Chapter 19

This was the first time Pei Manman had ever received such a large chocolate bar.

Holding it in his hand, it was heavy. It was bigger than his face. It was incredibly satisfying to take a bite, and it felt especially novel.

The chocolate Gu Zhixu gave him was completely defeated. Pei Manman’s previous sadness and depression were healed by this big chocolate bar.

He had completely forgotten about Lu Shiqi’s dislike. Now, he only thought Lu Shiqi was so good.

Another bite of chocolate!

It’s so sweet!

The freeze-dried strawberries added a touch of sourness, not only adding a crispy texture, but also cutting through the richness and balancing the flavor.

This must be the best chocolate in the world!

“Alright, don’t eat too much in one go. It’s all yours anyway.”

Seeing Pei Manman munching on three bites in a row, Lu Shiqi reminded him.

Although the little guy’s mouth wasn’t big, and he didn’t take much with each bite, he had gotten gastritis from eating too much the past two days. He couldn’t fall ill again.

With the sweet chocolate in his mouth, Pei Manman’s speech was sweet. His eyebrows were curved, and he had a soft and cute smile.

“Okay!”

Lu Shiqi’s mood improved a little.

He didn’t like seeing Pei Manman’s fearful expression towards him, as if he were some kind of villain.

This was good.

Lu Shiqi went to school with a peaceful mind.

Pei Manman’s previous sluggishness turned into a lighthearted skip. Holding the chocolate in both hands, he ran to Ling Yue happily, wanting to share his joy with her.

“Aunt, look! Brother gave it to me!”

He didn’t dare to call Lu Shiqi’s brother in front of him, but he called him that behind his back.

Ling Yue was surprised to hear that Lu Shiqi had given it to him.

This kid actually took the initiative to give something to Pei Manman?

Looking down at the large chocolate bar, she was even more shocked: “Brother gave you a big chocolate bar…”

It was actually chocolate?

Had he been stimulated by Gu Zhixu yesterday?

“Yeah! It’s so big!”

Pei Manman’s eyes were filled with joy, and he couldn’t calm down for a while.

“It’s sweet, so sweet! It has strawberries, I love it!”

But no matter what the reason, it was good that Lu Shiqi could get close to Pei Manman.

Ling Yue smiled: “Really? That’s great.”

“Yeah! It’s great!” The little guy sincerely believed this, and then said, “Aunt, let’s share it!”

Although it was his favorite chocolate, and his favorite flavor, Pei Manman was definitely not a stingy child. This could be seen from the fact that he was willing to share the chocolate with Lu Shiqi.

It was just that he was reluctant to give it to Lu Shiqi, it was a bit of a self-imposed act.

But he was willing to give it to Ling Yue. He couldn’t wait to share the deliciousness of this chocolate with Ling Yue.

Just hearing him say that, Ling Yue felt sweet in her heart.

But she couldn’t eat it.

The calories in a bite of chocolate were limited, but it could easily become the beginning of indulgence and decadence. As a disciplined female star, Ling Yue would never give appetite the chance to invade her brain.

Ling Yue didn’t explicitly refuse, but changed the subject: “Such a big piece of chocolate, you can’t eat too much. Put it away first. We should eat breakfast now.”

“Let’s eat it after breakfast, okay?”

“Okay!”

Pei Manman was successfully distracted. He held the chocolate and went to the dining room with Ling Yue.

In the short distance, the little guy said more words than he had in the past few days.

“Aunt, it’s chocolate!”

“Such a big chocolate… I, I love chocolate the most!”

“It has strawberries! I love it too!”

…

“Is it real strawberries?”

“It’s real! It has strawberries!”

When he was truly relaxed and at ease, the quiet and introverted little guy would also become talkative. He finally had a bit of the appearance of a child his age.

It made people’s hearts melt.

So, after they arrived at the dining room, Ling Yue didn’t have anyone take away his chocolate. Instead, she put it in a clear, sealed bag and placed it next to the little guy so he could see it all the time.

You can imagine how happy Pei Manman was.

He would look at it every few minutes, couldn’t help but reach out and touch it. Every time he confirmed that it belonged to him, he felt like the whole world was brighter.

The only downside was that it was easy to make him crave it.

“…Aunt, can I, can I have another bite?”

Pei Manman’s tolerance for sweetness was also high. He had already eaten three bites, but not only did he not feel sick, he actually wanted more.

Seeing the little guy’s pitiful eyes, Ling Yue almost couldn’t bear to refuse.

But his gastritis had only just started to improve. He absolutely couldn’t eat anything else.

“Manman, be good, eat breakfast first,” she coaxed him. “We’ll eat chocolate after breakfast. There’s such a big piece, all for Manman. You can eat it slowly.”

It was the same sentence from before.

Every time he heard Ling Yue say this, Pei Manman found it interesting. His mood would inexplicably improve.

So, he obediently replied, “Okay!”

His little face was full of seriousness: “Then, then… I’ll eat breakfast, and then I’ll eat it!”

Anyway, the chocolate was all his. It was right next to him. No one would fight with him for it here.

…

Pei Manman was also full of anticipation for breakfast.

The chef was also happy.

He had been waiting for two days. Today, he could finally show off his skills and cook a good meal for Pei Manman.

Knowing that Pei Manman liked eggs, the chef directly prepared four different flavors of egg rolls.

There were simple, traditional tomato egg rolls and carrot egg rolls.

There were also some innovative designs to suit children’s tastes, such as cheese and meat floss egg rolls, and scallion and ham egg rolls.

Instead of milk, the chef made apple and silver ear soup, along with pumpkin-filled buns that were freshly kneaded that morning.

Since Pei Manman was still recovering, he couldn’t eat too much. So, while the breakfast looked plentiful, it was actually only two small bites of each. Just the right amount for a small child.

It wasn’t difficult to make these foods. Anyone with some culinary skills could do it.

The challenge was controlling the portions. You couldn’t make too much, and you had to calculate the nutritional balance.

This meal, while seemingly ordinary and without any particularly impressive ingredients, took into account the intake of protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins.

It was clear that the chef had put a lot of thought into it.

Of course, Pei Manman was worth all that effort.

The little guy wasn’t picky. He found everything delicious.

He took a bite of the smooth and tender egg roll, paired with the soft and fragrant bun, and then took a sip of the refreshing and sweet silver ear soup.

“Ah—”

The little guy sighed contentedly.

Sweet chocolate was delicious, but savory food was ultimately irreplaceable. Fresh and hot food made people feel good both physically and mentally.

The little guy quickly finished his children’s plate, and wished he could use the bun to scrape up the remaining egg roll grease at the bottom of the plate.

He just felt so happy.

He could eat his two favorite foods right after waking up.

And no one was fighting with him for them. He could eat until his tummy was full. He didn’t have to go hungry anymore.

He was so happy!

After eating, Pei Manman wasn’t so tempted by the chocolate anymore.

The little guy was also good at planning for the long term.

He secretly planned in his heart that he should save this delicious food to eat later—he was already full, and eating more would be a waste.

He couldn’t waste it!

He would wait until he really wanted to eat it, and then take it out and eat a few big bites!

Then—

Just twenty minutes later, he reached the moment when he really, really wanted to eat it.

He couldn’t help it. Such a big piece of chocolate was at his disposal, right under his nose.

Which little kid could resist?

His stomach was a little empty, and he couldn’t wait to fill it with chocolate.

“…Aunt, can I, can I have a bite now?”

Ling Yue was really helpless.

Pei Manman’s watery eyes were as innocent and pure as a newborn puppy, pitiful and wronged.

How could anyone with a heart of stone refuse?

Anyway, Ling Yue tried her best, and finally gave in: “Okay, Manman, you can have a bite… But just one, don’t eat too much, or your tummy will be uncomfortable again.”

Pei Manman apparently forgot the pie Ling Yue had promised before breakfast. He nodded and replied: “…Yeah, just one bite, a tiny bite, I won’t eat too much!”

But when he took a bite, his mouth still opened to its maximum limit.

He took as big a bite as he could, using all his strength.

He felt the smooth, rich creaminess bloom in his mouth again. The sweet, pure cocoa butter blended with the sour and crispy freeze-dried strawberries.

Pei Manman held his face, full of contented immersion, as if happy little bubbles were floating around him.

He held that bite in his mouth for a long time, fully maximizing the deliciousness before reluctantly swallowing it.

It was so delicious!

He declared that this was the best chocolate in the world!

The little guy savored the remaining taste in his mouth. He really liked it so much that he looked up at Ling Yue again, gathering his courage and asked: “…Aunt, can I, can I have another bite?”

Facing those eyes, forget just a piece of chocolate. No matter what kind of wish it was, you would want to help him achieve it.

But Ling Yue had to be firm: “Manman, you’ve eaten enough. You can’t eat it now. Let’s eat it after lunch.”

The child felt a little disappointed, but he also had more anticipation for lunch.

“…Okay, okay!”

But lunch was even more sumptuous.

The chef was very touched by the feedback he received for breakfast, so he was even more energetic when he was flipping and stirring the wok at noon.

Mushroom stir-fried green vegetables, teriyaki chicken drumsticks.

Pan-fried cod, minced meat and tofu with egg.

There were four dishes just for vegetables, plus a bowl of cabbage egg drop soup.

The little guy could eat his fill with just a few bites of each dish. Plus, a bowl of rice, he was full and started to feel sleepy.

So, Ling Yue coaxed the little guy and turned the chocolate from a dessert after dinner into an afternoon snack.

And Pei Manman was so easy to coax.

Thinking that he could eat chocolate after waking up, his heart was already filled with happiness.

He wriggled on the soft mattress, his body and mind relaxed. He suddenly asked Ling Yue: “…Aunt, can I, can I hug you?”

In his waking state, Pei Manman would never make such a request.

Today, he was intoxicated by the happiness brought by the chocolate, and his courage started to grow.

As soon as he said it, his little head instantly sobered up.

He was afraid that Ling Yue would refuse.

But Ling Yue immediately reached out and hugged him, kissing his little face and laughing softly: “Of course you can… Aunt will hug you, Manman, go to sleep.”

So, the happiness piled up a few more layers.

Ling Yue’s embrace was warm, and she had a faint fragrance, gentle and pleasant.

It was as if he was too happy, too happy. Pei Manman felt a little sour in his nose, and his chest was also sour.

If he could see his mother…

His mother must have had such a warm embrace, and she must have smelled so good…