Fu Xiaoxiao snorted twice through her nose, barely expressing her satisfaction, and released the old lady's leg.
The old lady knew how to coax Fu Xiaoxiao, and continued, "I'm entrusting Little Black's two children to you. You must take good care of them."
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao's eyes widened, her gaze unusually bright, and she immediately exclaimed, "I definitely will!"
Fu Xiaoxiao was so happy she didn't know how to prove it, so she just pounded her chest hard.
They were probably both puppies, but the two little puppies had already gotten along well with Fu Xiaoxiao, circling around his legs and showing the old lady through their actions that they were already friends.
The black dog was very intelligent; it nudged the two puppies with its wet nose, as if telling them to be good.
As the old lady was leaving, the black dog walked to Su Huaiming's side, nuzzled his hand with its head, and took the initiative to say goodbye.
Regardless of whether the black dog could understand him or not, Su Huaiming smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of your two children."
The black dog looked at Su Huaiming with docile eyes before turning around and catching up with the old lady.
Fu Xiaoxiao's emotions came and went quickly. After being nudged a few times by the two puppies, she immediately forgot her reluctance to part and happily played on the lawn, rolling around on the ground until her clothes were stained with mud.
Watching this heartwarming scene, the housekeeper couldn't help but smile like an aunt, "Young master likes these two puppies so much, shouldn't you give them names?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao immediately stood up, eager to name his two good friends.
He took this matter very seriously. He frowned, pondered for a full three minutes, and then his eyes lit up. With considerable confidence, he said, "I've thought of a great name! The dog will definitely love it!"
The butler asked, "What's the name?"
Fu Xiaoxiao put her hands on her hips, snorted twice through her nose, and said loudly, "Da Qiang!"
Housekeeper. "..."
Fu Xiaoxiao genuinely thought the name was great; "big and strong" was his ideal ultimate form. If he weren't afraid of upsetting his father, he probably would have changed his name to Da Qiang).
Fu Xiaoxiao was willing to part with the name because he really liked puppies; he wouldn't have been willing to give it up for anyone else.
After saying that, he looked at the blond puppy with bright eyes and asked, "Do you like this name?"
The puppy sniffed, lowered its body, wiggled its bottom, and let out two soft, babyish cries, looking very excited.
Fu Xiaoxiao was immediately delighted to see how much the little puppy liked the name.
When it came time to name the other little white dog, Fu Xiaoxiao suddenly got stuck and couldn't think of a suitable name.
The butler, trying to ease the tension, interjected, "Mingming's father was a black dog, and his puppies were one yellow and one white. If I hadn't known beforehand, I really wouldn't have thought of that."
The housekeeper talked for a while, but Fu Xiaoxiao still hadn't decided on a name. She pouted so hard her lips were practically sticking out.
Fu Jingfan had remained silent until now, seemingly unwilling to get involved in such a childish matter, but at this moment he turned to Su Huaiming and said, "You give him a name."
Su Huaiming was a vengeful person. He was still blaming Fu Jingfan for dragging him into this mess and didn't want to talk to him. But when he met the gazes of the butler and Fu Xiaoxiao, he could only swallow his words and nod.
Seeing that Su Huaiming was still willing to respond to him, Fu Jingfan knew that he hadn't angered Su Huaiming yet and there was still room for reconciliation.
Su Huaiming was completely oblivious to Fu Jingfan's subtle attempt to be friendly. He turned to look at the little white dog, his expression focused as he pondered deeply.
The housekeeper looked on expectantly.
He had a biased view of Su Huaiming, thinking that Su Huaiming was an artist and a smart person, and would definitely be able to come up with an artistic and elegant name.
"This puppy has glossy, smooth fur of a pure color, resembling a cloud. Its eyes are clear and bright, and its round face is very endearing. It's a beautiful little dog."
Under the watchful eyes of the housekeeper and Fu Xiaoxiao, Su Huaiming blinked, his lips parted, and his voice was soft, as light as a breeze:
"Let's call her Xiao Mei."
Housekeeper. "..."
Fu Jingfan: "..."
Su Huaiming's naming style and skill level were similar to Fu Xiaoxiao's. Fu Xiaoxiao repeated it several times, her eyes sparkling, very satisfied with the name.
He crouched down and tapped the little yellow dog's wet nose. "Your name is Da Qiang."
After saying that, he patted the little white dog's head and said happily, "Your Xiao Mei."
"From now on, we're best friends!"
The two puppies, completely unaware of the power of those two names, rubbed against Fu Xiaoxiao's hand, circled around him, and barked with a very sweet, childlike voice.
Upon hearing those two names, the butler felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, his psychological defenses completely shattered.
He looked at the two carefree puppies with pity and sighed inwardly.
You've really been wronged to run into this pair of geniuses in the world of naming!
Author's Note:
Su Huaiming: My skill level automatically catches up with Xiao Xiao's; I'm such a good stepfather!
Chapter 41
After finishing dinner, Su Huaiming returned to his room.
After he finished watching the show he had recently finished watching, he realized that it was already quite late.
At this time in the past, he would go to Fu Jingfan's study to bring him a late-night snack, but thinking about what happened during the day, Su Huaiming narrowed his eyes, grumbled twice, and decided to wash up and go to bed.
Fu Jingfan won't starve to death if he doesn't eat a late-night snack for a day.
Just as Su Huaiming was about to go into the bathroom, he heard a knock on the door. The butler asked from outside, "Mr. Su, are you already asleep?"
Su Huaiming walked over and opened the door. "No, did you need something from me?"
He had barely finished speaking when he saw the tray in the butler's hand, on which was today's late-night snack.
"Mr. Fu, I noticed you haven't delivered any late-night snacks, so I asked you to come and check on you, worried you might be hungry tonight." The butler was very tactful, and his words were perfectly measured.
Su Huaiming, however, was unaware of this and said bluntly, "He's not worried about me going hungry; he's urging me to deliver midnight snacks."
"No, no," the butler shook his head repeatedly. "Mr. Fu isn't urging you; he's asking if you'd like to go?"
Su Huaiming was also a man with a temper. He was about to refuse when he smelled the fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.
Tempted by the delicious food, he spoke more slowly, "I... I'm really hungry, leave the midnight snack here."
Under the butler's stunned gaze, Su Huaiming took the tray, greeted him, and politely closed the door.
The housekeeper, seeing the closed door, realized that Su Huaiming intended to leave Fu Jingfan behind and enjoy a late-night snack alone.
Remembering Mr. Fu's instructions, the butler scratched his head in distress, paced around a few times, and then sighed helplessly, having no choice but to go and report the matter to Fu Jingfan.
Su Huaiming was unaware of all this. He sat on the bay window and happily served himself a bowl of white fungus soup.
With the recent large temperature difference between day and night, people are also prone to feeling hot and bothered, so lotus seed and white fungus soup is a good choice.
Lotus seed and white fungus soup is very common; almost every family makes it. The chef has some skill; the white fungus is stewed until soft and tender, and the soup is a clear, semi-gelatinous consistency with a refreshing taste, a subtle sweetness that is just right, and a floral fragrance that is hard to describe.
Su Huaiming had just drunk a little less than half a bowl when he heard a knock on the door.
Su Huaiming casually said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, but no footsteps were heard.
Su Huaiming looked up in confusion and saw Fu Jingfan standing tall and slender in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning lazily against the door frame.
Su Huaiming raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"
Fu Jingfan didn't answer, but politely asked, "May I come in?"
Su Huaiming had seen Fu Jingfan's dark and wicked inner self before, and wasn't buying it. He said coldly, "If I refuse, you won't come in?"
Fu Jingfan wasn't surprised by Su Huaiming's answer, raising an eyebrow. "Of course, without the master's permission, I can only stand here."
While they were talking, Su Huaiming had already finished a bowl of white fungus soup. With the comforting taste of the food, Su Huaiming felt much better. Seeing Fu Jingfan, that tall guy, standing in the doorway, which was really blocking his way, he reluctantly let him in.
Fu Jingfan sat in the seat opposite the bay window, quietly watching Su Huaiming.
Su Huaiming didn't intend to speak first. He ladled out another bowl of white fungus soup, and just as he picked up the spoon, he heard Fu Jingfan ask bluntly, "Why didn't you bring me a midnight snack today?"
Su Huaiming: "..." How dare you ask that!
Seeing that Su Huaiming was unwilling to talk to him, Fu Jingfan changed his approach, "Are you still angry with me?"
Su Huaiming raised his head, forcing a smile, and said, "How could I dare to be angry with you? Besides, you haven't done anything wrong, so why should I be angry with you?"
Fu Jingfan nodded in agreement. "I really didn't do anything wrong."
Su Huaiming took a deep breath and managed to restrain himself from forcing Fu Jingfan out.
"I know what you're thinking. Wait until I finish speaking before you decide whether you want to be angry or not," Fu Jingfan said first.
Su Huaiming could only swallow back the beautiful Chinese words he was about to say, crossed his arms, leaned against the software, and gave Fu Jingfan a big-shot nod with his chin, signaling him to continue.
"I know that the title of chief designer may be a source of pressure or constraint for you, but that's not what I meant."
Fu Jingfan treated Su Huaiming as a partner, treating him as an equal, and tried to persuade him, "I won't force you to set goals or impose other restrictions, nor will I use my leadership title to pressure you. I will give you a completely free environment. If you're not comfortable with that, you can name your terms, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."
Fu Jingfan leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes reflecting Su Huaiming's figure. His voice softened considerably, "You and Madam Li share similar interests, and your creative ideas can spark even more inspiration. Designing together with her, isn't that a very enjoyable thing?"
Upon hearing the last sentence, Su Huaiming opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
He didn't have anything he particularly liked, but creating and designing wasn't something he found arduous or painful. Moreover, with the elderly lady as a close friend despite their age difference, he had a greater expectation for the results of his designs.
Su Huaiming simply disliked being forced to do things he didn't care about; he didn't actually want to lie in bed all day, doing nothing and just waiting to be fed.
Although it would require some effort, he did not reject the idea.
What truly troubled him was that this matter had forced him into a life-or-death struggle and created other unforeseen entanglements. For instance, when it came time to get a divorce, his title as chief designer prevented him from extricating himself in time.
Sensing that Su Huaiming's attitude was softening, Fu Jingfan continued, "You can try giving me your opinion and see if I'll agree to it?"
With a "no harm in trying" attitude, Su Huaiming asked, "If I become the chief designer, and then want to step down after four months, you can't stop me for any reason."
Fu Jingfan nodded. "Okay, I promise you."
Su Huaiming sensed Fu Jingfan's sincerity and his attitude became more respectful. "I don't want any tasks or goals. When I have inspiration, I will create, but you can't force me or interfere with my creative ideas and process."
Fu Jingfan nodded without hesitation. "That's exactly what I meant. Only in this way can you create better. I will write all of this into the contract, and you can have your lawyer check it carefully."
Su Huaiming looked at Fu Jingfan suspiciously, as if he didn't recognize him. "Why are you being so easy to talk to?"
Fu Jingfan guessed Su Huaiming's subtext, his eyes lowered slightly, and his expression showed a hint of helplessness, "I'm not a shrew."
Su Huaiming paused, then asked, "But my style is completely different from yours. Can you tolerate that?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Jingfan lowered his eyes to look at Su Huaiming.