In the evening, Jada sat on the sofa while the little girl, Yuuki, chattered endlessly beside her, embellishing the tale of the crazy things Ren had done that afternoon.
After listening to the little girl's account, Jada dismissed the parts that were obviously impossible and ended up staring at Ren, speechless.
He had actually stolen his own daughter's snacks?
Could he really do something so outrageous?
"Why are you looking at me? It was the snacks that started it!" Ren muttered under his breath when he noticed Jada staring at him.
It really wasn't his fault.
Who could resist when those snacks were lying so temptingly on the table, just like a beautiful woman lying naked in front of a man, making all sorts of provocative poses? Ren felt that very few men could resist that.
Even if they didn't go all the way, their little brother would surely stand tall and proud, right?
He, Ren, had simply made a mistake that any man might make.
"So, what were you thinking?" Jada crossed her legs, her toes wrapped in black stockings swaying enticingly before Ren's eyes.
Ren thought he could worship those legs for a year until they broke.
Of course, he'd only show such bold thoughts after they were officially married. For now, he had to act the gentleman in front of Jada.
That's how men are! Before marriage, they hide their flaws and magnify their virtues, then slowly reveal a little more after the wedding, and once accustomed, they show everything. By then, the woman is too used to it all.
Clearing his throat and avoiding looking lower, Ren put on an expression of a virtuous man and pondered for a moment before saying, "What was I thinking? Well, the other snacks were okay, but the cheese sticks—I don't think they were tasty. They weren't sour enough to be called sour, nor sweet enough to be sweet, they tasted kind of off."
Jada was baffled. Was that really what she had asked about? She wanted to know what he was thinking when he decided to steal his daughter's snacks!
The little girl, Yuuki, was even more displeased. Not only had her father stolen her snacks, but he also dared to say they weren't tasty! That was her second favorite snack!
With tears welling up in her eyes, she turned to Jada with a sobbing voice, "Mommy…"
Although she only said two words, Jada understood the little girl's grievance. She even felt a moment of dissatisfaction with Ren and gestured to him with a curled finger, "Come here, stick out your bottom."
"Ah?"
Ren's thoughts wandered off track, becoming awkward, and he whispered to Jada, not realizing their daughter was present, "Isn't this inappropriate? The kid is right here."
Jada's forehead vein popped as she sucked in a breath, then began to kick Ren's rear.
Of course, she only used some force for the first few kicks; the rest were just for show to let her daughter see she was taking action, otherwise, the little girl might hold a grudge for a long time.
Realizing Jada's intentions, Ren pretended to be in pain, making all sorts of agonized noises as if the kicks really hurt.
After a while, Ren lay sprawled on the sofa, covering his bottom.
Seeing Ren's pained expression melted the kind-hearted little girl's heart. Although she wanted her mom to teach him a lesson, seeing him in such pain made her feel sorry for him.
She jumped down from the sofa, ran to Ren's side, and looked at him with concern, "Daddy, are you okay?"
Seeing his daughter's worried look warmed Ren's heart.
Indeed, this child was his little angel. He decided he really couldn't bully her anymore and would try not to sneak her snacks... well, he will try his best.
Ren made a painful resolution in his heart and smiled at her, "Daddy's fine. This is the punishment I deserve for stealing Yueyue's snacks."
He played the part convincingly.
Jada couldn't help but laugh, attracting the little girl's attention, who then pouted, "Mommy, you're laughing! And after you hit Daddy so hard! What if Daddy runs away from home again?"
Ren pursed his lips, afraid to laugh out loud for fear that Jada's anger might turn on him.
Jada's expression stiffened momentarily.
Which side was her child really on?
But, after all, it was her child. Even if she was angry, as long as the little girl hadn't made a significant mistake, Jada couldn't bear to scold her. Taking a deep breath, she said, "
Yes, it's my fault. Yueyue, why don't you go out for a bit? Didn't your dad buy you a lot of snacks this afternoon?"
"Um... oh yeah." The little girl's fingers wandered to her mouth as she remembered the big bag of snacks inside the house, cheering as she ran out.
Left alone in the living room with Ren, Jada kicked him lightly with the tip of her toe, "Still acting?"
"Heh." Ren chuckled and quickly sat up, "Is there something you want to talk about?"
Since Jada had sent their daughter away, Ren figured it must be something work-related.
And the only possibility he could think of was about the comics, right?
Everyone who read his comics knew they were likely coming to an end.
"Do you want me to start a new series?" Ren asked.
"No." Jada shook her head, smiling, "If you want to draw, of course, I'd be happy, but it's okay if you don't want to. After all, I've found a famous manga artist. I just... want to say thank you."
Only a genius knew how tired she had been managing the company she had taken over from her late parents, struggling up to this point. When the company was losing people massively, she even felt despair.
But Ren had stood up, supporting the manga all this time.
"Oh, it's nothing." Ren waved his hand nonchalantly, then seriously added, "You've thanked me several times already, you're too polite. Isn't this what I should do?"
Then stretching lazily, he continued, "But since you've found a manga artist, I guess I can retire. Compared to being a manga artist, I prefer being a kept man."
Thinking of the future, Ren felt even better. His future wife's company was back on track, he already had a daughter, and soon he might have a son for a perfect family. After settling down, he'd bring his future wife to meet his parents, living happily ever after.
But he didn't know that he would soon be wrestling with manga again.
----------
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating