Ling Sheng had never dreamed that during the first Spring Festival since her ‘arrival’, she would be eating New Year’s Eve dinner with the Third Master and Auntie Yu.
She had initially planned to cook the New Year’s Eve meal herself, but time was really too tight. After filming the Spring Festival Gala, she did not have the time or energy left to cook. Hence, she had just wanted to make something easy to eat. Barbecue meat and hotpot were definitely her first choice. It was warm and effortless.
The ingredients for barbecue meat and hotpot had been prepared by Zuo Ming in advance. Ling Sheng had specifically asked for them. The barbecue ingredients had been personally prepared by her, and the hotpot ingredients had been stir-fried by her beforehand.
The hotpot was a twin pot. One pot contained spicy soup, and the other pot contained a clear soup that had been boiled in advance. After she had guessed her father’s idea, she had deliberately boiled it and added a lot of Chinese medicine ingredients to nourish Auntie Yu’s stomach. It was specially stewed for Auntie Yu.
Jun Shiyan helped carry out the dishes. He took a look at Huo Ci and Nangong Lengyu, who were sitting on separate ends of the long sofa, and secretly exchanged looks with Ling Sheng.
The duo seemed to be minding their own business. One of them was cold, and the other was silent. However, the atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
Xiaoqi was a clever child. He carried a fruit platter and offered it back and forth, feeding this person one moment, and the other the next.
The television was on, and the Spring Festival Gala was still ongoing. It was now time for the crosstalk performance. Teacher Zhao Xiang and Teacher Ma Yiming were the eternal gold-medal partners.
Huo Ci liked the duo’s crosstalk the most. He was also familiar with them. In order to act well as a crosstalk character, he had once learned from them. They were considered his masters. When he heard the two of them, one of them being the supporting role and the other being the leading character, they tickled his funny bone. His laughter alone echoed in the entire ward.
They were unsure if Xiaoqi understood, but when he saw Grandpa laughing, he laughed foolishly too.
Nangong Lengyu could not help but laugh as well. It was too funny. She did not know if it was because she had not heard a crosstalk in a long time, but she fell in love with it in an instant
Out of the corner of his eye, Huo Ci could not help but glance to the side. When the woman smiled, there were a few hints of smoke and fire in her smile, and she was no longer like a cold, lifeless statue.
Nangong Lengyu hugged Xiaoqi by her side and patted his little head. She didn’t know if he had understood, but he was also smiling so happily.
Upon seeing Xiaoqi run over to her side, Huo Ci frowned and said coldly, “Ling Xiaoqi, give me some melon seeds.”
Hence, Xiaoqi wriggled his tiny butt along the sofa like a small worm. When he reached the middle, he reached out with his small arms and passed the seeds to Huo Ci. Then, he turned around as he wanted to return to his grandma’s embrace.
“I can’t reach them. Come closer.” Huo Ci’s voice became several degrees colder. That stinky brat! Who usually fed him, took care of him and brought him out to play? How could he be so close to an outsider?
Xiaoqi wriggled his tiny butt closer yet again.
Huo Ci still did not reach out his hands. He turned his head around and gave him a sideways look. “Come in front of me!”
Xiaoqi stood up and ran two steps before placing the plate beside his hands. He turned around to leave, but Huo Ci grabbed his arm and trapped him. “Peel the melon seeds.”
Xiaoqi looked at him seriously. “Granduncle, I’m a baby.”
Huo Ci said, “You heartless thing. Have you forgotten what you said this morning? Who said he would wait on me in the future?”
“But Xiaoqi is a baby now,” Xiaoqi frowned. Grandpa was bullying a baby!
“So, babies don’t have to be filial to their elders?” Huo Ci asked.
Xiaoqi was stumped. After thinking for a long time, he felt that Grandpa was very right. He nodded. “Xiaoqi is filial to Granduncle.”