Chapter 106: Moving In |
Tears welled up in Liu Xiazhi's eyes, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
Meanwhile, Liu Zhiyue sat on the sofa, his chest heaving heavily.
After a moment, he calmed down, took a deep breath, and looked at his younger sister, whose face was flushed red.
“Listen carefully to what I just said. Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“But… but I really don’t know how to do it…”
“I’ve already explained the method. If multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction are in one equation, which do you solve first?”
“Multiplication and division first…”
“Exactly. Now, write down the answer to this problem.”
Liu Zhiyue pointed at the workbook in front of his sister.
“My brain feels so scrambled right now… I can’t figure it out…”
Her voice was filled with grievance, her head shrinking, and her tone barely above a whisper.
Hearing her reply, Liu Zhiyue didn’t get angry this time. Instead, he gazed at her with a complex expression before letting out a sigh.
He decided to let it go.
Glancing at the clock and feeling his stomach grumble, he asked, “Looks like Dad isn’t coming home for lunch. What do you want to eat?”
“Anything…”
“Lanzhou noodles?”
“Don’t like it…”
“Rice bowls?”
“Sick of them…”
“Then what do you want to eat?”
“Anything…”
Liu Xiazhi responded cautiously, afraid of provoking her brother’s temper again.
But her vague answers only made Liu Zhiyue feel helpless.
Seeing his sister’s pitiful appearance—clearly still shaken—he didn’t say anything more. He got up, intending to head downstairs to buy some food.
Just as he stood and took a few steps, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell outside.
Next came the noise of a key turning in the lock.
The door opened, and in came Liu Changqing, arms laden with bags of items.
After stepping inside, Liu Changqing set the heavy bags aside and took out three pairs of slippers. He changed into one, then looked up at his son with an odd expression.
That peculiar look was the first thing Liu Zhiyue noticed.
Taking a couple of steps forward, Liu Zhiyue asked, “Dad, why do you look so…”
Before he could finish, his gaze shifted to the door, where Lan Yixian and her daughter Zhou Shiyan hesitated before entering, carrying their own bags filled with daily necessities.
He froze in place, stunned.
For a moment, Liu Zhiyue thought he was hallucinating. His brain felt as if it had ground to a halt.
“What… what does this mean?”
“Zhiyue, you’ll be sharing a room with me from now on,” Liu Changqing announced.
“Huh?”
Liu Zhiyue blinked, startled, and turned his gaze back to his father.
“Why are we sharing a room?”
“Clear out your room for them to stay.”
Liu Zhiyue stared blankly at the two behind his father.
He recognized Zhou Shiyan, but the older woman next to her was only faintly familiar—likely from a parent-teacher meeting.
Snapping out of his shock after some thought, Liu Zhiyue nodded and retreated to his room to start tidying up. Before closing the door, his gaze lingered on Zhou Shiyan for a moment.
Their eyes met briefly before he averted his gaze and got to work.
Meanwhile, Liu Xiazhi tilted her head, clearly puzzled, as she watched her father.
As Liu Zhiyue began clearing his room, Liu Changqing picked up the bags on the floor and moved them to the kitchen. Returning, he stood before Lan Yixian and her daughter.
“Put on the slippers first,” he said.
“Sorry for the intrusion…” Lan Yixian apologized, her eyes filled with guilt.
This sudden arrangement must have caused him great inconvenience.
Slowly, she took off her shoes and changed into the slippers Liu Changqing had left for them. Then, she and her daughter carried their bags inside.
Zhou Shiyan glanced around before heading into Liu Zhiyue’s room to help him tidy up.
Liu Changqing could clearly hear her telling his son to clean up together, leaving only his daughter and Lan Yixian in the living room.
Exhaling deeply, Liu Changqing thought to himself that he must be crazy. Why hadn’t he held firm back in the car? Why had he been moved by sympathy for the mother and daughter?
This… this would definitely be the last time.
Lan Yixian noticed Liu Xiazhi sitting on the sofa, staring at her with an odd expression, which made her feel uncomfortable.
She forced a smile, but Liu Xiazhi huffed in response and turned her head away, clearly unhappy.
Lan Yixian grew flustered, her hands nervously tugging at the hem of her clothes. She glanced at Liu Changqing, who was deep in thought, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
“Um… Liu Changqing, I…”
“We can talk later. For now, just stay inside for the next few days. I’ll go back to your place in a bit to check if those people are still around.”
“Alright, but…”
“What is it?” Liu Changqing asked, noticing her uneasy expression.
Lan Yixian looked embarrassed as she replied, “The… the bathroom… where is it?”
“…”
Pointing to the restroom, Liu Changqing said no more.
Lan Yixian looked in the direction he pointed, bowed her head, and quickly walked to the restroom.
The sound of the door closing left the father and daughter alone in the living room.
Liu Xiazhi’s glare was piercing. Liu Changqing could feel it clearly.
After a moment’s thought, he walked over and sat beside her on the sofa, looking at her unhappy little face.
Before he could say anything, Liu Xiazhi puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, “Who is she?!”
“You need to call her Auntie. She’s the mother of your brother’s classmate. Something happened at their home, so they’re staying with us for a few days.”
“Really?”
Liu Xiazhi paused, her pout softening slightly. Realizing it wasn’t what she had imagined, her mood improved a bit, though she still muttered, “Just for a while, right?”
“Mm.”
Liu Changqing nodded, patting her head and coaxing her with a few kind words. Then he told her to pack up her summer homework on the coffee table and head to her room.
Once Liu Xiazhi had gone, Lan Yixian emerged from the restroom, her face slightly flushed.
She slowly approached Liu Changqing, who was still sitting on the sofa.
“Your daughter doesn’t seem to like me…”
“She’ll warm up to you eventually. She has a bit of a… temper.”
“Really? That’s good… I thought she didn’t like me from the way she looked at me earlier.”
“You must’ve misunderstood.”
With that, Liu Changqing stood up from the sofa.
“When my son’s room is ready, you two can stay there. I’ll go make dinner now.”
As he walked toward the kitchen, Lan Yixian suddenly grabbed his arm.
Stopping in his tracks, Liu Changqing turned to her.
“What is it?”
“Let me… cook dinner instead!”