Chapter 7.2

The boy, even younger than Nuo Nuo, clutched the toy car tightly with a wary look in his eyes. His mother attempted to retrieve the toy for Nuo Nuo but was met with resistance from her son, who began crying as soon as his mother reached for it.

The boy’s mother, not wanting to upset her child further, withdrew her hand and said to Nuo Nuo, “Little sister, my son wants to play with it for a while. Can he have it for a bit? He’ll give it back when he’s done playing.”

Unable to retrieve her toy on her own, Nuo Nuo turned to Auntie Lu for help, crying, “Auntie, my toy, waaa.”

Auntie Lu, being polite, tried to reason with them, “This is Nuo Nuo’s toy. She lent it to him but wants it back now.”

The boy, however, continued to hold onto the toy, pouting and showing no signs of letting go. The boy’s mother tried to calm him, but he refused to release the toy, only making more noise.

Seeing Nuo Nuo’s soft, pitiful sobs and her voice taking on a hoarse tone, reminded Sheng Zexi of his own childhood. He remembered how crying didn’t help him. It only led to further criticism and a lack of support. Eventually, he learned that crying was futile and that no adult would come to his aid.

Determined not to let history repeat itself, Sheng Zexi coldly approached the boy, grabbing the toy car from his hands without hesitation. The boy cried loudly, but Sheng Zexi was undeterred, his expression as cold as ice. “This is my daughter’s toy. If you want it, you’ll have to get your own.”

Sheng Zexi’s voice was frosty, and his demeanor was intimidating. The boy, frightened by Sheng Zexi’s harsh expression, released the toy, which Sheng Zexi promptly returned to Nuo Nuo.

The boy’s mother, equally intimidated, watched as the toy was returned to Nuo Nuo. Overjoyed, Nuo Nuo clutched her toy tightly, her tears quickly drying. She turned to the boy, showing off her reclaimed toy and declaring, “This is mine.”

The little child was not only loud but also cried in an unattractive way, which made Sheng Zexi find her more annoying than Nuo Nuo. He picked up Nuo Nuo and decided it was time to leave.

They had been out for too long.

Nuo Nuo was still excited about getting her toy back and was well-behaved in her father’s arms, not crying or fussing. She even showcased her toy car to him.

“Daddy, look at my car! It can transform!”

The toy car was small, not much larger than Sheng Zexi’s hand, but under the little girl’s manipulation, it transformed into a robot shape. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she presented it to her father like a treasure.

“Daddy, isn’t my car amazing?”

Sheng Zexi wasn’t particularly interested in children’s toys, but seeing her happy face, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to respond, “It’s amazing.”

Nuo Nuo sniffled, her eyes still glistening with tears. A bit of a neat freak, Sheng Zexi felt uncomfortable seeing her like that, and he instinctively glanced at Auntie Lu, who understood and quickly handed him a tissue.

He immediately used the tissue to wipe Nuo Nuo’s face, but his movements weren’t very gentle. The little girl squirmed in his arms and complained, “Daddy, that hurts!”

Realizing he needed to be gentler, Sheng Zexi adjusted his grip, finally understanding that her skin might be more delicate.

Once her face was clean, Nuo Nuo still pouted, looking displeased, and the excitement she had shown earlier was gone.

Sheng Zexi was puzzled by how quickly a child’s emotions could change.

However, Nuo Nuo’s unhappiness didn’t last long. She soon spotted another child with a rainbow lollipop and stared at it with wide, eager eyes.

Her interest was obvious, and Sheng Zexi couldn’t ignore it. He thought that since he hadn’t delivered her clothes yet, buying her a lollipop might cheer her up.

“Do you want one?” he asked.

Nuo Nuo immediately nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement, the remnants of her earlier tears barely noticeable.

“Buy it!”

Sheng Zexi turned and headed toward the convenience store.

Once inside, Nuo Nuo spotted a larger rainbow lollipop and, greedy for the biggest one, grabbed it without hesitation.

Auntie Lu wanted to suggest that Nuo Nuo wouldn’t be able to finish such a large treat, but Sheng Zexi had already paid without a second thought. Auntie Lu decided not to argue and instead told Nuo Nuo, “Nuo Nuo, it’s getting late. If you eat too much candy now, you might get cavities. How about waiting until tomorrow?”

Nuo Nuo had already been eager to unwrap the lollipop, but hearing Auntie Lu’s words made her visibly reluctant. She glanced up at her father, worried that he might change his mind, and reluctantly nodded, although she looked quite disappointed.

But how could a child resist a delicious lollipop? On the way back, Nuo Nuo gazed longingly at her treat, trying her best to wait. Eventually, she couldn’t help herself any longer. Like a little kitten, she bent down and began licking the plastic wrapper, savoring the taste.

So happy!

At first, Sheng Zexi hadn’t noticed the sounds coming from her, but then he felt a small movement and looked down to see her licking the lollipop wrapper, which was now covered with her saliva.

When their eyes met, Nuo Nuo looked up at him, her mouth slightly open, her clean eyes shining with innocence like a fawn.

Sheng Zexi: …

***

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