Tiny Genius Alert! Mom & Dad Better Make Peace-Chapter 614 - 549: Jun and Liangsheng’s Ending, Part 2: A Serious Look 2
Jian Liangtong pursed her lips and clicked open.
The nickname of the person requesting to add her as a WeChat friend was blank. She could only see his profile picture, which was a bit abstract—a small girl with two pigtails, wearing a floral jacket...
Jian Liangtong stared at this profile picture, inexplicably feeling a sense of familiarity.
Noticing Bai Qiao’s avatar flashing in the lower right corner, Jian Liangtong casually accepted the request, closed the friend request dialog box, and clicked on the message sent by Bai Qiao.
"Great, Sister Tong, you’re finally back. I’m no longer a child without a mother."
Jian Liangtong, "..." He was willing to be her son, but she wasn’t willing to be his mother!
"Working?"
"Yeah, waiting backstage for a show recording. It’s an interview on an entertainment program. The director asked me to attend with Wen Sirou and the male lead."
"Isn’t that great?"
"Yes, very much. I’ve already prepared myself to be just the background the whole time."
Jian Liangtong couldn’t help but laugh, "What’s your rush? There will be times for you to be the background too in the future."
"Haha, right."
"Promising."
"Sister Tong, the show’s about to start recording, I’ll talk to you later. I’ll come to your place post recording."
"Alright, no matter what, perform well, got it?"
"Got it, sir!"
"Go on."
She closed the WeChat chat window with Bai Qiao.
Jian Liangtong looked at Hao Hao, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and gently smiled.
Getting off the chair, Jian Liangtong walked to the bedside, lay down sideways next to Hao Hao, with one hand under her face, watching Hao Hao’s sleeping face. As she watched, her eyelids started to droop and she unknowingly fell asleep.
Jian Liangtong was woken up by noises coming from the living room.
Opening her eyes, Jian Liangtong looked at Hao Hao sleeping beside her. It took several seconds before she blinked, sat up from the bed, and turned her head toward the door.
Ning Feng and Xinyun were entering the house, talking as they carried groceries from the market.
Just as they walked into the living room, their conversation suddenly stopped.
Ning Feng and Xinyun stared in astonishment at the children’s backpack left on the sofa, and the unwrapped gift box placed on the coffee table, with confusion and a trace of suppressed hope on their faces.
The sound of the door opening came from behind.
Ning Feng and Xinyun’s breaths trembled, quickly turning around to look.
There stood Jian Liangtong at her bedroom door, her hair messy, her expression as bewildered as theirs.
Jian Liangtong blinked and walked toward Ning Feng and Xinyun in the living room, "Dad, Mom, are you two, okay?"
Jian Liangtong pointed at the tight expressions on Ning Feng and Xinyun’s faces.
"Y-you’re back," Xinyun stuttered.
Jian Liangtong nodded, "Yeah, I’m back."
Xinyun inhaled deeply, turned her head to glance at the backpack on the sofa, and then looked back at Jian Liangtong, her eyes glimmering.
Ning Feng, however, kept staring at the direction of Jian Liangtong’s bedroom; his refined and gentle face subtly twitched.
"This backpack..." Xinyun forced a smile, trying to sound casual, but her voice uncontrollably trembled.
Jian Liangtong’s expression didn’t change significantly in response to Ning Feng and Xinyun’s faces, though her eyes slightly narrowed, she curved her lips upward and said in a relaxed tone, "Oh, that’s Hao Hao’s."
"..."
Ning Feng and Xinyun were both startled, their eyes widening.
Jian Liangtong naturally touched her nose, brushed past Ning Feng and Xinyun, sat on the sofa, and said, "Hao Hao is sleeping in the room, maybe he’ll wake up soon."
Ning Feng and Xinyun turned suddenly and simultaneously toward the door to Jian Liangtong’s room. After just a second, they hurriedly strode toward Jian Liangtong’s room.
Sitting on the sofa, Jian Liangtong watched as Ning Feng and Xinyun walked briskly with straight backs toward her room, a trace of red fleeting across her eyes.
She gently lowered her eyelashes, her lightly pressed lips gradually curling upward.
A full half-hour went by.
Jian Liangtong hadn’t seen Ning Feng and Xinyun come out of the room.
Curiously peering toward the room, Jian Liangtong eventually got up and walked over to it.
At the doorway, Jian Liangtong saw Xinyun sitting on the bed edge beside Hao Hao, one hand gently stroking Hao Hao’s face, while the other covering her mouth as tears continuously fell.
Ning Feng stood behind Xinyun, his hands on her shoulders, his eyes red, staring at the still-sleeping Hao Hao on the bed.
That face was now full of heartache, guilt, and the signs of aging.
Jian Liangtong’s legs froze at the doorway.
Her heart felt sour and astringent, causing her eyes to involuntarily redden as well.
Finally willing to come out of Hao Hao’s room, Xinyun and Ning Feng immediately stepped out as well.
On returning, they each carried two large bags full of groceries.
No sooner had they come back than they began busily preparing dinner in the kitchen.
Leaning against the kitchen door, Jian Liangtong watched her parents work with clear division of tasks, hands busy selecting vegetables and stewing meat, her heart warm.
Turning his head, Ning Feng saw Jian Liangtong standing at the kitchen door and said with a chuckle, "What are you doing standing there in a daze? Go watch some TV in the living room."
"Don’t turn up the TV too loud, or if you wake Hao Hao, it’ll be your fault," Xinyun said, turning her head, her eyes sparkling with a smile, though her mouth was stern as she grumbled at Jian Liangtong.
Jian Liangtong clutched her chest, pretending to be hurt.
Jian Ningfeng and He Xinyun laughed, pointing at her with amusement.
Jian Liangtong laughed too, "I’ll help you."
"Go, go, go." He Xinyun immediately waved dismissively, shooing Jian Liangtong out of the kitchen, "You’d better not make things worse if you stay here."
Jian Liangtong, "..." It really feels like in Mother’s eyes, I’m useless!
This dinner, thanks to Hao Hao, was exceptionally lavish.
So, it wasn’t until eight in the evening that all the dishes were finally brought to the table.
Jian Ningfeng brought the soup to the table, glanced at He Xinyun who was setting the chopsticks at the table, and quietly slipped back into the kitchen to wash his hands.
When he came out, he took another glance at He Xinyun and "sneaked" into Hao Hao’s room.
Jian Liangtong watched everything clearly.
Moreover, she saw Mother couldn’t help but laugh when Father "sneakily" walked into her room.
Jian Liangtong, "..."
"Hao Hao, grandpa’s little treasure, it’s time to eat..."
Jian Ningfeng held Hao Hao’s small soft hand, wrinkles around his eyes deepening with his smile, his voice sticky with warmth that Jian Liangtong rarely saw.
Hao Hao had slept all day.
At this time, hearing someone, he woke up.
The beautiful black eyelashes, like two fans, slowly lifted as Hao Hao looked drowsily at Jian Ningfeng, mumbling indistinctly, "Grandpa..."
"Yes." Jian Ningfeng responded happily, reaching out to gently lift Hao Hao’s soft little body out of the blanket to sit him on his lap.
Hao Hao squinted, leaning against Jian Ningfeng, chin up, staring at him, and drowsily calling again, "Grandpa..."
Jian Ningfeng felt his nose tingle, kissing Hao Hao’s little cheek, "Grandpa’s good little treasure."
Suddenly Hao Hao sat up straight on Jian Ningfeng’s lap, wrapping his two soft arms tightly around Jian Ningfeng’s neck, nudging his small nose against Jian Ningfeng’s chin, like a little kitten.
Jian Ningfeng laughed, feeling ticklish from Hao Hao’s nudges, but didn’t avoid it, "Is our Hao Hao acting coy with grandpa?"
Hao Hao’s face turned red, quickly hiding it in Jian Ningfeng’s neck.
"Haha." Jian Ningfeng laughed heartily, picking Hao Hao up and walking towards the bathroom, "Let’s wash our little coy one."
Little Coy...
Hao Hao was exasperated.
Grandpa, please, don’t get so excited that you forget your grandson’s gender!
Nicknames shouldn’t be given like this!
When Jian Ningfeng came out of the room with Hao Hao, He Xinyun couldn’t keep calm anymore and immediately took Hao Hao from Jian Ningfeng’s arms.
Jian Ningfeng couldn’t stop her.
"Grandma." Hao Hao’s little hands held He Xinyun’s face, calling softly.
This almost brought tears to He Xinyun’s eyes.
He Xinyun sniffled, her eyes unnaturally red, her throat choked, and except for calling Hao Hao her treasure repeatedly, couldn’t say anything else.
Hao Hao pursed his little lips, gently touching He Xinyun’s eyes with his little hand, feeling a little sad at the sight of her eyes.
"Grandma, I miss you." Hao Hao suddenly pouted, saying with a grievance.
"..." He Xinyun’s tears suddenly burst, pouring down, "Grandma, Grandma misses Hao Hao too, very, very much misses my Hao Hao."
Hao Hao, bottom up, rested his face on He Xinyun’s shoulder, his little tears also falling.
He Xinyun patted his trembling back, sobbing, "Grandma is sorry, Hao Hao, Grandma is useless, it’s Grandma’s fault, Grandma is useless..."
Jian Ningfeng felt an ache in his heart, gently wrapping his arm around He Xinyun’s shoulder.
Jian Liangtong stood at the dining table watching all this, a deep guilt showing in her eyes.
"Hao Hao, Grandma remembers this is your favorite." He Xinyun kept picking food for Hao Hao.
Soon, the small bowl in front of Hao Hao piled up like a little mountain.
Jian Ningfeng chuckled, not eating, just watching Hao Hao.
Jian Liangtong noticed the faint blush in Jian Ningfeng’s eyes, gently took a breath, and offered Jian Ningfeng a slice of fish, "Dad, don’t just watch Hao Hao, you should eat too."
"Yes, I know." Jian Ningfeng smiled at Jian Liangtong.
He said he knew, but his eyes never left Hao Hao.
Jian Liangtong sighed gently in her heart.
It took more than an hour to finish the meal.
After dinner, Jian Ningfeng took Hao Hao to the sofa, somehow bringing a pile of Hao Hao’s old toys onto the couch.
Hao Hao looked at all his old toys, eyes bright with joy.
He picked one up and started introducing it to Jian Ningfeng.
He Xinyun went to the kitchen to wash some fruit, set it in front of Hao Hao, and stood smiling at Hao Hao for a while before returning to the dining room to clean up.
Jian Liangtong helped.
This time He Xinyun didn’t forcibly shoo Jian Liangtong away, talking as she tidied up, "I thought it would be a while before we could see Hao Hao again."
Jian Liangtong paused, looking at He Xinyun puzzled.
