She touched her small hand, deliberately teasing her.
"You're hungry and want to eat? But I'm just a cook, I can't run the household. Why don't you ask Auntie?"
Hey! What kind of talk is that?
If even a bad guy like him could be taken in, how could she not accommodate such a cute baby?
Besides, who was she calling Auntie?
Zhan Jingchun immediately became displeased and kicked Peng Fei's butt.
"Who's Auntie? If you let her call you brother and me Auntie, then what does that make you? If you like treating me as an elder so much, then you call me Auntie too."
Peng Fei: "..."
He smiled and picked up the little girl: "Do you think she's a sister or an aunt?"
The little girl sweetly wrapped her arms around his neck: "Of course she's a sister. Sister is so beautiful and so young... Brother, you really don't know how to talk. You'll never chase Sister like this."
Zhan Jingchun glared at Peng Fei, her expression proud: "Who wants him to chase me? I wouldn't look twice at someone like him."
"Nannan, where do you live? Go say hello to your family, otherwise they'll be worried when they can't find you."
Peng Fei carried the little girl, and the three of them went to her house.
It was the house in the next building, on the left turn. As she had said, only the nanny was there, cooking. After so long, she hadn't even noticed she wasn't home.
Zhan Jingchun explained the situation briefly. Seeing that the little girl insisted on going, the nanny finally agreed.
"Why don't I accompany you? Nannan needs to be fed when she eats. I don't want to trouble you too much."
Zhan Jingchun didn't want outsiders going to her home, so she said it was fine, "I'm idle at home anyway. After dinner, if she wants to play, I'll let her play for a while. I'll bring her back before dark."
The nanny thanked them profusely and sent them out the door.
After walking a few steps, Zhan Jingchun realized something was a bit off.
"You trust me quite a bit, not afraid I'll kidnap you. Nannan, your parents aren't here, why aren't your grandparents or maternal grandparents here either?"
Nannan shook her head innocently, "I don't know."
"Mom is new. She doesn't like Nannan, she likes her brother. Nannan's mom doesn't want Nannan anymore."
"..."
Only then did she understand why the nanny was so inattentive with the child.
It turned out that Nannan's biological mother was not around.
Looking at the cute and pitiable girl, Zhan Jingchun liked her even more.
Just a few hours ago, she was complaining about her own nanny being overly affectionate towards Peng Fei, and now she had fallen for it herself.
Back home, Peng Fei put her down, and Zhan Jingchun took her to wash her hands while he went to serve the food.
The two of them acted like her parents, each attending to their duties, feeding her gently and patiently with a bite of food from each of their chopsticks, taking excellent care of her.
After dinner, the three of them read together, told stories together, and played in the yard together. Nannan didn't want to go home at all.
As dinner time approached again, Peng Fei said he would cook, and Nannan raised her hand and said.
"Can I have mashed potatoes? My mom used to make them for me often when she was here. Nannan loves them. I haven't had them in a long time."
It wasn't difficult for Peng Fei, but since she had been out for so long and was staying for dinner, she should inform her family.
Zhan Jingchun was too lazy to run, so Peng Fei went to tell the nanny.
The nanny had sunflower seed shells stuck to her lips, likely having spent a very leisurely afternoon alone. She said, "Oh, that would be too embarrassing," but showed no intention of going to pick Nannan up.
In the evening, Peng Fei learned a few dishes that children liked online, presented them in cute shapes, and fed Nannan until she was full.
After dinner, they had to send her home.
Zhan Jingchun said, "Nannan, you should go home and sleep. Come play at sister's house tomorrow, okay? Otherwise, when Dad and Mom come back and see you're not home, they'll be angry."
As soon as she heard her sister was asking her to leave, Nannan's mouth pouted with grievance.
"Sister doesn't want me to play here anymore? Did Nannan eat too much and annoy you?"
Zhan Jingchun quickly said, "How could that be? Nannan is so cute and well-behaved. Sister likes you, how could she dislike you? I'm just worried that Dad and Mom won't be able to find you when they come home tonight."
Nannan said with a mature tone, "They won't. Dad often doesn't come home. I haven't seen him in a long time. He definitely won't come back today. New Mom only likes her brother... I like Sister, and I like Brother. I don't want to go home. Please, don't make me go home, okay?"
Uh...
Living in such a nice house, Nannan's father must be a very successful businessman. Why was he like this?
Zhan Jingchun felt a pang of sadness and thought for a moment.
"How about this? Do you remember your dad's phone number? We can call him to discuss it. As long as he agrees, Nannan can stay here as long as she wants, okay?"
But Nannan didn't remember, so Zhan Jingchun and Peng Fei could only take her back home.
The nanny tried to pull Nannan down, but she tearfully hugged Peng Fei's neck and refused to let go.
"Brother, I can't bear to leave you. Just let me stay with you, just for one night, please, don't send me away~"
Peng Fei's heart ached at the sight, and he carefully wiped away her tears with his rough hands.
"Why don't you help me make a call to discuss it with his parents? We're neighbors, nothing will happen."
The nanny had no choice but to call the male owner.
Who knew that when the male owner heard his daughter was insisting on staying at someone else's house, he felt ashamed and immediately cursed on the phone.
"How do you take care of children? I told you not to let her go out, not to contact strangers, why did you let her go out alone? And eat at someone else's house? Aren't you afraid the child will be poisoned! And now you want her to stay at someone else's house? And with a man? What if something happens to the child, can you bear it?"
"Are you qualified? Can you do your job? I'm calling your supervisor right now to fire you. You're completely irresponsible, what a garbage housekeeping company!"
After speaking, he abruptly hung up the phone.
The nanny's face turned pale with fright: "What is this? Oh dear, Nannan, hurry and come down. Did you hear what your dad said? I'm going to be fired! I was doing a good job, and you're doing this, aren't you harming me?"
"And the two of you, what did you feed her at noon, and what did you feed her tonight? You must not let anything happen. Oh my, life is at stake. If something happens, I can't compensate with a hundred heads!"
Zhan Jingchun was truly impressed by that male owner. Living in such a nice house, he should have a high social status, so why was he so narrow-minded?
Fearing that he would come back to settle accounts with the nanny and Nannan, Zhan Jingchun and Peng Fei dared not leave. They stayed in the yard playing with Nannan, waiting to explain.
However, after waiting for an hour, the "loving" father did not return. After two hours, he still had not returned.
Finally, Zhan Jingchun couldn't wait any longer. She hardened her heart and said to the nanny.
"Let Nannan come with us. If he fires you, come to me. I'll hire you and pay you the same salary."