Chapter 16 - Cute Baby

This was a kidnapping in broad daylight!

Standing at an angle, his body straight and his posture like a model showing off his best side for a photo shoot, the man in front of her was undeniably handsome. He also looked expensive, wealthy and arrogant. The overflowing confidence was almost too much. As for his face, he was the tall, grown up version of the Little Dumpling. This was what the phrase 'peerless beauty' meant, Li Xia nodded to herself.

"So you will come with us?" The man urged immediately.

"No!"

"You gave a nod. You agreed."

When he first walked in he gave the impression of a strict, unapproachable, principled person. Then he opened his mouth...

"Sir -"

"JingShi," he interrupted again.

"Didn't you come to collect your son?"

They both glanced into the corner. Little Dumpling was focused on eating. He was shoveling the last of the strawberry ice cream into his mouth as if someone was going to steal it in the next second.

Li Xia couldn't help thinking too much. "Zhao Family Group you said?" Anything with a 'Group' behind it was unimaginable wealth and privilege. This was a rich young master, right? Why did he look like he'd never tasted ice-cream? Listening to him, it was only the third time he ate it?

Zhao JingShi laughed. "My good and smart son!" There was pride in his voice.

The little boy squatting in the corner froze.

Inside the little guy's head: There's still vanilla left! Dad, why do you have to notice me now? Mom, you didn't do a good job!

Zhao JingShi didn't know his little pride and joy was scolding him in his heart. He called again, "Little Guy, come here."

Li Xia watched the Little Dumpling reluctantly leave his remaining ice-cream and trot over to his father's side. His small mouth was in a displeased pout but his eyes shone with adoration. He stood beside his father, his height not even as tall as the man's knees. Li Xia saw him look up at the man and the pout became deeper.

The next instant, he hugged his father's leg like a koala, the messy hand and legs clinging tight. "Dad!" he called.

Li Xia wondered: Just how pampered is this little boy?

This man had wealth dripping off of him, permeating the very air around him. The clothes he wore was moulded to his tall body in an exquisite custom fit. The suit was of quality fabric and cut. It could not be cheap.

Li Xia's own experience of occasionally accompanying her father to suit fittings in the past also let her know the average price of such a piece of clothing was thousands of dollars at the least.

And here was the Dumpling, his hands stained and sticky with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, gripping the fabric in his little fists. Li Xia watched him rub his mouth on his father's pant leg too, just after he shouted in his milky, baby voice.

And this man, Zhao JingShi - he looked down at the boy with pride and adoration. He patted the boy's head,

"My good son."

This was too much! 'Good son'? The boy ran away from school!

Zhao JingShi reached down and grabbed the boy's school jacket by the back of the collar. Li Xia, just dumbfounded by the whole series of events, watched him lift the boy like a small backpack until they were almost the same height. Little Dumpling's short arms flailed to his sides like a chicken.

When the one big and one small face were side by side, they both blinked at her with identical grins. Zhao JingShi, the certifiable madman coaxed, "Look at this cute baby face. Don't you want to come with us?"

Just what the hell was this?

"How are you holding the child!" Li Xia snapped and reached out for the boy on instinct. She grabbed the boy by his under arms and yanked him out of Zhao JingShi's hold. This man! How did he raise this child?

"Does he always hold you like this?" She asked Little Dumpling. Like a backpack and not a little human.

Little Dumpling nodded happily.

Li Xia glared at the child's strange father and hugged the boy to herself.

The man only grinned at her, so charming that she almost blinked in surprise. Honestly, it should be criminal to be so handsome. "Come," the man glanced at Little Dumpling and reached out for napkins on the table. "Sit down, the child is heavy."

With tissue paper in hand he moved close to Li Xia, so close that she became aware of her own lack of height next to him, and felt almost crowded. "Let me wipe his hands." He reached for the child's little fingers and the Little Dumpling reached out his arms to his father, offering them freely.

"Look at how dirty," there was no end to the happiness and doting in the man's voice. "You will dirty your mother's clothes."

Li Xia started to feel strange. Her mentality had felt strange from the moment this man called her name, but now her body starred to feel strange too. "I'm not his mother," she reminded.

She might not have spoken, her words falling into an abyss of cotton before they reached the ears of this father and son. The Dumpling let his father clean his finger but his whole body was lax against Li Xia, his little head with the softest hair snuggling against her chest.

His father was calm in his task, not even moving his brows when she spoke.

This whole situation was strange.

"Are you alright?" Zhao JingShi finished wiping and put down the tissue. "Come and sit," he urged again, his hand moving too naturally - once again - to her back. "You look as if you will faint."

Because all of this was too confusing! She scolded him internally.

She didn't resist his help and sat down.

In her arms, the Dumpling refused to let go. His now clean hands were clutching her blouse, holding tight. He blinked up at her, the kind of adoration he looked at his father was there, as well as something else. Something so pure she couldn't name it. "Mom!" He called and smiled. He rested his head against her chest again and on instinct, she hugged him tighter. His little voice trembled. "Dad, Mom is hugging me."

The little guy burst into tears again.