Chapter 115: Ch 115: Cold Shoulders and Family Hug

As PD Xu Cui walked closer and closer to the place where he had left his angelic grandchildren, his eyes twinkled with open fondness. The late afternoon light filtered through the canopy in soft golden shafts, and the quiet rustle of leaves. A gentle breeze stirred the grass under his feet.

My angelic babies~ he mused inwardly, the familiar goofy warmth already returning to his expression.

But the moment he actually arrived, he paused.

Oya? A teasing smirk curved his lips. They’re already here?

His gaze rested on the backs of Su Wanyan and Mo Xingxue. The alpha still had her head resting comfortably on Mo Xingxue’s shoulder, left arm wrapped around the omega’s waist, while Mo Xingxue leaned her own head against Su Wanyan’s. It was the perfect picture of an intimate couple—soft, natural, and completely unguarded beneath the dappled shade.

PD Xu Cui laughed under his breath, though a flicker of disbelief accompanied the amusement. They’re already this intimate.. and they still claim they’re just friends? He shook his head with a light chuckle and walked forward, the soft grass muffling his steps.

"Am I late to the family picnic?" he called out, laughing, the familiar mischievous tone returning in full force.

Su Wanyan straightened at once and pulled her arms away from Mo Xingxue—much to the omega’s quiet dismay. The sudden loss of warmth left a small, noticeable emptiness against Mo Xingxue’s side. Su Wanyan looked up at PD Xu Cui with an awkward laugh, cheeks faintly warm.

"Hi, PD Xu."

She wasn’t sure why, but the moment he appeared she instinctively created a little distance between herself and Mo Xingxue. Normally she would never have done so. Around PD Xu Cui, however, there was a subtle pressure—an almost paternal authority—that made her instincts demand she act properly and maintain a more formal space.

"Grandpa!" Shen Guoxing shouted, sitting up and immediately running toward him with pure, unrestrained joy.

PD Xu Cui opened his arms wide. The child plunged straight into them without hesitation. He lifted his eldest angelic granddaughter high into the air, smiling brightly as her laughter rang out and brightened the already sun-dappled forest.

The leaves above them seemed to shimmer with the sound. (Su Wanyan experienced several miniature heart attacks during the lifting, her hands half-rising in instinctive worry before she forced them back down.)

After a few joyful lifts, he finally set Shen Guoxing back down on the soft grass and patted her head with open affection. She immediately ran back to Leilei’s side, still grinning.

Only then did PD Xu Cui fully notice the other child. His eyebrows rose slightly as he took in how unusually close the two little girls were sitting—knees nearly touching, the easy familiarity of children who had already decided they belonged together.

A child from this village? He wondered, studying her intently. Why is she.. awfully close with my angelic granddaughter? A quiet, overprotective fire stirred in his chest, sharp and immediate.

He continued staring with narrowed eyes, the earlier goofy warmth replaced by a sharp, assessing focus.

Before long Leilei felt the weight of that burning gaze. She looked up, met PD Xu Cui’s intense stare, and immediately pursed her lips. Feeling an unspoken pressure telling her to keep her distance from her friend, she quietly shifted farther from Shen Guoxing.

Cold sweat dampened her back as she fixed her posture, kneeling formally on her heels, hands gripping the fabric of her pants. The soft grass pressed against her knees, and the sudden formality made her small frame look even smaller.

Beside her, Shen Guoxing looked over in confusion. "Leilei?" she asked, poking the other girl’s arm after the sudden formal movement.

She was about to ask more when she noticed that her Aunt Wanyan was sitting in exactly the same proper posture—knees together, back straight, hands neatly in her lap. Understanding dawned like a bright light.

Oh! She’s copying Aunt Wanyan!

A bright, smug smile blossomed on Shen Guoxing’s face. She immediately sat down the same way, knees together, heels under her, and looked at Leilei with shining, proud eyes, as if the two of them had just shared a secret adult skill.

Leilei, however, was not paying any attention to Shen Guoxing’s mimicry. Her entire focus remained locked on PD Xu Cui, small hands growing damper with nervousness. The weight of that stare felt heavy enough to press her into the grass.

PD Xu Cui narrowed his eyes further. Once he was satisfied that the village child no longer seemed to be "making a move" on his granddaughter, he finally shifted his gaze toward Mo Xingxue and Su Wanyan.

When his eyes met Mo Xingxue’s, he paused.

Mo Xingxue looked straight at him and pouted, then fixed him with a cold, accusing glare that clearly said, this is your fault. You made her put distance between us.

PD Xu Cui understood the silent message at once. He pointed at himself in pure disbelief, as if asking, me?

Mo Xingxue nodded firmly, the glare unwavering.

His mouth fell open. I just got here! I didn’t even do anything! He thought, equal parts disbelief and sudden fear. The overprotective grandfather who had just been sizing up a village child now found himself on the receiving end of an omega’s silent blame.

Mo Xingxue answered his wounded expression with a deadpan look and an eye-roll.

Gah! PD Xu Cui cried inwardly, imaginary blood spraying from his mouth at the unfair blame. The goofy production director looked, for a brief moment, like a man who had been deeply and unjustly wronged.

Completely ignoring his heartbroken, abandoned expression, Mo Xingxue turned to Mo Yan. The baby was staring at the adults with an expression that clearly said, are you all finally done? Good. Her little face was solemn, almost judgmental, as if she had been waiting for the grown-ups to finish their nonsense.

Mo Xingxue blinked at her daughter’s face and laughed softly. She moved closer to the stroller. "Sorry," she murmured, lifting Mo Yan into her arms. The baby immediately flailed her tiny arms as though cheering at finally being freed from the stroller’s confinement, a soft, happy babble escaping her.

Meanwhile Su Wanyan remained sitting properly on her knees, hands resting neatly in her lap, quietly watching the still-stunned PD Xu Cui.

After a beat, PD Xu Cui finally snapped out of his stunned state. He fixed his expression—smoothing away the wounded disbelief—and walked closer to Mo Xingxue. The soft grass muffled his steps. With careful fingers he gently poked her arm, the touch light and persistent.

Mo Xingxue simply shrugged the touch off without looking at him. Her attention remained fixed on the baby in her arms, as if the production director did not exist.

PD Xu Cui pouted, looking thoroughly wronged, and poked her shoulder again.

"What?" Mo Xingxue turned to him, tone and expression both cold. The single word carried the weight of quiet accusation.

Seeing his pitiful face she only shook her head and returned her attention to the baby in her arms, who remained completely unfazed by the adults’ antics. Mo Yan’s small face was solemn, almost judgmental, as if she had decided the grown-ups were being particularly dramatic today.

PD Xu Cui’s pout deepened. He kept poking her shoulder with the determination of a man who refused to be ignored. "Mo Xingxue.... Mo Xingxue....!"

A vein throbbed at her temple. She sighed and continued to ignore him. Inwardly, however, a quiet warmth spread through her chest—unexpected and a little unwelcome.

She didn’t fully understand why, but whenever PD Xu Cui acted like this—persistent, slightly childish, and determined to get her attention—she felt as though she were reverting to a much younger version of herself.

The version of her that had still craved love and attention from her father.. attention he had never given.

The old memory rose unbidden, clouding her mind with a familiar heaviness. The dappled sunlight through the leaves suddenly felt too bright. The soft weight of Mo Yan in her arms became the only thing anchoring her.

Just as the darkness began to settle, a tiny hand touched her chin. Mo Xingxue blinked and looked down at the baby in her arms. Mo Yan was watching her with quiet focus, her small fingers resting lightly against her mother’s skin.

A soft chuckle escaped her. "Thank you, baby," she murmured, grateful that the small touch had stopped her from spiraling further.

Mo Yan’s deadpan expression melted into a tiny but bright smile, as if she understood exactly what she had done.

Meanwhile PD Xu Cui, still receiving nothing but the cold shoulder despite his continuous poking, finally slumped. He sighed and turned his gaze toward Su Wanyan, who was still sitting properly on her knees with perfect posture. His eyes narrowed with sudden inspiration.

He walked over, suddenly pulled Su Wanyan closer, and forced her head to rest against Mo Xingxue’s shoulder once more. The movement was abrupt but careful, guided by the same mischievous energy that usually drove his production decisions.

Su Wanyan blinked rapidly, completely stunned by the abrupt maneuver. Her golden-rimmed glasses shifted slightly on her nose. "PD—?"

"There," PD Xu Cui declared, poking Mo Xingxue’s shoulder again for good measure, as if sealing the deal.

Mo Xingxue continued to give him the cold shoulder, only letting out a soft huff. The warmth of Su Wanyan’s head against her shoulder returned, familiar and steady, and for a moment the earlier distance felt like it had never happened.

PD Xu Cui straightened and scratched his head in frustration. What am I even supposed to do? He wondered, unable to find a way past the omega’s sulking. The goofy production director looked, for a brief second, like a man who had run out of ideas.

Then his gaze landed on the two children. Leilei was still kneeling formally with a nervous expression, while Shen Guoxing sat beside her looking excitedly at her friend, as though patiently waiting for attention.

The contrast between the two little girls was almost comical—one stiff with leftover tension, the other bright and ready.

PD Xu Cui hummed thoughtfully and strode toward them. In one smooth motion he scooped both children into his arms—much to Leilei’s shock and Shen Guoxing’s pure delight.

Leilei let out a small, startled sound, while Shen Guoxing immediately laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried them back and carefully settled them in front of Mo Xingxue and Su Wanyan, arranging the little group like pieces of a puzzle.

Then, with a bright, mischievous smile, he stretched out his arms and pulled everyone into a wide embrace. The sudden closeness brought the scent of sun-warmed grass and soft fabric, the warmth of multiple bodies, and the quiet chaos of a group that had not planned on becoming a pile.

"Family hug!" he declared, laughing loudly. The sound rang out under the trees, bright and unrestrained.

"It’s hot!" Mo Xingxue protested, frowning as she tried to push him away with her free hand. The complaint lacked real force. The reluctant upward curve of her mouth betrayed her.

PD Xu Cui only tightened his hold, a satisfied laugh escaping him when he noticed that small, unwilling smile. This tsundere, he thought, heart warming at the sight. The overprotective grandfather, the mischievous producer, and the man who had once been denied the simple warmth of family all settled into the same quiet contentment.

Far away, the viewers watching the live broadcast frantically took screenshots of the wholesome scene, their own hearts filling with the same quiet warmth the little group under the trees was radiating. Comments flooded the chat with soft reactions—heart emojis, crying faces, and endless variations of "family."

Under the shade of the old trees, the golden light continued to shift across them. Leaves whispered overhead. And for a moment, the complicated histories, the unspoken feelings, and the lingering shadows of the past all softened beneath the simple, chaotic warmth of a forced family hug.

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Fluff... heh.. hehe... MUEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHE!