Chapter 42 — Brother Yishu, Would It Be Good for You to Marry Xiaowen?

"You two, hurry up and wash your hands for dinner. Stop playing!" Lin Xiaowen brought out the last dish from the kitchen, only to find the two in the living room having the time of their lives.

One had a fluffy, messy little head with two pigtails. The other’s hair was thick, styled beautifully but utterly untidy. Their heads were pressed close together, whispering conspiratorially, far quieter than their earlier racket.

"What are you two up to?" Lin Xiaowen approached curiously, but the scene before her made her mouth twist in exasperation.

"So this is why you suddenly got so quiet? Turns out you’re ruining my things!" She snatched away the foundation, lipstick, and nearly new eyeshadow palette—now unrecognizable, used as dyes by the two mischief-makers.

Inwardly, Lin Xiaowen cried, "What a disaster!" Even though these were gifts bought by Xu Ningning, and she herself hadn’t used them much, they had cost money! Wasn’t this just squandering cash?

She looked at the already grotesque "Little Princess," whose visage was now so pitiful she could barely bear to look.

"Xiaowen, does Little Princess’s makeup look nice? Brother Yishu did it for her… and this outfit, he designed it too! He said that someone on Eight Mile Week wore the same style!" Ranyan introduced the masterpiece of her idol, her tone solemn and full of hope for approval.

Cheng Yishu, naturally proud of his work, sat on the floor and looked up at Lin Xiaowen, speaking with earnest seriousness, "If I don’t stay in showbiz, I could totally be a fashion designer and launch my own brand. What do you think?"

"Designer? I think you’d make a better demolition expert!" Lin Xiaowen huffed, glaring at him, "Do you two think I’m too idle, or are you trying to give me extra work? I’ll have to wash those clothes now!"

Cheng Yishu glanced down at the chaos on the floor and the colorful "dyes" smeared over the two of them. He grinned sheepishly at Lin Xiaowen, scooped up Ranyan, stood, and hummed as he walked, "Let’s go wash our hands, then we can dig into the chicken wings…"

"Yay yay yay… Chicken wings, here we come!" Ranyan clapped her hands in delight, leaving another tiny handprint on Cheng Yishu’s white shirt.

Lin Xiaowen stared at the tall figure and the laughing Ranyan, truly at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

After last time’s lesson, Cheng Yishu dared not overeat again. He shouldn’t touch anything greasy, but couldn’t resist Ranyan’s persistent "recommendations" and her clumsy attempts to put chicken wings in his bowl. He tasted it earnestly.

It was delicious. Ranyan devoured her portion, chubby hands covered in grease, her cheeks and lips smeared unavoidably.

"Ranyan, you need to eat more greens to stay healthy, understand?" Cheng Yishu picked up a piece of celery, intending to place it in Ranyan’s bowl.

The moment she swallowed her meat, Ranyan opened her little mouth wide towards Cheng Yishu’s chopsticks.

"Ah…" Her voice was soft and tender, like a little swallow waiting to be fed. Cheng Yishu paused, then laughed and gently placed the vegetable in her mouth.

"Mm, tasty!" Ranyan squinted contentedly, munching with bliss.

Lin Xiaowen knew Cheng Yishu liked Ranyan. But she’d never imagined he would be so utterly unbothered by a child. Weren’t young people supposed to dislike—even abhor—eating with kids or sharing utensils? Especially someone like Cheng Yishu, who appeared fastidious and aloof, perhaps even a germaphobe.

Yet Cheng Yishu naturally used the same chopsticks he’d just fed Ranyan with to pick up vegetables for himself, and ate without hesitation.

"Brother Yishu… Don’t leave tonight, please… uh…" Ranyan suddenly burped, her eyes bright as she looked up at Cheng Yishu. "Tomorrow morning, when I go to kindergarten… I want Brother Yishu to take me, okay?"

"Ranyan, don’t be naughty. Brother Yishu has work; he has to leave early for his job and can’t take you to kindergarten. Mommy will take you, alright? Be good!" Lin Xiaowen replied gently, coaxing her daughter, her eyes full of affection. "Look at your face, covered in food. Mommy will get a towel to clean you up!"

"Oh…" Ranyan watched Lin Xiaowen leave, disappointed, and burped again.

Cheng Yishu found it amusing, put down his chopsticks, and asked softly, "Why do you want me to take you to kindergarten so much, Ranyan?"

"Because… because all the other kids are driven to kindergarten by their dads… Then their moms hold their hands and hand them over to the teachers…" As she spoke, Ranyan’s eyes shone with envy.

Then, feeling aggrieved, she lowered her head, her voice growing softer, and even Cheng Yishu’s smile slowly faded.

"Ranyan, Xiaowen is a good mother, isn’t she?" Cheng Yishu asked gently.

"Mm!" Ranyan lifted her head at once and answered earnestly, glancing toward the bathroom.

Cheng Yishu continued, "Xiaowen isn’t just a good mother; she’s an extraordinary woman! Other families have dads, moms, and grandparents to help raise their children to be smart and polite, but Xiaowen has only herself and still managed to bring you up so well… So, in my heart, Xiaowen is the most impressive. What do you think, Ranyan?"

Ranyan tilted her head, furrowing her little brows as she tried to understand the difficult words. Soon, she smiled sweetly and said, "Xiaowen is very good. Brother Yishu thinks Xiaowen is very good too, right?"

Cheng Yishu never expected to be questioned in return. He blinked, then nodded blankly, "Yes… yes, that’s right!"

"Then will Brother Yishu marry Xiaowen?" Ranyan hopped off her chair and came closer, staring seriously into his eyes.

Cheng Yishu’s mouth opened, his face flushing red. No one would have imagined that the indomitable Cheng Yishu—impenetrable before fans and media alike—would be left blushing by a little child’s question.

"Why… why do you ask that?" Cheng Yishu stammered, avoiding the child’s clear gaze.

Seeing that Cheng Yishu neither answered directly nor gave her the reply she wanted, Ranyan pursed her lips in disappointment and whispered, "I heard Grandma Xu and Grandpa Xu talking. They said they wanted to find someone to marry Xiaowen… But I don’t want Xiaowen to marry anyone else…"

"Ranyan…" The child’s voice grew softer, tinged with tears, and Cheng Yishu’s heart ached. He didn’t know how to comfort this little one, acting more grown-up than most children, nor how to explain his own complex emotions to her.