Madam, Please Behave

Liu Changqing stared at the lollipop in An Yuanyao’s hand, his expression gradually shifting to one of existential doubt.

“You’re not telling me I’m supposed to start eating candy from now on, are you?”

“Well, you’re just keeping something in your mouth either way… Holding a lollipop shouldn’t feel that different, right?”

As she said that, An Yuanyao very thoughtfully unwrapped the lollipop for Liu Changqing. She looked down at the candy in her hand for a moment.

Then she popped it into her own mouth.

Liu Changqing froze when he saw that. Once he snapped out of it, he quickly pulled the lollipop out of her mouth, speaking in a slightly strange tone.

“Wasn’t that for me to quit smoking with? Why are you eating it? Besides, you should be cutting back on sugar now—it’s not good for the baby’s development…”

“I… I just wanted to check what flavor it was for you…”

“……”

“Come on… hurry up and try it, see if it helps.”

After a short pause, Liu Changqing finally put the lollipop in his mouth. A burst of lychee flavor spread across his tongue.

His mouth started watering like crazy.

Tsk… it's actually pretty sweet!

He grabbed the little stick and pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, smacked his lips a couple of times, and said,

“Not bad. But weirdly enough… having something in my mouth like this actually kills the craving a bit…”

“So it really works! The internet is amazing—you can find anything on there!”

Hearing his response, An Yuanyao clapped her hands together, looking super pleased. She clearly had a lot of faith in the magic of the internet.

Watching her act like someone who’d never seen the world before, Liu Changqing couldn’t help but smile.

She was technically a rich girl from a privileged background… yet she didn’t have any of that usual spoiled attitude.

Noticing the look on Liu Changqing’s face, An Yuanyao asked curiously what he was smiling about—but Liu Changqing didn’t answer.

Instead, he changed the subject and started walking.

“How come you’re not watching Deep Love in a Snowy Mist tonight?”

“Xiazhi wanted to watch cartoons. That show re-airs tomorrow morning anyway.”

The two of them chatted as they walked over to the sofa and sat down.

Liu Changqing rested his right arm on An Yuanyao’s shoulder and leaned back against the couch, still holding the lollipop he’d already sucked a few times in his left hand.

The light scent of lychee wafting off the candy caught Liu Xiazhi’s attention. Unable to resist the temptation of sugar, she noticed the lollipop in her father’s hand.

Without hesitation.

She got up, opened her mouth, and took a big bite.

Liu Changqing had just been about to speak and was caught totally off guard. He slowly turned his gaze from An Yuanyao’s face to his daughter on the left.

They locked eyes—big round ones staring right at him.

His fingers loosened a bit, and Liu Xiazhi took the lollipop right out of his hand. She twirled it around by the stick, savoring its sweetness.

Smiling happily as she kept watching TV.

“……”

“……”

Both adults were stunned.

After a long silence, Liu Changqing finally muttered in frustration,

“You little rascal… why are you always so greedy for sweets?!”

The wind was a bit strong tonight.

After getting out of the taxi, Chu Fang tightened her coat and slightly hunched her neck, as if that could help her stay warmer.

She shivered, watching the taxi pull away, then stood there in a daze, lost in thought.

Eventually, she started walking.

Her mood was a bit sour—Li Chongming was even more cautious than she’d imagined. She had been that obvious in her flirting, yet he’d been completely unmoved.

Thinking about her situation at home, Chu Fang’s eyes dimmed.

Sometimes, she really felt like life was unfair.

The kind-hearted people never seemed to get good endings, while the ones who used dirty tricks always ended up living comfortably.

Li Chongming had already been discharged from the hospital.

That left Chu Fang frustrated—she’d gone to the hospital only to find he wasn’t there. All the effort she’d put into her act lately didn’t seem to have gotten her into his heart at all.

That man… Li Chongming… he was absurdly careful.

After leaving the hospital, he hadn’t shown up at his company either. Chu Fang was starting to feel stuck.

If she couldn’t see him, then everything she’d done so far would’ve been for nothing.

She had no idea where Li Chongming was now, so it wasn’t like she could go looking for him.

Feeling discouraged, Chu Fang even thought about giving up.

But that idea didn’t even last a full second in her head before she shoved it away.

He’s the one who ruined my family’s life—no way I’m letting this go that easily…

But… what do I do next?

Step by step.

Chu Fang kept walking, thinking hard. She’d gotten out of the taxi at the intersection on purpose—she wanted to use the walk home to clear her head…

That way, once she got home, she wouldn’t accidentally take her bad mood out on her family.

Thinking about her loved ones helped ease the frown on her face a little.

As long as her family was still there...

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the man with a mask walking straight toward her from up ahead, his eyes glued to his phone as he typed.

It was like neither of them saw each other.

Even though the sidewalk wasn’t narrow, the two just happened to be walking directly into each other’s path—and they collided.

The bump knocked Chu Fang, who was wearing heeled shoes, off balance. She stumbled back a couple of steps and landed flat on her butt.

The pain that shot through her body made her wince and cry out.

“Ow… that hurts…”

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention while I was on my phone—are you hurt anywhere?”

Before Chu Fang could even react, the masked man apologized immediately, his voice full of genuine concern.

She looked down at her hands, making sure she hadn’t scraped anything, then let out a breath of relief and looked up at the masked man in front of her.

After a brief pause, she replied,

“It’s fine… I’m okay.”

“If you feel unwell anywhere, I can take you to the hospital…”

That caught her off guard for a moment. She stared at the overly responsible masked man, then seemed to think of something, quickly grabbed her purse, and stood up.

“No need.”

After saying that, she quickly walked past him.

The sound of her heels clacking against the cement echoed behind her.

Fast… and a little flustered.

The man watched her figure disappear into the distance.

And the corners of his mouth—hidden beneath the mask—seemed to curl into a slow, deliberate smile.