Chapter 146: I’ll Take Care of Mom

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: I’ll Take Care of Mom

Nan Zhi had never known.

All this time, ever since she was in kindergarten, her grandfather had wanted to return to Yanjing—to his battlefield—to take back everything that was rightfully his.

But right up to the end of his life, he never made it back.

Because of her.

In that instant, tears streamed down Nan Zhi’s face.

PLOP.

Nan Yi felt a drop of water land on his cheek.

He was puzzled and was about to tell his mom he thought the house was leaking.

But when he looked up, he saw his mother weeping silently in sorrow.

Nan Yi instantly panicked and scrambled up.

"Mommy, don’t cry!"

"Mommy’s fine."

Nan Zhi reassured Nan Yi through her sobs, but the tears wouldn’t stop streaming down her face.

Eventually, she just covered her eyes with her hands.

Nan Yi tugged at her hands a few times with his little ones, but he couldn’t pull them away.

He tilted his head, stumped for a moment, not knowing what else to do. Finally, he slowly shuffled his little body over and gently rested his fluffy head on Nan Zhi’s arm.

He didn’t say anything else, simply offering his close companionship—his own unique, silent way of comforting his mom.

Nan Zhi felt it.

She wrapped her arms around Nan Yi, repeating silently in her heart:

’Thank you for being my family.’

...

Nan Zhi carefully placed Nan Pingshan’s diary on the nightstand, right where she could always see it.

Her heart was filled with both guilt toward her grandfather and a newfound sense of confidence.

This immense, silent love from her grandfather made her feel she could face any hardship, that she could be invincible.

’I won’t let you down.’

Nan Zhi silently promised in her heart.

Once his mother finally stopped crying, Nan Yi stared at her, not even blinking.

"What are you thinking about, Mommy?"

Nan Zhi smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"I was just thinking that Mommy might have a lot to do in the future."

Nan Yi only sort of understood, but it didn’t matter. He would support his mom unconditionally no matter what.

"I can help you!"

Nan Zhi chuckled and squeezed his little hand.

"The biggest help you can be to Mommy is to eat your meals and sleep well, Yiyi."

Nan Yi was indignant.

"I... I’m too young right now, but I’ll get bigger! I’ll help you then! I’ll protect you! Just like Great-grandpa!"

"Alright, alright."

Nan Zhi agreed readily, but she was sighing to herself.

’I wonder who he gets this stubborn, unyielding personality from.’

Seeing it was getting late, Nan Zhi urged Nan Yi to go to sleep.

"We have to get up early tomorrow!"

she reminded him.

Nan Yi felt like his mom was just brushing him off. He stared with wide eyes, refusing to sleep.

"I meant what I said! I’m really serious, Mommy!"

"I know, I know. So can we please go to sleep now? My darling Yiyi."

"I’m not sleepy!"

"But Mommy’s sleepy, and a little tired."

The moment Nan Zhi finished speaking, Nan Yi dove under the covers and patted the fluffy down pillow.

"Then hurry up and go to sleep, Mommy. I’ll watch over you."

Anyone watching would have thought their roles were reversed.

Nan Zhi couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up, but she still lay down as he’d told her to.

Nan Yi reached out a small hand and gently patted Nan Zhi through the blanket.

Just like how Nan Zhi usually coaxed him to sleep, he even hummed a strange little lullaby.

’Yiyi really has no talent for singing.’

Nan Zhi held back her laughter and slowly closed her eyes.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes.

Nan Yi, facing her, was fast asleep, his little hand still resting on her, forgotten.

"You little silly."

The mirth in Nan Zhi’s eyes was like flowing honey.

Before long, she too fell asleep.

The night was dreamless.

When Nan Zhi opened her eyes again, she found Nan Yi was already awake. He was staring with wide, bright eyes, his expression full of solemn contemplation.

Nan Zhi’s voice was slightly hoarse.

"What’s wrong?"

"I had a dream,"

Nan Yi announced with a grave air.

Nan Zhi’s sleepiness faded a bit. She hummed in response.

"...That’s a good thing? It means you slept well?"

Nan Yi shook his head.

"I dreamed about Great-grandpa, and he told me to take good care of you!"

Nan Zhi: "..."

’So what’s this? He’s taking care of me on imperial orders?’

Nan Yi: "We have to listen to Great-grandpa!"

Nan Zhi: "...Alright then."

Nan Zhi didn’t take it to heart.

But Nan Yi took it to heart and was determined to take care of his mother in every possible way—

When Nan Zhi got up to brush her teeth, she found Nan Yi had already squeezed toothpaste onto her brush and filled her cup with warm water;

When Nan Zhi went to change her clothes, she saw Nan Yi had already picked out an outfit for her, neatly folded and placed at the head of the bed;

Nan Zhi was wondering what to eat for breakfast, but Nan Yi had already gone next door and bought soy milk, steamed buns, and fried dough sticks, plus two tea eggs.

And Nan Yi declared:

"I didn’t go more than a hundred meters from our shop! So it doesn’t count as disobeying!"

This was the rule Nan Zhi had set for him with a serious expression after an incident where he had snuck out before.

Nan Zhi looked on, dumbfounded.

After coming back to her senses a moment later, Nan Zhi couldn’t help but ask:

"Where did you get the money?"

This question got Nan Yi all excited.

He pulled a two-yuan note from his little pocket.

"It’s the allowance money you gave me yesterday, Mommy! This is what’s left after buying breakfast!"

His expression looked a little troubled, probably because he felt the money didn’t go very far.

At times like these, Nan Yi would get a little nostalgic for when they had a fried rice stall at the night market and his mom would give him all the money to manage. It was truly a heavy but sweet burden!

Nan Zhi was still in shock.

She felt like her son was a little seedling; if you looked away for just a moment, he would shoot up and change, becoming so mature she could barely recognize him.

Nan Zhi said with a resigned tone:

"Yiyi, didn’t Mommy give you this money to play with your friends?"

Nan Yi waved his hand in a grand gesture.

"You can play without money! Kids don’t have anything to spend money on!"

Nan Zhi pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh.

But her sigh turned into a smile.

"You’re just... too cute."

"What?"

Nan Yi hadn’t heard clearly.

Nan Zhi, remembering his "complaint" from the night before, quickly shook her head.

"Nothing. I was just saying these buns smell so good, let’s eat together!"

"Mhm!"

The buns and fried dough sticks from the little shop down the street were no match for Nan Zhi’s own cooking.

As Nan Zhi ate, she wondered if it was because of Nan Yi, but the food seemed to have a lingering, endless sweetness.

Nan Yi, on the other hand, was very dissatisfied, commenting with an expert air:

"This is nowhere near as good as the soup dumplings you make, Mommy. We can’t buy from this place again!"

Just then, Fu Chao walked in with Qing Xi. He overheard the comment and asked curiously:

"What soup dumplings? Did you guys buy from next door today? That place is pretty good!"

Nan Zhi: "Yiyi bought them."

Then she told him about everything Nan Yi had done that morning.

Fu Chao’s eyes lit up as he listened.

"Wow! Yiyi! What kind of angel are you! Uncle Fu wants to just snatch you up and take you home!"

Qing Xi’s jaw dropped, his face a mask of shock, as if thinking, ’My uncle is an actual criminal!’

But Nan Yi refused without a second thought:

"We’re not a good match!"