He knew Fu Jingfan's temperament all too well, so he didn't ask him directly, not giving Fu Jingfan a chance to make a fuss.
Let's see who can suffocate first, hmph!
Excellent hunters are patient enough. Fu Jingfan looked down at Su Huaiming, knowing that this was not the best time. He did not directly bring it up, but just smiled without saying a word, looking mysterious.
Su Huaiming's intuition was spot on; the more he looked, the more something seemed off, and he almost shuddered with a chill.
But after thinking about it for a long time, he still couldn't figure out where the problem lay—which wasn't his fault; what ordinary person would do something so stupid?
Su Huaiming could only put this matter aside for the time being and prepare for the opening of the dessert shop tomorrow.
Everyone had rested for a night and got up early, even Sun Siyuan, who always loved to sleep, didn't stay in bed.
They learned their lesson from yesterday's ice cream sales, so they sent Fu Jingfan to buy the ingredients in advance, ensuring they could make it on the spot if needed.
The four little ones were also very enthusiastic, especially Fu Xiaoxiao, who practically glued himself to the doorway, standing on tiptoe and craning his neck, eager to see his sister whom he had been longing for.
Su Huaiming suppressed a laugh as he looked at Fu Xiaoxiao, but did not expose him.
Fu Xiaoxiao didn't see her sister yesterday and was very afraid that she wouldn't come. She became very anxious after only five minutes of waiting, and her fair and tender little face became wrinkled.
Just an hour after the door opened, he saw a familiar figure—
It's the aunt I met that day.
As soon as Fu Xiaoxiao saw the puppy with the bone, its tail wagged wildly and its eyes lit up as it ran over. "Auntie, you're here!"
The little girl's mother chatted with Fu Xiaoxiao for a few minutes with a smile, but Fu Xiaoxiao's patience was limited, and she couldn't help but get straight to the point.
"Has your older sister come?" Fu Xiaoxiao was a little shy, her chubby body swaying back and forth, her head slightly lowered, not daring to meet the little girl's mother's gaze.
The little girl's mother smiled. "She'll be here soon."
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao jumped up with joy.
The little girl's mother went to the store to order ice cream, Fu Xiaoxiao insisted on waiting for her older sister at the door, her eyes wide open, not wanting to miss a single second.
He soon spotted a familiar figure.
A little boy dressed in a light blue navy uniform walked over, carrying a book in his hand.
After Fu Xiaoxiao saw his face clearly, her eyes widened in surprise.
Exactly the same, height and appearance are exactly the same!!
Are they twins?
Fu Xiaoxiao was so surprised that her mind went blank, and she only came to her senses when the little boy walked up to her.
He smiled at the little boy, then looked expectantly behind him, hoping to see the pretty older sister from that day.
The little boy didn't say much, but opened the book in his hand and took out Fu Xiaoxiao's drawing.
The edges and corners are neat and even; it's clear that it's been well preserved.
Fu Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. "Why are you in this painting?"
The little boy was half a head taller than Fu Xiaoxiao, and possessed a maturity beyond his years. He asked, "Why aren't you with me?"
"I... I..." Fu Xiaoxiao twisted her fingers together and pouted, "I gave it to my sister."
The little boy then realized the problem and calmly explained, "The person you saw that day was me."
He was halfway through his sentence when he saw Fu Xiaoxiao's eyes widen, her mouth agape, her expression one of utter disbelief, her chubby body arching backward in surprise, on the verge of losing her balance.
The little boy grabbed Fu Xiaoxiao's arm just in time, and after he regained his balance, he added casually, as if discussing the weather, "I wore a skirt that day."
Author's Note:
Fu Xiaoxiao:!!
Chapter 72
Fu Xiaoxiao was frozen in time; his mouth was agape in an "O" shape, his gaze was vacant, and he was staring blankly at the little boy, his brain seemingly shut down.
The little boy not only possessed a maturity and composure beyond his years, but was also very patient. He didn't rush Fu Xiaoxiao, quietly waiting for him to process this fact.
Fu Xiaoxiao, that silly girl, was so surprised that she took a deep breath and forgot to breathe, her face turning bright red.
The little boy didn't notice this at first, but after realizing something was wrong, he went over to observe for a few seconds, his expression turned strange, as if he had been defeated. He then went around behind Fu Xiaoxiao and patted him on the back.
Fu Xiaoxiao coughed before she came to her senses. Like a stranded fish, she pouted and gasped for breath, making a "whoosh" sound.
Several more minutes passed before Fu Xiaoxiao calmed down. She turned to look at the little boy who was taller than her, blinked, and pursed her lips into a thin line. She asked hopefully yet cautiously, "Can I wear a dress tomorrow, sister?"
Little boy. "..."
He reflected on his words and felt he had explained himself very clearly. He never expected that Fu Xiaoxiao, with her great intelligence, would interpret it this way.
Because of his mental development and personality, the little boy couldn't play with his peers, let alone Fu Xiaoxiao, who was younger than him. Even Mingming they weren't that much apart in age, he treated Fu Xiaoxiao like a little child.
"You've misunderstood. I'm not a sister, I'm a brother." Afraid that Fu Xiaoxiao would misunderstand again, the little boy decided to repeat himself, "I'm a boy, just like you."
Fu Xiaoxiao:Σ( ° △°)
He was completely stunned. In a daze, images of his time with the pretty girl flashed before his eyes, but these images gradually blurred, and the pretty girl turned into a little boy wearing pants.
A "crack" sounded in my ear as something broke.
Fu Xiaoxiao was still young and didn't understand the meaning of heartbreak. He couldn't even recognize the two words when he saw them, but at this moment, he truly understood that feeling.
The disappointment after longing, the grievance after being deceived, the confusion after his wishes were dashed... these surged towards him like a tide, completely engulfing him.
Where is his older sister?!
Fu Xiaoxiao's nose twitched, heat rushed to her head, her cheeks flushed an unhealthy red, and her chubby body trembled uncontrollably.
Fu Xiaoxiao had her head down, so the little boy didn't notice it. When Fu Xiaoxiao up, the little boy noticed that her big eyes were misty with tears, and she was about to burst into tears.
"You..."
The little boy only said one word, and Fu Xiaoxiao burst into tears without warning.
Fu Xiaoxiao's eyes seemed to be like a spring, tears streaming down her face without restraint, and in just a few seconds her entire face was soaked.
The little boy was stunned by the scene before him, and for a moment he was dumbfounded.
Su Huaiming heard crying while he was in the dessert shop, so he hurried over and saw two little kids standing at the door.
Fu Xiaoxiao was facing him, crying her heart out. The moment Su Huaiming saw her, one expression involuntarily flashed into his mind:
Tears shot out (jpg)
... So this wasn't an exaggeration; some people really can cry like that!
Su Huaiming's mind raced in a bizarre direction, but was pulled back in just a second. He coughed twice, quickly went over, squatted down, and gently patted Fu Xiaoxiao's back, constantly comforting him.
Fu Xiaoxiao was immersed in her own world, her sorrow flowing like a river, and she had almost lost all awareness of the outside world. No matter how Su Huaiming tried to coax her, she did not stop.
The little boy's mother also rushed over. Seeing her son standing there dumbfounded, she asked, "Nannan, what happened?"
The little boy finally came to his senses, his mind disturbed by Fu Xiaoxiao's crying, and finally revealed the childishness that should be there, "I, I said I was the older brother, I think I scared him."
Upon hearing this, Su Huaiming immediately understood the problem.
That day, he felt that although Nannan was wearing a skirt, her voice sounded like a boy's, but he had no proof, so he didn't tell Fu Xiaoxiao about it.
Looking back now, it must have been the fact that Fu Xiaoxiao's beloved older sister had suddenly turned into a boy. This fact was too much of a blow to him, and his young heart was hurt, which is why he cried so hard.
Nannan's mother looked remorseful and said, "I'm sorry, I've always wanted a daughter, to dress her up beautifully. That day happened to be my birthday, Nannan made my dream come true. I was so happy to see you that I forgot to explain this, which caused this misunderstanding. It was my oversight, and I'm really sorry."
Su Huaiming lifted Fu Xiaoxiao's chubby body and carried him to his feet, comforting Nannan's mother, "Don't overthink it. This has nothing to do with you. Nobody expected this to happen. Besides, it's my fault for not preparing Xiao Xiao beforehand. Thinking about it that way, I'm the one with more problems."
"No, no, no, how could this be your fault?" Seeing how understanding Su Huaiming was, Nannan's mother felt even more guilty.
Nannan had suppressed her panic, looked up at the two adults, and said with a composed expression, "This is just a misunderstanding. You two shouldn't fight over it anymore. The most important thing now is to appease him."
Having been reprimanded, the two adults immediately turned their attention to Fu Xiaoxiao.
Fu Xiaoxiao buried her face in Su Huaiming's shoulder, tears and snot streaming down her face. Her chubby body was still trembling, but she was tired from crying, and her voice became much softer.
Fearing that standing at the store entrance would disturb customers, Su Huaiming carried Fu Xiaoxiao to the back lounge.
Fu Xiaoxiao was well-fed and had a lot of baby fat all over her body. Su Huaiming was rather weak and was panting after walking for a while, so he wanted to put Fu Xiaoxiao on the sofa.
Unexpectedly, Fu Xiaoxiao clung tightly to his neck, leaned forward, and buried her face in Su Huaiming's shoulder, looking like she didn't want to see anyone.
Su Huaiming sighed helplessly and could only follow Fu Xiaoxiao, kneeling awkwardly on one knee so that Fu Xiaoxiao could hug him.
Nannan and his mother followed. When Nannan's mother saw Fu Xiaoxiao's condition, she was at a loss and paced around in a panic. But every now and then, she would look at Fu Xiaoxiao with her eyes shining and excitement jumping in her eyes... Her behavior before and after was quite contradictory, which was strange and hard for Su Huaiming not to notice.
Meeting Su Huaiming's gaze, Nannan's mother realized she had been exposed. She scratched her head sheepishly and gave a dry laugh. "Our Nannan has always been very well-behaved, almost never cried, and I don't need to take care of her. This has made me feel no sense of accomplishment as a mother. Now, seeing a child crying so hard, and I can actually help comfort her, I can't help but feel a little..."
Su Huaiming understood immediately.
This is because they've been holding back for too long and want to experience being a mother. But is it a bit like Versailles to see a child who is too sensible as a problem?
Su Huaiming, a first-time stepfather, had a spoiled and unruly stepson who caused him a lot of trouble. He also had to outwit and outmaneuver Fu Xiaoxiao, a clever and resourceful woman. Hearing this now, he felt a pang of heartache.
The two parents were very responsible; they only talked about this one unrelated topic, and then spent the rest of the time comforting Fu Xiaoxiao.
Fu Xiaoxiao is a proud child, a timid and fearless boy who wouldn't be afraid even if he caused a major incident. But this time he was truly heartbroken. No matter how Su Huaiming and Nannan's mother tried to comfort him, he wouldn't listen, as if he wanted to cry out all the tears he had in the year ahead of time.
Su Huaiming couldn't see Fu Xiaoxiao's face, so he could only pat his back reassuringly, feeling that the fabric on his shoulder was soaked through, sticky and wet, and getting wetter and wetter.
If Fu Xiaoxiao continued to cry like this, there was a high probability that he would suffer from oxygen and dehydration, which would be bad for his health. Su Huaiming did not indulge him any longer, gritted his teeth, and pulled Fu Xiaoxiao off him.
Only then did Su Huaiming and Nannan's mother get a clear look at Fu Xiaoxiao.
Fu Xiaoxiao's face was covered in snot and tears, making her look like a little kitten. Her eyes were almost swollen from crying, and her lips were so red they looked like they were about to bleed. She was wailing silently with her mouth open and eyes closed.
Su Huaiming took out a piece of paper, wiped Fu Xiaoxiao's face, and gently stroked his hair, saying, "Is there any difference between the sister I saw that day and the brother I saw today?"
Fu Xiaoxiao was finally able to hear a little bit of what was being said. She squinted and looked at Su Huaiming.
Su Huaiming continued, "Your brother and sister are the same person. Your brother came to find you with the drawing you made, just as promised, and you can play together again like that day."
Fu Xiaoxiao was crying so hard that her mind was a complete blank. She couldn't react and just stared blankly at Su Huaiming.
Seeing an opportunity, Su Huaiming was about to press his advantage when Fu Xiaoxiao shook her head wildly, mumbling, "Different, different, oh oh oh, I want a beautiful sister!"
Nannan's mother had no experience in comforting children either. For some reason, she went up to Fu Xiaoxiao, pulled her cheeks, and made a funny face.
Fu Xiaoxiao's swollen eyes were narrowed to slits, and seeing this scene, she was so frightened that she cried even harder.
Nannan's Mom: "..." Oh, I'm so sorry!!