The voice was soft, with a tentativeness that hinted at careful probing.
She seemed to be struggling to smile, but the curve of her lips was visibly difficult to maintain, quickly drooping downward.
It looked even uglier than crying.
Shi Lingyan couldn’t help but say, "If you can’t smile, then don’t."
Hearing this, Shi Mei indeed pulled back the strained smile, her lips puckered as tears started to fall.
Shi Lingyan immediately warned, "No crying."
Shi Mei instantly fell silent, gazing at him with wide eyes as her lips puckered even more intensely, tears continuously streaming down.
Shi Lingyan saw Shi Mei’s face twist with emotion, his frown deepening.
What was even more bizarre was that he found it somewhat cute.
Then, Shi Mei slowly moved closer.
Her slender white fingers pinched the corner of Shi Lingyan’s bathrobe, pleadingly saying, "Husband, Shi Mei will be good from now on. Can you please not abandon me?"
Shi Lingyan’s mood soured further, irritatedly saying, "Who said I was going to abandon you?"
He had only wanted to send her away.
But now, it seemed she had developed a psychological shadow about being discarded.
How on earth did the Shi Family raise their children?
Shi Mei sobbed, stammering, "They... they said, Shi Mei’s mom and dad abandoned her, and then... got struck by lightning and died... Shi Mei doesn’t want Husband to be... struck by lightning..."
Shi Lingyan: "Well, you’re quite considerate then."
Shi Mei almost laughed out loud.
She tightly pressed her lips together to keep from breaking down, swallowed hard, sniffled, and said, "Sister Bai says... I should be more considerate towards my husband."
So her being considerate means preventing him from getting struck by lightning?
Shi Mei tugged at Shi Lingyan’s bathrobe again, weakly saying, "Husband..."
Shi Lingyan took a deep breath and pulled his robe back, "If you don’t want to be sent away, then obey me."
Shi Mei immediately sat up straight, "Shi Mei will behave."
"From now on, don’t lean on me anymore, or I’ll really abandon you."
Shi Mei cocked her head, puzzled, "But Grandpa told me to be more proactive in showing affection to my husband!"
"From now on, besides my words, don’t listen to anyone else’s, or I will abandon you!"
"Now, lie down and sleep!"
Shi Mei, seeing him about to leave, quickly reached out to pull at his bathrobe, pursing her lips and weakly saying, "Isn’t Husband going to sleep with Shi Mei?"
Shi Lingyan’s expression darkened as he pulled back his robe, "You’re grown up; you need to sleep on your own."
"But Grandpa said..."
"From now on, don’t listen to Grandpa."
"But Grandpa said not to listen to Husband," Shi Mei pouted, "Uhm, adults are so strange!"
Shi Lingyan took a deep breath, "In front of me, you listen to me; in front of Grandpa, you listen to Grandpa."
"What if both are present?"
"Then listen to both!"
Shi Mei pouted, "But..."
Shi Lingyan, running out of patience, commanded, "Lie down!"
Shi Mei obediently complied, closing her eyes and spreading her arms, "I’m ready."
Communication is impossible!
Shi Lingyan gritted his teeth, tossed his sleeves, and, holding back frustration, sat back down in his place.
After waiting a while and seeing he hadn’t approached, Shi Mei sneakily opened one eye, saw Shi Lingyan far away, and coaxed again, "Husband, come to bed!"
Shi Lingyan: "Make noise again, and I’ll abandon you!"
Shi Mei: "Whimpering."