Chapter 915: Chapter 895: Is It Okay to Bring My Cousin Brother Back?
Until the painting was completed and Little Doubao put down his brush, Jiayi finally pointed at the canvas. "It would be better if you added some clouds here."
Little Doubao’s long eyelashes moved slightly.
Everyone who has watched him paint either dismissed it entirely, not taking it seriously, or offered superficial praise like "It’s amazing!" with no real thought behind it...
But Jiayi was different—she really paid attention.
He looked toward Jiayi, his eyes holding a trace of curiosity.
Zaizai quickly chimed in, "Dou Shabao cousin, my mommy can paint too, but she usually does it on the computer, and mostly draws clothes."
Little Doubao’s eyes held even more curiosity.
Jiayi glanced gently at his paintbrush. "How about I try adding some clouds? Would you be okay with that?"
Little Doubao stayed silent but didn’t refuse.
Seeing that he seemed to agree, Jiayi picked up the paintbrush and, with a few swift strokes, added several clouds to the blank parts of the canvas. She mixed blue and white paint to add color around them.
The previously somber black-and-white scene suddenly came to life, more vivid and with hints of sunlight due to the added clouds.
"See? My mommy is awesome, isn’t she, Dou Shabao cousin?" Zaizai said proudly.
Little Doubao still didn’t speak, but the way he looked at Jiayi clearly carried less wariness and a touch more ease.
"You can continue painting," Jiayi said, handing the brush back to Little Doubao.
Little Doubao’s clear eyes looked at Jiayi, the fear and tension in them slowly dissipating, replaced by calmness and trust.
She wasn’t impatient, didn’t rush him, and didn’t take his brush away. She simply sat there quietly watching him.
Little Doubao didn’t pick up the brush again but rather glanced shyly at the gifts the three of them had brought.
Zaizai quickly reacted, "Dou Shabao cousin, do you want to play with toys?"
"I think he wants to eat chocolate," Gan Xinxin quietly observed what Little Doubao was looking at and whispered.
Zaizai generously took a Transformer toy and a piece of chocolate out of the bag and handed them over.
Confirming that these were truly meant for him, Little Doubao extended his hand, took the chocolate, unwrapped it, and sniffed it.
"Try it—it’s delicious!" Zaizai said, his lips smacking like a little glutton.
Little Doubao glanced at Zaizai, carefully took a small bite, chewed it a few times, and a faint rosy glow of comfort emerged on his pale face.
Seeing that Little Doubao seemed much more relaxed, Zaizai grew excited, and together with Gan Xinxin, they laid out all the snacks from the plastic bag in front of him.
It seemed Little Doubao really liked chocolate.
It’s said that chocolate contains a substance that promotes the release of happiness, and maybe that’s why he liked it so genuinely.
Surrounded by the snacks and toys, the three kids began playing more and more enthusiastically, quickly becoming familiar with one another.
Although Little Doubao still didn’t speak, his cheeks were flushed, clearly showing that he was much happier than before.
Evidently, today was the happiest day for him since he returned to his grandfather after recognizing his roots.
Time unknowingly flew by.
There was a knock at the door, and the assistant entered. "Miss Chu, young masters, sorry, but the time allocated by madam has run out."
Jiayi’s brows furrowed slightly, but she could only stand up.
When Little Doubao saw the three of them preparing to leave, the rosy glow on his face quickly faded away like a receding tide. His eyes, now vacant, were fixed on Jiayi.
Seeing the reluctance in his gaze, Jiayi felt a pang of sadness but could do nothing about it. She said softly, "Little Doubao, we’ll come back to visit you again."
As she led the two little ones toward the door, she suddenly heard footsteps from behind. Turning back, she saw Little Doubao chasing after them, standing behind them like a small shadow, eyes locked onto the group as though hooked.
"Mommy," Zaizai tugged on Jiayi’s sleeve and whispered, "Can we take Dou Shabao cousin back with us to play for a few days?"
Gan Xinxin added, "Yeah! He’s so pitiful. Once we leave, he’ll be alone drawing again, with no one to keep him company."
Jiayi felt helpless. Su Yan wouldn’t even let her have much interaction with him—how could she possibly agree to let him go to Disheng?
After hesitating for a moment, she held onto Zaizai and Gan Xinxin’s hands and stepped out of the room.
The two little ones continued pestering her from either side, saying, "Let’s bring Dou Shabao back..."
Walking to the elevator, Jiayi paused in her steps, clenched her teeth, and looked at the two kids. "Fine, you win."
She glanced back at the door of the suite and raised her brow lightly. "Now, do you both know how to cooperate with me?"
Zaizai and Gan Xinxin made an "OK" hand gesture. "We know."
Jiayi took a deep breath and led the two of them back to Huo Tianpei’s suite door.
The assistant watched them return and asked, puzzled, "Miss Chu, is there something else you need?"
"Since we’re already here, surely the young master can see the patriarch, right?" Jiayi said confidently but politely.
The assistant glanced at Zaizai. Naturally, a grandson wanting to see his grandfather was no issue, so he went in to report back, and a few minutes later returned. "Please, come in."
Jiayi took Zaizai and Gan Xinxin straight into the inner bedroom.
Inside, Huo Tianpei had just finished taking his medication and was sitting in a wheelchair, trimming a bonsai tree.
Su Yan was standing beside him, and when she saw the three of them enter, she cast a cold glance over them. Her tone, however, was unusually soft. "How considerate—the young master is here to see his grandfather?"
When Huo Tianpei saw Zaizai, he immediately put down the scissors and revealed a rare smile—a sight not seen in quite some time. "Come here, come to grandpa."
Lately, there had been too much chaos within the Huo Family—starting with his second son’s troubles, followed by the issue of splitting equity, and then Little Doubao’s sudden appearance. Buried under all this turmoil, Huo Tianpei hadn’t seen Zaizai for a while and was now genuinely happy, embracing and doting on him.
Zaizai, naturally adept at charming others, quickly warmed Huo Tianpei’s heart with his affectionate gestures. Within moments, he had Huo Tianpei’s mood noticeably elevated. Looking toward Jiayi, Huo Tianpei spoke in a gentle tone, "I heard from the assistant that you’re here today to see Little Doubao?"
"Yes. Zaizai hasn’t met this cousin yet, so I thought it’d be good for them to start building a relationship," Jiayi replied with a smile.
Huo Tianpei liked hearing such sentiments. Living as long as he had, he had come to understand that a large fortune meant little compared to the harmony between family members. At least it would prevent the kind of tragic outcome his second son had faced. With this in mind, he looked at Jiayi even more favorably and said warmly, "That’s very thoughtful of you."
Seeing that Huo Tianpei was in high spirits at the moment, Jiayi decided to seize the opportunity. "Master, just now Little Doubao was playing very happily with Zaizai and Xinxin. I’d like to bring him to Disheng for a few days so the kids can bond more closely."
As soon as Jiayi said this, Su Yan abruptly stood up, her expression darkening. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Huo Tianpei’s face also grew serious. "Take Little Doubao to Disheng?"
Jiayi nodded. "I noticed that while Little Doubao was playing with Zaizai and Xinxin, his mood improved greatly. A few days at Disheng might make him even more relaxed and help him adjust to life within the Huo Family more quickly."
