Song Yao reached out and stroked Tuan Tuan"s head after hesitating. Tuan Tuan had given her face and not dodged from her touch, making Song Yao"s smile more vibrant.
Cen Mo, who was sitting by the side, gazed at Tuan Tuan. He felt like he saw Lu Xiangsi when she was a kid.
When Lu Xiangsi was a kid, she had a shy personality as well. Tuan Tuan"s nature was very similar to Lu Xiangsi"s.
He remembered, when he was fetched back to the Lu family, Lu Xiangsi was hiding behind their grandmother, fearfully revealing her little head as she gazed at him and asked, "You are… Brother?"
Even now, he couldn"t forget how the little girl had summoned her courage and opened her palm in front of him. Inside was a White Rabbit Toffee. She had stared at him in antic.i.p.ation, and only when he put the about-to-melt toffee into his mouth did the little girl smile vibrantly.
Cen Mo, who was just fetched from the orphanage, wasn"t too friendly towards Lu Xiangsi, for he hated his parents for only finding him after so many years after he went missing!
Especially when he saw how Lu Xiangsi was living like a princess, he couldn"t help thinking of the encounters he had overseas. About how he was thin and frail from malnutrition from staying in the orphanage overseas for so many years, and how he was bullied there. When he thought about all of that, Cen Mo was unwilling to get along well with Lu Xiangsi.
When Lu Xiangsi was in the teething phase, she spoke inarticulately, but she always beamed at Cen Mo happily, tagging along by his side like a little chatterbox. She said, "I envy Brother very much. I want to go missing once too. That way, Mama, Papa, Grandpa, and Grandma would think of me all the time! I"ve seen an impressive man like Grandpa crying as he hugged a photo of Brother when you were young! I also saw Mama crying in the piano room! Every time they got news of Brother, Papa would rush over to confirm whether it was Brother, smoking one cigarette after another! Also, there"s Grandma. She can"t see clearly, and yet she would make clothes for Brother for your birthday every year! I used to be very envious and jealous of Brother… and would secretly dislike Brother. But now, I like Brother the most! It"s wonderful to have an older brother!"
Cen Mo was surprised. He had thought that his disappearance meant nothing to the Lu family…
Only from that time onwards did Lu Xiangsi and Cen Mo begin to get familiar with each other!
Lu Xiangsi, who was in elementary school, got out of school at an earlier time than Cen Mo. She knew that when Cen Mo came back from school, he would go to their grandfather"s study and learn from him about how to manage an enterprise, so Lu Xiangsi would huff and puff as she dragged a chair to the entrance, sitting there and waiting for Cen Mo!
Once Cen Mo got out of the car, she would run over and call out to him, saying, "Brother! Brother!" Cen Mo would then give her a White Rabbit Toffee, and she would cutely and obediently wave at Cen Mo, watching as he went upstairs to their grandfather"s study.
Then later…
Their grandmother and their parents pa.s.sed away one after the other, and their grandfather fell sick. In an instant, the situation declined, and the Lu family was destroyed in a moment.
Their grandfather had used the last of his might to send the only male descendant in the Lu family, Cen Mo, overseas, but he was unable to also send his granddaughter overseas!
Grandpa Lu"s generation favored boys over girls, and he had pinned his hopes on Cen Mo, hoping that Cen Mo could one day return and bring the Lus back to their past glory…
Cen Mo gritted his teeth as he bade Lu Xiangsi farewell, wanting to build a career overseas and then come back to fetch his younger sister when he succeeded!
Grandpa Lu used up the last of the Lu family"s savings and manpower, making comprehensive arrangements for Cen Mo. Yet, he didn"t expect that Cen Mo, who was taken overseas and had no one to depend on, would be abandoned on the streets of Manhattan by a heartless servant!
G.o.d only knows what Cen Mo experienced, getting to where he was today from an 18-year-old him with nothing to his name. The only thing supporting him mentally was that younger sister of his who loved to smile at him!
Despite that, when he had sufficient capability to go back to his home country to fetch his younger sister, he discovered that she was no longer alive!
Cen Mo felt guilty towards Lu Xiangsi.
Hence, looking at Tuan Tuan now, it was as if he was transferring his feelings and guilt towards Lu Xiangsi onto Tuan Tuan. He couldn"t wait to give the best in this world to Tuan Tuan.
"If Tuan Tuan likes the snacks made by this chef, Uncle will give the chef to you! Okay?" Cen Mo smiled gently at Tuan Tuan.
Faced with this form of address, Tuan Tuan was at a loss as to what to do. He looked up at Fu Huai"an, traces of snacks on his chubby little face…
He had one uncle, Uncle Lin Chen. Tuan Tuan knew that was Mama"s older brother. But… since when did Mama have another older brother?
Tuan Tuan was confused…
Fu Huai"an wiped away the traces of snacks from Tuan Tuan"s face with a finger and said, "This is Uncle Cen Mo!"
Although he couldn"t quite understand, Tuan Tuan still nodded, calling out obediently, "h.e.l.lo, Uncle!"
Upon hearing Tuan Tuan call him Uncle, Cen Mo was in an excellent mood. He nodded. "Good boy… come over, Uncle has prepared a present for you for our first meeting!"
The little one glanced at Fu Huai"an obediently. Seeing Fu Huai"an nod, he slid down from the sofa and walked to Cen Mo"s side.
Cen Mo smiled and whipped out a red packet from his suit pocket. The red packet wasn"t thick, as there was a bank card inside.
Cen Mo stroked Tuan Tuan"s little head, leaning his forehead against Tuan Tuan"s. He said in a volume audible only to the two of them, "The pa.s.sword is Tuan Tuan"s birthday. Tuan Tuan can spend the money inside however you want!"
Tuan Tuan lowered his head and looked at the red packet in his hands. He then turned around and bounced to Lin Nuan, smiling like a little fool and handing the red packet to her, saying clumsily, "Pa.s.sword… Tuan Tuan"s birthday!"
Cen Mo was rendered speechless.
This child was just like his mother when she was young, both were honest to a fault!
Lin Nuan paused momentarily. She could feel that it was a bank card inside the red packet. She looked towards Cen Mo.
"Don"t reject me on behalf of my nephew, this is my gift to Tuan Tuan!" Cen Mo crossed his legs and leaned back leisurely as he sat on the sofa.
Lin Nuan wasn"t planning on rejecting Cen Mo"s gift to Tuan Tuan. Lin Nuan only lowered her head and asked Tuan Tuan in Cen Mo"s presence, "This is Uncle"s red packet for Tuan Tuan. Later, Mama will place this in Tuan Tuan"s little schoolbag. When we get back home, shall we save this in a piggy bank?"
Tuan Tuan thought about it, then shook his head earnestly.
"Then… does Tuan Tuan want to hold onto it?"
Tuan Tuan shook his head again. He rubbed his hands together to get rid of the traces of snacks on them, then placed both hands on Lin Nuan"s knees, gazing at her earnestly. "Give Mama…"
The little one thought about it, then added, "And Papa!"
Tuan Tuan still remembered what Papa said before, that he ought to share good stuff with his loved ones. The people Tuan Tuan loved the most were Mama and Papa, so Tuan Tuan wanted to give Uncle"s gift to him to Mama and Papa!
Cen Mo was rendered speechless.
Tuan Tuan was indeed Lin Nuan and Fu Huai"an"s good son!
Cen Mo was overcome by feelings of sorrow… He truly resembled his mother!
In the past, whenever he gave Lu Xiangsi something good, she would give it to their parents, her mouth terribly sweet!
But when Lu Xiangsi got something good from their parents or grandparents, she would give it to him!
As Cen Mo thought of this, those feelings eased up…