"No need, I'm just doing a small favor!" Liu Yifeng stopped and waved his hand.
Xia Qianqian, however, took the lead without further ado. "I know a pretty good restaurant nearby, follow me!"
Helpless, Liu Yifeng held Tongtong's hand and gestured for his father to follow.
Xia Qianqian disliked owing favors. Since someone had risked their safety to help her retrieve her bag, she felt obligated to express her gratitude.
In a short while, they arrived at a themed restaurant. The establishment was decorated with great style, complementing the Marine Mansion. Inside, one could see murals related to fish and numerous fish in aquariums for people to admire.
The restaurant's specialty was fish.
"I frequent this place often. They have a wide variety of fish and can prepare them in many different flavors. Do you all eat fish?" Xia Qianqian inquired.
Liu Yifeng nodded, "We all eat fish, and we don't have any particular dietary restrictions."
Xia Qianqian was relieved. After all, she was treating them, so their preferences should be prioritized.
They then found a quieter spot to sit, and a waiter brought them two menus.
"You two order, please. Don't hesitate to ask for what you'd like to eat!" Xia Qianqian handed the menus to Liu Yifeng and Liu Chunsheng.
"Miss, you can order for us. As an old man, I'll eat anything!" Liu Chunsheng returned the menu to Xia Qianqian.
Xia Qianqian smiled, "Uncle, you look quite young and robust. Calling yourself an old man is too modest. However, if you're unsure what's good here, I can recommend a few dishes!"
Liu Chunsheng, slightly embarrassed by the compliment, nodded.
Liu Yifeng ordered a few dishes according to Tongtong's taste, and then a dish of steamed pork with preserved vegetables, which his father enjoyed.
He left the rest to Xia Qianqian, as it was her treat, and he felt it wouldn't be proper to order too much.
After hearing Liu Yifeng's orders, Xia Qianqian ordered a spicy steamed fish head. It was said that the fish for this dish came from wild stock, making it exceptionally fresh. She then ordered a chicken soup and garlic prawns, totaling five dishes and one soup.
"Is there anything else you particularly want to eat?" Xia Qianqian asked.
"That's plenty, enough! Ordering more would be wasteful," Liu Chunsheng interjected. He detested extravagance. They might not even finish these dishes.
"Then let's start with these. We can add more if needed. Oh, would you like some drinks? They have all sorts of liquors here!" Xia Qianqian asked again.
Liu Yifeng smiled and shook his head, "I have to drive this afternoon, so I won't be drinking. My father also drinks very little. Let's just eat."
"That won't do at all! I'll order some fresh juice!"
Xia Qianqian said, then turned to the waiter, "Two pitchers of freshly squeezed watermelon juice and sour plum juice, please! As for the dishes, stick to what we've ordered. We'll add more if necessary!" She then returned the menu to the waiter.
"Certainly, please wait a moment!" The waiter took the menu and headed to the kitchen.
"Sir, I still don't know how to address you!" Xia Qianqian asked Liu Yifeng.
"My name is Liu Yifeng. And yours?"
"Hello, Mr. Liu. My name is Xia Qianqian. I'm truly grateful for your help in getting my bag back today. Later, I'll toast you and your father with drinks instead of alcohol!" Xia Qianqian said gratefully.
Liu Chunsheng looked at Xia Qianqian, who was alone, and couldn't help but remind her, "As a young lady out alone, you should pay more attention to your surroundings when walking, especially at night. It can be very dangerous."
Xia Qianqian nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Liu. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation, and I will be more careful in the future."
Today, not having seen Yun Duo'er, she had been feeling dejected and had started walking aimlessly. She had unknowingly wandered to the outside of the Marine Mansion. With her mind preoccupied, she hadn't noticed anyone paying attention to her. Suddenly, her shoulder bag was snatched away, and she took a moment to react. She had initially thought her bag was lost for good, or perhaps forever. Fortunately, Mr. Liu had intervened today. Otherwise, her bag, worth tens of thousands, along with her phone, ID card, bank cards, and cash would have been gone. The bag and cash could be lost, but the most troublesome would be the missing identification and other documents, requiring reporting and reapplication, which would be very time-consuming.
"Auntie, have some tea!" Tongtong, who had been silent, suddenly offered the tea from his cup to Xia Qianqian.
Xia Qianqian looked at the cute and well-behaved Tongtong and a happy smile bloomed on her face. "Thank you. What's your name?"
"My name is Tongtong!"
"Hello, Tongtong. You're very cute. Are you in kindergarten?" Xia Qianqian felt a genuine fondness for Tongtong. She had seen child stars in the entertainment industry, but none could compare to Tongtong's looks. Moreover, Tongtong seemed like a particularly sensible child who had even offered her tea. Who wouldn't like him! However, Tongtong's appearance seemed somewhat familiar, though she couldn't quite recall who he resembled.
Suddenly, Tongtong stood up and sat beside Xia Qianqian, revealing a childish smile that immediately charmed her. "I'm three and a half years old and in the lower class at kindergarten. Auntie Xia, you're so beautiful. You look like a very kind girl!"
This wave of compliments almost made Xia Qianqian forget herself. "Tongtong, you're making me feel a bit shy. But you're so cute, your mother must be very beautiful too!"
Hearing Xia Qianqian bring up Tongtong's mother, Liu Yifeng tensed, afraid Tongtong might suddenly remember Yun Duo'er and become sad. To his surprise, Tongtong readily admitted, "Auntie, my dad and mom are separated now. Dad is single, and I live with him!"
His response caught Liu Yifeng and Liu Chunsheng off guard. Furthermore, Tongtong's reaction to Xia Qianqian today was peculiar. It was the first time he had been so affectionate with a woman; he wasn't even this close to Ms. Su or Mrs. Xu. And today, after meeting Xia Qianqian for the first time, he had willingly sat next to her. When his mother was mentioned, he openly admitted he didn't live with her, showing no sadness, as if his mother were an insignificant person.
Could it be that Tongtong was traumatized because his mother refused to visit him when he was sick? This was the only explanation Liu Yifeng could come up with.
Xia Qianqian felt a pang of guilt upon hearing that Tongtong's parents were divorced. "Tongtong, I'm sorry. Auntie Xia didn't know you and your mother were separated."
"It's okay. I'm very happy living with Dad. My dad is the best dad in the world!" Tongtong lavished praise on his father.
To have a child praise him so highly indicated that Liu Yifeng was truly a good father, which involuntarily increased Xia Qianqian's good impression of him. She also thought that any woman who could abandon such a sensible and well-behaved son and a heroic husband like Mr. Liu would be making the biggest mistake of her life.
"As long as Tongtong is happy, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter who you live with; the most important thing is to be happy!" The fact that a child from a single-parent family could maintain such an innocent heart showed he was well-raised and had a good living environment, uncorrupted by these trivial matters.
"Yifeng, why does Tongtong seem to like this young lady so much?" Liu Chunsheng asked quietly, sitting beside Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng also found it strange; Tongtong's behavior today was indeed a bit unusual. This Xia Qianqian didn't seem particularly special. Although she was beautiful and had a good figure, children don't usually decide if they like someone based on external factors. Tongtong's maturity wasn't that of an ordinary child; it was hard for most people to impress him. So, what was it about Xia Qianqian that attracted him? Liu Yifeng couldn't figure it out.
Before he could ponder further, the waiter began bringing dishes one after another.
"Tongtong, come to Dad. Don't disturb Auntie Xia while she's eating!" Liu Yifeng gently called out to Tongtong.
"Auntie Xia, can I sit and eat with you?" Tongtong looked up at Xia Qianqian, his big, blinking eyes making it impossible to refuse.