q Ning Ran got home and fell asleep on the sofa, utterly exhausted.
The next morning, her two precious children had woken up before she did and were making breakfast in the kitchen with Cheng Xiangyun.
Having noticed that she was asleep, all three were tiptoeing around, worried that theyâd wake her up.
âMorning, mommy!â Erbao came running when he saw that Ning Ran had woken up.
âMorning, baby. Sorry that I was home so late yesterday and couldnât spend time with the two of you,â
Ning Ran apologized.
âMommy, I have something important to tell you,â said Erbao mysteriously.
âWhat is it?â
âWe met Nan Chen yesterday and he looks just like us!â exclaimed Erbao.
Ning Ran was stunned and asked, âWho⦠Who did you meet?â
âNan Chen! The handsome uncle whoâs a corporate executive,â answered Erbao.
Ning Ran rushed into the kitchen immediately and grabbed Cheng Xiangyun while demanding, âWhat the hell did you do?â âDidnât I tell you to stop them from meeting?â
âWhoa, that wasnât me! I wasnât even there. They met by chance!â explained the innocent Cheng Xiangyun.
âA chance encounter? Between a corporate executive and two children? How is that even possible?â
âYou arranged that meeting, didnât you?â
âI was already furious when you took the kids to shoot the commercial, and I forbade you from using my kids as money grabs! Why did you do this too?â
âYou would do anything for money, huh?â âEven using children as tools?â Ning Ran was so furious that she spewed all sorts of complaints at Cheng Xiangyun.
Cheng Xiangyun was happily making breakfast and suddenly got yelled at for no reason at all. That upset her.
âIs that how you see me? As a monster who cared only about money?â Cheng Xiangyun demanded.
âI didnât used to!â
âYou stupid woman. I worked so hard to find good roles for you to play in and helped you babysit all the time and this is the thanks I get from you?!â
âYouâre the idiot! You only care about money!â
Erbao and Dabao heard their argument and hurried over to stop them.
âMommy, you misunderstood. Aunty Xiang didnât arrange the meeting,â Erbao explained.
âOh, Cheng Xiangyun, youâre good. You even got my kids to lie for you.â âDo you see me as an idiot? If you hadnât arranged that meeting, how could that poker face have met my children?â
âNing Ran, you f***ing stupid b****â¦..â
Cheng Xiangyun had always been a tough woman, and her fury had caused those cuss words to flow out of her lips like water in a river.
âDo not use bad words in front of my kids, woman!â
Ning Ranâs words shook Cheng Xiangyun out of her furious rant.
She shouldnât have used that kind of language in front of the kids, regardless of the situation.
âDabao, Erbao, go play outside. I need to have a long discussion with that unreasonable woman,â said Cheng Xiangyun.
âStop fighting, you two. Canât you talk nicely like actual adults?â Erbao said.
That shut Ning Ran and Cheng Xiangyun right up.
Arguing in front of the kids was not a nice thing to do.
âMommy, you misunderstood. We met Nan Chen at the counselorâs office. Aunty Xiang is innocent,â
explained Erbao.
Dabao nodded.
Ning Ran trusted Dabao more than anyone else. That kid was smarter and more observant than an average adult.
If he said that was the case, then it must be true.
âI made a mistake, didnât I?â Ning Ran turned to Cheng Xiangyun.
âUh-huh,â Cheng Xiangyun turned around and refused to talk to Ning Ran.
âI acted that way and suspected you because you lied to me before and got my children to shoot a commercial.â âIâm sorry I blamed you,â said Ning Ran.
âUh-huh,â Cheng Xiangyun replied coldly.
âCâmon, Aunty Xiang, forgive mommy. Youâre best friends, arenât you? Best friends donât fight,â Erbao tried to pacify Cheng Xiangyun.
Dabao nodded in agreement.
âIâm not her best friend. I donât have unreasonable and immature friends like that,â said Cheng Xiangyun, but she had obviously calmed down.
âIt is my fault, but Xiangyun, thinks about it. If no one arranged for that meeting, why would the poker face be there?â asked Ning Ran.
âNow that you mentioned it, something does seem offâ¦â
âWhoâs poker face?â Erbao asked innocently.
âDonât chime in when the adults are having a conversation.â
âYour mommy refers to Nan Chen as âpoker faceâ,â explained Cheng Xiangyun.
âBut Uncle Nan Chen is so handsome. Why does mommy call him âpoker faceâ?â demanded Erbao.
âWhat do you kids know about facial beauty?â said Ning Ran exasperatedly.
Unhappy with the reply, Erbao refuted, âI know plenty about beauty! Uncle Nan Chen is handsome. He is the second most handsome man after my big brother.â
Dabao agreed with that statement whole-heartedly and nodded like a cute little bobble-head.
âUncle Nan Chen even bought us gifts!â Erbao seemed determined to defend Nan Chen.
âHe brought presents?â âA corporate tycoon brought gifts to a chance encounter with two kids?â asked Ning Ran.
âYouâre right. Someone did arrange that meeting! Who could it be?â
âIt must be the employees at the counseling office.â
âBut that doctor is recommended by the police and seemed legit.â
âIâm not implying that the doctor is bad or anything. He mustâve known that poker face personally and noticed that the kids looked just like that guy.â
âThe poker face has so many sexual partners so he must be worried that he could have two illegitimate offspring, and decided to investigate,â said Ning Ran.
âThat analysis seemed prejudiced and aimed at making him out as the bad person,â said Cheng Xiangyun with a frown.
âMake him out as bad? If anything, Iâm being too nice! How good can a man be if he is willing to be with women like Luo Fei?â said Ning Ran.
âOkay⦠fine. Please continue. What do you think will happen next?â
âHeâll come after my children! No, I wonât let him take my children away from me!â said Ning Ran in a terrified voice.
âYouâre overthinking this. I donât think itâs going to be that bad,â said Cheng Xiangyun while shaking her head.
âI worry that itâs worse than I think. That poker face is so powerful in the city. How do I fight against him if heâs coming after my children?â
âBut that theory doesnât make sense. Why would he come after your children?â âUnless, of course, heâs the father.â âOtherwise, why would he steal your children? Heâs not in the human trafficking business,â
said Cheng Xiangyun.
âSo Uncle Nan Chen really is our dad! Yay!â cheered Erbao.
âNo, heâs not. Why are you so happy? Whatâs so good about that poker face anyway?â asked Ning Ran who was confused by Erbaoâs reaction.
âWhatâs wrong with Uncle Nan Chen? Heâs handsome and rich,â refuted Erbao weakly.
Annoyed, Ning Ran turned to Cheng Xiangyun and complained, âThis is your fault. You taught my kid to be money-minded.â
âDang! How is that my fault?â âBesides, I think sheâs right. Mr. Chen is handsome and rich, whatâs wrong with that?â
âWhatever the case, I donât want my children to have any more contact with him. I forbid it,â said Ning Ran firmly.
Oh no! Then we wonât be getting that big meal from Uncle Nan Chen anymore! Thought Erbao.
Next Chapter q