The cafeteria was on the basement floor. Anyone in the building was allowed to eat there, and a huge volume of people went there each day.
From the moment Gu Tingwei entered the lift with Mo Tangtang in hand, he successfully attracted the attention of everyone present.
These two children were too alluring for their own good. When they stood together, they were eye-catching, as if they were models for an advertisement.
Especially the smaller one, who was a pink, soft bundle of cuteness. She tottered and waddled around like a penguin, her eyes full of confusion and curiosity, tempting everyone around her to give her a cuddle.
“Is this the child model that the advertising company on the 18th floor hired? She is way too cute!”
“Possibly! How can a child from an ordinary family be so pretty? She looks just like a Barbie doll.”
“Ah ah ah ah! Are they trying to trick me into giving birth to a daughter?”
A few young girls eagerly tried to start a conversation with each other, only to stop talking after catching sight of Gu Tingwei’s cold glare.
Before entering the cafeteria, Gu Tingwei bent over and instructed Tangtang, “Tangtang, there are many people in there. You must hold Big Brother’s hand tightly, and don’t wander off. Do you understand?”
Tangtang nodded her head obediently.
Only then did Gu Tingwei walk into the cafeteria. They weaved through the restless queues of people and walked over to the order window.
Gu Tingwei always ordered the same thing. The lady at the counter recognized him as soon as she saw him. She asked with a smile, “Little handsome lad, still the same three orders?”
A portion of rice, a portion of vegetables, and a bowl of soup.
Gu Tingwei nodded his head, then whipped out his card and handed it over to the woman.
Out of curiosity, Tangtang stood on her tippy toes and leaned against the window sill. With great effort, she craned her neck in an attempt to see what kind of good food they had to buy. But her short legs weren’t long enough, and she couldn’t see…
Gu Tingwei bent over and picked her up. Pointing at the sumptuous-looking dishes behind the window, he asked her, “What does Tangtang want to eat?”
Ever since Tangtang had washed ashore, she had always been kept hidden in Mo Heng’s house. She had yet to see such a huge amount of delicious food. She smacked her tiny lips, and saliva dripped from her mouth directly onto Gu Tingwei’s hand…
Gu Tingwei glanced at the back of his hand out of the corner of his eye. Surprisingly, he realized that he didn’t really mind it. He continued to guide her. “Tangtang, just point out to me whatever you want to eat…”
The little kid enthusiastically leaned forward and pressed both hands against the glass window. Then, she eagerly pointed out something to Gu Tingwei. “Big Brother—”
“Fried chicken cutlet?” Gu Tingwei turned his head and said to the lady at the counter, “Auntie, one fried chicken cutlet—”
“Fish… fish… fish…” The little kid recognized the braised fish. “Fish” was one of the few things she could say, and she hurriedly pointed to it.
Gu Tingwei: “…”
The lady reminded her, “This is yellow croaker. It has a lot of bones in it, and it’s not suitable for babies.”
When she heard that she couldn’t eat it, Tangtang’s little lips instantly deflated, and she pitifully tapped her fingertips on the glass. Her look of disappointment instantly broke the hearts of everyone watching.
“No worries. I’ll remove the bones before letting her eat it. Auntie, we’ll take one piece!”
The little kid was incredibly pleased when she heard this. She happily waved her arms and kicked her legs, and Gu Tingwei almost couldn’t maintain his hold on her.
As Tangtang picked out her dishes, Gu Tingwei came to a sudden realization: This child was only interested in meat…
And in the presence of such delicacies, she had forgotten Mo Heng’s instructions. Her current behavior seemed to indicate that she was about to order all the meat dishes she could.
In her excitement, Gu Tingwei tapped the tip of Tangtang’s nose. “Can Tangtang’s tiny belly hold so much food? Shall we try the other meat dishes next time?”
Tangtang nodded her head, slightly disappointed. However, she was still very happy.
Just as Tangtang’s eyes landed on the plate that the lady had passed over to Gu Tingwei—
“Auntie, can we also get some vegetables—”
The moment she heard the word “vegetables,” she shook her tiny head like a rattle, as though she had met her arch enemy. “Don’t… want… veggies…veggies…”