After receiving his salary, Shi Yang saved part of it, kept some money to take Zhao Meimei shopping for some local specialties, and found a courier to send them directly home.
Zhao Meimei held the warm milk tea in her hand, sipping it as she walked.
Shi Yang held her hand, leading her through the mall.
Shi Yang looked at Zhao Meimei’s height and took her directly into a major brand’s teenage girls’ clothing store.
The cabinets were full of brightly colored winter coats, lit by the store’s overhead lights, making them shine brightly in the eyes.
Zhao Meimei moved her mouth away from the straw and asked, "Brother, are you buying me clothes?"
Shi Yang led her into the store: "It’s New Year’s, I’ll buy you a new outfit. Pick anything you like; let me know if you find something."
Although Shi Yang said he’d let Zhao Meimei choose, once inside the store, it was mostly him selecting. If he saw something nice or satisfying, he’d have Zhao Meimei try it on.
Zhao Meimei, used to relying on him since childhood, obediently followed Shi Yang’s lead and ended up with two outfits from head to toe, swapping her cotton boots for snow boots trimmed with fox fur. When she walked, the fuzzy fur trembled.
Admiring her new boots, Zhao Meimei reached out to touch them.
Shi Yang asked, "Do you like them?"
Zhao Meimei nodded, "I like them."
Shi Yang flashed a smile, showing his white teeth, and whispered, "I bought these with the money I earned myself. From now on, I won’t need to rely on the family; I can support you."
Zhao Meimei didn’t hesitate, asking, "Support me for my whole life?"
Shi Yang answered without a doubt, "Isn’t that obvious?! Would I ever not want to support you?"
Zhao Meimei felt warmth in her chest, electrified by Shi Yangyang’s mention of a lifetime, leaving her utterly mellow and tingling.
That day, before leaving the mall, Shi Yang advised Zhao Meimei, "When we get home, don’t tell your parents how much the clothes cost, okay?"
Zhao Meimei turned her head to ask, "Why can’t I tell them?"
Shi Yang ruffled her hair, "Better not mention it. If you do, it won’t be good. Your parents are used to being frugal; if they find out these two outfits cost half of your dad’s monthly salary, they’ll definitely be unable to accept it, and it’ll be troublesome getting both you and me a scolding."
Shi Yang pinched Zhao Meimei’s cheek, "You should know how well I treat you in your heart; you don’t need to let others know."
Shi Yang carried the big bags with one hand while holding Zhao Meimei’s hand in his coat pocket with the other. They walked side by side, chatting happily along the way, covering a considerable distance without feeling tired, laughing together.
Zhao Meimei went home that day and was subjected to a serious parental scolding. At the heated moment, her mom couldn’t hold back and poked her forehead hard, aiming for another poke before Shi Yang intervened.
Shi Yang specifically accompanied Zhao Meimei home to make sure her parents wouldn’t get physical with her in anger.
Shi Yang pleaded, "Uncle, Aunt, I’ve already scolded her. She’s admitted her mistakes to me. Her sudden trip to the provincial city was actually my fault; I’ve been busy with work and neglected her. Meimei really missed me, so she just went straight there."
Liu Xiue, furious, pointed at Zhao Meimei from a distance, her finger trembling, "Even if you wanted to see Brother Yangyang, shouldn’t you have told your family? You just went off by yourself; what if something happened?"
Zhao Meimei hung her head, knowing she had made a mistake, feeling guilty, and bravely took the scolding.
Zhao Dazhuang was also angry and scolded Zhao Meimei, "You’ve got some nerve! You even dare to steal money from home!"
Upon hearing "steal money," Zhao Meimei retaliated, adamantly, "I didn’t steal money!"
Zhao Dazhuang growled, "You dare say the money from the drawer isn’t what you took?!"
Zhao Meimei defended herself, "It was me who took it, but isn’t the family’s money my money too? Spending my own money doesn’t count as stealing..."
Shi Yang swiftly intervened before Zhao Dazhuang could get angrier, scolding Zhao Meimei, "Is that how you talk back to adults?!"
Shi Yang gave Zhao Meimei a side look: little ancestress, stop talking back; don’t you see they’re both on fire right now!
Zhao Meimei understood the look from Shi Yangyang, quickly admitted her mistake, "Dad, Mom, I was wrong. I won’t do it again."
Shi Yang reminded, "Didn’t you say you bought gifts for your parents?"
Zhao Meimei turned to open her backpack, pulling out items, "Dad, here’s the belt I bought for you; the old ones are worn out. Mom, here’s the scarf I got for you; you have a long neck, it’ll definitely look better on you than Aunt Xu."
Liu Xiue and Zhao Dazhuang almost laughed from anger.
The mischievous kid, safely back from her trip, both parents felt a burning frustration inside, but after releasing it, they let it pass.
After scolding Zhao Meimei, they weren’t as angry. With Zhao Meimei’s antics, they couldn’t stay mad at her.
Liu Xiue glared at Zhao Meimei, "You and your gifts! How did you get the money for them?"
Zhao Meimei spoke confidently, "I spent Brother Yangyang’s money; with your money, I just bought a ticket and took a taxi, didn’t use the rest."
Liu Xiue got anxious hearing this, "Why are you spending Brother Yangyang’s money! Didn’t you take money from home?"
Zhao Meimei replied without thinking, "My Brother Yangyang’s money is my money; spending it makes him happy."
Zhao Meimei’s words left Liu Xiue and Zhao Dazhuang speechless, looking at their stubborn little daughter, it felt as if she was being raised by Shi Yang. Deep inside, she held only Brother Yangyang in her heart.
Who are your real parents? Were you born of Brother Yangyang?
If not for Shi Yang being present, Liu Xiue and Zhao Dazhuang would’ve pinched the little girl’s ears and had a good chat about this.
Shi Yang, however, felt a warm rush in his heart from Zhao Meimei’s words, knowing they were sincere and unfiltered by her brain.
To Zhao Meimei, he was closer than her parents. Shi Yang was touched, suppressing his smugness behind his eyes.
Shi Yang hadn’t realized it back then, but he had unwittingly begun to compete with Zhao Meimei’s parents for a place in her heart. He valued this, caring deeply about whether the most important person to Zhao Meimei was him.
The feeling was strange, as if Zhao Meimei belonged solely to him, even her parents didn’t rank, making him closest to her.
And this feeling, which he’d never experienced before, slowly fermented and changed as the realization quietly emerged.