So, You’re the Henpecked One? 69

Chapter 69: IF Extra 3: The Thick-Skinned Child

Lin Zhao said it so matter-of-factly, and at the end, she even gave Chu Ningyi a smile and called her “second sister” again.

Chu Ningyi had a very good impression of this person who was so foolish when she smiled. She glanced at her little sister’s face and replied to Lin Zhao with a smile.

Hearing Chu Ningyi reply to her, the smile on Lin Zhao’s face grew even brighter. She turned her head and shook Chu Xihuan’s hand, her voice soft and clingy. “Sister, see~ Second sister replied to me.”

So soft and clingy, as if she had eaten a mouthful of sugar. Chu Xihuan was a little sweetened, but fortunately, this would not be bad for her teeth, so she could tolerate it.

Cao Jing, who was on the side, pressed her lips together at the sight of Chu Xihuan not refuting her, and her brow furrowed slightly.

Even she had never called Chu Ningyi “second sister” before, and this suddenly appeared foolish child, on what grounds?

Looking at their intertwined hands, a hint of displeasure flashed in Cao Jing’s eyes, and at the same time, a sense of panic and unease that something that belonged to her was slowly drifting away.

She didn’t like this suddenly appeared child.

And she especially didn’t like to see her clinging to Chu Xihuan, and Chu Xihuan indulging her closeness.

However, Lin Zhao had no idea what that person was thinking. She held the hand that Chu Xihuan had been holding, as if she had gotten a very fun toy, her eyes sparkling as she played with it, and from time to time, she would curiously pinch it, and then start to compare whose hand was bigger.

Chu Xihuan felt her excessive little movements and was about to withdraw her hand, but Lin Zhao held on tightly, her mouth pouted in a way that showed she was unwilling to let go.

Chu Xihuan was speechless.

Forget it. It’s a compensation for neglecting her earlier.

Chu Xihuan did not insist on pulling her hand back, but instead looked at Cao Jing. “By the way, you said earlier that you were delayed by something. What was it?”

Cao Jing’s gaze fell on Chu Xihuan’s hand, which was being played with by the child, and the gloom in her eyes grew stronger. “It’s nothing. Someone just happened to come to visit.”

“Oh,” after hearing this, Chu Xihuan replied with a hum and was no longer curious. She turned to Chu Ningyi. “Second sister, the weather has been so good lately. Shall we go and fly kites tomorrow?”

At her words, Lin Zhao’s eyes lit up. Before Chu Ningyi could reply, she had already said impatiently, “I want to go too, I want to go too!”

She could fly kites with her little sister!

Chu Ningyi was also amused by her impatient appearance and readily agreed. “Alright, I’ll tell mother later. She’ll prepare everything.”

Cao Jing bit her lip, a strange sense of disappointment in her heart. She also wanted to go and fly kites with Chu Xihuan, but Chu Xihuan had not invited her, and she did not have the thick skin of that child to ask to go with them. For a moment, she was stuck in place, a little awkward.

Chu Xihuan was not at all surprised by her little follower’s request to go with them. In fact, she felt that she was quite in line with her identity as a little follower. If she didn’t go with them, what kind of little follower would she be?

“Alright, where do you live? We’ll go and pick you up tomorrow,” Chu Xihuan agreed.

Lin Zhao told Chu Xihuan her address and was already looking forward to going out to fly kites together tomorrow.

Chu Xihuan nodded, then turned to look at Cao Jing. “Cao Jing, do you want to go?”

Looking at Chu Xihuan, who seemed to have just remembered her, Cao Jing pressed her lips together, glanced at the child, and said, “I’ll go.”

Although she knew that her mother would be unhappy if she neglected her lessons tomorrow, seeing Chu Xihuan and the child so close, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Even if she didn’t go with them, she was afraid that she would not be able to concentrate on her lessons tomorrow.

“Alright, then we’ll meet at the city gate at the Hour of the Snake (approx. 9-11 AM) tomorrow,” Chu Xihuan said decisively. This weather was perfect for a spring outing, and she could also ask her mother to prepare some portable snacks.

At this thought, she couldn’t help but turn to look at the little follower who was still holding her hand and playing with it. Thinking of the things she had been chattering about that she liked to eat, she would also bring some for her.

Chu Xihuan considered herself to be quite good to her little follower. Her mother had also taught her the art of managing people, saying that you had to give benefits first to make people willing to follow you.

Although she didn’t understand why Lin Zhao seemed to be willing to follow her before she had given her any benefits.

Hearing Chu Xihuan’s words, Cao Jing couldn’t help but look at the child who was smiling with her mouth open, even though she knew she was missing a tooth. She didn’t understand why Chu Xihuan was so special to her.

They were going out to play together, but she would specially ask for the child’s address to pick her up, while she had to go to the city gate to meet them on her own.

She suppressed the unhappiness in her heart and just looked at Lin Zhao with even more displeasure.

In the past, when she came to the Chu residence, Chu Xihuan would always pay attention to her. But today, it was obvious that most of Chu Xihuan’s attention had been drawn away by the gapped-tooth child, and even now, their hands were still held together!

Lin Zhao’s eyes were almost narrowed. The previous grievance of being neglected by Chu Xihuan was gone, and she was smiling so endearingly and cutely.

At least in Chu Xihuan’s eyes, it was like that. Although she looked a little silly, she was also really cute. Her little face was like a soft, white bun, and she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch it.

Mmm, it’s quite soft.

Lin Zhao, whose face had been pinched, blinked her dazed eyes at her, not understanding why her little sister had suddenly pinched her face. But she still gave her a bright smile, not at all angry.

Chu Ningyi, who was on the side, couldn’t help but look at the interaction between her little sister and the child a couple more times. She didn’t find it strange that her little sister was pinching the other’s face. After all, the child probably ate quite well, and the baby fat on her face looked particularly white, soft, and pinchable.

Although her little sister and the other might not be that far apart in age, her little sister’s diet had always been restrained. Compared to the other’s white, soft, and round cheeks that looked like glutinous rice balls, her little sister’s were much more streamlined and delicate, and she didn’t look as sweet as that child.

But her little sister was still the most beautiful! Chu Ningyi was sure in her heart. No one was more beautiful than her little sister!

Seeing that it was about time, Chu Ningyi said, “Little sister, we should all go back. The banquet is probably about to start.”

“Alright,” Chu Xihuan replied, then said to Lin Zhao, “Let’s go.”

Lin Zhao naturally followed her words, but when she was about to pull her hand back, she was still unwilling to let go. “We can walk together holding hands~” she grumbled.

Chu Xihuan was speechless.

She found that her little follower seemed to be very clingy.

She was silent for a moment, then finally compromised, letting her hold her hand, and the two of them walked toward the banquet hall together.

Chu Ningyi’s eyes lit up as she watched from the side. For some reason, she was quite happy to see her little sister and the person named Lin Zhao so close, especially when she saw Lin Zhao clinging to her little sister so softly, she found it even more pleasing to the eye.

But she had never had this feeling when she saw her little sister with Cao Jing.

With a gentle smile on her face, she was also happy that her little sister had one more playmate of the same age.

Cao Jing followed silently from the side, occasionally looking up at the two people in front who were holding hands, and then when she looked down, her hands, hanging at her sides, were clenched into fists.

She couldn’t understand why someone would be so enthusiastic with a person they had just met. It was clear that the child had just met Chu Xihuan for the first time, but she was clinging to her without any shame.

Cao Jing thought that she would never be able to cling to a person so shamelessly like that person, to be so proactive when she had not been invited.

The four of them returned to the banquet hall. At this time, all the guests who were supposed to come had already arrived. Chu Xihuan wanted to go and find her mother, but Lin Zhao was still holding her hand and was unwilling to let go, so she had no choice but to take her with her. And since Cao Jing had to go and find her own mother, it was not good to follow them anymore, so she just silently watched them walk away.

From beginning to end, Chu Xihuan had not looked back at her, had not remembered to say a word of reminder to her.

She felt as if… she had been excluded from Chu Xihuan’s world.

She didn’t like this feeling.

*

Chu Xihuan pulled Lin Zhao to find her mother. Her mother was still chatting with someone. After she and Chu Ningyi appeared, the other people also tactfully ended the conversation and looked at them with a smile, saying that they were becoming more and more beautiful.

Hearing others praise her own children, the smile on Ye Liuxiang’s face grew even wider. Although she knew that there was an element of flattery, she was very sure that what they said was not wrong.

After all, her own children were that outstanding.

But when she saw Chu Xihuan and Lin Zhao holding hands and coming over, she couldn’t help but be a little surprised. She clearly hadn’t expected them to get along so well in such a short time. It was as if they were even closer and got along better than Cao Jing, who had been playing with her since she was two or three.

“Mother~” Chu Ningyi smiled, her eyes narrowed, and she came up and took Ye Liuxiang’s arm, acting like a spoiled child.

Ye Liuxiang found it amusing and ruffled her face. “You’re already so old.”

Chu Ningyi snorted. No matter how old she was, she was still her mother’s daughter.

Chu Xihuan also wanted to go up, but looking at the innocent little follower who was holding her, she couldn’t help but pinch her face. “I’ll have someone take you to find your mother.”

“No!” Lin Zhao pouted. “I want to stay with sister.”

She could see her mother when she went home, but she wouldn’t be able to see her sister when she went home!

Ye Liuxiang looked at them with a smile and said, “Then Xixi, you take care of your little sister. I’ll have someone tell her mother.”

Chu Xihuan was speechless.

Lin Zhao’s eyes were very bright, and she said to Ye Liuxiang with a bright smile, “Madam, you’re a great person!”

She was even helping her stay with her little sister~ And at the beginning, it was she who had asked her little sister to take her to play~

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that the madam was a great person!

Ye Liuxiang was amused by her naive words and couldn’t help but pinch her little cheek. “Then you’re a little sweet-talker.”

This mouth of hers, her words were so sweet.

Lin Zhao felt that she had been praised, and she even turned to look at Chu Xihuan with a sparkling expression, as if to share, signaling that her mother also liked her~

Chu Xihuan was speechless.

She couldn’t look. She pulled Lin Zhao to sit down and wait for the dishes to be served. She thought back on today’s menu and found that there were quite a few dishes that Lin Zhao liked to eat.

No, it should be said that there seemed to be nothing that Lin Zhao didn’t like to eat. That person seemed to like to eat everything.

Children usually stayed with their mothers. Those who didn’t would have a few tables specially for them to eat at. There were not many children at Chu Xihuan’s table, so it was not as noisy as the other tables.

Meanwhile, Lin Zike, who had been told that Lin Zhao was with Chu Xihuan and was unwilling to come over, was speechless.

Did that little brat still remember that she was her mother? Apart from coming with her at the beginning, she hadn’t been seen since!

She found it extremely amusing. It seemed that the little brat really liked that little sister.

Lin Zhao sat next to Chu Xihuan. Relatively speaking, she was still quite small, and there were many dishes she couldn’t reach. The maids who were serving them were originally there to help them get food, but Lin Zhao didn’t call them. Instead, she tugged at Chu Xihuan’s sleeve and shook it, her voice soft. “Sister~ I want to eat that meatball~”

The golden-fried meatballs were covered in a thick sauce, and they looked very tempting!

Chu Xihuan followed her gaze and saw that the dish was quite close to her. She had no choice but to reach out with her chopsticks and pick one up for her, putting it in her bowl. “Eat slowly. It’s still very hot.”

It was basically just out of the pot, and it was still steaming.

“Mm-hm!” Lin Zhao nodded repeatedly. The meatballs were not very big, but she couldn’t just swallow them whole. She blew on them a few times and carefully took a bite, her cheeks puffed up. Perhaps because she thought it tasted good, her eyes, which were as bright as a little puppy’s, narrowed, and her body unconsciously swayed from side to side.

Chu Xihuan was sitting next to her, and she had been paying attention to her when she was about to eat. After all, her mother had told her to take care of her little sister, so she naturally couldn’t let anything happen to her.

Seeing that Lin Zhao was eating happily and was not burned, she sighed in relief. She then served Lin Zhao some of the other things she had mentioned she liked to eat, so that the person wouldn’t just be able to look at them and not eat them.

Chu Ningyi’s eyes curved at this scene, but she deliberately said in a soft voice, “Little sister~ You haven’t served your sister any food~”

Looking at her second sister, who was deliberately coming over to join in the fun, Chu Xihuan silently glanced at her, but she still stood up and served her second sister her favorite dish, putting it in her bowl. “Second sister, eat.”

Chu Ningyi was satisfied. Her little sister still cared about her, this second sister.

Lin Zhao’s cheeks were puffed up with food, but her eating manners were very clean, which made people think that she was very fragrant and cute when she ate. Even Chu Xihuan ate a little more, feeling that the food today was very delicious.

After finishing the meal, Chu Xihuan looked at Lin Zhao, who was sitting in her seat and obediently wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, and was even more satisfied with this little follower.

“Sister~ Your family’s food is so delicious,” Lin Zhao muttered in a small voice.

“If you like it, you can come often,” Chu Xihuan considered herself not a stingy person. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t even give her little follower a meal.

Lin Zhao really wanted to agree, but she still remembered what her mother had taught her. She pouted and shook her head. “I can’t. My mother said that I can’t go to other people’s houses at mealtimes.”

She said that this was impolite and unlikable behavior. She didn’t want her little sister to hate her.

Chu Xihuan was speechless and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Just then, Lin Zike came over. She looked at Lin Zhao, who was sleepy after eating her fill, with amusement, and ruffled her head. “Thank you for taking care of her. But we have to go home today. Can you play together again next time?”

“Mm, you’re welcome. She’s very obedient,” Chu Xihuan replied seriously like a little adult, which made the smile on Lin Zike’s face grow even wider, and she felt a little regretful.

If Lin Zhao were like Chu Xihuan, she wouldn’t have to worry about whether she would be well after she was gone.

“Sister~ Goodbye. I’ll be waiting for you at home tomorrow,” Lin Zhao, who was being held by Lin Zike, waved at Chu Xihuan, her voice much smaller due to her sleepiness.

“Mm,” Chu Xihuan replied, watching them go over to say goodbye to her mother and then leave.

“Waiting for her at home tomorrow?” after walking a little further, Lin Zike looked at Lin Zhao, who was lying in her arms, so sleepy her eyelids were drooping, a little curious if they had gotten along that well.

“Flying kites~ I want to fly kites with sister~” Lin Zhao giggled, her tone particularly sweet, clearly very fond of that little sister and looking forward to playing with her.

Lin Zike smiled and lowered her head to rub her cheek against her forehead. She comforted herself in her heart that it was fine to be a little silly. At least she was happy. She would be stricter with her studies later.

Lin Zhao still didn’t know what kind of life she would have in the future. At this moment, she was nestled in her mother’s arms, smelling the comforting scent and falling asleep peacefully.

**

Author’s Note:

Cao Jing now: Thick-skinned, shameless

Cao Jing in the future: Vixen!!!

Zhaozhao: [Pitiful][Let Me See][Let Me See]