Chapter 15 – You’re Overthinking It
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Mi Li felt quite uneasy letting Xi Baichen take care of the children alone. After 9pm, she went to bed early and planned to take a look at the situation.
As the number of crossings increased, her adaptability kept getting stronger. As long as she fell asleep, she could feel her consciousness or soul drifting in some space before falling to the ground and awakening in another form.
When her sight gradually recovered, the first thing that Mi Li saw was the villa’s living room. There was no one in the living room, but there was a faint voice from the next room.
After a moment, the two little dumplings ran out to escape pursuit. When Mi Li saw their appearances, they were messy all over.
She saw Xi Nuoqi, wearing an XL shirt, pushing the vacuum cleaner in his hand while screaming and crashing around. Xi Keran hugged a rabbit plushie that was taller than her and staggered behind her brother like a poor little tail.
The two of them had messy hair, stained faces, and no shoes. Their bare feet let loose their joy on the tiled floor. It was no longer clean and tidy like before. Compared to yesterday, they were two completely different people.
What was Old Bai doing? After leaving them alone for two hours, he had destroyed the cute little dumplings!
At this time, Xi Baichen walked out gracefully. With lazy eyes, a fluttering sleeping robe, and soft slippers, he was the very picture of a decadent young master.
Mi Li was even more uncomfortable: The little dumplings have become indistinguishable from dogs, so dirty and sloppy! Old Bai, are you still human?!
“Don’t play, go to bed.” Xi Baichen stepped on the vacuum cleaner. Lifting his chin at the two small dumplings, he motioned for them to return to the room immediately with a stern look.
Mi Li: No, you want them to sleep like that? Not brushing their teeth? Not washing their faces? Are their butts clean? What about their little feet?
Seeing that Xi Baichen was about to drive the children into the guest room, Mi Li quickly said: [Old Bai! Wait!!! ]
Xi Baichen paused his steps and looked around.
[ I am the gold plated picture frame on the display cabinet. ]
Xi Baichen walked to the display cabinet and looked at the picture frame. What was displayed in the frame was not a picture of a person, but a fat orange cat.
This orange cat had been Xi Baichen’s pet and was with him for more than ten years before finally dying of old age. Even though it was gluttonous and slothful, had a prideful and wrathful temperament, and was not gentle at all, he framed its photo and placed it in the living room and study as a commemoration.
[ I didn’t expect you to like cats, Old Bai. Why don’t you keep one? ] Mi Li took the time to ask.
Xi Baichen decided not to tell her that he had raised the orange cat, and that it had already passed away. The photo was a memorial picture.
[ No, it’s fortunate that you didn’t raise one, otherwise the cat would definitely not have a good life. ]
Xi Baichen: Ha ha.
[ Look at how dirty your kids are. Quickly take them to the bathroom to bathe. ]
Xi Baichen turned his head and swept the little dumplings a glance, contempt on his face.
[ You dare to despise them, who on earth made them like this? ]
Wasn’t it themselves?
Xi Baichen picked up the photo frame and walked slowly towards the little dumplings with his long legs, “Come here, time for a bath.”
He led the little dumplings into the bathroom, helped them fill the tub, and said in a condescending manner, “You know what to do?”
Xi Nuoqi as the elder reluctantly began to take off his clothes, but Xi Keran stood timidly in place, motionless.
Xi Baichen looked at her, “Aren’t you going to bathe?”
She whispered, “I am a girl, and my mother said that girls can’t bathe with boys.”
Xi Baichen said with a cold face, “How troublesome, then you will bathe later.”
There was only one bathroom with a bathtub in the villa, which was obviously inconvenient for two children to bathe.
He walked out of the bathroom with Xi Keran. As he was about to close the door, he heard Mi Li say: [ It is not safe to let such a small child take a bath alone. You should watch over him. ]
Thus Xi Baichen opened the bathroom door, stayed outside, and stared intently at Xi Nuoqi in the bathtub.
Xi Nuoqi felt as if he had become a peeled boiled egg being stared at by a cobra. Even a tub of hot water could not warm his frozen heart.
Xi Keran glanced at her brother sympathetically, then quickly retracted her gaze and began to worry about her own situation.
[ Why are you staring at others like that? ]
“Didn’t you want me to watch over him?”
Mi Li was speechless: [ You don’t need to stand guard, just pay a little attention. ]
“It’s fine, I happen to be free and can watch the entire process.”
Mi Li hysterically: [ Do you not understand the words “watch over”? ]
Xi Baichen: “……” What did he do wrong this time?
[ Forget it, no need for you to watch over him. Just put me in the bathroom. If there is anything, I will call you. ]
Thus Xi Baichen entered the bathroom again.
Xi Nuoqi watched stiffly as his uncle walked in and placed a photo frame with a photo of an orange cat on the bathroom counter. He adjusted its angle and pointed the photo at Xi Nuoqi.
“I’ll give you fifteen minutes. Wash well.” Xi Baichen glanced at the photo frame hesitantly, then walked out in three steps and smoothly closed the bathroom door.
Xi Nuoqi didn’t feel relaxed at all because he knew that the orange cat in the frame was a dead pet that his uncle used to raise.
What does he mean by putting the photo of the orange cat in the bathroom???
[ Don’t be afraid, little guy. I will look after you well. ] Mi Li smiled and soothed, even though he couldn’t hear it.
Xi Nuoqi suddenly felt as though the air became a few degrees cooler. He didn’t dare delay, so he quickly washed and was done in less than seven minutes. He didn’t bother to dry himself and rushed out with his *ss bare.
[ Old Bai, get a towel and help dry Nuoqi. ] Mi Li shouted from the bathroom.
Xi Baichen shook open a bath towel, wrapped it around Xi Nuoqi, and gently wiped him dry. Then he took out a change of clothes from his small backpack and let Xi Nuoqi put them on by himself.
“It’s your turn.” He went to the bathroom to change the water in the tub, indicating that Xi Keran could come in.
Xi Keran was much more meticulous than her brother. She prepared her pajamas in advance and washed herself well.
He helped the two little dumplings to dry their hair and stuffed them into their bedding. Xi Baichen took the photo frame and walked out of the guest room. In front of their door, he did not forget to leave a warning, “Obediently go to sleep, don’t make trouble.”
[ Old Bai, you see, raising a child is actually not that troublesome. ] Mi Li encouraged.
Xi Baichen took off his wet sleeping robe, revealing a strong body.
[ Why are you undressing suddenly! ] With a click, the photo frame flipped upside down on the tabletop. However, it was useless. Both what should be seen and should not be seen was clearly seen.
“My body is wet.” Xi Baichen glanced at her disapprovingly, then took out a clean sleeping robe from the closet. When he was not working, he paid more attention to his personal hygiene. Otherwise, an otaku who ate takeout every day would not be able to keep his home so tidy.
Xi Baichen put the photo on the bedside table, leaned on the headboard, and habitually opened the laptop.
[ Are you going to start typing? ] Mi Li asked.
“En.” Xi Baichen was in a good mood now, and could fight for another three hours.
[ Go to bed early. You are not alone now, there are two children waiting for you to take care of. You have to get up early in the morning to prepare breakfast. ]
Xi Baichen’s mood value instantly dropped below 30: Who says raising children is not troublesome?
Mi Li smiled and said: [ I will also come tomorrow morning, what do you want to eat? Let’s make it together. ]
Xi Baichen pondered for a long time, then finally replied with the word, “Anything.”
[ Then let’s make noodles, alright? Don’t you often eat instant noodles? Tomorrow, I will let you taste the difference between your own noodles and instant noodles. ] Dozens of noodles with different flavors had been automatically screened out in Mi Li’s brain.
“Okay.” Xi Baichen closed his laptop, laid down on the bed, and looked sideways at the cat in the photo frame. Suddenly a ridiculous thought came to his mind: This little devil wasn’t his old cat, right? Apart from his old cat, who else in the world would be so close to him?
But in retrospect, he didn’t seem to be particularly good to his old cat, at least not so good that he would pay back his favor after death. The cat had a liberated expression when it died, as though it couldn’t wait to die and reincarnate early.
He hadn’t named it before, and he only kept calling it “cat.” Thinking about it this way, was he a bit too coldhearted?
“Little Mi, why are you called ‘Little Mi’?” Xi Baichen asked suddenly.
[ Because I love to eat millet.[1] ] Mi Li was embarrassed to tell him that her name was completely the result of her parents naming her off the top of their heads. It completely exposed their peasant background.
“Really?” His old cat also seemed to like to eat millet. He used to give it millet soaked in broth. If there was no millet, it wouldn’t be happy.
The old cat left and Little Mi came. Maybe there was a connection between the two, but… at what time would she leave again?
“Little Mi, what do you think of me raising a cat?” After the death of his old cat, Xi Baichen never thought of raising another one. However, the arrival of Little Mi suddenly made him have this idea.
[ You should first raise the two small buns well. ]
Xi Baichen’s eyes showed enlightenment: Yes, animals are territorial. If she really was the old cat, she would certainly not be willing for him to keep other cats. (Old cat: You think too much. | Little Mi: You really think too much.)
“Ok, I understand.” This little ghost had more than 100 million in his hands, so he could just treat it as helping her spend her money.
Xi Baichen hadn’t realized that he and the two steamed buns were now being raised by Daddy Mi Li. Everything they ate and drank and played was all paid with Daddy Mi Li’s money.
Mi Li slept at different times every day, each time limiting it to two hours. She arranged them as reasonably as possible, so as not to delay work nor affect sleep, and to experience life in another world. After adapting to this rhythm, she found it quite interesting.
Waking up at 4 o’clock in the morning, Mi Li made herself a bowl of noodles, then went out to jog a few laps before coming back to take a shower. She waited until after 6 o’clock, then entered the next round of sleep.
Yesterday, it was agreed that Xi Baichen would cook noodles for the two little dumplings. In consideration that Xi Baichen had no experience, Mi Li decided to make hot dry noodles.[2]
Her sight gradually brightened, and when her consciousness was completely awakened, Mi Li found herself lying on a shelf and wrapped into a ball. There were several aunts and uncles standing in front of her, bargaining with the boss.
Mi Li was stunned. Upon thinking about cooking noodles, she turned into a pack of noodles? What she wanted to cook was noodles, not herself! Where was Old Bai? If he didn’t come soon, she would be bought by some random aunt or uncle! If she must be eaten, she would rather be eaten by Old Bai and become his sh*t.
As she was thinking, her eyes penetrated through the crowd and keenly caught a familiar figure.
[ Old Bai!!! ] The earth-shaking scream resounded through the vegetable market. The others didn’t react. Only Xi Baichen paused his steps, stopping where he was, and looked at the place from whence the sound came.
[ Old Bai, come here quickly, I’m about to be bought! ] Mi Li shouted hurriedly.
Xi Baichen strode closer. Relying on his height, his gaze flew over the heads of the aunts and the uncles and swept towards the shelf.
[ I am noodles, I am noodles. ] Mi Li decisively revealed her identity.
Xi Baichen: “…”
Only the last few noodle packs were left on the shelf. Seeing a big fat hand stretched out towards her, Xi Baichen squeezed through the crowd without hesitation, pulled open a plastic bag, and quickly swept in all the noodles. The noodles were handed to the boss. “Please weigh this.”
The aunt who was preempted glared at him and caught a glimpse of his handsome face. Her anger instantly cooled, and with a kind voice that cared for young talents, she said: “It seems this little brother likes eating noodles. I’ll yield to you.”
Mi Li sighed: [ Handsome people are so unreasonable, they can even subdue aunts at the vegetable market. ]
Xi Baichen: “…”
- Little Mi (小米) means millet.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_dry_noodles
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