Jiang Cheng crouched down to Annie and said, "Big brother's going to eat; hurry and find your mom."
Seeing the tactic fail, Annie rolled her eyes and instantly pouted, "Can you take me to find my mom?"
Jiang Cheng glanced at the others. "I've got something tonight; go look for your mom yourself."
"But my mom's eating with someone; I don't like it, and she doesn't either."
Cornered by Annie, Jiang Cheng had no choice but to let Wang Jian and the rest go in and order first.
After the group left, Jiang Cheng asked Annie,
"naughty child… is your mom on another blind date?"
Annie's lips shot sky-high as she cooed, "Hmph, Brother Jiang Cheng, you used to hide it, but now you actually call me naughty child. I'm upset. I'm not a naughty child—I'm going to marry you someday…"
"Then how will you prove you're not a naughty child?"
Jiang Cheng's question seemed tricky; the little one frowned for ages and said, "I didn't run off today, I even made big sister tag along, and I didn't make trouble—I was super good! Right, big brother, you're only eleven years older than me, so stop saying that, okay? I'm already in third grade; I'll be a grown-up soon."
By the end she looked desperate for praise.
Jiang Cheng could only palm his face in defeat. When Annie turned eighteen, he would be exactly twenty-nine… stop, stop, don't go there.
Not just Jiang Cheng—the female Bodyguard behind Annie wore the same wry smile.
"Oh, Brother Jiang Cheng, last time you promised to take my mom and me out to play. You still haven't taken me—when will we go?" Annie's tiny soft hands tugged at him, wheedling.
"Well… you'll have to ask your mom."
"Ah, why are you two like this? My mom says the same thing. Hmph, I think you're both tricking me."
With that, Annie's squishy cheeks puffed up and her mouth slowly flattened, on the verge of tears.
Seeing she might wail any second, Jiang Cheng rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Alright, don't cry. It's just a day out—wherever you want to go, I'll come with you."
The moment he said it Annie looked up; meeting his gaze, her little face bloomed into a sweet, delighted smile.
Two chubby short arms instantly hugged Jiang Cheng's thigh again.
Tilting her soft little face up triumphantly, she said, "Brother Jiang Cheng, you promised—keep your word."
Watching her flip faster than a book, Jiang Cheng felt he'd been played.
Already so slick at seven—she'll be formidable when she grows up… no, stop thinking. "Fine, but haven't school terms started?"
The question made Annie's lips shoot up again. "Mom says we're going back to Chengdu for school in a couple days. I don't want to go—I want to stay in Shanghai. Can you talk to her? We've got a house here, so Mom could come find you all the time."
"Annie, big brother can't decide that. Go back to school for now; when vacation comes I'll visit you."
"That's ages away—what if I miss you?" She hugged his thigh even tighter.
Helpless, Jiang Cheng pried her tiny hands loose and squatted to meet her eyes…