The Abandoned Daughter's Second Chance

Chapter 760: Chapter 659: A Sharp Warning

Xiao Man chuckled. "If you haven’t done anything wrong, why are you so nervous? You said it yourself—I’m a grown woman now. I’m engaged, and I’m here in the provincial city to see my fiancé. We’re very much in love. How could I possibly not understand relationships?"

Xiao Feng froze for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. He sighed, "You’re right. Xiao Man is engaged and in love now. She’s not a kid anymore!"

"So, Brother Feng, you need to take my advice seriously. Don’t just brush it off."

"Of course, of course... wait a minute! You and Hao Hao used to call me Uncle Feng. Why the sudden change to Brother Feng? Did you demote me for no reason?"

"I’ve grown up, and you’re not old yet, so I can call you Brother."

"Hey! What kind of twisted logic is that?" Xiao Feng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"My logic isn’t twisted. You’re the one trying to change the subject and dodge my questions. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you? Fine, we can stop talking. Just drop me off up ahead, and I’ll catch a different car back to the military base."

"You little rascal," Xiao Feng laughed. "Fine, let’s talk. Gosh, I finally get to see one of the kids. Even if I’m busy, I have to channel my inner sponge-squeezer and make some time, right?"

Xiao Man said, "It won’t take long. Just think of it as a small detour to drop me at the gate of the military base. We’ll be done talking by then. To be honest, I hesitated to call out to you. I was afraid of embarrassing you, but I decided I should. I know it’s nosy, but let me remind you of a few things: Remember how hard you worked to court Qingqing back then? I still remember you taking her to the movies, how you only had eyes for her. You insisted on buying my grapes just for her, willing to spend any amount of money. You were in such a rush you even offered to trade your work ID. And when a third wheel showed up, you were so unhappy, your face was all sour... Qingqing was so lovely and beautiful back then. You loved her so much, and you finally won her over. She accepted you, grew accustomed to your love, and even gave you a son. If you betray her and break her heart now, that would be a really rotten thing to do."

Xiao Feng fell silent for a moment. "Thanks, little sis," he said. "I know what you mean. Don’t worry, I truly love Qingqing. My feelings for her will never change. I’ve never even considered doing anything to betray her. Please believe me."

"I do believe you, but what if someone else insists on it? Take how that woman was acting with you just now. From where I stand, that’s the kind of murky, ambiguous behavior that happens between a man and a woman. It’s one thing if you’re both single and just messing around, but you’re a married man. It’s not right! Let’s use me as an example. I’m only engaged, not even married. But unless she was a blood relative, I would absolutely not tolerate any woman being that touchy-feely with my fiancé! Just think about it. Would your Qingqing be okay with that?"

Xiao Feng gave a bitter smile. "She definitely wouldn’t. It was my fault. I was a bit slow to react and didn’t have time to stop Lingling."

"So that woman’s name is Lingling? What gives her the right to act like that? It’s because she’s counting on you being ’slow to react’ and not stopping her! That’s how these ’accidents’ happen. Once something really does happen, what kind of reaction do you think you’ll be able to have then?"

Xiao Feng was at a loss for words.

’He shook his head with a bitter smile. The little brat was still as serious and sharp as ever, always cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Xiao Feng had personally watched her relentlessly tear into her own parents back in the day. Even though he’d completely supported her stance, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Mr. Tang. The girl was just too formidable, her fighting spirit too intense. Mr. Tang couldn’t handle it at all and had hidden away to cry on several occasions.’

"Uh, so you’re saying this is all my fault?"

"That’s for you to figure out, not me. One last question: from what I overheard, your Qingqing went back to her family’s home, and that woman is cooking for you, picking up your child, and doing housework every day. And... is she living in your house, too? Is it just you, her, and your son at home right now?"

Xiao Feng fell silent again. He then nodded and tried to explain, "She just got here a few days ago. She’s trying to get a job transfer to the provincial city, so she’s staying with us temporarily. Qingqing knows and was fine with it. In fact, before she left, she specifically asked her to help look after our son... They were high school classmates, best friends. Oh, and that third wheel you mentioned from that night at the movies? That was her. When I was courting Qingqing, we brought her along on almost every single date. She basically witnessed our entire relationship, from dating all the way to marriage. See? With that kind of history, we know everything about each other. What could possibly happen? You’re letting your imagination run wild."

Xiao Man gave a dry laugh. "Fine, maybe I am just overthinking things. It’s your business, you handle it. Just hope my jinxing doesn’t actually cause some kind of ’accident.’ After all, your female houseguest is highly suspicious. She apparently has an aunt to stay with but insists on living at your place while the lady of the house is away. That leaves just the two of you, a man and a woman, alone together."

"What do you mean, a man and a woman alone? My son is there too, isn’t he? For someone so young, you sure have a dirty mind."

"Me, young? How old is your son? Fine, fine, let’s say it’s two men and one woman. Your behavior sets an example for your son. From that perspective, I guess you should be safe, huh."

Xiao Feng laughed, exasperated, and shook his head. "This kid. I don’t know what to do with you."

Xiao Man asked, "So, when is your Qingqing coming back?"

"My mother-in-law is sick, so Qingqing took five days off. She’s only been gone for three days, so she’ll be back in two. When she returns, our family will take you all out to eat."

"There’s no need. I won’t be staying here for long anyway. I have to go back to my village for the holidays. Hey, your son is about three, isn’t he? Why didn’t he go with his mom to his grandma’s house?"

"The day Qingqing left, Xiao Bin had a low-grade fever, so it wasn’t a good idea for him to travel a long distance. Lingling said she often helps her brother and sister-in-law watch their kids, so she has experience and offered to help us for a few days. I figured my parents would be back in two or three days anyway, so I told Qingqing to go ahead and not worry, that we’d take good care of him... Qingqing has called every day to check on our son and the house. He’s taken his medicine and doesn’t have a fever anymore."

"That’s good." Manman didn’t know what else to say. She pointed ahead. "You can just pull over here. It’s just a short walk to the military base."

Xiao Feng had met Gu Shaojun before. He was in a hurry to get back to his unit for a meeting, so he didn’t waste any time on pleasantries. He pulled the car over, hastily scribbled on a piece of paper, and handed it to Xiao Man with a smile. "This is our home address and phone number. Leave me your number, too. When your sister-in-law gets back, we can all get together for a meal."

Xiao Man thought for a moment. "Shaojun is often away on missions, so he isn’t always at the base. Nine times out of ten, he won’t be able to pick up the phone. How about I call you in two days instead?"

"That works. Well, that’s all for today. I really have to get to my meeting. I’m already late."

"Okay." Xiao Man took the travel bag from Xiao Feng, unzipped it, and pulled out two boxes of crackers. They weren’t newly purchased; she had stored them in her space for some time. She handed them through Xiao Feng’s open window. "Give these to your son for me. Don’t forget, alright? They’re good for teething."

Xiao Feng smiled. "Don’t worry, I won’t forget. Thanks!"