Chapter 36: Secretly Holding Hands

“Mom is right, Xiaoyi should call me Little Uncle.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an quickly turned her head and raised her small fist to punch the man’s arm. “How can you be like this? Aren’t you afraid of corrupting my little niece?”

“Xiaoyi is only three years old!”

Upon hearing this, Li Beichen smiled and caught her swinging fist, casually giving it a squeeze in his palm.

He released her hand before she could react and struggle. “Can’t I even speak the truth?”

“We’re engaged, so it’s only right for Xiaoyi to call me Little Uncle.”

“Being open and honest is perfectly fine!”

After saying this, he raised the bag in his hand. “Xiaoyi, come see what delicious treats your aunt bought for you.”

Hearing about treats, Shen Yi’s little eyes immediately sparkled.

“Auntie bought delicious food for me?”

“I want to see!”

With that, she quickly walked up to Li Beichen, not looking at him but staring intently at the bag in his hand.

Seeing this, Li Beichen felt playful. “Guess what’s inside?”

“According to your aunt’s habits, what does she usually buy for you?”

Without hesitation, Shen Yi replied, “Haw flakes, milk candies, peach shortbread, hmm, and lots and lots of delicious things.”

“Auntie buys me so many things, I can’t remember them all at once!”

Seeing the little girl’s slightly troubled expression, Li Beichen directly opened the bag. “It’s hot outside, so your aunt bought big ice cream and white sugar popsicles.”

“Let’s go to the living room to share them.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi followed him happily, turning back after a few steps to call out to Shen Yi’an standing at the door.

“Auntie, come quickly!”

“Little Uncle is going to share the big ice cream!”

Watching the two figures – one tall, one short – walking away, Shen Yi’an’s face gradually flushed red.

Boldly holding her hand like that?

This is too… isn’t he taking advantage of her?!

Doesn’t he know about the principle of separation between men and women?!

Besides, what if Third Sister-in-law saw them?

How embarrassing!

Thinking this, Shen Yi’an glanced secretly toward the living room and met Shen Shasha’s amused, teasing gaze.

Seeing this, she felt another wave of embarrassment and annoyance.

Before entering the living room, she stood at the doorway for quite a while to calm down, her complexion gradually returning to normal.

But she didn’t forget to silently remind herself.

They’re all adults now, they’ve even slept together, so holding hands isn’t a big deal.

After mentally preparing herself and dispelling the heat from her face, she finally entered the living room.

Seeing her appear, Shen Yi came running over holding a big ice cream.

“Auntie, this is for you to eat!”

“This is the prettiest one I picked!”

“Auntie is the prettiest in the world, so you should eat the prettiest big ice cream!”

Hearing the little girl’s sweet voice, Shen Yi’an reached out and ruffled her hair. “The most delicious big ice cream should be saved for our Xiaoyi to eat!”

“That way Xiaoyi will become as pretty as auntie too.”

“Then our family will have two great beauties.”

Hearing the new term ‘great beauty,’ Shen Yi’s eyes instantly shone brighter.

She stuck out her little tongue to lick the ice cream before saying happily, “Yes, yes, Xiaoyi wants to be a great beauty like auntie!”

Watching the interaction between aunt and niece, Shen Shasha, who was helping her son drink from a bottle nearby, noticed the big ice cream in Li Beichen’s hand.

She immediately spoke up with a smile.

“Xiaoyi, come to Mommy!”

“Auntie must be tired after going out. Let her rest for a bit.”

“You can play with Auntie later, okay?”

Hearing this, Shen Yi obediently nodded and walked over to her side.

Without her niece as a shield, Shen Yi’an had no choice but to force herself to remain calm and sit back on the sofa.

Seeing this, Li Beichen handed over the large ice cream in his hand. “It’s hot at home. If you don’t eat it soon, it’ll melt.”

Looking at the ice cream in front of her, Shen Yi’an hesitated for a moment before taking it.

Her cautious movements clearly showed she was worried about another physical contact.

Noticing this detail, the smile on Li Beichen’s lips deepened.

No matter—she’d get used to it eventually!

They had bought five large ice creams and five white sugar ice pops in total.

Knowing that children have sensitive stomachs, Shen Yi ended up only getting one large ice cream, while Shen Hong, still a toddler, only got a small lick.

As adults, Shen Yi’an, Third Sister-in-law, and Li Beichen each had one large ice cream and one white sugar ice pop.

In the end, there was one large ice cream and two white sugar ice pops left.

Worried they would melt quickly if left out, Shen Shasha took them to the kitchen and placed them in a bowl—even if they melted, they could still be drunk as sweetened water.

After finishing the ice cream and waiting until she wasn’t so hot anymore, Shen Yi’an finally pulled Shen Yi into her arms and whispered, “Xiaoyi, remember, when Grandpa and Grandma are home, you must never call him Uncle.”

“Why?” Shen Yi tilted her little head in confusion.

Why?

Shen Yi’an couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Because Grandpa and Grandma would be unhappy.”

“As the most considerate granddaughter, our Xiaoyi definitely wouldn’t do anything to make Grandpa and Grandma unhappy.”

“Right?”

Though she didn’t understand why calling him Uncle would make Grandpa and Grandma unhappy, little Shen Yi obediently nodded.

“Auntie, I’ll listen to you!”

“I won’t make Grandpa and Grandma unhappy!”

The whispered conversation between aunt and niece was a bit loud.

Not only did Shen Shasha hear it, but so did Li Beichen nearby.

Finally, when the two separated, he called Shen Yi over and gently guided her, “Grandpa and Grandma love Auntie very much, so they don’t want anyone to take her away from home.”

“But Xiaoyi should know, Uncle is here to join this family, not to break it apart.”

“To make Grandpa and Grandma even happier, Xiaoyi should help Uncle say good things.”

“How about we trade with White Rabbit Creamy Candy?”

Tempted by the White Rabbit Creamy Candy, Shen Yi instinctively licked her lips.

After a series of conflicted expressions, she made a very wise decision. “Uncle, don’t worry, I’ll say good things.”

Having successfully bribed his future niece, the well-prepared Li Beichen smiled and pulled a handful of White Rabbit Creamy Candy from the net bag on the living room table, placing it in her hands. “Since Xiaoyi listens to Auntie the most, she must have told you that eating too much candy will make your teeth hurt.”

“You can only eat one piece of candy a day!”

Looking at the candy cradled in her hands, Shen Yi smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Okay, I’ll only eat one piece a day.”

“Auntie said she doesn’t like children with no teeth.”

“I don’t want Auntie to dislike me because I lost my teeth from eating candy.”

Listening to their conversation and childish agreement, Shen Yi’an, who had gone to the kitchen with Third Sister-in-law to prepare lunch, teased with a smile, “Third Sister-in-law, this is all your fault.”

“How could we let our Xiaoyi be won over by a handful of milk candies?”

“It’s not like we can’t afford it at home. Giving her one a day to satisfy her sweet tooth would be fine too.”

Hearing this, Shen Shasha shook her head with a smile.

“It’s not that I don’t give her any—it’s that once she starts eating, she can’t stop.”

“Every time we agree she’ll only have one, she finishes one and then asks for another.”

“To cure her craving, I’ve cut off her candy supply these past few days.”

Learning there was such a reason, Shen Yi’an nodded in agreement with Shen Shasha’s decision. “If that’s the case, then it’s indeed necessary to cut out sugar for a while.”

“Her baby teeth have just grown in—it wouldn’t be good if they got damaged.”

“Exactly,” Shen Shasha agreed with a nod.

“Children growing up in this new society are truly fortunate.”

“When we were young, not only did we not worry about toothaches from eating too much sugar, but we rarely even had the chance to see sugar granules.”

This topic struck a chord with Shen Yi’an, who immediately nodded in agreement. “Yes, back then, the brown and white sugar at home were stored away and used sparingly.”

“When I was little, I used to crave sweets…”

As the sisters-in-law chatted, a relatively light lunch was served.

Just then, Shen Guozhong and Deng Yaxin also returned home. After washing their hands, the family began their meal.

To maintain his image in front of his future father-in-law and mother-in-law, Li Beichen restrained his appetite slightly.

However, Shen Guozhong, who saw right through his intentions, immediately called him out.

“I say, Xiao Li, us men should be more straightforward.”

“Look at how little you’re eating—even my wife, Director Deng, eats more than you.”

“With an appetite like yours, who would dare marry their daughter into your family and let her suffer?”

“Don’t you think?”

The words were quite blunt—a man who hesitates even while eating is surely not broad-minded.

If the man himself is like this, his family probably isn’t much better either.

Understanding the implication, Li Beichen felt somewhat embarrassed under the gaze of everyone at the table. “Uncle, cough… An’an and I had a big bowl of cold noodles earlier at the Seed Market.”

“Not just mine—I also finished what An’an couldn’t eat.”

After explaining, he quickly added, “But I can still eat more. I’ll go get some rice now.”

Before he could stand up, Deng Yaxin took his bowl with a smile.

“You chat with your uncle. I’ll get the rice for you.”

“Third Brother usually eats at the factory, so it’s just the few of us at home.”

“Just eat to your heart’s content—don’t hold back.”