This time around, Yan was certain that she could give up. If it was before, she might not have been able to walk away from a situation like today. However, she could now control herself from overstaying her welcome in front of him, and she could stop herself from searching for him. As long as she remained steadfast, she would be able to put Han Qing behind her.
“Aunt Yan—”
Little Bean seemed to want to say something else, but she quickly cut across his words. “That’s enough; you’re just a kid who doesn’t understand many things yet, so don’t say anything more. I’m going to cook something for you now. Bring that cup of milk tea with you to the living room and drink it slowly. I’ll call you when I’m done.” With that, she closed the kitchen door without waiting to see his reaction.
It was obvious that she did not want him to ask further questions. Moreover, she looked so sad and so hurt that he did not dare to continue speaking about it. He quietly carried the milk tea into the living room. The milk tea that he normally enjoyed drinking had lost its flavor and its sweetness; instead, he became tired of the taste after several sips.
Putting the cup down after several sips, he turned his gaze toward the closed kitchen. Should I tell her that Uncle Qing was the one that brought me here just now? And that he knows where she stays?
However, based on her current state, he did not know whether she would feel worse if he told her about it. Suddenly, it was difficult for Little Bean to make a decision. Bad Uncle Qing! He must have done something to hurt Aunt Yan. Nonetheless, he did not know what had actually happened, and she would definitely refuse to tell him.
When Yan brought out the noodles, she had managed to sort out her emotions. At the sight of his untouched milk tea, she became surprised. “What’s wrong? Is the milk tea not good?”
He hastily replied, “That’s not it! It’s very tasty, but I’m afraid I will be too full to eat the noodles if I drink too much. So, I left some space in my stomach for the noodles!”
Yan burst out laughing at that, then she reached out and pinched his cheeks. “Oh, you! Oh, well, that’s fine too; knowing the importance of the main dish is a good thing. The noodles are ready; hurry up and eat.”
While he was eating the noodles, he studied her expression and noticed that she looked as if nothing had happened. Thus, he became even more afraid of speaking the words he wanted to say, for fear of saying something that would remind her of her pain.
“Oh, right; while I was cooking the noodles, I gave your mommy a call and told her that you were with me. You naughty brat! Why did you lie to me saying that you had already informed her? If I didn’t call her, she wouldn’t even have known that you had left the house!”
He slurped on his noodles and grunted in reply. It was not as if he had intentionally wanted to keep it from his mommy, he just didn’t want to intrude on his parents’ alone time together.
“You can’t do this again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Aunt Yan.” Continuing to eat, he suddenly asked, “Aunt Yan, are you opening your own shop?”
“Yeah.” Yan nodded. “I’m opening a ramen restaurant. What you are eating right now is my newest product. Can’t you tell that the taste is different from before?”
Little Bean immediately exclaimed respectfully, “Oh, is that so? No wonder it’s so tasty! When your shop is open, can I go to your shop every day to eat your noodles, Aunt Yan?”
“Of course! When the time comes, I won’t charge you for it; you can pay for it with labor instead.”
“Labor?” He tilted his head to the side slightly.
“That’s right.” She smiled. “For example, you can help me wash the dishes, serve the customers, or even clean the tables.”
“Hmm?” He tilted his head further to the side. “Washing the dishes and cleaning the tables? Are you asking me to be a waiter, Aunt Yan?”
Yan was only joking with him, but looking at his serious eyes as well as his expectant expression, she began to imagine it in her mind too. Then, she burst out laughing. “That’s right! When the time comes, I’ll prepare a special waiter’s uniform for you. Once you put it on, you can stand by the doorway and attract customers. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Little Bean’s eyes shone brightly. It sounds like a lot of fun! “When the time comes, can I choose the color myself, Aunt Yan?”
“Hmm?” She blinked. “You’re taking this seriously? I was just joking with you. If I let you wear a uniform and stand by the door to attract customers, people will think that I am a child abuser.” Reaching out her hand, she ruffled his head lightly, then said softly, “When the time comes, you just need to come to my shop to play, Little Bean. You don’t need to help out.”
When he looked at her acting like this, for some unknown reason, he suddenly felt so upset that he wanted to cry. Something he was not aware of must have happened recently, and it caused the relationship between Aunt Yan and Uncle Qing to fall apart. The little cogs in his brain spun furiously as his thoughts fell down the rabbit hole, and he began to imagine all sorts of stuff in his head. He thought, Is it because I forced Aunt Yan to bring me abroad, but Uncle Qing assumed that she was the one who wanted to bring me there? Thus, he became angry at Aunt Yan, and that was why they fought? At the thought of that possibility, he felt his heart tighten. Is it really because of me? This time as well; I made her so sad again.
Although she did not show it, it would be a pity if she did not become his aunt. He felt like crying just thinking about it. However, these thoughts were simply the nonsensical thoughts running around in his head. He did not mention a single word, nor did he reveal any of it on his face.
Time flew by quickly; Yan rushed to send Little Bean back to Seabay Villa before the night was over. The security guards standing by the entrance to Seabay Villa stepped forward to greet Little Bean when they saw him return home.
The boy tugged at her hand. “Aunt Yan, won’t you go in to see Mommy? Mommy must miss you a lot.”
“I miss your mommy too, but I need to deliver the food to the hospital. We still have lots of chances in the future anyway, so I won’t be going in today. Be a good boy and go home, Little Bean. I’ll come and pick you up again tomorrow. How about that?”
Alas, he nodded his head, then he watched as she got into the car and left.
“Welcome back, Little Young Master.”
Little Bean lifted his head to look at the guards greeting him. The sorrowful look on his face dissolved and was instantly replaced with a bright expression; he smiled at them as he greeted them. “Hello, misters.”
“Oh, what a good boy you are.”
“That’s right; Little Young Master is so well-brought-up. Compared to the spoiled brats of other families, he is so much more friendly.”
Turning around the corner, Little Bean waved at them. “I’m going in, misters.”
Han Muzi had become more and more lethargic recently. Furthermore, her appetite had been poor. Despite how hungry she was, the moment food entered her mouth, she lost her appetite immediately. Therefore, she had been starving for the past two days, but she could not eat a single bite.
She was craving spicy hotpot and all sorts of street snacks from the roadside stalls. However, Ye Moxuan would never allow her to eat those. After all, it was common knowledge that roadside stalls were unsanitary. Yet, people were still willing to eat there to satisfy the cravings and desires of their stomachs.
