Chapter 332 - Good Intentions Go Awry (1)
The next day in the evening, Mu Tingfeng really came as promised.
Zhao Youlin carried Joy out of the house. Duan Yarong and Zhao Shunrong followed closely behind them.
Duan Yarong did not feel at ease as she looked at Zhao Youlin intently. "Are you sure you don"t need me to come along with you?"
Ever since Zhao Youlin returned home, apart from attending the former master"s grand birthday banquet once, this was her first time attending someone else"s banquet. Duan Yarong did not feel at ease.
Zhao Youlin did not know if she should laugh or cry. She was no longer a three-year-old child. There was no need for her parents to accompany her to attend a banquet.
"Mother, it"s fine. I know how to handle the situation. Joy, say goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma."
"Goodbye, Grandpa, Grandma." Joy waved his hand at Duan Yarong and Zhao Sunrong obediently.
Duan Yarong had failed to persuade Zhao Youlin. She s.h.i.+fted her gaze to Mu Tingfeng, who was just getting out of his car. She heaved a sigh and said, "I"ll leave Youlin and Joy in your hands, then."
Mu Tingfeng replied to her solemnly, "Aunt, don"t worry about them." After that, he nodded at Zhao Shunrong politely before he got into the car with Zhao Youlin.
The moment Joy saw Mu Tingfeng, he buried himself into Zhao Youlin"s arms timidly. He did not even dare to speak a single word.
Zhao Youlin had been paying attention to Joy. Soon, she too noticed her son"s behavior. She whispered sweet nothings into Joy"s ear to make him happy and at the same time, she shot occasional glares at Mu Tingfeng discreetly.
The child still found this guy a nuisance. If this continued, she wondered if she had made the right decision back then.
Mu Tingfeng simply had no idea that his stoic face was so fearful to look at in the eyes of the child. He only knew that Zhao Youlin was ignoring him right after she got into the car. He did not mind that she was only whispering sweetly to Joy, but she was also glaring at him!
Mu Tingfeng sulked over the incident that had happened last time. He felt himself suffering from a stroke the moment Zhao Youlin glared at him.
In spite of it all, he could not throw his tantrum at his wife and son. Therefore, he sat quietly at the side while exuding cold presence to the extent that Joy kept s.h.i.+vering.
Feeling a drop in temperature inside the car, Xia Zhetao inevitably s.h.i.+vered. He was puzzled and took a look at the rearview mirror to check on the situation behind the car seat. It would have been better had he not looked at it. Once he saw it, he was greeted by the sight of his president"s face that had turned as dark as a thundercloud.
Xia Zhetao moved his gaze slightly to take a look at the mother-son duo, who were talking to each other happily.
Xia Zhetao was stunned. A bold speculation sprouted from his heart, "Is the p-p-president… jealous of…his own son?!"
When Xia Zhetao thought of this, his face instantly turned strange. "President, have you forgotten that you are still under probation period?
"The only condition to pa.s.s your probation in order to become the former Mrs. President"s official boyfriend is to gain the young master"s affection!"
Xia Zhetao forced himself to resist the urge of covering his face. He quietly lamented to himself about his president"s low level of emotional intelligence that often resulted in his good intentions going awry.
As the saying went, a secretary was only considered good if he was capable of salvaging the situation at the critical moment.
With a strong pa.s.sion of sacrificing himself for the sake of others in his blood, Xia Zhetao could no longer hold himself back, and break the awkward atmosphere surrounding the people behind the seat. "Hahaha! Ms. Zhao, how are you? I haven"t seen Joy for a long time. He looks like he has grown taller. Even so, he is still as cute as ever!"
Everyone liked it whenever someone else praised their own children. Zhao Youlin was not an exception as well.
Upon listening to Xia Zhetao praise Joy for his cuteness, Zhao Youlin smiled at him in return. "Secretary Xia, you flatter him. Children nowadays are very cute."
"Not really. Many children nowadays are as naughty as monkeys as a result of being over spoiled by their parents. They just couldn"t settle down. Hardly many children are as adorable and well-behaved as Joy. My nephew, for instance, who is about the same age as Joy, often bullies other children in the community. He has been complained about by others many times, giving his parents a headache. If only he was as obedient as Joy, he could have saved his parents so much ha.s.sle."
Upon hearing Xia Zhetao"s words, Zhao Youlin heaved a sigh. She caressed Joy"s small head and said in a low voice, "I would have rather have Joy behave like that boy you speak of. A child should be more active and playful."
"What"s so difficult about this? Joy has just started to attend kindergarten, right? He"s still a kid, after all. It"s only natural that he is more restrained when he is with adults. Once he"s in kindergarten and mingles with children from various backgrounds, he would naturally become more active and cheerful."
"That"s true."
Once they struck the same chord, words would flow more easily in their conversation.
Xia Zhetao and Zhao Youlin talked to each other congenially and did not pay attention to Mu Tingfeng, who was ignored at the side, and whose expression grew increasingly dark. Even Joy also chipped in the two"s conversation.
Joy was afraid of Mu Tingfeng, but he did not hate Xia Zhetao. In fact, he only had good vibes for Xia Zhetao. This was because Xia Zhetao had bought him cupcakes when they boarded the same car last time.
A child"s world was fairly simple. If someone gave him some gifts, and even if the gifts were given as a pa.s.sing thought, he would remember them by heart.
Therefore, when Xia Zhetao took the initiative to talk to him, not only did Joy not retreat, but he also perked up and chatted with him.
When Zhao Youlin saw this, she also lamented, "It looks like Joy like you, Secretary Xia. I rarely see him chatting so much with an outsider apart from our family members."
Unbeknownst to Zhao Youlin, her lamentation was the final effort that drove a certain someone over the edge.
Mu Tingfeng felt that he completely lost that string of rationality in his mind. Looking at Joy and the duo spending time harmoniously, he blurted out coldly, "Secretary Xia, you better focus on the road while driving. Don"t get distracted."
Since he could not spit fire at his wife and son, why not throw the tantrum at his own secretary?
How dare his secretary chat so happily with his own wife and son?! If President Mu did not deduct all of Xia Zhetao"s bonus for the year, he would walk on his hands!
The smile on Xiao Zhetao"s face turned stiff. He swallowed the next wave of flattery that had been on the tip of his tongue. Only then did he realize his president"s expression had turned darker than before.
Hold on, did the president misunderstand something? He was only talking with the former Mrs. President and the president"s young master. Could this have provoked the president?
"President, listen to me, it"s not what you"re thinking. I"m doing all this because of you!"
While Xia Zhetao was screaming his grievance out in his heart, he dared not to express any emotions on his face. He felt awkward and focused on driving. He no longer dared to talk even a single word with the two in the back seat.
Joy, who had just chatted with Xia Zhetao, was shocked upon hearing Mu Tingfeng"s words. His lips parted and he dared not speak a word.. He buried himself into Zhao Youlin"s arms and dared not come out.