Chapter 488: Chapter 488

Xiao Huaili watched as Mai Qiqi slammed the door with an unhappy look, so he nervously asked:

"Mr. Mai, the woman just now seemed pretty fierce. Did she upset you?" He had just seen in the car that the woman was quite mean to Mai Qiqi and wanted to get out to help, but Chen Ke stopped him.

"She’s someone of no concern, don’t worry about her." Facing Little Lizzi’s concern, Mai Qiqi softened her expression and said.

"Oh." Xiao Huaili nodded.

Mai Qiqi patted his and Erya’s heads, and smiling, she said to Erya: "Erya, our new home is about to come into view. Remember what your teacher said, right? When we arrive, be happy and greet Grandpa and Granny politely."

"Okay, I remember." Erya nodded nervously.

Up ahead, Chen Ke slightly raised his eyebrows, looking straight ahead.

Under Mai Qiqi’s guidance, the car soon arrived in front of the Mai Family’s villa.

Knowing their daughter would return to Beijing today, Mr. Mai, Mrs. Mai, Grandpa Mai, and Granny Mai had been waiting early on. Before the car even stopped steadily, Mrs. Mai rushed over, and Mr. Mai and the others stood in place with concerned faces.

Seeing her relatives, Mai Qiqi grew excited, her face filled with a smile, but her eyes began to redden.

She pushed open the car door and threw herself toward her mother.

"Qiqi, you’re finally back."

Mother and daughter embraced tightly, both with eyes reddened.

Xiao Huaili, holding his younger sister, obediently exited the car and stood timidly at the front of it. This environment was far beyond his imagination; everywhere were beautiful Western-style buildings, the road was spacious and clean, even cleaner than the village chief’s place, and there were lots of pretty flowers planted on the side. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI~Fire.net

Most importantly, Mr. Mai’s family members were all so different from anyone they had met before, so wealthy and high-ranking that it made them afraid to speak out of turn.

Mrs. Mai, after a long moment, finally let go of her daughter and looked her up and down, feeling a pang of distress. "How did you get so tan and thin? Just look at your rough skin and hair. You should go to the beauty salon tomorrow for some good care."

Although her whole appearance was coarse, she also noticed that her daughter’s expression had become much more relaxed, without the previous frustration and feigned joy.

Mai Qiqi giggled: "No matter how I change, aren’t I still your dear daughter?"

Seeing her daughter laughing carefree, a weight lifted from Mrs. Mai’s heart. It seemed that the trip away had been beneficial. She laughed and said:

"Indeed, for a lifetime, you’ll always be the dear daughter in your mother’s heart."

Mai Qiqi smiled again and waved to her grandparents and father at the door. Then, glimpsing Chen Ke silently moving luggage from the car, she remembered Xiao Huaili and Erya, quickly turned around, and pulled them, one by hand, before her mother.

"Dad, Mom, these are Little Lizzi and Erya, the ones I told you about over the phone."

Adopting these two children had been discussed and strongly supported by her family.

Xiao Huaili and Erya firmly remembered Mai Qiqi’s earlier instructions, immediately bowed and said in unison: "Grandpa, Granny, great-grandpa, great-grandma, good day, I am Xiao Huaili (Erya)."

Well-behaved children are always endearing. Mother Mai smiled tenderly and stroked Erya’s hair, saying, "Good child, this will be your home from now on."

Grandpa Mai also rarely showed a smile, nodding his head towards the two little ones. For the Mai Family, adopting two children wasn’t a big deal, as long as their granddaughter was happy.

The family walked into the house, full of love for each other, with no one remembering Chen Ke. His luggage, which he had placed on the ground, had already been brought into the house by the Mai Family’s nanny.

Chen Ke hesitated for a second, wondering whether to say goodbye. After pondering, he decided to leave it as it was. When had he ever been sentimental? Thus, he climbed back into the driver’s seat, started the car, shifted into reverse gear, and right before pressing the accelerator, Mrs. Mai suddenly started, as if remembering something, and hurriedly let go of her daughter’s arm to turn around and call out:

"Hey, young man, stop!"

Chen Ke responded quickly, his foot moving from the accelerator to the brake, smoothly bringing the car to a stop. He looked puzzledly towards Mrs. Mai who had walked in front of the car.

The Mai Family also stopped and turned around to look. Like Chen Ke, Mai Qiqi was also confused and asked, "Mom, what’s wrong?" She also secretly exclaimed in her heart for having forgotten about Chen Ke.

Not to mention that Chen Ke had escorted them all the way back to Beijing, but considering that he had saved her in Huangjia Gully and just now chased away Xu Jiaojiao at the gate, she shouldn’t have forgotten about Chen Ke.

But why did her mother call Chen Ke back?

Mrs. Mai didn’t pay attention to her daughter but smiled at Chen Ke instead, "Young man, what should I call you?"

"Hello, Auntie. My name is Chen Ke." Although he was puzzled, Chen Ke politely replied to Mrs. Mai’s question.

"Chen Ke? That’s a nice name, straightforward and sharp. Xiao Chen, where do you work?" Mrs. Mai continued to ask with a warm smile.

Chen Ke’s eyes flickered slightly before he stepped out of the car and stood before Mother Mai, "I am a soldier serving in the XXX army of the Northwest Military Region."

Hearing his steady voice, Mr. Mai’s eyes flashed with interest, and he walked a few steps forward, casually asking:

"Is Prosecutor General Chen Yijiang related to you?"

Chen Ke paused, inwardly admiring Father Mai’s sharpness, and truthfully replied, "That is my father."

Mr. Mai uttered an "Oh" and said no more, while Mrs. Mai’s smile became even warmer, "Xiao Chen, it was so kind of you to drive Qiqi and the children back home. How could you think of leaving quietly without saying a word? Come inside to rest and have a cup of water."

The more Mai Qiqi listened, the more stunned she felt. When she heard her mother invite Chen Ke as a guest to their house, a troubling thought crossed her mind, and she called out with resignation, "Mom, Chen Ke is busy with other things, he doesn’t have time to come to our house for water."

At the same time, she gave her mother a significant look: Great-grandma, please don’t stir things up! I’ve just come back today; let me have some peace. It’s fine to thank Chen Ke, but great-grandma obviously has some unclear intentions.

It was utterly unimaginable. The two of them were not a match at all. Great-grandma’s attempts would only be vain and rather awkward.

Mrs. Mai completely ignored her daughter’s look and continued to invite Chen Ke warmly, "Regardless of what business you have, you can’t just work all the time. Xiao Chen, what kind of tea do you like? Your Uncle Mai has just got half a pound of good tea, come and try some."

Mai Qiqi was speechless. She widened her eyes and turned to signal her father: Come and take care of your wife.

Mr. Mai spread his hands, indicating he was helpless to assist his daughter.

Catching Mai Qiqi’s expression and gestures out of the corner of his eye, Chen Ke felt frustrated. How much did this girl dislike him? The look in his eyes subtly shifted, and he tipped his chin up, displaying a smile of deferential compliance.

"Since Auntie insists so warmly, I shall respectfully comply with the request and apologize for the intrusion."