My Youth Began With Him

- In C City -

When Shen Mingxi walked into his house with a thermal bottle, Tiantian ran toward him, saying, "Uncle Shen, you're back."

"Yeah, have you eaten, Tiantian?"

"No."

"Huh? The housemaid I hired didn't cook supper for you?"

"Yeah, she did."

"Why didn't you eat then? You don't like what she made?" Shen Mingxi asked.

"It's not that." Tiantian shook her head.

Before he asked, she continued, "I wanted to wait for you and eat it with you."

"Didn't I tell you not to wait for me? I worked late today."

"But I have no appetite when you're not home."

"Okay. Now let's eat together, okay?"

"Okay." Tiantian smiled happily.

"Fang, please reheat this for me." Shen Mingxi handed the thermal bottle to Fang, a well-trained housemaid recommended by a home service firm; she was very good at cooking and taking care of children.

As a man, Shen Mingxi found it very inconvenient to take care of Tiantian by himself; besides, he didn't have enough time and energy to do that.

It was why he hired a housemaid.

But it seemed Tiantian didn't like her; so long as Shen Mingxi was home, she would cling to him.

She even wanted him to watch her when she slept; she felt very insecure.

"Uncle Shen, what's this? Some delicious food?"

"Yeah."

"What's it?"

"It's pork bone soup… It's delicious."

"Whoa. Uncle Shen, where did you buy it?" looking at the thermal bottle in the housemaid's hand, Tiantian asked.

"A friend gave it to me," Shen Mingxi said casually.

"Who gave it to you?" Tiantian insisted to get to the bottom of it.

"Um…" Shen Mingxi hesitated, wondering if he should tell her the truth and how she would react to it.

"Did Auntie Wei Ying give it to you?" Tiantian asked.

"How did you know?" Shen Mingxi looked at the kid in surprise.

"Because she cares for you the most… She's been brownnosing you," said Tiantian.

Shen Mingxi squatted and pulled her into his arms before explaining to her patiently, "Tiantian, listen to me. Brownnosing is a negative word and not fitting in this conversation."

He thought the kid was too young to know the true meaning of the word and had used it by mistake.

But Tiantian looked at him calmly and said, "I know brownnosing is a bad word."

Shen Mingxi was surprised.

"But Auntie Wei Ying is scheming on you, so she's been brownnosing you."

Shen Mingxi: "…"

"Uncle Shen, I don't like Auntie Wei Ying. Can you not… be friends with her?"

"Tiantian, tell me why you don't like her."

"She's very mean. She used to yell at Mom and me and bully us… She's a bad woman."

Shen Mingxi suddenly remembered Wei Ying had indeed done many things to hurt Huo Yanyan and her daughter due to her obsession with him.

But it was long, long ago; the current Wei Ying was no longer the previous aggressive and unreasonable woman.

She had completely changed.

"Tiantian, listen to me. Auntie Wei Ying is not what she used to be… She has realized her mistakes."

"But she won't like me, Uncle Shen…"

"Why do you think she won't like you?" Shen Mingxi found Tiantian's words tonight quite astonishing.