Chapter 82

In the Binhai District of Lanwan City, a domestic Red Flag sedan pulled up in front of the courtyard of an old-fashioned villa.

Xiao Shiliu was the first to hop out of the car.

Qin Haobei opened the door from the driver's seat, then walked around the car to personally open the front passenger door for Shi Yi.

"Xing'er, we're home."

Shi Yi pursed her lips, feeling a bit embarrassed:

"Brother Hao Bei, you don't need to take such care of me; I can get out of the car myself..."

Qin Haobei smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting:

"What, just a moment ago it was 'Brother,' and now it's 'Brother Hao Bei'?"

Shi Yi's face turned as red as a ripe cherry, so she had no choice but to lower her voice and call out again:

"Brother."

Qin Haobei felt a warmth in his heart, and he couldn't quite suppress the corners of his mouth, but on the surface, he maintained a calm smile, extended an arm toward Shi Yi, and said gently:

"Let's go, Mom made your favorite dumplings today, chive and egg filling—they're so fragrant!"

The Qin family had always been low-key and reserved, and the courtyard they lived in was not as luxurious and grand as the Shi Family Manor, but rather a quiet, exquisite little courtyard hidden in the city's alleys.

The vermilion gate was half-open, and an orange cat was napping at the feet of a bronze lion. Passing through the moon gate, a white marble corridor wound around a koi pond. On the rosewood rack under the corridor, several gray magpies were perched; hearing someone approach, the little birds spread their wings and flew away with a flutter, startling the fiery red pomegranate flowers on the tree.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, and Xiao Shiliu dashed into the kitchen, rolling up his little sleeves to reveal arms like tender lotus roots.

"Grandma, let me help you!"

Just then, a young and beautiful woman turned around from the kitchen, came to Xiao Shiliu, and squatted down to pinch the little boy's chubby cheeks.

"Little fatty, you've grown so big?"

The woman had long hair reaching her waist and was wearing a silver-gray suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up casually. Inside, she wore a silk shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing a necklace resting on her collarbone. Her features were exquisite, her brows sharp, and her temperament was gentle yet grand.

Xiao Shiliu's eyes lit up, and he said shyly:

"Auntie, you're here."

Xiao Shiliu was genuinely a little afraid of this aunt... He heard she was Uncle's older sister, a big boss of some Huayao Group, and also the chairwoman of the Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, managing many people... In short, she was a remarkable big shot.

However, she really looked a bit fierce...

"Time to eat!"

Just then, Mother Qin walked out with two plates of steaming dumplings, turning toward the dining room. As she walked, she smiled at Xiao Shiliu:

"Xiao Shiliu, go move the chairs, we're eating!"

The Qin family had no servants, and everyone shared the household chores. At this moment, Mother Qin and Qin Ruonan brought the dumplings from the kitchen, Qin Haobei quickly tidied the table, Father Qin fetched the bowls and chopsticks, and even Xiao Shiliu was busy moving chairs.

Shi Yi also wanted to help, but every time she was about to do something, Qin Haobei would snatch the work from her hands first.

"Xing'er, you just wait to eat."

Shi Yi had no choice but to nod helplessly.

During the time she had lived with the Qin family, she often had the illusion that she was... a useless person who couldn't do anything...

"Xing'er, hurry and try these dumplings, are they good?"

Mother Qin pushed a large plate of dumplings in front of Shi Yi.

Father Qin peeled a few cloves of garlic, placed them next to the dumplings, and said with a chuckle:

"Dumplings without garlic lose half their flavor!"

Shi Yi looked at the steaming, round dumplings that looked like little gold ingots, and the peeled, white, tender garlic cloves on the table, and felt a warmth in her heart.

The Shi family's palate was mainly Western, often consisting of various seafood and expensive steaks.

Even though Zhang Ma's cooking was exquisite, making those dishes both refined and delicious.

But since she was a child, she hadn't liked big fish and meat, not to mention she was allergic to seafood.

Three years ago, when she had just started antiviral treatment, she really had no appetite, vomiting almost everything she ate every day. Qin Haobei was both anxious and heartbroken, patting Shi Yi on the back while asking her what she liked to eat.

Shi Yi thought of the chive dumplings Mother Wang used to make when she was at the welfare institute.

The next day, Qin Haobei immediately brought her fragrant chive dumplings, and later she found out that those dumplings were made by Mother Qin herself.

During this time, since Shi Yi was discharged from the hospital, she had been living with the Qin family, and Mother Qin had been cooking for her personally every day, adjusting the flavors to suit Shi Yi, keeping it as light and healthy as possible.

The whole family took care of Shi Yi meticulously, and Shi Yi always felt indebted in her heart.

"Thank you, Auntie, these dumplings are so delicious; honestly, these are the best dumplings I've ever eaten." As Shi Yi said this, she popped a large dumpling into her mouth and began to eat heartily.

Father Qin and Mother Qin laughed out loud.

"You child, you really know how to talk!"

Qin Haobei looked at Shi Yi's bulging cheeks, looking as cute as a little hamster, and smiled secretly in his heart:

"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch them from you."

At this moment, Qin Ruonan put her chopsticks aside, crossed her arms, and said tentatively:

"Why are you still calling us Auntie? Even Xiao Shiliu has changed how he addresses us. Xing'er... you don't still want to... go back to being Shi Yi, do you?"

Hearing this, Shi Yi quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and waved her hands anxiously:

"Sister Ruonan, I don't. Shi Yi is already dead; the one living in this world is Shen Xingyao."

As she spoke, she looked at Xiao Shiliu, who was wolfing down his food, and smiled gently:

"And also Xiao Shiliu's mother."

A bright smile bloomed on Qin Ruonan's face:

"Hahaha, exactly! You are Xing'er now, you are Xiao Shiliu's mother, and you are also a daughter of the Qin family!" As she spoke, she nudged her chin toward Father Qin and Mother Qin and said: "Then what should you call them?"

Shi Yi's face turned as red as a ripe apple. Finally, she faced Father Qin and Mother Qin and called out respectfully:

"Godfather, Godmother."

Kind and amiable smiles immediately appeared on the faces of Father Qin and Mother Qin:

"Yes."

Qin Haobei glared at Qin Ruonan secretly, then gently stroked the top of Shi Yi's hair with his fingers:

"Xing'er, eat, don't pay attention to my sister; she talks the most. If the dumplings get cold, they won't taste good."

Qin Ruonan laughed out loud.

She had long seen that her younger brother liked Xing'er in his heart, and this girl would sooner or later become their family's daughter-in-law. But she hadn't expected this little wolf cub to start protecting his wife so early.

"Xiao Shiliu, who do you think talks more, Uncle or Auntie?" Qin Ruonan shifted her focus to Xiao Shiliu.

She couldn't swallow this.

Xiao Shiliu opened his round, pitch-black eyes, looking at his uncle, then at his aunt...

Then, he said timidly:

"Of course it's... Uncle..."

"Hahaha!"

Qin Ruonan hugged Xiao Shiliu, held his round head, and kissed him, "Tsk tsk, truly my great nephew!"

Twilight, like crushed purple grape juice, slowly spilled in through the glass windows, and the steaming heat wove into a thin mist in the warm yellow halo of the chandelier.

The evening breeze lifted the window curtains, brewing the room full of food fragrance and laughter into the sweetest wine of a summer night.