Chapter 30

Cheng Jinlan wanted to hug Cheng LiQi over, but she was holding something in her hand and it was a bit difficult to hug her over with one hand given their current position. She pressed her forehead against hers, "Were you scared by the loud barking?"

Cheng LiQi shook her head, "With mom here and dad too, I'm not afraid."

"Our good baby is really brave."

Cheng LiQi had just woken up and was still a little groggy. She was easily distracted, "Because I'm a big baby now. Big babies have to be brave."

Cheng Jinlan's eyes softened as she leaned down to kiss the brave big baby.

Shao Chengze felt like something was stuck in his throat, stiff and unmoving. He only hoped this night could last a little longer.

Cheng LiQi leaned against her mom's neck, nuzzling her eyes like a little kitten. Then she saw what her mom was holding in her left hand. She had seen it this morning. She straightened up from her mom's shoulder, excitedly pointing at the box and asking, "Dad's gift for mom. Mom, what did dad get you? Is it a princess crown too?"

Cheng Jinlan vaguely murmured "Mm", and showed her what was in her right hand, "This is what your dad got for you."

"What is this?" Cheng LiQi blinked, then remembered, "Ah! An electric mosquito swatter!" She turned her head to look at dad, "Dad bought two, one for me and one for dad. Dad and I will get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

Shao Chengze stroked his daughter's hair, looking at the girl's mother, and said softly, "Yes, we'll get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

This was a typical case of 'a thief crying thief'. The mosquitoes hiding in the grass made two whimpering sounds, as if to say they had nothing to do with this. It was clearly something he did himself, yet he was blaming it on them.

Cheng Jinlan put the things in her hands into the car, reached out to hold Cheng LiQi, "There are no mosquitoes tonight. You can protect mom when there are mosquitoes. It's time to say goodbye to dad now. You've sweated quite a bit today and need to go home and take a bath soon, otherwise you'll get sleepy again later."

Cheng LiQi leaned against her mom's neck, nuzzling her eyes like a little kitten, then looked at what her mom was holding in her left hand. She had seen it this morning. She straightened up from her mom's shoulder, excitedly pointing at the box and asking, "Dad's gift for mom. Mom, what did dad get you? Is it a princess crown too?"

Cheng Jinlan vaguely murmured "Mm", and showed her what was in her right hand, "This is what your dad got for you."

"What is this?" Cheng LiQi blinked, then remembered, "Ah! An electric mosquito swatter!" She turned her head to look at dad, "Dad bought two, one for me and one for dad. Dad and I will get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

Shao Chengze stroked his daughter's hair, looking at the girl's mother, and said softly, "Yes, we'll get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

This was a typical case of 'a thief crying thief'. The mosquitoes hiding in the grass made two whimpering sounds, as if to say they had nothing to do with this. It was clearly something he did himself, yet he was blaming it on them.

Cheng Jinlan put the things in her hands into the car, reached out to hold Cheng LiQi, "There are no mosquitoes tonight. You can protect mom when there are mosquitoes. It's time to say goodbye to dad now. You've sweated quite a bit today and need to go home and take a bath soon, otherwise you'll get sleepy again later."

Cheng LiQi leaned against her mom's neck, nuzzling her eyes like a little kitten. Then she saw what her mom was holding in her left hand. She had seen it this morning. She straightened up from her mom's shoulder, excitedly pointing at the box and asking, "Dad's gift for mom. Mom, what did dad get you? Is it a princess crown too?"

Cheng Jinlan vaguely murmured "Mm", and showed her what was in her right hand, "This is what your dad got for you."

"What is this?" Cheng LiQi blinked, then remembered, "Ah! An electric mosquito swatter!" She turned her head to look at dad, "Dad bought two, one for me and one for dad. Dad and I will get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

Shao Chengze stroked his daughter's hair, looking at the girl's mother, and said softly, "Yes, we'll get rid of mosquitoes together and protect mom."

This was a typical case of 'a thief crying thief'. The mosquitoes hiding in the grass made two whimpering sounds, as if to say they had nothing to do with this. It was clearly something he did himself, yet he was blaming it on them.

Cheng Jinlan put the things in her hands into the car, reached out to hold Cheng LiQi, "There are no mosquitoes tonight. You can protect mom when there are mosquitoes. It's time to say goodbye to dad now. You've sweated quite a bit today and need to go home and take a bath soon, otherwise you'll get sleepy again later." Cheng LiQi had just taken a nap and was fully energized. She wasn't sleepy at all now. "Mom, I just had a good sleep and I'm not sleepy now. Has dad seen the video of me playing the piano yet?"

Shao Chengze replied to his daughter, "Dad hasn't seen it yet."

Cheng LiQi clapped her hands together, "Then let's watch it together, mom and dad. Mom, can we put the video on the TV to watch? It'll be clearer that way."

Cheng Jinlan looked at her watch. Her parents should be back soon. They couldn't linger at the door any longer. "Then after watching the video we have to take a bath and sleep, okay?"

Cheng LiQi nodded vigorously, "After watching the video with mom and dad, I'll take a bath and sleep, and then have a beautiful dream."

Shao Chengze couldn't help pinching her pert little nose.

Cheng Jinlan said to Shao Chengze, "Tell your driver to move the car somewhere else first."

He had been drinking so he must have had a driver drop him off. The driver was probably waiting nearby.

Shao Chengze looked straight into her eyes. The innocence in his eyes was exactly like Cheng LiQi's. "The driver had a bit of an emergency at home so I sent him back first. I'll call a hired driver to come pick me up later."

...Cheng Jinlan wanted to glare at him but held back because of Cheng LiQi's presence.

"Little LiQi, take dad inside through the small door first. Mom will go park the car."

"Okay!" Cheng LiQi directed her dad to walk forward, "Dad, when I put my face near the door, it opens automatically. It's really magical, right? Big uncle said it's called artificial intelligence."

"It really is magical." Shao Chengze responded to his daughter while handing the car keys to the person beside him. Cheng Jinlan unceremoniously snatched the car keys. If she could, she really wanted to throw the keys at his face.

She first parked his car in the yard, then parked her own car in the yard. Cheng LiQi had already brought him inside. She first took out mom's slippers, then took out the slippers dad wore last time and gave them to dad, and finally took out her own cute little bunny slippers.

Shao Chengze wanted to help her change her shoes but Cheng LiQi waved her hand, "Dad, I can change them myself now. I've grown up and can do a lot of things."

Shao Chengze praised her the same way Cheng Jinlan did, "Our good baby really is amazing."

Cheng LiQi smiled brightly as she sat down on her own little stool beside them and nimbly changed into her slippers.

Shao Chengze watched her beside him. Only after she finished changing did he start changing his own shoes.

After changing their shoes, Cheng LiQi pulled dad by the hand into the bathroom. She stood in front of her own little sink and said, "Mom said the first thing to do when coming home is wash your hands, to wash your little hands clean."

Shao Chengze was always earnest and willing to learn when it came to his daughter. "Dad remembers."

Cheng LiQi looked at dad's hands then looked at her own hands. "Dad's hands are so big, much bigger than mine. They seem even bigger than big uncle's."

Shao Chengze held out his right hand and compared palms with her small hand.

Cheng LiQi exclaimed in surprise, "Dad, why are your hands so big?!"

Shao Chengze replied, "Probably because...dad has to protect you and mom."

Cheng LiQi suddenly understood and looked at dad with great admiration. "I know! Dad must be able to protect me and mom. Dad's hands are so big, he must be better at killing mosquitoes than an electric swatter. Right, dad?"

...

Shao Chengze couldn't say she was wrong. He nodded, "Yes, dad is better than an electric swatter at killing mosquitoes."

Cheng LiQi got excited. She wished there were mosquitoes now so dad could get rid of them all impressively.

Cheng Jinlan had been standing in the hallway for a while. She called to them in the bathroom, "Little LiQi, come out after you finish washing your hands. Mom has put the video on the TV."

When Cheng LiQi heard the video was already on the TV, she didn't even dry her hands. She dragged dad by the finger out of the bathroom, "Mom, we're coming! Dad, hurry! Mom already put the video on the TV."

Cheng LiQi pulled dad to the sofa. Cheng Jinlan pressed play and put the remote control down, about to leave. Cheng LiQi called for her mom and patted the spot to her left on the sofa, "Mom, sit here." Cheng Jinlan stood there. The big and small ones sitting on the sofa looked at her with identical eyes. She was stunned for a moment before quickly shaking herself out of it. "You and dad watch first. Mom hasn't washed her hands yet. I'll go do that first."

"Okay, we'll watch again after mom comes back."

"Mm." Cheng Jinlan quickly turned and stepped into the bathroom.

Shao Chengze watched her back. His deep eyes flickered. He understood some things too late and had also missed too much. He didn't even know where to start making up for it now.

Cheng LiQi leaned against dad, kicking her feet and tapping the sofa along with the rhythm from the video playing on the TV. Shao Chengze had his arm around her, eyes fixed on the TV, as if trying to reclaim all the lost time through the screen.

When the video finished playing, Cheng LiQi tilted her head up to look at dad brightly.

Shao Chengze squeezed her little hand and praised her tirelessly, "Little LiQi is so amazing. She played so well, even better than dad."

Cheng LiQi's eyes shone even brighter. She climbed up dad's arm, "Dad, I haven't heard you play the piano before."

Shao Chengze stroked the hair that had fallen by her little ear back behind it. "How about next time? It's too late today. You still have to take a bath, or you'll become a lazy little pig who gets her butt tanned by the sun tomorrow morning."

Cheng LiQi giggled twice. She had lazed in bed many times not wanting to get up and slept until the sun tanned her butt.

"Then next time dad will play for me and mom to hear."

"Mm," Shao Chengze thought of what he saw at the kindergarten gate this morning. He held out his left pinky, "Dad pinky swears with you."

Cheng LiQi loved making hooked pinky promises. She also held out her hand but dad didn't seem to know how to do a hooked pinky promise. "Dad, you also have to hold out your thumb. After we hook pinkies, we have to stamp it to make the promise binding."

Shao Chengze followed his daughter's instructions and held out his left thumb to hook pinkies and stamp the promise with her.

Cheng LiQi saw the ring of teeth marks on dad's thumb. There was no need to ask. If she asked dad, his answer would definitely be that he accidentally bit himself. But who would accidentally bite their own finger? This must be another of dad's bitter tricks. Dad had finally gotten smarter this time and knew the key to bitter tricks was the finger.

Cheng Jinlan came out of the bathroom and asked Cheng LiQi, "Did you finish watching the video?"

"Mm-hmm, mom, finished watching it."

"Do you want to go take a bath then? If you don't go soon, you'll start to stink from all the sweat."

"I do!" Cheng LiQi hurried to get up. She didn't want to become stinky but she also didn't forget about dad's finger. "Mom, dad's finger is hurt. It really hurts." She held up dad's thumb to show mom the tooth marks. "Mom, do you want to blow on it for dad? If you blow on it, dad won't hurt anymore."

Cheng Jinlan looked at the teeth marks on the thumb and thought of last night's chaos. She felt she should have bitten down harder. Why didn't she bite it off? She met her daughter's expectant gaze with a gentle expression. "Go find some pajamas you want to wear tonight. Mom will put some medicine on dad's finger. Medicine works better than blowing on it."

Putting medicine on works too. When grandpa hurt his finger, grandma would also put medicine on for him.

"Okay, I'll go find pajamas. Mom puts medicine on dad's finger." Cheng LiQi felt she had accomplished something big. She left the living room for mom and dad to apply medicine and hurried off to the walk-in closet to find pajamas. She figured she should take more time today choosing what pajamas to wear since she had so many pairs and was torn between wearing this pair or that pair.

Cheng Jinlan took out a tube of medicine from the medicine box and threw it to him to apply himself, then picked up her phone from the sofa and called her mom to confirm they were home.

After hanging up, she was about to chase him out.

Shao Chengze's lips parted lightly and a single syllable came out.

A flat voice sounded, with no discernible emotion in the low, dry tone.

Cheng Jinlan did not hear clearly what had come out of his mouth at first, and it took her a few seconds to react.

She looked at him doubtfully.

Shao ChengZe's ears turned a little red, and he lightly coughed, fist pressed against his lips.

"You don't like dogs."