Lan Yuxi leaned back in her seat, raising an eyebrow. "Is there anything else?"
"Mmm..." Ming Zicheng hesitated for a long moment before continuing, "My family has introduced me to a girlfriend. If you have time on Sunday, could you help me vet her?"
Lan Yuxi let out a cold laugh. "Are you asking me to vet her for you, or to scare her away?"
"Do you have to be so blunt?"
"If I were single, I'd definitely help you. But I'm practically a caregiver now, so I'm not very good at these kinds of things. Why don't you ask Shi Yi? He's better at driving people away than I am."
"Shi Yi is worn out like a dog every day, he doesn't have time for me."
Lan Yuxi scratched her head. "Is he very busy lately?"
"As free as you are, he is that busy."
"My fault?"
"No, he's just too stupid!"
Lan Yuxi's eyes instantly curved into a smile. "That's more like it! I'll give him a day off on Sunday."
"Thank you, Shijie! I have to get back to something, I'll hang up now." Ming Zicheng said and hastily hung up the phone.
Lan Yuxi blinked and slowly turned her head to look at Nan Xiao.
Nan Xiao smiled and asked, "Only now do you taste its flavor?"
"That stinking brat! If he wanted Shi Yi's help, he should have just said so, why go through all this trouble?"
"If he had said it directly, would you have agreed?"
Lan Yuxi thought about it very seriously. "It seems I've been very busy lately and don't have time to substitute for Shi Yi."
"You," Nan Xiao dotingly flicked her nose. "Ming Zicheng knows you well, that's why he beat around the bush with you. If you don't want to go to the pharmaceutical factory, let Xiang Nan help you look after it. He's in charge of that project anyway."
"No need. You and Xiang Dong are going to Myanmar. If I also draft Xiang Nan, then Nan Shi will only have Xiang Bei holding down the fort. I have nothing else to do anyway, I'll go take a look."
"That's good. Once you're busy, you won't have time to think about me."
Lan Yuxi's gaze dimmed, and she pursed her lips as she looked out the window.
Nan Xiao followed her gaze and saw a pharmacy on the street. He activated the turn signal and pulled the car over.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm going to the pharmacy to buy some of that."
"That what? For your back?" Lan Yuxi asked with concern, "Is the wound on your back getting worse?"
"No, I'm going to buy some family planning supplies."
"Pfft— Are you an old cadre? Family planning supplies!" Lan Yuxi patted his hand on the steering wheel. "Let's go home. No need to buy that thing."
"What if you get pregnant again without it? I don't want you to suffer again."
Lan Yuxi's gaze dimmed. "My uterus was injured when I gave birth to Zhao Zhao and Mu Mu. I can only have these two children in this lifetime."
Nan Xiao grabbed her hand. "Injured? Are you feeling unwell now?"
"No, except for not being able to have more children, there are no other after-effects."
Nan Xiao pulled her close and kissed her forehead tenderly. "It's all my fault. If I could have stayed by your side all along, you wouldn't have suffered so much."
"It's all in the past." Lan Yuxi smiled indifferently. "Let's go home, I'm starting to miss the children."
"Okay, let's go home." Nan Xiao let her go and drove on.
The next day, Lan Yuxi, still asleep, was picked up directly from the covers by Nan Xiao.
Lan Yuxi, with her eyes closed, furrowed her brows and pushed him. "I can't anymore. If you keep bullying me, I'll really cry."
Nan Xiao chuckled. "Why are you still sleep-talking in broad daylight? It's time to get up and wash, otherwise, we'll be late for the children's performance."
Lan Yuxi instantly woke up. Seeing that she had already been carried into the bathroom by Nan Xiao, she hastily asked, "What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty."
"The performance is at ten, and you're calling me at nine-thirty!" Lan Yuxi jumped out of his arms and while washing her face, complained, "Why didn't you call me earlier? Are the children ready?"
"They left with Mom and Dad long ago. Don't worry, I've prepared breakfast for you, we'll eat it on the way. That way, we'll arrive at the performance venue ten minutes early."
Nan Xiao handed her the squeezed toothpaste.
"I've also picked out your clothes. Once you're ready, we can leave."
Lan Yuxi naturally took the toothbrush. "Nan Xiao, I'm not trying to scare you, but if you keep taking so much, your body will be drained sooner or later."
"The sooner it's drained, the sooner you'll be free." Nan Xiao smiled and stroked her hair. "You can't take it after only a few days. When did your body get so weak? It seems I need to intensify your training."
Lan Yuxi kicked him. "Get lost!"
Nan Xiao took the kick squarely. "Alright, I'll get lost and change."
Seeing him leave, Lan Yuxi looked up at her reflection in the mirror. This guy is truly wicked! When he bothers you, he never leaves any evidence. He doesn't bite any visible parts, only the ones outsiders can't see.
Lan Yuxi recalled the madness of the previous night, her delicate face blushing slightly, and she sped up her brushing.
Five minutes later, the two left and got into the car. Fifteen minutes later, Nan Xiao drove at high speed to the auditorium.
Nan Xiao held Lan Yuxi's hand and walked directly to the front seats and sat down.
Luo Wanqi complained, "Is this how you are as a mother! The performance is less than ten minutes away, and you're only just arriving!"
Lan Yuxi stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, I was handling some work matters and was late."
Nan Xiao raised an eyebrow at this and subtly squeezed her hand.
Lan Yuxi glanced at him, saw him smiling at her, and pouted as she pulled her hand away.
"Wanqi, why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"
"Relatives came from out of town. They just showed up, and it really annoyed my parents."
Lan Yuxi looked around and saw her own family, Grandpa Nan, her master, and her junior disciples. She didn't see Jiaqi. She asked suspiciously, "Brother Jiaqi?"
"He's starting work at the research institute today, so he can't get away."
Lan Yuxi was slightly taken aback. "Starting work today? Isn't the research institute not ready yet?"
"He'll work in the old pharmaceutical factory's lab for now and move over once that place is ready." Luo Wanqi whispered in Lan Yuxi's ear, lowering her voice. "My brother said that if the antidote can't be developed, those people might lose their lives."
"Thank you for your hard work, you and Jiaqi."
"What are you saying?"
"I'll look through the prescriptions again later. Maybe I can find a detoxification recipe, then you and Jiaqi can relax a lot."
The two continued to whisper. Nan Xiao occasionally glanced in their direction. When ten o'clock arrived, Nan Xiao suddenly pulled Lan Yuxi's hand.
"Wife, the performance has started."
Lan Yuxi knew from the strength in his hand that he was angry again.
Lan Yuxi shook her head helplessly. This man, he's truly beyond saving! Is he jealous of people regardless of gender now?
The curtain slowly rose. Algernon walked to the center of the stage, holding Zhao Zhao and Mu Mu, one in each hand.
Lan Yuxi looked at the two children on stage and was slightly stunned. "What's going on?"