Lin Xichen was sprawled in his arms and he could feel his trembling chest.
He reached out to hug him. Regardless if he loved Mommy, the anxiety and guilt he was feeling now were real.
“Let’s go look for her.” Zong Jinghao made the boy look at him. “Are you going?”
“I’m going.” Lin Xichen answered without hesitation
“What about Ruixi? If Mommy and I aren’t here, she’ll make a fuss.” Lin Xichen worriedly said.
“Daddy.”
Not sure when Lin Ruixi had seen Zong Jinghao, she ran out from the house towards him. She extended her plump fair arms and wrapped them around Zong Jinghao’s leg. “Daddy.” She looked up and pouted her pink lips. “Daddy, can you let go of Xichen and hug me instead?”
She blinked as she said, “Xichen is a big boy. He doesn’t need hugs. Hug me.”
Lin Xichen was speechless.
Zong Jinghao crouched down and pulled her into his arms. The little girl was wearing a pink dress today and she had her hair tied into a ponytail. There were loose strands of hair around her ears and on her forehead but her forehead was still visible. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she grabbed onto Zong Jinghao’s neck and rubbed his face with hers. “Daddy, you’re back. Why isn’t Mommy with you? I haven’t seen her for days. We’ve never been separated. I miss her.”
Zong Jinghao looked far away as he pressed the two little heads against his chest. He tried his best to say in a calm tone, “I’ll bring you two to look for her.”
“Really?” Lin Ruixi was excited. “Is Mommy playing hide and seek with us? Is that why we need to look for her?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, I’m so excited.” Lin Ruixi excitedly fidgeted in his arms but Lin Xichen was not as optimistic as her. “Being a child is nice.”
When Lin Ruixi heard his words, she turned around to glare at him. “You’re just older than me by a few minutes. You’re not much older. Even grandma said you were an extra.”
Lin Xichen frowned and his face scrunched up. “Grandma said you’re the one who was the extra.”
At this moment, Zhuang Zijin had walked out of the house wearing an apron. She placed her hands in front of her. “Come in, it’s time to eat.”
“Grandma, Xichen is the extra one, right?” To prove that she was the right one, Lin Ruixi hurried to ask her grandmother before Lin Xichen did.
As if she would be right if she was faster than him.
It was easy to see what this little girl was thinking about. She was much simpler than her brother, and she rarely overthought. Zhuang Zijin laughed and teased her, “You’re the extra one.”
Lin Ruixi became unhappy. She pouted. “Why isn’t Xichen the extra one? He’s so mean.”
He stole her hugs from Daddy.
He was mean!
Zhuang Zijin looked at Zhuang Zijin before saying, “It was because Mommy only had one baby at the start, then found out that there was another. Wouldn’t the one after be the extra one?”
Lin Ruixi did not want to admit defeat. “That should be Xichen. Xichen is the extra one.”
“But Xichen was the first to come out…”
“I don’t care, Xichen is the extra one!” Lin Ruixi insisted as she held tightly onto Zong Jinghao’s neck. “Daddy, is Xichen the extra one?”
Zong Jinghao carried her up and patted her head. “The both of you are equally important.”
“Let’s go in and eat.” Zhuang Zijin held Lin Xichen’s hand.
“I was planning to bring them out. Lin Xinyan must miss them.” Zong Jinghao took the opportunity to tell Zhuang Zijin that he was bringing the children out.
Zhuang Zijin answered, “Okay.”
She sensed that there was something wrong in his words but thought that she was overthinking.
It seemed like the two children, especially Lin Ruixi, liked Zong Jinghao. Zhuang Zijin was glad if Zong Jinghao was willing to become a family with Lin Xinyan.
“When are you coming back?” Zhuang Zijin asked.
Zong Jinghao did not know when he could find her, so he said, “I don’t have a specific time frame. I want to bring them around. We won’t be contacted so we can enjoy ourselves better.”
Zhuang Zijin nodded. “Alright, when are you leaving?”
“Tonight.”
“That’s quick.”
“Yes.” He gave no further explanations. He did not want to delay his time even more.
“Then you and the children should go and eat first. I’ll pack their clothes.” Zhuang Zijin took off her apron and went into the room.
Zong Jinghao brought the children to wash their hands. Lin Ruixi was clingier and she did not want to leave his arms. So Zong Jinghao carried her while she washed her hands and then brought her to the dining room. She sat on his lap.
Aunt Yu served the food and asked, “Young Mistress isn’t home yet?”
Aunt Yu’s title for her had changed again.
She felt that Lin Xinyan had given birth to Zong Jinghao’s two children, so she was now the Young Mistress of the Zong family.
Zong Jinghao was picking some vegetables for Lin Xichen as he quietly hummed in response.
He did not want to talk more about Lin Xinyan. The more he talked, the more likely others would suspect him.
Aunt Yu was the one who took care of him, so she was familiar with his personality. The way he had answered her meant that he did not want to talk about the matter, so she stopped talking.
“Daddy, eat.” Lin Ruixi scooped a piece of broccoli for Zong Jinghao.
The little girl blinked with hopeful eyes.
Zong Jinghao opened his mouth and ate the broccoli. Even if he had no appetite for food right now, he still chewed because Lin Ruixi was the one who gave him that.
“It’s tasty, right?” Lin Ruixi smiled happily. “My mommy cooks it better.”
Zong Jinghao’s expression froze. These two children are often mentioned about Lin Xinyan. It was obvious that they were very close to Lin Xinyan.
Lin Xichen looked at his sister and pursed his lips. He lowered his eyes as he ate a few mouthfuls before putting down the chopsticks. He also had no appetite for food while his mommy was still missing.
“I’m done. I’ll see if grandma is done packing.” He slid down the chair and walked towards the room.
“Xichen, you’re just eating a little?” Lin Ruixi looked at her brother. Although the two argued and fought sometimes, they still cared for each other.
“Xichen is full.” Lin Xichen smiled at his sister.
“Xichen, you’re not the extra one.” Lin Ruixi suddenly said to Lin Xichen.
Lin Xichen laughed.
Soon after dinner, Shen Peichuan had brought the men and cars over. He knew that Zong Jinghao was bringing the two children, so he had prepared a recreational vehicle so the children could rest in it. Other than the recreational vehicle, there were three off-road vehicles and seven men. They were all good with physical work and they were trusted men.
When Shen Peichuan saw Lin Xichen, he sighed, “He really looks like you. Look at those eyes and nose.”
“Then do I look like Daddy?” Lin Ruixi looked up at him and asked.
Shen Peichuan crouched to take a good look at the little girl. She was fair with bright eyes. When she blinked, her eyes were like twinkling stars. He reached out to pinch her cheeks, but before his fingers touched her face, his wrist was grabbed. He looked up and saw Zong Jinghao’s cold expression.
Shen Peichuan was stunned. “I just want to pinch her cheeks. You have a daughter, but you can’t be that stingy, right?”
Did playing with children not consist of pinching their cheeks, kissing, and hugging them?
He had not even started with the kissing and hugging yet.
Zong Jinghao swung his hand away. “You can’t touch her with your hands.”
Lin Ruixi was a girl and she kept being touched by others, especially men. He did not like it.
He carried his daughter and held onto his son’s hand. “If you’re done packing everything in the car, then let’s go.”
He walked towards the car.
Shen Peichuan remained crouched on the same spot with a stunned look. He lowered his head to look at his hand. His hand was not dirty, why was Zong Jinghao being so stingy?
He hurried to follow him. “Zong Jinghao, I need to talk to you.”
He was not a predator, why was he wary of him?
“You love your children, I understand. After all, you only had them when you’re old, but you can’t be this stingy…”
Zong Jinghao turned his head around. “What did you say? I only have them when I’m old?”
Was he old?
Shen Peichuan smacked his lips. “Not old.”
Internally, he dissed him. He was already in his thirties nearing his forties, was that not old?
He walked over. “Why don’t I have a son? Then let’s engage our children?”
If you’re not going to let me touch her, then I’m going to have a son that’ll marry your daughter. Then she’ll be his daughter-in-law. Shen Peichuan thought.
Haha.
Zong Jinghao’s expression darkened.
Shen Peichuan reacted quickly. Before Zong Jinghao could do anything to him, he ran into the car.
Lin Ruixi blinked. “Daddy, what is engagement?”
Zong Jinghao did not know how to explain to her.
He patted his daughter’s head and carried her into the car. “He’s just talking nonsense.”
