âXiaoye, greet everyone.â Chu Xiuhuang instructed haughtily.
The child called Xiaoye glanced at the group of people and casually muttered, âHello, uncles and aunts.â
Then he ran off to play with the toys inside.
Chu Xiuhuang appeared visibly annoyed. âMy sister left the child at home, and the old man asked me to take him out shopping. Itâs so irritating. He doesnât want to go home even after Iâve bought a pile of things.â
He wanted to smoke a cigarette, but after noticing the sign of the shopping mall hanging nearby, put it back.
Others spend New Yearâs with their wives, while he has to stay with a child.
Itâs not a good deal at all.
This Xiaoye is a so-called naughty child who is spoilt by Chu Jingyi. With no one to look after him on ordinary days except his nanny, he is spoiled to the point of being egregious.
Despite Chu Xiuhuangâs impatience, he still had to show him around because of the old manâs words today.
He was quite unhappy.
Seeing Xiaoye suddenly running to Fu Ziyang to speak, Chu Xiuhuang said, âZiyang, if I remember correctly, you also studied in Wellington, right?â
Su Wanwan had no doubt about it and nodded.
The first time she met Chu Jingyi was at a parentâs meeting in the school.
Chu Xiuhuang pretended to casually take out his mobile phone. âWell then, I need to use the restroom. Can you guys keep an eye on Xiaoye for me?â
âSure.â
Everyone watched Chu Xiuhuang leave without giving it much thought.
After Fu Ziyang finished choosing the gifts and came out, Xiaoye also followed out with several gifts in his arms.
Fu Ziyang picked two lego sets, while all the toys Xiaoye held were electric toys such as remote-controlled cars and armored supermen.
Huo Jingshen went to pay the bill, Xiaoye frowned and asked, âWhere is my uncle?â
Wasnât he supposed to pay!
Huo Jingshen said, âHeâs in the washroom.â
âOh.â
Huo Jingshen quickly swiped his card and took the toys, beckoning Fu Ziyang over, âItâs getting late, letâs go back and eat.â
Su Wanwan anxiously asked, âWhat about Chu Xiuhuang?â
âDonât care about him.â
Su Wanwan was dumbfounded, âWhat about the child?â
The child canât be left alone, right?
He was just five, standing in front of the cashier, waiting for an adult to pay for his pile of toys. It was quite heartbreaking.
Huo Jingshen looked annoyed. He picked up his phone and dialed a number, âXiuhuang, where are you?â
ââ¦â
Not knowing what was said over the call, Huo Jingshenâs frown deepened.
In the end, he hung up the phone, walked back to the cashier and asked, âHow much is it?â
Su Wanwan was flabbergasted.
She hurried over to inquire, âWhat happened?â
âThat little brat ran away.â
Su Wanwan: ââ¦â
That Chu Xiuhuang!
He definitely canât be relied upon!
Luckily, they had planned to return home anyway, and Xiaoye joined them for the car ride.
On the way, Su Wanwan ordered, âCall Grandpa Chu and ask him to come to our house to fetch the child.â
She told him to call Grandpa Chu, not Chu Jingyi.
Huo Jingshen gave her a glance, his thin lips curled into a smile, and he dialed the Chu familyâs number.
After hanging up the phone, Su Wanwan asked, âIs Grandpa Chu coming to fetch the child later?â
âProbably.â
âWhat do you mean by probably? Didnât you call Grandpa Chu?â
Huo Jingshen replied, âGrandpa Chu is old and doesnât like to use a cellphone.â
Su Wanwan: ââ¦â
âI called the Chuâs house. The servant answered the call. Jingyi was not home.â
Su Wanwan had to rest assured.
When the car returned to the military districtâs compound and was parked in the parking lot, they could already hear bursts of laughter coming from the living room.
âAh, the children are home.â Grandpa Chuâs voice echoed throughout the whole villa.
By now, quite a number of people had arrived in the living room, most likely, the old men and women from the compound had come to pay a New Year visit.
Seeing Xiaoye return safe and sound, Grandpa Chu relieved his worries and, after sitting for a while, took the child back home.
On the way, Grandpa Chu asked, âDid your uncle buy you clothes?â
Xiaoye shook his head, âNo.â
Grandpa Chu asked again, âDid your uncle buy you something to eat?â
Xiaoye continued to shake his head: âNo.â
Grandpa Chu frowned, âThen who bought you these toys?â
Xiaoye replied, âUncle Huo.â
âThen where did your uncle take you to play?â
Xiaoye directly tattled, âMy uncle left as soon as we got to the mall!â
So the old Chu patriarch, in a huff, returned home and sat on the sofa, dialing Chu Xiuhuangâs mobile phone number.
Once connected, regardless of the Lunar New Yearâs Day, he began scolding, âYou stinky boy, what are you up to? I let you take Xiaoye out shopping, to buy some clothes and toys, you didnât spend a dime alright, but then you sneak away halfway, is that how you act as an uncle?â
âGrandpa, Iâm on a date with my girlfriend.â
The old Chu patriarch was taken aback, âGirlfriend?â
Next second.
âYou reckless brat, are you dating those seductive cheap women again? Iâm telling you, I will never allow those women to step foot in the Chu Familyâs house!â
âWho told you they are seductive cheap women? Grandpa, Iâm telling you, this time my girlfriend is a pure and innocent girl.â
âHuh?â The old Chu patriarch was confused, âConsidering your persona, you managed to find a pure and innocent girl?â
âSo she didnât agree to me yet, Iâve been chasing her for a long time.â
âReally?â The old Chu patriarch felt, somehow, he just didnât believe it.
âGrandpa, rest assured, give me a few more days, a week, I promise Iâll get her in a week!â Chu Xiuhuang bragged.
âGet out of here! A decent girl wonât even look at you, those blind dates I arranged for you are better.â
âGrandpa, if you really like blind dating so much, why donât you find yourself a step-grandmother?â
âYou brat youâ¦â
âOkay, enough talking, Iâve arrived at my girlfriendâs house, goodbye.â After saying that, Chu Xiuhuang hung up directly, fearing that the old patriarch would continue to bother him, and even switched off his phone.
The world was finally peaceful.
First, he drove to the mall and bought a bunch of gifts, then he headed to the Shi Family old house located in the east of the city.
He remembered the address correctly, but when he arrived at the door, he found it quite different from what he remembered.
It was several years ago when he last visited, how did it fall into such a state now?
The door was covered with old spring couplets from who knows how many years ago, looking very grubby. There was a lock on it, and no sign of anyone at the entrance.
He carried his things and moved to the side, looking into the courtyard through the sparse trees.
It looked depressingly as if nobody had lived here for years.
What happened?
Just then, an old lady passed by, and Chu Xiuhuang hurried over, praising himself for being sweet-tongued, he greeted, âHappy New Year, Granny.â
Who knew, the old lady looked at him, with a cold and unhappy face, âWho are you calling Granny? How old are you this year?â
Chu Xiuhuang said, âIâm thirty.â
âIâm fifty-eight!â
Chu Xiuhuangâs face was full of embarrassment, he could only change his tone, âHello, Auntie.â
The old lady finally looked a little happier, âWho are you looking for?â
Chu Xiuhuang hurriedly said, âI want to ask, isnât this the Shi Familyâs house? Why isnât there anyone here?â
âYou mean the Shi Family? This house has been left vacant for several years, no one lives in it, itâs said to have been mortgaged, but the price is too high, the location is too remote, no one wants to buy.â
âThen do you know where they moved?â
âI donât know.â The old lady shook her head and left.
Chu Xiuhuang stood there, his face in turmoil.
What the heck.
He bought a bunch of New Yearâs goods, thinking of giving Shi Huan a surprise visit on Lunar New Yearâs Day, and also to please the elders, but to his surpriseâ¦. the place was deserted.
Over the years, he didnât ask about the Shi Familyâs condition. On usual days, other than work, Shi Huan never discussed anything else with him.
Chu Xiuhuang felt he was really unfit to be a boyfriend!
How could he be so unconcerned about his girlfriend?
So negligent.
He could only take out his phone, turn it on, and call Shi Huan.
The call was quickly connected.
âLittle Huanhuan, where are you now?â
âChu Xiuhuang? Is there something?â
Chu Xiuhuang couldnât help but chuckle, âLittle Huanhuan, did you just wake up?â
Shi Huan couldnât help but yawn again, her voice clearly sleepy, âChu Xiuhuang, if thereâs anything, just say it?â
âWhere are you?â
âIâm at home.â
âWhich home? I came to your house but thereâs no one?â
âWhere are you?â
After Chu Xiuhuang gave the address, Shi Huan said helplessly, âMy grandmother and others moved a long time ago.â
âWhere did they move to?â
âWhat do you want to do?â
âTo find you.â
Shi Huan was already dizzy from his runaround.
**
An hour later, Chu Xiuhuang drove half way around Nancheng and arrived at the Meijiayuan Community where Shi Huan lived.
It really isâ¦.
Troublesome!
But for his girlfriend, Chu Xiuhuang felt it was all worth it.
Especially when the doorbell rang, the door opened, and Shi Huan stood there in the doorway looking at him with a naive look on her face.
It mustâve been because she had just gotten up from sleep. She was wearing a set of blue plaid loungewear, her raven hair casually tied up in a ponytail. Without glasses, her rosy cheeks were evident and her apricot eyes looked slightly confused. Her appearance, was like an innocent little bunny, obediently standing at the door, waiting for him, the big bad wolf, to come in.