Chapter 33

Hearing her little one’s possessive words made Xu Ai’s heart melt. She blinked and asked, “Are you really that amazing?”

Nuo Nuo wasn’t modest at all: “Yeah, Mommy, I’m super amazing~!”

Xu Ai didn’t like the way she said “super amazing,” so she teased her daughter: “Don’t say ‘super amazing’ like that.”

Then she took out a mirror to check if her makeup looked alright.

Soon, they arrived at Mrs. Zheng’s residence.

Sheng Zexi’s mother came from a prestigious family and naturally enjoyed a life of luxury.

The house she currently lived in was a villa in the suburbs, with beautiful scenery and lush greenery.

Even though Sheng Zexi wasn’t there, he still had someone prepare gifts for them.

As Xu Ai and Nuo Nuo got out of the car, the driver carried in the items, which mainly consisted of some supplements and food.

Today, Nuo Nuo wore a purple dress with puff sleeves and a big bow in her hair. Xu Ai had to admit she had a talent for dressing her child.

Xu Ai, on the other hand, wore a beige long dress. She had a slender waist and a gentle aura with this outfit.

When Mrs. Zheng saw her adorable granddaughter, her heart nearly melted. She rushed over and picked up Nuo Nuo, kissing her little face. “Nuo Nuo is here!”

Mrs. Zheng had also put on makeup today. Dressed in a gray shawl over a warm coffee-colored long dress, she looked like she was in her thirties, even though she was in her fifties. With such a beautiful mother, it was no wonder she had given birth to such an exceptional man as Sheng Zexi.

Noticing that Sheng Zexi wasn’t present, Mrs. Zheng more or less understood what was happening, but she still couldn’t help but ask, “Is Zexi not coming?”

Xu Ai looked at Mrs. Zheng’s expectant expression, unsure of how to respond.

Nuo Nuo quickly answered for her mom, “Daddy has to work and is busy. He probably won’t be back until evening.”

The little one seemed a bit uneasy with her grandma and struggled a little.

“Really?” Mrs. Zheng knew that the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment, yet she couldn’t help but feel hopeful…

She let go of the wriggling child and took her little hand. “Let’s go inside.”

She also teased Xu Ai, “Next time you come, you don’t need to bring so many things. I have everything here.”

Xu Ai replied, “It was Zexi who prepared them.”

Calling Sheng Zexi by his name felt a bit strange to Xu Ai.

Mrs. Zheng thought that Sheng Zexi was indifferent to her return, not realizing that the gifts were indeed prepared by him. She felt that perhaps Xu Ai was just saying this to cheer her up.

Still, a tiny bit of hope lingers.

Mrs. Zheng was very warm and welcoming to them. Just as they sat down, she had someone bring out various dishes, all of which were Nuo Nuo and Xu Ai’s favorites.

The room was also specially decorated with flowers, adding a touch of elegance.

The home’s arrangement felt very comfortable.

She took out the gifts she had brought back from abroad for Nuo Nuo and Xu Ai, saying, “I forgot to ask what you both like when I was back, so I bought some random things.”

She gifted Xu Ai a handbag and a necklace, both new styles.

For Nuo Nuo, there were various toys.

Even if they were bought randomly, they were still very much to their liking.

Nuo Nuo was easily pleased. She immediately took a liking to the toys her grandma gave her and then thought Grandma was pretty nice. She asked, “Grandma, why don’t I remember meeting you before?”

Xu Ai felt a bit embarrassed by her little one’s question at that moment.

However, Mrs. Zheng didn’t feel offended at all. She looked at the little one with affection and said, “Because Grandma was abroad for a long time recovering from an illness. If Nuo Nuo wants to see Grandma more often, then Grandma will stay home and not go anywhere. How about you come to see Grandma often?”

As Mrs. Zheng spoke, a subtle light glimmered in her eyes. Xu Ai could sense that she really hoped Nuo Nuo would agree. It seemed like if Nuo Nuo agreed, Mrs. Zheng would feel rooted and not like a drifting weed.

Nuo Nuo lowered her head to play with her toys and happily replied to her grandma, “Okay! I can come see you during the holidays, and you can come to my house too.”

Then she reported her address to Grandma.

Mrs. Zheng laughed, but Xu Ai could vaguely see tears shimmering in her eyes.

After a long pause, she finally said, “Okay.”

Xu Ai felt a tremor in her heart and sighed inwardly. If she wasn’t mistaken, perhaps Sheng Zexi’s mother really wanted to stay close to her family.

Not only did Mrs. Zheng buy them gifts, but she also had gifts for Sheng Zexi. When Xu Ai was about to pass them on, Mrs. Zheng said with some worry, “This is for Zexi. I don’t know if he’ll like it.”

“In those years, when he needed me the most, I was absent. I was a failed mother, and I know he has always blamed me.”

Realizing she had said too much and that she shouldn’t burden Xu Ai and her child with her emotions, Mrs. Zheng smiled apologetically, “I shouldn’t say these things. After all, it’s all my own fault. If it’s too difficult for you, then just forget it.”

Nuo Nuo was quite perceptive and could already sense something from her grandma’s words.

The little one was so fond of the toys Grandma had given her that she thought she should do something to express her gratitude. She reached for her mom’s phone, saying, “Mommy, give me your phone.”

“What do you need the phone for?” Since children are exposed to smartphones too early, which isn’t good for their eyes, Xu Ai limited Nuo Nuo’s phone use.

Unexpectedly, Nuo Nuo rolled her eyes at her and said, “Of course, I want to call Daddy! Mommy, you’re so silly. We’re not home, so Daddy can only eat by himself. Grandma bought him a gift too. Daddy might want to come get it himself.”

Xu Ai switched her phone to Sheng Zexi’s number and dialed it, handing it to Nuo Nuo.

Nuo Nuo hugged the phone, and when the call connected, she said to her dad, “Daddy, we’re having dinner at Grandma’s house tonight. Are you coming?”

Sheng Zexi was a bit distracted today. Although he had interacted with Xu Ai and his mother, he still didn’t know how they were doing now.

When he received the call from Xu Ai, his eyelids jumped. He didn’t expect to hear Nuo Nuo’s voice.

After a moment of silence, Sheng Zexi asked Nuo Nuo, “Do you want me to come pick you up?”

Nuo Nuo replied, “You can come pick us up after work and have dinner with us. Otherwise, you won’t have anything to eat.”

Xu Ai thought the little one was overthinking. Surely Sheng Zexi wouldn’t have nothing to eat.

After a moment of contemplation, Sheng Zexi said, “Okay.”

Nuo Nuo happily hung up the phone and told her mom, “Mommy, I didn’t tell Daddy that Grandma got him a gift. It’ll be a big surprise!”

A surprise?

Xu Ai felt helpless.

She hoped it would indeed be a joy for him.

After a while, she realized that she hadn’t taken her phone back and saw that Nuo Nuo was already watching short videos on it.

The little girl didn’t know many words yet, but she could handle the phone effortlessly.

Xu Ai reached out and tapped Nuo Nuo’s forehead, saying sternly, “You’re not allowed to play with Mommy’s phone.”

Nuo Nuo immediately went back to playing with her toys, complaining to her mom, “Hmph, Mommy, you’re so stingy.”