"Promise me, you will definitely take good care of our daughter, wonāt you?" she looked up, almost pleading.
"Alright, alright, donāt worry, I will definitely take good care of her." Shu Jiao rarely appeared so vulnerable, let alone seeking comfort, which made Ruan Jianguo feel both sour and pained in his heart.
Holding her, he said, "I donāt dislike Xiaoxi, itās just that..."
Ruan Jianguo didnāt know how to describe that feeling, maybe itās just that the relationship between a father-in-law and son-in-law is inherently at odds, even though itās at least six years before his daughter will be taken away.
"I know, you just care about our daughter. Actually, if you think about it, thereās no difference. Xiaoxi was raised by us, and in the future, even if heās with Jiaojiao, theyāll definitely still live with us, so isnāt our daughter still right here?" Shu Jiao consoled.
"..." Ruan Jianguo.
How can that be the same, itās even more infuriating, isnāt it? Itās like he just planted a small cabbage, and beside the cabbage squats a wolf, staring intently at it, just waiting for the cabbage to ripen and take it home to eat... And as the one who planted the cabbage, knowing thereās a wolf ready to devour his precious cabbage, he not only canāt kill it but has to raise it, and after raising the wolf, let it eat the cabbage he meticulously nurtured...
Ruan Jianguo licked his molar, canāt think about it, canāt think, the more he thinks, the more infuriating it gets!
Shu Jiao didnāt know what was going on in Ruan Jianguoās mind, thinking he got the seriousness of the matter, she let go of him and went inside the door.
Ruan Jianguo closed his eyes behind her, repeating to himself repeatedly, building his resolve, and when he felt ready, he followed Shu Jiao inside, only to see Xiu Xi and Ruan Jiaojiao sitting by the coffee table, heads close together as if whispering secrets. Whatever Xiu Xi said made Ruan Jiaojiao smile so broadly her eyes became slits, the sight of which made his throat swell with sourness.
Xiu Xi had been to many places for competitions over the years. Whenever possible, he would take Ruan Jiaojiao with him. This time, he didnāt because itās summer, the weather was too hot, and the location was too remote, so he didnāt take Ruan Jiaojiao along. Now that heās back, he was sharing his experiences with her.
Ruan Jiaojiao loved listening to such stories. Seeing them from the entrance, Ruan Jianguoās eyelids twitched, and instinctively he wanted to speak, but recalling Shu Jiaoās reminder, he forcibly changed his approach, putting on a fatherly smile and saying to Ruan Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao, why are you eating here? Go eat at the dining table. Sitting like this will make your stomach uncomfortable."
"Dad, itās okay. Iām not eating much, just drinking some soup." Ruan Jiaojiao replied with a cheerful smile, not catching the underlying message.
There were over ten people eating at the Ruan Family dinner, and although she used to curl up anywhere when she was younger, now watching her brothers with their long arms and legs squeeze in, she felt a bit reluctant. Anyway, sheās not very tall, so crouching here was quite comfortable.
After saying this, Ruan Jiaojiao saw that Ruan Jianguo seemed about to say something else and quickly urged, "Dad, go eat quickly too. Godfather and Third Uncle are waiting for you to drink with them."
Is she starting to find him a hindrance already?