“Don’t ask anymore; anyway, just don’t marry daddy.”
Ran Ran turned around to run away but was caught by her father, who looked at her with dark eyes. “Tell daddy clearly: Why can’t I marry your mommy?”
“Because you’re a big baddie!”
The girl mustered up her courage, turned away, and ran without a backward glance.
“I am a baddie?”
Rooted to the spot, Ji Ziming could not help but find the lassie to be very cheeky. She was unwilling to even give him a reason.
“Tell me: How did this come about? From wanting to marry someone to running away the minute she saw the person?”
Pei Ge stood at the door as she took in his desolate look. She cocked an eyebrow and spoke in a kind and sweet voice. “I am very curious, Mr. Ji.”
“How am I supposed to know? The lassie has a different mood every day.”
He only felt downcast. Only the girl knew how this big change had happened.
“Daddy, you misunderstood little sister.”
An An, who was standing a short distance away from them, ran toward his father with a blue seahorse in hand. His wise eyes were extremely alike his father’s.
“Little sister is right.”
The boy had a grim face.
“Why is she right? How did I become a big baddie?”
The man crouched. It seemed that he could find the answer through his eldest son.
“Did you guys watch the news today?” the boy asked. Upon seeing their lost look, he continued. “This morning, granny watched the news. It said that Auntie Jingwan and daddy are about to get married.”
The truth was revealed.
“That’s why little sister refuses to talk to daddy now and why daddy is now a big baddie.”
Ji Ziming’s voice was low. His large frame blocked the sunlight from streaming onto his son. “Do you also think that I am a big baddie?”
“I know that you and mommy are very close, but what is with your family? She stays in your family and always takes care of us, but you and mommy aren’t considered husband and wife.”
The boy voiced his confusion. What in the world was the relationship between his father and Qu Jingwan? Why was the surface and the actual reality this different?
“Listen to daddy: I only love your mommy. As for your auntie, she is here to help us take care of your younger brother, as well as you and your sister.”
“Then, are you and Jingwan not engaged?”
The boy blinked. The intelligence in his eyes awed his mother.
“Son, your father and I love you three. Your auntie is only here to help us. Do you believe me?”
She walked up to her son, squatted before him, and rubbed his soft hair. Her voice was filled with happiness and relief.
After a short moment of hesitation, the boy looked at his mother and then at his father. “I trust you both.”
“Okay. Since you are willing to trust mommy, do you want to help us coax your sister?”
“Okay. Don’t worry. I will go and coax my sister. She even cried for a long time this morning because of this.”
This news startled the couple because they were at fault for making the children worry about an issue belonging to adults. Now, they even learned that their daughter had been so angry to the point of crying over this matter.
No wonder the girl was acting abnormally earlier.
“Mommy knows it now. Your daddy and I will go see your sister later.”
“Mhm.”
An An nodded and moved to leave while hugging his seahorse doll. After taking a few steps, he turned to say, “Little sister says that she wants to eat ice-cream.”
Ji Ziming stood up. Hearing this from his son, his dark eyes deepened. “Okay, I know. Thank you, son.”
“Then, I’ll go play with my siblings now.”
The boy turned around and ran into the room after receiving his father’s answer.
Once he was gone, the man spoke in a cold voice. “Looks like Qu Jingwan can’t stay in the house any longer.”
“What are you going to do? Chase her away?”
Pei Ge looked at him. His handsome features were tense.
“She’s starting to threaten my family by telling the media that she is my fiancée. If I don’t marry her, is she going to jump off the building next?”
“Are you afraid?”
She looked at him with her beautiful eyes. Her voice was scarily calm.
“Other than you, I am not afraid of anyone.”
The corner of his lips curled up as he narrowed his eyes at her, like a predator would at its prey, before continuing. “The one I love has the greatest power over me in this world. She can take my heart directly, without needing my permission, and I will still be willing to give it, whether it is dangerous or kills me…”
“Alright, alright; I understand.”
Touched by his sudden sweet-nothings, she purposely put up a stern face without a hint of smile.
“Why? Do you already know what I’m about to say?”
He suddenly moved closer to her. His eyes were so dark that they were like black holes. His unique scent overpowered her senses. “Woman, shall we get married?”
“Are you proposing now?”
She nimbly dodged his ‘threat’ and leaned against the door while looking at the man giving off a dangerous vibe. She raised her voice slightly. “Your proposal gets a failing grade!”
“A failing grade?”
He had always been outstanding among the elites and had never received such a low appraisal since he was young. His eyes darkened as a sharp look flashed past them. His lean body quickly moved toward the woman as he spoke in a cold voice. “Did you just say that my proposal got a failing grade?”
Pei Ge rolled her eyes. She knew that the moment she said that, this man before her would act like a starving wolf that yearned to eat her cleanly.
“I said that you got a remarkable grade.”
Her eyes were filled with ingratiation. Her pink and moist lips attracted the man’s entire attention.
“Remarkable? Really? Was I hallucinating? You clearly said that I got a failing grade earlier.”
“What’s that? I said ‘remarkable grade.’”
She quickly explained herself. Seeing him getting closer to her, alarm bells started ringing in her head.
“Ziming, you’ve truly heard wrongly. I said ‘remarkable grade.’ How would I dare give you a failing grade? Aren’t I looking for trouble then?”
Only a fool would admit to being disrespectful to him while standing in front of him.
“We haven’t left the country, yet you’re already unable to distinguish between Mandarin and a foreign language?”