Guide the Villain Father to Be Virtuous

Chapter 43: Meeting Her (1)

The beginning of the week always felt lethargic.

Huo Xiaoxiao and Yi Qian, who had been playing at home for two days, woke up full of unwillingness. They slowly had their breakfast after washing their faces and rinsing their mouths. Then, they carried their school bags and prepared for their kindergarten.

On the other hand, Huo Suicheng was energetic as usual, wearing a well-tailored dark blue suit. It made him more calm and handsome than ever.

“Daddy, you look so handsome today!”

Huo Suicheng squeezed her cheek playfully.

“Xiaoxiao, you have to listen to the teacher in the kindergarten. Don’t be naughty and bully other children, understand?” Old Master Huo advised her while sorting out the things in her school bag.

“I understand, Grandpa!”

Old Master Huo said, “Okay, let’s go. Grandpa will send you to kindergarten today.”

Huo Suicheng walked out of the dining room. He turned to Old Master Huo and said leisurely, “Dad, you can rest at home. I will drop them at the kindergarten.”

“But it’s in the opposite direction to your office.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s only half an hour’s journey.”

When Huo Suicheng insisted, Old Master Huo looked at him doubtfully and asked again, “You will send them?”

“I will send them.”

Old Master Huo laughed. Was he finally starting to behave like a good dad?

“Okay then. I’ll hand these two little kids over to you.”

The two children followed Huo Suicheng out. Huo Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask him, “Daddy, will you be late for office by sending us to the kindergarten first?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widened at his reply, and she asked again, “Then, you will still drop us at the kindergarten?”

“Daddy is the boss. Even if I am late, no one dares to complain about me.”

“…” His words sounded so arrogant.

Huo Xiaoxiao thought for a while then asked again, “Then, why didn’t you send me to kindergarten before?”

“…”

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the gate of Wellington Kindergarten, and Huo Suicheng handed the two children to their teachers.

“Be good and don’t bully other kids, okay?”

“Alright, Daddy. Will you come and pick me up this afternoon?”

Huo Suicheng was silent for a moment and then said, “Daddy really wants to, but there may be some urgent matter. I’m afraid I can’t come. Daddy will call you when I miss you, okay?”

Such sweet words and honeyed phrases.

Huo Xiaoxiao pouted and waved goodbye, “Okay then. Goodbye, Daddy.”

“Goodbye, Uncle Huo.”

Huo Suicheng’s car left. The teacher took Huo Xiaoxiao’s hand and brought her to the classroom.

“Xiaoxiao!” Yi Qian chased after her from behind. By the time he caught up to her, he was panting heavily, “Thank you for playing with me these past two days. Next time… next time, you come to my house to play. I have a car. I’ll bring you for a ride.”

At such a young age, he even wanted to take her for a ride.

Huo Xiaoxiao almost laughed out loud.

“Okay. I’ll go to your house to play next time.”

“Then, it’s a promise. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

____

“Huo Xiaoxiao! I brought you chocolate!”

As soon as she entered the classroom, Zhouzhou shouted at her with his loud voice. At the same time, he took out the chocolate he specially brought from home for her and waved it at her.

Huo Xiaoxiao walked over with her school bag. She then looked at the exquisite chocolate box in Zhouzhou’s hand.

Suddenly, she remembered.

At the end of school last week, he said he would bring her chocolates.

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome!”

The two children around Zhouzhou also came over. “Zhouzhou, why did you only bring chocolate for Huo Xiaoxiao. What about us?”

“We are all boys. How can we eat chocolate! Since Xiaoxiao is a girl, only she can eat chocolate. They all belong to Xiaoxiao.”

“So stingy.”

“Exactly.”

Huo Xiaoxiao opened the box of chocolate, and a strong fragrance instantly floated out.

Ten chocolates were arranged in the box, and they were made in various shapes, like hearts and various types of shells.

“My mother asked me to give it to you. She said this chocolate is very delicious. You will definitely like it. You can try eating it.”

Huo Xiaoxiao picked a piece and took a little bite. The thick chocolate instantly melted in her mouth. It was mellow and slightly bitter, with a very special taste.

“It’s delicious! Zhouzhou, thank you. I like it very much.”

3

After receiving Huo Xiaoxiao’s compliment, Zhouzhou blushed with embarrassment. “You… it’s good as long as you like it. If you like it, I will buy it for you later.”

The other children in the classroom were attracted by the scent of chocolate, so they gathered together.

“Wow, what beautiful chocolates.”

“Xiaoxiao, is this yours? Where did you buy it? Is it delicious? Can I taste it?”

“It is delicious, but Zhouzhou gave it to me.”

“Zhouzhou, can I have one?”

Zhouzhou didn’t want to give it to the other children, as he had brought it for only Huo Xiaoxiao.

But if he didn’t share it with other children, it would feel like he was too stingy.

His mommy said before that boys couldn’t be too stingy.

He felt very upset by the situation.

The two children next to Zhouzhou said, “Zhouzhou bought this for Xiaoxiao, so only Xiaoxiao can eat it!”

“Yes, only Xiaoxiao can eat it. You can’t!”

“Ah? Why is it that only Xiaoxiao can eat it?”

“Oh!” A quirky child looked at both of them and mischievously said, “I know! Zhouzhou must like Xiaoxiao!”

“Yes! Look, Zhouzhou blushed!”

The children didn’t think it was too much to say, so they all laughed. They clapped and booed together, “Zhouzhou likes Huo Xiaoxiao!”

“Zhouzhou likes Huo Xiaoxiao!”

“Zhouzhou likes Huo Xiaoxiao!”

“…” Huo Xiaoxiao almost laughed out loud.

A bunch of silly little kids.

Zhouzhou’s face had turned into an apple. After a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a single sentence through his blushing, “Don’t… Don’t talk nonsense!”

“What nonsense? You must definitely like Xiaoxiao.”

“No… No! Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just… just…” The child became furious and stammered for a long time without saying anything.

Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Zhouzhou’s red face and gave the chocolate in her hand to the other children around them. “Don’t bully Zhouzhou. Here, eat the chocolate.”

“Wow! Thank you, Xiaoxiao!”

Three to five children were each given one, so the chocolates in Huo Xiaoxiao’s hand were almost gone.

The two children around Zhouzhou looked at each other. They also reached out to take one.

Zhouzhou saw that there were only two left in Huo Xiaoxiao’s hand and scolded, “What are you two doing!”

“What is wrong with us eating one? Zhouzhou, you are so stingy.”

“This is for girls. Why do you two boys eat chocolates!”

“Who said boys can’t eat chocolate? I brought you cookies the day before yesterday, and you ate them too. But you can’t even give me a piece of chocolate.”

“Exactly!”

The two children covered their mouths in surprise. “Could it be that what they said is true? Do you really like Huo Xiaoxiao?”

“Shut up! Don’t talk nonsense!”

“We want to eat chocolate.”

“Whatever!”

The two kids smiled and took one each.

Zhouzhou looked at the almost empty chocolate box and said, “No more.”

“There are two more,” Huo Xiaoxiao picked one of them up. She brought it to Zhouzhou’s mouth and said, “You eat one.”

Zhouzhou’s face flushed red. “I… I don’t want to. You can eat it all!”

Huo Xiaoxiao delivered one to his mouth and said, “Your mouth touched it already; eat it! It’s delicious. Have a taste.”

The tip of his nose smelled the rich aroma of the chocolate. Zhouzhou couldn’t help opening his mouth and took it all in one bite.

The chocolate melted slowly in his mouth.

“So sweet.”

“Right!” Huo Xiaoxiao put the last one in her mouth. Her eyes unconsciously narrowed into crescents as she savored the taste.

“Children, take a look.” The classroom teacher led a child inside and said, “I would like to introduce you to someone. This is a new student in our class. Her name is Jiang Qian. You can call her Qianqian. From now on, everyone should take good care of her.”

Huo Xiaoxiao saw the child named Qianqian, who was being held by the teacher, from a distance.

Wearing a white skirt with two pigtails on either side of her head, her fair and tender face smiled with two small dimples, looking cute.

She then remembered that Qianqian was the one she hit when she was playing in the Ocean World.

She had a profound impression because this little girl was very squeamish when she cried.

3

The teacher took Qianqian to the reading area. “Jingjing, this is Qianqian. She loves to listen to stories just like you. Teacher thinks you two will become good friends. Can you play together?”

“Okay!”

Noticing Huo Xiaoxiao staring at the new kid, Zhouzhou leaned over. “Xiaoxiao, do you want to be friends with her?”

Huo Xiaoxiao thought for a while and shook her head. “I don’t want to.”

It was not that she hated her. It was just that she didn’t want to make friends with her…

“Why?”

Huo Xiaoxiao turned her head and looked at him, “Do you want to make friends with her?”

“No, no, no, I don’t want to! I… I’m just asking you! I am not making friends with her!” Zhouzhou frowned. He quickly remembered the toys he had brought from home. “Right! Xiaoxiao, I brought a toy from home. My mother said it is called Lego. I can’t assemble it. Can you do it with me?”

Huo Xiaoxiao looked at the Lego in Zhouzhou’s hand; it was a large toy car.

It was easy for children to play with building blocks, but Lego was a bit difficult for a child of two or three years old.

“Let me see.”

Several people sat down together to study Lego.

Huo Xiaoxiao scrutinized it for a while. It was pretty easy. As long as you could read the given instructions and follow them, it could be assembled in minutes.

But she was still ‘illiterate’. She didn’t know a word, so she could only figure it out by herself.

“Xiaoxiao, can you do it?”

“I can. I’ll teach you.”

Zhouzhou looked at the other two children triumphantly and gloated. “I told you. Xiaoxiao will definitely know how to do it.”

Just as the four of them were concentrating on playing Lego, a clear and soft milky voice sounded from behind them.

“Can I play with you?”

The group people followed the sound of the voice and looked over.

It was Qianqian.

Seeing so many at her, Jiang Qian proudly raised her face.

Zhouzhou had always been overbearing in the class. He rejected Qianqian in the same manner as he had done to Huo Xiaoxiao when she first came to play, “Cannot! Four of us here are enough. You can go play with the other kids!”

“But I want to play with you. Teacher said I can play with everyone in the classroom.” Qianqian looked at the two children next to Zhouzhou. “He doesn’t want to play with me. Do you want to play with me?”

Zhouzhou looked at the two children beside him, “Do you want to play with her?”

The two children shook their heads quickly.

“You see, they don’t want to play with you. And I brought this Lego here.”

Qianqian had never thought that these people would reject her. Her self-esteem was crushed, and her small mouth deflated, as if she had suffered great grievance. She sucked her nose, opened her mouth, and started crying at the top of her lungs. Her voice was able to lift the roof.

Qianqian’s cry alarmed the teacher.

After a while, Xu Manyin came over anxiously. She looked at the crying Qianqian and asked, “Qianqian, what’s wrong?”

“They don’t want to play with me. I don’t want to stay here. I want to go home! I want my daddy! I want my mommy!”

Xu Manyin looked at Zhouzhou. “Zhouzhou, what is the matter with you? Didn’t Teacher say it before? You can’t bully your friends.”

“Ms. Xu, we didn’t bully her. She wants to play with us, but there are already four people here!”

“Five people can also play together. Qianqian has just arrived and is younger than you. You have to take care of her like your little sister.”

Zhouzhou looked reluctant.

Xu Manyin looked at Huo Xiaoxiao again and asked, “Xiaoxiao, would you like to let Qianqian play here?”

Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Qianqian, who was sobbing and acting pitiful, and thought that it didn’t matter anyway. “Sure.”

“Zhouzhou, you see, Xiaoxiao has agreed. You are not allowed to be overbearing to other children, okay?”

“I understand.”

“Qianqian, look, they all agreed with you to play with you. Don’t cry anymore, okay?”

“No!” Qianqian sobbed unrelentingly. “I want to go home. I want Daddy! I want Mommy!”

4

Xu Manyin coaxed her patiently, “Qianqian, stop crying. We’ll go call Mommy and Daddy?”

After that, she took Qianqian and left.

Zhouzhou curled his lips and sneered. “Such a crybaby.”

“Why are you talking about others when you were just like her when you came, a crybaby.”

Zhouzhou was angry and stuttered, “I… I didn’t cry! You are talking nonsense!”

“I didn’t talk nonsense. You obviously cried and peed your pants!”

Zhouzhou looked at Huo Xiaoxiao, who was holding back her smile, and reached out to cover the little kid’s mouth. He wanted to maintain his dignity as a man in front of a girl.

“Don’t say it!”

——
____

Huo Group, meeting room.

The long three-hour meeting finally ended.

The door of the conference room opened from the inside. The members of the archaeological expert group shook hands with Huo Suicheng and apologized.

“President Huo, before coming here, the professor repeatedly asked me to apologize to you. The delay in our team’s progress has caused your project to stagnate for so long. Please rest assured that the excavation will not take much time, and we will not delay your project.”

“Professor is too modest.”

After a few words of greetings and pleasantries, the archaeological expert group members left the company.

“President Huo, President Yi from the Yi Group called us an hour ago. You were in a meeting, so I didn’t disturb you.”

“I got it.”

Huo Suicheng turned around, entered the office, and dialed Yi Yang’s number.

“Back already?”

Yi Yang’s tired voice came from the other side of the phone, “Just got off the plane not too long ago. I heard that the Luming Mountain Tomb can be excavated?”

“Yes. The excavation work should not take too long.”

“Then I can finally rest assured.”

Huo Suicheng rarely teased him, but he was in a good mood today and couldn’t help it. “Don’t worry. If the project doesn’t work, you can still rely on your wife for a living.”

As soon as his voice fell, Yi Yang hung up the phone.

Looking at the time, it was five past three now. The kindergarten was going to end soon. After pondering about it, he called the assistant’s office.

“What’s my schedule for this afternoon?”

“President Huo, you have no plans in the afternoon, but there is a cocktail party at 8 o’clock in the evening.”

“I see. I’ll get off work first then and send a car to the Huo Mansion to pick me up at 7 o’clock in the evening.”

“Okay.”

Huo Suicheng hung up the phone and went to the kindergarten to pick up Huo Xiaoxiao.

At three o’clock, the street at the entrance of the kindergarten was the most crowded. Luxury cars of various manufacturers, large and small, would be on display here.

Since Huo Suicheng didn’t come too early, the driver barely found a parking space. He went inside the kindergarten to pick up the children like other parents.

In the kindergarten classroom, Zhouzhou carried his school bag on his back and was about to go home. He was led by the teacher to the door of the classroom when he suddenly remembered something. He turned around and shouted to Huo Xiaoxiao, “Xiaoxiao, I will go back today and will bring more delicious chocolates tomorrow for you. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Zhouzhou, can you bring more chocolate tomorrow? I want to eat too.”

“Me too!”

“I… I don’t have that many in my house! I can only bring it for Xiaoxiao!”

The few children that still remained in the classroom chuckled and laughed out loud.

“Zhouzhou likes Huo Xiaoxiao!”

“Zhouzhou likes Huo Xiaoxiao!”

“You… you are not allowed to say it! I will give it to you!”

Huo Suicheng, who happened to be at the door of the classroom, also heard this. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhouzhou.

Huo Xiaoxiao sat in the classroom, bored of waiting for someone to pick her up.

She didn’t know whether Aunt Zhao would come to pick her up or Grandpa.

It should be Aunt Zhao.

I guess it will have to wait a little longer.

Seeing the children around her leave one after another, Huo Xiaoxiao got up and walked to the classroom door. She was also waiting for Aunt Zhao to pick her up.

“Qianqian’s mother, don’t worry. Qianqian is okay. She just arrived at the kindergarten and is still not used to it. Every child has this process.”

Huo Xiaoxiao looked up at the woman following the teacher anxiously. She looked a little familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.

“Ms. Chen, thank you for taking care of Qianqian today. This is the first time Qianqian has come to the kindergarten, which has caused you some trouble.”

“It’s okay. It is our job to take care of them.”

“Qianqian is not feeling comfortable today? She…” Ji Wen stopped her speech abruptly when she looked at Huo Xiaoxiao at the door of the classroom. She felt as if she was struck by lightning.

“Qianqian’s mother, what’s wrong?”

Ji Wenxin opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by a foreign object. She couldn’t speak for a long time. In a blink of an eye, tears filled her eyes and threatened to fall down. She pointed at Huo Xiaoxiao, her voice trembling slightly.

“She… this little kid is…”

“Her name is Huo Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao, why did you come to the door? Your grandfather hasn’t come yet. Let’s go wait in the classroom, okay?”

Huo Xiaoxiao leaned against the door frame. “Can’t I just stand here and wait?”

“No. I have said it before; you have to wait inside the classroom.”

“Okay.”

“Wait…” Ji Wenxin took a deep breath and walked in front of Huo Xiaoxiao. She squatted down and looked at her closely. A smile appeared at the corner of her mouth as she asked, “Your name is… Huo Xiaoxiao?”

Huo Xiaoxiao nodded.

“You… do you remember me?”

Huo Xiaoxiao shook her head.

“At the Ocean World the day before yesterday, I testified for you, remember me now?”

Speaking of the Ocean World, Huo Xiaoxiao suddenly realized. “I remember. You are Qianqian’s mother?”

“So, you remember me?”

“When you mentioned it, I remembered.”

“Really? You are so smart. Hasn’t your father come to pick you up yet?”

“My auntie will come and pick me up.”

Since meeting Huo Xiaoxiao at the Ocean World the day before yesterday, Ji Wenxin had dreamed about meeting her again countless times. But, she never thought of meeting her in such an unexpected situation.

She flipped through her bag hastily but found nothing.

“I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao. I… Auntie didn’t bring anything delicious or any toys with me today. What do you like to eat? Next time, Auntie will bring it to you.”

Huo Xiaoxiao found her actions strange and weird.

“There’s no need. I have everything.”

“It’s okay, Auntie…” Her voice was a little choked. “Auntie just thinks you are cute. Can I hug you?”

Huo Xiaoxiao looked up at the teacher.

The teacher said, “This is Qianqian’s mother. Will Xiaoxiao give her a hug?”

“Okay.”

Ji Wenxin stretched out her hand to give her a hug.

“Huo Xiaoxiao, your father is here to pick you up.”

Huo Xiaoxiao was startled. She looked behind Ji Wenxin and yelled, “Daddy!”

Huo Suicheng stood not far behind her.

Huo Xiaoxiao looked as if she had seen a ghost.

Her father really came to the kindergarten to pick her up?

Did the sun rise from the west today?

Huo Xiaoxiao grabbed her school bag and ran towards Huo Suicheng. “Daddy, are you here to pick me up?”

“Yes. Don’t you want to go?”

“I do. I do!”

Huo Suicheng glanced at Ji Wenxin, and with an unmoving expression, he bowed and hugged Huo Xiaoxiao. “Let’s go home.”

Ji Wenxin stood up stiffly.

“Goodbye, Teacher!”

“Goodbye, Xiaoxiao.”

Huo Xiaoxiao turned around and hugged her father’s neck. “Daddy, why did you come to pick me up today? Don’t you still have work?”

“Daddy specially asked for leave to pick you up today. Are you happy?”

“Happy!”

“Mr. Huo…”

Huo Suicheng glanced back at her and coldly said, “Miss Ji, this is not a good place to talk.”

“Then, When can I…”

“I have said everything that should be said. Miss Ji, please conduct yourself.”

After speaking, he hugged Huo Xiaoxiao and left.

Huo Xiaoxiao laid on Huo Suicheng’s shoulders. The words that Qianqian’s mother and her father exchanged before were running in her mind. The more she pondered, the more problems she identified.

It was not something two strangers would say to each other.

‘I have said everything that should be said’. When did her father talk to Qianqian’s mother?

Miss Ji?

Ji?

Ji Wenxin?

Huo Xiaoxiao suddenly realized. It was no wonder her father’s face changed abruptly.

It turned out that Qianqian’s mother was Ji Wenxin.

She was… her mother?

Huo Xiaoxiao still remembered the inexplicable feeling of peace she felt when she was just born. So her mother turned out to look like this.

It was not right. Ji Wenxin had never appeared in the dream. Why did she suddenly appear now?

Besides, Qianqian was her daughter?

The age seemed quite wrong, right?

From the classroom to the car, Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t say a word, as she was absorbed in her own thoughts.

Huo Suicheng put her on the safety seat and said, “Huo Xiaoxiao, do you know who was talking to you at the door of the classroom today?”

Huo Xiaoxiao shook her head.

“If you don’t know, why were you talking to her?”

Huo Xiaoxiao said, “She was the one who talked to me.”

“If she talks to you, you are not afraid that she will kidnap and sell you?”

Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t speak as she was evaluating the situation.

Huo Suicheng said in a deep voice, “You are not allowed to talk to people you don’t know. There are so many bad people outside. No one will look for you if you are kidnapped.”

Huo Xiaoxiao whispered quietly, “I am also not worth so much money.”

“What did you say?”

Huo Xiaoxiao pouted and said, “No. Grandpa will find me, and…” She looked at Huo Suicheng, “Daddy will find me too! I love Daddy the most.”

“Sweet mouthed and smooth-talking.”

“Daddy, I am hungry.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“I want to eat cake!”

The car’s engine came to life as they left the place.

Ji Wenxin was standing outside the kindergarten with Qianqian, looking at the departing car.

Huo Suicheng closed the car window and said, “Go to the bakery.”