A Warm and Cute Strike (GL) - Chapter 27

Chen Hui had been living a miserable life lately.

He had previously taken out high-interest loans for a gambling spree, only to lose everything. Now, he was buried under a mountain of debt. His wife had run away with their child, and his parents and brothers couldn’t afford to help him pay it back. Debt collectors were hounding him daily, forcing him into a life of hiding.

Originally, when he learned from his mother about Ye Feifei and Xiang Nan’s secret marriage and child, he thought his opportunity to make money had arrived. However, just as he found a reporter willing to buy the scoop, the couple suddenly went public on their own!

It was as if they were deliberately moving against him; with his scoop unsellable, he naturally couldn’t get any money. Driven to a corner by the debt collectors, Chen Hui finally decided to take a desperate risk. He didn’t dare lay a finger on the Xiang child, but his targets were the Xiang family’s money and valuables.

He had heard from his mother that the Xiang garage housed several luxury cars from major brands. Since the superstars were rarely home, leaving only the children and a nanny, he figured it would be easy to succeed. In such a wealthy household, even if he couldn’t steal a car, snatching a few items to sell would be enough for him to make a comeback.

“Mom, hurry up!” Chen Hui turned his head and said to the limping middle-aged woman behind him.

“What’s the rush? It’s best to go in when the guards are changing shifts.”

The middle-aged woman was none other than the Xiang family’s former nanny, Auntie Chen. However, compared to her previous plumpness, she was now much thinner, and her face was bruised and swollen—a truly pathetic sight.

She gazed at the neighborhood entrance in the distance, a deep hatred flashing in her eyes. If it weren’t for Ye Feifei complaining to the domestic service agency, causing her to lose her livelihood and ruining her reputation so she could never find work again, she wouldn’t be stuck at home being abused daily by Old Man Chen, who had even beaten her until she was lame!

And that scam call—the people who should have been cheated were them! She hadn’t even hit their child; she had only starved her for a few meals. Why did they have to ruin her like this?

Auntie Chen felt incredibly wronged. When her son asked her to lead him to the Xiang house to steal, she agreed without a second thought. This was what the Xiangs owed her; she was simply taking back her compensation!

Chen Hui rubbed his hands together. This was his first time doing something like this, and he was inevitably nervous. “Let’s go, quickly!”

Just then, Auntie Chen’s sharp eyes spotted the security guards starting their shift change. Coincidentally, someone swiped their card to enter the neighborhood. She quickly led Chen Hui through the gate before it could swing shut.

Chen Hui hadn’t expected it to be so smooth. A look of joy appeared on his face, and his pace quickened. Auntie Chen also flashed a smug smile. She had lived in this community for over a year and knew the layout like the back of her hand; sneaking in was child’s play for her.

However, she soon found she could no longer smile.

“You two up ahead, stop! Who are you?!” A fierce, menacing voice boomed from behind them.

Chen Hui instinctively looked back and saw a tall, burly man in a security uniform standing there, holding a German Shepherd on a leash. Panicked by his guilty conscience, he abandoned Auntie Chen and instinctively bolted forward.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Seeing this, the guard quickly used his radio to call for backup and released the leash. The snarling Shepherd immediately gave chase to Chen Hui.

Seeing the wolf-dog charging toward her, Auntie Chen let out a shrill scream. She tried to run, but in her panic, her lame leg gave out. She tripped over her own feet and slammed into the ground. Her head struck a jagged stone, leaving her bloodied.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

The dog sprinted past her, pursuing the fleeing Chen Hui. Chen Hui kept looking back, and seeing the ferocity of the dog, he was filled with terror. Ignoring the guard’s shouts, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

Screeech—!

At a corner, a private car pulled out. The driver slammed on the brakes as a person suddenly lunged into the path.

THUD—!

Chen Hui, running for his life without looking back, crashed straight into the car. The momentum sent him smashing into the windshield, shattering the glass before he rolled under the wheels.

Woof! Woof! Woof! The Shepherd caught up and began savagely biting the unconscious Chen Hui.

Auntie Chen, sprawled on the ground, watched this from afar. After a moment of shock, she burst into loud wails. The guard who caught up hadn’t expected such a tragedy; he hurried forward to pull back the dog and called for an ambulance.

Soon, the wail of sirens echoed through the community.

Deep within the neighborhood, where the sirens were only a faint hum, a fish tank by the window in Xiang Qingnuan’s bedroom glowed with a faint fluorescence. The little goldfish blew a bubble, wiggled its chubby body, and dove into the water plants, hiding its deeds and its fame…

Xiang Nan and the two children were unaware of the tragedy in their neighborhood. They were currently stopped at a crossroad, waiting for a green light.

“Daddy, why are we stopping?” Qingnuan leaned against the window, her eyes full of excitement and curiosity as she watched the scenery.

Since her grandmother passed away and Auntie Chen arrived, she hadn’t been on a long trip. Even when sick, the family doctor came to her. Her world had been limited to the yard, so she had been chattering incessantly along the way, finding everything novel.

Watching her happiness, Xiang Nan felt a pang of heartache, yet he patiently answered every quirky question the little girl raised. Qin Xuening, sitting in the passenger seat, listened quietly. She gazed at the heavy traffic and the bustling crowds, her eyes shining with curiosity. Because of her past disability and muteness, she had rarely gone out. Though the city wasn’t as modern as it would be ten years later, the vintage feel gave her a different kind of thrill.

The hospital was close, and they arrived shortly. Although it was the weekend, this high-end hospital wasn’t a place for the average person, so it wasn’t very crowded. Xiang Nan’s van pulled in discreetly. The driver went to the parking lot while Xiang Nan took the children to the inpatient department to see the still-comatose Su Yuyan.

Qingnuan, held in her father’s arms, gazed curiously at the woman on the bed. The woman’s eyes were closed peacefully; her skin was like fine porcelain, and she looked elegant and dignified. Despite her paleness, her beauty was easily on par with Ye Feifei’s.

Is this pretty auntie Sister Xuening’s mommy? Qingnuan struggled down to the floor and pitter-pattered to the bedside, standing on her tiptoes to look at Su Yuyan.

“Auntie Su, Sister Xuening, Daddy, and I have all come to see you,” the girl said in a crisp voice, her face sweet with innocent charm. “My name is Qingnuan, but you can call me Nuannuan!”

The woman on the bed remained motionless, as if she hadn’t heard a word.

From the moment she entered the room, Qin Xuening had been staring at her mother. Though her face remained expressionless, the loneliness and sorrow in her eyes did not escape Xiang Nan. He sighed softly, walked over to Qingnuan, held her small shoulders, and whispered, “Nuannuan, why don’t you come take a walk with Daddy?”

Qingnuan turned to look at him, then at Xuening. Sensing the mood, she nodded obediently, hugged Xiang Nan’s neck, and let him carry her out. Leaning on his shoulder, she kept her eyes on the room. As the door closed, she saw through the glass that the “big sister” had moved to her mother’s side and buried her face against her.

It wasn’t until Xiang Nan turned a corner and the room vanished that Qingnuan looked away.

Xiang Nan took his daughter to the lawn outside. They sat on a bench under a tree, staring at the sky.

“Daddy, is Sister Xuening’s mommy a Sleeping Beauty?” the girl asked, tilting her head. “Like the Sleeping Beauty in the story you told me.”

Xiang Nan hadn’t expected that. He looked at his daughter, then up at the blue sky, and whispered, “Something like that.”

“Will Sleeping Beauty wake up in the end?” She hadn’t finished the story the other day.

Xiang Nan turned to her and smiled. “Of course she will.”

But the Prince who could kiss Su Yuyan awake is no longer in this world…

“That’s wonderful!” Qingnuan didn’t see the complexity in her father’s eyes. She clapped her hands. “Sister Xuening will be so happy when she knows!”

Xiang Nan smiled and stroked her head. Nearby, several children were playing on the grass, catching Qingnuan’s attention. Sensing her gaze, he asked, “Do you want to go play with them?”

Surprisingly, Qingnuan shook her head and hugged him tight, refusing to go. Thinking of Sister Xuening’s sadness, she simply didn’t have the energy to play.

Xiang Nan misunderstood, thinking she was shy. Somehow, he recalled the phone call from the morning.

Should I take Nuannuan to that reality show?

Xiang Nan didn’t plan on sending her to kindergarten yet; the fact that she could be abused at home made him terrified. He had planned to enroll her this year, but after researching the numerous child abuse cases in kindergartens online, he scrapped the idea.

She would be starting primary school in a year or so anyway. As a director, he needed time to settle down, and he could be her first teacher at home. However, humans are social creatures. It wasn’t good for her to stay home all the time; even with Xuening’s company, she needed to interact with more peers for her growth.

Perhaps a reality show was a good choice.

“Nuannuan,” he asked, adjusting his glasses, “would you like to go on a reality show?”