Feng Jin watched Cai Qing's hurried departure, her handsome brows furrowing slightly. What was wrong with Cai Qing, running so fast?
Did she feel uncomfortable all over if she didn't stir up trouble for a day?
Feng Jin sighed helplessly, tucking the handkerchief in her hand into the innermost layer of her makeup box.
She spotted half a jade pendant placed beneath the makeup box and picked it up. This half had been given to her by Cui'er, but she didn't know who held the other half.
This was truly enough to drive her mad. She couldn't possibly walk around the streets holding half a jade pendant, asking everyone she met.
Never mind, it was all up to fate. If it was meant to be, the owner of the jade pendant would appear on their own. If not, no matter how hard she racked her brain to find them, she wouldn't see a trace.
Once she had this thought, Feng Jin stopped dwelling on it. She hung the jade pendant on her waist, placing it in a conspicuous spot for easier searching.
Being busy with these vexing matters all day, she hadn't had a proper look at the two children for days. She missed them dearly now and got up to see the little ones.
As soon as Da Bao saw Feng Jin, his face lit up with a smile. He called out, his words a little unclear, "Mama... Mama... hold... hug..."
He toddled towards Feng Jin and ran over to her, giggling contentedly once she picked him up.
Er Bao, on the other hand, looked at Feng Jin and Da Bao embracing each other with envy in his eyes. A fleeting look of disappointment crossed his face, and he lowered his head with a sigh.
Feng Jin saw all these subtle gestures of his.
Er Bao's temperament and disposition were just like Ling Mo Han's – too reserved and introverted. He bottled up everything inside. If he didn't know how to express his emotions like this, he would suffer in the long run.
Maintaining the mother-son bond relied solely on her one-sided efforts. Holding Da Bao in one arm, Feng Jin bent down and scooped Er Bao into her other arm.
The two children were not light anymore. Holding one in each arm was quite tiring. After holding them for a short while, her arms began to ache and felt heavy, so she quickly put them down. Raising children like this was truly exhausting.
It would be so much better if she had a stroller. Feng Jin envisioned a stroller that could carry both children. She would have to draw up the design back home and find a skilled craftsman to build it, making it more convenient to take the two little ones out in the future.
"Mama... hug... baby... hug..."
As soon as Feng Jin put Da Bao down, he pouted his little lips in dissatisfaction, complaining. He even kicked his little legs occasionally, expressing his discontent.
Er Bao, seeing Da Bao's pathetic display, couldn't help but frown, his brows filled with a sense of disdain.
"Alright... alright, Mama will hug you."
Feng Jin busily scooped Da Bao into her arms, comforting him softly. The situation with Da Bao and Er Bao clearly demonstrated the saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Da Bao, who could act cute and cry, always received attention immediately, while the overly calm and emotionally reserved Er Bao was always unintentionally overlooked.
"Do you want Mama to hug you?" Feng Jin couldn't bear to neglect Er Bao and always wanted to treat them equally, ensuring Er Bao didn't miss out on anything Da Bao received.
However, sometimes even when Feng Jin tried to be fair, Er Bao didn't appreciate it.
When Er Bao saw Feng Jin's outstretched hand, his expression was calm. He cast a faint glance, then looked away, not seeming to care much.
Being so ignored, Feng Jin's outstretched hand dangled aimlessly in the air. Feng Jin's lips twitched uncontrollably. Was this the consequence of being overly enthusiastic?
This brat really didn't give her any face. Feng Jin reached out and pinched Er Bao's cheek. "You little rascal, you don't want me to hug you anymore? You really think I love hugging you that much? Just keep learning from your father. You'll be destined to not find a wife when you grow up!"
Years later, Feng Jin would regret the words she spoke today. The outwardly cold Er Bao was very popular with girls, and countless little girls followed him around.
Er Bao's face contorted as Feng Jin pinched it, but he stubbornly refused to show any expression.
Feng Jin was also helpless. She gave up on Er Bao and let him develop as he pleased. As for the lively Da Bao, he could be cultivated properly, and he would surely be a great nuisance in the future.
"You're quite biased, only caring about Da Bao and not Er Bao."
Ling Mo Han arrived just in time to see Feng Jin hugging Da Bao intimately, while Er Bao was left alone on the bed, looking quite pitiful.
"Your second son is just like you. I want to get close to him, but he just doesn't appreciate it. You're both like dogs that bite the hand that feeds them!"
In her opinion, Er Bao's behavior was caused by Ling Mo Han's bad influence. Er Bao was just following his father's example.
"It's clearly you being biased, and you're still making excuses for yourself."
Ling Mo Han insisted that Feng Jin was biased. He walked up to Er Bao and didn't forget to stir up trouble. "See? Your mother only likes your brother and doesn't hug you."
Er Bao looked at Ling Mo Han with a blank expression. The two faces, nearly identical, stared at each other, and for a moment, father and son didn't know what to say to each other, falling into a brief awkward silence.
Feng Jin couldn't bear to watch the father and son continue to be awkward. "How long are you two going to stare at each other? If you have nothing to say, then don't say anything."
With their similar personalities, if these two got together, besides staring at each other, she didn't know what useful words they could exchange.
"Brat, I've never seen you smile at me. Anyone would think I've done something to you!"
He had never seen Er Bao smile and even suspected that Er Bao couldn't smile at all.
"It's all thanks to you," Feng Jin said with a cold snort.
Such a good child, but he had to take after Ling Mo Han. She truly felt as if Er Bao had been born for nothing.
"Really..."
Ling Mo Han lowered his head and looked at Er Bao's face, which was carved from the same mold as his own. Just looking at their faces, they were indeed quite similar.
But he felt there were still some differences, yet he couldn't pinpoint where they were.
"It's not just similar, it's practically identical."
If the father and son were claimed to be the same person, some people would believe it. Hopefully, Er Bao would be more likable than Ling Mo Han when he grew up.
Feng Jin looked at the father and son helplessly. Letting them continue their communication would be pointless; it would only make them more withdrawn.
"Give Er Bao to me. You go hug Da Bao. If you keep hugging him, Er Bao won't even be able to speak."