SM Chapter 24

Chapter 24: A Plan Within a Plan “Hello Teacher, this is my aunt and uncle…”

Not long after, Tan Zhi Xu arrived, finding his way up thanks to his good memory. The door was ajar, and as he pushed it open, he saw the two sisters sitting on the sofa, eating potato chips in the middle of the night. Jia Jia was already fast asleep sideways, with a pillow propped under her stomach.

“Oh, Zhi Xu is here. Don’t bother taking off your shoes. We’ll have to call someone to clean up anyway. Thanks for all your trouble,” Zhu Suiyi said.

From her smiling face, one couldn’t tell how terrible her husband’s condition was.

Tan Zhi Xu walked in, “Where’s Brother Min? How is he?”

Zhu Suiyi shrugged. “He’s much better. He can at least sit leaning against the wall, hugging the trash can in the bathroom without falling over. A few more throws, and he might sober up a bit.”

Zhu Shihao was speechless.

So, that was the pose he was striking in the bathroom?

Zhu Suiyi glanced at the time. “Alright, you guys should head back. By the time you get home, it’ll be one or two in the morning.”

Zhu Shihao glanced at the man who had just arrived. “Want to rest for a while?”

“No need.” Tan Zhi Xu glanced at her. He clearly knew his mission. “I’ll carry Jia Jia.”

Zhu Suiyi handed her Jia Jia’s backpack and the bag containing her toothbrush, baby lotion, and clothes.

“She’s wearing her sleeping bag; just take off her outer clothes. You can put a little makeup on her tomorrow; remember to take some photos for my archives.”

Zhu Shihao nodded.

Seeing that the two were about to leave, burdened with heavy loads, Zhu Suiyi remembered something and stopped them. “Wait.”

With that, she quickly ducked into the bedroom. When she came out, she was holding a fluffy black scarf, which she wrapped around Zhu Shihao’s neck, tying it in a knot. “It’s so cold; you shouldn’t go out without wrapping up properly.”

Zhu Shihao’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Then we’re off.”

“Go on, bye-bye. Zhi Xu, if you’re free tomorrow, you can pretend to be her uncle. With someone so handsome, Jia Jia will be so proud, right?”

Zhu Shihao choked for a moment. “…Go check on Brother Min, bye-bye.”

I didn’t even dare to say it, but you just went right ahead.

In the elevator, Tan Zhi Xu held Jia Jia, his eyes lowered as he looked at the person beside him. “Be so proud?”

Zhu Shihao tilted her head, giving him a serious once-over, and said with conviction, “Probably, after all, even though Yang Xu gets praised by so many people, he’s still not as handsome as you.”

Unable to help but chuckle, he leaned down and gently bumped the top of her head.

“Zhu Shihao, you really know how to give compliments.”

“I’m flattered, I’m flattered.”

“This is just being honest.”

After she got in the car, Tan Zhi Xu handed Jia Jia to her, then drove them to her place. He carried Jia Jia, cooperated with her to take off the child’s clothes, and tucked the little girl, sleeping bag and all, into the bed.

It seemed her dad had really messed up her sleep schedule; she didn’t even wake up with all that fuss.

Zhu Shihao urged him, “You should go back.”

“Use me and then toss me away?” Tan Zhi Xu chuckled. “Zhu Shihao, aren’t you being a little cold and heartless?”

She was innocent, too.

She blinked her bright eyes. “What else can I do? If Jia Jia sees something, she might not understand it, but she’ll imitate it.”

Tan Zhi Xu didn’t speak, just looked at her coolly.

Glancing at the time, it would be past two in the morning by the time he got back to Shenyi. She really did feel sorry for him.

“I’ll change the sheets in the guest room. You’ll sleep by yourself tonight?”

The words “sleep by yourself” were uttered slowly and softly.

What else?

Of course, she knew she’d be sleeping alone tonight. In fact, he had originally planned to go back to Shenyi, but who knew there would be this pleasant surprise? He really wanted to, but he hadn’t prepared anything—no clothes, no charger. He had no choice but to decline.

“Never mind, I’ll go back. Don’t go to all that trouble, either. Get some sleep. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

The more he declined, the more guilty Zhu Shihao felt.

Tan Zhi Xu saw right through her, pinching her cheek before turning around. “Come lock the door.”

That night, Zhu Shihao didn’t sleep well. Partly because she didn’t get enough sleep, but also because Jia Jia was really a space hog, even clingier when she was asleep than when she was awake.

At seven o’clock sharp, Jia Jia was full of energy, while Zhu Shihao covered her mouth and gave a delicate yawn, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

Jia Jia shook her head. “You adults are always reluctant to get up.”

Zhu Shihao got up and took her to wash up and change. She had originally planned to make breakfast, but when Tan Zhi Xu sent a message saying that he would bring it over, she simply heated up a glass of milk for each of them. After they finished drinking, she started to put on makeup, doing her own and Jia Jia’s.

She placed Jia Jia’s small backpack and the bag containing her sleeping bag on the shoe cabinet.

The doorbell rang just at the right moment. Zhu Shihao opened the door. “A complete set. You’ve thought of everything.”

Tan Zhi Xu hummed as he changed his shoes. What was there to think about? If she hadn’t wanted to be so secretive, he could have gone straight to her bed.

He gave a mental chuckle and said casually, “Let’s eat.”

Jia Jia ran over, tilting her little head back so far she almost fell over. Tan Zhi Xu handed the breakfast to Zhu Shihao and squatted down in front of the little girl. “Good morning, Jia Jia. You look beautiful today.”

“Am I more beautiful or is Auntie more beautiful?” Tan Zhi Xu chuckled, answering without hesitation, “Auntie’s more beautiful.”

Jia Jia pouted, looking like a miniature adult who knew everything. “I knew it. You adults are all like that.”

Every time her dad praised her for being beautiful, he would say that her mom was even more beautiful.

The three of them sat down to eat breakfast. Jia Jia looked at the person across from her. “Uncle Zhi Xu, are you coming to kindergarten with me, too?”

“Yes, your mom said so.” He paused, meeting Zhu Shihao’s gaze, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a slightly mischievous smile. “She wants me to pretend to be your uncle.”

Zhu Shihao’s breath caught in her throat. The next second, her heart began to pound wildly, each beat feeling as if it would burst out of her chest.

Hearing that title from Zhu Suiyi was completely different from hearing it from Tan Zhi Xu.

She was a little flustered, but she still maintained her composure, shooting him a look as she picked up a dumpling for Jia Jia. “Eat quickly, or you’ll be late, Little Host.”

She lowered her head and took a sip of porridge, afraid that he would hear her heart beating too loudly.

Jia Jia didn’t understand her aunt’s nervousness, poking at her dumpling before taking a bite. “Wow, then won’t I be so impressive today? You must be the handsomest adult in our class.”

Zhu Shihao was momentarily speechless.

“Your mom really understands you.” She couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of genetics.

Tan Zhi Xu accepted the child’s straightforward praise without blushing or skipping a beat, seeing that she was busy taking care of Jia Jia, he picked up a small steamed bun for her.

“When kids are telling the truth, you just need to say, ‘You’re right.'”

She took it with her chopsticks and took a bite.

He tapped his fingers casually on the table, occasionally looking up at the pair across from him, one big and one small. The way they focused on their food while chewing, they were similar in a way.

As he watched, his gaze drifted unconsciously to Zhu Shihao’s face. They had known each other for too long, for as long as their entire lives had lasted so far. He always managed to discover something new about her, yet he always found traces of the way she had always been.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Tan Zhi Xu snapped back to reality, picking up a steamed dumpling. “I’ll have one more. You two eat quickly; let’s get going when you’re done.”

Tan Zhi Xu drove, with Zhu Shihao and Jia Jia in the back seat.

Taking advantage of the time, Zhu Shihao braided Jia Jia’s hair. Jia Jia sat quietly. “Auntie, do I need a makeup touch-up?”

“How do you even know about that?” Zhu Shihao was skilled with her hands, creating a stylish hairstyle for her.

Jia Jia straightened her little body, afraid of interfering with her aunt’s handiwork.

At that hour, the traffic was manageable. Although they couldn’t go very fast, it wasn’t so congested that they couldn’t move at all. As the buildings on both sides of the street gradually became familiar, Jia Jia realized that they were almost at kindergarten, and her little face lit up with excitement.

The three of them got out of the car. Jia Jia looked up at her aunt, then turned to look up at Tan Zhi Xu, her little face scrunched up in a knot.

“Uncle Zhi Xu, should I call you Uncle Zhi Xu or uncle?”

Zhu Suiyi had mentioned the words ‘my aunt’s husband is my uncle’ too many times in front of her, but Uncle Zhi Xu was still her uncle.

Hearing this, Tan Zhi Xu shifted his gaze to Zhu Shihao, whose eyes were darting around evasively. A smile played on his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That depends on you. Who do you want to be with you?”

Jia Jia seemed lost in thought. Zhu Shihao thought she had given up.

But then, as soon as she saw her homeroom teacher, Jia Jia said excitedly, “Hello, Teacher Han! Hello, Teacher Li! This is my aunt and uncle.”

Hearing the last two words, Zhu Shihao nearly flung her hand away.

No wonder she was Zhu Suiyi’s daughter. Compared to this mother and daughter, she seemed rather restrained when she just came right out with it.

For a moment, she was speechless, unable to say a word.

The familiar sound of a low chuckle came from beside her, followed by his cool voice. “Hello, teachers. Jia Jia’s parents couldn’t make it, so her aunt and I are here in their place.”

He didn’t explain that he wasn’t her uncle, but he also didn’t say directly that he was.

But with Jia Jia’s words beforehand, this ambiguous language easily led people to misunderstand.

At the very least, she was sure that the two teachers in front of her had already misunderstood.

The auditorium was already very lively. As a little host, Jia Jia was quickly taken by her other teacher, Teacher Qian, to get ready, along with countless reminders that needed to be repeated.

She thought to herself, kindergarten teachers really had it tough, having to repeat the same words over and over again in a kind and patient tone all day long.

She had originally thought it would all be over after the performances, but it turned out there were also parent-child interactive games.

Zhu Shihao, who had been nominated by Jia Jia, was speechless.

She couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her. To her surprise, Tan Zhi Xu seemed much more calm and composed than she was, as if he were just standing in the market or the office.

Fortunately, the participants didn’t have to be just moms and dads, and the games weren’t very intimate. Zhu Shihao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, slowly relaxing. In the end, she and Tan Zhi Xu actually won first place.

After having lunch with Jia Jia, they dropped her off.

Zhu Suiyi was sitting on the sofa watching TV. When she saw them, she raised her eyebrows and began to applaud. “Welcome back, first-place winners of the Cherry Class’s test of teamwork!”

Zhu Shihao paused, took out the slippers, and handed a pair to Tan Zhi Xu. “You’re exaggerating.”

Jia Jia nodded in agreement, praising seriously, “Aunt and uncle, first place.”

“…Enough. Please change the way you address him,” she said, grumbling as she walked over. “As soon as your daughter saw the teachers, she said, ‘This is my aunt and uncle,’ making me unable to speak.”

Zhu Suiyi ignored her, lowering her head to stroke her daughter’s head. “Did the other kids say he was handsome?”

“Yeah, the teachers all said he was handsome,” Jia Jia said, nodding vigorously.

Zhu Suiyi nodded in agreement, looking at the calm Tan Zhi Xu and laughing. “Not bad. Even if Yu Jianmin and I had gone, we would have failed miserably. Guess we had to rely on you guys. Zhi Xu, you can continue next time.”

Tan Zhi Xu simply raised an eyebrow slightly, not saying anything.