Shi Xinxin casually found a seat and sat down, with Xiao Yu following closely behind.
He secretly glanced at Sheng Chenjin, who was paying at the counter, and his face was full of admiration. "Mommy, look, Daddy is indeed a man with great responsibility!"
Shi Xinxin naturally knew Sheng Chenjin was paying. She used hot water to scald the utensils and sneered, "Just now, didn't you say you were friends with him? Why have you become father and son now?"
Xiao Yu playfully stuck out his tongue. "I just wanted to sigh with emotion, after all, there aren't many men like Daddy who are so responsible."
"Heh." Shi Xinxin poured tea. The sound of tea dripping into the cup was accompanied by her voice. "There are so many men in the world, and I must have him?"
Xiao Yu nodded. "Yes, yes, I think Mommy and Daddy are simply a match made in heaven, no one in the whole universe can compare."
This flattery was almost reaching the heavens. Shi Xinxin gave him a speechless look and stopped talking.
At the counter, Sheng Chenjin took the change and handed it to the two little dumplings beside him. "Go buy what you want."
Xiao Qian didn't take it, but Xiao Jie thought of something and happily took the banknotes.
Sheng Chenjin smiled and ruffled his head.
"Auntie, please don't put cilantro in one bowl..." Xiao Qian hadn't finished speaking to the waitress when Xiao Jie pulled him aside.
Facing his surprised gaze, Xiao Jie went to Sheng Chenjin and whispered, "Daddy, Mommy doesn't like cilantro."
Sheng Chenjin paused, raised an eyebrow, and looked at the little dumpling in front of him, who was less than his knees. He then nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of your Mommy."
Xiao Jie then pulled Xiao Qian back to their seats.
"Mommy." Xiao Jie, with a smile, placed the banknotes in his hand on Shi Xinxin's table.
Seeing the smile on the little guy's face, Shi Xinxin felt a bit puzzled, instinctively feeling that Xiao Jie must be up to something mischievous.
She looked down at the banknotes on the table. The denominations were quite large.
"What? You're trying to appease me with money because you angered me just now?" Shi Xinxin looked at the smiling Xiao Jie.
Xiao Jie shook his head mysteriously. "No, no, no, this is money Daddy specifically gave Mommy to buy snacks."
Sheng Chenjin happened to walk to the dining table and overheard this.
His gaze followed to the table, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
This kid was really trying to trick his dad. What kind of CEO buys snacks for his beloved wife with only a few tens of dollars?
Shi Xinxin was first incredulous, then she laughed. "No way, when did you guys think Daddy was so poor? He's embarrassed to even take out a few tens of dollars."
Xiao Yu instantly understood the expression on Xiao Jie's face. He put on a serious face. "Mommy, what you said is not right. A small gift carries great meaning. Daddy's feelings for you are hundreds of times more than these few banknotes!"
Sheng Chenjin also walked over and sat opposite Shi Xinxin, confirming. "Yes, Xiao Yu is right. These things indeed cannot fully represent my feelings."
Why did he have to join in the fun? Shi Xinxin's expression immediately turned displeased.
She took out her wallet. "Excluding your bowl, how much is it in total? I'll transfer it to you."
Sheng Chenjin loosened the buttons on his shirt sleeves and said nonchalantly, "It's just a few bowls of noodles. I can afford this much money."
Shi Xinxin's hand movement stopped, and she looked at him. "Who asked you to treat? You're being self-important."
Seeing Mommy being as aggressive as a machine gun, the atmosphere was about to turn stiff.
Xiao Qian quickly stepped in to ease the tension. "Mommy, this is Daddy's kind gesture, and also compensation for us."
Sheng Chenjin followed by hugging Xiao Qian. "Yes, this is my compensation for the children. After all, I haven't fulfilled my fatherly duties since they were born, and I feel very guilty."
As soon as she heard it was about the birth of the three little ones, Shi Xinxin's expression softened considerably.
Before she had reconnected with the Shi family, she could still clearly remember the feeling of lying alone on the cold operating table.
At that time, it felt as if the endless coldness around her seeped into her bones through the air, leaving a deep imprint on her memory.
"Alright then, this bill will be counted as part of your compensation," Shi Xinxin said indifferently.
But only those who knew her well would know that this was an attitude of letting go.
The three little ones naturally understood their mother's emotions at this moment and laughed happily.
"But." Shi Xinxin's tone changed.
She looked up at Sheng Chenjin. "Don't even think about taking the three children away from me, or I will absolutely not rest until I die!"
By the end, Shi Xinxin emphasized her words, one by one.
A smile gradually appeared in Sheng Chenjin's eyes, but his face was serious as he nodded. "Okay, I promise you."
Only then did Shi Xinxin's attitude towards him change slightly.
Just then, the five bowls of noodles were all served. The steaming aroma wafted through the air, making the three little ones incredibly eager.
Shi Xinxin was about to pick up her chopsticks to pick up noodles when she suddenly saw the green cilantro on top of the noodles...
Her appetite, which had just been whetted by the aroma, instantly vanished.
Just as Shi Xinxin was worrying about how to get rid of all that cilantro, a pair of chopsticks suddenly appeared in front of her.
Looking up, she saw a pair of well-proportioned hands.
"You..." Shi Xinxin looked at the person in front of her with some hesitation.
"You're not going to haggle with me over these cilantro, are you?" Sheng Chenjin smiled at her. "I happen to like eating cilantro, but there's just a little too much in this bowl."
How could Shi Xinxin haggle with him over the unpalatable cilantro? She was grateful enough.
But her mood was a little complicated now.
Until Sheng Chenjin looked up again, glanced at the noodles in her bowl, and then at her, "Hurry up and eat, or the noodles will get mushy later."
Shi Xinxin had no choice but to temporarily set aside those complex emotions and eat the bowl of noodles without cilantro.
The three little ones watched the entire scene from the side and then felt a little relieved, starting to eat their noodles.
This noodle shop was an old establishment in the city. The broth was simmered to a pulp, and the freshly separated noodles were filled with soup. They were sour, sweet, and refreshing to eat.
Shi Xinxin quickly finished her bowl of noodles.
She wiped her mouth with a tissue, quite satisfied. "The noodles here are indeed good. Once you've had them, you'll never forget them."
Xiao Qian slurped a noodle and also praised her. "Mommy, you used to say that if possible, you'd want to eat the noodles from this place for every meal."
"Yes," Shi Xinxin said with some regret, stirring the noodle soup with a spoon. "It's a pity they don't deliver. Otherwise, I'd order this for every meal."
Sheng Chenjin put down his bowl and chopsticks, lost in thought.
Seeing that the three little ones were almost done eating, Shi Xinxin picked up her bag. "Let's go."
They arrived outside the noodle shop and saw that the sky had completely darkened, with a few stars dotting the sky and the moonlight dim.
"Thank you for today. I'll treat next time."