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nYan Mei stifled a laugh when she looked up to see Lei Zhao’s black face with lines etched between his brows.

n”YOU…! Who are you to tell me whether or not I deserve my wife!?” Lei Zhao retorted, quickly pointing his finger at Niu Niu.

n”I’m someone competent to take care of her!” Niu Niu turned to look at Lei Zhao and crossed his arms across his chest.

nLei Xiao Tong, who was eating fruit salad while watching the scene unfold, suddenly busted into laughter.

n”How do you plan on taking care of her? Can you hug her and offer her warmth? Can you pick her from the bed and bath her? Can you even feed her yourself? You can barely feed yourself, kiddo!”

nNiu Niu glanced at Lei Zhao and humped.

n”Boo-Boo, leave my Uncle. Even though my hug won’t give you enough warmth like my Uncle or I can’t feed you properly. I will make you happy! We can play with my toys and also, I will buy you lots of delicious kinds of stuff with my pocket money!”

nLei Zhao snorted, “I can buy her a mall full of toys and a company which manufactures sweet things just for her. You don’t even have money, but you want to steal someone’s wife.”

nNiu Niu’s face scrunched into a frown when he realized what Lei Zhao said was true. He was just a kid, and he couldn’t give Yan Mei what she wants because he isn’t rich as his Uncle. Even though his parents are wealthy, they wouldn’t recklessly provide him with money.

n”One day, I will also be rich, richer than you!” Niu Niu declared with a small pout on his face.

nUnbeknownst to Lei Zhao, he had awakened a working machine who would invest all his time in making money because he lost his favorite woman to someone richer!

n”Let’s talk when you have money, Kiddo” Lei Zhao teased Niu Niu as he stuck his tongue out at him.

nNiu Niu clenched his small fist and bit his lips in a grievance.

nYan Mei, who was feeling dizzy from standing for too long and laughing tousled Niu Niu’s hair.

n”Don’t mind your Uncle. He-“

nA smothered cough interrupted Yan Mei. Lei Zhao panic and rushed to her side.

nHe gently rubbed her back until her cough subsided.

n”XiaoMei, come and sit down.” Lei Xiao Tong said anxiously.

nLei Zhao helped Yan Mei sit across Lei Xiao Tong and sat beside her.

nNiu Niu eyes flashed with worry as he stared at Yan Mei.

n’Maybe I should become a doctor so I can take care of Boo-Boo when she is sick?’ Niu Niu thought as he looked at his Uncle’s eyes clouded with anxiety.

n’Yeah, I will become a doctor one day and study hard so I can also take care of Boo-Boo when she is sick!’

nNiu Niu inwardly decided his future as he sat beside his Grandma.

n”XiaoMei, are you okay?” Lei Xiao Tong asked, with worry evident in her tone.

nShe looked at Yan Mei’s face, which was pale, and turned to look at her son.

n”What happened? Can’t you even take care of your wife? Look how badly her face is!”

nLei Xiao Tong scolded Lei Zhao. Lei Zhao looked up at his mother and met her fiery gaze.

n”Mom-“

n”Don’t call me, as a man you can’t even take care of your wife! I thought I raised you better.”

nLei Zhao swallowed and turned to look at his wife. He saw the amusement lingering in her eyes and heaved a sigh.

n”XiaoMei came here.” Lei Xiao Tong beckoned at Yan Mei, ignoring his son.

nYan Mei stood up and walked towards her mother-in-law. When she reached her, Lei Xiao Tong held Yan Mei’s face as she inspected her face.

nLei Xiao Tong’s brows knitted together.

n”What happened? You look terrible.” Lei Xiao Tong commented as she stared at Yan Mei’s skin, which was red and blotchy.

n”Don’t worry, you will feel fine once you drink the soup prepared by me.”

nLei Xiao Tong said as she flashed her a smile and stood up to go to the kitchen.

nLei Zhao stared at his face, “Why didn’t you defend your husband when mom was scolding me?”

nYan Mei shrugged and played with Niu Niu’s hands.

n”Wifey, you’re really ruthless!”

nA sinister smile spread across Yan Mei’s lips as she turned to look at Lei Zhao.

n”Niu Niu, am I ruthless?”

nShe threw the question to the little kid.

nNiu Niu shook his head aggressively and turned to glare at Lei Zhao.

n”My Boo-Boo is an angel. How can you call her ruthless!”

nLei Zhao sighed in exasperation. Now his entire family has turned their back on him.

nLei Xiao Tong came back with a bowl of soup and placed a chair in front of Yan Mei.

n”XiaoMei, mother will feed you, okay?”

nYan Mei blinked her eyes and turned to look at Lei Zhao. Lei Zhao smiled warmly at her and nodded.

n”Okay.” Yan Mei said awkwardly.

n”Okay, open your mouth.” Lei Xiao Tong said as she blew on the hot soup on the spoon.

nYan Mei lapsed into silence and lowered her eyes to avoid the emptiness in it.

n”Ahhh…” Lei Xiao Tong said softly, smiling as she lifted the spoonful to Yan Mei’s mouth.

nYan Mei flushed as she swallowed the mouthful of the rich, heavy broth full of chicken cuts and vegetables.

nLei Xiao Tong eyed Yan Mei wryly, waiting for her reaction. She wanted to know if her daughter-in-law liked her soup!

nYan Mei moaned in delight, “Mom, this is so good! Better than Lei Zhao’s cooking.”

nYan Mei commented as she savored the taste.

n”Good, that you like it!” Lei Xiao Tong mused with a small chuckle.

n”It’s my grandmother’s recipe prepared with a mother’s love. That’s why it tastes good.”

nA shadow flickered across Yan Mei’s face, and her smile slowly faded. Unconsciously, she thought of her own mother.

nLei Xiao Tong’s heart lurched when she saw Yan Mei’s pale face. She instinctively reached out to grasp Yan Mei’s hand.

n”Don’t worry, dear, even though your mother isn’t here anymore. She is always here with you.” Lei Xiao Tong said softly as she pointed her finger at Yan Mei’s heart.

nYan Mei blinked away the tears brewing in her eyes and nodded. It seems she wanted to say more, but she gave a small, tight smile instead.

nNiu Niu also clenched Yan Mei’s hands, making her turn to look at him.

n”I will also be there for you always.” He said as he planted a kiss on Yan Mei’s cheeks.

n”Liang Kun!” Lei Zhao bellowed in anger as he called Niu Niu’s full name.

nNiu Niu turned to look at him and stick his tongue out at him.

nYan Mei’s smile widened, and some light came back to her eyes.

nThe atmosphere became warm as Lei Xiao Tong lifted another spoonful to Yan Mei’s mouth, and in silence, Yan Mei let her feed her the rest of the soup.

nWarmth coursed through her as she glanced at her husband, who was staring at her with his eyes flickering with affection—Niu Niu, who was observing her as she drank the soup.

nHis brows will bump together anytime she coughed, making him look cute and finally, her mother-in-law; no scratch that her mother—the woman who was gently feeding her with all the patience in the world. A warm smile will grace her lips anytime she swallowed the food.

nThese people were now her family, and she would do anything to protect them!

nOnce Lei Xiao Tong finished feeding Yan Mei, she excused herself and went to the kitchen.

nLei Zhao also went to fetch her medicine. Left alone with Niu Niu in the room, Yan Mei took a long sip of water and turned to look at Niu Niu.

n”When is your birthday?” Yan Mei inquired as she stared at the little guy.

n”Next month, 23rd March.” Niu Niu said flatly.

nYan Mei raised her brows, “You don’t seem happy that your birthday is coming.”

nNiu Niu fidgeted, “Yeah, my parents will just throw a lavish party for me. I just want to go to the park with them and eat ice cream and play. Not a party.”

nYan Mei nodded, “Why don’t you tell them?”

nNiu Niu bit his lips and shrugged.

n”Alright, I will take you there.”

nNiu Niu eyes widened, “Promise?”

nYan Mei said softly and nodded.

n”Promise.”

n**double click to view author’s note

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