Chapter 33: Warm Daily Life at Home
Chapter 33: Warm Daily Life at Home
"Hah!"
I knew it. Mom’s reason for doing this definitely had something to do with Song Yu.
I couldn't help but rub my nose. "I’ll do whatever you say, Mom."
Mom’s phoenix eyes slanted slightly as she fixed me with a piercing, scrutinizing gaze.
She remained silent for a long time. After a while, she finally spoke in a flat, indifferent tone. "It would be a blessing if you actually listened to me."
Just then, the voice of the worker installing the treadmill drifted over. "Hello? Excuse me, is it being installed here?"
"One moment, Master Worker. I’m coming."
Mom walked toward the inner room with graceful, elegant strides.
My sister and I exchanged a look. She stole a glance at Mom’s retreating back and mouthed to me, "Did you upset Mom again?"
"No, I didn't."
Seeing her making such a face, I couldn't resist pinching her little cheek. "Do you think I’m like you, always looking for ways to annoy her?"
"Shoo! You’re not exactly her favorite person right now either."
My sister pushed my hand away. Banting back and forth, we walked inside together.
The beauty of a large flat was its sheer spaciousness. With hundreds of square meters shared only by Mom, my sister, and me, there was plenty of unused space.
Mom stood with her arms crossed, her brow slightly furrowed as she judged whether the treadmill’s placement looked out of place or ruined the room's aesthetic.
After a long moment of thought, she gave a reluctant nod. "Put it here."
"Alright."
The worker gave a quick acknowledgment and set to work with practiced efficiency.
Installing a treadmill wasn't complicated at all. It didn't take long before the job was finished.
Mom looked reasonably satisfied. She turned her gaze toward my sister and me and said softly, "Go get some bottles of water from the fridge for the workers."
"Okay!"
My sister was always so well-behaved in front of Mom. She obeyed instantly, vanishing in a flash.
Mom looked at the treadmill. "Well? Does it look right to you?"
I gave a cheeky grin. "If Mom thinks it’s right, then it’s right."
Mom didn't bother responding to my teasing. She continued, "I usually do some form training here in the evenings; there’s plenty of open space. You can exercise here from now on. It’ll make good use of the extra room."
"Mm," I grunted in response. After weighing my options for a while, I offered a small protest. "Mom, honestly, I don't think this treadmill is necessary at all."
Mom acted as if she hadn't heard a word I said. She continued to herself, "What other exercise equipment do you want? I’ll have the workers come back tomorrow to install it."
"No... I don't think I need anything else."
"Good."
Mom said, "We’ll leave it at that for now. We can add more later if you change your mind."
My sister handed the water to the workers. Mom tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen."
"It was nothing, nothing at all."
The workers were all middle-aged men, at that stage of life where they were supporting both the elderly and the young. They appeared very stiff and formal, clearly uncomfortable in such a high-end residential complex.
In truth, what made them so nervous was the fact that their company’s General Manager had personally arranged this delivery.
Given how much importance the GM had placed on this, the workers were internally speculating wildly about the identity of this noble, cold, and elegant beauty. Their theories were all over the place, each more bizarre than the last.
After seeing the workers out, I turned back toward the kitchen.
Mom kicked off her high heels and changed into a set of smooth silk loungewear before sinking lazily onto the sofa.
"Xixi..."
Mom called out, her voice incredibly pleasant to the ear.
Clattering away in the kitchen, I chuckled to myself. My sister was probably in for it now.
Having retreated to her room early, my sister pushed her door open just a crack, revealing a pair of naturally flirtatious peach blossom eyes. She gave a sheepish smile. "Mom, what is it?"
"Come here."
Mom tilted her porcelain chin up, her tone brookng no argument.
Before the confrontation even began, my sister’s confidence crumbled. "Mom, if you have something to say, just say it..."
"Bring me the homework you’ve done over the last two days."
"Oh~"
My sister let out a groan. She dawdled for a long time before finally laying her homework out in front of Mom.
Although high school subjects were becoming increasingly profound, Mom had been a top student and a graduate of a prestigious political science and law university. Naturally, this was child's play for her.
My sister sat perfectly upright, her back as straight as a board.
Mom looked over the work for a long time, her shapely brows knitting tighter and tighter.
She set the homework down on the coffee table, closed her phoenix eyes, and slowly rubbed her temples. "Lin Yuan."
"Yeah?"
I felt a pang of dread. How did I get dragged into this?
"Come here for a second."
"Coming."
Still holding a spatula and wearing an apron, I walked over to the two beauties—one tall, one small. "My dear Mother, what are your orders?"
"Did you check your sister's homework today?"
I caught the "save me" look in my sister's eyes and kept my expression calm. "I did."
The words "I don't believe you" were practically written across Mom's face. "Really? How is it possible for Xixi to have every answer correct?"
"Oh, that."
I wiped my hands. "I tutored her. I taught her as she wrote."
"I thought so." Mom’s expression shifted to one of realization. "I was wondering how Lin Xi could possibly get everything right."
"Mom~"
My sister pouted in protest. "How can you look down on your own daughter like that?"
Mom covered her mouth and laughed softly. "I can't help it, can I?" She pulled Lin Xi into her side, hugging her shoulders. "Who told my daughter to be so silly?"
"Uh..."
My sister’s pretty face was flushed with embarrassment. She didn't know how to respond.
She had actually been labeled a "dummy" by her own mother.
Mom’s expression suddenly turned serious as she spoke to me sternly. "Lin Yuan, don't teach your sister like that in the future. Otherwise, she’ll never discover the areas where she’s actually struggling."
"Understood!"
I gave a mock salute with my spatula. "Mom, any other orders? If not, I’m going back to finish cooking."
Mom waved a hand. "Go on. Thank you, my precious son."
My sister pinched her nose and mimicked Mom’s tone mockingly, "Thank you, my precious son..."
"Looking for another lecture, are we?"
Mom couldn't bring herself to actually pinch my sister's ear, so she just tapped her on the nose. "I think you’re getting a bit too bold for your own good lately!"
Listening to the sounds of Mom and my sister playing in the living room, a warmth spread through my chest. I felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment and happiness.
I really wanted to just keep living like this with Mom and my sister forever...
A sudden image of my father flashed through my mind. Was I being a bit too cruel to him?
I immediately gave a self-deprecating laugh. My father would never let himself suffer; who knew where he was out carousing right now?
...
"Dinner’s ready!"
I called out, and my sister dutifully came to help me set the table and bring out the dishes.
Mom rose gracefully from the sofa and walked toward the dining table. I thoughtfully pulled out her chair for her.
My sister blinked at me. "What a gentleman..."
She then pouted her moist lips toward her own chair, the hint incredibly obvious.
Helplessly, I pulled her chair out as well. "You’re like a little kid, competing for everything..."
My sister threw back the same line I had said to Song Yu earlier today: "What can I say? I’m your sister. Aren't sisters meant to be spoiled? Right, dear big brother~?"
"Right, right, right!"
I laughed bitterly. My sister’s repeated calls of "big brother" were making my heart feel soft and weak.
Mom lightly chewed on a piece of green vegetable. "Xixi, don't you have to go back to school tomorrow?"
My sister’s face fell, her voice full of reluctance. "Yeah."
She muttered under her breath, "Who makes people go back to school on a Sunday?"
Mom nodded slightly. "I’ll drop you off tomorrow afternoon."
"No need, Mom."
I placed a piece of tender, delicious fish on Mom’s plate. "You’re so busy with work. I’ll just take her tomorrow afternoon."
Mom said, "That works too. Xixi’s school isn't that far from the subway station."
My sister remained gloomy and silent. After all, once she left, she’d be gone for a month.
"Alright, don't be unhappy."
I also placed a piece of fish—with the bones carefully removed—onto my sister's plate. "Did you forget that National Day is coming up? You’ll be on holiday in just a few days!"
"Oh, right!"
Hearing that, my sister immediately beamed. Her peach blossom eyes crinkled into crescent moons. "How did I forget about National Day?"
It had been a month since the start of the first semester of senior year. Counting the days, National Day really was just around the corner.
Mom watched the two of them, shaking her head with a light laugh, her eyes full of doting affection for her pair of lovable troublemakers.