Yang Hao could understand a childâs affection and obsession for their mother.
But the key to what Xixi said lay in the word ânewâ.
What she wanted was not a mother, but a new mother!
In other words, the little girl had completely given up on her original mother, or she wouldnât have spoken about wanting a new mother.
Yang Hao, of course, understood Xixiâs thoughts, but the expression on the driverâs face, who was a substitute at the wheel, was quite amusing. He kept glancing at the back seat through the rearview mirror.
He probably hadnât expected to catch such juicy gossip while picking up a driving gig.
So, if the little girl said she wanted a new mother, how many mothers had she had before??
The substitute driver glanced at Yang Hao out of the corner of his eye, thinking to himself: Rich folks really know how to live it up, changing mothers for their kids willy-nilly.
He also wanted to swap out mothers for his child, but alas, the childâs current mother would probably murder him!
âSo, what kind of mother does Xixi want?â
Yang Hao followed the little girlâs topic and asked.
âThe best would be an aunt like Wenqian!â
It was clear Xixi had her target in mind, and Yang Hao remembered this little girl had mentioned more than once that she wanted Wenqian to be her mother.
If he remembered correctly, Xixiâs second choice was Jiang Yuqi.
âAnd besides aunt Wenqian?â Yang Hao asked.
âMrs. Qiqi!â
Sure enough, the ranking in the little girlâs heart hadnât changed.
âAnyone else?â
Yang Hao asked again.
âWenqian would be okay too,â replied Xixi after thinking for a bit.
Xu Wenqian was lively and cheerful, a real foodie at heart, which made her quite compatible with Xixi. Xixi often spent her weekends with Li Manni, and a lot of the time, she was actually frolicking around with Xu Wenqian.@@novelbin@@
Yang Hao nodded, then gently touched his precious daughterâs forehead, âDaddy understands.â
Xixi blinked her big eyes, not quite grasping what daddy meant.
She had thought her father would pick one, but he just said he understood.
The substitute driver, who had been all ears for gossip, managed to withhold his inner rant: Understood?
You understand jack shit!
At least give your kid a definitive answer!
Wait, thatâs not right!
This guy is off!
He seemed like he had no intention of making a choice, just kept asking his daughter if she liked anyone else.
In the end, she mentioned three people.
And then, he said he understood.
What is he planning, to take all three??
Damn it!
You dastardly rich folks!
Canât you share one with me!
The substitute driver originally tuned in for the gossip, but as he listened, he imploded.
He couldnât even figure out one wife.
Yet there this guy was, scouting in bulk!
The sense of disparity was just too muchâ¦
Xianglan Residence.
Li Manniâs birthday gathering was set here.
It was a restaurant with Southern style decor, nice ambiance, and affordable prices.
When Yang Hao arrived, there were already eight people in the private room.
Apart from Li Manni and her five roommates, there were also two young men in their twenties, who were the boyfriends of Li Manniâs roommates.
It had been agreed that family members were allowed at todayâs birthday gathering, so two of Li Manniâs roommates brought along their boyfriends.
And in fact, Yang Hao was also in attendance as a family memberâ¦
âXixi, did you miss your sister?â
Xu Wenqian was already quite familiar with Xixi, and greeted her with a beaming smile as soon as she saw her.
âWenqian Auntie, didnât we just see each other this morning?â Xixi retorted with her small mouth pouted.
âUh, seems like it.â
Xu Wenqian was slightly startled, then she remembered that Xixi was picked up from their place that morning.
Wait a minute!
Thatâs not the point!
The point is that this little girl is using the term âAuntieâ again.
During their time together yesterday, Xu Wenqian corrected her many times, insisting on being called âWenqian Sisterâ!
But when the little girl spoke again, it was still Auntieâ¦
Li Manni made introductions for both sides.
Out of her five roommates, Yang Hao knew Xu Wenqian and Wang Weiwei.
The other three were Liu Meiyu, Cao Yanyan, and Wang Yan.
Among them, Cao Yanyan and Wang Yan came with their boyfriends, one named Zhu Ze and the other named Zheng Shuqi.
Yang Hao greeted everyone and then sat down next to Li Manni.
âAuntie, happy birthday!â
âThis is your giftâ¦â
Xixi handed over the prepared card to Li Manni.
âWow, thereâs a gift too!â
âThank you, Xixi!â
Receiving the gift from Xixi pleasantly surprised Li Manni, who kissed the little girl on the cheek as she took the card.
âYang, whereâs your gift?â
Seeing that Xixi had given a gift while Yang Hao remained indifferent, Xu Wenqian couldnât help but ask, knowing Yang well enough to be sure that he must have prepared a gift.
And with her inquiry, all eyes naturally turned to Yang Hao.
In fact, everyone was quite surprised to learn that Li Manni had invited her former brother-in-law to the birthday gathering.
After all, he is the former brother-in-law, a thing of the past.
Besides, there is also quite a big age difference, which should mean they wouldnât have much in common.
But Li Manni still invited this former brother-in-law and even reserved the seat beside her for him, clearly placing special importance on his presence.
Before Yang Hao arrived, Wang Yan teased Li Manni, wondering if she had fallen for her former brother-in-lawâ¦
âOf course Iâve prepared a gift, but, itâs still on its way!â
Yang Hao replied with an air of mystery.
âStill on its way?â
Xu Wenqian grew more curious, âYang, did you hire a courier to deliver it?â
âUh, you could say that!â
Yang Hao nodded, considering the same-city delivery service somewhat akin to a courier task.
âAuntie, Daddyâs gift for you is really big!â
At this moment, Xixi said with a giggly smile; she didnât know what her daddy had gotten for her auntie, but Yang Hao had mentioned on the way over that the gift was really big.
âA really big gift??â
Xixi had provided a hint, and Xu Wenqianâs mind began to wander again. Not satisfied with guessing alone, she mobilized her other roommates: âCome on, letâs all guess what Yangâs gift is, letâs make it a fun guessing game!â
âYang, you be the NPC for once! Each of us can ask you one question about the gift, and you only need to answer yes or no!â
Xu Wenqian was also roping Yang Hao into this childish guessing game.
And Yang Hao felt a bit sensitive to the word âNPC,â because his NPCs were the kind you could delve into.
âIâll ask first.â
Wang Yan seemed quite interested in this guessing game, and she asked Yang Hao, âYang, is the gift youâre giving valuable?â
Her question was very pragmatic, potentially putting someone on the spot, quite bluntly so.
However, Yang Hao just smiled carelessly, âI donât know how to answer your question because everyoneâs definition of valuable is different.â
âLike the phone in your hand, some might find it valuable, while others see it merely as a communication tool!â
âSo, whatâs your definition of valuable?â
âUhâ¦â
Wang Yan was stumped by the question, and after thinking a moment, she said, âA gift over fifty thousand yuan would be considered valuable, right!â
Yang Hao nodded slightly, âThen my answer is yes.â