Lan Yuxi poured him a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table. "I haven't been in the kitchen for ages. How could it possibly be good? You're just hungry, so everything tastes good. Is this enough? Do you want me to make anything else?"
"No, this is plenty."
Nan Xiao reached out, pulled her into his arms, and had her sit on his lap. He then carefully inspected both of her small hands.
"Good, no injuries. Don't go into the kitchen anymore. Every time you went before, you always came out with an injury."
"You said that was the past. I'm an adult now, I won't get hurt easily." Lan Yuxi nudged his hands that were around her waist. "How can you eat while holding me? Let go, I'll go to my eldest brother's room to get you pajamas. You can take a bath after you eat."
"No need. I'm not used to wearing other people's clothes." Nan Xiao not only didn't let go, but held her tighter. "You always made me hold you back then. You didn't care if I could eat, you'd cry as soon as I put you down."
Lan Yuxi hooked her arms around his neck and smiled. "If you don't find it tiring, then keep holding me. After you're done eating, carry me to my eldest brother's room. I'll have the housekeeper buy many brand-new pajamas and loungewear for my brothers. They're all in my eldest brother's former room."
"Mm." Nan Xiao sped up his eating.
"Eat slower, or your stomach won't be able to handle it."
"It's fine, my appetite is good."
"You have chronic gastritis. Don't think I don't know."
Nan Xiao smiled and shook his head. "Why didn't you just stick with finance and study medicine midway? Not a single small ailment can escape your notice."
Lan Yuxi tugged his ear. "Why would I hide it from you?"
"I was afraid you'd worry."
"Afraid I'd worry and you still drank so much?" Lan Yuxi then started to playfully twist his other ear.
Nan Xiao chuckled and pinched her waist. "Stop messing around."
Lan Yuxi listened to his doting tone, her eyes misting over. When she was little, he often spoke to her this way. After six years, hearing it again felt like a thousand years had passed.
Seeing her lost in thought, Nan Xiao gently rubbed her head. "What's wrong?"
Lan Yuxi smiled. "Nothing, just remembering some things from childhood."
Nan Xiao put down his spoon, cupped her in his arms with both hands, and rested his head in the crook of her neck, his voice husky as he said, "After you left, I also often recalled our time together. Wife, forget all the bad memories. I promise, our future together will be nothing but sweet."
"Mm." Lan Yuxi responded with a smile.
Nan Xiao gently bit her flushed earlobe. Lan Yuxi instinctively shrunk her neck, tickled.
Nan Xiao rested his chin on her shoulder and chuckled softly. "Silly girl, I need to discuss something with you."
"What is it?" Lan Yuxi lowered her gaze, a little flustered. It used to be her who clung to him; it felt strange now that he was the one being clingy.
"In the future, will our family of four live in the hillside villa or at Shengshi Jiangnan?"
"It doesn't matter where I live... maybe we should ask the two little ones' opinions later?"
"I think they'd prefer Shengshi Jiangnan. They have many animals there, and there's a very good aristocratic school. It's less than a five-minute drive from home to kindergarten, and about seven or eight minutes to elementary school."
Lan Yuxi turned her head to look at him. "Speaking of school, I wanted to talk to you about the children's situation."
Nan Xiao raised his hand and stroked her hair. "Mm, tell me."
"Although the children are young, their IQs are very high. I discussed it with them, and they refused to go to kindergarten. So, I hired tutors for them. Their current academic level is already equivalent to fourth grade in elementary school. But they are only four years old, and I'm worried schools won't accept them. What do you think?"
"If they want to experience group life, then we'll send them to elementary school. I'll handle the school admission, they won't be rejected. If they still want to study at home, then let them. We can enroll them directly into middle school when they're a bit older."
Lan Yuxi nodded. "Then we'll discuss it with them tomorrow."
"Knock, knock..." A knock came from the door.
Lan Yuxi quickly stood up from Nan Xiao's embrace. Nan Xiao looked at her with amusement. "We didn't do anything, what are you afraid of?"
Lan Yuxi gave him a playful glare and hurried to the door, opening it.
Mu Mu, holding her brother's hand, skipped in gleefully.
Lan Yuxi was about to ask why they weren't asleep yet when Mu Mu, tilting her adorable little face, asked, "Mommy, is Daddy back?"
"..." Lan Yuxi wordlessly shifted aside, allowing both children to see Nan Xiao sitting on the sofa.
Nan Xiao smiled and opened his arms. "Babies, come to Daddy."
Mu Mu pulled Chao Chao and they ran over.
Nan Xiao picked up the two little ones, one in each arm. "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"We were already asleep, but Grandpa's talking woke us up. I heard Grandpa say Daddy was coming back, so I didn't go back to sleep, wanting to wait for Daddy... Daddy, I missed you so much!"
Mu Mu said it all in one breath, making Nan Xiao incredibly happy. He bent down and kissed the top of her head.
"Brother wanted to wait for Daddy too, but he just wouldn't say it!" Mu Mu added with a sniff.
Chao Chao looked at his sister speechlessly. Was this the legendary 'pig teammate'?
Lan Yuxi was also speechless, wondering who their daughter took after.
Nan Xiao smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "Even though we're men, there's no need to be so reserved. You should say what you mean. Keeping it bottled up will make you feel bad."
Lan Yuxi gave him a deep look and turned to leave the room.
Chao Chao watched his mother's retreating back and asked anxiously, "Why did Mommy leave?"
"Mommy went to get pajamas for Daddy. She'll be back soon." Nan Xiao looked at his son, then his daughter. "Your mother and I were just discussing where our family of four will live. She said she wanted to ask for your opinions. Do you two want to live here or at Daddy's place?"
Mu Mu looked at Chao Chao. Chao Chao replied without a second thought, "We'll do whatever Mommy wants."
Mu Mu pouted. "What if Mommy doesn't want to live at Daddy's place? Daddy's place has so many animals."
Chao Chao furrowed his small brow. "Whatever animals you want, I'll buy them for you. We can keep them in the back mountain!"
Mu Mu clutched her chubby hands tightly. "You just spent hundreds of billions. Do you still have money?"
"Buying those animals doesn't cost hundreds of billions!"
"So you mean you still have money?" Mu Mu, seeing her brother nod, finally let out a sigh of relief. "Then I'm relieved... Brother, can you buy me a sika deer?"