Chapter 44 p1
Wei Chengli dragged the little rascal into the bedroom. As he pushed the door closed, he heard light footsteps trailing behind. He hesitated, loosening his grip slightly, and ultimately didn’t fully shut the door, leaving a small gap.
After all, what he was about to say would be broadcast live by the cameras in the room anyway, it might as well let Yan Yan hear it too.
“Baby.” Wei Chengli lifted the little rascal and placed her on a chair, making her stand. “Let me apologize first. At home, I neglected the fact that you’re only three years old. When watching cartoons with you, I over-interpreted… I mean, I talked to you about many things and used vocabulary that adults find complex.”
Wei Maomao slightly tilted her head, entering her ignore-everything mode.
Wei Chengli reached out and turned the little rascal’s face back to face him directly, saying patiently, “Those words and phrases themselves are not problematic. The problem is, you’re only three years old, you haven’t experienced, seen, or learned enough, you can’t properly use those words that I shouldn’t have said and you shouldn’t have remembered.”
Wei Maomao frowned, pursing her lips.
Wei Chengli quickly placed his finger vertically on her lips to prevent being interrupted, then quickly continued, “Let’s not talk about whether you’re right or wrong. I’m just asking, you like Yan Yan so much, you became friends with her, then you go and upset her dad and sister, making them unhappy, how does this benefit Yan Yan?”
Wei Maomao pushed away the finger on her lips, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, but didn’t speak right away. She felt Wei Chengli’s words were starting to make sense.
Wei Chengli didn’t really need a response and continued, “Look, you’re just Yan Yan’s friend. You’re having fun together filming this show, but after filming, don’t you both have to go back to your own homes? Although our families live in the same city, the city is so big, you’re both little babies, in the future, even if you want to see each other, won’t you need our consent as parents, and someone to drive you? You made her dad angry just now, and made her sister sad earlier, will they still like you? Will they be willing to go through so much trouble to make time and effort for you to meet?”
“… “ Wei Maomao didn’t need Cheng Feiying and Cheng Rongrong’s approval. As long as she could collect enough evidence of their bad behavior on the show, she would have something to show Cheng Tingyan’s mother later. Then she could get custody and not have to deal with those people anymore.
The little chubby dumpling pursed her lips tightly, lowering her head silently, looking a bit pitiful. Wei Chengli secretly pinched his arm hard to stop himself from giving in.
“And, regardless of whether you can see each other in the future, you like Yan Yan, so you must want her to have a good life, right? But look, Yan Yan is only six years old, she can’t take care of herself yet. Not to mention anything else, just her three meals a day, hot water, and warm food, she needs her parents to provide and care for her, right? Living at home, she has to see and play with her sister every day, right? They’re the family she sees and relies on every day, right? You like Yan Yan, so you should hope that she gets along well with them, right? Like earlier, Rongrong came over, seemingly wanting to reconcile with Yan Yan, and you made her cry, that wasn’t good, was it?” Wei Chengli continued patiently, trying to persuade her with reason.
“Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!” Wei Maomao stubbornly raised her head.
Wei Chengli had anticipated this reaction. He patted the little chubby dumpling’s soft head and said gently, “I know you feel that Uncle Cheng and Rongrong, sometimes the things they say, make you feel that… um… perhaps they’re not particularly attentive to Yan Yan’s feelings. But many families are like that, it’s not that they don’t love their children, not that they don’t love each other, it’s just that sometimes, they think children don’t understand anything yet, and they’re used to making decisions and controlling things. But, that’s just each family, their own… um, their own situation. Daddy is not saying you’re wrong, or that everything you said is wrong, but, it’s useless, you know, Baby? You’re only three years old, you’re just a friend of a six-year-old in that family, no matter how much you say, you can’t change anything.”
There were some things that Wei Chengli knew he should have said more tactfully, more diplomatically, more morally upright, especially during a live broadcast. But he also knew that those words wouldn’t convince this stubborn little rascal. He felt he had already spoken from the bottom of his heart, to the point that Cheng Feiying, if he saw this, would probably call him and scold him before blocking his number. He could only hope that the little rascal would understand his good intentions.
Putting aside Wei Maomao’s reaction for now, the viewers in the live broadcast room were truly moved.
“Our CEO Mao is always right! But Director Wei… what he said also makes sense.”
“Sigh, no matter how mighty our CEO Mao is, she’s just a three-year-old baby. After they go home, she won’t be able to protect Yan Yan anymore, she might not even be able to see her.”
“Director Wei is right, regardless of whether Cheng Feiying and Cheng Rongrong are attentive to Yan Yan’s feelings, she still has to go home. She still needs them to survive… Why bother arguing with them now, won’t it all fall back on Yan Yan after the show ends?”
“Yes, Director Wei has made it very clear, he’s practically grabbing Maomao’s ears and shouting, ‘Do you want Yan Yan to get beaten after going home?!”
“Director Wei is really daring, his attitude is so obvious…”
“Tsk, although Director Wei is playing in the mud, it feels like he’s playing in some very hardcore mud…”
“It’s true, once the door closes, what happens inside becomes a family matter, unless something major happens, who can see what’s going on? If it weren’t for this show, would we know that Cheng Feiying makes Yan Yan eat mushrooms she doesn’t like every day? Would we know that Yan Yan eats expired snacks and compressed biscuits? Would we know the difference between thirty yuan and two million yuan? Honestly, even now that we’ve seen it and know about it, it’s still a family matter, we can complain all we want, but in the end, it’s none of our business, heh.”
“Family matters are always the hardest to deal with in this world. You know, nearly thirty percent of violent crimes in China occur within families.”
“Cheng Feiying is just swapping houses and making her eat mushrooms, that doesn’t count as domestic violence, right…”
“I think we shouldn’t have such a narrow understanding of violence, isn’t emotional abuse also a form of violence?”
“He’s just not paying enough attention to Yan Yan. But even if Cheng Feiying sees our anger after the show ends, optimistically speaking, he might realize his mistake. Even better, he might apologize and promise to change. But once the door is closed, who knows what will happen behind it?”
“Right, after all, they’re a family. I often see comments saying that Yan Yan, Dongdong, and Zhizhi are so pitiful, we should click on their live streams more, give them more traffic and advertising revenue. But I always want to say, what’s the use? Once the door is closed, it’s still those dads you hate who get the money…”
“That’s true, sigh, our CEO Mao, at such a young age, she really doesn’t understand the complexities, she probably thinks winning every argument means protecting Yan Yan.”
“Sigh, Director Wei truly… is giving our precious bunny a cruel dose of reality.”
…
Cruel? It was indeed cruel.
A dose of reality? Not at all~~
“I can, I can change things.” Wei Maomao retorted with a determined look, hands on her hips.
This conversation today was different from his previous simple request for her to stop saying “My daddy said.” Wei Maomao could sense the change in Wei Chengli’s stance, he was educating her, he was also acknowledging Cheng Feiying’s wrongdoings.
Limited by her three-year-old body, all Wei Maomao could use was the “My daddy said…” she had painstakingly gathered through staying up late and interrogating her father. She really needed a kind adult NPC to step in and do more. Initially, Wei Chengli was naturally the closest and most convenient one to use. But when the program team sent over the list and introductions of the other families, and Wei Chengli actually believed the slander against Yan Yan on that piece of paper, Wei Maomao began to doubt his usefulness.
But after being on the show, it turned out… he was the best of the worst.
Since Wei Chengli was willing to take the initiative today, then she wouldn’t hold back.
Wei Chengli was amused by the little chubby dumpling’s determined “I can.”
“What can you do?” Wei Chengli reached out and pinched her chubby cheeks. “You’re just a little rascal who upsets people with ‘My daddy said.’ Think carefully about what Daddy told you, shouldn’t you be nicer to Uncle Cheng and Rongrong in the future?”
“I shouldn’t.” Wei Maomao immediately replied, grabbing Wei Chengli’s sleeve. “Daddy, let’s take Yan Yan home. I’ll take care of her three meals a day, all with warm food!”
“Pfft…” Wei Chengli laughed, removing her little chubby paw from his sleeve. “I thought you were capable of something great. After thinking for so long, that’s what you came up with? Taking someone else’s child home, just like that? What are you thinking… Besides, can you even reach the stove? Taking care of her three meals, even your own food is made by me!”
“I can buy it!” Wei Maomao tugged on Wei Chengli’s sleeve again. “I’ll buy Yan Yan’s meals.”
“With what? Baby Coins?” Wei Chengli rubbed her chubby cheeks. “My dear, be realistic, okay? How about playing with Yan Yan and Rongrong later, children have short memories, after playing for a while, Rongrong will…”
“I’ll buy it with real money!” Wei Maomao pressed her hand on Wei Chengli’s face. “I won’t play with Rongrong who bullies Daddy.”
“You even know about real money? Where did you get your money?” Wei Chengli removed her little chubby paw, laughing in exasperation. “Stop messing around, I don’t believe you really think Rongrong bullied me, don’t make excuses. And why do you have to press your hand on my face every time you say that…” As if performing some strange ritual or declaration.
She had been waiting for this!
Wei Maomao puffed out her chest, saying righteously, “Shen Zilin said that when we came to this show, the babies also have our own money. I’ll use that money to take care of Yan Yan.”
Wei Chengli: “…”
“Daddy.” Wei Maomao tilted her head slightly, giving Wei Chengli a look of disdain. “You said girls have to protect their own property, you’ll give me my money, right?”
“What’s with that look!” Wei Chengli pinched her chubby cheeks, exasperated. “Alright, alright, you do have money, but you can’t use it like that. Yan Yan has her own home, stop thinking about taking her away, that’s weird.”
“Daddy, I’ll ask you another question. When the earthen rabbit left home, Rabbit Daddy didn’t want to return all the money the earthen rabbit had saved with him.” Wei Maomao shook her head, freeing herself from her father’s pinching hand, and said seriously, “Daddy, in the future, if I want to use my money to take care of Yan Yan, will you give me the money?”
“Baby, can you follow my train of thought, is it possible that Yan Yan can live well in her own home? And as long as you don’t… um, just don’t always use ‘My daddy said,’ you’ll have a chance to see Yan Yan again in the future.” Wei Chengli said helplessly.
“Daddy, will you give it to me?” Wei Maomao cupped Wei Chengli’s face with both hands, staring at him intently.
Her chubby face was serious, her bright eyes wide open…
Looking at his reflection in those serious eyes, Wei Chengli gradually stopped smiling.
Why, why was she so serious?
“Baby…” Wei Chengli said softly, “If you have a legitimate reason, I mean, if you need money for something right, your mom and I will of course give you the money.”
Wei Maomao shook her head. “Will you give me, my money?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Wei Chengli patted her head. “Then use your own property, no need for your mom and my money, alright?”
Wei Maomao smiled with satisfaction.
The medical expenses, secured.
“Daddy, Daddy, you’re such a good dad.” Wei Maomao clutched her chest, pleased with her progress.
“Cut it out.” Wei Chengli scoffed. “I advise you not to daydream, even if you have money, Yan Yan won’t come home with us. Just keep an eye on her, don’t dwell on the unpleasant things. Look at Yan Yan’s dad, his cooking is so much better than mine…”
“Daddy.” Wei Maomao interrupted Wei Chengli’s praise. Since he brought it up, she might as well add fuel to the fire. “You don’t know, Yan Yan’s dad is very, very bad… He… Mmm mmm…”
“Shh.” Wei Chengli covered the little dumpling’s mouth, glancing at the slightly open door.
He wanted Maomao and Yan Yan to face reality, that was true, but there was no need to be so blunt, was there? Cheng Feiying was Yan Yan’s dad after all, his daughter was probably squatting outside, it was too impolite to say such things about him right here.
Wei Chengli held the struggling dumpling, his eyes fixed on the gap in the door, thinking about how to appease her. Too many things piled up, and trouble inevitably followed.
Speaking of Cheng Tingyan, earlier in the courtyard, seeing Maomao’s dad come out with a serious expression, grab the little chubby bunny, and leave, she was quite worried and couldn’t help but follow them. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but when she looked back, her retreat was blocked by a person and a pig… If it was just that, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but the key was, Wen Dongyu said, “Will Boss be okay…?” How should she put it, Cheng Tingyan was glued to the door, her face red, unable to move.
The two people inside didn’t lower their voices, and the door wasn’t far from them. Cheng Tingyan could clearly hear their conversation.
At first, the inevitable separation and the thought of returning home weighed heavily on Cheng Tingyan, almost suffocating her. Even if it was a beautiful dream, it shouldn’t end before it even truly began… But that was Maomao’s dad, what he said was also right, they… should be obedient.
Although she hadn’t lived for many years, Cheng Tingyan was already accustomed to accepting her fate.
Just as she was about to accept reality and leave, Cheng Tingyan heard Maomao say she wanted to take care of her.
It was like honey in a dream, a ridiculous impossibility, yet she couldn’t help but secretly savor it in her heart.
Cheng Tingyan knew that Maomao was different, she couldn’t explain why, she had felt it from the moment they met yesterday morning. Now, the facts confirmed her feelings, the little chubby bunny was truly different from everyone else.
It was good.
This was enough.
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