are put in, they are for everyone to share. It doesn't matter who eats them."
Jing Zhen was defeated by Xu Yan's words. She warned him not to pick up food for her again and then buried her head in eating.
Seeing that Jing Zhen was no longer so constrained, Xu Yan smiled slightly. Although his behavior was a bit unkind just now, at least he had comforted Jing Zhen.
While waiting for the meat to cook, Xu's mother asked Lu Chuanbai out of curiosity, "Why don't you call your father over? It's Christmas today. It's rare for everyone to get together."
Hearing Xu's mother's question, Lu Chuanbai stopped peeling the shrimps for Xu Yiyi beside him. He didn't know how to answer.
Since his father slapped him last time, he hadn't contacted his father again. But Xu's father and mother didn't know the whole story. If he simply said that he didn't want to see his father, it might leave a bad impression on Xu's father and mother.
"Mom, why do you ask so many questions?"
Xu Qingqing sensed Lu Chuanbai's embarrassment. She knew his difficulties and understood him. She picked up a big piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it into Xu's mother's bowl. "Mom, eat your food quickly."
Xu's mother thought it was because of Lu Fenglin's stepmother, so she didn't say anything more and continued eating.
After the meal, Xu's father and mother wanted to stay and help Xu Qingqing clean up. But Xu Qingqing was worried that they would be tired, so she directly pushed them out.
After seeing off Xu's father and mother, Xu Yan, and Jing Zhen, Xu Qingqing closed the door. Looking at Lu Chuanbai, who silently started to clean up, she couldn't help but ask softly, "Really not going to call your father? If he is alone in the hospital taking care of the patient, he must be very lonely at this late hour."
Lu Chuanbai paused for a moment and then continued to stack the dirty bowls. His tone was calm. "There's no need to call him. It's his own choice."
After saying that, Lu Chuanbai carried the dirty bowls into the kitchen. Xu Qingqing could tell from his stiff back that he was a little uncomfortable.
Lu Chuanbai must still have feelings for his father. He just didn't want to be the first one to lower his head.
Xu Qingqing sighed deeply. She didn't know how to handle this matter.
Hearing Lu Chuanbai say that they shouldn't call his father, Xu Yiyi and Xu An'an, who were watching TV in the kitchen, ran to Xu Qingqing in a hurry.
Xu An'an timidly held out her phone watch. "Mom, did Dad and Grandpa quarrel? Can't Grandpa come?"
"You don't need to worry too much. Dad and Grandpa will definitely make up," Xu Qingqing said as she hugged the two children and took the phone watch from Xu An'an.
Xu Qingqing was shocked to see that Xu An'an had sent a message to Lu's father without her permission.
Xu An'an: [Grandpa, did you buy Christmas gifts for me and brother? Can you bring them to us today?]
Xu Qingqing hurriedly tried to recall the message, but it was too late.
She looked at Xu An'an and Xu Yiyi and said anxiously, "Why didn't you tell Mom in advance?"