CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: ZHAO QING

The next day, Xiao Huangmao was called back early by Lao Wang on the phone to prepare for the New Year’s goods.

Qi Yun made fried eggs and lean meat porridge for his daughter, and after eating, he was ready to take her for a stroll around the neighborhood.

Just as they stepped out, the door of the household opposite at 302 also opened, and a graceful figure peeked out.

They locked eyes.

"Oh~"

"It’s you!" the woman across exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Qi Yun.

Qi Yun got a clear look at her face, paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Yes, quite a coincidence, huh."

"Yes, it really is a coincidence. Do you live here?" The woman lifted her hand, brushing back the hair beside her ear, her mouth curving into a friendly smile.

"Yes, I just moved in yesterday." Qi Yun responded.

This woman was the one who had bumped into his arms at the gate the first time he came to Vanke Mansion.

At that time, she seemed in a rush, and they didn’t exchange much before parting. Little did he expect to meet her again.

The woman stepped forward two steps, slightly bent down, and touched Nuannuan’s small hand, smiling as she said, "Is this your daughter? She’s so cute!"

Today, she was wearing a pink yoga outfit, appearing youthful and lively, completely different from the elegant demeanor at their first meeting.

As she approached, a captivating fragrance wafted over.

"Yes, her name is Nuannuan."

Perhaps because the woman was beautiful, the little girl wasn’t afraid of her, she lifted her small face and sweetly said, "Sister, you’re so pretty."

Upon hearing Nuannuan’s compliment, the woman’s face blossomed into a bright smile, her eyes curved like crescents, "Oh my, Nuannuan knows how to talk, sister is so happy."

She straightened up, looked toward Qi Yun, "I’m planning to make some small cakes at home in a bit, if they turn out well, I’ll bring some over for you to try."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun looked down at Nuannuan in his arms and asked, "Nuannuan, do you want to eat the small cakes made by sister?"

The little girl’s eyes sparkled, nodding excitedly.

"Yes, yes, I love small cakes the most! Thank you, sister!" She said, smiling sweetly at the woman.

The woman was amused by the little girl’s adorable manner, giggling, "Alright, sister will make some and bring them over later."

Seeing this, Qi Yun didn’t refuse, it’s just a neighborly kind gesture.

"Sister will go buy ingredients to make the cakes now. You can eat them in a bit, bye-bye!" The woman pinched the little girl’s cheek and waved goodbye.

"Bye-bye, sister!" Nuannuan waved her small hand, responding with a face full of anticipation.

The woman had only taken two steps when she seemed to remember something, turned back, and extended her hand towards Qi Yun, "Oh, I haven’t thanked you for your help that day, I’m Zhao Qing."

Qi Yun smiled faintly and responded politely, "It was nothing, I’m Qi Yun."

Zhao Qing brushed the fringe of her hair, smilingly said, "We’ll be neighbors from now on, feel free to ask if you need any help."

"Sure, you too."

After Zhao Qing left, Qi Yun took his daughter for a stroll around the community.

The little girl didn’t seem uneasy about the new surroundings, instead, she was very excited, looking around curiously.

Whenever she met a child about her age, she would go up and say a few words, acting like a little social butterfly.

Qi Yun made a round through the community, only then he discovered there’s a kindergarten inside. This way, his daughter could start school nearby after the New Year, saving a lot of hassle.

As for attending elementary school next autumn, no decision had been made yet as he needed to learn more about the nearby schools’ conditions first.

While he was pondering, suddenly a call came in, it was Peng Ge calling.

As he answered, Peng Ge asked with a smile, "Old Qi, what are you up to?"

Perhaps because they had received an order, the pressure at the factory was relieved, Peng Ge’s voice sounded not as tired as it did the past few days.

"Nothing much, just helping my daughter get familiar with the area. What’s up, Peng Ge?" Qi Yun replied.

The other end paused for a moment, then said, "Qiangzi called earlier, saying it’s almost the New Year, let’s gather everyone together, so I wanted to see what you think."

Qi Yun didn’t immediately answer upon hearing this, his mind involuntarily recalled the scene of drinking at Peng Ge’s place last time.

Some relationships, once a crack appears, are hard to mend.

The best outcome is to let it go, at least both sides can save face.

After a moment of silence, he chose to decline, "I have to take care of my daughter, so I won’t join. You guys have fun."

Seems like Peng Ge had anticipated his answer, laughed heartily, "I didn’t think it was of much interest either, too lazy to get involved."

"By the way, your sister-in-law said for the New Year tomorrow, it’s inconvenient for you to cook alone, bring your daughter over to our place to eat, it’ll be livelier."

This proposal Qi Yun didn’t refuse, Peng Ge’s second daughter and Nuannuan were about the same age, the two little ones loved playing together.

In the past, when he took his daughter out to play, Peng Ge would leave his own daughter to go along.

And Qi Yun also knew that Peng Ge’s family was sincerely inviting them, so he laughed and agreed, "Alright, let your sister-in-law know, prepare some good dishes."

Peng Ge laughed from the other end, "Don’t worry about that, your sister-in-law’s already started preparing, come early tomorrow so the kids can play a bit longer."

"Okay, I got it." Qi Yun replied.

After hanging up, Qi Yun looked down at his daughter, eyes full of tenderness, "Nuannuan, tomorrow we’re going to celebrate with Peng Sixin’s family, are you happy?"

Upon hearing this, Nuannuan jumped with excitement, clapping her hands with a snap, "So happy, I haven’t seen my little sister for so long, I want to play games with her!"

As the father and daughter were talking, the phone he had just put back in the pocket rang again.

This time it was Wei Yong calling, also to invite him to spend New Year’s at his place tomorrow.

Since he had already agreed to Peng Ge, he had to politely decline the invitation.

The father and daughter played for a while longer at the community playground, until the little girl got tired, Qi Yun then leisurely took her home.

Back home, Qi Yun was preparing to make lunch for her, little did he expect his daughter to refuse, insisting on waiting for the small cakes promised by others.

Qi Yun helplessly had no choice but to go along with his daughter’s wish and wait with her, feeling a bit embarrassed to inquire about it.

Half an hour later, Zhao Qing knocked on the door, but instead of carrying small cakes, she was drenched, looking somewhat disheveled.

"Brother Qi, my water pipe at home is broken, could you take a look for me?"

Qi Yun nodded, "No problem, let’s go."

Saying that, he held his daughter’s hand and followed Zhao Qing to 302.

Her apartment had a similar layout to Qi Yun’s, only decorated more simply and stylishly.

The living room was a mess, with lots of water seeping from the kitchen floor.

Qi Yun quickly found the water valve at the entrance and turned off the water before going into the kitchen to check the leaking pipe.

"This section of the pipe has a cracked joint, I’ll go buy a new one from the supermarket. Why don’t you take Nuannuan to my kitchen to make cakes in the meantime?"