Free Web NovelChapter 181: Chapter 179: Daddy, You’re Crying
Bai Su froze as well and said awkwardly, "Did I... come at a bad time?"
Wen Dabao, who was playing a game with her back to them, also froze.
Three seconds later.
Wen Dabao dropped her terminal, covered her face, and bolted into a second-floor bedroom at the speed of light.
Bai Su was speechless. ’What in the world just shot past me?’
The corner of Wen Lan’s mouth twitched.
Hiding behind the second-floor curtains, Wen Dabao frantically blinked at Wen Lan.
Wen Lan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He shot Bai Su an irritated glance. "Miss Bai, you seem to have a fondness for trespassing. Do it again, and I’m calling the police."
The corner of Bai Su’s mouth twitched. For Wen Xiaobao’s sake, she held her tongue. "I’m here to see Little Treasure."
"I heard she took a day off school today, and I was worried she might be sick, so I brought some dinner over to check on her."
"Is she okay?"
A surprised and childish voice called out from behind her, "Pretty Auntie!"
Wen Xiaobao had just gotten home from school. She trotted over, her little backpack bouncing, and threw herself at Bai Su, hugging her legs.
Bai Su said in surprise, "But didn’t you take the day off school today?"
Wen Xiaobao blinked in confusion. "No, I was at school today."
Wen Lan was speechless.
’Is it too late to move to another planet?’
’No. Before I leave, I have to kill that damn woman, Bai Su, so she can’t laugh at me.’
Wen Xiaobao was very clever. Seeing her father’s expression, she quickly changed her story. "Um... I wasn’t feeling well, so Daddy took me to the hospital. I went back to school after I felt better."
Bai Su asked with concern, "What happened? Were you not feeling well?"
This time, Wen Xiaobao really didn’t know what to make up. A look of panic crossed her face.
Wen Lan pulled Wen Xiaobao behind him. "Miss Bai, my daughter’s well-being is none of your business. Leave now, or don’t blame me for using force."
After being provoked by him time and again, Bai Su was getting annoyed too. "Aren’t you Lu Tingyan’s cousin? Is this how you treat your cousin’s wife?"
Wen Lan raised an eyebrow. "A distant one."
Bai Su shot back, "I’m just concerned about the child, not you."
’She wanted to plant her hands on her hips and give Wen Lan a piece of her mind, to curse him out until he was blue in the face, but she couldn’t. Not with a child watching.’
Wen Lan remained unmoved.
Bai Su set the food down and turned to leave.
Seeing her disregard him, and noticing that Wen Xiaobao even looked sad to see her go, Wen Lan instantly blew a fuse. "Bai Su! Take your food and get out!"
He snatched the food container, closed the distance in a few quick strides, and grabbed Bai Su’s arm.
Her skin was smooth and soft to the touch, and he frowned involuntarily.
’Could an adult’s arm be this thin?’
’Wen Dabao could probably snap it in half.’
Bai Su wrenched her arm free. "It’s not for you!"
Wen Lan’s face darkened. "Don’t think you can win over my children this way."
Bai Su took a deep breath. "I don’t want to argue with you in front of a child."
She turned and walked away.
Wen Lan, left holding the food container, gritted his teeth as his expression grew even fouler.
’So only she knows how to think of the children?’
Only Wen Lan and Wen Xiaobao remained in the general store.
Wen Xiaobao took the food container from Wen Lan’s hands, carried it to the kitchen, and eagerly opened the lid. "Daddy, it’s time to eat!"
Wen Lan didn’t move, but Wen Dabao came rushing downstairs.
"It smells so good."
"Huh? Big Sis, you’re back so early today."
"I’m starving. What goodies do we have today?"
The two little ones completely ignored Wen Lan, leaving him standing stiffly by the door all alone.
Bai Su had brought food suitable for children.
There were several light dishes, Cantonese in style, with an emphasis on fresh and sweet flavors.
The two little ones ate with expressions of pure satisfaction.
While gnawing on a piece of scallion ginger chicken, Wen Dabao nodded in satisfaction. "That damn woman Bai Su might be annoying, but her cooking is actually pretty good."
"After eating this chicken, I’ll take a day off from badmouthing her tomorrow."
Wen Xiaobao, stuffing her little mouth full of rice with cured meat, mumbled, "Sis, Pretty Auntie is actually really nice. Why do you guys hate her so much?"
Wen Dabao didn’t even look up. "Ah, you wouldn’t understand."
’She’d been fighting with that woman since she was in diapers. It’d be weirder if she *didn’t* hate her.’
’She still remembered how that woman had brutally abused the four of them, all siblings.’
’The only silver lining was that her younger sister had only been ’split off’ after their dad found her and they had settled into a home. She hadn’t suffered that woman Bai Su’s abuse.’
Suddenly, a quiet sob came from nearby.
The two little ones whipped their heads toward the sound.
There was Wen Lan, a grown man nearly six-foot-three, all broad shoulders, narrow waist, and eight-pack abs in a black tank top, staring at them with red-rimmed eyes and a heartbroken expression.
Wen Dabao was so startled she dropped her chicken leg. "...Seriously, Dad? It’s not that deep, is it?"
Wen Xiaobao helplessly licked a grain of rice from the corner of her mouth. "Daddy, you’re crying..."
Wen Lan roared at his two heartless children, his voice thick with anguish, "Go on then, side with that damn woman Bai Su! Just leave me to grow old and die all alone!"
With that, he roughly wiped his face, bolted upstairs, and slammed his bedroom door with a BANG.
Wen Dabao was speechless.
Wen Xiaobao was speechless.
After three seconds of silence, Wen Dabao buried her face in her plate and went back to work on the scallion ginger chicken.
Watching her older sister’s mouth get shiny with oil as she ate, Wen Xiaobao couldn’t help but ask tentatively, "Shouldn’t we go cheer Daddy up?"
Wen Dabao said, "Why bother? He’s a grown man. Does he need us to cheer him up? He’ll get over it once he’s had his cry."
A world-shaking roar came from upstairs: "WEN DABAO, GET OUT!"
Wen Dabao’s expression didn’t flicker. She just picked out the most tender piece of fish belly from another dish and, smiling, popped it into her sister’s mouth. "Here, eat this. It’s nice and tender."
Wen Xiaobao’s attention was immediately captured by the food in her mouth.
The two little ones started feeding each other, taking turns—a bite for you, a bite for me—eating in perfect harmony.
"Sis, have some of this abalone, it’s so good!"
"Try this soup, it’s amazing too! I’ve never tasted a broth this delicious before. It’s like magic."
"Little Treasure, have this oyster."
"And this one..."
Once they had eaten their fill, they wiped their mouths and went upstairs, hand in hand.
They entered Wen Lan’s room.
Wen Lan was sitting up in bed with the blanket pulled over his head, looking like a mountain under the covers.
Wen Dabao was speechless.
Wen Xiaobao pounced on the bed sweetly. "Daddy! I caught you!"
The figure under the blanket trembled but didn’t move.
Wen Xiaobao scratched her head, then suddenly lifted a corner of the blanket and poked her head inside. "Daddy?"
It was pitch black under the covers; she couldn’t see a thing.
Wen Xiaobao blinked but didn’t pull her head back out.
After a moment, a resigned sigh came from under the blanket.
The blanket shifted, and Wen Lan expertly pulled the little girl under the covers with him. "ROAR! The big monster is gonna eat the little bunny!"
Wen Xiaobao burst into a fit of giggles.
The corner of Wen Dabao’s mouth twitched. "So childish."
"ROAR!" came another cry. The blanket monster leaped up and "ate" Wen Dabao, pulling her under the covers too. "I’ll eat you all up!"
Wen Dabao shrieked with feigned disgust, "Wen Lan, you’re so immature! Ugh, you got drool all over my face!"
But the joy and laughter in her voice were unmistakable.
