Became a vicious male mother

196

Look, this person is pitifully thin after taking off his coat, his hands are covered in chilblains and calluses, not to mention his face, which is covered in sunspots.

The two had almost finished eating, and Gu Xinglan occasionally glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window out of the corner of her eye.

The streetlights outside illuminated the gate in a stark contrast of black and white; the black was metal, and the white was frost, and there was no one in sight.

Li Hetai went to the company with him at noon. The questions he asked and the incident of smashing the phone were like a distant memory, and the two of them still interacted in the same way as before.

He accidentally slept in late at the company, and when he woke up, he couldn't find him no matter how hard he looked, so he simply came back by himself.

It's almost 8 o'clock now, and Li Hetai still hasn't returned.

Looking at the phone, where Li Huiwen denied the news that Li Hetai had returned to the villa, she couldn't help but feel even more puzzled.

Not at the company, not at the Changgu villa, and in this freezing weather, where else could I go? I certainly couldn't be selling matches on the street.

"Uncle, give me your bowl."

"No need, I'll take it to the machine to wash." Gu Xinglan was just about to put the dishes into the dishwasher.

Zhang Cheng quickly stood in front of the machine and shook his head, "Aunt Chen said that using the machine wastes water and electricity and doesn't get it as clean as hand washing. It has to be hand washing... I'll do it."

The more he spoke, the less confident he became. Zhang Cheng couldn't see the true face of the unfamiliar uncle in front of him; all he could see was a pale mask.

His best skill in reading people's expressions was useless; he couldn't tell whether the person in front of him was angry or disgusted.

"Alright, the machine will age if you don't use it. If you don't use it for a day, it will start to age."

Zhang Cheng was stunned by these words.

-

As night fell and it was time to sleep, Gu Xinglan tossed and turned, unable to get through the task of counting sheep in her mind.

Because lifespan is passing.

All he could think about was where that kid Li Hetai had gone.

If he sleeps for seven hours, he will lose seven survival hours.

In the quiet, faint sounds of water and squeaking could be heard.

His eyes lit up, and he immediately climbed out of bed and rushed downstairs.

There was indeed someone downstairs, but it wasn't the one he was thinking of.

"It's already midnight, why aren't you asleep yet?" Gu Xinglan pulled her coat over her shoulder and walked to the mop bucket.

The boy in front of me clearly had dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion.

"I... I can't seem to get into my room..." Zhang Cheng held a mop in his left hand and scratched his head with his right.

Can't get in?

The room Zhang Cheng mentioned was actually a small room on the top floor, and it was cold.

There are no radiators or underfloor heating on the top floor; the only warmth comes from the faint heat emanating from downstairs.

The area around the doorknob of the small room was covered in dust, and it was impossible to open it even with force.

The other rooms were also locked, and he couldn't get into any of the smart locks no matter how hard he tried.

Except for the room he's sleeping in now.

"I'm fine with sleeping on the sofa."

Zhang Cheng huffed and puffed as he mopped the floor, a hint of happiness on his face.

"What's so great about you sleeping on the sofa?" Gu Xinglan snatched the mop. "Besides, isn't there a robot vacuum cleaner?"

After saying that, Gu Xinglan went to press the switch, but Zhang Cheng stopped her again.

The boy's rosy cheeks showed his opposition. "Aunt Chen doesn't allow anyone to use this machine when she's not around."

My dear child, they're just messing with you. While you're away, these machines run day and night. If one isn't enough, they use two; if two aren't enough, they use four. They're running like crazy.

"Use it when you need to. This thing was bought to make life easier, not as a decoration."

Zhang Chengleng muttered under his breath, "But Aunt Chen..."

Gu Xinglan frowned and interrupted, "You've been working so hard mopping the floor, but it can finish in just a few minutes. You can use the time you save to rest. Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy."

Zhang Cheng glanced at the mop, then at the person in front of him, and finally gave in, "Well... alright then."

As soon as the button was pressed, the machine started working silently, rotating and moving – a scene never seen in rural areas.

No matter how many times you watch it, it will still feel new and exciting.

Zhang Cheng watched it nimbly turn around on the floor, his eyes filled with envy.

"Alright, leave the floor to it, I'll take you to rest." Gu Xinglan smiled and patted the boy's shoulder gently.

After he finished speaking, he was about to go up, but the people behind him did not follow for a long time.

Gu Xinglan: "?"

"I'll sleep on the sofa," Zhang Cheng said, clutching his clothes, his eyes darting around.

“I’ll sleep on the sofa, you sleep in the room. If you get sick, I won’t be able to take care of you. I have important business to attend to tomorrow.” Gu Xinglan sighed. “Come on, let’s go upstairs together.”

The two walked one after the other, the former striding briskly, the latter taking two steps at a time, walking awkwardly, until they reached a room on the second floor.

The door has graffiti and basketball posters.

Zhang Cheng was a little nervous and whispered a reminder, "Uncle, that's my brother's room, you can't just go in..."

Before he could finish speaking, the smart lock on the door recognized him and opened a crack.

Gu Xinglan pushed open the door and pulled Zhang Cheng inside.

The room was spacious, bright, and very warm. The bed was covered with soft blankets, and the bookshelves were filled with various game consoles and comics, not to mention the large toys on the floor.

As a result, the boy kept resisting his hand and soon managed to escape.

“That’s my brother’s room. He’ll hit people.”

Zhang Cheng recalled the last time his sister asked him to go to his brother's room to get something. After he was caught, he was beaten so badly that his hands ached for days afterward.

Fear and resistance were so obvious that they were practically written on every pore of the boy's skin.

Gu Xinglan didn't say anything. He leisurely picked up a water glass, filled it with water, drank it, went into the bathroom to run hot water, tidied up the books scattered on the bookshelf, and the quilt on the bed. He took out a new quilt from the dressing room.

Only after he had finished everything did he say to the person at the door, "I'm sleeping in this room for now. Please come in. I've prepared hot water for you."

Those at the door were stunned by what Gu Xinglan had done inside.

Gu Xinglan pulled him into the room, her hand no longer showing the resistance she had shown earlier.

He sat the boy on the bed and made the bed for him.

"Alright, that's settled then. I'm going downstairs now."

Before leaving, perhaps because the bed was too soft and comfortable, and the room was too warm, Zhang Cheng couldn't get up at all. He almost felt trapped in the room, the room he had always dreamed of... With his last bit of rationality, he shouted loudly to stop Gu Xinglan, who was about to leave.

"Will my brother be angry when he comes back?"

"Don't worry, you can sleep soundly."

After he finished speaking, the door closed completely.