The problem was resolved, and Tang Mingchuan put down his phone. His biggest regret was not warning Lin Xi earlier about Chen Siyi, which resulted in the poor girl being so scared today. Tang Mingchuan poured a glass of warm water in the kitchen and walked over to the sofa, handing it to Lin Xi to drink.
"Little girl, come have some water," Tang Mingchuan's tone was gentle, like coaxing a child, afraid of scaring Lin Xi again. Lin Xi sat quietly on the sofa, her expression wooden, not saying a word, just holding the water glass and sipping it slowly.
"It's okay now, don't be afraid," seeing Lin Xi like this, Tang Mingchuan became even more worried. Tang Mingchuan held Lin Xi's head, carefully pressing it against his chest, wanting to give her some comfort. Lin Xi listened quietly to Tang Mingchuan's heartbeat, which was strong, giving her a sense of security.
"A-Chuan..." Lin Xi whispered Tang Mingchuan's name softly. Lin Xi had many things she wanted to say to him, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know how to start.
"Hmm?" Tang Mingchuan held Lin Xi, feeling her hesitation. Lin Xi rubbed her head against Tang Mingchuan's chest, causing him to tense up, feeling a bit flustered.
"Little girl, don't move," Tang Mingchuan's voice sounded hoarse, and his gaze grew deeper. Lin Xi blushed and dared not move again.
After holding her quietly for a while, Tang Mingchuan's breathing became steady, and his eyes became clear.
"I told you not to go there, right? Why don't you listen?" Tang Mingchuan lightly scolded Lin Xi, though his actions showed no sign of anger.
Suddenly, Lin Xi's eyes welled up with tears. She had intended to blink them back, but unexpectedly, large tears fell straight onto Tang Mingchuan's body. Tang Mingchuan's heart ached as the tears hit him. Tang Mingchuan cradled Lin Xi's face, her cheeks wet with tears, looking at him with watery eyes, full of grievance.
"Alright, I was wrong to scold you. I shouldn't have said that," Tang Mingchuan patiently comforted her, gently wiping away the tears from Lin Xi's face with his hands.
Lin Xi sniffled, "A-Chuan, I was really afraid today that I wouldn't see you." Lin Xi's voice sounded nasal with tears. When she was cornered by the big man earlier, she had been thinking only of Tang Mingchuan, eagerly awaiting his rescue. Tang Mingchuan kissed Lin Xi's forehead, "Good girl, don't be afraid of anything. As long as I'm here, I'll take care of everything for you." He just wanted to protect the little girl well, so innocent and beautiful, she shouldn't be disturbed.
"Gurgle, gurgle..." At this tender moment, Lin Xi's stomach grumbled untimely. It was already late, and she hadn't had dinner yet.
Lin Xi felt embarrassed by the untimely grumbling of her stomach. Just scared a moment ago, now coming back to her senses, she was really hungry.
Tang Mingchuan chuckled, knowing that her hunger meant her mood had improved significantly.
"You little glutton, what do you want to eat? I'll make it for you," Tang Mingchuan patted Lin Xi's head.
"Can you cook? I want noodles," Lin Xi expressed doubt. Tang Mingchuan didn't seem like someone who could cook.
Tang Mingchuan smiled, "I learned before," without elaborating further.
Tang Mingchuan's childhood was difficult. His mother worked hard, often neglecting him. At a young age, he started cooking for himself. At first, he didn't know how to cook, often burning or cutting himself, but he endured it silently. As he grew older, his cooking skills improved, but his mother didn't stay with him for long. Eventually, he went abroad, facing many hardships. He was grateful to have made it through and built a life for himself, meeting his cute little girl. Tang Mingchuan didn't want to burden Lin Xi with his past, preferring her to focus on happiness.
He went to the kitchen to cook for Lin Xi, while Lin Xi sat alone on the sofa, looking around Tang Mingchuan's home. Tang Mingchuan's home was not large, with a simple and minimalist decor, mainly in black and white tones. This decoration style suited Tang Mingchuan's personality well.
Lin Xi's gaze swept over a bookshelf, where she noticed a transparent glass jar filled with pink candies. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the bag of candies she had given Tang Mingchuan. The jar was placed on the shelf as if it were a treasure, as if afraid it would break if handled carelessly.
Lin Xi felt warm inside, knowing that Tang Mingchuan was carefully preserving the gift she had given him. Girls were always touched by such inadvertent details, and Tang Mingchuan's affection for Lin Xi was deep.
After a while, Tang Mingchuan walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of noodles.
"Come, have some food, little girl," Tang Mingchuan said with a smile.
Lin Xi ran over, her mouth watering at the smell of the noodles. Tang Mingchuan's culinary skills were indeed excellent, with just the right amount of seasoning. Afraid that Lin Xi wouldn't eat enough, he added ham and fried egg to her noodles.
Lin Xi was very hungry and quickly finished her noodles, not wanting to leave any.
"It's so delicious, I want to eat this for the rest of my life," Lin Xi patted her stomach and blurted out her true feelings.
Tang Mingchuan's eyes were burning, and his little girl said that she wanted to eat his cooking for the rest of her life.
She would be with him forever. Thinking of her whole life, Tang Mingchuan was so excited that he picked Lin Xi up and picked her up.
Lin Xi was startled by his actions: "What, what are you doing?" Her tone was coquettish, with the shyness unique to her daughter's family.
Tang Mingchuan suddenly wanted to scare the little girl in a wicked way.
He lowered his head and approached Lin Xi and said in a hoarse voice: "A man and a woman alone, alone in a room, what do you think I want to do?"
Tang Mingchuan's voice was very seductive, and Lin Xi's face instantly turned red.