CH 82

The black compact car was Cui Dingchen’s.

Cui Dingchen didn’t get out of the car immediately and instead, sat in the car watching Xu Zhao’s back as he smoked. After he smoked half a cigarette, his brows that were knitted together were finally smoothed out. He reached out his hand to put out the cigarette butt into the car’s ashtray. He then pushed the car door open and slowly got out as if he didn’t want himself or the car to make any noise that could disturb others.

When he walked to Xu Zhao and Xu Fan’s side, Xu Zhao finally noticed Cui Dingchen.

“Youngest uncle,” Xu Zhao shouted in surprise.

“Mn.” Cui Dingchen squatted down beside Xu Zhao.

“What are you doing here?” Xu Zhao only just realized that Cui Dingchen’s car was parked in front of his bicycle.

Cui Dingchen truthfully replied, “I followed you guys here.”

“Followed us?”

“Mn.” Cui Dingchen nodded.

“When did you start following us?”

Cui Dingchen softly said, “From when I saw you guys at the movie theater, I started following you guys to see what you guys were doing and if I could help you guys with anything.”

Xu Zhao suddenly got quiet. That meant that Cui Dingchen knew that he had brought Xu Fan to his blind date with Zhou Xiangqian. He also knew that he and Zhou Xiangqian didn’t get along.

Sure enough, the next second, Cui Dingchen asked, “You went on a blind date?”

Xu Zhao nodded,” Mn.”

Cui Dingchen’s eyes dimmed for a second before he asked. “How did it go?”

Xu Zhao truthfully said, “It failed.”

In fact, Cui Dingchen had guessed pretty close to the truth. However, he never dared lower his guard. When he heard Xu Zhao say the two words, “it failed,” Cui Dingchen secretly let out a breath of relief and the corners of his mouth that had been inexplicably stretched also released. Some light also came back to his dull eyes making them very sharp and good looking. “Why did it fail?” he asked.

Xu Zhao’s voice was low as he said, “Because we didn’t suit each other.”

“How did you guys not suit each other?”

Xu Zhao looked at Xu Fan. After seeing the black compact car, Xu Fan had already ran to the compact car. At this moment, he was circling the black compact car as he admired it. And so he told Cui Dingchen the truth, “He didn’t like Xu Fan.”

“Just because of that?” Cui Dingchen asked.

Xu Zhao answered, “Mn.”

Cui Dingchen pondered for a moment before asking. “You won’t accept anyone who doesn’t like Xu Fan?”

Xu Zhao nodded, “Mn.”

Cui Dingchen asked again, “What if they don’t have anything against Xu Fan, but they just think that children are troublesome? But they really, really like you. Will it still not work?”

“It won’t.”

Cui Dingchen was silent for a few seconds before saying, “I believe there’s a saying ‘love me, love my dog.’ If someone likes you, they’ll also like Xu Fan.”

Xu Zhao watched the clear water in the gutter and said, “Probably, but I don’t want it anymore.”

“You don’t want it anymore? What don’t you want?”

“I don’t want something that will become messy.”

Xu Zhao was someone who had a high ability to adjust. It was like that in the 21st century as well as now. However, the popsicles, mooncakes, and vegetable businesses had gone too smoothly and made him think that Xu Fan and him were excellent. So excellent that anyone would like them, and he had involuntarily included Zhou Xiangqian into that hope. Therefore, Zhou Xiangqian’s single sentence had destroyed his hope, making him very depressed.

However, if he thought it over carefully, the Chinese Yuan wasn’t loved by all, so how could he and Xu Fan be? He was now able to clearly see his own position. He was even more aware that nothing could be forced. It all depended on fate.

If it was fated, he would naturally be very happy. If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t worry about it. The most important thing was that he and Xu Fan lived very happily. So up next, he would work hard to earn money and live a good life.

And the rest, he would leave up to fate.

However, Cui Dingchen didn’t agree with what Xu Zhao had just said and spoke up, “This matter isn’t messy. You just encountered someone that didn’t suit you. You don’t have to be this pessimistic. You can look at those beside you—”

“Youngest uncle, I’m not being pessimistic,” Xu Zhao said with a smile. “I’m just finally realizing who I am.”

Cui Dingchen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Xu Zhao and curiously asked, “Realizing who you are? Then what kind of person are you?”

Xu Zhao frankly said, “I’m a man with a child.”

“And?”

“Most people will mind the existence of the child.”

“There are also those who won’t mind.”

“That’s very rare. Then I’ll just leave it up to fate. I hope I can meet that fate.”

Cui Dingchen rubbed his thumb against his index finger. He stopped before saying, “Xu Zhao, in fact, I—”

“Youngest uncle, thank you,” Xu Zhao cut off Cui Dingchen’s words. “I feel a lot better after talking things out with you. I don’t want to think about this matter for now and I won’t be going on anymore blind dates either. I’ll make a bit more money before thinking about it again. Thank you.”

Cui Dingchen stiffened a bit as he said, “You’re welcome.”

Although Xu Zhao had thought it over, he wasn’t interested in talking about the past. And so, he said, “Youngest uncle, you just came back after being busy so you must be tired. Xu Fan and I need to go home as well. Goodbye.”

G-Goodbye—?

Cui Dingchen hadn’t stood up yet when Xu Zhao already did. He then quickly walked to the black compact car and picked up Xu Fan, who was on top of the black compact car. Afterward, he put him on the front handlebars of the bicycle, then turned to Cui Dingchen and said, “Youngest uncle, I’m leaving first.”

“I’ll take you.” Cui Dingchen stood.

“No need. I need to buy something from the county town first.”

Cui Dingchen took the initiative to say, “I’ll go with you.”

Xu Zhao refused again, “Youngest uncle, there’s no need. You should rest more. I’m leaving.”

Saying that, Xu Zhao used his long legs to paddle the bicycle and left.

Cui Dingchen stood by the ditch, his expression gradually sinking. He was originally very happy that Xu Zhao’s blind date had failed, but in the end, the failed blind date had a residual effect. He had negative feelings regarding emotions now. The always calm and in control Cui Dingchen became angry for the first time, and he was extremely angry. He reached into his pocket for a cigarette and felt it. He arrived at the car and pulled out the cigarette from the cigarette box. He took a puff and sank into thought. As a result, the cigarette burned up to his hand.

Crap!

Cui Dingchen extinguished the cigarette and lit a new one. As the smoke swirled, he finally regained his calm. He leaned back on the chair and slowly took a puff of the cigarette. Thinking of how Xu Zhao was dispirited for a while, his heart suddenly felt some pain. He especially wanted to hug Xu Zhao and comfort him. That was right. He wanted to hug Xu Zhao. It was true. He really was deeply infatuated with Xu Zhao. What should he do? How should we act toward Xu Zhao?

Cui Dingchen looked ahead and sank into thought.

However, Xu Zhao’s figure had already disappeared. Xu Zhao brought Xu Fan to Fan’s Little Shop. Cui Qingfeng was originally watching Father Cui, but ever since last year’s Minor Spring Festival, Father Cui started manning it. It worked since Father Cui wasn’t working. His body couldn’t handle too much stress, so it perfectly worked that he could watch the store.

After chatting with Father Cui, Xu Zhao brought Xu Fan to buy vegetable seeds. After the vegetable seeds were purchased, he took Xu Fan to buy baked sesame seed-coated cake.

Xu Fan unhappily said, “Daddy t-t-this isn’t e-enough.”

“Such a big one isn’t enough?” Xu Zhao asked.

Xu Fan said, “It’s not enough. I can e-eat very well.”

Xu Zhao’s temple throbbed a couple times as he said, “…Save some room in your stomach so that you can eat meat dumplings when we get home.”

Xu Fan was satisfied and sat on his own personal “convertible” as he ate the baked sesame seed-coated cake. He was very happy, and after he finished the baked cake, he happily hummed a children’s song Xu Zhao had taught him.

His tender voice sounded especially nice. Xu Zhao really liked it, and he had a huge smile on his face. Once they arrived home, he wasn’t able to smile anymore because Mother Xu said Zhou Xiangqian had called saying that he didn’t mean what Xu Zhao had thought and hoped that they could meet again to talk in detail.

Xu Zhao didn’t speak.

Mother Xu asked, “Xu Zhao, what in the world is going on?”

Xu Zhao bluntly said, “Mom, we’re not suitable for each other. Forget it.”

“Forget it?” Mother Xu asked in shock. “Why?”

“We don’t suit each other.”

“Why don’t you suit each other? Didn’t you two suit each other yesterday?” Mother Xu asked. Mother Xu truly wanted Xu Zhao to find a partner, a partner that could help him. That way, she could feel a bit more reassured. Otherwise, she would always feel that her son was working too hard by herself. So when she heard that they didn’t suit each other, a chill shot through her heart.

Seeing that Xu Fan had run to the east wing to find Father Xu, Xu Fan finally spoke, “He doesn’t accept Xu Fan.”

Mother Xu was stunned. She suddenly thought of something and said, “How could that be? Da Zhuang’s grandma said that he didn’t mind Sanwa. She said that he could accept Sanwa.”

“He accepts Xu Fan’s existence but he can’t accept living with Xu Fan.”

“What does that mean?”

“He planned on throwing Sanwa for you to raise in the future.”

Mother Xu froze, then said, “Actually—”

Xu Zhao resolutely said, “I won’t accept it. Xu Fan already has to deal with other people gossiping about him. If I wasn’t here, who knows how many people would say that Xu Fan was an ‘unwanted child’ behind his back and even to his face. There are more words that are even harder to hear. Xu Fan is a child that already lacks a sense of security. If that happened, how could Xu Fan grow up healthily?”

Although Mother Xu didn’t understand what having a sense of security or not having security meant, she knew what an “unwanted child” meant. Unwanted children were looked down upon and bullied. Even if they had the protection of their grandparents, they would still be criticized by others. Therefore, Mother Xu stayed silent.

Xu Zhao firmly said, “Mom, let’s forget about the whole matchmaking thing. It won’t be easy for me to mention it, so please tell Da Zhuang’s family sorry for me. Thank them for taking the trouble. If Zhou Xiangqian says anything in the future, we will just politely refuse it.”

Mother Xu said with a face full of worry, “But you need to have a partner. You—”

Xu Zhao optimistically said, “Mom, there’s no rush. I will.”

“You’re already 24.”

“Xu Zhao said, “I’m not old yet.”

“You’re not young either.”

“I still look young. Enough, Mom. Don’t worry. I will live better and better in the future.”

Mother Xu sighed.

Xu Zhao wrapped an arm around Mother Xu’s shoulders and said, “Mom, don’t sigh. I’ll live well.”

Only then did Mother Xu smile as she said, “Okay. I also won’t accept anyone who dislikes my son or grandson. I absolutely won’t.”

Xu Zhao smiled and said, “That’s right.”

“Then I’ll talk to Da Zhuang’s grandma now.”

Xu Zhao breathed out a sigh of relief and said, “Go ahead.”

Mother Xu then left.

Mother Xu had just stepped outside when Da Zhuang’s father rushed over.

“Xu Zhao, something happened,” Da Zhuang’s father gravely said.

Xu Zhao asked, “What happened?”

Da Zhuang’s father breathlessly said, “Your Eldest Brother also built a greenhouse!”

Xu Zhao thought he had heard wrong and asked again, “Who? Who built a greenhouse?”

“Xu Zuocheng!”