That night, after Cheng Zhiyan had changed his clothes, he followed his parents to Xiaotu’s home. Xiaotu’s mother, Zhou Ling, answered the door.
“Hello, where is Xiaotu?” Zhou Yue asked almost as soon as she’d come in the door. “Xiaotu hasn’t been over to see us for a few days now, and Yan Yan is starting to miss her.”
“Mom, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?!” Cheng Zhiyan started to blush immediately, as soon as he’d heard what his mother had said. Now he glanced at his mother with a look that he hoped would shut her up.
“Hee, hee, hee, he’s embarrassed to admit it, but, let me tell you, he says one thing and means another.” Zhou Yue wasn’t going to show her son any mercy at all.
Xiaotu’s mother beamed at them, then she ushered them inside. She turned to Cheng Zhiyan and said, “Xiaotu is upstairs playing with her father. I’ll go call them to come down. Would you like to to go with me, Yan Yan?”
“No need, thank you,” Cheng Zhiyan replied calmly.
“Uh…all right. Then you all stay in the living room for just a second, and I’ll go fetch them.” Xiaotu’s mother was a little caught off guard. After pouring some water for Cheng Zhiyan’s family, she promptly headed upstairs to call them.
Within a moment, heavy footsteps could be heard pounding upstairs.
Immediately after, a little round head poked out from the top of the stairs.
Xiaotu glanced downstairs, and then she quickly ran down the stairs and flung herself at Cheng Zhiyan.
“Brother Orange Juice! Brother Orange Juice!” She chirped merrily as she threw herself into Cheng Zhiyan’s arms.
Cheng Zhiyan reflexively embraced Xiaotu in a big hug.
Her body had a milk candy scent, and she was wearing a fluffy cotton jacket. What she resembled more than anything was an extremely oversized cone of cotton candy.
Xiaotu’s fluffy head vigorously rubbed against Cheng Zhiyan as she yelled, “Brother Orange Juice, I haven’t seen you for so many days! I’ve already started to miss you.”
“…”
Cheng Zhiyan immediately blushed.
“Brother Orange Juice, why haven’t you come over to my house to play with me?” Xiaotu lifted her chubby little face and asked him a question now that she’d finished rubbing herself all over him.
“I had to stay home to finish all my homework.” Cheng Zhiyan coughed a little awkwardly as he quickly made his excuses.
“Oh…” Xiaotu nodded with limited understanding. “Brother Orange Juice, you have way too much homework. How come you do homework from day to night, and yet you still can’t finish it?”
“…”
Cheng Zhiyan had absolutely no idea what to say next.
“Xiaotu.” Xiaotu’s father slowly walked down the stairs. He smiled as he watched her cling to Cheng Zhiyan’s body like a baby koala bear, and he asked, “So this is the Brother Orange Juice that you talk about all day long?”
“Daddy!” Xiaotu turned around, and, upon seeing her father standing behind her, she immediately jumped out of Cheng Zhiyan’s embrace and threw herself into her father’s arms instead, exclaiming, “This is Brother Orange Juice, the one I told you about who I like so much!”
Cheng Zhiyan lifted his head and glanced at the tall man in front of him. He slowly got up from the sofa and went to greet him with a smile, “Uncle.”
“Hello.” Xiaotu’s father nodded back at him, also with a smile. His deep, piercing eyes looked Cheng Zhiyan up and down.
The young pubescent boy in front of him had delicate features, and his clear eyes gleamed with brightness. As he stood before him, even though he was still a child, his posture was upright, he had an air of calmness, and he didn’t appear frightened in the slightest bit.
Hmmm…this child seems definitely qualified to be a worthy suitor for Xiaotu…
Xiaotu’s father smiled, and he reached out to pat Cheng Zhiyan on the shoulder.