Less than half an hour later, they arrived at Tongtong's kindergarten. Liu Yifeng got out of the car, brought Tongtong to her teacher, and then turned to leave.
Just then, Xu Muqing also brought Yaoyao over. Seeing Liu Yifeng, Yaoyao politely greeted him before happily skipping off to join Tongtong at kindergarten.
Xu Muqing walked up to Liu Yifeng's side. "Mr. Liu, Yaoyao mentioned yesterday that Tongtong didn't go to class. Was something wrong?"
"No, people from the program crew visited my home yesterday and filmed some daily life," Liu Yifeng explained.
"Filmed? What do you mean?" Xu Muqing wasn't aware that Tongtong was participating in the "Super Brain" program.
It seemed that apart from the contestants, invited guests, and production staff, very few people knew about the program's existence.
Since they hadn't signed a non-disclosure agreement, Liu Yifeng didn't hide it from her. "Tongtong is participating in a variety show called 'Super Brain.' They need to film some daily life beforehand to be interspersed in the program. If it goes well, they might film an episode about the contestants and guests later on."
Xu Muqing looked puzzled. "Super Brain? What kind of program is that? I've never heard of it."
"The program hasn't started recording yet, so you haven't heard of it. This show features highly intelligent children who compete to see who has the smartest brain, hence the name 'Super Brain'."
After Liu Yifeng's explanation, Xu Muqing finally nodded in understanding. "I see. It's really impressive that Tongtong can participate in 'Super Brain' at such a young age."
"Although I don't know how the other contestants measure up, I'm sure Tongtong will perform just as well as them in the competition. When the show airs, please remind me. Yaoyao and I will definitely be watching on TV to support Tongtong."
Liu Yifeng smiled faintly. "Of course. With your support, I'm confident Tongtong will perform even better."
"I need to go to the company to work, so I'll be heading back now. I'll treat you to a meal sometime!" Xu Muqing said, glancing at her watch.
"That's fine, but if anyone's treating, it should be me. Didn't you treat our whole family to Peking duck last time?"
"Compared to the help you've given me, a meal is nothing. You have no idea how relaxed I feel at work every day now that I've completely separated from the children's father. I used to constantly worry about him causing trouble. I haven't felt this relaxed since the divorce, and it's all thanks to you. This kindness can't be repaid with just a meal," Xu Muqing said, her expression and eyes showing unprecedented ease and joy.
Liu Yifeng smiled. "It's good that he's stopped bothering you and your daughter. But in the future, you must be more discerning when looking for a partner. People can change; they're different before and after marriage."
Although he had warned Xu Muqing before, he was still worried she might fall into the same trap, so he couldn't help but add a few more words.
Xu Muqing took a deep breath. "I'm not planning to look for anyone else for now. My only thought is to raise Yaoyao well."
"You're still so young. It's unrealistic not to look for someone, and I think it's good to have someone to care for you. If you meet someone who pursues you, don't push them away immediately. Investigate them properly, and if it doesn't work out, you can just be upfront about it," Liu Yifeng offered some advice.
Xu Muqing smiled and changed the subject. "Enough about me. What about you? I think as a man raising a child on your own, you should find a partner to take care of you and your son. How can a household be without a woman!"
"I'm not in a hurry. Tongtong is easy to raise; he doesn't require much of my attention. Besides, marriage is a lifelong commitment. I don't want to get married just for the sake of it. I'll wait until I meet the right person!"
Xu Muqing nodded in agreement. "That's true. With a child like Tongtong, you wouldn't worry even if you had a whole football team. But not all children are like Tongtong. One Tongtong in a million or ten million people would be remarkable. Most families have children who require a lot of attention, just like my Yaoyao."
"I don't know about other children, but Yaoyao is considered well-behaved and sensible among her peers. Don't be too demanding of your child. I think happiness is the most important thing for children," Liu Yifeng shared his perspective.
Xu Muqing smiled. "You seem to have a lot of insight into children. Alright, I can't chat with you any longer. I really have to go. I have a client coming to discuss cooperation today, and I need to prepare the documents in advance. Let's have dinner together another time when we're free!"
Liu Yifeng nodded. "Okay, take care. I have things to attend to as well."
Seeing Xu Muqing get into her car and drive away, Liu Yifeng immediately opened his car door and got into the driver's seat. As soon as he fastened his seatbelt, Qiangzi leaned in, resting his hands on the back of Liu Yifeng's seat, and looked at him with shifty eyes. "Yifeng, isn't that the same woman from last time? Why do you two always have so much to talk about? Confess, are you two secretly dating?"
Liu Yifeng paused, then turned to look at him and playfully tapped his forehead. "What are you talking about? We're just ordinary friends. Isn't it normal for us to meet and chat?"
Qiangzi rubbed his forehead where he'd been tapped and grumbled, "Ordinary friends? And you can chat for so long? Just admit it. Didn't you say last time that she's a single mom with a daughter? You're a single dad with a son. If you two form a blended family, wouldn't that be a perfect match? You'd already have a son and a daughter, and you wouldn't need to have more children."
"I really don't know what's going on in your head. I told you, we're just ordinary friends. Stop trying to set us up; it'll be awkward if she overhears you." Liu Yifeng cautioned.
Qiangzi was persistent. He became serious. "Yifeng, I'm serious. That woman definitely has feelings for you. The way she looks at you, her eyes are practically melting."
"Which eye of yours saw her eyes melting? I didn't notice anything like that. Stop fantasizing in your head. Neither of us has those kinds of intentions. Let's go!" Liu Yifeng said, then started the car and drove away from the kindergarten.
On the road, Qiangzi continued to chatter on and on, becoming more enthusiastic with every word. "Honestly, she's a great catch. Not only is she beautiful, but she also has her own career, and she's single. She's more than good enough for you. You should seize the opportunity and confess, before someone else snatches her away."
"If I were single, I'd definitely be shameless and make a move. What if it worked out?"
...
Listening to the incessant rambling, Liu Yifeng grew a bit annoyed. "If you keep blabbering, do you believe I'll tell Sister-in-law what you just said?"
"What did I say?" Qiangzi looked bewildered.
"What else? What you just said about wanting to pursue Ms. Xu," Liu Yifeng raised an eyebrow.
Qiangzi immediately panicked. "Don't say that! I was talking about a situation where I wasn't married. I am married, and I'm completely devoted to my wife."
"But that still shows you have a good impression of Ms. Xu!"
"Okay, okay, fine. I won't say another word, alright? I was trying to be helpful, and it backfired. You deserve to be single your whole life!" Qiangzi, being someone who feared his wife, couldn't risk Liu Yifeng gossiping to her, so he quickly dropped the subject.
Finally, Liu Yifeng felt a sense of peace and focused on driving, not speaking. He didn't go directly to the company but took a detour to Lu Fei's residence, planning to pick him up. Then, they could jointly offer suggestions to make the company's renovation more impressive. Although it was a vegetable company, they were aiming for a high-end market.