NOVEL NEXT Chapter 973 Sparks of confrontation
973 Sparks of confrontation
"Your father is acting very suspicious these days," Xie Nuying held a frown on her face.
They had gathered in Jun and Ai's room where her mother had a mystery to decode.
"After hearing everything I said, what do you think Ai? He is hiding behind his embarrassment, right?"
Ai had long kept her writing materials aside, completely invested in her story. Her face wasn't shining with just the pregnancy glow anymore but the hope of parents' bright future.
"Finally! It was long due."
Xie Nuying slightly furrowed her brow. "I didn't say anything about accepting his advances. On the contrary, he is accusing me of plotting everything. He even joined the same pottery class."
Ailun raised his hand. "Grandma, so will I get to eat a wedding cake?"
"..."
"Hahaha!" Xing Bi burst into laughter as she cradled her son, Baihu, in her arms. "So cute. Yup, yup, Ailun! We can get to hear the good news soon~"
Xie Nuying said, "Like I said, your grandpa is just fooling around."
Ailun's big eyes turned watery. "But I want to eat the wedding cake…"
"I should get remarried for the wedding cake."
"And because Grandpa loves you so much!" He grinned with a gleaming face.
She pursed her lips. "This cannot be true because-"
"Where is my junior Ai-chaaaaan!"
The zeal of a familiar voice tore through the air as Zhou Yichen entered. Ailun shone. "Grandpa!"
"Ailun!"
They both ran towards each other, hugging as if there was no tomorrow.
"Grandpa, I missed you," he sniffled.
He cried. "I missed you too!"
"You two had just met two months ago…" Ai shook her head.
They pouted at her together. "Two months ago! Very long!"
Zhou Yichen looked at Xing Bi. "Aish, Xing Bi is also glowing so much. Clearly, I see the hearts floating~"
"Uncle…" her cheeks flushed.
"And Baihu seems energetic as usual!"
"Baaaaa!" The little one agreed to it wholeheartedly.
"Good, good. Everybody should be healthy and happy~" Zhou Yichen grinned. "And how is my champ doing?"
Ailun sheepishly scratched her head. "Grandpa, I was successful in doing the card magic trick you taught me. I won lots of cookies from great-grandpa!"
Xing Bi asked, "Won or stole?"
Ailun harrumphed. "He is accusing me! I won them fair and square."
"Aish, so childish. Oh, oh! By the way, I bought tons of gifts for-"
Their gazes finally met and the air crackled with the sparks of an imminent confrontation.
"So you came," Xie Nuying said, narrowing her eyes.
"So you are here," He shot back, squinting his own gaze.
Ai closed her eyes.
Oh dear.
Ailun broke the tension and chirped. "Grandpa, Grandma gave me an A on my essay!"
"Of course my cutie pie will get an A! My Ailun is so talented. Just like me~"
"Hopefully Ailun doesn't learn the talent of stalking from a certain someone too," Xie Nuying chimed in as smooth as butter.
His brow heavily twitched and he angrily chuckled. "Doesn't a certain grandma have that particular gene to pass on?"
"I only have responsible genes to pass on."
He sneered. "Yeah sure. Those responsible genes are defined as stalking her ex."
She narrowed her eyes. "I wonder who is stalking who and also acting like a hooligan surrounded by young and old women in the pottery class."
Zhou Yichen gasped in shock. "And I wonder just who those wrinkled and grey-haired oldies give roses to after each class with a big blush on their sagging cheeks!"
The sparks crackled with the intensity of an impending bloodbath.
Ailun tugged his shirt with a choking voice. "Grandpa and Grandma are fighting…?"
They froze.
"No, no! We are not fighting at all!" They quickly tried to diffuse the situation.
He lowered his head with his shoulders scrunched down. "Grandpa and Grandma always fight. Why are Grandpa and Grandma not like Grandpa and Grandma?"
He meant Jinhai and Nana with the second mention.
"W-well…" Zhou Yichen wasn't sure how to contain the situation and neither did Xie Nuying.
"I want to eat the wedding cake…"
They coughed.
Zhou Yichen said, "Isn't your Uncle Nian such an awesome patisserie? You can ask him to bake a cake for you anytime~"
"Wedding cake…"
"..."
"Grandpa and Grandma don't hug me together too," his chubby face was close to crying now.
Xie Nuying quickly got up and rushed towards her grandson to hug him. "Here, here. Look, I am here."
"Me too!" Zhou Yichen joined in with a grin but the sparks threatened to sizzle once again as their hands touched. Then their hearts thumped for no reason and they quickly looked away.
Xing Bi was very close to laughing with Ailun's dramatics. She quickly dropped a message to Chyou.
'I see potential in Ailun. Please groom him to become the best actor~'
She got an immediate reply from Chyou.
'I know, right!? See, I keep telling Jun but he doesn't believe me at all. I recognize talent when I see one!'
Ailun wiped the imaginary tears from his eyes and hugged them hard and pushed them even closer. Two distinct sounds of coughs came with that increased contact.
Ai chuckled and shook her head. She got up to fetch something when she noticed somebody's faint shadow lingering outside the room. She blinked and curiously walked out.
"Who's there-Oh! Alix!" Ai beamed.
Alix hadn't expected her to suddenly come out so she almost jolted.
Ailun's ears perked up. He ran outside with his mighty speed and his face shone like a thousand bulbs lighting up all at once.
"Pastry aunt!!!"
Alix let out a hesitant and broken smile. "Hey."
Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying quickly withdrew and looked away awkwardly. He saw a chance to escape the situation.
"Oh yes, I was wondering where you disappeared to! Why are you standing outside, dear?"
Ai asked, "You two came together?"
"I met her in Jini-boy's office and when I was rushing out to come here, she joined me on my way to meet Liu Jing. He was supposed to come to the office but Yukito is sick so the plans got changed."
Alix gave a light nod.
"Ah, yes. Uncle Jing is in complete nursing mode," Xing Bi chuckled.
Alix cleared her throat. "...I won't stay here for long-"
"Pastry aunt, let's play!"
"I am not here to play."
Ailun's eyes watered again. "Grandpa and Grandma don't want to give me wedding cake and pastry aunt doesn't want to play with me too...?"