Billionaire's Long Journey of Chasing His Love-Chapter 306 - 280: Biting the Invisible Spots (Four Updates)
Tong Yao shook her head disapprovingly. "For You Jia and your Aunt Ni Lu, you shouldn’t spar with her. If you can tolerate it, then tolerate it. If you can avoid it, then avoid it."
You Jia leaned forward to look at Tong Yao. "Mom, don’t worry. I won’t let Ai Ni suffer any grievances."
Tong Yao glanced at the study room door and said softly, "When your dad is around, don’t call me Mom, or he’ll start scolding you again. Over the years, you’ve been scolded so much, it breaks my heart watching. But if I openly defend you, then your dad will get even more worked up... You Jia, after you and Ni’er get married, don’t avoid coming back just because you’re afraid of his lectures..."
As Tong Yao spoke, her eyes reddened.
Ai Ni hugged her shoulders, sobbing. "Mom, we’ll come back regularly. This time, we’re running around so much because we’ve just gotten engaged and have so many people to visit. It’ll settle down after this period."
You Jia held Ai Ni’s hand tightly with guilt. The truth was, this lousy idea was his. He knew what Long Che and Tong Yao feared most, so he took Ai Ni visiting people everywhere every day. At first, Old Master Teng joined them twice, but later, even he couldn’t stand all the running around and simply let them go off on their own.
Ai Ni squeezed his broad hand firmly. Despite the scolding, they’d achieved the outcome they wanted, and that was a victory.
Long Che and Yi Luowa finished their research in the study and came out in high spirits, holding a route map. "Honey, Yi Luowa and I have drafted two route plans; take a look and see which one you like."
"Haven’t you always been the one to decide things for this family? Why ask me? You choose whichever one you like." Tong Yao gave him a slightly annoyed look, then turned to Ai Ni and said, "Come upstairs with Mom, I have something to tell you."
"Hey!" Long Che felt embarrassed being chided by Tong Yao and was just about to retort when Yi Luowa laughed and said, "Dad, let’s not ask Mom. When the time comes, we can surprise her."
"I might as well scare her instead!" Long Che grumbled while watching his wife and daughter disappear upstairs.
Tong Yao turned back to glare at him and mouthed, "You old fool!"
Long Che couldn’t help but laugh. "Yi Luowa, do you think your mom looks like a child?"
Yi Luowa stifled her laughter and nodded, though internally, she really wanted to say, "It’s you who acts like a child!"
Ai Ni supported Tong Yao as they entered the bedroom. Tong Yao gestured for her to close the door.
Ai Ni shut the door and looked at her mother suspiciously. "Mom, what do you want to say? Why are you worried about someone overhearing?"
Tong Yao stared at her daughter for a long while before finally speaking. "Ni’er, Mom isn’t old-fashioned, but there are some things you need to be cautious about."
"What things?" Ai Ni helped her mother sit down, puzzled.
"Are you really that naïve, or are you pretending to be?" Tong Yao, annoyed, jabbed her daughter’s forehead. "I mean, when you and You Jia... you know... you better take precautions."
"Hahaha..." Ai Ni collapsed into Tong Yao’s embrace, laughing uncontrollably. "Mom... can you not... not make me laugh? Hahaha... I can’t take it anymore... Hahaha..."
Tong Yao smacked her. "Stop laughing like a fool! I’m talking to you about something serious!"
"Mom, what kind of person do you think I am? Hahaha..." Ai Ni said, still laughing.
"Laugh! Go ahead and laugh!" Tong Yao slapped her a few more times.
Ai Ni didn’t stop laughing; tears were streaming down her face.
After laughing for a while, Ai Ni finally said, "Mom, You Jia knows what worries you two. He told me before that he would never touch me before marriage. We don’t need to take precautions."
Tong Yao smiled with relief. "Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?"
"I didn’t? I thought I did." Ai Ni scratched her head. "Eh, guess it’s better you didn’t remember. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to scare Dad. Haha..."
Tong Yao huffed angrily. "Is scaring your dad so fun? After all these years of doting on you, you’re such an ungrateful little brat!"
Ai Ni laughed cheekily. "Mom, can I just say I admire you? I mean, with Dad—how did you manage to endure all that back then?"
"If you haven’t been a fish, how could you know the joy of swimming?" Tong Yao glanced at her daughter, secretly admiring how steady Ai Ni was. Back in her own day, she hadn’t held back at all, throwing herself into things early on.
"Yes, yes, you’re always right!" Ai Ni pouted playfully at her mother. "Mom, you call me a brat, and I admit it. But really, I feel bad for You Jia right now. He’s waited for me all these years, missed out on so many great girls, and on top of that, when it comes to... that, few people have his self-control. There were times things almost got out of hand, and in those moments, he’d rather go take a cold shower than break the promise he made to me."
Tong Yao smiled fondly. "You Jia’s such a good kid! After you two get married, he’d better not turn out like your brother."
"What’s wrong with my brother?" Ai Ni asked curiously.
Tong Yao chuckled and shook her head. "Your brother’s like a dog! That day, I took your sister-in-law and Connie for a spa treatment. You didn’t see it, but your sister-in-law’s back was covered in bruises."
Ai Ni’s jaw dropped. "My brother abuses my sister-in-law?!"
Tong Yao gave her a look as if she were an idiot. "He bit her! And he specifically bites spots where she can’t see."
"Haha..." Ai Ni laughed until her stomach hurt. "My brother’s worried she’d see it and beat him!"
"Mom, what about my fifth brother? Nothing interesting happening with Connie? I haven’t been home in days; feels like I’ve missed a lot."
"Your fifth brother can’t even enter Connie’s room in the evenings—what drama could there possibly be?" Tong Yao sighed. "I’m just a bit worried about Yi Luowa. That small frame of hers can’t keep taking all this. She might end up sick."
"Haha... Mom, you’re worrying too much! My sister-in-law may look small, but she’s sturdy and tough."
Tong Yao glared at her. "Is that the kind of thing a soon-to-be princess should be saying?"
Ai Ni hurriedly covered her mouth, grinning. "It’s just us, mother and daughter!"
Tong Yao shook her head, laughing. "Alright, all this talking wasn’t completely useless—I’m reassured you won’t be walking down the aisle pregnant."
"Not necessarily!" Ai Ni joked.
Tong Yao raised her hand to swat her, but Ai Ni quickly ran off, clutching her laughing stomach. "Mom, don’t worry. There’s still over four months. We’ll hold out until then."
"Shameless!" Tong Yao chuckled helplessly. "You three may be settled now, but Shuoshuo keeps quiet about everything. If he were to speak up, plenty of great girls would line up to marry him. Xuanxuan is still young, so I’m not too worried yet. But Kaikai—once he talks to your Aunt Xixi, something always happens."
"What happened this time?" Ai Ni walked back and sat down.
"The hospital’s been buzzing the past few days, claiming Kaikai and Shanshan are living together. They’re speaking as if it’s a done deal. Kaikai got upset and blamed it all on your Aunt Xixi, and the two of them almost came to blows."
"So are he and Shanshan living together or not?" Ai Ni wanted to laugh but held it in to avoid being scolded.
Tong Yao recounted the last incident, angrily concluding, "Your Aunt Xixi is such trouble!"
"She’s even more trouble than Dad!"
As Ai Ni’s words fell, the door was suddenly kicked open. Long Che’s face was grumpy as he stared at his daughter. "Talking behind my back, and you didn’t even bother closing the door properly."
Ai Ni stuck out her tongue. "I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about Aunt Xixi. No wonder you always argue with her; turns out she really is that much trouble!"
Long Che snorted at her, then turned to Tong Yao. "Yi Luowa and Connie are trying to make a cake in the kitchen. I don’t see any cake; all I see are two little flour monkeys jumping around."
Tong Yao looked amused. "Darling, what exactly is your purpose in telling me this?"
"Pfft—" Ai Ni stole a glance at her father and quickly covered her mouth.
"We have plenty of ingredients; I’m not worried about waste. I’m worried that if those two girls burn their hands, you’ll be the one stuck caring for them!"
Tong Yao immediately caught his meaning—it was his roundabout way of asking her to go downstairs and help out. Typical! He used to be so nit-picky when she cooked, but now he’s all concerned about the daughters-in-law but not his wife.
"It’s fine. You don’t see a rainbow without some rain. If they get burned once, they’ll learn their lesson."
Seeing that Tong Yao didn’t budge, Long Che became anxious and rubbed his hands. "I’d better have someone drag them out of there."
Ai Ni playfully nudged her mom. "Stop teasing Dad. Let me go downstairs with you to check it out." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Laughing and joking, the two headed downstairs. When they saw the two flour-covered monkeys in the kitchen, they burst out laughing so hard they couldn’t stand upright.
