Fu Xiaoxiao quieted down again. Su Huaiming watched this intelligent girl deep in thought and suddenly had a bad feeling.
As expected, Fu Xiaoxiao never disappoints.
He chuckled twice, then shifted his gaze from Su Huaiming to the butler, making both Su Huaiming and the butler shudder.
Su Huaiming pinched Fu Xiaoxiao's little nose and threatened, "Tell me what you're thinking."
Fu Xiaoxiao slapped Su Huaiming's hand away, looking at him with an expression that said, "What can I do with you?" She didn't control her voice and said loudly, "You guys just want an excuse to go play in the water, don't you? Adults are so strange, always making up all sorts of excuses, as if that way no one can guess what's going on."
Someone passing by in the living room heard Fu Xiaoxiao's words and looked at Su Huaiming and the butler with a strange expression.
Su Huaiming /Butler: "..."Let me explain!
Su Huaiming was completely convinced. If he continued talking to Fu Xiaoxiao, he would probably be the one who got hurt. So he said vaguely, "We're going to the hot springs tomorrow. If you want to go, I'll take you with me. If you don't want to go, then stay home with Uncle Butler."
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao immediately became anxious, grabbing Su Huaiming's arm with her chubby little hands and shaking it playfully, "I want to go! I want to play in the water with Daddy!"
Su Huaiming felt a warm glow at first seeing Fu Xiaoxiao's affection for him, but when he heard the last two words, his smile froze, and he suddenly wanted to shake off the little chubby girl.
But looking at Fu Xiaoxiao's fair and delicate face, which resembled that of an angel, Su Huaiming couldn't get angry. He rubbed his nose with a headache.
"Alright, stop trying to cheat me," Su Huaiming said. "Go back to your room and think about what you want to bring."
Recalling Fu Xiaoxiao's first time recording a variety show, when she enthusiastically brought four suitcases full of stuff, Su Huaiming quickly added, "I'll only give you one suitcase, don't bring too much."
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao immediately counted on her fingers and said, "I want to bring bear pajamas, fragrant pink powder, potato chips, shampoo, shower gel..."
Su Huaiming: "..."
Wait, is something strange mixed in...?
I already told you I wasn't going to take a shower!!
Just as Su Huaiming was about to explode, he saw Fu Xiaoxiao secretly laughing. While Su Huaiming was stunned, she snuggled into his arms and rubbed her fluffy hair against him.
Upon seeing this reaction, Su Huaiming knew that Fu Xiaoxiao had just been deliberately trying to annoy him, but she was so cute that she couldn't stay angry. He sighed helplessly once again.
Fu Xiaoxiao knew when to stop. She secretly glanced at Su Huaiming's expression and immediately became a well-behaved child. She jumped off Su Huaiming and even thoughtfully helped Su Huaiming straighten his clothes.
Su Huaiming felt an itch to ruffle Fu Xiaoxiao's hair.
Fu Xiaoxiao was already used to it and let Su Huaiming swing her hand. After Su Huaiming withdrew his hand, she patted her hair with her chubby little hands and followed the butler back to her room to pack her suitcase.
Su Huaiming wasn't idle either; he went back to his room and packed his suitcase, ready to depart tomorrow.
This was just a family vacation, and Fu Jingfan didn't make a big fuss, only bringing his butler and driver.
Su Huaiming assumed they would go together, until at the intersection he saw the car behind them not follow them, but instead turned.
Su Huaiming asked, puzzled, "Where are they going?"
Fu Jingfan explained, "I asked them to pick up Song Hanyu. Do you remember Song Hanyu?"
Su Huaiming searched his memory for a few seconds, and a blurry figure appeared before his eyes. "Is it the person I saw on the cruise ship that day?"
"That's right, it's him," Fu Jingfan said. "He recommended this location, and since he's also on annual leave, we decided to have him come with us."
Su Huaiming didn't mind and simply nodded.
One of them was driving, and the other was sitting in the back. Their conversation was normal, but Su Huaiming had something to hide. He saw Fu Jingfan looking at him in the rearview mirror, his eyes flickered twice, and he looked away as if he had been electrocuted, pretending to look down at his phone.
After a good three or four minutes, Su Huaiming finally glanced at the rearview mirror and saw that Fu Jingfan was focused on the road conditions. He breathed a sigh of relief, and his body became much more relaxed.
Before Su Huaiming could exhale, he looked down and met Fu Xiaoxiao's fair and tender face.
!!!!
Fu Xiaoxiao, who had been sitting obediently to the side, had somehow moved closer and was now looking up at his face intently, her large eyes reflecting Su Huaiming's image.
Startled, Su Huaiming felt a little guilty and asked in a pretentious manner, "Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Fu Xiaoxiao pouted, making meaningless noises. After a full five seconds, she frowned slightly, looking at Su Huaiming with concern, "Did Daddy make you angry?"
Su Huaiming: "..."
He froze for a few seconds, then subconsciously looked at Fu Jingfan, meeting his gaze without warning.
Su Huaiming's pupils constricted, and he abruptly withdrew his gaze. His heart pounded wildly, and he was on the verge of exploding with rage.
Fu Xiaoxiao, lacking social skills, kept looking at Su Huaiming and said earnestly and firmly, "It must be Dad who made you angry. You two need to get along well, okay? You can't fight!"
A string of question marks appeared above Su Huaiming's head.
Children speak without thinking, so he didn't take it to heart and casually replied, "No, I'm not angry."
Fu Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, her little face serious like an old scholar. "You're Mingming angry; you're not even looking at Daddy."
As she spoke, Fu Xiaoxiao mimicked Su Huaiming's movements with her hands and feet, "Your eyes rolled twice just now, and you lowered your head; I felt like you were jumping."
Fu Xiaoxiao used her chubby little hands to draw wavy lines, "Just like this, the little person in your heart must look like this!"
Su Huaiming was completely stunned when he heard these words.
He hadn't expected Fu Xiaoxiao to have such keen observation skills; although her words were somewhat immature, she had accurately grasped his psychology.
Su Huaiming was completely shocked. Ignoring Fu Jingfan's gaze, he asked, "Xiao Xiao is amazing! Can you imitate the way Uncle Butler looks when he's angry?"
Okay~
After Fu Xiaoxiao sweetly replied, she wiggled her little feet, frowned, and pouted. Her once fair and tender round face turned into a square face, making her look very serious.
He put one hand on his hip and pointed with the other, saying, "I told you, things can't be left here. What if they fall and break? Also, these flowers are too fragrant; the master doesn't like them. Go and get some with a milder scent!"
Fu Xiaoxiao was very different from the butler, but she imitated him so well that the tone of her sweet, childlike voice was almost identical. Su Huaiming couldn't help but picture the butler in his mind.
Fu Xiaoxiao not only has strong observation skills, but also outstanding imitation abilities.
He had been joking that Fu Xiaoxiao, this lively character, could act in a movie with his Uncle Ji, but he never expected that Fu Xiaoxiao would actually have such talent.
Su Huaiming never hesitated to praise her, and patted Fu Xiaoxiao's head, saying, "Xiao Xiao is amazing, she imitated it even better than me."
No child dislikes being praised, Fu Xiaoxiao immediately beamed with joy, her chubby body wiggling back and forth, as if radiating pink bubbles.
Su Huaiming couldn't help but laugh, wanting to remind Fu Jingfan of something, but Fu Jingfan had already guessed what he was going to say, "I will. If Xiao Xiao has this desire when he grows up, I will nurture him."
Su Huaiming nodded, looked at Fu Xiaoxiao and then at Fu Jingfan, and suddenly felt a warm atmosphere.
The light ahead was red, Fu Jingfan stopped the car and turned to look at Su Huaiming.
The distance between the two suddenly closed. Fu Jingfan's deep eyes and focused gaze revealed a unique tenderness.
"Were you angry with me just now?" Fu Jingfan's voice was very soft, with a hint of caution.
When this thought popped into his head, Su Huaiming felt like he was going crazy.
Fu Jingfan is extremely shrewd and arrogant. How could he possibly lower himself for someone else and cautiously beg for forgiveness?
Su Huaiming was lost in thought and did not respond immediately.
Fu Jingfan was still staring intently at him, his eyes slightly lowered, his thick eyelashes trembling twice, making him look somewhat pitiful.
Su Huaiming: "..."
He's absolutely insane, forcibly adding some weird filter to Fu Jingfan!
"Don't be angry." Fu Jingfan's unconditional apology was so convincing that it was impossible to find fault with him. "It's all my fault."
Su Huaiming's heart softened uncontrollably. He banished all thoughts from his mind and quickly said, "I'm not angry."
"Then why..." Fu Jingfan didn't say it directly, leaving room for endless speculation.
Su Huaiming found it increasingly difficult to face Fu Jingfan. He subconsciously wanted to explain that he wasn't angry, but when he met Fu Xiaoxiao's watery eyes, he swallowed his words back.
He had just praised Fu Xiaoxiao, and now he was saying that Fu Xiaoxiao was wrong. This was a huge blow to a child's self-esteem.
But if he doesn't respond, he'll still be stared at like that by Fu Jingfan, which is a huge test for his mental state.
Su Huaiming was caught in a dilemma, his mind racing, and a look of inner turmoil appeared on his brow.
If this continues, it will be the father and son ganging up on Su Huaiming.
Fu Jingfan knew when to stop and naturally changed the subject, not pressing the issue further.
When he turned his head away, from an angle where Su Huaiming couldn't see him, Fu Jingfan's lips curled up slightly, radiating a satisfied pleasure.
He knew he should create some distance and give Su Huaiming space to think things through, but just looking at Su Huaiming made him feel restless and he always wanted to tease him and touch him.
After a while, Fu Xiaoxiao fell asleep in the car, and Fu Jingfan became a competent driver. The car quieted down, and Su Huaiming turned his head to look out the window and slowly closed his eyes.
He hasn't figured out what to do yet.
Reason told him that he should cut the Gordian knot and make things clear with Fu Jingfan in time so that the entanglement wouldn't get any deeper. But when facing Fu Jingfan, Su Huaiming found it hard to open his mouth, and his mind became increasingly chaotic.
Staying in familiar surroundings, where Fu Jingfan's presence is everywhere, would likely make it even harder for him to sort out his feelings. That's why this hot spring trip was something he had been looking forward to.
Su Huaiming's mind was in turmoil, but holding Fu Xiaoxiao's soft body, he felt incredibly calm and drifted off to sleep.
Fu Jingfan noticed this and drove even more smoothly, without disturbing Su Huaiming and Fu Xiaoxiao from beginning to end.
The hot spring is located on a mountainside with beautiful scenery and an overall antique style. As soon as you enter, you can see many carefully prepared little details that can quickly pull you away from the hustle and bustle of the city and calm your mind.
The car had just stopped when the housekeeper and his team arrived quickly.
Song Hanyu opened the car door and saw Su Huaiming standing to the side. Her eyes lit up, and Su Huaiming eagerly went over to greet him.
Having met before, and with Song Hanyu being naturally outgoing, the two quickly became quite familiar with each other after exchanging a few pleasantries.
While Su Huaiming and Song Hanyu were chatting, Fu Jingfan walked on the other side, his steps neither hurried nor slow, like a tall and fierce animal guarding its prey, not allowing anyone to covet it.
Song Hanyu secretly glanced at Fu Jingfan, clicked her tongue twice in her mind, and couldn't help but show a hint of disdain.
Fu Jingfan seems to be in his courtship phase, constantly showing off and being cool, with a touch of sassiness.
For her own safety, Song Hanyu only dared to mutter a few complaints in her heart, without showing them, and continued to assist.
After listening to Song Hanyu's words, Su Huaiming asked in surprise, "You own this hot spring hotel?"
Song Hanyu nodded. "To be precise, this is my investment, managed by someone else. I only come here occasionally to relax."
At this point, Song Hanyu seized the opportunity to flatter him, "Su Huaiming, if you ever want to come here again, just mention my name, and I'll have someone arrange the best room for you."
Su Huaiming repeatedly declined, saying, "How could I possibly accept that?"
"Brother Fu and I have been good friends for many years. We're practically family. It would be too formal to talk about money with a friend."
After speaking, Song Hanyu deliberately glanced at Fu Jingfan with an expression that seemed to be seeking a reward.
From beginning to end, Fu Jingfan ignored him completely, putting on a respectable act, and said to Su Huaiming in a deep voice, "You don't need to be polite with him. I just happened to be busy with vacation here, so consider yourself as someone who came in my place."