Read Novel Full Chapter 83.1 – Are You Cursing Me? (I)
Chapter 83.1 – Are You Cursing Me? (I)
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Admiring the pretty earrings in the mirror, Xia Mian instantly forgot the scare from moments ago. She spun around, leapt up in delight, and flung her arms around Ning Shaobai. “Dr. Ning, you’re amazing!”
“Haha, I absolutely love this gift.”
Ning Shaobai promptly pried her off, but when he caught sight of her bright, shining almond eyes, he reached out to ruffle her little tuft of hair with a smile. “Happy birthday.”
The gentle tone made Xia Mian feel a bit awkward. She rubbed her nose and grinned. “Thanks, Dr. Ning!”
Then she dashed out, eager to show off.
Ning Shaobai watched her retreating figure and shook his head with an amused smile.
Not long after she left, Huo Xuewen arrived—though now he went by Zhou Xuewen. A year earlier, he had transferred his household registration and changed his surname, cutting all ties with the Huo family.
Finding the main room empty, he made a circuit of the house before catching the sound of movement from the training room in the east wing.
Zhou Xuewen glanced up at the now high sun, then at the young man who was sweating profusely. He was a little puzzled. It was getting hot at this time, so why was this guy exercising at this time?
Ning Shaobai saw him too, finished a few more pull-ups, then jumped down from the bar. “Something?”
Zhou Xuewen paused for a moment, hesitated, “I heard someone’s been pestering Xiao Yun lately…”
“Pursuing,” Ning Shaobai corrected. “What about it?”
Zhou Xuewen drew a deep breath and slowly asked, “Do you know how your sister feels about it?”
“I haven’t asked. Whatever she wants to do, I’ll support her,” Ning Shaobai replied.
Zhou Xuewen frowned deeply. “You know she’s pure-hearted, and she keeps everything to herself. If you don’t help her screen people, what if she gets hurt…”
“It won’t be worse than when she was with the Huo family anyway,” Ning Shaobai said nonchalantly.
Zhou Xuewen was choked into silence. Once a person has made a mistake, even trying to make amends comes with the fear that they might no longer have the right to.
Ning Shaobai was still in a faintly good mood. Seeing Zhou Xuewen’s furrowed brows and worried face, he unexpectedly felt a trace of sympathy. “Mr. Zhou, do you know where you went wrong?”
Zhou Xuewen was surprised that he would say such a thing.
But when he looked closer, he saw that Ning Shaobai’s eyes held a barely concealed delight, along with the desire to share—
Or more precisely, to show off.
Expressionless, Zhou Xuewen listened to him say, “If you want something, you have to fight for it. Just waiting won’t get you anything.”
So you don’t wait at all, and plan to go after your crush the moment she turns eighteen?
“But I don’t want to put any pressure on Xiao Yun,” Zhou Xuewen said with a sigh. At this point, he had only one last chance left, and he dared not make a single misstep.
Ning Shaobai rolled his eyes. “So what, you’re waiting for my sister to make the first move?”
“You know her—what she likes, what she wants. Can’t you cater to that?”
“Other than Chenchen and work, can’t you find some topics only the two of you understand? Or do you only want to be Chenchen’s dad?”
“And another thing—there’s no such thing as a love rival. Your lover is your enemy. Hold on to her, and no one can take her from you.”
Zhou Xuewen looked at this young man who could speak so casually simply because it was someone else’s relationship. He silently reminded himself over and over: This is my brother-in-law, I need to keep on his good side.
Hasn’t even managed it himself, yet he’s already handing out advice like a seasoned expert!
Zhou Xuewen took a deep breath. “You and Xia Mian…”
The corners of Ning Shaobai’s lips curved up. “What about us?”
“She’s only eighteen,” Zhou Xuewen reminded.
“Yeah, only eighteen…” Ning Shaobai’s tone was tinged with melancholy. Dating would have to wait until nineteen…
Zhou Xuewen: “…”
The not-so-subtle boasting made the already-frustrated man suddenly grow bold. “I mean—she doesn’t even know what you’re thinking of her, right? She’s still just a kid.”
To Xia Mian, Ning Shaobai was more like family—like an older brother. She trusted him completely but loved to act spoiled and mischievous.
Ning Shaobai paused, then said coolly, “Eighteen is already an adult, not a minor.”
As if thinking of something, he gave a short laugh. “She’s already received hundreds of love letters—how is that still a kid?”
Zhou Xuewen said expressionlessly, “You’re right. Your only enemy is Xia Mian. She just happens to bring along hundreds of foot soldiers.”
“So how do you plan to defeat her? Is piercing her ears catering to her likes, or creating a shared topic?”
Then, glancing at the pull-up bar Ning Shaobai had been using earlier, he suddenly asked, “And working out in the middle of a sweltering day—is that catering to her likes or a shared topic?”
After saying that, he realized the dirty nuance of his words. Xia Mian was only eighteen, after all. Still, since she liked fighting, a strong physique should probably count as a shared topic.
Ning Shaobai stood up without expression, his voice cold. “See yourself out.”
Although Zhou Xuewen got thrown out, his mood was much lighter—it was rare to see Ning Shaobai take a hit.
And yet, there was one thing Ning Shaobai was right about—he couldn’t just keep waiting. Waiting might not hurt her anymore, but it would also mean losing his chance forever…
…
At Ning Shaoyun’s house, Mao Huilan and the others had already baked the cake and were decorating it. Mao Huilan used a spatula to spread the cream evenly, while the three children each held a piping bag with a different color to decorate. They’d done this a few times before and now had a clear division of labor.
Mao Huizhu worked on the borders, Chenchen squeezed little dollops for accents, and Xiao Feng—though the youngest—had the heaviest task: piping flowers and drawing designs.
When Mao Huilan looked up, she immediately noticed Xia Mian’s earrings and praised, “Already done? Wow, so pretty! Did it hurt?”
Xia Mian lifted her chin proudly, “Not at all. Dr. Ning is super good at it.”
Xiao Feng ran over and tugged at her hand.
Xia Mian crouched down, and Xiao Feng carefully examined her ear before happily saying, “Snowflake!”
“That’s right, snowflake.” Xia Mian smiled. “Our Xiao Feng likes snowflakes too, right?”
The boy nodded, then ran back and squeezed the piping bag in both hands. Before long, he’d drawn a snowflake on the cake.
Ning Shaoyun ruffled his hair. “That kind of natural talent will make all his senior brothers and sisters jealous.”
Xiao Feng had been learning to paint for almost two years now. Zhu Yuanhai didn’t rush to teach him more than the basics, but the boy always seemed to find exactly the colors and lines he wanted.
Whenever he wanted to paint something, he could capture its essence—much to Zhu Yuanhai’s delight, making him even more careful and dedicated to nurturing his potential.
Xia Mian kissed the child’s cheek. “Amazing—Auntie loves it.”
Delighted, Xiao Feng drew a few more.
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