Chapter 75
“Hmm,” Huo Youqiao chuckled, “Zhi Zhi said it’s not allowed.”
For some reason, every time he heard himself being called “Zhi Zhi,” Ye Zhi felt a sense of fluster. Despite desperately telling himself that their relationship was just ordinary kinship, the seeds of affection had already grown in his heart, making it difficult to make them disappear.
Moreover, the warmth this man gave him was like a nurturing bed for affection. He gave so much that the affection had already entwined Ye Zhi’s heart like vines, making it difficult to return to its original state.
Ye Zhi tried to shift his focus. “Do you really like it?”
Huo Ran immediately exclaimed, “I love it! If I go to kindergarten like this, the other kids will definitely envy me!”
Ye Zhi smiled, looking left and right, and said, “It would be even better if we had some accessories.”
But there weren’t suitable hair accessories in Huo Ran’s box of hair ties. After all, she was a single parent, and Huo Youqiao, being a busy man, never thought about buying such things. Aunty Wang was a bit older and couldn’t keep up with the latest fashion trends, so Huo Ran’s hair ties were all basic ones.
“Tomorrow is the weekend. Let’s go to the mall together tomorrow,” Ye Zhi made the decision, then looked up at Huo Youqiao, “Is that okay?”
Huo Youqiao said, “I don’t have time tomorrow.”
Ye Zhi hurriedly said, “It’s okay, I’ll take Ranran there myself.”
Huo Ran also hugged Ye Zhi, “I want Zhi Zhi to take me. I also want to buy pretty clothes. I don’t have any winter clothes, and last year’s clothes are too small.” She blinked her eyes, revealing a pitiful expression, “I don’t want clothes ordered directly. Dad, I want to go shopping.”
The father and daughter’s clothes were usually custom-made by professional brand stores, and while the clothes were indeed beautiful, they lacked the fun of shopping for a little girl.
Although she was only six years old, she already enjoyed shopping!
Faced with the two pairs of expectant eyes, Huo Youqiao couldn’t refuse.
After putting Huo Ran to bed, Huo Youqiao took out his card and gave it to Ye Zhi, “Keep the supplementary card with you. You can use it whenever you need.”
Ye Zhi carefully took the card and hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Were you planning to move before?”
This matter had been weighing on his mind, including the conversation that night, which had made him extremely concerned, but he never found a good time to ask clearly. Ye Zhi’s voice was very soft, “Were you trying to avoid me back then?”
“What was the real reason you wanted to avoid me?” Ye Zhi finally asked, feeling both awkward and nervous, “Did I do something wrong back then?”
It was very quiet around them. The neighborhood was made up of detached villas, and the houses were not too close together. It was difficult to hear any noise unless someone was hosting a banquet.
It was too quiet, and the sound of their heartbeats could be clearly heard. Ye Zhi felt like his eardrums were pounding, one after another, with an increasingly rapid frequency.
He suddenly regretted asking this question.
Because of the short silence from the other party, it seemed like he was in a dilemma, although there was no change in Huo Youqiao’s expression. He just looked at Ye Zhi with deep eyes, and when Ye Zhi became even more at a loss, he finally spoke, “What do you think the reason might be?”
Ye Zhi didn’t dare to guess. He avoided the other’s gaze and lowered his head, almost involuntarily clasping his hands together. But Huo Youqiao seemed to want to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. He sat down on the seat on the balcony and gestured for Ye Zhi to sit opposite him.
“Was it because of my personal reasons that I made that choice, and it made you uncomfortable?” Huo Youqiao’s tone was sincere, “If so, I apologize to you, it was my fault.”
Ye Zhi’s initial intention for asking wasn’t to make him apologize to himself, so receiving such an apology also made him flustered. He waved his hands hastily, “No need… it’s… it’s okay…”
He stuttered, feeling both anxious and scared, his face turning slightly red. Huo Youqiao’s lips curled up slightly as he asked, “Were you very uncomfortable at that time? The doctor said you had some malnutrition, was it because you didn’t eat properly during that time?”
Ye Zhi wanted to deny it, but he was already immersed in the gentle voice of this man and found it difficult to extricate himself.
