Chapter 1318 - 869: The Grand Finale: Choose One or the Other?

"Xiao Yan, do you... truly like Pu Yang?"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng looked up at Xiao Yan. In that instant, Xiao Yan felt a bit bewildered. Xiao Meng’s eyes seemed to overlap with Xiao Xiaoang’s eyes. Both their gazes were so resolute and transparent that it quelled any impulse to lie.

But...

"If I didn’t like her, why would I marry her?"

He asked Su Xiaomeng in response.

Su Xiaomeng sensed the discomfort in Xiao Yan’s tone and felt a bit awkward. She shifted her gaze and apologized,

"I was presumptuous. You’re right, you must really like Pu Yang, otherwise, why insist on marrying her..."

"Su Xiaomeng, you seem to have a good relationship with Xiao Yang... why does your question make me feel..."

"Oh, Xiao Yan, don’t overthink. I really just wanted to confirm it."

"I like Xiao Yang. I also hope Xiao Ang can accept Xiao Yang, which is why I troubled you for this trip..."

Su Xiaomeng nodded. At this moment, she was really overwhelmed... perhaps Yin Shixiu was right, it’s best not to meddle in other people’s family matters.

Yet... the child refusing to eat was Xiao Xiaoang. And yet... from the bottom of her heart, she couldn’t bear to see this child feeling upset...

Besides, she remembered Xiao Anhe’s kindness to Shixiu and felt that she and Xiao Yan were somewhat friends...

Since a friend on the phone had spoken to this extent, she really couldn’t find the slightest bit of excuse to refuse.

"Although I know it’s a bit redundant to ask again, I still want to confirm..."

"What?"

"What if Xiao Xiaoang vehemently disagrees? If he risks his own life to oppose you, would you still insist on marrying Pu Yang?"

"..."

Xiao Yan looked at Su Xiaomeng, and he had to admit that this kind-hearted woman’s question was quite sharp.

"Is... it impossible to answer?"

"They’re both very important to me. In a situation where they can coexist peacefully, why should I choose between them? Other families can be so harmonious and complete, why can’t mine?"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng pursed her lips. Xiao Yan’s words were, in a way, an answer to her.

"Serve the porridge, I’ll take it inside and try again."

Xiao Yan nodded solemnly and, after serving the porridge, placed it on the tray. He looked at Su Xiaomeng, "No matter what, I love Xiao Ang very much, far more than my own life, there’s no doubt about that."

Su Xiaomeng’s lips curled slightly, "Alright. I’ll do my best to try again."

"...Thank you, Mrs. Yin."

"Calling me Mrs. Yin again, just call me Xiao Meng. It sounds so distant when you call me that; why would I help you?"

"..."

"Mrs. Yin wouldn’t come to help you, but your friend Su Xiaomeng would be more than happy to serve you," Xiao Meng said playfully.

Xiao Yan’s troubled face showed a slight expression...

He followed Xiao Meng as she once again pushed open Xiao Ang’s room, carrying the porridge inside. Xiao Yan gently closed the door.

"Xiao Ang... Come on, sit up and eat!"

"I won’t eat!"

"Let me tell you, your dad is already so hungry his stomach hurts."

As Su Xiaomeng spoke, she keenly noticed the little guy under the quilt shrink slightly.

Su Xiaomeng shook her head slightly; fortunately... among the children she encountered, Xiao Xiaoang certainly wasn’t the least sincere one.

Compared to Xiao Xiaoang, her own stoic child was actually less sincere.

"Your dad said if you don’t eat, he won’t eat either." Su Xiaomeng placed the porridge on the bedside table, pulled over a nearby chair, and sat by the bed, calmly waiting for the little guy to shed his pride and stubbornness and turn around.

Su Xiaomeng inexplicably felt certain that this slightly defiant little boy would definitely turn around.

Because, despite often being disliked by teachers and classmates for his defiance, this little boy was very warm to his father, grandfather, and Aunt Xiao Yang.

In this world, personalities are diverse, and for this reason, everyone expresses their emotions differently.

Xiao Xiaoang’s way of expressing emotions might be a bit hard to understand, possibly deviating from the usual path, but...

"Su Xiaomeng..."

Xiao Xiaomeng turned around. His bright black eyes were filled with tears...

Su Xiaomeng sniffed, stepped forward, and enveloped him in her arms, "Xiao Ang."

"Wuwu... Su Xiaomeng..." Xiao Ang clutched tightly at Su Xiaomeng’s clothes, nestling completely in her embrace, his tears quickly soaking Xiao Meng’s sweater. He cried heartbreakingly...

Xiao Yan listened from outside, slowly reddening his eyes...

In this world, how much is beyond one’s control? How could five-year-old Xiao Xiaoang understand... he thought, Su Xiaomeng probably understands. Yet, there are far too many things in this world that can’t be revealed to outsiders.

Xiao Meng just held Xiao Ang, letting the child vent his painful emotions, and after this round of outburst, Xiao Ang finally calmed down a bit.

She placed the porridge in front of him, "You haven’t eaten anything for over a day. Let’s eat first, and then we can talk, alright?"

"...I can’t eat." Xiao Ang said in distress, but just as he finished speaking, his stomach embarrassingly growled.

The silence was overwhelming; this lyric is really quite realistic.

Xiao Meng also stifled a laugh and then burst into laughter.

Xiao Ang held his stomach, and indeed... truth surpasses argument.

"Eat a little first, and Aunt will tell your Dad, so he can also eat a little to warm his stomach. Regardless of whether Aunt Xiao Yang becomes your mother, you and your Dad are the closest people, right?"

Xiao Ang sniffled and said nothing, but took the now half-cold small bowl from Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng brought a small table to the bed and found a bib for Xiao Ang, letting him lie at the table and finish the porridge properly.

Xiao Meng walked out of the room but didn’t immediately close the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Xiao Ang wiped his tears while stirring the porridge with a spoon, seemingly still struggling internally.

Xiao Meng stayed nearby, and Xiao Yan watched on as well.

Xiao Meng probably understood how Xiao Ang felt at the moment; after holding out not eating for more than a day, to start eating now felt like... a wasted effort, a bit pointless.

But...

The little fellow seemed to have come around, scooping a spoonful of pumpkin porridge into his mouth. After tasting it, he smacked his lips, "Mm, sweet," and then continued to spoon one mouthful after another.

Xiao Meng softly said to Xiao Yan, "Feeling a bit relieved now?"

"You’re the one who has a way."

Xiao Meng led Xiao Yan aside, chuckling softly, "My two at home aren’t any easier to manage. I think as parents we only need to remember one thing: try to understand them and make them realize that you are trying to understand them."

Everyone fears being misunderstood, especially children who are in a sensitive developmental phase.

Xiao Yan seemed to have learned something.

"Find me a basin and fill it with hot water. I’ll wash his face, then you should eat something. I lied to him that you have a stomachache... the little guy softened immediately."

Xiao Yan finally showed a gentle smile.

Su Xiaomeng withdrew with the basin of warm water and Xiao Ang’s small towel and returned to Xiao Ang’s bedroom, four or five minutes later...

Upon entering, she was surprised to find Xiao Ang had eaten all the porridge.

As Xiao Meng came in, Xiao Ang inconveniently burped.

Turning back, seeing Xiao Meng had entered and looking at the now empty bowl in front of him, he remembered claiming not to be able to eat... at that moment... a sense of being hemmed in.

Xiao Meng quietly collected the bowl and asked, "Was it sweet?"

"...Mm, sweet."

"Do you know how long your Dad cooked it for? He boiled out the sweetness from the pumpkin."

"..."

"Want another bowl?"

Xiao Ang hesitated; with his current state, he shouldn’t eat more, but... after not eating for over a day, the child, in his growing phase, was truly hungry.

"..."

Before Xiao Ang could decide, Su Xiaomeng said,

"How about... we eat a bit later?"

Xiao Ang nodded.

Xiao Meng placed the basin aside, wrung a towel in hot water, "Let’s wash your face, look how your handsome little face got all messed up from crying."

Xiao Ang tilted his head to look at Su Xiaomeng, and Su Xiaomeng smiled at him, a smile that wasn’t mocking nor teasing, but... warm, a mother’s tenderness...

The warm towel gently wiped his small face, twice, before Xiao Meng took the basin out.

Returning, she found Xiao Ang sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding a teddy bear.

Xiao Meng went to the bed’s edge and sat down, extending her hand, "Didn’t you say last time you wanted me to hold you?"

"..."

"Come on, lean into Aunt’s arms."

Su Xiaomeng said generously, and Xiao Ang didn’t hesitate, immediately diving into her arms... taking the chance to hug her tightly.

"Xiao Ang, when I came, I asked your dad, and he really likes Aunt Xiao Yang, so he wants to marry Aunt Xiao Yang."

"But I don’t like..." Xiao Ang said with grievance, and his voice quickly turned to sobbing.

"You don’t like... Aunt Xiao Yang, is it because you are biased against her? Do you know what bias is? It’s when some bad things about a person are heard from others before interacting with them, which affects your own real thoughts about this person."

"Su Xiaomeng... Pu Yang doesn’t like me. She lies to Xiao Yan saying she likes me. She won’t treat me as her child..."

"..." Xiao Meng was unsure how to persuade Xiao Ang to change his view of Pu Yang.

"Su Xiaomeng... I’m not lying, I didn’t lie, but Xiao Yan doesn’t believe me... boo hoo..."