Before Zhao Ningchu could speak, Ji Xiuran came over and said, "I don't mean any harm, I just want to send my child here!"
Zhao Ningchu tried hard to control his emotions and said calmly: "Mr. Ji, I'm sorry to trouble you."
"When do you get off work, I'll take you home!"
Zhao Ningchu refused without even thinking about it: "No need to bother, we'll take a taxi back ourselves."
As if he expected to be rejected, Ji Xiuran picked up Xiaobai and said softly: "We just made an agreement in the car, didn't we?"
Xiaobai avoided Ji Xiuran's gaze with a coy expression. Zhao Ningchu felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart when he saw the interaction between the two.
"Xiaobai, come down!"
She said sternly.
Xiaobai lowered his eyes and said nothing. After struggling slightly, Ji Xiuran put him down.
Zhao Ningchu saw that Xiaobai's mood was not right, and turned to look at Nini: "What's wrong? Are you unhappy at school?"
Nini said with a sweet voice: "It's Fatty Zhao, and he said that my brother and I don't have daddy..."
When Zhao Ningchu heard this, she felt a little uncomfortable. She squatted in front of Xiao Bai and stretched out her hand to hold his little hand: "Baby, I'm sorry, Mommy didn't mean to hurt you just now."
Xiaobai turned his head away and said nothing.
Zhao Ningchu sighed silently.
She knew that her son's temper was difficult to control once he got up, unless she thought clearly about it.
Zhao Ningchu once again laid her eyes on Ji Xiuran, with a distant expression on her face.
"Mr. Ji, thank you very much for helping me pick up the child today. We don't want to meet again in the future."
After saying that, he took the two little guys and walked towards the store.
After Zhao Ningchu settled the two little ones in the lounge, his face stiffened when he saw Ji Xiuran walking in.
Before she could speak, Ji Xiuran took the lead and said, "Give me a signboard from your store."
Zhao Ningchu wanted to say something else, but then heard Ji Xiuran say: "Eat here!"
In the end, Zhao Ningchu suppressed his words of chasing people away, but the expression on his face remained cold.
"Please line up and thank you!"
Ji Xiuran saw that there were only two people in front of him, so he just went to line up obediently.
Because Gu Ran was no longer there, the packing and cashiering fell into Zhao Ningchu's hands.
She smiled at the guests in front of her: "Can I cut the bread for you?"
"Need it, thank you!"
"You can try our secret sweet jam."
Ji Xiuran stood behind and looked at Zhao Ningchu quietly. Finally, after the people in front left, Ji Xiuran stepped forward.
"I need cubes and sweet jam too."
Zhao Ningchu didn't say anything, and directly put the ordered meal on the plate, with a businesslike tone: "Hello, your meal is ready, would you like cash or scan the QR code?"
"Is this good?"
"alright."
"Can't it be cut into cubes and served with jam?"
When Zhao Ning first heard this, she had a signature smile on her face: "Sir, the jam has been given away."
"slice!"
Zhao Ningchu was speechless. How could an old man in his thirties be so serious?
Looking at the customers waiting to pay, Zhao Ningchu had no choice but to help Ji Xiuran cut into slices.
Time passed minute by minute, and it wasn't until after seven o'clock that Gu Ran opened the store door in a panic.
"Achu, I'm sorry, something delayed me."
Zhao Ningchu glared at her angrily: "Ranran, you can't do this."
Gu Ran clasped her hands together and quickly apologized: "Sorry, sorry, I promise it won't be like this again. Today is indeed a special situation. I'll take a look next. You can go back with the children."
Zhao Ningchu saw that it was too late, so he took off his apron.
Gu Ran glanced at Ji Xiuran sitting by the window and sighed silently.
If Su Yang hadn't begged her not to come back and created opportunities for Ji Xiuran and Zhao Ningchu, she wouldn't have come back so late.
Looking at Zhao Ningchu's appearance, he was probably angry.
Hey, I'd better do less of this kind of thing in the future. If my secret is exposed, I'll be doomed.
"Achu!"
"What's wrong?"
"That Ji Xiuran is still there."
"It has nothing to do with me, I'm going back first."
When Zhao Ningchu returned to the lounge, the two little guys fell asleep.
She stepped forward with distressed eyes and gently pushed Xiao Bai: "Baby, wake up, we are going home."
Xiaobai opened his eyes, then reached out and rubbed them: "Is Mommy off work?"
Zhao Ningchu nodded: "Well, it's time to get off work, let's go home!"
Zhao Ningchu looked at Nini who was standing aside. Knowing that this little guy had a bad temper, he picked him up and walked out holding one in each hand.
As soon as he walked out of the store, Ji Xiuran's car drove over. He got out of the car and ran to Zhao Ningchu in the light rain: "It's raining, I'll take you back!"
Zhao Ningchu was about to refuse, but thought that it would be difficult to take a taxi in the rain and the children would suffer, so she agreed.
Sitting in the car, neither of them spoke. It was not until the car stopped steadily at the door of the villa that Zhao Ningchu spoke: "Mr. Ji, I really want to thank you today."
Ji Xiuran didn't speak, just got out of the car silently and opened the door for her.
Zhao Ningchu was a little flattered. She ignored Ji Xiuran, looked at the two little guys who were already asleep, and said softly: "Brother, wake up, you're home."
Xiaobai, who used to wake up whenever he shouted, couldn't wake up this time no matter what.
Ji Xiuran behind her saw this and said quickly: "I'll carry him in. Stop shouting and let them sleep."
"Thank you then!"
The two of them carried their children into the house one after another. Zhao Ningchu held Xiaobai in his arms and pointed to Nini's children's room: "That's his room."
When Ji Xiuran heard this, he frowned: "Are you sleeping alone at such a young age?"
"I'm used to it. Sorry to bother you."
After saying that, he carried Xiaobai to his small room.
The rain outside is still falling, and it seems to have no tendency to stop.
After Zhao Ningchu coaxed Xiaobai to sleep, she walked out of the room.
Seeing that the light in Nini's room was still on, she frowned slightly.
Haven't you slept yet?
As soon as she walked in, she heard a man's voice coming from Nini's bedroom.
At this moment, Nini was lying on the bed with her eyes open, and Ji Xiuran was sitting beside the bed, holding a storybook in his hand.
"Snow White and the prince finally reunited and lived happily together."
"But, skunk, you didn't even tell the story about the prince kissing Snow White."
When Nini, who had her eyes closed, heard this, she suddenly opened her eyes and whispered a reminder.
"Is there any?"
"Yes. When Mommy told me the story, she said that the prince had to kiss the princess."
After saying that, she got up and walked up to Ji Xiuran. She pointed her short finger at the story painting in Ji Xiuran's hand, and then suddenly said excitedly: "Look, the prince kissed the princess, and you didn't even say anything."
Ji Xiuran's mouth twitched slightly.
He deliberately ignored the drawing on this page, but he didn't expect this little girl to be so smart.
"Okay, then just sleep well and I'll tell you again."
"I don't want it. I want Mommy to tell me. The story is not as nice as Mommy's."
"Your mommy has been working all day and is very tired. Uncle will tell you a story again."
"Okay, Shu, don't forget it."
"Forgot what?"
"The prince just needs Snow White."
"good!"
Nini lay back on the bed and covered herself with quilt. Ji Xiuran sat beside the bed. He turned off the incandescent light in the room and turned on the bedside sleep light. The orange light shone on him and the atmosphere in the room became very harmonious.
The man's sometimes deep and sometimes soft voice reached Zhao Ningchu's ears again.
Zhao Ningchu looked at the scene in front of him, feeling a little dazed.
It turns out that Ji Xiuran still has such a side.
If what happened five years ago had not happened, would he be able to be a qualified father?
Zhao Ningchu looked at the warm scene of a large and small man, and suddenly felt a little sour in his heart.
He didn't expect Nini to like Ji Xiuran. Even today in the store, when Ji Xiuran hugged Xiaobai, Xiaobai didn't resist.
It was clear that they were bad uncles before, but in just one day, the two little guys changed their views on Ji Xiuran.
If Ji Xiuran knew that Xiaobai was his son, and Xiaobai liked Ji Xiuran and followed him...
The more he thought about it, the more frightened Zhao Ningchu became.
The child that he had tried his best to protect could not be easily coaxed by Ji Xiuran.
Thinking of this, Zhao Ningchu directly pushed the door open and walked in: "Mr. Ji, it's very late. You should go back first. I will tell the children a story. Thank you very much for today."
Ji Xiuran originally stayed because he thought about the chance to have a baby.
But since Zhao Ningchu had already started to drive people away, if he forced him to stay, it might be counterproductive.
"You're welcome, the child is very obedient!"
After saying that, he put the story painting in his hand aside. Seeing this, Nini quickly reached out and grabbed Ji Xiuran's clothes: "Shu, are you leaving?"
"Yeah, it's too late, I have to go back."
"Can the squid stay? Nini likes the squid."
Zhao Ningchu heard this and said sternly: "Nini..."
Nini blinked her big watery eyes and looked at Zhao Ningchu, then her eyes became wet and tears rolled down from her eyes.
"Woo hoo, I want Shumao to stay. Shumao promised Nini that he would send me and my brother to school tomorrow,"
When Zhao Ningchu saw this, she sighed silently, and then said softly: "Nini, the sorghum wants to go home. This is not the squid's home. Besides, if the squid stays here to sleep, we don't have any extra room."
"You can sleep with grandpa and Nini. Mommy, why don't you leave?"
"Nini, be obedient
"No, I don't want him to leave. He promised Nini that he will go find Zhao Xiaopang tomorrow."
Ji Xiuran on the side felt a little proud when he saw this.
At first I thought it was difficult to do with children, but now it seems that it is very simple.
He said: "Nini, I'm sorry, Shamrock has to go home, otherwise it won't be able to leave if it rains too hard."
"No, no, Nini doesn't want to leave."
After saying that, he hugged Ji Xiuran's hand tightly.
Zhao Ningchu saw this and glared at Ji Xiuran angrily.
Ji Xiuran shrugged helplessly: "Achu, look at this..."
"Did you do it on purpose?"
"I don't."
Zhao Ningchu snorted coldly and said with an arrogant look: "Forget it, even if I keep you here, nothing will change. Let me make it clear that there is no guest room in my house, so you can only sleep in the living room."
Thinking about how a man like Ji Xiuran could sleep in the living room, Zhao Ningchu said this deliberately to make him retreat.
It's a pity that Ji Xiuran saw all her little thoughts.
Ji Xiuran nodded: "It's okay, as long as you have a quilt."
Zhao Ningchu:......
I'm so angry, why doesn't this person play his cards according to the routine?
When Nini heard that Ji Xiuran was not leaving, she blinked her big round eyes and looked at him: "Sham, mommy won't kick you out..."
"Um!"
"Then can you continue to tell me stories? Zhao Xiaopang said that his father tells him stories every night."
"What about your dad?"
Nini shook her head: "Nini's father is dead, and mommy said the grass on the grave is three meters high."
Ji Xiuran:......
Zhao Ningchu:......
"Her father..." Before Ji Xiuran could finish his words, Zhao Ningchu interrupted directly: "It has nothing to do with you."
After saying that, he spoke to Nini in a low voice: "Nini, you can ask uncle to stay, but don't talk nonsense."
Nini nodded: "Okay, Nini understands."
"Then Mommy has gone back to her room. You have to be good."
After saying that, she reached out and rubbed Nini's head and left Nini's bedroom directly. During the whole process, she treated Ji Xiuran as a decoration and didn't even look at him.
That night, she couldn't sleep, and all she could think about was what Nini said.
It is undeniable that children want their father's love, otherwise they would not say such words.
For Nini, Zhao Ningchu felt that she did not owe anything to her. After all, she was not Nini's mother. However, for Xiaobai, Zhao Ningchu felt very guilty because she could not give Xiaobai a complete family.
Zhao Ningchu took out her mobile phone and dialed a number.
Soon, the call was connected.
"Hello……"
"Why did you come to Yanjing? Come and see your daughter."
"good!"
Zhao Ningchu hung up the phone, left her bedroom, and came to Xiaobai's room. Xiaobai fell asleep. Zhao Ningchu was sitting by the bed, reaching out and gently touching Xiaobai's cheek.
"Baby, Mommy is sorry for you."
Looking at this face that looked exactly like Ji Xiuran's, Zhao Ningchu felt very uncomfortable.
The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier. Zhao Ningchu got up and went to the living room. Standing at the stairs, she saw the man lying on the sofa.
Unexpectedly, Ji Xiuran was actually lying on the sofa and sleeping.
Such a tall man curled up on the sofa according to the content, thinking a little embarrassed.
Five years have passed, and the years have barely left any traces on Ji Xiuran's face. He is still so handsome.
Zhao Ningchu stared at it for a while, then turned and left the living room.
The moment Zhao Ningchu turned around, the sleeping man suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the girl's back with a proud smile on his lips.
Within a few minutes, he saw Zhao Ningchu walking over with a quilt in his arms. Ji Xiuran quickly closed his eyes and continued to pretend to sleep.
Zhao Ningchu came to Ji Xiuran, casually put the quilt on him, and turned around and went to the bedroom without stopping.
The entire living room fell into darkness. Ji Xiuran slowly sat up, took out a cigarette from his pocket, took out a cigarette and bit it in his mouth, then took out a lighter and lit it, took a strong puff, and spit out circles.
Smoke rings.
Time passed by minute by minute, and the whole villa became extremely quiet.
Ji Xiuran smoked the last cigarette in his hand, then stood up and went to the window, opening it.
A gust of cold wind blew in, and he stood like this for a few minutes. After the smell of cigarette smoke dissipated from his body, he turned around and walked step by step towards Zhao Ningchu's bedroom.