Chapter 25

Sheng Zexi glanced at the blushing Xu Ai, a slight smile tugging at his lips, feeling pleased.

After saying goodbye to Pei Zhen, Nuo Nuo went home with her parents. Once home, she opened the gifts from her parents.

Her mother gave her a beautiful set of building blocks, and her father gave her a row of lovely princess dolls.

Nuo Nuo was thrilled, feeling that this birthday was the best ever.

After the birthday celebration, it was time to plan for Nuo Nuo’s kindergarten.

Xu Ai had been considering it but thought Sheng Zexi might have already arranged everything, so she wasn’t in a hurry. She planned to wait until it was close to the enrollment period. She felt there was no need to discuss it with Sheng Zexi just yet.

However, Sheng Zexi brought up the matter first. One evening, ten days before the kindergarten was to start, he was working in his study while Xu Ai was organizing her wardrobe.

Since getting married, money hadn’t been an issue, so she never paid much attention to prices. As a result, her wardrobe was overflowing. Usually, the housekeeper handled it, but today Xu Ai felt like organizing it herself and realized she had more clothes than she thought, along with various accessories like necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and hairpieces, as well as numerous bags.

She thought to herself that if she got divorced, she wouldn’t have the freedom to buy things as she did now. She wouldn’t earn money as fast as Sheng Zexi, and spending would become more constrained.

With that thought, Xu Ai suddenly felt that not divorcing might not be a bad idea.

Just as she was thinking this, Sheng Zexi messaged her, wanting to discuss their child’s kindergarten.

She had just been thinking about him, and now he was messaging her. Truly, speak of the devil.

Xu Ai pouted and replied, “You can just make the arrangements. There’s no need to tell me.”

Sheng Zexi was flipping through information on the best kindergartens in the city, the sound of pages turning filling the quiet study. He saw Xu Ai’s message and quickly typed back, “I thought we should discuss our child’s matters together to make the best decision. After all, my decisions are not without flaws.”

Xu Ai pulled out an old piece of clothing from her wardrobe, glanced at it, and put it back. Seeing Sheng Zexi’s message, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, thinking, “Is Sheng Zexi actually doubting himself?”

She didn’t believe it. He probably wanted to use this opportunity to ease their relationship, but Xu Ai wasn’t interested. She constantly reminded herself that Sheng Zexi would go bankrupt in the future. Even if he didn’t, he was still the villain, and his words could never be trusted.

Xu Ai tugged at her ear, reminding herself not to be swayed by illusions. After a while, realizing what she was doing, she rubbed her sore ear and replied to Sheng Zexi, “You have a point. I’ll look into it in the next couple of days.”

Sheng Zexi wanted to mend their relationship, but she would show him how unattainable she was. Trying to please her would be useless.

After messaging Xu Ai, Sheng Zexi’s phone rang. It was his father. He didn’t rush to answer, letting it ring several times before picking up slowly, his voice icy, “What do you want?”

Hearing his son’s frosty tone, Father Sheng was taken aback. Years ago, when his son approached him, he had the same attitude. Now, decades later, his son was treating him the same way.

Clearing his throat, Father Sheng said, “Your brother is back. Come home for a meal with the family.”

Go home for a meal? Sheng Zexi found it laughable that his father wanted him to join the family dinner. Leaning back lazily, he refused without hesitation, “I don’t have a brother and I won’t come back. Enjoy your meal.”

Just as he was about to hang up, his father anticipated it and said, “I was wrong back then, you…”

These words had made Sheng Zexi’s ears numb over the years. He knew his father was only showing weakness because he had lost his sharp claws and Sheng Zexi had become fiercer. He couldn’t forgive his father’s actions.

Nevertheless, his father’s call affected him somewhat. Sheng Zexi leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples in frustration.

At that moment, a round little head peeked through the door. Seeing her father inside, Nuo Nuo walked in, munching on a snack. Noticing her father seemed upset, she asked, “Daddy, are you unhappy?”

Seeing his daughter, Sheng Zexi quickly masked his emotions, shaking his head, “Daddy’s fine.”

Nuo Nuo didn’t believe him. “Daddy, you can trick other kids, but not me. I’m a very smart kid, so don’t try to fool me.”

Saying this, she reached out for a hug. Amused by her confidence, Sheng Zexi saw her little hand covered in crumbs. Hesitating for a moment, he still picked her up, agreeing, “Yes, you are very smart.”

Pleased with her father’s praise, Nuo Nuo swung her legs happily. She tore off a piece of her snack and offered it to him. “Daddy, Auntie Lu made this. It’s super tasty. Have a bite. Auntie Lu said I can’t eat too much tonight, so the rest is for breakfast tomorrow.”

Though there wasn’t much of the snack left, Nuo Nuo still shared it with him. Knowing how much she loved to eat, Sheng Zexi felt a softness in his heart. He took a bite, and before he could savor it, she eagerly asked, “How is it, Daddy? Is it good?”

The snack was slightly salty with a meat filling, quite delicious. Sheng Zexi’s gloomy mood began to lift with that bite. “It’s good.”

Hearing her father’s approval, Nuo Nuo beamed, “But Daddy, no matter how good it is, we can’t eat more tonight, or our tummies will hurt. We can have it for breakfast tomorrow.”

Auntie Lu’s rule to not overeat at night was to prevent indigestion, but seeing Nuo Nuo’s serious advice, Sheng Zexi couldn’t help but chuckle. He held his little girl securely and said, “Daddy understands. We’ll eat it tomorrow.”

NuonuoNuo Nuo, satisfied with her father’s response, snuggled into his arms, her small world now perfectly content.

Nuo Nuo nodded, feeling the urge to play. She excitedly slid off her father’s lap, but before leaving, she asked, “Daddy, are you feeling a bit happier now?”

Sheng Zexi realized that the little one had shared her snack with him to comfort him. If he hadn’t been upset, she wouldn’t have given up her precious treat. Understanding this, he smiled and assured her, “Daddy is much happier now.”

Having accomplished her mission, Nuo Nuo happily ran off. However, a little while later, she rode back into the room on her tiny bicycle, glancing at her father to make sure he was back to his usual self, working diligently. Satisfied, she pedaled off again, her mind at ease.

After signing some documents, Sheng Zexi looked at the reflection of his affectionate smile on the dark computer screen. He had once doubted that family could bring about such a change in him, but now it was undeniable. Ever since bonding with Nuo Nuo, his smiles have become more frequent. He didn’t see this as a bad thing and was confident in his ability to protect his child.

That night, just as Sheng Zexi fell asleep, a little figure crawled into his bed. He wasn’t fully asleep and instinctively reached out to hold the squirming child. “What’s wrong? Did you have another fight with Mommy?”

Nuo Nuo shook her head. “No, I just want to sleep with Daddy tonight. I’ll sleep with Mommy tomorrow. But, Daddy, why don’t you sleep with Mommy?”

Though young, Nuo Nuo was perceptive. She knew her parents were different from others, who laughed and shared a bed together. Nuonuo snuggled under the covers, and Sheng Zexi, worried she might suffocate, pulled her head out and explained, “Mommy might still be angry with Daddy.”

It wasn’t entirely true. Xu Ai’s feelings were more about disappointment than anger. Sheng Zexi hadn’t understood her feelings before, but now he could empathize. Leaving for such a long time had been tough on her, especially with a small child at home, despite having many people around.

Nuo Nuo, not fully grasping the complexity, suggested, “If Mommy is angry, you should apologize. Maybe then she won’t be angry anymore.”

Sheng Zexi stroked her head and tucked her in. “A lot of adult problems can’t be solved just by apologizing. It’s late, let’s sleep.”

Nuo Nuo found the adult world troublesome but understood enough to say, “Mommy wouldn’t ignore you if you did everything right.”

Sheng Zexi couldn’t disagree with that.