Chapter 43: Stop Laughing

Er Dan kept a close eye on his father’s expression. Seeing that his dad was staring at his own sleeve, Er Dan suddenly started to worry.

He was afraid his dad would get angry—or maybe it wasn’t exactly anger he feared, but that his dad would turn all serious.

When Dad got serious, it was truly scary!

He didn’t know about other people, but whenever his dad put on that stern face, Er Dan turned into a little quail…

He sneaked a glance at his father, then at his oblivious new mom, and fell into an inner struggle.

Should he give his new mom a heads-up?

He could, but what if Dad ended up lecturing both of them…

The more Er Dan thought about it, the more conflicted he became. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he got. They were just about to look at strawberries in the yard, and then Dad suddenly showed up—what for?

What did this have to do with him, anyway!

Er Dan kept shooting glances at him—could Chen Lie really not notice?

Of course he noticed. He turned his head and said, “If you have something to say, just say it. Stop sneaking around.”

Er Dan: “…”

He didn’t dare tell the truth, but with Chen Lie staring at him, he had no choice but to speak up. “Dad… Dad, do you want some strawberries?”

Chen Lie immediately narrowed his eyes.

Er Dan shivered on the spot!

Actually… he and his brother hadn’t spent that much time with their dad. This year was the most time they’d ever spent together since they could remember.

Even if they hadn’t spent much time together, they’d gotten a sense of Dad’s temper.

He seemed easygoing and reasonable, but he didn’t tolerate any tricks.

That was a warning!

Er Dan glanced at Su Qinghu, then, like a soldier going into battle, closed his eyes and raised his voice, “I wasn’t asking if you wanted strawberries. I was afraid you’d hit my mom!”

Chen Lie: “…”

“You kept looking at your sleeve, then at my mom, back and forth, back and forth, just like you were looking for a good spot to hit her…” The more he spoke, the quieter he got. “You’ve trained, you’re tall and strong, but my mom’s so small and skinny, she couldn’t even take a swing from you…”

Su Qinghu looked at Er Dan in confusion, then at Chen Lie, suddenly questioning her life choices.

Was this kid a little too honest? He usually seemed clever and quick-witted, so why was he acting like a broken record today?

Did she and Chen Lie really look like they were about to fight just now?

Didn’t they look more like a young couple in love, flirting with each other?

At least from her perspective, she’d been teasing Chen Lie!

And she’d even felt a hint of romantic tension in the air!

But now, Er Dan’s words made her doubt herself deeply. Was all that just her own wishful thinking?

No way!

That would be way too embarrassing!

Unwilling to accept it, Su Qinghu struggled to ask Er Dan, “Er Dan, did your dad really look fierce when he looked at me just now?”

Er Dan: “…”

He looked at Su Qinghu with an expression that was both disdainful and helpless, screaming internally, What are you doing? Why would you ask that? How am I supposed to answer?

If he said Dad looked fierce, Dad would definitely beat him!

If he said Dad didn’t look at Mom with affection, wouldn’t that ruin their relationship?

He’d heard the old folks gossiping at the alley entrance—one of the worst things a kid could do was ruin things between their dad and stepmom, sometimes even causing a divorce…

His dad and new mom had only been married a week!

Er Dan pictured the scene of a divorce, with everyone in the neighborhood pointing fingers, and couldn’t help but shiver again.

“Mom, Dad didn’t look fierce at all when he looked at you.”

He said it like he was swearing an oath. Could Su Qinghu believe him?

She stared at Er Dan, her mind racing. Oh god, was that romantic atmosphere just her own imagination?

“Mom, trust me, Dad looked at you so gently! Just like… just like when I see something delicious!” Er Dan blurted out, even patting his chest. “I just thought Dad wanted to hit you, that was all in my head.”

Su Qinghu: “…”

This little brat! What a rascal!

Su Qinghu, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, wanted to smack the kid!

She’d thought she was irresistible, that she’d managed to charm the handsome man before her, but in just a few sentences, this kid had shattered her illusions!

“Mom?”

Er Dan called out uneasily when Su Qinghu didn’t respond and just kept staring at him.

Su Qinghu: “Mm.”

Alright, she’d adjusted her mood. She wouldn’t hit the kid.

But she was still a bit embarrassed. All that seductive, enchanting, sweet flirting she thought she’d done—turns out it was all in her head!

And now, she couldn’t stop picturing a giant elephant trying to act cute and stomp its foot at a crowd…

Just the thought was terrifying!

Chen Lie watched the big and little one staring at each other, completely at ease.

The little one kept shooting glances at the big one, trying his best to send a message.

The big one’s expression didn’t change, but his hands fidgeted, fingers turning white from squeezing, then suddenly relaxing, then clenching again. But he didn’t seem to get the little one’s signals at all.

The signals just weren’t getting through, and it was honestly funny.

Er Dan was frustrated—he’d sent so many signals, but new mom just wasn’t picking up!

Couldn’t they coordinate a plan?

Otherwise, if Dad started talking, they’d really be doomed!

“Mom!” Er Dan couldn’t help but call out, “What are you thinking about?”

Su Qinghu glanced at him. “I’m reflecting on life right now, thinking about how I should educate you and your brother from now on.”

Er Dan: “???”

He was totally confused. Weren’t they just talking about whether Dad was going to hit someone? How did it turn into a lesson for him and his brother?

New mom’s mind worked faster than a plane taking off and landing!

Finally, Chen Lie spoke: “I wasn’t thinking about hitting your mom. But I am thinking about hitting you.”

Er Dan’s eyes widened. “Why?”

He wasn’t the one who got Dad’s sleeve dirty!

“Have you ever actually seen me hit anyone?” Chen Lie asked.

Er Dan: “No.”

No, but they hadn’t spent that much time together! Who knew what Dad did in private? If he hit someone, Er Dan wouldn’t have seen it anyway~~~

That was a sneaky question!

Er Dan hung his head and pouted. “Dad, don’t ask me like that. If you hit someone, we wouldn’t even know where we were. With your skills, I just don’t believe you’ve never hit anyone.”

Good skills come from practice, and practice means both taking and giving hits—the old men at the alley said so.

Er Dan started spilling secrets. “I’ve even seen my brother get into fights. You’re our dad, so you must have fought too. Like father, like sons, right?”

Alright, at this rate, he was probably going to get a beating today. If he was going to get hit anyway, he might as well not lose out verbally!

If he was going to leave a bad impression on new mom, then Dad shouldn’t think he could look good either!

Thinking this, Er Dan got a little excited. “That woman before even said you had a bad temper, that you weren’t a good person.”"