"It's not that I'm angry," Shen Qingqing said, though her tone was so calm it made Xixi uneasy. He raised his hand and slapped his forehead.
He hit himself with all his might, and Shen Qingqing heard a "smack" from the other end of the phone.
She exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Xixi mumbled, "Mommy, don't be angry. I didn't betray you."
Shen Qingqing found it both funny and exasperating. "I didn't say you betrayed me."
"But I came to vent your anger for you, and now I..."
He felt very guilty, his little face downcast.
Shen Qingqing chuckled, "Silly child, when did I ever say you betrayed me? Besides, I never asked you to vent my anger."
Xixi remained silent.
But his dejected aura seemed to permeate through the phone.
Shen Qingqing sighed, "Silly child, liking whoever you like is your right. Moreover, the conflict between him and me is an adult matter and has nothing to do with you."
Her voice was gentle and soothing, easing Xixi's heart.
Xixi mumbled, "Mommy, don't worry. No matter how good he is to me, I'll never forget that he bullied you."
Shen Qingqing was touched. "Xixi, you don't actually need to vent my anger for me. Mommy can handle it herself. You are still young, you should be doing things that children your age should do, like..."
Xixi waited for his mother to continue.
"Like coming home now, so Mommy and your brother don't worry about you."
Xixi pouted. "I knew it. Mommy just wants me to go back. Mommy, I've already come all this way, how can I go back empty-handed?"
He clenched his fist, his face full of determination.
"Don't worry about me. I will resolve things here perfectly."
"Xixi..."
"Okay, okay, Mommy. It's not convenient to talk on the phone here with so many people around. I'll hang up now."
Before Shen Qingqing could finish speaking, the call was hung up.
She looked at her phone and sighed.
Chenchen had been watching the whole time and asked softly, "Little brother still doesn't plan to come back?"
"No," Shen Qingqing put down her phone. "Forget it, don't force him if he doesn't want to come back. Your brother has always had his own ideas. He's very smart and won't be bullied."
Chenchen pursed his lips. "I'm sorry."
Shen Qingqing knew he was apologizing for lying. She reached out and pinched his cheek. "You can't lie for your brother anymore, understand?"
Chenchen covered his face and nodded gloomily.
"Did I hurt you?" Shen Qingqing, knowing she hadn't used much force, still worried when she saw the little boy looking dejected.
Chenchen shook his head and mumbled, "Mommy, I'll never lie for my brother again. Even though my brother wanted to get revenge for you, making you worry is still our fault."
"It's good that you know you were wrong." Shen Qingqing pulled him into her arms, holding his small body with both hands. "As for Mommy, I never need you to do anything. As long as you are safe and grow up happy, Mommy will be content."
"Mhm."
Chenchen gave a shy smile.
As they were talking, Fu Jingshu arrived. Seeing the mother and son embracing on the bedside, he walked over and put his arm around his wife's shoulder.
"What are you talking about?"
Shen Qingqing briefly told him about Xixi.
Fu Jingshu chuckled.
Shen Qingqing glared at him. "What are you laughing at? Aren't you worried about our son?"
Fu Jingshu's lips curved upwards. "Did you forget what our son did when he first returned to the country?"
Shen Qingqing was taken aback.
When he first returned, their son had come back sneakily and even swapped identities with his brother. Although he was not old, his understanding of the situation and his methods were much more mature than that of an ordinary child.
"You mean..."
Fu Jingshu whispered in his wife's ear, "If Chenchen had gone, we would need to worry, because the little fellow is shy. But Xixi..."
He felt a pang of pity for Mr. He.
It was hard to say who was more unlucky at the moment.
Shen Qingqing recalled the child's conflicted tone on the phone and felt less worried. "That's true. If Mr. He treated Xixi badly, he wouldn't have called me with those difficult words."
Fu Jingshu smiled. "So, don't worry, everything will be fine."
Shen Qingqing nodded, but still felt a bit uneasy. "Send someone to keep an eye on things. I'm not worried about Mr. He, but he's currently cooperating with Ning Xin."
Fu Jingshu's eyes darkened. "Don't worry, I'll have someone watch."
...
Just as Xixi hung up the phone, there was a knock on his door. He put down his phone and ran to open it, only to see Mr. He standing there.
He was holding a box, tied with a ribbon and a bow, the entire package very exquisite.
Xixi looked at the gift curiously. "What is this?"
Mr. He placed the gift box on the table and beckoned to the little boy, who was watching from a distance. When he approached, Mr. He pushed the gift towards him.
"You'll know when you open it."
Xixi didn't reach for it. "Is this a gift for me?"
Mr. He smiled and nodded.
Xixi untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside, a drone lay quietly.
The drone had smooth lines and an exquisite design. Although not very large, it exuded a high-tech feel.
"This is for me?!"
Mr. He nodded and took out a black remote control for him. "Try it and see if you like it. The red one is for power."
Xixi looked at the remote control, then at the drone. A struggle flashed in his eyes.
He put down the remote control.
"I can't accept it."
Mr. He was puzzled. "Why?"
He had clearly been staring intently at the drone just now, and his little hands had been stroking the remote control, indicating he liked the gift immensely.
He looked at the drone.
"Do you not like the color? Or do you not like this model? His previous sixth-generation drone is still available, but it's not as good as this new one."
He had put considerable thought into buying this.
He had also investigated that children nowadays liked playing with such high-tech items, and old-fashioned toys without intelligence were no longer popular with kids.
Xixi still shook his head. "Thank you very much for your kindness, Uncle, but I cannot accept this drone. It hasn't even been opened yet. Please hurry and return it."
Mr. He patiently asked, "Then tell Uncle why you can't accept it first."
Xixi blinked, his eyes fixed on the drone as he spoke. "This drone is the latest model, so it must be very expensive. I cannot accept such an expensive gift."
Mr. He chuckled, yet felt it was not surprising. The child had been raised very well by his parents, so naturally, he wouldn't be greedy for small favors.