Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 143: The Heartbroken Daughter

When Liu Changqing and his son returned home after their workout, they were greeted by the sound of Liu Xiazhi’s loud, heart-wrenching sobs as soon as they opened the door.

After changing into their slippers in the living room, they saw Xiazhi standing by the windowsill, clutching the plastic bottle and crying her heart out.

Ignoring the sweat dripping from his workout, Liu Changqing immediately knelt beside his daughter, raising his head to look at her tear-streaked, flushed face.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhiyue, having finished changing his shoes, glanced at the scene but didn’t approach. Instead, he quietly headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

His mission for his father was complete.

Hearing his daughter’s choked cries and noticing Zhiyue slipping away into the bathroom, Liu Changqing took a deep breath and gently cupped Xiazhi’s tear-soaked cheeks in his hands.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying so hard?”

“Daddy…”

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Sniffling, Xiazhi’s voice trembled as she held out the plastic bottle toward Liu Changqing.

“The tadpoles… they died…”

“What? How could that happen? Let me see!”

Feigning shock, Liu Changqing took the bottle from her hands and gave it a vigorous shake, confirming the two lifeless tadpoles inside.

Well done, son.

Earlier in the morning, before heading out for their run, Liu Changqing had caught Zhiyue pouring salt into the bottle and screwing the cap tightly shut. But, of course, the truth could never be revealed to Xiazhi.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and peered inside, then turned to his tearful daughter with a serious expression.

“You screwed the cap on before going to bed last night, didn’t you?”

“I… I don’t remember…”

Xiazhi paused, her mind struggling to recall such a small, casual action.

Liu Changqing sighed.

“Tadpoles are living creatures, just like us. They need to breathe. When you screwed the cap on, they couldn’t breathe anymore…”

The words sank in, and Xiazhi stopped crying for a moment. Then, fresh tears quickly welled up in her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Liu Changqing said no more. He pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back while offering soft words of comfort.

“It’s okay… it’s okay. Even though the tadpoles are gone, they’ve shared so many happy moments with you. You’re ten years old now;you can’t cry at every little thing. You need to be strong.”

“But my tadpoles!”

Clinging to his neck, Xiazhi sobbed loudly again, almost hanging off him entirely.

After some more consoling, she finally began to calm down. Though she still sniffled occasionally, her crying had stopped.

Not long after, Zhiyue emerged from the bathroom, his face expressionless. He glanced at his father holding Xiazhi but said nothing, heading straight to his room and closing the door.

After his shower, Liu Changqing changed into clean clothes and prepared to head out to pick up An Yuanyao for work. Before leaving, he once again asked Zhiyue if he wanted to come along, only to get the same refusal.

Reminding him not to stay out late, Liu Changqing then left the house with Xiazhi.

As the door shut behind them, the house fell quiet once more.

However, the silence didn’t last long. Zhiyue’s bedroom door creaked open, and he stepped out, fully dressed and ready to go. After putting on his shoes, he, too, left the house, leaving it completely empty.

Unaware of his son’s outing, Liu Changqing drove to the neighborhood entrance, where An Yuanyao was already waiting.

After stopping the car, Yuanyao opened the passenger door and got in. She turned her head to glance at Xiazhi, who lay lifelessly in the backseat with a dazed expression.

If Xiazhi hadn’t sprawled across the entire seat, Yuanyao wouldn’t have chosen the front.

Retracting her gaze, she looked at Liu Changqing as he drove.

“What’s wrong with Xiazhi?”

“The tadpoles died. She’s been upset ever since.”

“They died?”

Yuanyao seemed surprised by the answer and thought for a moment. In her memory, the tadpoles had been alive and well just yesterday.

“How did they die?”

“Let’s not talk about it. She’s already this upset. There’s no point bringing up the past.”

“…Okay then.”

“Oh, by the way.”

Liu Changqing suddenly remembered something and glanced briefly at Yuanyao’s lips.

“The lipstick I got you… haven’t you used it yet?”

“Um…”

Caught off guard, Yuanyao’s expression turned hesitant. She snuck a glance at him, her mind racing for an explanation.

“I thought I’d finish the ones I already have before using yours.”

“It looks nice. That soft pink shade would really suit you.”

“…”

Not noticing her silence, Liu Changqing continued driving until he found a parking spot and stopped the car.

Yuanyao looked at him curiously. “Weren’t we going to the office?”

“We need to have breakfast first, don’t we?”

Pulling up the handbrake, removing the key, and unbuckling his seatbelt, Liu Changqing got out of the car. He opened the back door, carried the still-dazed Xiazhi out, and set her on the ground.

Yuanyao also stepped out, glancing around.

“What’s for breakfast?”

“What do you usually have?”

“Hot milk, fried eggs, bread with some—”

“Not today. Today, it’s fried dough sticks and steamed dumplings. Have you had fried dough sticks before?”

“A few times…”

“I’ll show you a better way to eat them today.”

With that, Liu Changqing held Xiazhi’s hand and led them toward a breakfast stall. Yuanyao hesitated briefly before following.

The bustling crowds and outdoor tables, where groups of three or five people sat chatting, felt novel to her.

After finding a vacant spot, they sat down, and Liu Changqing shouted to the vendor, “Three bowls of sweetened soy milk, six fried dough sticks, and two baskets of steamed dumplings!”

“Got it!”

As the food arrived, Liu Changqing broke a dough stick into pieces, soaking some in soy milk for Xiazhi before dunking the rest into his own bowl.

Yuanyao watched and tentatively followed suit, though she used chopsticks instead of her hands to break the dough stick.

Liu Changqing chuckled. “You can just dip it directly with the chopsticks. It’s the same.”

“Okay.”

Following his advice, she dipped the fried dough stick into her soy milk and took a bite.

At first, it felt strange, but after a few more bites, she found the combination unexpectedly tasty. The crispy dough stick softened in the soy milk, and the added sugar gave it a slightly sweet flavor.

Yuanyao didn’t mind this new way of eating at all.

Seeing her satisfied expression, Liu Changqing smiled to himself. She’s easy to please.

After finishing a sip of soy milk, he thought about the company’s upcoming relocation. The renovations for their temporary office were nearly complete, thanks to the agreement with Feng Qian. Once Pocket Monsters launched and turned a profit, they could consider more permanent options.

“This is delicious!” Yuanyao’s delighted voice brought him back to the moment.

Watching her bright smile, Liu Changqing chuckled.

“If you like it, we’ll have it again tomorrow.”

“Okay!”