Nan Chen did not realize that something was off about his expression, but he did notice the two kids looking weird so he said softly and sweetly, âItâs okay, just tell me, Iâm listening.â
After confirming that Nan Chen wasnât angry, Erbao began talking.
âDo you like me?â asked Erbao.
Nan Chen was surprised. Where was she going with this?
Erbao didnât look like she was playing a prank or anything. In fact, she looked excited, waiting for Nan Chenâs reply.
âYeah, I do,â answered Nan Chen honestly.
âDo you wanna be with me?â Erbao asked again.
Nan Chen was, once again, surprised. Why did it sound like sheâs flirting?
The question she asked was a little difficult to answer. If he said âyesâ, it would sound rather disgusting, but if he said ânoâ, heâd break the kidâs heart. Moreover, he did like to spend time with them or he wouldnât have canceled his trip to Europe for them.
âErm⦠What exactly are you trying to say?â asked Nan Chen who was a little overwhelmed with these questions.
âDo you want to be with me and my brother?â asked Erbao persistently while Dabao nodded at the side.
Oh, so itâs a question from both kids. Well, if Dabao was included in the mix, then there was nothing weird about it so Nan Chen nodded and answered, âYes.â
Erbao and Dabao were obviously relieved to hear that.
âThen we think you need to get to know our mommy because weâre always with mommy, and if youâre with mommy, youâll be able to spend more time with us,â explained Erbao.
The logic was sound, but Nan Chen sensed that they had something up their sleeves.
âGo on,â said Nan Chen.
Erbao turned to Dabao to inquire him about her performance so far.
Dabao nodded to tell her that he approved of her choice of words and performance.
âMy mommy is a really pretty actress. I am the most beautiful woman, she is the second,â Erbao began promoting mommy.
Nan Chen stopped himself from laughing and nodded to show that he understood.
âMommyâs name,â hinted Dabao from the side.
âOh right, my mommyâs name is Ning Ran,â Erbao quickly added.
Ning Ran? Nan Chen spent some time thinking about the name, but he came up empty.
Nanshi Corporation owned a couple of production companies and was pretty well-versed in the entertainment industry so if she was a celebrity, Nan Chen wouldâve met her or at least heard of her.
However, he had never heard of the name âNing Ranâ so he was sure that she was an unknown actress.
âMy mommy is single, and she never accepted a date even though many had asked,â Erbao continued selling.
Nan Chen understood what the two kids meant but he wondered if this was the kidsâ idea or their momâs idea.
If this was all the kidsâ doing, then itâs rather funny, but if that was their motherâs intention, then the woman in question was truly vile for using her kids like that.
âDid you mommy ask you to say this?â asked Nan Chen.
The two kids shook their heads together.
âMommy doesnât want us to have any contact with you, Uncle Nan Chen,â said Erbao.
âShe knows me?â asked Nan Chen, surprised. Then, he realized that it was a normal phenomenon because anyone working in the industry wouldâve known about him.
âNo, but she saw your photo before,â said Erbao who confirmed Nan Chenâs theory.
âWhy does she not like the idea of us hanging out together?â asked Nan Chen.
Erbao and Dabao shook their heads together because they honestly had no idea why Ning Ran didnât like that.
Nan Chen thought that it was strange because if their mother had seen his photo then she mustâve realized that the kids looked just like him so why did she not want them to hang out together? Was she hiding something? Or did she have something sinister planned for the future?
âUncle Nan Chen, my mommy is a good person,â Erbao said when she noticed that Nan Chen had become quiet.
Nan Chen nodded, âI believe you.â
âThat is why we wish that you and mommy can become friends and get to know one another,â said Erbao.
These words sounded like the words of an adult, not a child, but Nan Chen had no choice but to nod in agreement.
âUncle Nan Chen, can I borrow your phone?â asked Erbao all of a sudden.
Nan Chen was stunned, but he handed his private phone to her.
Erbao opened WeChat and added Ning Ranâs phone number before sending out a friend request.
There was no response because Ning Ran was busy working overtime.
âI added mommyâs number in your WeChat so the two of you can start by chatting and eventually become friends,â explained Erbao.
Nan Chen didnât respond. He wasnât happy about it because he didnât have the time for or the intention of chatting.
He was quiet by nature. Even the words he spoke with the kids on that day were more than what he usually said for a month.
At that moment, the main dishes were served and Erbao had accomplished her mission so she began digging in while Dabao ate politely and gracefully. Nan Chen advised Erbao to take it slow as he cut the lobster into smaller pieces for her. In the end, Nan Chen didnât get a bite but he was happy to just watch those two eat.
It was midnight by the time Ning Ran clocked off. She checked her phone and saw the message Cheng Xiangyun had sent her. Itâs late so Iâm not waiting up for you. The kids are asleep and dinner is in the steamer. Donât finish it or youâll get fat!
Aside from Cheng Xiangyunâs message, Ning Ran also received a friend request.
The profile picture was a series of words that Ning Ran didnât understand. If it were anyone from the Nanshi Corporation, they wouldâve recognized the logo immediately.
Ning Ran didnât know who it was though so she ignored it.
When she got home, she opened the steamer and took out the dishes.
She was stunned the moment she saw those dishes because they were all expensive dishes, and they tasted great! Those were definitely not the type of dish that Cheng Xiangyun prepared.
Buying expensive food⦠did that Cheng Xiangyun hit a jackpot or something? Bah, who cares? Ning Ran worked too many hours and was famished so she decided to finish them all, regardless of whether that would get her fat. She planned to deal with all that the day after.
It was so delicious that Ning Ran felt like that was the best meal sheâs had since she got back to the country.
She felt a little stuffed after finishing her dinner so she took a walk around the balcony then retired to the study room to read her script. She was so exhausted that she soon fell asleep on the chair.
The next morning, Erbao and Dabao woke up to find that their mother had, once again, fallen asleep in the study room.
Ning Ranâs phone was just beside her so Erbao snuck in and took the phone before leaving the study room.
When she looked into WeChat, she saw that the friend request she had sent was still there but hadnât been accepted yet.
Erbao pressed the âaddâ button and added Nan Chenâs number to the phone. Then, she sent a âgood morningâ over.
At that moment, Nan Chen was already jogging and sweating in the gym.
His phone rang and he picked it up to read a message from a woman whose profile picture was Dabao and Erbaoâs photo while using the profile name âthe mommy geniusâ.
Nan Chen thought that the whole family was rather shameless with both the kids and the adults calling themselves a âgeniusâ.
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