Chapter 88

It was easy to picture the comical scene: Xu Zhao holding Chenchen, trying hard to whistle and cheer him up. Whenever he stopped, Chenchen cried, and when Xu Zhao took a break, Chenchen whined for more whistling, forcing him to continue.

Jiang Suihan doubled over with laughter, clutching her stomach. “I never knew someone would whistle to entertain a baby! You’re impressive. Right now, I’m completely in awe of you.”

Being teased in front of her made Xu Zhao sulk, his cheeks still aching, and he didn’t want to speak.

Once she had laughed enough, Jiang Suihan straightened up, placed Chenchen next to Xu Zhao, and poked the little guy’s nose. “Did you just mess with Daddy? Why are you being so naughty? Mommy wants to tell you: well done! Keep it up next time!”

Xu Zhao had been waiting for Jiang Suihan to defend him, but was surprised to see her and Chenchen getting along so well that they completely ignored him.

He silently grumbled that Chenchen was truly a little troublemaker.

“You little rascal.”

Jiang Suihan shot him a glare. “Don’t say that about our Chenchen! He’s so well-behaved and cute. I think you’re just jealous.”

Xu Zhao looked steadily at her. “Yes, I am jealous. Ever since he arrived, you only have eyes for him and have forgotten I exist.”

He paused, then held her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. “Sui Sui, I also want you to have me in your eyes and care about me.”

Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but blush and secretly despised herself. She had already given birth to a child, but she was still so easily shy. She was really hopeless.

She looked into his eyes, and was captured by the tenderness in his eyes. She felt her face getting hotter and hotter: “I know, I ignored you during this period, and I won’t do that again in the future.”

Xu Zhao suddenly asked, “Who’s more important to you, me or Chenchen?”

This was similar to the question she had asked him about whom he would save first if she and his mother fell into water.

Was this karma?

Jiang Suihan awkwardly smiled and tried to brush it off. “We’re family. There’s no need to compare. You’re both important.”

Xu Zhao seemed insistent on getting a clear answer. “You must choose one. No dodging.”

Jiang Suihan rolled her eyes. “Of course, it’s you.”

Xu Zhao’s face lit up with joy, but before he could enjoy it, she mischievously added, “You’re way heavier than Chenchen, of course!”

She knew exactly how to provoke him, and Xu Zhao was left exasperated, pinching her cheek in frustration.

Suddenly, there was a loud slap, breaking the atmosphere in the room.

Chenchen stared at Xu Zhao with wide eyes, waving his tiny hands, glaring at his father.

You hit my mom! I’m going to get revenge!

Xu Zhao looked down at Chenchen, stunned. The little one was only six months old, so his hits didn’t hurt, but the look Chenchen gave him was clear.

“He hit me?”

Jiang Suihan laughed heartily, shaking with joy. “Yep, I saw it! Chenchen is getting back at you for me. My son is so filial—don’t scold him!”

Xu Zhao felt a pinch of frustration as he looked at his wife, then at their child, feeling helpless. At that moment, he felt like an outsider while the mother and son were truly a family.

Determined, he reached out, playfully pinching Jiang Suihan’s cheek in front of Chenchen.

And just like that, history repeated itself.

With another slap, Chenchen’s tiny hand struck Xu Zhao’s thigh, his face puffed up in anger.

How dare you hit my mom!?

I’ll show you!

Jiang Suihan couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. She scooped Chenchen up and kissed both his cheeks. “You’re truly Mommy’s good boy!”

Chenchen wasn’t fond of being kissed by others, except for his mom. He loved her scent and felt joyful when she kissed him, flailing his little hands and feet in delight.

Xu Zhao had given up. He shouldn’t have put himself in a position to be humiliated by trying to see if Chenchen liked Mommy or Daddy more.

See? He got slapped in the face.

Seeing Xu Zhao’s dejected expression, Jiang Suihan found it amusing and decided to cheer him up. “Kids usually prefer their moms. Don’t be too disheartened. Once you spend more time with Chenchen at home, he’ll naturally enjoy playing with you.”

After a brief pause, she added, “But still, Chenchen’s favorite is definitely me.”

The pride in her tone was hard to miss.

Having only had a bit of porridge for lunch, Xu Zhao felt hungry again by six in the afternoon. Jiang Suihan planned to go to the state-owned restaurant to get takeout for dinner, but after Chenchen’s earlier mischief, he wouldn’t let her go anywhere. He clearly wanted to stick by his mom’s side.

Jiang Suihan had no choice but to take Chenchen with her. Thankfully, the distance wasn’t far. Otherwise, it would have been tiring to carry a baby.

At dinner time, the state-owned restaurant was crowded. Zhong Jing was busy and called out, “Comrade Jiang, you’re here! There are no seats available right now, so please wait a moment.”

Jiang Suihan smiled and replied, “No problem, take your time.”

Holding her baby, she stood aside to wait. A young man hurriedly finished his bowl of noodles, blushing as he stood up. “I’m done, comrade. Please take my seat.”

Jiang Suihan thanked him with a smile and sat down with Chenchen.

The young man didn’t leave right away. He looked embarrassed and said, “Um, your little brother is really cute.”

After he finished speaking, a look of annoyance flashed across his face. It was such a lame way to start a conversation.

Jiang Suihan took away the finger that Chenchen had put in his mouth and sucked, and said with a polite smile: “No, this is my son, he’s just half a year old.”

Chenchen knew his name was Chenchen. When he heard his name, he raised his little head, looked at his mother, and babbled in baby language that the people around him could not understand at all.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly corrected himself, “I’m sorry, I meant your son is adorable.”

Jiang Suihan smiled, “Thank you, I think so too.”

The young man pulled out two candies from his pocket and offered them to Chenchen. “Here, sweet treats for the baby.” 

The two candies were given to him by an older lady in his workplace. Her son was getting married and everyone in the office got a few candies. He was reluctant to eat them all and kept two to take home for his nephew.

Jiang Suihan wanted to return the candies, but with Chenchen in her arms, she couldn’t catch up to him.

Zhong Jing took some time to come over: “The mixed noodles made by the head chef are first-rate and delicious. Do you want to try it?”

Jiang Suihan looked at the menu and said, “Then I want one portion of mixed noodles, one portion of vegetarian noodles to take away, two steamed buns and one portion of green vegetables. Oh, and the vegetarian noodles will be ready later, as I’m afraid the noodles will get clumpy if I wait too long.”

It was Chenchen’s first time in a restaurant, and with so many people around, he seemed fearless in his mother’s arms, wiggling and kicking so much that Jiang Suihan almost dropped him.

Jiang Suihan scolded playfully, “Can you calm down a bit, son?”

Children may be small, but they’re very perceptive. Noticing his mother’s serious face, Chenchen raised his little hand, gently touched her face, and planted a wet kiss on her cheek.

Jiang Suihan couldn’t hold back her laughter and pinched Chenchen’s tiny nose. “You little rascal, already know how to act cute at such a young age!”

At that age, Chenchen was curious about everything. Spotting the delicious mixed sauce noodles on the table, he stretched his neck, eager to escape his mother’s grasp and dive into the dish.

Jiang Suihan struggled to hold onto him, sweating as she negotiated. “Chenchen, stop making trouble. Mommy will give you a taste, just a little.”

After asking Zhong Jing for a bowl of plain water, Jiang Suihan dipped some noodles in it and offered them to Chenchen. He eagerly opened his mouth, using his four tiny teeth to gnaw on the noodles, enjoying every bite.

She took out a small handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth. “Slow down. No one’s trying to steal your food.”

Besides milk, Jiang Suihan sometimes made baby food for Chenchen, like rice cereal, fruit puree, and steamed eggs. This was his first time trying noodles, and even after dipping them in water, the flavor of the sauce lingered, delighting his taste buds.

As Jiang Suihan ate slowly, trying to keep an eye on her child, most customers around them finished their meals and left. Besides her, only a few diners remained.

Now that Zhong Jing had a moment to relax, she sat down at Jiang Suihan’s table and stretched her shoulders, watching Chenchen. “Your child is so adorable! Look at his big, bright eyes and those long eyelashes. I’ve never seen such a beautiful little girl.”

Jiang Suihan almost choked. “He’s not a girl!”

Zhong Jing’s eyes widened in surprise. “Not a girl? He’s a boy?”

Jiang Suihan nodded with a smile. “Yes, Chenchen is definitely a boy.”

After finishing his meal, Chenchen lay in his mother’s arms, entertaining himself by playing with the buttons on her clothes.

Zhong Jing, astonished, said, “I can’t believe he’s a boy! With his looks, when he grows up, he’ll have girls flocking around him!”

Having already thought about Chenchen’s future, Jiang Suihan could only stay silent for a moment. “Who knows what the future holds? They say girls change a lot as they grow, and boys do too. Maybe Chenchen will just turn out to be an ordinary person.”

Without thinking, Zhong Jing replied, “That’s impossible! In my twenty years of experience reading people, your son will definitely grow up to be a handsome young man.”

She then turned to Chenchen, smiling, “Your name is Chenchen, right? Do you think what your sister said is true?”

Having tired of playing with his mother’s buttons, Chenchen started to chew on his fingers. Hearing a pretty girl say his name, he excitedly kicked his legs and babbled happily.

Zhong Jing smiled, “See? Chenchen agrees with me!”

Jiang Suihan wanted to ask how Chenchen could agree when he couldn’t even talk yet.

Balancing Chenchen in one arm and carrying the takeout for Xu Zhao in the other, she stepped outside the restaurant. A cold breeze hit her, so she wrapped Chenchen’s clothes around him and hurried toward the hospital.

Hospital.

“I asked if you were even listening to me?” Qi Zhengming said after talking for a while, only to find Xu Zhao lost in thought.

“I heard you,” Xu Zhao replied coolly.

Whether he actually absorbed any of it was another matter.

Xu Zhao stared at the door: “It’s late. Why hasn’t she returned yet?”

Qi Zhengming realized Xu Zhao had just been brushing him off and wasn’t paying attention.

“Who hasn’t returned yet?”