Ji Baby timidly voiced the thoughts that had been brewing in his heart for a long time. He hesitated for several days because he feared Ji Rui would say no.
When Le Tong was mentioned, Ji Rui’s eyes deepened.
Seeing Ji Rui remain silent, Ji Baby supported himself and kissed his face several times, "Daddy, Baby really wants Sister to come back..."
Ji Rui patted his butt, "Baby, this is Sister’s matter."
Ji Baby, being very clever, immediately understood that Daddy was not going to interfere, meaning as long as Sister agreed, it would be OK.
So, the next night, when Ji Baby was online, he called out sweetly to the screen’s Le Tong, "Sister..."
The person on the screen seemed to have figured out Ji Baby’s nature, just like Ji Rui.
Ji Rui could clearly hear the amusement in Le Tong’s voice, and his eyes involuntarily glanced at the big screen.
"The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Day, Sister, can you come back to keep Baby company..." Ji Baby pleaded pitifully.
Ji Rui focused on the screen, or more accurately, focused on Le Tong.
On the big screen, Le Tong showed a troubled expression.
"Sister..." Ji Baby dragged out the word coquettishly.
Ji Rui could imagine that if Le Tong were in front of Baby now, Baby would definitely act like a puppy abandoned by its owner, wagging its tail and snuggling up to Le Tong.
"Baby, I’m sorry, Sister can’t come back until after the Chinese New Year."
For a moment, Ji Rui seemed to see a sorrowful expression in Le Tong’s eyes, causing his heart to flutter inexplicably. However, when he focused again, he saw that Le Tong’s eyes were clear and pure, showing no difference from usual except for her fondness for Baby. Ji Rui thus dismissed the fragile side of her that made his heart race as a mere illusion.
Le Tong hadn’t been lying to Baby. Since she returned to the small town, she had been continuously busy. Although her partners were locals, they were, like her, trying their hand at contracting a mountain for crop cultivation for the first time.
So, they were all over the place, arranging seeds, fertilizers, and other preliminary tasks, ready to invest manpower and resources fully after the Chinese New Year.
Initially, everyone treated Le Tong as a weak woman and tried to undertake everything themselves, but they later realized that Le Tong was not inferior to them, and she planned even more thoroughly and had a farther vision.
Gradually, they involved Le Tong in everything they did, turning her, who was originally only supposed to handle accounts and sales, into someone much busier. Often, she would shelve her work moments before climbing online to chat with Ji Baby.
For the current Le Tong, chatting with Baby for half an hour every day had become the most important affair to her.
Thus, when Baby acted cute and begged her to come back for the New Year to keep him company, she was indeed tempted for a moment. However, thinking that too much greed may destroy this hard-earned little happiness, she forcibly suppressed the urge to nod.
Ji Baby pouted, looking like he was about to cry, so Le Tong quickly added, "Be good, Baby, Sister will come back for the Lantern Festival to make tangyuan for you, okay?"
Ji Baby, pouting with his head hanging low, didn’t respond, so Le Tong on the screen said again, "Is Baby ignoring Sister? Then Sister will log off, and won’t come back for the Lantern Festival to keep you company..." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire.net
Ji Baby immediately lifted his head, "No, Sister clearly promised Baby to come back for the Lantern Festival to make tangyuan, you can’t keep Company instead..."
A fleeting smile crossed Le Tong’s eyes, "Alright, since I promised Baby first, Sister will come back for Lantern Festival to keep Baby company."
Ji Baby instantly bloomed with a bright smile, "Okay, Baby will wait for Sister to come back and have tangyuan!"
Sitting beside them, Ji Rui secretly applauded Le Tong’s strategic retreat and advance.
"Baby, for the next few days, Sister has to go out for some errands and might not be able to chat with Baby."
Ji Rui and Baby simultaneously raised their heads and stared at the screen showing Le Tong.
What Baby asked was the same question in Ji Rui’s heart.
"Sister needs to go out for procurement, the network over there isn’t good, so probably can’t get online."
In reality, Le Tong just didn’t want to intrude on a nationwide festive day like the Chinese New Year.
Even though Ji Rui hadn’t shown up or expressed any opinion on her half-hour daily chats with Baby, she assumed that, understanding men, he must be quite impatient and disdainful, yet for Baby’s sake, he could only choose to endure and turn a blind eye.
If she remained insensitive and intruded while the family was harmoniously celebrating the New Year, Ji Rui would certainly not be kind to her.
Baby’s recently comforted mood was noticeably drooping again. He no longer showed any willingness to act spoiled, instead just nestling on the sofa and playing with his fingers.
On the screen, Le Tong anxiously called, and Ji Baby lifted his eyelids to glance at her, muttering, "Baby knows... Baby won’t fuss... Baby will obediently wait for Sister to come back..."
The screen showed Le Tong looking as if she was pricked by a needle, with a stung expression flashing through her eyes once again.
"Sister, Baby won’t fuss... Baby will be good... Sister can’t abandon Baby..."
This time, Ji Rui could clearly see the big circle of redness around Le Tong’s eyes, her beautiful eyes blinking twice, covered with a mist of tears.
"Baby, I’m sorry..." Le Tong’s voice got increasingly low, slightly choked up.
The fragile appearance of Le Tong on the screen significantly impacted Ji Rui’s heart, as if being hit heavily, with a dull pain spreading from his chest all over his heart and lungs.
He almost wanted to step in and persuade Le Tong to come back to accompany Baby when he saw his beloved son being so sad, but he reconsidered. Le Tong was, after all, nobody to Baby, with no obligation to shoulder any responsibility for him. Especially he, as Baby’s father, had even less right to demand anything from her.
At this moment, he didn’t think deeper as to why someone like Le Tong, who bore no relation to Baby, had such profound feelings for him. He just assumed, due to some serious fate between the two, they’d developed a relationship akin to mother and son.
In the end, Ji Baby accepted the fact that Le Tong wouldn’t be coming back for the New Year. After a few teasing words from the normal Le Tong, he quickly returned to his chirpy, chatty self.
And Ji Rui, because of issues concerning Ji Family and Mr. Ji, soon temporarily put aside all those unfathomable matters related to Le Tong.