Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 264

Chapter 264

[Cheng Tingyan: Shared joys and sorrows]
[Wei Maomao: Monkey becomes king… wait, what’s your prompt?]
[Cheng Tingyan: Hurry up and open]
[Wei Maomao: Oh…]

Three years, the prompts changed, but the password door remained.

“I asked you about your prompt, why so aggressive?” Wei Maomao said, stepping through the open door, a bit annoyed.

“How was I being aggressive… it was ‘rock sugar boiled with Coptis.’ And I told you not to bring anything, what’s this?” Cheng Tingyan asked, taking the bag from Wei Maomao, she opened it, chuckled, and put it on the floor on Wei Maomao’s side of the door.

“Just a watermelon…” Wei Maomao said softly, reaching for the bag.

“You can have it in two days.” Cheng Tingyan said, quickly closing the door. “Didn’t I tell you not to eat anything cold these two days?”

“It’s room temperature, not cold…” Wei Maomao said, rolling her eyes.

Although the anniversary of her death in her past life was just a few hours away, and she should be careful, but not to the point of avoiding watermelon…

“Watermelon is a ‘cooling’ fruit, just be patient, you can eat all you want in two days.” Cheng Tingyan said, taking Wei Maomao’s hand and leading her inside.

Wei Maomao sighed. “Seriously! No oily food, no spicy food, no cold food, this week, I can’t eat anything!”

“Just in case something happens tomorrow, it’s safer to eat bland food. After tomorrow, you can eat whatever you want at the party.” Cheng Tingyan said softly, coaxing her. “Three years ago, you also wouldn’t let me leave the house, or order takeout.”

“But you’ve been restricting my diet for a week, if I didn’t know better, I would think you’re trying to mummify me…” Wei Maomao began, then, seeing Cheng Tingyan’s hand covering her mouth, she stopped.

Payback time, three years later.

“Behave today,” Cheng Tingyan said, letting go of her hand, she pinched Wei Maomao’s cheek. “Or else…”

“Or else what?” Wei Maomao asked, smiling. “We’ve been… ‘abstinent’ all week for safety, what ‘or else’ can you possibly threaten me with?”

Cheng Tingyan, looking at her mischievous expression, sighed. “Don’t say such suggestive things today… you have to stay calm!”

“Can I say them tomorrow?” Wei Maomao asked, grinning.

“What do you think?” Cheng Tingyan asked, amused. “You’ve never been this… eager. How about we just stay in bed all day tomorrow, skip the party?”

Wei Maomao: “…“

“So we have a deal?” Cheng Tingyan asked, her voice serious.

“I was wrong!” Wei Maomao said, surrendering, she rushed to the secret door. “I’ll behave!”

“Too late.” Cheng Tingyan said, following her with a smirk.

“Don’t scare me… I can’t stay calm…” Wei Maomao said dramatically, clutching her chest.

“Really? You can’t?” Cheng Tingyan asked, stepping closer and pulling her into a hug. “Let me see… it’s still a few hours until tomorrow, maybe I can… help you… don’t worry, I’ll finish before tomorrow…”

“No, no…” Wei Maomao said, trying to push her away, her face red, but Cheng Tingyan held her hand. “You said ‘a while’ last time, and it lasted all afternoon, who would believe you!”

“Tomorrow is important, I’ll be on time.” Cheng Tingyan said, leaning closer.

“No! You promised it would be my turn next time!” Wei Maomao said, pushing her away slightly.

“Did I? Really?” Cheng Tingyan asked, feigning ignorance.

“Yes!” Wei Maomao said, almost in tears. “You promised me a whole afternoon! You’re going back on your word!”

“So what? I let you have your way for months, you kept saying you were scared, but you always wanted more, how many times did I…” Cheng Tingyan thought about those months, she had been a fool, thinking it should be… consensual, Maomao said she was scared, so she let her take the lead, but this girl, after she wasn’t scared anymore, she kept saying “one more time,” “just one more try,” testing her limits…

Until she was exhausted, and the little girl, still saying she was scared, but always wanting more, she finally realized something was wrong and pushed her away.

A whole afternoon? If it weren’t for Maomao’s tearful pleas, would it have ended in just one afternoon?

Cheng Tingyan’s words were shameless.

Wei Maomao, embarrassed and regretting her earlier remark, she could never win against Cheng Tingyan in these… discussions, she had thought she could gain the upper hand during this period of “abstinence,” but…

She was the fool!

Wei Maomao fell silent.

Cheng Tingyan, looking at the pouting girl, so cute and vulnerable, like a ripe peach, she couldn’t resist.

She let go of Wei Maomao’s hand and gently pushed her away.

“We have to maintain some distance for the next twenty-something hours,” she said, smiling wryly. “Your heart rate can’t be too high.”

Wei Maomao: “…” Seriously, she died in a car accident, not from a heart attack!

A bland diet, maintaining distance, what was all this…?

And what was this…?

As they moved apart, the heat in Wei Maomao’s face subsided, and she noticed something was different.

“Where are the things on your desk?” she asked, looking at the empty surface.

And not just the desk…

The entire room was devoid of clutter.

And there was a carpet on the floor, in the middle of summer.

Wei Maomao touched the silicone corner protectors on the desk and looked at Cheng Tingyan, speechless. “This is… excessive!”

But she had underestimated Cheng Tingyan’s… excessiveness.

Three years ago, she had just asked Cheng Tingyan to stay in the villa, to eat home-cooked meals.

Three years later…

Wei Maomao’s world was now limited to Cheng Tingyan’s room, which was even safer than a baby’s room, and she was being fed steamed egg custard for every meal, in stainless steel bowls, with silicone spoons…

Seriously!

Wei Maomao, after her third bowl of egg custard, lay in bed, counting down the minutes, and at 11:45 PM, she ordered barbecue, milk tea, and fruit salad, she would enjoy her late-night feast after midnight!

But at 00:01, although she didn’t get her snacks, she did break her “abstinence,” in a different way.

Her back ached, she hadn’t slept well, but the party… she still had to go.

Who would have thought, that Baby’s Home Cooking, initially created for Wang Zhizhi… it was now a publicly traded company, they had to celebrate.

They had wanted to have the party in Luhai City, but after checking everyone’s schedules, Cheng Tingyan, realizing the date was getting too close to that day, suggested Leyuan City instead.

And the party ended up being scheduled for the day after that day.

Now, with that final knot untangled, and a chance to see her friends, Cheng Tingyan was in a good mood.

Well… if Maomao wasn’t still angry about last night, it would be even better.

After all, today was also an important day, in a different way.

The outdoor stove was lit, the barbecue grills set up, the aroma of grilling meat filling the air.

Wei Maomao, leaning against a tree, rubbing her sore back, took a deep breath, feeling slightly better.

“Ice cream?” Cheng Tingyan asked, approaching carefully, offering her a small cup.

Wei Maomao glanced at her sideways.

“Ahem, last night, I… what I said…” Cheng Tingyan said, tugging on her sleeve. “Let’s make up, have some ice cream.”

“Heh.” Wei Maomao said, pulling her sleeve away and walking off.

Make up?

Last night, that girl said it would be quick, then she could have her late-night snacks.

And then! Her snacks got cold, she couldn’t even get out of bed.

And that girl said, it’s fine, she would reheat them.

And then! She was too exhausted to even eat!

Her snacks, they were still in the fridge! Untouched!

Wei Maomao, fuming, walked off, then she saw…

“Are… you okay?” she asked, stopping by the picnic table, looking at the mangled cake in Zhao Can’s hand.

“Mmm?” Zhao Can asked, looking up innocently. “What’s wrong?”

Wei Maomao, suspicious, asked, “Is the cake… not good?”

It was mashed into a paste, it looked… disgusting… mmm?

Then Zhao Can took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. “It’s good.”

Wei Maomao: “…” She couldn’t bear to watch.

Zhao Can, seeing her pained expression, explained, “It’s Wang Zhiqing, she suddenly wants to get married, she’s been hiding rings in cakes, pastries, even fried rice, I almost chipped a tooth, I have to check everything now.”

“Not suddenly, she told you about marriage last year, the day after she turned eighteen.” Wei Maomao said, glancing at the mangled cake. “It’s been almost a year, what do you think?”

“Didn’t Yan Yan also… propose to you? You didn’t say yes either.” Zhao Can said, deflecting the question.

Wei Maomao: “…“ That was different.

Although she didn’t think the anniversary of her death would affect her in this life, but… she wasn’t ready yet.

But… Yan Yan that night, those golden beans, those words… if it weren’t for that one lingering concern, she would have said yes, and even though she didn’t, they still…

Wei Maomao shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

“Don’t change the subject, I haven’t found any rings in my food…”

Before Zhao Can could reply, someone else arrived.

“What are you talking about?” Cheng Tingyan asked, approaching slowly, she offered Wei Maomao a cup of ice cream. “Isn’t it hot out here?”

“Talking about why she’s mashing her cake…” Wei Maomao said, not taking the ice cream, but also not letting Cheng Tingyan’s words hang in the air.

“Right, why? Why would anyone hide a ring in food?! It’s so cheesy, don’t you think?” Zhao Can asked, looking at them for support.

Wei Maomao, although she thought it was… okay, seeing Zhao Can’s pained expression, she decided not to argue. “Right…”

Zhao Can felt slightly better.

After a brief chat, Wei Maomao, feeling thirsty, was about to take the ice cream when she realized both Cheng Tingyan and the ice cream were gone.

She found Cheng Tingyan in a corner of the kitchen… digging through the small cup of ice cream.

It was… both funny and… sad.

Wei Maomao waited until Cheng Tingyan retrieved something from the cup before approaching.

Cheng Tingyan, who had just dug out her cheesy creation, was startled by a small, white hand appearing before her.

She looked up and saw Wei Maomao, smiling. “I do.”

I do.

Perhaps, for a long time now, I’ve always… done.