Using Marriage as Bait : Extra 7
Extra 7
Standing by the door, Lin Xiyu watched the scene before her and felt a pang of guilt. She had indeed overlooked the fact that Chengmao’s toy had broken earlier and had offered no comfort. Thinking back to how Lu Junting had scolded him the moment he came in, she realized the little boy must have felt wronged.
Later that night, before going to bed, Lin Xiyu went to Chengmao’s room. She knocked and entered, finding the little boy still sitting at his desk.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“I’ll sleep in a bit.”
Lin Xiyu walked over, picked him up, and sat him on her lap. She glanced at the book spread open on the desk—it was an exercise book.
“You don’t have to finish everything. Rest when you’re tired, okay?”
“Okay.”
Lin Xiyu wasn’t sure if her son’s calm maturity at such a young age was a good thing or not. She remembered how lively and cheerful her little Chengmao used to be—always laughing and playful. In the past couple of years, he had grown quieter and more reserved.
Her job kept her busy, and with a younger baby at home who needed constant care, she often found herself neglecting Chengmao.
“Your dad shouldn’t have scolded you without understanding the situation first. Did you feel upset, Chengmao?”
The little boy stayed silent. Seeing his reaction, Lin Xiyu guessed she had hit the mark and continued, “Your dad was wrong to criticize you without knowing the full story. I’ll talk to him about it later.”
“There’s no need,” the boy replied.
“Then how about we go buy a new toy another day?”
“There’s no need,” he said again.
His sensibility made Lin Xiyu’s heart ache. She ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. “It’s late. Get some rest.”
Returning to her room, Lin Xiyu found Lu Junting lying in bed, waiting for her. She stood by the door, unmoving, and Lu Junting quickly noticed her serious expression. Propping himself up slightly, he asked, “What’s wrong? Come here.”
Lin Xiyu walked to the bed and sat down, her expression stern. “We need to talk.”
Lu Junting sat up fully. “What about?”
Lin Xiyu recounted her conversation with Chengmao and added, “I know you dote on Tangtang, but that doesn’t mean you should disregard right and wrong.”
Lu Junting realized he had indeed been biased in how he treated their son and daughter. To him, girls needed more protection. But he had forgotten that their son was still a child who needed care, too.
Lin Xiyu continued, “You’ve seen how well the siblings get along. But if you keep unfairly scolding Chengmao, he might develop resentment. They’re both our children. Treating them differently will only hurt their relationship. Who knows? One day, they might grow distant because of it.”
Although Lu Junting sometimes felt annoyed when his little girl always sided with her brother, he didn’t want to see their bond weakened. In fact, seeing their close relationship often filled him with pride.
Lu Junting got out of bed and said, “I’ll go talk to him.”
He wasn’t the type of parent who refused to admit his mistakes. Realizing his error, he wanted to make amends. His attitude toward Chengmao had indeed changed over the years. As his son grew older, especially after starting kindergarten, Lu Junting had tried to cultivate his independence and emotional control. But it seemed he had been too strict.
When Chengmao heard the knock at his door, he opened it to see his father standing there. Obediently, he greeted him, “Dad.”
Lu Junting entered the room, crouched before his son, and said, “I’m sorry. It was wrong of me. Because your sister is still so little, I sometimes favor her and end up neglecting you. I shouldn’t have scolded you earlier without understanding the situation. Can you forgive me?”
Due to his father’s strictness, Chengmao sometimes wondered if his dad didn’t love him. He preferred spending time with Uncle Xiao Zi’ang, who was full of ideas, played ball with him, and bought him toys. In contrast, when his dad came home from work, he only played with Tangtang. Whenever something went wrong between him and his sister, his dad always blamed him.
Once, he even voiced his doubts to Uncle Xiao Zi’ang, who reassured him that his dad loved him deeply. Uncle Xiao Zi’ang told him about the times when he was a baby and his dad would take him to work and how his dad had taken care of him alone when his parents were separated for a while.
Chengmao didn’t remember these things.
However, he still admired his father and thought he was amazing. Hearing his father’s apology now, his eyes turned red. Lu Junting pulled his son into a hug and patted his back. “Your train broke, but we’ll go pick out a new one together in a few days. Mom, your sister, and I will all go with you, okay?”
Tears streamed down the little boy’s face. After a long pause, he leaned against his dad’s shoulder and replied softly, “Okay.”
“It’s all right now. Dad will try to be more thoughtful in the future. I’m not perfect and sometimes make mistakes. Can you forgive me?”
The little boy nodded.
Lu Junting tucked his son into bed before returning to his room, where Lin Xiyu was pacing, waiting for him. Seeing him return, she asked, “How did it go?”
“We cleared everything up,” he replied.
Lin Xiyu breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Junting walked over and embraced her. “Families don’t have deep conflicts. As long as we talk things through, it’ll be fine. Don’t overthink it.”
“Even so, you need to be more mindful in the future.”
“Got it,” he said.
Lu Junting cupped her face, but Lin Xiyu dodged slightly. “Not even a kiss?” he asked, annoyed.
“Why do you need a kiss this late at night?”
“You don’t let me kiss you during the day or at night. When am I allowed to kiss you?”
“......”
Lin Xiyu thought he looked like a child begging for candy and sighed. She leaned forward slightly.
Fine, fine, here you go.
Meanwhile, little Tangtang woke up hungry. Not finding her mom or the nanny nearby, she got out of bed in her onesie and headed downstairs.
The nanny had left her milk on the table, but Tangtang didn’t see anyone in the living room. Spotting her bottle, she stretched out her arms to grab it.
Just as she was about to knock over a nearby jar of water, Chengmao, coming downstairs, noticed and quickly rushed over to catch it. He handed her the bottle.
Tangtang stared at her brother, then broke into a bright smile. “Thank you, Brother!”
“You’re welcome,” Chengmao replied.
“Brother, are you going to school now?”
“Mm.” He paused before adding, “I’ll come home early to play with you, okay?”
“Okay!”
The little girl’s eyes sparkled with joy. She hopped in place twice before holding out her chubby arms. “Brother, hug!”
Lu Chengmao hugged his sister tightly and nuzzled her chubby cheeks.
Lin Xiyu watched the siblings, feeling deeply comforted. No matter what, her two children loved each other. The brother cared for his sister, and the sister protected her brother. What parent wouldn’t be happy to see their children so close? Lin Xiyu certainly was.
After the summer break, Lin Xiyu sent Xiao Wantang to kindergarten. This kindergarten was affiliated with a prestigious elementary school where Lu Chengmao happened to study. Sending the siblings to the same school made drop-offs and pickups easier and ensured they could look out for each other.
Today was Xiao Wantang’s first day at school, and the little girl was quite excited. Lin Xiyu and Lu Junting both came along to drop off their son and daughter.
Before the children got out of the car, Lin Xiyu specifically reminded Lu Chengmao, “It’s your sister’s first day of school, so take good care of her.”
Lu Chengmao nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Xiao Wantang, worried her mother would be concerned, patted her chest and assured her, “Mom, I’ll be fine. I’ll take good care of myself too.”
Her little adult demeanor made Lin Xiyu chuckle. She ruffled her daughter’s hair and said, “Alright, you’re all grown up now, aren’t you?”
After giving the siblings a few more instructions, Lin Xiyu let them out of the car. She didn’t drive off immediately but watched their little figures walk toward the school, feeling a bittersweet pang, like a mother bird watching her chicks leave the nest.
Xiao Wantang, with her shorter stride, quickly fell behind her brother. Noticing this, Lu Chengmao stopped and waited for her. When she caught up, she extended her chubby little hand toward him, saying, “Brother, hold my hand.”
At six and a half, Lu Chengmao was already aware of the differences between boys and girls and typically wouldn’t hold a girl’s hand. But his sister was different, of course.
Lu Chengmao took her little hand and said, “I’ll take you to your classroom first.”
Xiao Wantang beamed, nodding happily as she skipped along beside her brother.
Even after the car drove far away, Lin Xiyu kept glancing back. She remembered how heartbroken she’d felt the first time she’d sent Lu Chengmao to school.
“I wonder if the little one will cry later,” Lin Xiyu mused with a worried sigh.
Lu Junting, putting an arm around her shoulders, reassured her, “Do you even know your daughter? She’d probably make others cry before shedding a tear herself.”
Lu Junting knew his daughter best. Sure enough, Xiao Wantang didn’t cry. In fact, she thought crying over school was entirely unnecessary. So, as she looked at her classmates sobbing all around her, she was utterly baffled.
Next to her sat a chubby little boy who had been bawling non-stop since the teacher assigned seats.
Covering her ears to block the noise, Xiao Wantang asked, “Why are you crying so much?”
“I want my mommy! I want to go home!” wailed the boy.
“You’ll see your mommy after school,” she replied.
“Wuwuwu, but my mommy doesn’t want me anymore!” he sobbed harder.
Seeing him so upset, Xiao Wantang remembered her mother’s advice to be kind to her classmates. She felt that she had to show concern when she saw her classmates crying so sadly.
Xiao Wantang comforted him. “Mommies don’t like crybabies. If you keep crying, your mommy might really stop wanting you.”
The chubby boy froze for a moment before bursting into even louder wails.
Bewildered, Xiao Wantang stared at him. Was there something wrong with her comforting technique? Why was he crying even more?
Meanwhile, Lu Chengmao, who had just started first grade, decided to check on his sister during recess.
As he passed a large flowerbed, he noticed a girl about the same height as his sister wandering around the edge of the flowerbed. There were no playground facilities in this area, so it wasn’t a place where classmates liked to play. He was only passing through on his way to find his sister.
Next to the empty flowerbed stood a little girl all by herself, circling the flowerbed while wiping away tears. She looked about the same age as his sister. After thinking for a moment, Lu Chengmao walked over and asked her, “Are you lost?”
The girl, her tear-streaked face blotchy, looked at him with wide, red eyes and nodded.
“What class are you in?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“How old are you?”
In a soft, tearful voice, she replied, “Three.”
Three? That meant she was likely in the junior class, just like his sister. Lu Chengmao offered, “I know where your classroom is. I’ll take you there.”
The little girl wiped her tears and said sweetly, “Thank you, big brother.”
When they reached the junior class, the teacher had just allowed the children to play freely. Standing at the door, Lu Chengmao immediately spotted his sister, happily playing on a seesaw with her new friends. She seemed to have adjusted perfectly, with no signs of discomfort.
His little sister was always like this—lively and outgoing, making friends wherever she went. Once, during a family outing, she had even spent half an hour chatting with an elderly lady she’d just met.
The moment Xiao Wantang saw her brother, her eyes lit up. She abandoned the seesaw and ran over, throwing herself into his arms.
Lu Chengmao had grown used to her enthusiastic hugs, so he had learned to steady himself against her sudden charges. As always, he caught her securely.
“Brother, did you come to see me?” she asked, her eyes full of anticipation.
Lu Chengmao nodded and asked, “Are you settling in okay?”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! The cookies are tasty too!”
Beaming, she pulled a small, slightly battered cookie from her bag and offered it to him like a treasure. “I saved this for you, brother.”
The cookie, worn from being stashed in her bag, had a few missing chunks and some stray fibers clinging to its edges. Looking at it, Lu Chengmao felt a mix of emotions. His sister had always liked saving little things for him. Without hesitation, he took the cookie and bit into it.
Only then did Xiao Wantang notice the girl standing beside her brother. Tilting her head, she asked, “Who are you?”
“I’m Zhang Minmin,” the girl replied softly.
Lu Chengmao explained, “She’s your classmate. She got lost, so I brought her here.” Finishing the cookie, he added, “Listen to the teacher, okay? I’ll come find you later.”
Xiao Wantang nodded obediently. “Okay.”
After Lu Chengmao left, Zhang Minmin asked curiously, “Is he your brother?”
Xiao Wantang tilted her chin proudly. “Mm-hmm, he's my brother.”
Zhang Minmin asked again, “What's your name?”
“My name is Lu Wantang.”
“Lu Wantang, can we be friends?”
Xiao Wantang thought for a moment and said, “Sure.”
Zhang Minmin smiled and asked, “Then can I call your brother 'Brother' too?”
Xiao Wantang immediately replied, “No.”
“Why not?” Zhang Minmin looked aggrieved. “Aren't we good friends?”
“He's my brother, only mine. Only I can call him 'Brother.'”
“Oh.” Zhang Minmin didn't insist and instead asked, “What's your brother's name?”
“His name is Lu Chengmao.”
“Then can I call him Brother Chengmao?”
Xiao Wantang thought about it and finally agreed, “Okay, you can call him Brother Chengmao.”
Zhang Minmin grabbed her hand and smiled brightly. “Thank you, Lu Wantang.”
Zhang Minmin became Xiao Wantang's new friend in kindergarten. When Lin Xiyu picked up her daughter after school, the little girl excitedly shared the news of her new friend.
“Wow, Xiao Wantang is so amazing! You made a new friend on your first day of school?”
Xiao Wantang proudly lifted her chin. “Yes, I'm always amazing!”
Later, when Lu Junting returned, Lin Xiyu proudly shared the news with him.
“Our daughter is so capable. She made a new friend on her very first day at school.”
Lu Junting wasn't surprised at all. “I’ve always said this little girl is a clever one. And you were worried she’d cry.” He glanced around and asked, “Where’s the little one?”
“In the kitchen, helping the nanny knead dough.”
But Xiao Wantang wasn’t really helping; she just found it fun. The nanny had cut off a small piece of dough just for her to play with. Standing at the kitchen door, Lu Junting watched his daughter sitting on a little stool, mimicking the nanny's movements as she kneaded the dough back and forth, looking very focused.
“Tangtang.”
Hearing his voice, the little girl looked up and saw her father standing at the door.
“Daddy,” she sweetly called out.
Lu Junting unbuttoned his suit for ease, squatted down, and beckoned to her, “Come here.”
After washing her hands, Xiao Wantang obediently walked over to him. Lu Junting scooped her up and asked, “I heard you made a new friend?”
“Mm-hmm! Her name is Zhang Minmin. She has a soft voice and is very cute.”
“Is she as cute as you?”
“No.”
The little girl then seemed a bit embarrassed and giggled in her father’s arms.
Lu Junting teased her, “What’s this? Feeling shy after calling yourself cute? Or was that a little fib because she’s actually cuter?”
“No fib, Tangtang is the cutest!”
Lu Junting chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Yes, you’re the cutest.”
Still dressed in his formal suit, Lu Junting held his soft, adorable daughter in his arms. The contrast surprisingly didn’t feel out of place; instead, it appeared warm and endearing.
At least, that’s what Lin Xiyu thought when she saw them together.
Xiao Wantang and Zhang Minmin officially became good friends. Zhang Minmin, like a little sidekick, followed Xiao Wantang everywhere. Once, when she heard Xiao Wantang’s mother calling her “Tangtang,” Zhang Minmin started calling her that too.
“Tangtang, wait for me!”
Xiao Wantang told Zhang Minmin about the big slide in the middle-class section of the kindergarten and said she wanted to go play there. But Zhang Minmin was hesitant; she was scared of the older kids in the middle class.
“Tangtang, let’s go back,” Zhang Minmin said, pulling Xiao Wantang’s hand. “I don’t want to go to the middle class.”
“If you’re scared, you can go back,” Xiao Wantang replied.
But Zhang Minmin shook her head. “I want to stay with you.”
Xiao Wantang patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’m here.”
The two little girls held hands and headed to the slide in the middle-class section, only to find that no one was there. Xiao Wantang exclaimed, “See? No one’s here! This is our territory now!”
Zhang Minmin looked around cautiously and whispered, “But I’m still scared.”
Just as she finished speaking, a commotion came from the other side of the slide. Zhang Minmin immediately tightened her grip on Xiao Wantang’s hand. “Tangtang, I think someone’s there. Let’s go back.”
“I’ll go check it out.”
Xiao Wantang was about to let go of her hand when Zhang Minmin clung on tighter. “No, no, no! We have to stick together.”
Despite her reluctance, Zhang Minmin followed Xiao Wantang toward the slide. The two peeked around the corner and saw a group of boys surrounding another boy, throwing things at him. The boy sat curled up against the wall, covering his head as the others hurled insults at him.
“Son of a rapist.”
“You’re so filthy.”
“Go away, son of a rapist!”
The group laughed and shouted while the boy stayed motionless in the corner. Zhang Minmin, frightened, whispered, “Tangtang, let’s go before they see us.”
“Look at him. He’s so pitiful. Let’s help him, okay?”
Zhang Minmin glanced at the boy and agreed that he seemed pitiful, but the group of boys scared her.
“There are so many of them.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got an idea.”
Xiao Wantang cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, “The teacher’s coming! Run!”
The older kids, still somewhat afraid of teachers, panicked and scattered at the shout. Soon, they were all gone, leaving only the boy huddled in the corner.
Xiao Wantang walked over to him, with Zhang Minmin timidly following behind. Standing in front of the boy, Xiao Wantang said, “They’re gone.”
The boy slowly lifted his head, revealing a delicate face. His cheeks were thin, and his eyes, like two black gemstones, glimmered on his face, akin to stars in the night sky.
Even at three years old, children already had a sense of beauty. Seeing the boy for the first time, Xiao Wantang thought he was very, very good-looking.
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