Chapter 101: Where is Mom?

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Where is Mom?

Nan Yi shyly lowered his little head, which made Nan Zhi chuckle.

She urged Nan Yi to hurry and take a bath, patting his back.

"You’ve been busy all day; your clothes are all sweaty. Go take a good bath, and don’t..."

Upon hearing this, Nan Yi, who had been hesitating and lingering near Nan Zhi, immediately dashed away, his short legs pumping furiously!

Nan Zhi, who hadn’t even finished her sentence: ...

Actually, she had been about to tell Nan Yi to be careful not to catch a cold.

But Nan Yi was just embarrassed, afraid that she would be put off by his smell and find him disgusting.

’This little guy, already so concerned with his image.’

Nan Zhi shook her head and chuckled teasingly.

Then, remembering something, she deliberately tiptoed toward the stairs.

Soon, a dim light flicked on in the first-floor kitchen, accompanied by faint, shuffling sounds.

Nan Yi scrubbed himself very thoroughly during his bath.

When he emerged from the steamy bathroom, his black hair was dripping wet and his face was flushed red.

There were even red marks on his slender arms from where he had scrubbed them with a towel!

But Nan Yi didn’t seem to care at all, nor did he feel any pain.

He raised his hands and said cheerfully:

"I’m all clean!"

His footsteps stopped short.

A look of pure panic flashed across his little face.

"Mommy!"

He looked all around, searching for Nan Zhi, but found that she was nowhere to be seen!

Only the light in the second-floor loft was on; everywhere else was dark.

The space wasn’t large; the wardrobe wasn’t even big enough to hide a person.

’So where is my mommy?’

Nan Yi slowly clenched his fists.

THUMP.

The sound came suddenly from beneath the stairs, which were swallowed by darkness.

Startled, Nan Yi ran toward the sound without a second thought.

Because he was in such a hurry and the stairs were so dark, he tripped and fell hard to the ground!

But with no time to cry out in pain, Nan Yi scrambled back up and hurried down the rest of the way.

His small, frail figure passed through the darkness, gradually approaching the light of the kitchen.

"Mommy!"

Nan Yi’s face was beaded with sweat from his lingering terror.

A focused Nan Zhi finally turned her head:

"Hm? Yiyi? You’re done with your bath already?"

She stood under the warm yellow light, and her slender figure brought Nan Yi an unparalleled sense of security.

The sense of panic that had gripped Nan Yi gradually subsided.

The color returned to his small face. He nodded and gave a soft, obedient "mhm."

It was as if nothing had happened.

But Nan Zhi narrowed her eyes:

"Your knee... Did you fall coming down the stairs?"

She paid no mind to the glutinous rice balls bobbing up and down in the pot.

She walked straight over to Nan Yi, squatted down without a word, and immediately rolled up his pant leg.

Nan Yi tried to pull away:

"I-I’m fine!"

"What do you mean you’re fine! Your knee is all red!"

Nan Zhi’s brows furrowed, and her tone was unusually stern.

But hearing this, Nan Yi wanted to smile. His voice was soft and sweet:

"It really doesn’t hurt at all."

Nan Zhi sighed.

She would rather have Nan Yi be a child who would fuss, whine, and cry out in pain, instead of him always being so sensible and stoic, trying to be the most well-behaved child in the world.

But she knew some things couldn’t be rushed; she could only take it slow.

So, Nan Zhi softened her voice:

"Then how about Mommy blows on it to make the pain fly away?"

Nan Yi’s little face turned a bit red as he stammered in protest:

"I-I’m not a three-year-old!"

"Yes, yes."

Nan Zhi replied, amused.

Then, she did as she intended anyway and blew gently on the red spot on Nan Yi’s knee.

The soft, warm breath ghosted across Nan Yi’s knee.

Only then did Nan Yi belatedly feel the pain.

But the pain was quickly blown away by Nan Zhi’s gentle puffs of air.

The corners of Nan Yi’s mouth curled up high, and a light danced in his eyes.

Nan Zhi looked up and saw it. ’This contrary little fellow!’

Nan Zhi found it strange, too:

"How did you manage to fall? You were walking around just fine during the day."

Nan Yi didn’t say that he had fallen because he’d panicked when he came out of the bath and couldn’t see his mommy.

He just said he had been careless.

Nan Zhi affectionately pinched his nose:

"You silly goose."

Nan Yi shyly turned his face away:

"Hm? Mommy, what’s that smell?"

Nan Zhi: "Oh no!"

She hurriedly got up to check the pot.

The freshly made rice balls she’d just put in the pot were now swollen and disintegrating; they were completely ruined.

If she hadn’t been so distracted, how could Nan Zhi have made such a rookie mistake?

Fortunately, Nan Zhi had planned to make extra rice balls to freeze, so even though this batch was ruined, she still had more in reserve.

She poured out the water, refilled the pot with fresh water, and prepared to cook a second batch.

Nan Yi stood on his tiptoes, trying hard to peer into the pot:

"What’s that?"

"Something I’m cooking for you."

Nan Zhi had originally thought that Nan Yi’s bath would take at least ten minutes.

That would have been enough time for her to cook a dessert, so it would be ready to eat just as Nan Yi came out of the bath.

But as it turned out, Nan Yi bathed much faster than she had expected!

But it was no big deal.

"The glutinous rice balls are ready."

Nan Zhi scooped up the glutinous rice balls, which floated on the boiling water looking plump, white, and round. She poured them into a thick, smooth red bean paste, then drizzled a bit of translucent, sweet osmanthus syrup over the top.

Nan Zhi placed it in front of Nan Yi:

"Here, try it. Sweet osmanthus red bean soup with rice balls."

Nan Yi’s eyes went wide:

"F-For me?"

He paused for a moment before asking,

"But didn’t Mommy tell me not to eat at night?"

In the past, Nan Yi had often had very irregular meals, which left him with some minor stomach problems.

Nan Zhi wanted to help nurse him back to health, so she had made a rule that he couldn’t eat before bed.

Nan Yi was always obedient and well-behaved.

Other children might hide candy and chocolate to eat in secret behind their parents’ backs.

But that was something that would never happen with Nan Yi.

That’s why Nan Yi was so surprised to see that Nan Zhi had made him a bowl of sweet osmanthus red bean soup with rice balls!

What child doesn’t get cravings?

Especially a child like Nan Yi, who had a particular fixation on food?

He just wanted to listen to his mommy and not disappoint her, that was all.

The sweet aroma wafted from the small bowl. Nan Yi’s nostrils flared, and he unconsciously swallowed.

Nan Zhi explained with a beaming smile:

"Just for today, we’re making a special exception, so it’s okay."

In truth, Nan Zhi wanted to soothe Nan Yi’s feelings.

She had been busy in the kitchen all day and had inevitably neglected Nan Yi a little.

And on top of that, there was Xie An’an’s "confession" from earlier...

It was only normal that her little jealous boy would be upset!

He had denied it, but Nan Zhi didn’t believe him one bit.

Look how happily he was eating now!

His little legs were swinging happily back and forth under the table, and even his eyes had closed in blissful contentment!

Seeing him eat so cheerfully made Nan Zhi happy too:

"Eat slowly, don’t burn yourself."

Nan Yi nodded vigorously.

「Meanwhile.」

「Lu Shixu’s Courtyard Home.」

Tao An stood outside the bathroom door, pacing back and forth anxiously.

CLICK.

The door opened.

Lu Shixu walked out, his face slightly pale.

Tao An grew anxious:

"Did you throw up? I knew it, you ate too much tonight. Your stomach couldn’t handle it! Sir, we should call a doctor!"

"No need."

Lu Shixu’s brow furrowed listlessly. He walked around Tao An and sat down on the sofa.

Then:

"You were saying something about getting takeout from Nan Family’s Small Restaurant tomorrow? No need. I’ll go in person."