The moment he turned his head, he met Mumu’s tearful, watery big eyes. Chu Mingwan very skillfully raised a hand and rubbed the top of the little cub’s head twice, messing up the little cub’s adorable curls, which had finally been combed neatly, until they looked like a messy little bird’s nest.
Fortunately, he had crossed over at just the right time. The original body had not yet had time to collude with that vicious nanny who had bullied the little fellow, so this matter had not yet reached a particularly troublesome point.
After his stepfather gently rubbed his head again, Mumu was as obedient as a kitten that had exposed its soft belly, and a cute, shy smile could not help but appear on his face.
Mumu was a cute little cub who was naturally somewhat sensitive and introverted, his temperament so obedient that one look at him made people’s hearts ache.
Melted by his own obedient cub all over again, Chu Mingwan practically wished he could immediately transform into a weird dad and pounce on the little fellow to inhale him wildly.
The chefs’ efficiency was very high. After learning that the new madam had suddenly changed his temperament and was going to start eating properly, they were surprised at first, then began working seriously.
Very soon, all kinds of rich breakfast dishes were placed neatly on the dining table by the nannies.
Mumu’s big eyes landed on those dishes, instantly becoming even brighter, which made Chu Mingwan both amused and heartbroken.
In the original novel, Mumu’s identity was not explained in detail. It only said that he was the child born to the Qi family head and the one he loved. Because his mother died in childbirth, the Qi family head did not particularly like this child, and only placed him in this detached villa, where the butler and nannies would take care of him.
It was precisely because of this outside explanation that the original body dared to have such vicious thoughts toward a little cub without restraint.
Mumu sat obediently in the children’s dining chair, occasionally swinging his short little legs, just waiting for his stepfather to start using his chopsticks.
How could such a tiny little thing be this cute? From now on, this would be Chu Mingwan’s very own adorable cub. Once again completely captured by the adorable little Mumu, Chu Mingwan looked at him full of enthusiasm, his eyes brimming with expectation. “Good cub, do you want Dad to feed you?”
You have to know that some children are still chased around by their parents just to be fed even at four or five years old. His Mumu was not even four yet, and he was so small and skinny that he looked about three years old, so surely he could satisfy his wish to feed his good cub!
Seeing the children’s plate placed in front of him by Butler Uncle, Mumu could not help secretly swallowing a few times. But after hearing his stepfather’s voice, the little fellow was instantly frightened so badly that his face turned pale. “N-no need, little papa, don’t be angry, Mumu has already learned how to eat by himself!”
The good cub blinked his big eyes, which could not help but well up with tears, and remembered how once before, when Nanny Grandma fed him, his stepfather became so, so angry upon seeing it. Mumu had only learned how to eat by himself after practicing for a very long time.
Chu Mingwan immediately understood what Mumu was afraid of. Looking at the little cub’s suddenly pale face, his heart could not help feeling sour and swollen, but saying too much or doing too much now would be useless, and would instead only intensify Mumu’s fear.
Fortunately, the child was still young, and memories were being replaced day by day. Everything still had room to be repaired. Thinking of this, Chu Mingwan immediately gave Mumu a thumbs-up. “Good cub is amazing. Dad still didn’t know how to eat by himself when he was four. My Mumu is even more amazing than Dad.”
Praised by his stepfather with rainbow farts, Mumu was a little shy, and a bashful smile finally appeared on his face again. He obediently held his little children’s fork and began to eat in small bites.
The three-and-a-half-year-old little cub already understood the etiquette of meals, while Chu Mingwan was stuffing food into his mouth in big bites. Mainly, he could not be bothered to be too particular. His empty stomach was far too hungry, and he did not know how long the original body had gone without properly taking in carbohydrates. He felt like he could eat a full bucket of rice right now.
As expected of a noble family’s private chef, even breakfast was made to such a standard. Chu Mingwan was practically going to be moved to tears by the delicacies in his mouth. Only by using all the reason he had accumulated over twenty years did he forcibly control himself and stop at eighty percent full.
The original body’s build was even weaker than his own after lying in a hospital bed for several straight months. If Chu Mingwan did not control his good appetite, he would probably be sent to the hospital today because of overeating, becoming a topic for other people’s idle chatter.
After eating his fill and resting for a while on the sofa in the living room, Chu Mingwan finally had the leisure to take a look at this big villa in front of him under the pretext of digestion.
Hehe, even a chosen wage slave could have a day when a pie fell into his lap. He now had a big villa too!
The villa’s decor was very modern and minimalist, low-key and elegant, yet everywhere it also revealed a touch of refined luxury. It was not like the manor-style big villas Chu Mingwan had seen in novels, the kind that occupied hundreds of mu and had a riding ground, a fishing pavilion, and a large garden.
However, in the original body’s memories, the Qi family old residence was exactly the same as the one Chu Mingwan had seen in the novel, which was why the original body became resentful and vented all of his anger on an innocent little cub.
From a penniless wage slave to a rich family stepfather with a detached, standalone big villa, Chu Mingwan practically wanted to jump on the spot to express how happy he was. Setting everything else aside, just getting a life for free was already the most worth celebrating thing!
Oh yeah, Chu Mingwan, the newly promoted little rich man, wandered back and forth inside his big villa several times and finally calmed his cheerful mood. Then he quietly tiptoed to the outside of the little cub’s Moon Room.
Because Mumu had been born prematurely, he was somewhat congenitally underdeveloped compared to ordinary children. At the age of three and a half, he should have been going to kindergarten for the small class, but for Mumu, he could only stay at home and take some introductory lessons.
Calling them introductory lessons was just a polite way of putting it, really. In truth, it was just the family tutor taking him to play some puzzle-like little games.
While Chu Mingwan was digesting, the family tutor had already finished class and left. At this moment, Mumu was in his Moon Room, playing the little game the tutor had taught him.
“This thing is too sharp, it’s not suitable for children to play with. Grandma will help you put it away first.” Just as Chu Mingwan was about to push the door open and go in, a somewhat sharp voice sounded at that very moment.
Inside the Moon Room, the building block Mumu had in his hands was forcefully snatched away by the nanny grandma beside him. The little cub did not dare make any resistance, and those black-and-white clear big eyes were filled with fear.
Grandma had snatched away his toy again, and afterward she would definitely tell his stepfather that he was too naughty, that was why he had deliberately thrown away the toy. The stepfather, who had only just been a little nicer to him, would definitely think again that he was a bad child who was not obedient.
Pat, pat. Big drops of tears fell from the little cub’s eyes, but Mumu did not dare snatch the thing back. Grandma would use her long nails to pinch his waist and back, and it hurt so, so much.
Every time Zhang Ma was assigned to come watch Mumu play, seeing the little cub’s shrinking, trembling figure, her face was full of viciousness and arrogance over a child.
So what if he was a rich family’s child? Wasn’t he just a child born with a mother but raised without one, an illegitimate child? In their village, both adults and children like that would be pointed at and cursed. This little cub was lucky to be able to live in such a big villa.
Thinking of this, Zhang Ma grew even more indignant. She reached out and snatched away the other toys beside Mumu as well. These were all top-quality foreign-brand goods. Just this set of building blocks alone was worth more than half of their family’s daily expenses for half a year. She could take them home later for her little grandson to play with, or let her daughter-in-law sell them cheaply on a secondhand platform.
Before that fake young master from the Chu family had even married in, Zhang Ma had already secretly begun bullying the little cub. But back then, the butler watched closely, so she still knew enough to restrain herself a little.
But ever since the original body married into the Qi family and Zhang Ma discovered that he would make a cold face at the little cub at the drop of a hat, she became even more unscrupulous, as if she had some kind of backing.
Outside the room, Chu Mingwan’s face immediately turned red with anger. But afraid of frightening Mumu, he did not immediately push the door open. Instead, he walked lightly to the first-floor living room and beckoned to another nanny.
Chu Mingwan said something in a low voice, and that nanny instantly widened her eyes. But she quickly reacted and hurriedly nodded, saying, “Madam, rest assured, I know what to do.”
“As long as you handle it beautifully, everything searched out from Zhang Xuefen will be yours.” Chu Mingwan was not stingy at all with the little stolen goods Zhang Ma had pilfered. Compared with that, his own good cub was naturally more important.
After giving that nanny a few more instructions, Chu Mingwan turned to the kitchen to get some fruit platters that the little cub liked to eat, and then, as if nothing had happened, lifted a foot and headed upstairs.
Only the nanny standing downstairs clearly saw that madam’s steps were much faster than before. She did not dare think any further about random things, and lowered her head to honestly continue with the work in her hands.
Zhang Ma stuck one hand behind the stool and viciously pinched Mumu’s lower back twice. The little cub hurt so much that tears fell pattering down.
Right at this moment, the room door was knocked from outside. Zhang Ma jumped in surprise and hurriedly withdrew her hand, and at the same time shot the little cub a warning glare.
Mumu was tightly clutching a box of White Rabbit milk candy. That was candy his stepfather especially liked to eat. He wanted to save that candy for his stepfather, which was why Grandma had pinched the flesh at his waist again.
Seeing that Zhang Ma still had not come to open the door after a long while, Chu Mingwan knocked harder, his expression already extremely ugly.
After a good while, Zhang Ma came over and opened the room door. Seeing Chu Mingwan standing at the door, she gave a simple, honest smile and struck first. “Mumu doesn’t know where he threw the building blocks again. He’s crying terribly right now, I’m just accompanying Mumu to look for the building blocks!”
Chu Mingwan did not bother with Zhang Ma, but the original body had always been a spoiled young master type. After moving into the villa, he also never gave these helpers a good face, so Zhang Ma did not notice anything wrong.
“Zhang Ma should go and get busy first, I’ll stay here and play with Mumu for a while.” Chu Mingwan saw the canvas bag beside the little cub’s desk. Even though he clearly knew what was inside, he still put on the same expression the original body would have when angry, his face full of disgust. “Throw your bag out. How many times have I said it? I have a cleanliness obsession, do not bring your personal belongings into the villa. Dirty things like that are disgusting just to look at.”
Seeing that the canvas bag she had hidden behind the desk had been discovered by Chu Mingwan, Zhang Ma’s heart could not help but pound violently. She also did not have the mind to feel annoyed at the extremely insulting words Chu Mingwan had used. She repeatedly nodded, saying that she had forgotten again, and under Chu Mingwan’s increasingly disgusted gaze, she quickly picked up her canvas bag and went outside.
“Little papa, eat candy.” The room door had only just been hurriedly pulled shut from outside by Zhang Ma, and Chu Mingwan turned to look at the little cub, only to see that the little cub was holding a small box of milk candies and offering it to him.
Because he had just cried, the little cub’s watery big eyes were a little red and swollen, which made Chu Mingwan even more heartbroken. “Thank you, good cub. Look quickly, Dad brought a lot of fruit that you like to eat!”
The fruit on the plate had been carved by the chef into the shapes of various little animals, making it look adorable beyond words. Mumu had already been very happy that his stepfather accepted his candy, and now he smiled even more brightly with surprise.
Chu Mingwan picked up a little cat-shaped piece of cantaloupe and casually stuffed it into the little cub’s mouth. Watching Mumu crunch away, the newly minted dad once again showed a smitten expression, his own good cub truly looked adorable no matter how you looked at him!