CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: RAISING A BUN TO HOOK A MALE GOD

Mu Qiu looked down at the poor, sniffling child, and smiled soothingly at him, then tilted her head to look at Cheng Zhirang.

Indicating to him, what should be done?

Cheng Zhirang looked at the young child squatting on the ground, then at the person tilting her head in inquiry, remembering the time he saw her in tears at the airport, with misty eyes and reddened eye rims, thinking their behavior should belong to the same category.

Quite similar.

The people inside hurriedly came out to find the child, Assistant Wen stepped out and saw the two people standing outside, and the child hiding behind the woman, breathed a sigh of relief, calming the woman inside: "Sister Chen, the child is just outside with Brother Cheng, didn’t run far, don’t cry anymore..."

Cheng Zhirang looked over there, furrowing his brow, speaking to the child behind Mu Qiu: "Chengcheng, come here, your mom is looking for you."

Chengcheng didn’t listen to him, instead hiding even more behind Mu Qiu’s legs, shaking his head with chubby little hands propped against his knees.

"Chengcheng doesn’t want to."

Cheng Zhirang pursed his lips, a few seconds of silence, squatted down, his voice softened: "Then what does Chengcheng want? Mom is crying, don’t you want to go back and comfort her?"

Mu Qiu looked around, the current situation was two men hiding in front and behind her legs speaking, while she was being treated like a static backdrop.

They could really switch positions to coax the child, really.

Chengcheng heard Cheng Zhirang’s words, still stubbornly not moving, looking down at the floor, with the sound of inhaling snuffling, a wet stain spreading on the knee area of his yellow kitten overalls.

"Chengcheng?"

Cheng Zhirang called again, but there was still no response. He glanced around, stood up, and felt a bit lost.

A single male without kids at home isn’t skilled at coaxing children, at this time he looked rather awkwardly unsure what to do.

He directed his gaze at Mu Qiu.

Mu Qiu thought she "clearly understood" the message conveyed through his eyes, actively offering: "Let me give it a try, Brother Cheng."

She put the trash bag against the wall, squatted down to face the little boy, hesitantly placed her hand gently on his fluffy head.

"Your name is Chengcheng, right? Why are you hiding behind sister?"

Chengcheng lowered his head, raised his hand to wipe tears, leaving a wet patch on his chubby little hand.

Mu Qiu continued: "Chengcheng should be a polite child, right? Sister is asking you, you should respond to sister."

After these words, Chengcheng finally raised his head, tears streaming down his face, and nodded pitifully with a pouting mouth.

"I’m Chengcheng."

"Your name is Chengcheng, you should be wearing orange clothes, why did mom dress you in blue clothes and yellow kitten overalls?"

"Eh?" Chengcheng appeared a bit confused, he glanced down at his clothes, then looked at her vacantly.

The child’s dazed look was quite adorable, Mu Qiu had written several books where there were little chubby characters in extras, but she hadn’t really encountered such adorable little chubby ones, nor had experience with children; seeing someone else’s cute child at this moment, her heart softened.

She tentatively reached out to pick Chengcheng up.

A bit heavy.

Chengcheng was probably a naturally sociable child unafraid of strangers, upon being picked up he promptly lay on her shoulder, tiny hands tightly encircling her neck.

"But Chengcheng looks cute in these yellow kitten pants. Does Chengcheng want to play with sister?"

The small head was already resting on her shoulder as the child nodded, turned sideways falling on her shoulder, his soft face pressed against her neck.

Mu Qiu looked at Cheng Zhirang, pleasantly surprised she curved her lips, then mimicked a gentle mother’s tone to say to Chengcheng: "Let’s go talk to mom first, okay? It would be sad if mom can’t find you later."

After a long while, Chengcheng, who wasn’t crying anymore, whimpered, agreeing to the suggestion.

Across the hall, the inside of the house was a bit chaotic, probably something major happened, the hostess seemed emotionally unwell. After greeting with Chengcheng, Cheng Zhirang led them out again.

He stood at the doorway, Mu Qiu and Chengcheng standing in the corridor.

Half an hour later.

Mu Qiu didn’t expect Chengcheng to really latch onto her.

She also didn’t expect to be won over when Cheng Zhirang simply said something gently, so she agreed with dizzy delight to bring Chengcheng home.

Drat, deceived by beauty.

Mu Qiu sat on the sofa, staring at the confused little chubby child sitting on the small stool opposite.

After a while, she sighed, reaching out to him, "Come on, sister will give you a bath."

If this child were closer to Cheng Zhirang, the role she would fit wouldn’t be now as "a good passerby nanny," a more intriguing story on her could easily evolve into a stepmother’s rise.

After bathing and wrapping in a towel, the rosy little chubby child was arranged to snuggle on the sofa, while she went downstairs to fetch the delivery.

Ordered takeaway consisting of spring rolls, buns, and corn porridge.

Side by side, one big one small sat on the sofa; recalling the child-care scenarios she wrote about, mindful small children might spill greens from spring rolls onto clothes, she—

Struggled to tear two pages from the notebook, using clear tape affixed to Chengcheng, making a makeshift bib.

Concern over spilled greens led to worries about staining the sofa, so she finally placed him to sit on the floor, sat herself down, handing him a wooden spoon.

Assistant Wen knocked entering just as he caught sight of Sister Chen’s son strangely gripping the spoon drinking porridge, half a bun dropped into the oddly shaped, oddly textured makeshift bib.

The caregiver seemed rather creative.

Assistant Wen retracted his gaze, sincerely thanked: "Miss Mu, I’m Brother Cheng’s assistant, my surname is Wen. It’s troublesome, but Brother Cheng couldn’t come, so I’m here to take Chengcheng back."

Inconvenient?

Indeed inconvenient. The currently popular male actor, even without paparazzi around, shouldn’t casually enter a female’s residence, risking exposure by ill-intent someday, causing harm to both.

Mu Qiu thought about survival rules in the entertainment industry, very understanding, packed two remaining small buns for Chengcheng, returned him.

Chengcheng lay on Assistant Wen, waved reluctantly at Mu Qiu at the door, milkily voiced, "Sister goodbye."

"Goodbye Chengcheng."

After sending off the little chubby child, Mu Qiu pulled her hair into a ponytail, preparing to clean the messy floor.

The phone buzzed again from the sofa.

Mu Qiu ignored it, her phone kept buzzing since the pilot episode aired, mostly acquaintances messaging expressing shock, and some seeking celebrity autographs.

After cleaning up, showering, she picked up the phone for bulk processing.

Then saw the message from an hour ago, and paused.

Cheng Zhirang added her as a friend.