Chapter 122: In the End, They Still Got Dragged In

What?!

Su Qinghu’s eyes went wide in an instant. The next second, an involuntary little “hic!” escaped from her throat!

“What…” Su Qinghu thumped her chest, and after forcing out another hiccup, she looked at his flushed little face. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to satisfy his curiosity and asked, “What color is it?”

“Red.” Erdan scratched his head but still looked at her bravely. “It’s the one I just mentioned, the kind of red that’s almost black.”

Su Qinghu instantly breathed a sigh of relief. That deep, almost black red was actually pretty good—at least it could pass for a retro Hong Kong style.

“Then I’ll keep this as a collectible.” Su Qinghu waved the handmade gift box in front of him, smiling gently. “Later, when your brother takes us out for dinner, I’ll wear that deep red hair accessory you mentioned.”

“Huh?” Erdan blinked and quickly waved his hands. “Not a hair accessory! Not a hair accessory! It’s… it’s…”

“Aiya, I can’t remember what it’s called. I’ll go get it and show you!” Erdan said, then turned and dashed off to the bedroom.

Su Qinghu: “…”

For some reason, at that moment, she felt like her soul had flown right out of her body. She waited expressionlessly for Erdan to come back with whatever nonsense he was up to.

“This one.” While she was lost in thought, Erdan came running back out, hands hidden behind his back.

Su Qinghu: “…”

She wanted to bang her head on the floor. This made no sense! Why? Why did both things Erdan brought out make her aesthetic sense want to dance wildly?!

It was shiny, black and red, reeked of plastic, and had a row of comb-like teeth about a centimeter long—a headband, stuck right in front of her face.

Su Qinghu’s heart trembled. She asked, half in fear, “This… this wasn’t originally meant for me, was it?”

She’d seen older ladies with hair down to their earlobes wearing these kinds of headbands when she passed through residential neighborhoods on interviews, slicking all their hair back from their foreheads…

Actually, Erdan had bought the headband for Ms. Meng, hoping to curry favor.

But now that he was giving it to Su Qinghu, he couldn’t tell the truth, or he’d offend both sides.

Erdan figured if he told the truth, Su Qinghu would think he wasn’t sincere. And if, heaven forbid, someone let it slip to Grandma one day, it’d be a loss of face. So he insisted, “...It’s for you!”

Su Qinghu felt a jolt straight to her skull!

No way!

She couldn’t take this kind of aesthetic injustice!

There was no way she could go out wearing that headband like she’d just promised!

She had to backtrack!

Taking a deep breath, Su Qinghu accepted the headband. “I’ll keep this to use when I wash up in the morning and need to pull my hair back!”

Then, patting the gift box made of stiff cardboard, she said, “This one—I’ll wear when we go out later!”

Collectible, my foot!

As long as she didn’t have to wear that headband, she could tolerate having one of those blindingly bright mesh hair bows that only appeared on toddlers’ heads!

“You… you’re not going to keep it as a collectible?” Erdan’s eyes went wide. Didn’t she say she didn’t want his first gift to get weathered by sun and wind?

Now… was the gift not precious anymore?

Su Qinghu: “…” How was she supposed to answer that?

After being hit by Erdan’s questionable taste twice, her brain was fried—she couldn’t come up with a perfect response.

Having been a silent bystander for a while, Dadan snorted and let out a “heh,” “The stuff you bought is just too ugly!”

Su Qinghu glanced at Dadan, wishing she could go over and clasp his hands in gratitude, tears in her eyes, speechless for a moment.

Dadan could actually tell these things were ugly!

That was no small feat!

She’d thought this science-loving kid, who could chat endlessly with her sister-in-law’s husband Qian Yin, would have the most stereotypically “straight guy” taste.

Who knew~~~

“Ugly?” Erdan frowned at Dadan. “Then why are so many aunties fighting to buy them?”

Dadan replied, “They’re not buying them for themselves.”

Erdan fell silent. After a long pause, he looked at Su Qinghu. “I messed up!”

Su Qinghu: “???”

“Are you rested now?” Erdan put on a serious face. “If you’re rested, take me to the bank to withdraw money. I’ll buy you a new gift.”

Dadan didn’t even have time to stop him before Erdan blurted out exactly what he didn’t want him to say.

The damage was done. Dadan just went quiet.

Su Qinghu: “Oh! Right, speaking of withdrawing money, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you two.”

Dadan didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, just waited for Su Qinghu to continue.

Erdan was starting to sense something was off, and glanced nervously at his brother before looking back at Su Qinghu.

No way, right? Both he and his brother had already lent her three yuan each…

“Don’t be nervous,” Su Qinghu said with a smile. “I just want to borrow some money from you, not ask you to give it to me.”

Look at these two smart kids. The moment she mentioned “withdrawing money,” they were already on high alert.

But—

Being alert wouldn’t help!

She was determined to drag them into this!

“Aren’t you going to ask how much I want to borrow?” Su Qinghu bent down, scanning their little faces, then straightened up and wiggled her fingers at them like teasing a cat. “Guess?”

Dadan: Heh.

Erdan: “…” I don’t want to guess!

“Fine, if you won’t guess, I’ll just say it.” Su Qinghu pointed at Dadan. “I want to borrow your hundred!”

As Erdan gasped in shock, she turned to him. “And your hundred, too!”

Erdan stared. “D-do you really need that much?”

“Yup.” Su Qinghu nodded, pointing to where they usually did their homework. “Come on, sit down, let’s talk this through.”

Dadan just walked over and sat down.

Erdan’s eyes blinked rapidly. “Mom, I trust you’ll pay us back if you borrow money. Just like last time, when you gave us five yuan for pocket money, and after you took it back, you returned it and even rounded it up.”

Su Qinghu gave a half-smile.

This little rascal was afraid she’d stiff them, so he was buttering her up.

But this time, she couldn’t go along!

Before, when it was less than a hundred, she’d round it up for them. But if she made two or three hundred later, was she supposed to make it up to a thousand out of her own pocket?

Even a fool wouldn’t dare hope for that!

“Sit down first, and I’ll explain everything. If, in the end, you think it’s not worth it—” Su Qinghu smiled sweetly at Erdan’s hopeful face, “—well, it’s impossible for it not to be worth it!”

“Anyway, hurry up and sit down, I have something serious to discuss.”

Since she hadn’t called ahead to say she’d be coming home today, the fact that both kids were home meant one of the grandparents must have been here with them.

As for why they weren’t home now, that was easy to guess—they must have gone out.

Most likely, they were either on their way back or almost home by now.

Erdan finally shuffled over and sat down, placing his little hands on his knees, looking at Su Qinghu, waiting for her to speak.

Su Qinghu placed her hands on the table and said slowly, “Here’s the deal. I have two ways to pay you back, and you can choose whichever one you want.”"