Lu Taobao was lost in thought when he suddenly heard someone ask him a question. He instinctively answered, his voice a bit too loud, and instantly, everyone's gaze fell upon him.
"Then why have you been using chopsticks to count grains of rice? Are you trying to figure out how many grains Aunt Qu served you today?" Shen Xiaoming continued to play the curious child.
Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei had already noticed that Lu Taobao was completely out of sorts that evening.
Normally, he would have finished a bowl of rice long ago.
Not to mention, today Madam Qu had specially prepared his favorite dishes. Yet, how long had it been? He was picking up grains of rice one by one and putting them into his mouth.
A bowl of rice, still full.
"Ah?" Lu Taobao was momentarily stunned by Shen Xiaoming's question. He lowered his head and looked at his bowl. Indeed, it was still full.
"I just..." Lu Taobao didn't know how to explain himself for a while. After thinking for a long time, he continued, "I just felt that today's meal was exceptionally delicious, so I wanted to chew slowly. Otherwise, it would be a waste of such good food, wouldn't it?"
After speaking, Lu Taobao smiled.
Unfortunately, it wasn't funny at all. Everyone at the table looked at him with blank expressions.
He himself felt a bit embarrassed and could only lower his head and focus on eating.
Shen Xiaoming looked at Shen Xiaoyan, perplexed, and opened his mouth to ask something. However, Shen Xiaoyan shook her head at him, telling him to eat properly.
The meal finally ended in a heavy atmosphere, and everyone felt relieved.
After dinner, no one felt like chatting together. Lu Taobao went to the east side room to stay with Shen Xiaoming, while Bai Ying stayed in the east side room of the main house.
Shen Xiaoyan, with the help of the nannies, bathed and changed the children into soft, comfortable inner garments, and then put them all into bed.
She asked Zheng Wei to accompany the three children while she went to take a hot bath.
By the time Zheng Wei finished washing up and came out, the three children had already been lulled to sleep by Shen Xiaoyan.
"Mimi, what are you thinking about?"
Zheng Wei, while drying his hair that was dripping with water, looked at Shen Xiaoyan, who was staring blankly into space, and asked curiously.
"I just feel that Bai Ying is a bit strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it," Shen Xiaoyan said, shaking her head in confusion.
Zheng Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, I have the same feeling."
"You do too?" Shen Xiaoyan was surprised. It turned out she wasn't the only one who thought so, which meant she wasn't overthinking it.
"Yes. How about you talk to her tomorrow? It should be easier to talk among women, right?"
"We'll talk tomorrow. I'm sleepy, I'm tired," Shen Xiaoyan said, yawning.
"Mimi~"
Hearing Zheng Wei's resentful voice, Shen Xiaoyan jolted, and her sleepiness disappeared.
"Mimi."
Zheng Wei dropped the towel in his hand and walked forward, pulling Shen Xiaoyan into his embrace, and whispered her name in her ear.
"I'm here," Shen Xiaoyan replied softly.
"Mimi, I regret it."
"Regret what?" Shen Xiaoyan was surprised. Could it be that he regretted being with her?
"I regret having children too early. With them, most of your time is taken up by them. I've been pushed to fourth place," Zheng Wei said with dissatisfaction.
"How can one be jealous of their own children?" Shen Xiaoyan said, suppressing a laugh.
Hearing Zheng Wei say this, she remembered that Zheng Wei had been like this last time. Why was he becoming more and more like a child?
"Why can't I be jealous? You are my wife, and you should put me first. When these three little brats grow up a bit, I'll send them to the academy, prepare their rooms, and let them become independent as soon as possible."
Zheng Wei spoke as if it were natural, without feeling anything was wrong.
"What, aren't you doting on your precious daughter anymore?" Shen Xiaoyan looked up, teasing Zheng Wei's face.
"Ruan Ruan will naturally live in the main house with us. Let her stay in the west side room. As for Zheng Jiang and Zheng He, men should be responsible. How can they always hide in their parents' embrace?"
Zheng Wei spoke with a righteous expression, as if his words were very reasonable.
Shen Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at him. If Zheng Jiang and Zheng He were teenagers, these words would be fine.
But for two infants who were barely six months old, for him to say this was truly inappropriate.
"I think, starting tomorrow, you should move to the west side room... no, you should move to the front yard."
Shen Xiaoyan said, pushing Zheng Wei away and sitting up straight.
"What?"
Zheng Wei looked at Shen Xiaoyan in surprise, not understanding what she meant.
"Don't you know that children are the apple of a mother's eye? You're stabbing me in the heart and then you want me to be on your side?"
Shen Xiaoyan rolled her eyes again as she spoke.
Zheng Wei smiled helplessly. Indeed, Shen Xiaoyan's attachment to the children had exceeded his imagination.
"Your husband was just joking. Mimi, don't be angry."
Zheng Wei said softly and was about to hug Shen Xiaoyan again.
Shen Xiaoyan, however, dodged. "Your hair is wet, and the water is dripping on me. I still have to change clothes..."
"It's fine, they'll be taken off anyway."
Zheng Wei said, and ignoring Shen Xiaoyan's objection, he pulled her into his arms.
Although they had been married for over two years and had three children, every time Shen Xiaoyan heard Zheng Wei's suggestive words, she couldn't help but blush.
Zheng Wei also loved Shen Xiaoyan's shy appearance. Shen Xiaoyan had grown up in the past two years, and after having children, she had become even more alluring.
In everyday life, every smile and every glance was pleasing to Zheng Wei's eyes. Now that Shen Xiaoyan's face was flushed and her eyes dared not look at him, it ignited a fire in his heart.
"Mimi..."
"I'm here."
By the time Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, Zheng Wei had already kissed her lips.
As Zheng Wei's kiss deepened, Shen Xiaoyan felt her face burning hotter and hotter, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hands clutched Zheng Wei's clothes tightly.
Sensing Shen Xiaoyan's change, Zheng Wei withdrew his lips from hers.
Looking at Shen Xiaoyan's languid eyes, which were particularly seductive under the dim yellow lamplight, Zheng Wei could no longer resist and pushed Shen Xiaoyan down onto the kang bed.
"Go outside!"
Shen Xiaoyan grabbed Zheng Wei's restless hands and said urgently.
Although the three children slept soundly at night and didn't wake up at all, she still didn't want to do it here.
Zheng Wei kissed her cheek lightly, then scooped her up, carried her out of the inner room, and into the study outside.
The next morning, Shen Xiaoyan rubbed her waist and cursed the beast in her heart.
Indeed, a jealous man was not to be trifled with.
Every morning, Zheng Wei practiced boxing and sword fighting with Sima Han. Recently, Shen Xiaoming wanted to learn martial arts, so he also joined the two of them in the garden to practice boxing and learn swordplay.
Today, there was one more person, and that was Lu Taobao.