He wanted to.
But he didn't want Wen Ni to see him as a laughingstock.
He knew her well; on the surface, she said he was 'too indirect,' but actually she was calling him 'lame.' Her expressions were much more direct than her words.
Tao Lehua turned around, his fingers slightly curled as he touched the rabbit plushie, stroking it from head to tail as if it were a living creature. The texture felt real, too.
Only its red eyes stared unblinkingly, emitting a dim glow in the darkness.
After a long moment, he turned back.
"Can you succeed then?"
Tao Lehua couldn't remember how long it had been since she last came back. Maybe she didn't even recognize people anymore.
Wen Ni scratched her face. She wasn't sure, but she could try.
It was better than just waiting around.
It was the proactive side that had to show up in person. Tao Lehua had just sent the butler—no wonder people were unhappy.
Not to apologize, but to make friends.
Wen Ni wanted to touch him but didn't know where to put her hands. If she held his hand, would it trigger him?
A bunch of unreliable psychologists, not a single useful suggestion. She smoothed her clothes and stood up again.
The question was hard to answer, but she chose honesty.
"Not necessarily, but not trying definitely won't work."
Wen Ni glanced sideways at Tao Lehua, as if to say he wasn't that lame, was he?
Tao Lehua stood on tiptoe, wanting to make someone turn their face away, but he couldn't reach, which made him even angrier.
He was almost 1.6 meters tall, but Wen Ni in heels was nearly 2 meters. Why did she have to be so tall?
The situation was extremely awkward. Wen Ni began to wonder if her reverse psychology had failed, but after a while, Tao Lehua averted his face and said, "...If I say I won't go, will you force me to?"
Wen Ni thought, pondering what answer Tao Lehua really wanted.
It couldn't be 'yes,' could it?
She struggled for a long time, and the atmosphere started to become awkward again. Then her stomach saved her.
In the quiet environment, the gurgling sound from her stomach was especially noticeable.
Tao Lehua had good ears; they perked up. "...You."
Wen Ni touched her stomach. It was flat now, but she usually got a little belly after eating. "It's normal to be hungry now, right? I haven't eaten since I got off the plane."
Tao Lehua was silent for a long time. Wen Ni was stunned. Could it be that even eating was something her child disapproved of?
Their tastes were quite different.
Tao Lehua pointed to a spot. "...Go find Butler Wang."
Wen Ni's eyes widened. Suddenly she felt that her return wasn't so unwelcome in the child's heart.
The dining table here was very wide and long. Wen Ni invited him, "Want to eat together?"
Tao Lehua shook his head and said no.
Alright, she couldn't push the child too hard.
Her lunch was simple toast and milk. She liked Chinese food, but the child didn't.
Did he inherit her parents' taste? Anyway, he didn't like food cooked with open flames, so his palate was very light. A little bit of oil and he felt like he'd get diarrhea.
That was why he was so thin.
The car was ready, but Tao Lehua hadn't given a definite answer. Wen Ni ate her toast absentmindedly, her mood uncertain.
An hour later, Tao Lehua came down the stairs.
He walked close to the inner wall; even with such thick railings, he still felt very insecure inside.
Rarely, he was wearing brown suspenders and a white shirt.
He looked just like a child from her country.
Then Tao Lehua stopped and stared straight at her. If she didn't understand his intention by now, she'd be stupid.
When getting into the car, Tao Lehua extended one hand.
At this point, he couldn't be asking her to perform a hand-kiss, so he wanted her to grab his hand and pull him in, showing that he was forced.
Got it. Her child was the type that needed to be pushed into doing things.
If he showed even a bit of initiative, he had to appear passive.
Otherwise, he'd be embarrassed!
Wen Ni understood, but she didn't know who he inherited this from. Obviously, neither she nor Tao Wanchun had this trait.
She grabbed the child's slender hand and pulled him up.
As they walked out, Wen Ni noticed—maybe unintentionally—that Tao Wanchun's illegitimate son also lived in this villa.