Inferior A After Having a Baby with the Top Boss 14

Chapter 14: “—Are You Seeing Anyone at the Moment?”

Twilight descended, the wind died down, and the rain stopped.

Ming Fei sat on the wicker chair in the center of the balcony, surrounded by potted plants of all shapes and sizes, their fragrance filling the air.

She took off her glasses, poured the last of the tea into her cup, and traced the smooth rim with her fingertips.

After finishing her tea, Ming Fei was about to start preparing dinner when Ming Zaozao came running, asking to be held.

Ming Fei smiled, easily scooping up her small daughter, and softly asked what was wrong.

“Mama.”

“Hmm?”

Ming Zaozao had played with Lan Lubai and Min Man until five o’clock that afternoon. By the time Ming Fei returned, Ming Zaozao was exhausted and had fallen asleep. It was now 6:30 pm, and Ming Zaozao had just woken up, one of her little braids slightly undone.

She clutched a puppy plushie, her round, dark eyes bright and alert.

“When is Pretty Auntie coming back today?”

Ming Fei hadn’t yet told her sweet little girl that the Pretty Auntie she adored would be away for a while. She gently pinched her daughter’s soft cheek, her voice even gentler than when she was alone with Zhu Yiqiao.

“She’s not coming back today.”

Ming Zaozao immediately looked up and asked, “What happened to Auntie?”

“She has important work to do and will come back when she’s finished.” Ming Fei gave a conservative estimate. “It will probably take about a week.”

Hearing this, Ming Zaozao’s face fell. Her long, curly eyelashes fluttered, and her expression clearly conveyed her disappointment.

Seeing this, Ming Fei asked, “Do you like that auntie a lot, Zaozao?”

Ming Zaozao nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

She began listing the reasons. “Pretty Auntie brought Baby to see Mama, gave Baby lots of presents, helped Baby wash hands, promised to take Baby to the aquarium, and… bought Baby that fun game!”

Ming Zaozao concluded, “Baby likes Auntie!”

A child’s affection was simple and pure. Ming Fei could see that Ming Zaozao genuinely liked Zhu Yiqiao, even more so than Lan Lubai and Min Man, despite having known all three for the same amount of time.

She couldn’t help but think… perhaps this was the magic of blood ties.

“Mama!”

“Hmm?”

Ming Zaozao asked innocently, “Does Mama like Auntie?”

This question pulled Ming Fei back into the turbulent vortex that was Zhu Yiqiao. The scene from their parting that afternoon was still vivid in her mind.

“—Ming Fei.”

“—Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

She had been completely stunned.

After recovering, she’d answered without hesitation, “No.”

The atmosphere had become tense again. Zhu Yiqiao hadn’t offered any explanation, simply glancing at the time before getting up to leave.

As she passed Ming Fei, Zhu Yiqiao had suddenly stopped.

“—Ming Fei.”

Just as Ming Fei was about to stand, Zhu Yiqiao placed something on the table beside her.

Due to the height difference between Zhu Yiqiao and the table, she leaned down slightly, and Ming Fei caught a whiff of that cool, subtle fragrance, elusive and indistinct. As she instinctively tried to identify the scent, Zhu Yiqiao straightened up.

“Returning this to its owner.”

Ming Fei looked down and saw the butterfly friendship bracelet she’d lost. She’d remembered losing it but hadn’t been sure if she’d left it at the Court, and she’d felt awkward about asking, so she hadn’t mentioned it.

She hadn’t expected… Zhu Yiqiao to bring it back.

Ming Zaozao persisted, “Mama, do you like Auntie?”

Adult affection was far more complex than a child’s. Unable to give an immediate answer, Ming Fei decided on a white lie.

“Of course Mama likes her,” she said. “Everyone in the Yi Meng Independent State likes her.”

Ming Zaozao clapped her hands. “Baby too! Mama, can Baby video call Auntie?”

Ming Fei didn’t hesitate. “Yes, she’ll be happy to hear from you.”

Encouraged, Ming Zaozao immediately called for 008.

“Huahua, Baby misses Auntie. Can you video call Auntie for Baby?”

Before Ming Fei could intervene, 008, having received its instructions, initiated the video call.

“Okay, Baby ^^”

“Please wait, connecting now.”

Ming Zaozao beamed. “Thank you, Huahua~”

It was dinnertime. Ming Fei assumed Zhu Yiqiao, newly arrived in a foreign country and busy with official business, wouldn’t answer. But to her surprise, the call connected within five seconds.

Zhu Yiqiao’s face appeared on the white display screen.

She seemed to be in the garden of some formal event, surrounded by flowers that couldn’t outshine her radiant beauty.

Ming Zaozao greeted her politely. “Pretty Auntie, good evening!”

“Mm.”

Zhu Yiqiao, on the other end of the call, asked, “Have you had dinner, Zaozao?”

Ming Zaozao replied, “Not yet. Auntie, when are you coming back?”

“Baby likes Auntie, Baby will miss Auntie.”

She giggled, her eyes crinkling like a mischievous kitten, and then said clearly, word by word, “My Mama too! She told Baby she likes Auntie too.”

“Likes Auntie very, very much~”

Ming Fei, who had intended to remain in the background, suddenly burst into a fit of coughing.

“Cough!”

Under Zhu Yiqiao’s scrutinizing gaze, Ming Fei felt incredibly awkward, her face burning, turning as red as a ripe peach.