Chapter 17
Wei Chengli’s denial came too quickly and urgently. The repeated “No” made his stance clear and also made Cheng Feiying’s face darken.
Clearly, trying to explain things like “Yan Yan’s father isn’t an outsider” or “This isn’t taking advantage of others, it’s showing goodwill between families” was pointless now.
He said he wanted Maomao to play with Cheng Tingyan, but he offended her father right from the start, what was there to play…
Before Wei Chengli could even try to smooth things over for Wei Maomao, the little dumpling’s expression changed amidst the repeated denials.
The previous anxiety and grievance vanished with Wei Chengli’s firm “No,” leaving only sparkling eyes and a satisfied smile.
“Daddy, Daddy, you really are my Daddy. You were the one who taught me the meaning of ‘being generous with other people’s things.’ You just said Uncle wasn’t… I thought you were a monster disguised as my Daddy.” The little dumpling tilted her head cutely, proactively taking Wei Chengli’s hand, with a happiness and relief that came from regaining something lost.
It… left Wei Chengli speechless.
What was going on? Was he going to turn into a monster again if he tried to defend Cheng Feiying?
Silly child.
Wei Chengli patted the little dumpling’s soft head, both amused and exasperated, feeling a little sorry for her facing the possible loss of her new friend.
“Baby.” Wei Chengli squatted down, looking at the little dumpling at eye level, ready to seriously explain the difference between “being generous with other people’s things” and “being united and friendly.” Not to mention, Cheng Feiying beside them was almost bursting with anger. Although children were innocent, such destructive power wouldn’t do.
“Little sister, how can you talk about my Daddy like that!” Cheng Rongrong, her fists clenched and face flushed red, rushed over to them. “We’re swapping houses, older sister agreed too, why are you talking about my Daddy?”
Was that so?
Wei Chengli’s attention had been on Wei Maomao, he really hadn’t noticed that Cheng Tingyan had also agreed earlier.
If that was the case, it would be easy to handle.
“Ah, so Yan Yan also agreed. Did Maomao not hear that older sister Yan Yan agreed too? Then…” Wei Chengli tried to create a way out for everyone.
“I heard it.” Wei Maomao straightened her chubby waist, kicking over the steps Wei Chengli had halfway built.
Wei Chengli: “…”
“Daddy.” Wei Maomao turned to look at Wei Chengli.
Wei Chengli looked away towards the blue sky. He didn’t know why, but in just these few minutes, he had started to develop a conditioned reflex to the word “Daddy.”
“Daddy, you said that if the big bear wanted to steal the little bear’s honey, the little bear couldn’t say no because it would get beaten up. The little bear could pretend to give the honey first and then go find the forest police.” Wei Maomao said, snuggling closer to Wei Chengli, and whispering, “Daddy, where do we find the forest police? Baby is a little scared too.”
No! You’re not scared at all!
Wei Chengli’s eyes looking at the sky almost welled up with tears. When he heard the words “big bear,” he knew! He knew it would be like this!
“Well… Little Maomao, don’t misunderstand Uncle. Uncle is Yan Yan’s father, he won’t hit anyone. This house was drawn by Yan Yan on behalf of our family, Uncle also asked for Yan Yan and Rongrong’s opinions before trying to swap. We’re all here to play together, we should be united and friendly, we should take care of each other. A good child like Maomao, if she saw someone in trouble, would also be willing to step up and help, right?” Seeing that Wei Chengli seemed to be useless, Cheng Feiying could only step in to educate someone else’s child himself.
“I’m willing… to give you…” Wei Maomao kept her distance, tossing the picture of their own house towards Cheng Feiying. Then the chubby little dumpling immediately hid behind Wei Chengli and said in a small voice, “Daddy, you said girls should protect their own property. I don’t dare to protect it, baby is really scared.”
A thin piece of paper almost shattered Cheng Feiying’s self-proclaimed loving and kind mask.
Cheng Feiying: ???
Why was there such a big difference in their thinking when they were only half a year apart in age? Could she be a little bit logical? Was he trying to steal her house?
“Maomao! You can’t do that!” Wei Chengli saw that things were getting out of hand, picked up the picture that Wei Maomao had thrown away, and became serious.
“Daddy.” The little dumpling twisted her chubby waist and plastered herself against Wei Chengli’s leg, hugging it tightly. “Daddy, you said girls should protect their own property. You’re protecting Maomao’s property now, are you the forest police?”
The soft little one, clinging to his leg, her small face raised with an expression of absolute trust, like a cute little accessory.
Apart from what she was saying and doing, she was incredibly adorable.
Wei Chengli resisted the urge to hug this cuteness, but he couldn’t say anything more reproachful.
“It’s like this, before we came, we watched a cartoon, there were a lot of strange stories in it. She’s too immersed in the role, please don’t mind her. Brother Cheng, I’m really sorry.” Wei Chengli ignored the little dumpling’s act and simply apologized.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. She’s just a child, it’s normal for her to have some wild imaginations.” Cheng Feiying readily accepted the apology, not wanting to get entangled with the unreasonable child anymore.
But the problem now was… Cheng Feiying held the picture and looked at Wen Xiang. The situation was in limbo, no matter how they proceeded, it would be awkward.
Wei Maomao hung on Wei Chengli’s leg, quietly watching the scene go from awkward to frozen, but she didn’t speak again.
This time, it was enough.
In her previous life, Cheng Tingyan’s luck wasn’t bad either, she had also drawn the best house. Maybe because there were only four families participating, the Shen family had drawn the worst house that time. Shen Zilin didn’t cry and make a fuss like Wen Dongyu, but he was so scared by the spiders in the house that he almost fainted after entering. Then, Cheng Feiying, who had toured the house with him, swapped houses with them.
Just as they were saying now, it was nothing, it was a friendly act of mutual help.
But Cheng Tingyan was also very afraid of spiders, and her family knew this. But Cheng Feiying didn’t mention it at all. He took the initiative to suggest swapping houses, then Cheng Rongrong nodded thoughtfully, and then they asked Cheng Tingyan’s opinion as a formality. At that time, Cheng Tingyan, who was also startled by the spiders, didn’t just coldly say “whatever” like this time. Instead, she was asked several times by Cheng Feiying, and after he added, “Didn’t we agree before we came on the show that you’re the oldest sister, you should get along well with the other children?”, she only nodded silently.
It wasn’t until much later, when Wei Maomao combined those events with the things she had chatted about with Cheng Tingyan online, that she realized the most important part of Cheng Feiying’s words that day was the word “agree.” The Cheng family had an agreement before the show. If Cheng Tingyan didn’t behave, the medical expenses they paid for her biological mother would be reduced.
At that time, on the show, Cheng Feiying’s initiative and the young Cheng Rongrong’s generosity made the hesitant Cheng Tingyan seem very unreasonable. And then her silence, her coldness, became further proof of her unfriendliness, stinginess, and selfishness.
Bound by the agreement, Cheng Tingyan couldn’t speak, no one knew the fear hidden behind her silence.
Even without the agreement, one was an adult male with the status and authority of a father, the other was a six-year-old unloved little girl…
Just like this time, Cheng Feiying first made the decision, and then asked for her opinion. What was the difference between this and the big bear stealing the little bear’s honey? Was it not enough for the little bear to agree, did it also have to offer it up with a smile?
Cheng Tingyan’s fear of the big bear, suppressed by the agreement, was hidden in her heart.
She couldn’t speak, she wouldn’t speak.
So, this time, Wei Maomao would be afraid for her, would speak for her.
Even if it was a bit of a fuss, she wanted everyone to see, to realize, that this unequal questioning was just a forceful imposition of the adult’s will.
And in fact, unbeknownst to Wei Maomao, she had indeed succeeded.
The comments in the live broadcast room had indeed praised Cheng Feiying’s friendliness and Cheng Rongrong’s generosity, but the moment the chubby little interloper jumped out, the atmosphere suddenly changed and couldn’t be reversed.
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