After dinner, Su Xiaomeng took Shuangshuang along and said goodbye to Pu Yang and Xiao Ang.
Judging from Xiao Ang’s expression, he clearly wasn’t willing to be separated from Shuangshuang just like that. Su Xiaomeng joked, "Why don’t you come stay at our place?"
Xiao Xiaoang glanced at Su Xiaomeng, as if for a second he was tempted, but he still held it back and said, "Little Tiger is still at home."
Pu Yang said to Su Xiaomeng, "We’ll set up another playdate some other day."
"Okay."
Shuangshuang gave all the toys she’d gotten from KFC and Pizza Hut to Xiao Ang, then went up and gave him a hug on her own initiative. She touched the mark on his forehead, then touched her own and said, "Oh no, mine’s almost gone."
"You can draw it back on."
"Mm!"
Shuangshuang nodded. "Little brother, bye now!"
"..."
Xiao Ang nodded. Usually he’s loud and carefree when he talks, but faced with such a gentle big sister, he suddenly had much less to say, and his ears instantly flushed red.
It was dark now; the streetlights came on bright, and the night breeze brought a chill with it.
Su Xiaomeng held Shuangshuang’s hand and got into their car. She asked curiously, "Do you like little brother Xiao Ang?"
"I do, he’s really super good-looking. Mom, I think he looks a lot like Brother..."
"Then doesn’t that mean he looks a lot like you too?"
Su Xiaomeng laughed. With that reminder, Shuangshuang touched her own nose. "Oh, you’re right... What a coincidence! Mom, is this fate?"
"Yeah, this is fate."
Little Mengxin thought to herself, this really is her own child—her thoughts and the things she says are exactly the same as hers.
"Do you really think the birthmark on little brother Xiao Ang’s forehead is nice-looking?"
"It’s pretty! Mom, don’t you think so? It looks just like those people with magic in cartoons!"
Su Xiaomeng smiled, reached out to rub Shuangshuang’s head, and looked at her gently. "In Mom’s eyes, Shuang’er is someone with magic."
"Huh? Where?"
Shuangshuang quickly spread out her hands, looking at Su Xiaomeng with great anticipation.
Seeing how pure she looked, Xiao Meng laughed twice. "Anyway, in Mom’s eyes, it’s enough that you have magic!"
"Then... then... if I had magic..."
Halfway through saying this, Shuangshuang actually started to stammer... Xiao Meng’s curiosity was hooked, and she quickly asked, "If you had magic, what would you want?"
"If I had magic, I’d want Little Ma to like me."
Shuangshuang said solemnly. Those big eyes that almost took up half her face were filled with this little girl’s helplessness.
If there really is anything in this world that could give Shuangshuang a headache, it would probably be Ma Siyuan, who’s always been cold and distant with her.
But judging from Shuangshuang’s tone some time ago, their relationship should’ve eased up a bit. Hearing this today...
"What’s going on with you two again?"
Shuangshuang pouted, leaned back against the seat, turned her head to look out the window, and let out a hum. "He just doesn’t like playing with me."
Seeing Shuangshuang’s brow knit all of a sudden, Xiao Meng said seriously, "Mom already told you, you have magic, so you’ll definitely be able to make Little Ma like you!"
"Really?" Shuangshuang blinked her big eyes; maybe what Xiao Meng said sounded full of magic to her.
"Really."
Su Xiaomeng thought, maybe Shuangshuang will never know where her magic power is actually hidden, but as she grows up bit by bit, more and more people will discover that she has magic... a magic power that warms people’s hearts.
————
Pu Yang and Xiao Ang also reached the parking lot and got in the car. As for this time alone with Pu Yang, Xiao Ang was a thousand times unwilling in his heart.
Luckily, he’d been with Shuangshuang today. After a whole day of play he’d had his fill, and now all he wanted was to get home and rest!
He got in the car obediently, and once inside he didn’t say a word.
"Xiao Ang, were you happy today?"
Pu Yang asked.
Xiao Xiaoang didn’t answer her.
Pu Yang seemed used to this. She started the car, drove out of the parking lot, and spoke to Xiao Ang as she drove,
"Xiao Ang, you’ve known Aunt for a long time now, right? You know very well in your heart whether Aunt is good to you or not. Aunt just doesn’t understand why you can be so nice to other aunts, but you dislike me so much."
"..."
Xiao Xiaoang closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
Pu Yang knew he wasn’t asleep. In the rearview mirror, the little guy’s eyes were closed, but his eyelashes were trembling slightly.
"Aunt really loves your dad. After Aunt marries your dad, I’ll treat you just like my own son. I won’t let you suffer even the tiniest grievance."
"Aunt will make you yummy food, take you out to play often, and help you raise Little Tiger. We can even bring him to the new pet park in the suburbs. Do you know about the new pet park out there? Lots of people who love small animals bring their pets there. Little Tiger can make lots of new friends, good friends."
"Aunt will go with you to your school’s parent-child activities. In the future, you’ll even have grandparents on my side... They’ll definitely all like you very much!"
"Xiao Ang... as long as you give Aunt just a little chance, Aunt will treat you very, very well."
"Aunt Pu Yang, can you please stop talking? I’m really tired, I want to sleep. You keep talking and it’s really annoying."
Xiao Xiaoang seemed to finally have reached his limit. He opened his eyes with a frown, and through the rearview mirror his gaze met Pu Yang’s.
Pu Yang pressed her lips together. "Okay, okay, okay, go ahead and sleep for a bit, I’ll wake you when we’re home."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Xiaoang immediately closed his eyes. Pu Yang glanced at the rearview mirror; that small figure was leaning against the back seat, holding his hat in his hand, his soft hair still slightly damp with sweat.
The faintly visible red birthmark in the center of his forehead was truly an eyesore...
An hour later, the car stopped at the gate of the Xiao Family Villa. Pu Yang was just about to wake Xiao Xiaoang when she saw him already unfastening his seat belt.
"Xiao Ang."
Pu Yang quickly called out to him.
Xiao Xiaoang fixed his gaze on Pu Yang, his movement pausing, as if waiting for her to go on.
Pu Yang took a deep breath and said, "Auntie won’t go in with you. Your Dad is working overtime at the hospital. In a bit, Auntie will—"
"Got it."
Xiao Xiaoang cut her off, tossed out the words lightly, and then pushed the car door open.
"Xiao Ang!"
Pu Yang called out to him again, this time sounding full of helplessness.
Xiao Xiaoang frowned at her. "What else do you even have to say? Can’t you just say it all at once?"
"Do you... really hate me that much?"
"I don’t hate you that much. I just don’t like you."
"Then, then why don’t you like me?" Pu Yang’s eyes lit up, as if she’d seen a bit of hope. "Oh, is it because of your mom?"
"..."
Xiao Xiaoang stared straight at Pu Yang.
"Back then a lot of people said your mom died because of me. But actually, Xiao Ang, your mom’s death really had nothing to do with me. If it really did, do you think your Dad would still want to marry me?"
Normally, there was no need to explain these kinds of issues between adults to a five-year-old child. But... Xiao Xiaoang was not an ordinary five-year-old.
"My not liking you has nothing to do with that."
Xiao Xiaoang looked at Pu Yang; this was probably the first time these two people, who just did not get along, had a face-to-face talk...
"Then why? You can like Aunt Xiao Meng so much even though you haven’t known her for long. I’ve been with your Dad for so long, I treat you like my own son, so why can’t you just—"
"Because you’re a liar."
Xiao Xiaoang blinked his almond-shaped eyes, staring straight at Pu Yang. The moment the words left his mouth, Pu Yang was stunned.
"I—I’m a liar? What did I lie to you about?"
"You clearly don’t like me, but you keep telling Dad you like me a lot. You clearly don’t want me, but you say you’ll treat me like your own son."
"How could I not like you? Everything I say is true. You kid... why don’t you believe what adults say?"
"I heard it."
"Heard what?"
"When Xiao Yan took me to your house, I heard everything Grandpa Pu and Grandma Pu said."
"..." Pu Yang’s brows furrowed even tighter as she looked at him, still not quite understanding.
"They said Xiao Yan has a really bright future, said my Grandpa has a lot of money, said my great-grandpa is the director of a big hospital, that you’d get a lot of benefits from marrying my Dad—but the only downside is getting stuck with me."
"...Xiao Ang, how could Grandpa Pu and Grandma Pu say things like that?"
"They also said that no matter what, you and Xiao Yan should get married first and then deal with me afterwards. They said Pu Yang is very clever and would know how to handle me."
"Th-this... when did this happen? Xiao Ang, you—"
"That time before, when Xiao Yan took me to your house. I heard it all!"
"Xiao Ang, there must be some kind of misunderstanding here. You’ve really misunderstood Aunt Pu Yang."
"I haven’t. The first time you saw Little Tiger you really hated him. He chewed up your shoes and you kicked him. Then you told Dad that Little Tiger bit you."
"..."
"If you don’t like something, just say you don’t like it. If you don’t like it, why say you do? You’re not going to be good to me in the future. I know that."
The resolute tone in Xiao Xiaoang’s voice made it impossible to treat this five-year-old’s words as nothing.
At this moment, Pu Yang realized this child was much more difficult and troublesome than she had imagined.
"Su Xiaomeng is not like you."
"But your Dad loves me. He’ll still marry me."
Those beautiful eyes of Pu Yang’s finally revealed a cruel and disgusted look. Under the pitch-black night, her words were as cold as a poisoned blade, falling right before Xiao Xiaoang’s eyes.
"He won’t! I don’t accept you! Xiao Yan is not going to marry you!" Xiao Xiaoang shouted at Pu Yang.
Pu Yang’s lips curved slightly. "You really think you matter that much to Xiao Yan... important enough for him to waste his whole life on you?"
"..." Xiao Xiaoang glared at her, eyes locked onto her face.
"Whether you like me or not, whether you accept me or not, it’s not going to change the fact that your father and I are getting married. You’re still young, but you need to accept reality."
"Then we’ll just wait and see!"
Fuming, Xiao Xiaoang finished speaking and got out of the car!
Pu Yang sat in the car, her gaze steady as she watched Xiao Xiaoang’s figure disappear.
If only he could just disappear... that would be great.