Chapter 8 The Wife in Poverty (8)

Su Li deeply felt that the relationships between people were indeed marvelous.

Xi Muqian and Yaya really got along well.

The big and the little one created quite a commotion, and within a short while, Su Li actually heard the words "Daddy Mu Qian" from Yaya's mouth.

Yaya was just learning to speak; sometimes her words were muddled, and sometimes she would stutter a bit with longer sentences.

But the words "Daddy Mu Qian" came out exceptionally clear.

"Daddy Mu Qian?"

Xi Muqian hadn't expected his secret teaching Yaya to speak would be caught red-handed.

Feeling awkward and guilty, "In the past, didn't we agree that if you and Chen Jin had a child, we would definitely become related by godparent ties?"

"So, I am Yaya's godfather…"

The more he spoke, the more justified Xi Muqian seemed, almost as if it truly were the case.

Su Li wasn't a petty person. Having one more person love Yaya wasn't a bad thing, so she didn't dwell on it.

Seeing Su Li shift her focus, Xi Muqian breathed a sigh of relief internally, his feelings as fluctuating as riding a roller coaster.

He had always been fearless, but just now, he truly felt fear.

He was afraid that Su Li would develop negative thoughts about him, afraid that Su Li had perceived his hidden feelings, afraid that Su Li…

Afraid she would distance herself from him.

After more than a decade, he still couldn't let go... always watching from afar.

But when he received the news the other day that Chen Jin was ambiguously involved with a colleague…

He couldn't hold back any longer and rushed back from abroad overnight.

Only today did he muster the courage to appear nonchalantly in front of Su Li.

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After picking up Yaya, he rushed to fetch Doudou from the kindergarten without stopping.

Su Li noticed that although Xi Muqian treated Doudou kindly and liked him, it wasn't nearly as much as his treatment of Yaya.

Su Li wondered if the saying about like repelling like, and opposites attracting might be true.

What Su Li didn't know was that Xi Muqian had a complex feeling when he looked at Doudou.

Because Doudou looked so much like Chen Jin, he struggled to find features similar to Su Li's in the child's face.

This little person standing in front of him constantly reminded him…

This was the fruit of Chen Jin and Su Li's love...

This was also something he had never been a part of in Su Li's life, neither in the past nor now.

Although Xi Muqian didn't dislike Doudou, and even had a slight fondness for him because of Su Li, that was all.

Doudou was also very sensitive toward Xi Muqian's attitude; even though he wasn't very close to his own father, a father was still a father after all.

He was already five years old, and children of his age understood a lot.

Doudou slowly reached out to hold Su Li's hand and suddenly asked, "Mommy, where's Daddy?"

"I miss him, let's go pick him up from work later…"

Hearing Doudou's words, Xi Muqian, who was walking ahead holding Yaya, paused his steps and lifted his eyes to Su Li, "Then let me take you…"

"I haven't seen Chen Jin in a long while, perhaps we could gather tonight."

"No need, I think he will be busy tonight…" Su Li smiled, then said to Doudou, "Your daddy has other things to do tonight."

Xi Muqian said so, but he actually never intended to meet up with Chen Jin.

He scoffed internally, the scene of Chen Jin taking his female subordinate to the market was clear in his mind.

Neither Su Li nor Xi Muqian took it seriously, and Yaya continued to chatter happily in her childish language, while only Doudou seemed quite downcast.

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On the other side, Chen Jin and Liu Yin had finished buying groceries and headed to Liu Yin's place together.

It was a small, cozily decorated apartment.

The warm yellow hues and dewy fresh flowers brought a vibrant, lively atmosphere.

It felt very homey, as if returning here could instantly dissipate the fatigue of a day spent outside.

"Boss, you sit down first, I'll go handle the ingredients," Liu Yin said. "The house is small and a bit messy, don't mind it...."

"It's pretty good..."

Liu Yin was quick at preparing the ingredients.

But despite her efficiency, her cooking skills weren't necessarily that great.

Usually living alone, she didn't cook much and mostly ate out. At most, she would cook some porridge and make a few bland dishes for herself.

Eating such simple food once or twice was fine, described as light and stomach-soothing, but in the long term, it could probably make one find the taste too bland.

Because the ingredients were simple, Liu Yin quickly served the meal.

The presentation and plating looked appetizing.

But only someone from her own household would know her true capabilities, and Liu Yin was certainly aware of her own culinary limits.

"Boss, your stomach isn't great, so I made these dishes very light, with less salt and oil... Don't be too critical, okay?"

Liu Yin, having washed her hands, shyly smiled at Chen Jin as she spoke.

"I won't be critical, it was supposed to be my treat, and yet you ended up cooking..."

"Don't say that. It definitely counts as my treat this time, after all, you paid for the groceries," Liu Yin said with a playful twinkle in her eyes.

She turned her head and added, "If you're not satisfied, you can treat me again next time."

With such repeated exchanges, their relationship naturally grew closer.

Liu Yin was silently plotting in her mind.

Chen Jin laughed heartily, "Alright, I'll treat you again next time..."

Chen Jin wasn't blind to Liu Yin's little schemes; he simply didn't have the heart to point them out.

The novelty of a young girl doesn't last too long, does it?

Chen Jin picked up some vinegar fish with his chopsticks and as soon as it hit his mouth, the sourness overwhelmed him.

It really lived up to the name of the dish; it seemed like a whole bottle of vinegar had been poured in, sour enough to make one's teeth fall out.

Seeing Chen Jin's expression, Liu Yin realized something was wrong.

The main dish she had followed from the recipe seemed to be a failure.

Chen Jin's mouth was full of sourness, neither able to spit it out nor keep it in, he had no choice but to swallow it down forcefully.

He quickly reached for other dishes.

Fortunately, not all the dishes were like the vinegar fish.

Although plain, they were still palatable. The most impressive dish was the steamed lobster.

Such a seafood dish, teeming with freshness, is best suited to simple cooking methods that can really showcase its flavor.

Throughout the evening, that was the dish Chen Jin reached for the most.

Another highlight was the homemade wine Liu Yin had brewed.

Three empty bottles sat on the table.

Most of the wine had ended up in Chen Jin's stomach.

In her homemade grape wine, Liu Yin had added quite a bit of rock sugar for taste, making it sweet and sour like grape juice, yet unexpectedly potent.

At first, Chen Jin didn't feel much, but after the wine had set in, his thoughts began to slow and blur.