Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Daddy, I’ll Flick Your Forehead

Jiang Liu chuckled. "Then what can Daddy do to make you happy?"

"Just tell me, and I’ll make it happen!"

Jun Qingmeng stood to the side, dotingly stroking Tongtong’s head.

The three of them looked just like a family.

"Daddy, Tongtong is so, so hungry."

Jiang Tongtong pointed to her mouth, then rubbed her tummy.

Jiang Liu gave Tongtong’s little bottom a playful pat.

He smiled and said, "Alright, how about we go out for your favorite roast chicken in a bit?"

Tongtong pursed her lips and shook her head.

Jun Qingmeng took out her phone, presenting it to Tongtong as if it were a treasure.

"Tongtong, pick anything you want from all the delicious food on this delivery app. It’s my treat."

But Tongtong just shook her head again.

Jiang Liu and Jun Qingmeng exchanged a look, completely baffled.

"Tongtong, just tell us. Make your demands! Dad and Teacher Qingmeng will spoil you!"

Jun Qingmeng secretly glanced at Jiang Liu. She really liked the sound of that.

"Daddy, let’s go home and cook. Tongtong wants to eat your scrambled eggs with tomato, and fried eggplant too."

Jiang Liu readily nodded.

"Okay, let’s go home then."

They happened to have plenty of ingredients stocked at home.

A smile immediately spread across Tongtong’s face, her eyes crinkling even more.

Her little nose was still red, with a clear drop of snot occasionally running from it.

"Uh-huh! And bring Teacher Qingmeng with us. Without Teacher Qingmeng, my food won’t taste good."

"What are you scheming in that little head of yours now!"

Jiang Liu gave Tongtong a flick on the forehead. "So if Teacher Qingmeng isn’t there, you won’t eat at all, is that it?"

"OWW, OWW, OWW, it hurts! My forehead hurts!"

Tongtong clutched her head, looking aggrieved all over again.

"See? Men really are no good at taking care of kids!"

Jun Qingmeng shot Jiang Liu a glare and, her heart aching for the little girl, took Tongtong into her arms.

Jiang Liu spread his hands helplessly. "But I barely even touched her."

A triumphant glint shone in Tongtong’s squinted eyes.

"Qingmeng, why don’t you have a seat for a bit? I’ll finish cleaning up the place, then we can head back."

Jiang Liu already thought of her as a friend.

Jun Qingmeng set Tongtong down on a chair, then tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear before saying to Jiang Liu:

"Why don’t you go talk with Tongtong? You’ve been busy since this morning, you must be tired. I can take care of the rest."

She had been watching him work nonstop, and her heart ached with sympathy. Besides, Tongtong had just been upset and needed her father the most, so Jiang Liu should spend more time with her.

Jiang Tongtong’s little eyes lit up.

"Daddy, you can do it with Teacher Qingmeng! I’ll sit here and supervise you two."

The two adults shared a laugh, and Jiang Liu looked at Jun Qingmeng.

Feeling a bit flustered, Jun Qingmeng lowered her head and shyly smoothed her skirt.

Her smooth, fair legs were dazzlingly white.

「Ten minutes later.」 The shop was clean.

"Let’s go! We’re going home together!"

"Tongtong’s bringing two big friends home!"

Among the three of them, apart from Jun Qingmeng, whose feelings were hidden behind the slight curl of her lips, Tongtong was by far the most excited.

Jiang Liu felt relieved. His lively, adorable daughter was finally back.

Her listless state when she first came back today had really worried him.

The sun was still scorching in the sky. As soon as they stepped out of the shop, the hot pavement made Tongtong yelp.

Jiang Liu took out a parasol and handed it to Jun Qingmeng.

"You two use this. Don’t want you getting a tan."

"No, Daddy."

"Let’s share it. If you’re not under it, I won’t use it either," Jun Qingmeng insisted.

Jiang Liu tried to insist, but the big one and the little one were both adamant that he share the parasol with them.

Jiang Liu had no choice but to accept.

He wasn’t afraid of the sun himself; he was just worried about Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong getting sunburned.

After all, they were girls with delicate skin. A little too much UV exposure wouldn’t be good.

He held Tongtong in his arms while Jun Qingmeng held the parasol, the three of them huddled together under the small umbrella.

Jun Qingmeng’s eyes were full of tenderness, without a hint of displeasure.

As they walked, they drew envious glances from passersby.

A family of three like this was the "white moonlight" everyone yearned for: a wife fair-skinned, beautiful, and virtuous; a husband handsome and sunny; and an adorable little daughter.

「A few minutes later, they arrived home.」

Breathing in the familiar scent of his home, Jiang Liu finally relaxed.

He turned on the air conditioner and said:

"You two go lie on the sofa and watch TV. I’ll go make you something to eat."

"I’ll go with you."

"Daddy, me too."

The two of them spoke at the same time, in perfect unison.

Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng looked at each other and smiled.

Jiang Liu was speechless. "The kitchen isn’t that big. What’s the point of all of us crowding in there? Just be good and wait."

Jun Qingmeng stubbornly walked into the kitchen anyway and started helping Jiang Liu beat the eggs.

Tongtong flopped down at the kitchen doorway. "Then I’ll keep supervising you. No slacking off, you two."

「Ten minutes later.」 All the ingredients had been prepped and were carefully arranged on plates by Jun Qingmeng.

Jiang Liu added a bit of light soy sauce, white vinegar, and a suitable amount of salt he’d bought from the catalog to the beaten eggs.

This would make the eggs more tender and fragrant.

Then, he stir-fried the eggs over high heat with plenty of oil until they were set.

SIZZLE! The rich aroma of fried eggs burst forth.

He poured in the tomatoes, which Jun Qingmeng had already blanched in hot water and peeled.

He stir-fried them quickly in the wok, finally adding a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

The hot, steamy air, filled with the sweet and sour scent of eggs and tomatoes, filled the entire room.

Although he had never professionally studied cooking,

Jiang Liu’s stir-fry was still incredibly fragrant and delicious.

It was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

The tomatoes and eggs blended together perfectly, soaking in the thick, red sauce, which not only made the aroma more explosive but also helped retain the heat.

Next, Jiang Liu quickly stir-fried some eggplant and shiitake mushrooms.

By then, the rice was steamed and ready.

"Wow, it smells so good, Daddy! You’re the best!"

"It smells a hundred times better than steak."

Tongtong sat at the dining table, chopsticks in hand, panting like a puppy with her tongue out, drool practically dripping from her mouth.

Jiang Liu laughed. "What are you two spacing out for? Don’t you want to eat?"

"Oh yeah! Time for Tongtong to eat!"

Jiang Tongtong picked up her bowl, grabbed a piece of the sticky, fragrant eggplant with her chopsticks, and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up.

The savory-sweet sauce coated the eggplant, which was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Her taste buds were immediately conquered by the piping hot, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant.

Tongtong happily gave Jiang Liu a thumbs-up. "Daddy, you have made Tongtong very satisfied!"

Jun Qingmeng picked up a piece of egg with her chopsticks, placed it in Jiang Liu’s bowl, and said:

"You work so hard all the time. Eat more eggs, you need to replenish your energy."

"Okay. You eat too."

Jiang Liu nodded and, without hesitation, ate the egg with his rice.

Jun Qingmeng’s pretty, rosy lips parted slightly in a happy smile. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

This harmonious scene filled her heart with contentment.

’I wish this could last forever.’

’Is this what happiness feels like?’

Jun Qingmeng’s heart, betraying her, began to thump wildly. POUND-POUND-POUND.

’Will he be able to hear my heartbeat...?’

’Should I be more proactive...?’

’But... Jiang Liu was married to Yang Yixue for several years, and now they’re divorced. He must have been hurt emotionally. What should I do?’

Jun Qingmeng was wavering, unsure of how to confess her feelings.

Gradually, as she watched Jiang Liu devouring his food, she found herself lost in a daze.

Once her little tummy was no longer rumbling, Tongtong looked up and saw Teacher Qingmeng staring at her dad.

Her eyes lit up. "Teacher Qingmeng, why are you staring at my daddy? Do you like him?"

Jiang Liu paused mid-bite and looked up in confusion.

"Huh?" Jun Qingmeng snapped back to her senses, pretending to look at the landscape photo behind Jiang Liu.

Jiang Liu turned his head and seemed to understand. "Qingmeng, you like this painting? If you like it, you can take it home."

"Uh, no, that’s okay."

Frustrated, Jun Qingmeng waved her hand and went back to eating with her head down.

Tongtong, exasperated, bit her chopsticks. ’This dense man! Tongtong is exhausted!’

Before long, Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng had cleaned their plates.

Because he had cooked too much rice, Jiang Liu served himself two large bowls to avoid wasting it.

He still had half a bowl left.

The rice was starting to get cold and clump together.

Jiang Liu was about to throw it out.

"Daddy, hurry up and finish your rice, or I’ll give you a flick on the forehead."

Tongtong pressed her thumb against her middle finger, blew on the fingertip for good measure, and then seriously aimed at Jiang Liu’s forehead,

ready to launch.

Her tiny, slender fingers held absolutely no threat.

Several dark lines appeared on Jiang Liu’s forehead.

’Is this what they call ’give her an inch and she’ll take a mile’?’

’Makes sense. If she dares to flick my forehead today, who knows, when she’s older she might dare to dig a pit and bury me in it.’

Jun Qingmeng was off to the side, clutching her full little tummy and giggling delicately.

Tongtong sighed.

A little kid sighing. It wasn’t easy disciplining her dad.

"Hurry up and eat, Daddy. If you waste food, Teacher Qingmeng and I will punish you."

Jun Qingmeng quickly shook her head. "I have nothing to do with this. That was all Tongtong."

With a smile, she sold Tongtong out to Jiang Liu.

Tongtong froze for a second. "Teacher Qingmeng..."

Jiang Liu moved as fast as a rabbit.

"SPANK! SPANK! SPANK!"

Jiang Liu gave Tongtong’s bottom a few pats.

"WAAH! SOB SOB SOB... You’re all meanies! You’re ganging up on Tongtong!"

"Tongtong is mad! I’m not talking to you guys anymore!"