Chapter 450 - Side Story 9: Family Outing (The End)

"Why is it a boy again?" 

This was what Zhang Li Xue had said when she looked at the small baby in the baby cot.

Presently, she was the only girl in her family as her youngest aunt had given birth to three boys three years ago. When she saw her Auntie Han bulging stomach months ago, Zhang Li Xue was hoping that her auntie would give birth to a girl so that she will have someone to play with. However, her Auntie Han had given birth to a boy.

Han Yue Xiu laughed upon hearing the girl's remark. Her husband too was hoping that they will be having a daughter, however, a boy came out from her stomach and a child's gender was not something that she can control. 

"You can always try for another child," Li Qin Yao patted at her best friend's shoulder. 

Han Yue Xiu let out a long sigh. "We're not in a hurry." 

Looking after the baby boy was too much trouble as the boy would constantly cry at night. Though Song Yi and the family would be helping to look after their son, Han Yue Xiu still thought that it was too difficult.

"Auntie Han, if you need someone to look after your baby, you can always hire me to babysit," Zhang Li Xue said. "You don't have to worry. I have some experience in babysitting. We can discuss the payment later."

"Alright. I will think about it," Han Yue Xiu said to the little girl. She then turned to her friend and whispered, "Look at your daughter. At this age, she already thinks of how to make money."

Li Qin Yao laughed. 

Recently, Zhang Yu Han wanted to teach the kids to value money and had given them money every time they finished chores. If Li Xue or Yi Hai wanted to buy a toy, they will need to use the money they got from doing those chores. Not too long ago, Zhang Yu Ying had 'hired' her to look after the three boys and Zhang Li Xue had thought that babysitting was an interesting job.

Li Qin Yao watched her friend walked over to Grandmother Song and a smile appeared on her lips upon noticing how well the Song family was treating her friend.

…

As she approached the glass window, Zhang Li Xue stood on tiptoe to look at the ice creams behind the glass. Previously, she had made up her mind to choose strawberry flavored, but as she looked at the variety of the ice cream, suddenly, Zhang Li Xue was unable to make her choice.

"Sister, I cannot see." 

Beside her, the little boy tried to stand on his toe, but still, he was too short to see what was behind the glass.

Just as his words dropped, Zhang Yi Hai's feet were no longer touching the ground. He turned around and there was a smile on his face upon finding that he was in his father's arms. 

Usually, when his mother wanted to carry him, Zhang Yi Hai would complain that he was now a big boy and it would be embarrassing for someone his age to be carried by his mother. However, it was a different thing with his father. 

"Daddy, I also want you to carry me," Zhang Li Xue tugged at her father's trousers.

Hearing the girl's request, Li Qin Yao started to frown. "Li Xue." Her tone was a warning. 

"It's fine," Zhang Yu Han gave his wife an ȧssuring gaze before he crouched down to pick up his daughter. Soon, the two siblings held their father's tightly before they turned to look at the ice cream counter.

"Or else, let me carry our son?"

The moment Zhang Yi Hai heard his mother's suggestion, his eyes widened and he started to tighten his arms around his father's neck.

"The two of them are not that heavy," Zhang Yu Han said to his wife. "I will be carrying them for a few minutes at most." Then he went closer to the counter and let the two siblings choose their preferred ice cream flavor. 

Once the two kids had made their choice, Zhang Yu Han paid for the ice cream and bought them over to the table where his wife and kids were waiting for him. The two kids stared at the ice cream with an excited look in their eyes.

"Why did you bought an extra one?" Li Qin Yao asked when she noticed an extra bowl of ice cream on the tray.

"This one is for you," Zhang Yu Han said as he placed the bowl in front of her. 

"We can share with the kids," Li Qin Yao reasoned. "They won't be able to finish everything by themselves."

Zhang Yu Han's lips tilted into a smile when he saw his kids stare at their mother in horror.

What sharing? They were big enough to finish a bowl of ice cream!

"Didn't you love this store's pecan caramel ice cream?" Zhang Yu Han smiled as he slid beside his wife. Then, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted the ice cream spoon with another hand.

"I can eat by myself," Li Qin Yao snatched the ice cream spoon from him with a slight frown on her face. 

Zhang Yu Han let out a chuckle upon noticing that his wife's shy expression. "Then, you feed me."

Li Qin Yao narrowed her eyes slightly, but her hand moved to feed her husband the ice cream. Sensing that the two kids were staring at them, Li Qin Yao let out a cough. "Finish your ice cream quick. We still have another place to go to. Didn't you say you wanted to look at some toys?"

Zhang Li Xue let out a gasp before she told her brother to quickly finish his ice cream.

The family of four walked out of the ice cream shop and walked around the mall to shop for a few things.

Li Qin Yao was choosing something from the counter when she heard two people were quarreling not far away from her. 

Her eyes met with a familiar face the moment she turned around, and the couple too had noticed her presence. Suddenly, the couple was staring at Li Qin Yao with a shocked expression.

The man hesitated for a while before he called out, "Yao Yao." His expression softened and the smile on his lips was very gentle.

"Chen Hao." Li Qin Yao merely nodded at him. She turned to the woman beside him and nodded. "Miss Tang."

A few years have passed and it seemed like Chen Hao has not changed much. He was still someone who would listen to his mother's words.

The last time, Li Qin Yao had heard that Chen Hao has married the girl that his mother had picked for him, Tang Ai Ling. However, after listening to bits of their quarrel just now, it seemed that their marriage was not a happy one. Tang Ai Ling has married Chen Hao and with the mother-in-law's constant intervention in their marriage, of course, she was not happy. 

The smile on Chen Hao's face stiffened. It has been years since the last time they have seen each other and Chen Hao was not expecting that Li Qin Yao was going to treat him coldly.

Tang Ai Ling's expression turned ugly upon noticing Chen Hao's expression. She gave a hard pinch on Chen Hao's waist and stared at him begrudgingly. 

At this time, Zhang Yu Han walked over to his wife with the two kids holding at each of his hands. "Have you bought everything?"

Li Qin Yao turned around and the cold expression on her face immediately disappeared when she saw her husband walking over. "En. Just about to make my payment." She turned to the shop attendant and noticed that the two people had disappeared.

…

When Zhang Yu Han entered the room that night, he found that his wife was standing at the balcony. He grabbed a jacket and draped it on her shoulders. 

"What are you doing out here? It's cold. What if you got sick?"

After going out for the whole day with the others, she should be tired. However, at this time, Li Qin Yao was not able to sleep at all. 

Zhang Yu Han chuckled as she lay her head on his ċhėst. He tightened his embrace on her body and kissed the top of her head. 

"You really love it when I hug you like this, hmm?"

Li Qin Yao snuggled into his arms and nodded. "This height difference is really great. The ċhėst is comfortable to lay on and the embrace is warm."

Another kiss landed on her cheek. Zhang Yu Han let her stay in that position for a while until the night wind blew over. "Come inside. Let's go to bed."

Just as he loosened his arms around her body, Li Qin Yao turned around and linked her arms around his neck. Her eyes were staring back at him with puppy dog eyes, startling him.

"Hubby, I want you to carry me too," Li Qin Yao said. She had seen how Zhang Yu Han carried the two children earlier today and suddenly thought of teasing him.

"Li Xue is going to complain if they heard your words," Zhang Yu Han said. His wife would often tell their daughter that she was too big for her father to carry her around, but now, she was asking him to carry her.

Her head tilted to a side, and there was a mischievous smile on her lips. "Are you going to tell her?"

"What are you doing? I was only joking around." Li Qin Yao slapped at his arms and laughed. "Quickly put me down before you hurt yourself."

Zhang Yu Han raised a brow. He closed the sliding door with his feet and carried his wife to bed. "You're saying that I'm old?" He feigned a hurt expression.

Her laughter continued when he placed a hand on her waist. "I didn't say that."

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued to stare at her. "I should work hard and let those kinds of thought disappear from your head."

Li Qin Yao's eyes widened as she noticed an incoming danger. "What are you trying to do?"

Zhang Yu Han did not answer and instead lowered his head and pressed her lips into a sweet kiss.