VFGRC Chapter 13

TL: Moonlit

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Onlooker Zhao Miaomiao: ????

Zhao Miaomiao: !!!

I thought a man’s face shouldn’t be touched easily? What did she see now!

This little child actually voluntarily rubbed his face against someone’s palm!

Is this what a man should do?

Jealousy transformed Zhao Miaomiao’s face completely as she turned to look at Yu Bai.

In Zhao Miaomiao’s eyes, Yu Bai clearly didn’t care about Xing Xing. If he cherished Xing Xing, why would he bring him out to sell snacks and endure the cold wind together?

He’s just an ordinary snack stall owner with an “ordinary” appearance. Why does he get to have such an adorable child to cuddle!

Just because he’s the child’s father? She refused to accept it!

Zhao Miaomiao muttered, “Should a child this young be taken out to sell snacks? Is this what a father should do?”

Zhao Miaomiao’s voice was not small, and Yu Bai and Xing Xing standing next to her heard it clearly.

Yu Bai:……

Actually, Yu Bai didn’t want to bring Xing Xing out to sell snacks. The process of selling snacks was boring for a child who couldn’t shoulder or carry things. Moreover, it was winter now, and if the child accidentally caught a cold, they could easily get sick.

But unfortunately… Xing Xing was incredibly clever.

When Yu Bai was preparing for the stall, Xing Xing had already guessed what Yu Bai was going to do.

On the first day Yu Bai went out to set up the stall, when he changed into his stall clothes, Xing Xing stood at the bedroom door, blinking his watery eyes at him.

Xing Xing, in a sweet voice, said, “Daddy, won’t you take me with you to the stall? I’m super obedient!”

“I don’t want to stay with the neighborhood grandma and grandpa. I want to be with Daddy at the stall…”

“Daddy, don’t you really want to be with me at the stall?”

Using his little arms, Xing Xing even circled Yu Bai’s leg and rubbed his soft chubby cheeks against Yu Bai’s leg.

With a combination of cuteness and pitifulness, the three-year-old child who wanted to go out with Yu Bai managed to completely disarm his old father.

Yu Bai had to take Xing Xing with him to the stall and made some additional preparations for it.

However, there were very few stall owners who brought a three-year-old child with them, so in the past few days, Yu Bai encountered several customers who misunderstood him, thinking that he wasn’t taking good care of his child or didn’t love his child.

The customers didn’t know about Yu Bai’s family situation, so it was understandable that they had misunderstandings.

When Yu Bai heard Zhao Miaomiao’s misunderstanding, he didn’t get angry.

Yu Bai was about to explain the situation truthfully when Xing Xing spoke up before him.

Xing Xing: “Daddy didn’t ask me to go to the stall, I wanted to go with Daddy!”

“It’s super fun to go to the stall with Daddy! I like going to the stall with Daddy!”

Xing Xing said angrily.

“Daddy is not mean to Xing Xing at all! The best person to me in this world is Daddy!”

Zhao Miaomiao was taken aback.

Xing Xing’s short chubby little arms formed two arcs, hugging his nonexistent waist.

The angry Xing Xing widened his round eyes, his cheeks puffed up like a cute little frog.

Ah ah ah ah ah!

This incredibly adorable child is angry! He’s glaring at her! His puffed-up cheeks make him even cuter!

Completely captivated by the child, Zhao Miaomiao didn’t pay much attention to what Xing Xing was saying but instead followed up with a question based on Xing Xing’s words.

“If Daddy is the best person to you in the world, then what about your mommy?”

After Zhao Miaomiao asked, she eagerly waited for Xing Xing to respond, only to find that Xing Xing suddenly fell silent.

Zhao Miaomiao faintly sensed that something was not quite right, and her smile faded from her face.

Did she ask the wrong question? Could it be that Xing Xing’s mother…

Xing Xing earnestly replied, “Mommy is very busy, very busy. I can only see her at night… Daddy spends more time with me, so I like Daddy a little bit more!”

Zhao Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that she didn’t ask any inappropriate questions…

Xing Xing continued, “Mommy is busy, but Mommy is super amazing! She lives in the sky and she shines brightly every night!”

Zhao Miaomiao’s breath caught in her throat.

Wait a minute, “Mommy who lives in the sky” and “shines brightly every night”… could it be…

Xing Xing smiled happily, “Daddy says that Mommy is a big star living in the sky, and I’m the little star Mommy gave birth to. That’s why my name is Yu Shuoxing – the shining little star! Daddy, am I right?”

Standing behind Xing Xing, Yu Bai reached out and rubbed Xing Xing’s head.

He lowered his gaze, his eyes full of doting and tenderness as he looked at Xing Xing.

“Yes, you’re right.”

Xing Xing looked up, grinning and revealing his bright white teeth.

A three-year-old child is the purest and most innocent being in the world.

Xing Xing is like an untainted blank canvas, and his family wants to paint a picture of the beauty of the world on this blank canvas.

Indeed.

Whether it’s Xing Xing’s family or Zhao Miaomiao, or any kind-hearted person, no one wants to see this blank canvas of Xing Xing tainted with darkness.

Zhao Miaomiao listened attentively, not exposing the “lie” about Xing Xing’s mother.

Just then, Xing Xing saw that there was a long line forming beside their teppanyaki stall.

Xing Xing pointed his small arm toward the teppanyaki stall and said, “Daddy, there are many people lining up at the stall again! Let’s go back and continue working at the stall!”

Xing Xing raised his small hand, the size of a cat’s paw, and Yu Bai extended his index finger. Xing Xing held onto Yu Bai’s finger with his small hand.

Xing Xing took a few steps and then stopped.

Yu Bai asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xing Xing scratched his head with his right hand, turned around, and looked at Zhao Miaomiao with his watery ink eyes.

“Miss, if you’re hungry, you must come and try the teppanyaki that Daddy makes! It’s really, really delicious. Xing Xing never lies!”

Zhao Miaomiao said, “Okay…”

Before she finished speaking, Xing Xing turned back around.

The father and son figures headed toward the back of the snack cart. The intertwined light and shadow of the sunset cast their long shadows.

Silent tranquility and warmth lingered between the two.

The soundless peace was interrupted by the ringing of Zhao Miaomiao’s phone in her pocket.

She took out her phone and answered the call.

“Hello? Mom? Weren’t you supposed to send Uncle Li to pick me up today?”

Uncle Li was the driver of Zhao Miaomiao’s family who picked her up from school every day.

“Uncle Li has something to do and can’t come to pick you up today. But your brother happens to be near your school, so I asked him to come and pick you up…”

Zhao Miaomiao frowned, “Can’t I just go home by myself? I can go back on my own, no need for him to come.”

Her brother and she shared the same father but had different mothers. Her brother had always been unreliable, yet he always wanted to achieve something great. However, after only a couple of years, he was tricked countless times, and every time it was their parents who cleaned up his mess, but he never appreciated it.

Whenever Zhao Miaomiao thought about her unreliable brother, she would get angry.

Coincidentally, her brother Zhao Yan was someone she didn’t get along with, and they had a mutual dislike for each other.

“You can’t go home today. Your brother has been hosting important guests from the capital for the past few days. This guest’s status is not to be taken lightly, and today he finally relaxed a bit and agreed to have a meal with us…”

Zhao Miaomiao asked, “Do I have to go to this meal too?”

“Your dad thinks it’s a good opportunity for you to broaden your horizons… Let me tell you, although our Zhao family is the biggest culinary investor in J City, we are far behind in terms of vision and insight compared to the other party. As a member of the Zhao family, sooner or later, you will have to get involved in this area. It’s better to start early than…”

Zhao Miaomiao helplessly interrupted, “Okay, okay, I got it. I’ll wait for him at the school gate, alright?”

Just as Zhao Miaomiao hung up the phone, Ning Ning and Ling Zi approached her, each holding a portion of teppanyaki.

“Hey? Miaomiao, why didn’t you go buy teppanyaki? I thought you were in line at the back!”

Zhao Miaomiao replied, “My mom said my brother will come to pick me up at the school gate. The line for teppanyaki was so long that by the time it was my turn, my brother might already be at the school gate. So I didn’t buy any.”

“I see…” Ning Ning blinked her eyelashes. “I bought an extra portion of teppanyaki. I was planning to take it home as a late-night snack… How about I give you half?”

As Ning Ning spoke, she shook the packaged teppanyaki in her hand.

Lingzi: “I also bought an extra portion of teppanyaki, I can give you half!”

Although this teppanyaki stall had good business, it was ultimately just a street food stall.

In Zhao Miaomiao’s perception, the delicacies made at a street food stall couldn’t possibly reach a high level of refinement.

To be honest, Zhao Miaomiao didn’t have much expectation for teppanyaki.

However…

Now, whenever Ling Zi and Ning Ning mentioned “teppanyaki,” Zhao Miaomiao’s mind would be filled with the adorable expression and tone that Xing Xing used when recommending teppanyaki to her.

How delicious could that “super-duper delicious” teppanyaki really be?

“Well… give me half then!”

“Sure!”

Ning Ning and Ling Zi returned to the teppanyaki stall and asked Yu Bai for a new box and bamboo skewers. They then poured half of the teppanyaki tofu and half of the teppanyaki rice cakes into the box.

“Here, this is for you!”

Ning Ning handed the box containing half of the teppanyaki tofu and half of the teppanyaki rice cakes to Zhao Miaomiao.

Zhao Miaomiao took the box and her dark eyes slightly narrowed.

This teppanyaki… smells so good!

Even before Ning Ning and Ling Zi poured the teppanyaki tofu and rice cakes, Zhao Miaomiao had already caught a whiff of the strong aroma emanating from the teppanyaki.

This aroma was rich and enticing. It was like possessing a magical power that could awaken people’s purest longing for food.

Growing up, Zhao Miaomiao had tried various high-end restaurants under the guidance of her parents, who were culinary investors. So even though Zhao Miaomiao was currently just a middle school student, her understanding of food surpassed that of ordinary people.

To make such a simple teppanyaki dish have such aroma and color… it couldn’t be the skill of an ordinary street food stall owner.

A delicious dish should have a perfect combination of appearance, aroma, and taste.

This teppanyaki had already fulfilled the “appearance” and “aroma” aspects, only lacking the final element, “taste.”

Zhao Miaomiao couldn’t help but lick her lips, feeling a sense of anticipation welling up inside her.

Maybe… this teppanyaki actually tastes pretty good.

With anticipation in her heart, Zhao Miaomiao took the bamboo skewers and the box handed to her by Ning Ning and Lingzi.

Just as Zhao Miaomiao was about to pierce a piece of teppanyaki tofu with the skewer, a low-key luxury black car stopped in front of her.

A young man with blond hair pushed open the passenger seat door, got out of the car, and displayed a cold emotion on his face, which bore a resemblance of about fifty to sixty percent with Zhao Miaomiao.

Zhao Miaomiao furrowed her delicate eyebrows.

Her brother, Zhao Yan, had arrived.

The blond man didn’t even call out Zhao Miaomiao’s name; he simply said, “Get in the car.”

As Zhao Miaomiao’s hand was about to touch the back door of the car, Zhao Yan said, “Wait.”

Zhao Miaomiao: “What now?”

Zhao Yan’s gaze fell on the teppanyaki in Zhao Miaomiao’s hand.

“Throw away the trash in your hand before getting in the car.”

Zhao Miaomiao frowned unhappily. “I haven’t even eaten it yet. It’s not trash.”

“You dare to eat something from a street stall? When did our Zhao family start eating street food? How did Dad teach you? Don’t you have any taste?” Zhao Yan disdainfully said, “Throw away this trash before getting in the car. Otherwise, don’t get in!”

Fourteen or fifteen-year-old kids are rebellious, and Zhao Miaomiao and Zhao Yan never got along. How could she listen to Zhao Yan?

The more Zhao Yan tried to stop her from getting in the car, the more determined she was to get in!

With her temper flaring up, Zhao Miaomiao silently pulled open the back door of the car, swiftly got in, and closed the door.

Through the car window, Zhao Miaomiao looked at Zhao Yan’s frustrated expression outside and revealed a hint of a smug smile.

The teppanyaki that the stall owner worked so hard to make was called “trash” by her brother? Huh. She insisted on bringing the teppanyaki into the car, let’s see what he would do!

Zhao Miaomiao turned her head and when her gaze fell inside the car, she was dumbfounded.

The car window was tinted black, so people outside couldn’t see inside, but those inside could see outside.

So only now did Zhao Miaomiao realize that there were two unfamiliar men sitting in the back seat of the car.

One of the unfamiliar men was handsome and had a mature demeanor. He was wearing a well-tailored suit, sitting upright, and exuded an elegant and noble air in every gesture. Anyone with eyes could see that this unfamiliar man was definitely exceptional.

When Zhao Miaomiao got into the car, the unfamiliar man with cold star-like eyes glanced at her indifferently.

This glance carried restrained momentum.

Zhao Miaomiao retracted her smile, her heart skipping a beat.

When did her unreliable brother, who is always associated with bad friends, get to know someone like this?

In an instant, Zhao Miaomiao’s mind flashed with the contents of her mother’s phone call just now.

“Your brother has been entertaining an important guest from the capital these days. The identity of this guest is extraordinary, and today he finally opened up and agreed to have a meal with us…”

No way?

Could this person be the distinguished guest mentioned by her mother?!

Zhao Miaomiao didn’t have time to think further. Zhao Yan angrily sat in the front passenger seat.

With a light click, the door closed, and the car started.

Then… the fragrance of the teppanyaki in Zhao Miaomiao’s hand slowly spread throughout the car.

Zhao Miaomiao:…

She silently looked up and met Zhao Yan’s icy gaze through the rearview mirror.

Zhao Yan’s cold gaze conveyed only four words.

You’re, dead, meat!

 

Author’s Note:

The Heavenly Mother of the [Male] Protagonist: Beep, there’s a glitch.

PS: There will be two more updates tonight! I’m going all out!