Chapter 397: Back then, you weren't very good at courting me

On this outing, Xu Yanfeng didn't take too long.

When he returned home, the two people, one big and one small, were still as they were when he left; in the sunken lounge, the adult worked on a laptop while the child did homework, the scene tranquil and lovely.

Seeing Xu Yanfeng return, Xia Xi closed her laptop, stepped up, and then saw he was holding a bag of food and also carrying a document. She wasn't interested in the document, she took the food, which was from the pastry shop both she and Zi Heng liked.

She carefully examined Xu Yanfeng's face, and after a few seconds, she also observed other parts of his body.

Xu Yanfeng opened his arms, letting her inspect him, and chuckled, asking, "What's wrong?"

"How did your talk with your dad go?" Xia Xi, finding no injury on him, breathed a little easier.

It wasn't that she was overreacting; the few times he had met Xu Guanshan, he either got slapped or had his head smashed, leaving her with lingering fear.

Xu Yanfeng: "It's fine, we didn't argue, just talked about some things."

Xia Xi finally relaxed, opened the pastry packaging, took a piece for herself—fresh out of the oven, still warm—then took another piece, walked over, and stuffed it into Zi Heng's mouth, saying, "Take a break, don't rush the homework; aren't there still several days of vacation?"

Zi Heng obediently put down his pen, held the pastry in his mouth, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, leaned on the sofa, and ate it bite by bite.

Xia Xi reopened her computer, finished replying to the client's feedback email, saw the time was about right, went to the kitchen to start cooking rice, and meanwhile began preparing the dishes.

Xu Yanfeng put the contract away in the study, changed into home clothes, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the kitchen to help.

Half an hour earlier, the dishes had been delivered, the shrimp still lively; Xu Yanfeng scooped them from the basin, skillfully snipping off the heads and deveining them. Watching his long, agile hands do this petty chore, Xia Xi found it pleasing to the eye.

She picked up a broccoli floret: "Please handle this one too."

Xu Yanfeng lifted his eyelids, glanced, didn't refuse, but said he needed her guidance: "How do I do it?"

Xia Xi: "Just cut it into small pieces with a knife and wash them clean in water."

Xu Yanfeng nodded.

Xia Xi then went ahead and marinated the ribs, preparing to make garlic-spare ribs.

After Xu Yanfeng finished the task Xia Xi had assigned, he washed his hands and glanced at her. She was peeling garlic cloves, head down, her long hair tied in a low bun, wearing a light purple knit sweater with dropped shoulders that revealed a patch of snow‑white skin; the sleeves were a bit big, kept slipping down, so she tied them with a rubber band around her forearms to work more easily.

The peeled garlic she tossed into a small ceramic bowl.

Xia Xi took a tomato, rinsed it under the faucet, scored a cross with a knife, blanched it in boiling water, slipped a chopstick in, and easily peeled off the skin.

Xu Yanfeng didn't know any of these everyday basics; he watched from the side, silent. He still remembered the first time he saw her cook, that indescribable wistful feeling—she used to not know any of this, yet now she does it with great skill.

Perhaps his gaze was too intense; Xia Xi turned her head, met his eyes, smiled, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Xu Yanfeng hugged her from behind, lowered his head, and placed his kiss on her bare shoulder, still silent.

Xia Xi shrank her neck: "It tickles."

Xu Yanfeng turned his head, and his kiss naturally landed on her cheek: "We have a few days left of vacation; how about we find a place to spend it?"

Xia Xi said, "Zhao Lei went on a vacation and regretted it; she told me everywhere was crowded, packed to the gills."

Xu Yanfeng: "Then let's go somewhere closer."

Xia Xi: "I have no objection; go ask your son."

Xu Yanfeng decided for his son: "He has no objection either."

Xia Xi laughed, pushed her elbow back, and said, "Step back a bit; I need to chop vegetables."

"Just chop like this." Xu Yanfeng wrapped his arms around her waist; her waist was slender, his arms crossed in front of her.

Xia Xi laughed while struggling: "How can I chop like this?"

"Why can't you?" Xu Yanfeng had reason and evidence: "I'm not even holding your hands."

Xia Xi, utterly exasperated—what's with this guy, so clingy—took a knife, diced the tomato into small pieces, and put them in a deep bowl.

Xu Yanfeng clung to her like taffy; whatever she did, he stuck close, moving with her.

The cooking time was forced to stretch, but thanks to Xia Xi's practiced culinary skills, she was hardly affected, producing three dishes and a soup: garlic spare ribs, braised large shrimp, stir‑fried broccoli, and tomato egg soup.

After the meal, Xia Xi packed what the family of three would need for the outing; hearing Xu Yanfeng say the destination wasn't far, she didn't bring too much.

After waking from their nap at a little past two, Xu Yanfeng grabbed the car keys, locked the door, and personally drove his wife and child toward the suburbs.

Zi Heng was clearly excited, his behavior mismatching his usual steadiness; his head swiveled left and right, his face full of anticipation: "Dad, where are we going?"

Xu Yanfeng said, "Find a place with clear waters and lush scenery so you can do your homework more comfortably."

Zi Heng: "……"

Again teasing him, he refused to be fooled: "Hmph, I'm almost done with my homework."

Xu Yanfeng, wearing sunglasses, looked at his face in the rearview mirror with a hint of coldness: "Didn't I buy you extra practice materials?"

Zi Heng: "……"

Really a biological dad.

Zi Heng crossed his arms, feigned deep thought, and said, "I didn't bring it."

"I know," Xu Yanfeng said, "I brought it for you; it's in your mom's bag, three copies per subject."

Zi Heng: "……"

Is this person a devil?

Xia Xi shook her head; their chat increasingly felt like elementary schoolers trading barbs—she usually didn't join in, just quietly watched from the sidelines.

The road was jammed badly; although they said it wasn't far, the drive took over two hours, mainly because the first half was congested while the second half went much smoother.

The journey's end was a farmstead nestled in the mountains, its gate plaque engraved with "Square-Round Pottery Hut"; as the car came to a stop, a young person resembling a server stepped out, greeted the family, and helped carry their belongings.

Xu Yanfeng took off his sunglasses, hung them in his pocket, took Xia Xi's hand, stepped over the old‑style threshold, and walked inside.

Zi Heng, feeling he should follow, shouldered his small backpack and came along.

Before their eyes lay a spacious courtyard, its ground laid with green‑gray square bricks, planted with various flowers and grasses; a few cats of different fur colors lounged in the sun, lazily rolling over to show their bellies, and upon seeing strangers approach, they showed no fear or urge to hide.

A tall, handsome man hurried out from the east wing annex: "I was in the middle of a talk; I didn't know you'd arrived—sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Xu Yanfeng smiled, indicating he didn't mind, shook hands, then turned to Xia Xi and introduced: "This place's boss is Lao Fang."

Xia Xi nodded: "Mr. Fang, hello."

"Hello hello." The boss grinned at Xia Xi, then glanced at Xu Yanfeng: "No need to say—this one's definitely your wife."

After looking at Zi Heng, Xia Xi's eyes widened: "No, Xu Er, your kid is this big?! I just thought I was only far from the city center, not to the point of hiding away from the world, so how..."

Xu Yanfeng couldn't be bothered to explain: "We'll talk later."

The boss scratched his head: "Look at me, you drove over, you must be tired; the rooms are ready, let Xiao Liao take you there." He told the young person, "Xiao Liao, be quick and attend to them well."

Although they didn't know Xu Yanfeng was bringing a child, what was prepared for him was the best suite here: a small living room upon entry, plus a tea room, inside three rooms—one large and two small—and also a large balcony.

Xu Yanfeng pointed to one of the small rooms and said, "Zi Heng will stay in that one; we'll take the large one."

Xia Xi looked at Zi Heng and asked for his opinion.

He had no opinion, took off his small backpack from his shoulder, and went into his own room.

Xia Xi walked onto the balcony and immediately smelled the fresh scent of flowers and grass, mixed with fruit fragrance; looking out, Xia Xi realized how beautiful the scenery was: the trees opposite were lush and verdant, fruit trees stretched out, free-range chickens ran to and fro in the woods, and farther away lay a reservoir, its surface as smooth as a mirror under the sunlight.

Xia Xi couldn't help but lean on the railing, resting their chin on their hands, unwilling to look away.

Xu Yanfeng twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to Xia Xi; Xia Xi took it and took two sips: "You're quite familiar with the boss?"

Xu Yanfeng: "Well, my friend, the family's conditions are quite good; after years of internal family strife, they suddenly grew tired of it, came here to seek tranquility, they're no longer depressed, and their mental state has improved."

He said "pretty good," meaning he's like Tang Yizhou and the others, from a wealthy family. Xia Xi recalled the man she had seen upon entering, and inexplicably chuckled: "His condition really does look good."

Xu Yanfeng leaned sideways on the railing, looking at Xia Xi, the corners of their eyes slightly raised: "So I brought you here to relax." Xu Yanfeng pointed at the distant reservoir: "Do you see it? Tomorrow I'll take you fishing there."

Ah? I don't know how to fish.

"How can you not know how to fish?" Xu Yanfeng smiled, pursing his lips, enunciating each word slowly to the extreme: "Back then, when they fished for me, they were quite skilled."

Xia Xi: ……

Damn it, bullying Zi Heng was bad enough, but now they're bullying her too?