Upon hearing Jiang Zhi Zhou's words, Xia Wei's face flushed. "Isn't it kind of you to say that right after I said I'll be ignoring you for 72 hours?"
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..."
"Well then, goodbye." Xia Wei resolutely closed the video call and exhaled.
She felt rather warm.
"Woof woof!" Sunshine pranced in circles around her, while Tangerine meowed loudly.
Xia Wei: "..."
There were already two sons in the family! As for daughters... we'll discuss them later.
While having dinner with Jiang Man Man, Jiang Zhi Zhou sent a few videos to Xia Wei, trying to figure out if the other side really was going to ignore him.
The other side really did ignore him.
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..."
That evening, Jiang Man Man stayed with Jiang Zhi Zhou, playing until she passed out. Jiang Zhi Zhou picked her up gently and took her back to Jiang Cheng Yue's room.
Just about the time he was looking for his cousin, Jiang Cheng Yue returned to the hotel. Jiang Zhi Zhou walked over with Jiang Man Man and told him: "Man Man stayed with me tonight, and is asleep now."
Jiang Cheng Yue nodded and took Jiang Man Man into his arms. "Thank you for taking care of her."
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "I know that you're very busy at work and that I'm butting in here, but Man Man is your daughter. You should spend more time with her."
It wasn't the first time Jiang Cheng Yue had heard this. He did want to spend more time with Man Man, but he merely replied helplessly, "You know how the current situation of the Jiang family is. I'm also hoping to give Man Man better living conditions. "
"She's already living better than many of her peers, but she still isn't as happy as they are. Are you sure you really know what she needs?"
Jiang Cheng Yue frowned, but didn't say anything. He knew that Man Man wanted him to spend more time with her, but if he didn't fight for his ambitions, he would become the stepping stone for another. And when that happened, he would no longer have a place in the Jiang family.
"Today, Man Man told me that all the other kids in kindergarten had moms and dads, except herself."
Jiang Cheng Yue felt an ache in his heart. No one loved his own daughter more than he. She had once had a mother to accompany her, but now...
"I've bothered you today." Holding his daughter, Jiang Cheng Yue entered his own room and closed the door.
A few days later, Jiang Man Man rushed to find Jiang Zhi Zhou, her entire face lit up. "Uncle, Uncle, Daddy said that he would take me to the amusement park tomorrow!"
Jiang Zhi Zhou was quite surprised. How did his eldest cousin suddenly get his priorities straight?
Jiang Man Man was tugging onto his hand. "Having Uncle educate Daddy really worked!"
Jiang Zhi Zhou couldn't help but laugh. He scratched Jiang Man Man's hair and asked, "Daddy is going out to play with Man Man. Is Man Man happy?"
"Man Man told Daddy that she would ask uncle to come play together!"
"Do I need to go too?"
"Mm!"
As the two were chatting, Jiang Cheng Yue walked over. He nodded to Jiang Zhi Zhou and said, "You should come along. Thank you for having looked after Man Man this whole time."
"Uncle, please come~" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou smiled and pinched her face. "Alright, uncle and daddy will both go with you." +
That Saturday was probably Jiang Man Man's happiest day since she arrived at S City. Jiang Cheng Yue bought a new dress for her and helped her put it on. Jiang Man Man took a photo of it in front of the mirror: "The dress Daddy chose is so pretty! Man Man wants to show it to Mummy." +
Jiang Cheng Yue picked her up, smiling, and said, "Don't boast. Uncle is waiting for us." +
"Then let's go!" +
By the time Jiang Cheng Yue left the hotel with Jiang Man Man in his arms, Jiang Zhi Zhou had already been waiting in the car for a while. When he saw them coming out, he said to Xia Wei, "Man Man and my cousin are here. I'll talk to you tonight." +
"Alright, say hello to Man Man for me~" +
As soon as he hung up, the door was opened by Jiang Man Man: "Uncle, uncle, does my new dress look nice?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "Very nice! Did your Daddy buy it?" +
"Yeah." Jiang Man Man sat next to him with a happy smile and asked, "Is uncle talking to his girlfriend again?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou had a girlfriend? Jiang Cheng Yue side-eyed him silently, but said nothing. Jiang Zhi Zhou kept quiet, but Jiang Man Man told her father brightly, "Daddy, Man Man has seen uncle's girlfriend! She's as pretty as Mummy." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
Already gossiping at such an early age, Man Man? Fortunately, Jiang Cheng Yue was an adult. Instead of prying further, he patted his daughter on her little head, "Alright, sit down quickly. Don't you still want to go to the amusement park?" +
"Yes!" Jiang Man Man was successfully distracted and quickly settled in. +
Jiang Man Man was ecstatic all the way to the amusement park. When they arrived, she clamoured to take a photo with her father. Jiang Zhi Zhou worked hard as their photographer, feeling like perhaps this amusement park invitation was merely to have someone to hold the camera. +
There were so many people in the amusement park that Saturday that they had to queue up for every ride, but Jiang Man Man was in high spirits the whole time. While lining up for the merry-go-round, Jiang Cheng Yue couldn't help but sigh: "I haven't ridden this since I was a kid. I didn't expect to have to ride it even as an old man." +
"..." Jiang Zhi Zhou felt the exact same way. +
Even on the merry-go-round, Jiang Zhi Zhou was still responsible for taking photos. Xia Wei had previously soundly criticized his photography, so he had no idea where Man Man's unfounded confidence in his camera technique came from. +
When he later told Xia Wei about this, she replied, "Maybe her father's even worse." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
While Man Man's nanny took her to the bathroom, Jiang Zhi Zhou and Jiang Cheng Yue found a bench outside to sit on. Jiang Zhi Zhou took a drink of water and heard Jiang Cheng Yue asking, "Are you ready to return to A City soon?" +
"Yeah." To himself, Jiang Zhi Zhou thought - it's impossible to keep a secret in this family. +
Jiang Cheng Yue said: "When you return, can you bring Man Man back with you?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou was quite stunned. "Are you sending Man Man back?" +
"It'll only get busier over here. I just don't have the time to spend with her, and once you're gone, there'll be no one at all who will play with her." +
Story continues below
Thinking about it, Jiang Zhi Zhou asked, "Is that why you brought her here to the amusement park today?" +
"It is." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou's lips thinned as he pressed them together. He could already imagine Man Man's devastation upon hearing this news. "Since you're so busy, why not send her to her mother?" +
Jiang Cheng Yue said: "Her mother now lives abroad and is newly remarried. Man Man would definitely be unhappy there as well." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou wanted to say that she was already unhappy here, but changed his words. "What about you? Don't you plan on getting married again?" +
"Not for the foreseeable future." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said nothing. Jiang Man Man quickly finished her trip to the bathroom, and called to them for the next ride. +
They played in the amusement park until it got dark. Jiang Cheng Yue's assistant had driven another car over to pick him up, and was already waiting outside. +
"Man Man, you and uncle will be going back to the hotel first. Dad still has things to do." Jiang Cheng Yue bent over his daughter. Jiang Man Man pouted, but Daddy had already spent all day with her and she was quite a sensible child. "Daddy, come back early." +
"Yeah." Jiang Cheng Yue kissed her tender, pink face, then stepped into his assistant's car. +
"Manager Jiang, Jiang Le Zhang and Jiang Le Xin went to see the senior manager today," his assistant reported as the car started. +
Jiang Cheng Yue snorted coldly before replying, "I've already anticipated that happening. I had you invite Wang Dong to dinner earlier. Has he arrived yet?" +
"Our people have already left to pick him up." +
"Good." +
The assistant hesitated before asking: "Manager Jiang, will we be able to pull Jiang Zhi Zhou to our side?" +
Jiang Cheng Yue said, "It would be great if we could, but he doesn't seem to intend to." +
The assistant glanced at him, but didn't say anything. +
At the gate to the amusement park, Jiang Man Man was still staring in the direction of the car driving away. Jiang Zhi Zhou picked her up and said, "Man Man, let's go back to the hotel." +
"Okay......" +
Although they had already had dinner in the amusement park, Jiang Zhi Zhou could sense that his niece was feeling a little down, and made some treats to coax her out of her dispirited mood. Jiang Man Man did indeed cheer up when she saw the food. Since Jiang Zhi Zhou was going through the photos taken that day, Xia Wei volunteered to send a video request. +
"How are you still eating?" Xia Wei felt rather depressed. Why are you rubbing it in my face like this? +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "For Man Man." +
When Jiang Man Man heard her name, she finally looked up from her bowl and called sweetly to Xia Wei on the screen, "Auntie!" +
Xia Wei: "........." +
Wasn't I still an older sister a few days ago? How did I become an auntie today?! After she finished roaring inside, she realized that there was a deeper meaning to the word than she had thought. +
"Jiang Zhi Zhou, what kinds of things have you been teaching Man Man?!" +
Jiang Man Man said: "It was her kindergarten teacher who taught her. They told her that an uncle's wife is called auntie." +
Xia Wei: "..." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou coughed and said: "So I just... whitewashed it a little bit?" +
"Who are you whitewashing! Who told Man Man that we were married?!" +
Jiang Man Man giggled: "Man Man figured it out herself." +
Xia Wei: "..." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
Man Man really was very gossipy. +
"Woof!" Sunshine found Xia Wei currently making a video call to Jiang Zhi Zhou, and stuck his face in front of the camera. +
"Wow, a dog!" Jiang Man Man looked at Sunshine curiously, and Xia Wei held up Tangerine for her to see as well. Like a child, Jiang Man Man was completely fascinated by the two animals, and interacted with them excitedly across the screen. +
Jiang Zhi Zhou watched them all fondly for a little while. Then, looking up at Xia Wei, he said, "I'll be back soon." +
Upon hearing Jiang Zhi Zhou's words, Xia Wei's face flushed. "Isn't it kind of you to say that right after I said I'll be ignoring you for 72 hours?"
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..."
"Well then, goodbye." Xia Wei resolutely closed the video call and exhaled.
She felt rather warm.
"Woof woof!" Sunshine pranced in circles around her, while Tangerine meowed loudly.
Xia Wei: "..."
There were already two sons in the family! As for daughters... we'll discuss them later.
While having dinner with Jiang Man Man, Jiang Zhi Zhou sent a few videos to Xia Wei, trying to figure out if the other side really was going to ignore him.
The other side really did ignore him.
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..."
That evening, Jiang Man Man stayed with Jiang Zhi Zhou, playing until she passed out. Jiang Zhi Zhou picked her up gently and took her back to Jiang Cheng Yue's room.
Just about the time he was looking for his cousin, Jiang Cheng Yue returned to the hotel. Jiang Zhi Zhou walked over with Jiang Man Man and told him: "Man Man stayed with me tonight, and is asleep now."
Jiang Cheng Yue nodded and took Jiang Man Man into his arms. "Thank you for taking care of her."
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "I know that you're very busy at work and that I'm butting in here, but Man Man is your daughter. You should spend more time with her."
It wasn't the first time Jiang Cheng Yue had heard this. He did want to spend more time with Man Man, but he merely replied helplessly, "You know how the current situation of the Jiang family is. I'm also hoping to give Man Man better living conditions. "
"She's already living better than many of her peers, but she still isn't as happy as they are. Are you sure you really know what she needs?"
Jiang Cheng Yue frowned, but didn't say anything. He knew that Man Man wanted him to spend more time with her, but if he didn't fight for his ambitions, he would become the stepping stone for another. And when that happened, he would no longer have a place in the Jiang family.
"Today, Man Man told me that all the other kids in kindergarten had moms and dads, except herself."
Jiang Cheng Yue felt an ache in his heart. No one loved his own daughter more than he. She had once had a mother to accompany her, but now...
"I've bothered you today." Holding his daughter, Jiang Cheng Yue entered his own room and closed the door.
A few days later, Jiang Man Man rushed to find Jiang Zhi Zhou, her entire face lit up. "Uncle, Uncle, Daddy said that he would take me to the amusement park tomorrow!"
Jiang Zhi Zhou was quite surprised. How did his eldest cousin suddenly get his priorities straight?
Jiang Man Man was tugging onto his hand. "Having Uncle educate Daddy really worked!"
Jiang Zhi Zhou couldn't help but laugh. He scratched Jiang Man Man's hair and asked, "Daddy is going out to play with Man Man. Is Man Man happy?"
"Man Man told Daddy that she would ask uncle to come play together!"
"Do I need to go too?"
"Mm!"
As the two were chatting, Jiang Cheng Yue walked over. He nodded to Jiang Zhi Zhou and said, "You should come along. Thank you for having looked after Man Man this whole time."
"Uncle, please come~" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou smiled and pinched her face. "Alright, uncle and daddy will both go with you." +
That Saturday was probably Jiang Man Man's happiest day since she arrived at S City. Jiang Cheng Yue bought a new dress for her and helped her put it on. Jiang Man Man took a photo of it in front of the mirror: "The dress Daddy chose is so pretty! Man Man wants to show it to Mummy." +
Jiang Cheng Yue picked her up, smiling, and said, "Don't boast. Uncle is waiting for us." +
"Then let's go!" +
By the time Jiang Cheng Yue left the hotel with Jiang Man Man in his arms, Jiang Zhi Zhou had already been waiting in the car for a while. When he saw them coming out, he said to Xia Wei, "Man Man and my cousin are here. I'll talk to you tonight." +
"Alright, say hello to Man Man for me~" +
As soon as he hung up, the door was opened by Jiang Man Man: "Uncle, uncle, does my new dress look nice?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "Very nice! Did your Daddy buy it?" +
"Yeah." Jiang Man Man sat next to him with a happy smile and asked, "Is uncle talking to his girlfriend again?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou had a girlfriend? Jiang Cheng Yue side-eyed him silently, but said nothing. Jiang Zhi Zhou kept quiet, but Jiang Man Man told her father brightly, "Daddy, Man Man has seen uncle's girlfriend! She's as pretty as Mummy." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
Already gossiping at such an early age, Man Man? Fortunately, Jiang Cheng Yue was an adult. Instead of prying further, he patted his daughter on her little head, "Alright, sit down quickly. Don't you still want to go to the amusement park?" +
"Yes!" Jiang Man Man was successfully distracted and quickly settled in. +
Jiang Man Man was ecstatic all the way to the amusement park. When they arrived, she clamoured to take a photo with her father. Jiang Zhi Zhou worked hard as their photographer, feeling like perhaps this amusement park invitation was merely to have someone to hold the camera. +
There were so many people in the amusement park that Saturday that they had to queue up for every ride, but Jiang Man Man was in high spirits the whole time. While lining up for the merry-go-round, Jiang Cheng Yue couldn't help but sigh: "I haven't ridden this since I was a kid. I didn't expect to have to ride it even as an old man." +
"..." Jiang Zhi Zhou felt the exact same way. +
Even on the merry-go-round, Jiang Zhi Zhou was still responsible for taking photos. Xia Wei had previously soundly criticized his photography, so he had no idea where Man Man's unfounded confidence in his camera technique came from. +
When he later told Xia Wei about this, she replied, "Maybe her father's even worse." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
While Man Man's nanny took her to the bathroom, Jiang Zhi Zhou and Jiang Cheng Yue found a bench outside to sit on. Jiang Zhi Zhou took a drink of water and heard Jiang Cheng Yue asking, "Are you ready to return to A City soon?" +
"Yeah." To himself, Jiang Zhi Zhou thought - it's impossible to keep a secret in this family. +
Jiang Cheng Yue said: "When you return, can you bring Man Man back with you?" +
Jiang Zhi Zhou was quite stunned. "Are you sending Man Man back?" +
"It'll only get busier over here. I just don't have the time to spend with her, and once you're gone, there'll be no one at all who will play with her." +
Story continues below
Thinking about it, Jiang Zhi Zhou asked, "Is that why you brought her here to the amusement park today?" +
"It is." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou's lips thinned as he pressed them together. He could already imagine Man Man's devastation upon hearing this news. "Since you're so busy, why not send her to her mother?" +
Jiang Cheng Yue said: "Her mother now lives abroad and is newly remarried. Man Man would definitely be unhappy there as well." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou wanted to say that she was already unhappy here, but changed his words. "What about you? Don't you plan on getting married again?" +
"Not for the foreseeable future." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said nothing. Jiang Man Man quickly finished her trip to the bathroom, and called to them for the next ride. +
They played in the amusement park until it got dark. Jiang Cheng Yue's assistant had driven another car over to pick him up, and was already waiting outside. +
"Man Man, you and uncle will be going back to the hotel first. Dad still has things to do." Jiang Cheng Yue bent over his daughter. Jiang Man Man pouted, but Daddy had already spent all day with her and she was quite a sensible child. "Daddy, come back early." +
"Yeah." Jiang Cheng Yue kissed her tender, pink face, then stepped into his assistant's car. +
"Manager Jiang, Jiang Le Zhang and Jiang Le Xin went to see the senior manager today," his assistant reported as the car started. +
Jiang Cheng Yue snorted coldly before replying, "I've already anticipated that happening. I had you invite Wang Dong to dinner earlier. Has he arrived yet?" +
"Our people have already left to pick him up." +
"Good." +
The assistant hesitated before asking: "Manager Jiang, will we be able to pull Jiang Zhi Zhou to our side?" +
Jiang Cheng Yue said, "It would be great if we could, but he doesn't seem to intend to." +
The assistant glanced at him, but didn't say anything. +
At the gate to the amusement park, Jiang Man Man was still staring in the direction of the car driving away. Jiang Zhi Zhou picked her up and said, "Man Man, let's go back to the hotel." +
"Okay......" +
Although they had already had dinner in the amusement park, Jiang Zhi Zhou could sense that his niece was feeling a little down, and made some treats to coax her out of her dispirited mood. Jiang Man Man did indeed cheer up when she saw the food. Since Jiang Zhi Zhou was going through the photos taken that day, Xia Wei volunteered to send a video request. +
"How are you still eating?" Xia Wei felt rather depressed. Why are you rubbing it in my face like this? +
Jiang Zhi Zhou said: "For Man Man." +
When Jiang Man Man heard her name, she finally looked up from her bowl and called sweetly to Xia Wei on the screen, "Auntie!" +
Xia Wei: "........." +
Wasn't I still an older sister a few days ago? How did I become an auntie today?! After she finished roaring inside, she realized that there was a deeper meaning to the word than she had thought. +
"Jiang Zhi Zhou, what kinds of things have you been teaching Man Man?!" +
Jiang Man Man said: "It was her kindergarten teacher who taught her. They told her that an uncle's wife is called auntie." +
Xia Wei: "..." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou coughed and said: "So I just... whitewashed it a little bit?" +
"Who are you whitewashing! Who told Man Man that we were married?!" +
Jiang Man Man giggled: "Man Man figured it out herself." +
Xia Wei: "..." +
Jiang Zhi Zhou: "..." +
Man Man really was very gossipy. +
"Woof!" Sunshine found Xia Wei currently making a video call to Jiang Zhi Zhou, and stuck his face in front of the camera. +
"Wow, a dog!" Jiang Man Man looked at Sunshine curiously, and Xia Wei held up Tangerine for her to see as well. Like a child, Jiang Man Man was completely fascinated by the two animals, and interacted with them excitedly across the screen. +
Jiang Zhi Zhou watched them all fondly for a little while. Then, looking up at Xia Wei, he said, "I'll be back soon." +
