Jiang Li certainly knew why Bo Jingshen was doing all this, and of course, he hoped Bo Jingshen would get what he wanted.
But listening to that annoyingly smug laughter in his voice. Jiang Li wondered if Su Lu was being too soft-hearted?!
Was she really cooking for Bo Jingshen just like that?
Of course, Jiang Li didn’t know that this "cooking" was not the same as that "cooking."
However, Bo Jingshen’s effective actions made Jiang Li also begin to wonder: Are flowers really that useful? Then, should he... perhaps send some flowers himself?
Bo Jingshen, of course, knew none of this, and having finished what he had to say, was ready to hang up the phone.
Jiang Li stopped him, "Hey, don’t hang up yet."
"What about the situation over there? Are you still going to have people drag it out? You’re being quite unethical. This is malicious competition," Jiang Li said helplessly.
Bo Jingshen looked down at his son for a moment before responding, "If I’m in competition, why would I care whether it’s malicious or beneficial? If I lose, I’ll be left with nothing but business and money, what use is that?"
"Tch, you talk like that again and I might start resenting the rich. Okay, got it," Jiang Li didn’t say much else.
After ending the call, Bo Jingshen carried Zhao Xiaole to the car.
He drove a very thick and solid car, not the model he usually drove. After buying it, he didn’t particularly like it, so it just sat there.
Until today, when he wanted to take his son out to play, he thought this deep and solid car was quite handy.
The back seat was spacious and comfortable, and even with a child safety seat installed, it didn’t feel cramped.
Zhao Xiaole sat obediently in the safety seat, not fussing or crying like some children do when refusing to sit in them.
It was clear he was excited, his little legs kicking continuously, and he began asking eagerly as soon as he got in the car.
"Daddy, where are we going to play?"
"What are we going to play?"
"Is it far? How long will it take?"
Bo Jingshen drove while smiling and answering, "Originally, I wanted to take you camping, but that..."
Bo Jingshen glanced at Zhao Xiaole through the rearview mirror and continued, "It’s just too boring with just the two of us men."
"Oh, then next time let’s bring Su Xiaolu along!" Zhao Xiaole, although interested in camping, didn’t seem disappointed and nodded repeatedly.
"Yeah, and we can even fish there. Next time, alright? Besides, it’s still hot these days, and there are too many mosquitoes," Bo Jingshen said, "Today, I’ll take you to an indoor place. As for exactly where, you can look forward to it."
"Yay, yay!" Zhao Xiaole was particularly happy.
Bo Jingshen drove to the suburbs, and though it was said to be indoor, it resembled a large factory-like space, divided into various zones. There were indoor climbing areas, as well as children’s playground zones filled with seas of balls and long and spiral slides. If a parent couldn’t accompany, a caretaker could be arranged.
There was also a section with toy excavators for playing in sand and a special area designated for roller skating.
In short, it was a space full of different play areas, all for children to enjoy.
Zhao Xiaole couldn’t have been happier as he understood what kind of place it was as soon as he entered, and his eyes lit up instantly.
"Daddy, will you play with me?"
Bo Jingshen was dressed particularly casually and comfortably today, right down to the canvas shoes he wore to make playing with his child easier.
Unable to contain his excitement, Zhao Xiaole cheered out loud, then said in a somewhat embarrassed whisper, "Before, Zhou Xiaolong had his dad to accompany him to play in places , but I never did."
"Hey, this Zhou Xiaolong..." Bo Jingshen was provoked into laughter. Who on earth was Zhou Xiaolong? He’d heard his child mention him twice now! "Why does he always bring up his dad in everything?"
Zhao Xiaole pouted and glanced at him, "Because that’s all he can show off in front of me. His mom isn’t as pretty as Su Xiaolu, he doesn’t have grades as good as mine, and Jin Xiaokui likes me instead of him. So all he has to brag about is his dad, but I had no way to compete since I didn’t have a dad before."
Children sometimes speak without any intentional malice, but it’s precisely this sort of unintended direct speech that hits the heart hard. Bo Jingshen felt somewhat heartache upon hearing this.
Bo Jingshen hugged him tightly, "I’m sorry."
"It’s okay!" Zhao Xiaole patted his shoulder, "I have one now."
Xiao Le grinned, showing his teeth, "Now even that’s something he can’t show off, hehe, not only do I have a dad, my dad is also good-looking."
Bo Jingshen chuckled softly and teased Xiao Le, "Oh? Jin Xiaokui?"
"Yeah, she’s a girl in my class," Zhao Xiaole nodded.
Bo Jingshen smiled, "Do you like her?"
Zhao Xiaole shook his head, "I don’t like her. But her parents divorced, and she’s been feeling down. She thinks we’re similar because she knows I’m also from a single-parent family, so she likes to play with me."
Bo Jingshen let out a light sigh, "Alright, let’s not talk about this. Let’s go inside and play."
Then Zhao Xiaole went wild playing.
Meanwhile, Su Lu was at home, painting, when her cellphone started vibrating.
When she checked it, she saw a WeChat message from Bo Jingshen, nothing extra, just a photo.
Father and son were wearing the same orange helmets, both looking at the camera, their faces similarly shaped, big and small. Zhao Xiaole was grinning with all his teeth showing, Bo Jingshen holding the child with one hand, and the phone with the other.
Both father and son were peering down at the screen, the downward camera angle usually unforgiving. It was only because the father and son duo looked decent to begin with that the photo wasn’t unflattering.
Su Lu stared at the photo for a while, discerning their background to be an indoor amusement room.
Her finger hesitated for a moment but finally she saved the photo.
Then her phone vibrated again, this time no picture.
Bambi: There’s a contest at the funfair, the prize is a bottle of rose perfume.
deer: Why would a children’s funfair contest have perfume as a prize?
Bambi: Don’t know, maybe it’s to give to the mom?
Bo Jingshen sent another picture. Su Lu opened it and sure enough, there really was a bottle of rose perfume on the prize table.
deer: What’s the contest for?
Bambi: Three-legged race.
Bambi: Xiaole says he wants to win the perfume so I can use it to marry you.
Bambi: Enough talk, off to fight for our lives.
Su Lu stared at the message on the screen, blinking rapidly, slightly stunned.
She was confused about why she was even chatting with him.
Then she remembered, oh right, Bo Jingshen had said he would send her a message about something before he left with the child.
Look how that turned out!
Su Lu angrily tossed her phone onto the nearby cushion and angrily started to outline the shape of a pig’s head on her canvas with a paintbrush.