Chapter 45 White Rabbit Milk Candy

Xie Yan wore a crisp white Dacron shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his muscular forearms. Naturally warm-blooded, he had worked up a bit of a sweat after being ordered around by his mother, Zhang Shuying. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his collar and glanced toward the northeast corner, where Xue Qingdai was sneaking candy.

Watching her sneak away with a handful of White Rabbit milk candies, his brows furrowed slightly. Daidai had already eaten half a tin of those candies—she couldn’t have any more. Just last night, Niuzi Aunty’s grandson had been screaming from toothache after eating too much candy; he’d lost three of his rare baby teeth. Did she want to lose her pretty little pearly whites too?

At that moment, Xie Wei’s voice called out, and Xie Yan lifted the heavy curtain of the house.

“Over here.” His voice remained cool and distant.

Xie Wei pulled out a pack of Jian brand cigarettes with a flattering grin.
“Uncle, the moment my break started, I came right to see you.”

“I don’t smoke. Come in and sit,” Xie Yan replied.

Suddenly remembering something, Xie Wei tugged on Zhao Meiqin’s sleeve and introduced her.
“This is my girlfriend, Comrade Zhao Meiqin—she’s a college student.”

His tone was smug; after all, his girlfriend had a college degree.
Sure, he couldn’t compete with his uncle who was an officer, but his grandfather had matched that uncle with a rural girl—definitely a downgrade compared to him.
Looking at the slightly rustic Zhao Meiqin, he actually found her quite pleasing to the eye now.

Xie Yan gave a polite nod, his gaze sweeping briefly over Zhao Meiqin before turning and walking into the house.
His posture was upright, his white shirt neat and clean, and the aura he exuded kept people at a distance.

Zhao Meiqin stared dazedly at Xie Yan’s retreating figure, then looked down at her own muddy, worn shoes, feeling a sudden pang of inferiority.
So this was Xie Wei’s uncle… She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
If only he were a healthy man…
She was abruptly yanked into the house by Xie Wei.

In the kitchen, Xie Songshan was setting down a bowl of radish soup and boiled cabbage that had just been prepared.
Xie Yan had just finished wiping the table. One soup, one vegetable—simple but coordinated.
Father and son worked together seamlessly.

Zhang Shuying, who’d been in a foul mood earlier, finally looked a bit better.

But she had her own agenda. There was no way she’d let her future daughter-in-law suffer by eating plain vegetables.
She’d already started heating up a signature braised pork dish from a state-owned restaurant on the coal stove in Daidai’s room.

“Grandpa, why are you serving dishes yourself? Let me do it,” Xie Wei said as he headed inside, leaving Zhao Meiqin behind.

“No need,” Xie Songshan replied.
“How’s your father doing lately?”

He still felt a bit guilty toward his eldest son, but after being hounded for attention by his grandson for years, he’d grown numb. He had his own life to live.

“Grandpa, you’re still going strong,” Xie Wei flattered.
“They’re doing great. Just worried that I won’t find a good job and will have to suffer.”
“This is my girlfriend, Zhao Meiqin.”

Zhang Shuying smiled faintly at Xie Songshan. This old man really was still full of energy.

Xie Songshan’s face darkened.
Did Xie Wei cram all his studies into a dog’s stomach or what?

Zhao Meiqin glanced at the bland food on the table and didn’t look pleased. She clumsily introduced herself:
“I’m Zhao Meiqin. Xie and I met in the countryside and got into Capital Industrial University together.”
“We’re both majoring in chemical engineering.”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller. Her gaze couldn’t help drifting toward Xie Yan, who was quietly reading the newspaper under a lamp.
His collar was now neatly buttoned, his expression cold, completely detached from the conversation around him.

Snapping herself out of it, Zhao Meiqin fought the urge to bow her head and forced a smile.
She thought she was doing okay—Xie Wei even smiled back at her.

Bringing up their major was also strategic. Chemical engineering involved exposure to hazardous chemicals, and neither of them wanted to end up as ordinary factory workers facing health risks.
This was a subtle way to emphasize their college background while hinting at the difficulty of finding good jobs after graduation.

Xie Songshan, however, didn’t care much about his grandson’s girlfriend.
He hadn’t even been involved when his eldest son got married.

Blowing gently on the tea in his enamel cup, he simply said,
“Let’s eat.”

The cold tone immediately wiped the smile off Xie Wei’s face. He sat down reluctantly, feeling like ants were crawling under his seat.
Even while eating, he swayed in discomfort.

“What’s wrong, doesn’t taste good?” Zhang Shuying asked knowingly, while giving more cabbage to the old man.

Xie Songshan ate a few bites of pickled cabbage. The vinegar made his teeth ache, but he kept a straight face.
“Sit like a gentleman. Don’t squirm.”

Xie Wei straightened up quickly and muttered,
“Grandpa, I brought some pork again today. You can’t just eat vegetables every day.”

Zhang Shuying put down her chopsticks with a clatter.
“We want to eat pork too, you know. But someone seems to have a very good memory. Every time he comes home, that one pound of pork disappears into his pockets. Doesn’t your jacket reek of meat?”

She had turned a blind eye to Xie Wei’s behavior before. But now that her son Xie Yan was about to get married, she wasn’t about to let her daughter-in-law suffer.
This stingy kid just wanted to mooch benefits.
What the hell had her stepson’s family been teaching him?

Just because she was the stepmother, did that mean she had to be bullied?

Zhang Shuying hadn’t eaten yet and cast a glance at Zhao Meiqin.
She was shocked to see the girl staring at her son Xie Yan.

“Xie Yan, have you checked if Daidai’s eaten yet?”

Xie Yan instantly caught on.
“Ah—Mom, I’ll go right now!”

Zhang Shuying watched her son rush off and rolled her eyes.
How eager he was to leave.

Xue Qingdai lay on the bed reading a comic book, her legs swinging lazily.
The cookie tin was right next to her on the bed, and her little hands held a Yili butter cookie.
The buttery, milky flavor was divine—her newest discovery.
She planned to clean out the tin later and use it to store flower tea.

“Daidai, why haven’t you eaten?” Xie Yan’s body brought a wave of warmth into the room as he walked in, unbuttoning the top two buttons again.

Rubbing her tummy, Xue Qingdai said,
“I’m nearly full. I’ll try the braised pork later. You go ahead and eat.”
Then she sat back on the bed and continued reading.

The stove in her room was blazing, making it quite warm.
She was still cautious enough to wear a snug red thermal sweater. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat.

Then Xie Yan snatched her cookies!

Her lips, already red and plump, pouted in dissatisfaction—like she was asking for a kiss.
Xie Yan discreetly licked his lips.

“Be good, eat a little first. I’ll bring the food to you,” he said.

He hadn’t eaten much himself in the main house—he wasn’t picky, but he’d worried Xue Qingdai wouldn’t eat properly.
Turns out he was right.

Xue Qingdai got out of bed, popping candy into her mouth.
“Xie Yan, carry me over.”

Thanks to her efforts, her period had finally come. But it had started with leg pain, headaches, stomachaches—and the worst of all: back pain.
Just bending over slightly sent waves of aching through her body.
After two acupuncture treatments, she was better, but still had little appetite.

She leaned softly into Xie Yan. His firm build was a little hard against her body.

“Where are the White Rabbit candies?”
“You can’t eat anymore,” Xie Yan said, trying not to be too forceful, but candy overload was no joke.

Suddenly, he caught a strong whiff of milky sweetness—her face was getting closer and closer to his.

“Right here, why don’t you try it~”
Xue Qingdai wanted to tease him. His Adam’s apple moved way too noticeably.

Xie Yan’s hand, which had been holding her waist, shifted upward slightly.