230: Chapter 23 Parent-Child Time

Just as Shen Yan finished changing and was about to call Liu Hui, Youyou opened the door and came in.

"Daddy!"

Seeing Youyou enter, Shen Yan immediately put on a smile again.

"What's wrong?"

Youyou ran over with her short legs, pattering, and asked Shen Yan, "Daddy, did you have a fight with Auntie?"

Shen Yan blinked, squatted down, and asked Youyou in return, "When Youyou went back yesterday, did you not go to sleep?"

Youyou shook her head, then nodded.

"I didn't fall asleep until a while later, but I didn't hear what you and Auntie said. I just felt it was strange that you two weren't talking, did you have a fight last night?"

Seeing that he couldn't avoid the topic, Shen Yan sighed and honestly replied to Youyou:

"Daddy did have a fight with Auntie last night, but Youyou, don't worry, Daddy will take the initiative to apologize to Auntie."

As soon as the words fell, Youyou put on a straight face, pointed at Shen Yan's nose with a look of dissatisfaction, and said to him, "Daddy lied!"

Shen Yan was stunned and asked, "Why do you say Daddy lied?"

Youyou let out a soft, milky sound from her nose.

"Hmph! When Daddy told me to go back yesterday, you promised me you wouldn't fight with Auntie!"

Hearing this, Shen Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Last night, he just wanted to coax Youyou back to her room quickly.

How could he have taken Youyou's words to heart.

"Alright, this is Daddy's fault. Daddy shouldn't have lied to you. You tell me, how should Daddy be punished?"

"It's not time for dinner yet, should I punish Daddy? Should I read an extra half hour of storybooks tonight?"

Youyou rolled her eyes for a while, then placed her hand in Shen Yan's palm and replied to him, "I don't want Daddy to miss dinner, and I don't want Daddy to read me an extra half hour of storybooks. I want Daddy and Auntie to talk and laugh like before."

Shen Yan truly hadn't expected Youyou to say that.

In his eyes, Youyou was still a little princess unaware of the world's ways.

Gently holding Youyou's hand, he asked her, "Are you very afraid that Daddy and Auntie will fight?"

Youyou lowered her head and fell silent.

After a few minutes, she cautiously whispered, "Before, Daddy, it was because you fought with Mommy that you two separated. I don't want you and Auntie to separate too."

At this point, Youyou's eyes even turned red.

Seeing the tears shimmering in Youyou's eyes,

Shen Yan's heart suddenly ached.

He pursed his lips, gently pulled Youyou into his embrace, and said, "I'm sorry, it's Daddy's fault. Daddy didn't take care of your feelings. Daddy promises you, I'll go apologize to Auntie in a moment, okay?"

Youyou nodded in his arms.

Looking at the little head burrowed into his embrace, Shen Yan hesitated for a long time before asking her again, "Youyou, do you want to see Mommy?"

As soon as these words came out, Youyou's constantly wriggling body suddenly paused.

"...No."

Shen Yan was a little surprised.

He hadn't expected Youyou to say that.

In his mind, Youyou had always liked her mother very much.

Even with what had happened before, he still believed Youyou adored her mother.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but ask Youyou, "Why?"

Hearing his question, Youyou raised her head and seriously replied to him, "Because Mommy doesn't want Youyou anymore."

Shen Yan blinked, his eyes full of shock.

"Why would you say that? Who told you that?"

Youyou shook her head and replied, "No one told me that. I figured it out myself. I realized that I was with Mommy all the time before, but Mommy never looked at me."

"Mommy only likes being with that Bad Uncle, or she likes being in her office."

Because Youyou was still young, her language was somewhat jumbled and difficult for others to understand what she meant.

Shen Yan managed to grasp her meaning through guessing and piecing things together.

"You mean, ever since Daddy and Mommy divorced, Mommy has been neglecting you, is that right?"

Youyou nodded.

"Ever since Daddy and Mommy separated, Mommy has never really looked at me again. The last time was because I missed Mommy, so I went with her."

"But even when I went with Mommy, she didn't look at me much. I don't know how to say it, but I don't want to see Mommy right now."

Hearing these words, Shen Yan felt a pang in his heart.

He always knew Youyou had her own thoughts.

But he hadn't expected Youyou to be so mature so early.

Even if she couldn't fully realize that her father's and mother's relationship was like fire and water, she could still sense that her mother didn't value her very much.

The more Shen Yan thought about it, the more heartbroken he felt. He hugged Youyou tightly and said to her, "It's okay. Whenever you want to see Mommy, Daddy can take you anytime. If you don't want to see her, that's fine too. Daddy will always stay with you."

Youyou let out a firm "Mm."

Then, with a mature air, she patted Shen Yan's shoulder and said to him, "Okay, Daddy, you should go apologize to Auntie now."

Seeing her compose herself so quickly, Shen Yan couldn't help but curve his lips and smile.

"You! You're such a little sprite!"

Youyou didn't know what 'little sprite' meant, so she asked her father with a puzzled look, "What does 'little mirror' mean?"

Shen Yan patiently replied, "It's 'little sprite' ( Little devil), not 'little mirror' ( Little Mirror). These three words mean that our Youyou is especially smart, a very clever child."

No child is unhappy when praised, and Youyou was no exception.

She happily raised her hand and said to Shen Yan, "That's right, that's right! Youyou is a little sprite!"

At this, Shen Yan was amused into a loud laugh again.

After staying in the bedroom for more than half an hour, Shen Yan and Youyou finally walked out of the bedroom together.

When they went out, Auntie Fang had just finished making dinner.

"Mr. Shen, dinner is ready. I'll be leaving now."

Shen Yan nodded and said to Auntie Fang, "It's getting late. Be careful on your way back."

Auntie Fang smiled kindly.

"Don't worry, I've walked this road many times."

After Auntie Fang left, Shen Yan walked to Shen Ya's door and knocked.

"Dinner is ready, come out and eat."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Shen Ya's voice came from inside the room.

"I'm dieting, so I won't eat dinner. You all eat."

Hearing this, Shen Yan's expression darkened.

"Shen Ya, don't make me call you a second time!"

A few minutes later.

Shen Ya opened the door with reluctance on her face.

Seeing Shen Yan still standing at the door, she pouted and said to him, "Aren't we supposed to eat?"