Zhao Youlin was stunned. “Why are you blocking me?”
Mu Tingfeng’s eyebrows furrowed deeper. He said unhappily, “What’s so good about that guy that makes you want to look at him? You’re my girlfriend now. You should observe women’s moral behavior and not simply look at other men.”
Zhao Youlin was choked and rendered speechless. She only wanted to inquire about the identity of that man who looked dangerous. What was this guy thinking about?!
Just when Zhao Youlin was so torn up that she was about to faint, someone had already taken the lead and answered her question.
“Jifeng, finally you’re here. Where’s your elder brother? Why is he not with you?” Su Ruixin ran over to them and exchanged a hug with him.
A smile arched across Su Jifeng’s face when he saw Su Ruixin. He shouted, “Aunt Ruixin.”
Aunt Ruixin? Was this person Mu Tingfeng’s cousin, just like Su Qing?
Mu Tingfeng seemed to have read Zhao Youlin’s puzzlement that appeared in her eyes. He reluctantly explained to her, “He’s my cousin, my eldest uncle’s son, as well as the heir of the Su family.”
His brief reply allowed her to understand the full situation. The successor of the Su family? That Su family?
Regarding Li Hongyu’s incident last time, Zhao Shunrong had told her that Mu Tingfeng had lent them the help. Later, Xiao Jingyao had also mentioned the Su family to her.
She never expected the young man in front of her was a family member of the Su family. No wonder… no wonder when she saw her just now, she felt…
“There is something at home which my father needs to deal with. He’s tied up and could not get out of it. Hence, he asked me to come over. My aunt and uncle have bumped into certain acquaintances outside and are chatting with them. I suppose they would be here in a while. Qing, here’s the gift for my nephew.”
Su Ruixin nodded her head in understanding upon hearing his words. The nominal person-in-charge of the Su family was her eldest uncle. However, her eldest uncle was old. Recently, the Su family’s affairs were basically handled by her eldest brother. In other words, the actual person-in-charge of the Su family was her eldest cousin.
Su Ruixin placed her sleeping son on Song Yi’s hand and received Su Jifeng’s gift. She asked in a low voice, “Eh, I understand my eldest uncle’s situation, what about Xiao Qi, then? Why is Xiao Qi not coming?”
Su Jifeng looked like he was already expecting Su Qing’s question. He acted mysteriously as he smiled and he said, “Xiao Qi seems like she’s busy up there. No one knows where she goes. I couldn’t find her either.”
“Oh?” Su Qing raised one of her eyebrows. The way she looked at Su Jifeng grew profound. “Could it be… something else?”
Su Jifeng smiled but he remained silent. Su Qing was further convinced by this look. She pretended to look sad and said, “Xiao Qi is so heartless. My love for her before this had been in vain. Now, she totally forgets about her elder sister once she has a boyfriend. She did not even have time for something as big as my son’s full moon ceremony and take a look at him. My love for her had truly gone to waste.”
Su Jifeng understood the hint of scorn and mockery from Su Qing’s words. He was not angry. Instead, he merely smiled and remained quiet. Little did he know that he was Su Qing’s next subject of teasing.
“Jifeng, I must say, why are you still a bachelor when Xiao Qi already has a boyfriend? Hasn’t Eldest Uncle been urging you?”
Jifeng froze. He did not know if he wanted to laugh or cry as he said, “Alright, my lady, could you just stop mentioning this? Things like this can’t be rushed.”
“Fine, fine, fine. Things like this couldn’t be rushed. After all, as long as Eldest Uncle finds this more urgent than me, why should I even get worked up for?” Su Qing narrowed her eyes and seized the opportunity to tease Su Jifeng.
When Zhao Youlin watched the interaction between the two, her eyes shone with some sort of emotion. She sighed to herself, ‘It looks like the Su family has a strong bond with Madam Mu and her family.’
With the previous hiccup as the precursor, the remainder of the banquet went smoothly. By the time the banquet came to an end, it was already very late at night.
Joy had two older sisters as his companions. He had already forgotten the unhappy moments that had happened earlier. He held Zhao Youlin’s hand happily as he bade farewell to the two. Seeing this, Zhao Youlin felt more relieved.
When Zhao Youlin and Mu Tingfeng were about to depart, Su Qing and the rest of her group personally sent them off. Before they got in the car, Su Qing abruptly leaned close to Zhao Youlin and whispered to her, “I’m very sorry about all that had happened before. Tingfeng has never been in a relationship, so he could be rather retarded when he comes to things like this. You’ll have to put up with him.”
Zhao Youlin was stunned before she knew that Su Qing was apologizing to her for the previous incident where she had partnered with Mu Tingfeng in order to deceive her. Zhao Youlin smiled in relief. She nodded her head and said, “Okay.”
Su Qing heaved a sigh of relief. She retreated to the side and watched as Zhao Youlin carried Joy and got into the car. Mu Tingfeng sat opposite her. He cast a glance at Su Qing and nodded his head before he boarded his car.
Perhaps, Joy was tired after playing for so long with the two girls, or it could be also due to the previous incident. Joy was no longer as scared as he was when he saw Mu Tingfeng.
When he got in the car, he had a chat with Zhao Youlin about the two older sisters. After a while, the child fell asleep.
Mu Tingfeng had been observing the mother-son duo. When Joy fell asleep, his eyes flickered with some sort of emotion. He slowly stretched out his hand at Zhao Youlin.
Suddenly, Zhao Youlin felt something warm from the back of her hand. She froze. She turned her head around, only to be greeted by Mu Tingfeng’s unusually softened gaze.
“Let me hug him.”
Zhao Youlin cast a glance at Joy whom she had been hugging tightly. She shook her head, “No need, Joy would easily wake up if he’s not in my arms.”
A hint of disappointment flashed across Mu Tingfeng’s eyes. However, in the end, he did not say anything.
“But, changing the position might work.”
“Huh?” Mu Tingfeng was a little puzzled. Before he had time to give it a second thought, Zhao Youlin, who was originally sitting as far away as a person’s seat in between them, had suddenly moved to his side. She had shortened the distance of a person seat to zero.
Zhao Youlin simply leaned her head against Mu Tingfeng’s body. She could feel the man’s originally firm body turn firmer at that moment. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Mhm… this is much better.”
Mu Tingfeng was dumbfounded for a brief moment before he finally snapped out of his daze. He moved his outstretched hand around Zhao Youlin and tentatively placed it on her shoulder.
After he was assured that Zhao Youlin did not refuse him, he slightly exerted more force and wrapped Zhao Youlin, including his son, into his arms.
Zhao Youlin felt Mu Tingfeng’s actions. She did not open her eyes. However, at that moment, the slight curve from the corners of her lips had given away the real thought in her heart.
Xia Zhetao was driving the car in the midst of darkness. He belatedly realized that there was no sound from the back seat. Therefore, he subconsciously took a look in the rearview mirror. When he saw the image reflected in the mirror, he was caught by surprise and struck dumb.
He did not know when the two adults at the back seat had leaned against each other so intimately, as if a close family was hugging one another to get some warmth during a winter night.
The man embracing Zhao Youlin looked so gentle like never before. His eyes were filled with adoration and gentleness as he watched closely at his wife and son in his arms, as if the two were his entire world.
Xia Zhetao’s heart was full when he was greeted by such a sight. The actual happiness was there when the people around could feel the warmth by just looking at it.
