Chapter 189: Chapter 186: Tonight, You’re the Most Beautiful Woman in the Room (Part 1)
With big eyes eagerly staring at Ye Yihan for a long while, he didn’t pay her any attention.
Ye Xixi lowered her long eyelashes a bit disappointedly and sighed like a little adult.
She propped her chubby little hands on the sofa, looking at the cookies with raccoon patterns on the table that seemed delicious but didn’t feel like eating them at all, which was unlike her.
Feeling bored, Xixi swung her chubby little legs, then suddenly slid off the sofa and walked towards Ye Yihan.
Ye Yihan noticed her from the corner of his eye, pursed his thin lips, and looked at her.
"Brother," Ye Xixi softly called him, reaching out to grab his hand.
Ye Yihan didn’t avoid her, glanced at her hand, and said nothing.
Xixi blinked her eyes, "Brother, I don’t want a dad anymore. But can we not find a new boyfriend for mommy, okay?"
Ye Yihan frowned slightly, "Do you want Xiao Xiao to always be alone?"
"Xiao Xiao still has me and brother, not alone," Xixi said with wide eyes.
"You and I will both grow up, and when we do, we’ll have many things to do. We won’t have time to accompany Xiao Xiao, will Xiao Xiao not be pitiful alone?" Ye Yihan said.
Xixi’s little face showed sadness, and she said softly, "Then we won’t grow up."
"..." Ye Yihan frowned.
Suddenly, Xixi let go of her brother’s hand, turned her back, glanced at Hanhan out of the corner of her eye, and mumbled, "Anyway, I don’t want a stepdad."
Ye Yihan squinted his eyes, "If Uncle Ying is the stepdad, you don’t want him either?"
"Brother Ying?" Xixi turned around to look at Hanhan, her delicate eyebrows furrowing tightly, seeming unable to accept it.
Ye Yihan watched Xixi for a while, said nothing, got off the sofa, and headed to the kitchen.
Xixi’s gaze followed her brother’s figure, with a curious look in her eyes, as if the idea of having Ying Jingyao as her stepdad had never crossed her little mind.
It wasn’t until Hanhan’s figure disappeared into the kitchen that Xixi withdrew her gaze, blinked her eyes, walked to the table, and picked up a cookie with her little chubby hand, taking a bite. Just as she was about to take a second bite, she seemed to notice something, tilted her little head, and looked at Jian Chenghao sitting motionless on the sofa.
Curiously pursing her lips, Xixi picked another cookie from the box and walked to Jian Chenghao, handing it to him, "Brother Hao, want some?"
Jian Chenghao glanced at the cookie in her hand and gently shook his head.
Xixi looked at his downward gaze, climbed onto the sofa beside him, tilted her head, and looked at him, "Brother Hao, what’s wrong with you?"
Jian Chenghao cracked his fingers, saying, "Nothing."
"But you seem unhappy," Xixi frowned, with the demeanor of a little big sister, patted Jian Chenghao on the small shoulder, "Brother Hao, if you have something unhappy, you can tell me, we can share."
Jian Chenghao looked at Xixi’s chubby little face and reached out to pinch it.
Unlike Fu Yangming poking at Xixi’s face, Xixi just helplessly frowned at Jian Chenghao’s action, with a look of ’I’m the elder sister, I must tolerate you’.
Jian Chenghao saw this and suddenly felt better, a small smile spreading on his face.
Xixi saw him smile, blinked her big eyes in surprise, then breathed a sigh of relief and focused on eating her cookie.
In the kitchen, preparing dinner, the usually talkative sisters were unusually silent today.
Ye Yihan walked to the kitchen door, stared at Jin Jumo for a while, then silently turned and walked back to the living room.
Hearing faint footsteps behind, Jin Jumo glanced back, her gaze stopping on Hanhan’s somewhat melancholy back.
Jian Liangtong’s gaze inadvertently caught Jin Jumo’s suddenly still figure, furrowing her brow, turning her body to follow her gaze, seeing Hanhan’s small figure disappearing at the corner between the kitchen and the living room.
Her moist apricot eyes flitted lightly, and Jian Liangtong withdrew her gaze to look at Jin Jumo, "Ju Zi."
Jin Jumo’s eyelashes instantly lowered, after a moment, she lifted her eyes, shifting her gaze to Jian Liangtong.
Their eyes met, as if they could see guilt and weight on each other’s faces.
Nigh simultaneously, they both curled the corners of their mouths, only the arcs of their smiles were somewhat forced and bittersweet.
"They say if you’re not family, you don’t enter the family door, that’s talking about us," Jian Liangtong joked self-deprecatingly.
Jin Jumo pressed her lips tightly, turned back to continue preparing dinner, "I used to think having me for Xixi and Hanhan was enough, but now it seems all along I was just numbing myself."
Jian Liangtong lowered her head, remained silent for a long time, then suddenly had a startling revelation, looking up sharply at Jin Jumo, "What’s so hard about Xixi wanting a dad? From now on, I’ll be the father, you’re the mother. Won’t the three kids have parents then?"
Jin Jumo curved her eyes, nodding, "That seems nice."
"Ha..." Jian Liangtong laughed upward, a laugh that brought tears to her eyes, "On Xixi’s birthday, I’ll give myself to her."
Jin Jumo also laughed, looking into her eyes, nodding heavily, "Mm."
After nearly a month of treatment and recuperation, the injury on Jin Jumo’s back had almost healed.
Today was Xixi and Hanhan’s fourth birthdays, and Jin Jumo specially asked for a leave from their kindergarten teacher, planning with Jian Liangtong to take the little ones to the zoo.
Among the little ones, Hao Hao was often the earliest to rise, Jin Jumo had never seen Hao Hao still in bed after seven, and this day was no exception.
After getting up, Hao Hao did not disturb his brother and sister, playing with toy race cars and building blocks in the living room on his own.
Meanwhile, Jin Jumo and Jian Liangtong were busy preparing breakfast.
Squeak.
The door to the children’s room suddenly opened from inside.
Hao Hao was momentarily stunned, eyes wide open as he looked up, only to see a fluffy little head peeping through the door gap.
"Brother Hao." The slightly hoarse voice of a child who had just woken up filled the air.
Jian Chenghao stood up from the floor in surprise and walked over to her.
Ye Xixi, wearing cartoon thermal underwear, had her bangs messily scattered, some even curling up on her head.
It seemed like she’d just gotten out of bed, standing barefoot at the door with her small, white, translucent feet. Feeling a bit cold, she rubbed one foot against the other.
Her big, shiny, dark eyes looked around the living room with great vitality.
"Xixi, why are you up so early?" Jian Chenghao asked her curiously at the door.
Xixi’s cheeks were flushed, and she giggled mysteriously at him, "I don’t know either."
Jian Chenghao twitched his mouth, "Aunt and my mom are in the kitchen making breakfast, should I call them for you?"
Jian Chenghao unintentionally glanced at her little feet, sighed, and signaled for Xixi to open the door.
Xixi opened the door.
Jian Chenghao walked in, picked up a pair of pink pig-themed cotton slippers by the bed, knelt down, held Xixi’s little foot, and carefully put on the shoes for her before standing up.
Looking at her slippers, Xixi smiled and said to Jian Chenghao, "Thank you."
Jian Chenghao smiled, patting her head, "I’ll call Aunt Jian to help you get dressed."
Xixi nodded obediently with a soft, quirky voice, "Okay."
Jian Chenghao tapped her nose gently before heading to the kitchen to call Jin Jumo.
However, it was Jian Liangtong who came out of the kitchen.
"Aunt Jian." Upon seeing Jian Liangtong, Xixi immediately spread her arms and sweetly called out.
Jian Liangtong, full of love, bent down to pick her up and kissed her cheeks on both sides, "Xixi got up so early today, is it because it’s your birthday?"
Xixi’s ears turned red, and she shyly nodded.
Jian Liangtong affectionately tapped her little nose and carried her inside.
Jian Chenghao followed them in.
Jian Liangtong put Xixi on the bed, glanced at the still sleeping Hanhan, and went to the closet to find clothes for Xixi.
Out of the closet came a pair of denim overalls and a sweater with black polka dots on a white background, featuring a small frilled collar. Jian Liangtong also took out a dark green coat.
After dressing Xixi, Jian Liangtong used her hands to comb Xixi’s hair and asked her, "Do you want your hair tied up or left down, Xixi?"
Xixi rolled her black eyes and shook her head, "Leave it down."
Jian Liangtong smiled, "Okay."
"Aunt Jian, I want that white hat." Xixi pointed at a fluffy milk-white knitted hat in the closet.
"Alright." Jian Liangtong took out the hat, put it on her, stepped back to look, and raised two thumbs up.
Xixi beamed with joy, hopped off the bed, playfully touched her bangs peeking out from under the brim, and asked Hao Hao, "Does it look good?"
"Yeah. It looks good." Jian Chenghao responded sincerely, giving her face.
Xixi was even happier and cheerfully left the bedroom to find Jin Jumo in the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Jin Jumo was taking steamed eggs out of the steamer, her eyes catching sight of Xixi at the kitchen door, looking like a little porcelain doll. Her lips curled as she looked over, "Wow, Xixi looks so pretty today."
Xixi giggled and ran over, shyly hugging Jin Jumo’s leg.
Jin Jumo looked at her tenderly, "Today, Mommy and Aunt Jian will take Brother Hao, you, and your brother to the zoo, okay?"
"Yay. I’ll go call my brother." Hearing they were going to the zoo, Xixi was thrilled, turned her little chubby body and quickly ran off to wake up Hanhan.
Hanhan had a hard time waking up and was roused this morning by Xixi’s face-rubbing. After waking up, his face remained sullen until just before leaving, when he finally started talking to his sister.
At the entrance, Jin Jumo and Jian Liangtong wrapped scarves around the little kids, opened the door, and prepared to leave.
The moment the door opened, everyone inside and outside the house was taken aback.
"Jingyao, why are you here?"
At this time, Ying Jingyao should already be at the company, so seeing him at the door surprised Jin Jumo.
Ying Jingyao’s eyes were gentle, "Today is Xixi and Hanhan’s birthday, I’m here to take them out."
"..." Jin Jumo blinked and said, "Liang Tong and I were just about to take the kids to the zoo."
Ying Jingyao bent slightly, picking up Xixi who was standing beside her, "Ruan Chen is here too, let’s go together."