Feng Jin grumbled with dissatisfaction, clearly unhappy with Ling Mohan's actions, her lips pursed continuously with a look of disdain.
Only Ling Mohan could manage words that contradicted his heart so thoroughly.
"Whatever you say, I have important matters to attend to, so I won't waste my time with idle chatter."
Too lazy to engage in insincere pleasantries with Ling Mohan, Feng Jin held the scattered wooden blocks in her hands, needing to quickly research this puzzle.
Feng Jin spent the entire night studying the puzzle. If she had known it would be this troublesome, she wouldn't have impulsively agreed to the two children's request.
Why should she make things difficult for herself and invite so much trouble?
After working diligently for a whole night, she finally managed to craft the puzzle. Although it still looked a bit imperfect, it was the result of all her efforts.
She could only hope that Da Bao and Er Bao would make do with it. It was better than nothing.
Taking out the pigments she had prepared earlier, Feng Jin meticulously outlined each side of the puzzle, painting different colors onto each surface.
Feng Jin looked at her creation with satisfaction. Initially, it had seemed flawed, but after painting, it looked vastly different.
It was finally passable. She just wondered if those two little picky eaters, Da Bao and Er Bao, would be pleased.
After finishing all her tasks, Feng Jin stretched languidly, stretching her stiffening limbs. Maintaining the same posture for such a long time was truly tiring; her neck was aching terribly.
She carefully placed the completed puzzle into a small, exquisite box, securing it properly. It was ready to be presented to the two children first thing in the morning.
"You spent the entire night researching this thing?"
Ling Mohan stepped forward and took the colorful wooden blocks from Feng Jin's hands, turning them over and examining them closely.
He truly couldn't understand why Feng Jin had gone to so much trouble just to make such a piece of wood. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't see any use for it.
"What's the use of this block of wood you've made?"
"What do you know!"
Feng Jin snatched the puzzle back from his hands with a touch of annoyance, clutching it protectively to her chest as if it were a treasure.
"I worked so long to make these two. Don't you go messing them up with your clumsy hands!"
She meticulously wiped off a trace of dust from the puzzle. It was her most precious possession, and she had to protect it with the utmost care, ensuring not the slightest mishap occurred, and certainly not allowing Ling Mohan to damage it.
Feng Jin placed the puzzle back into its box like a precious treasure, securing it properly and even placing it on the highest shelf of the cabinet, fearing that Ling Mohan might take it again.
"Do you have to guard me like a thief? Besides, I don't even care for this thing."
He increasingly felt that Feng Jin was treating him like a thief. Was he truly making her feel that fearful?
"It's best if you don't care for it. I was worried you might like it too much and have ulterior motives, trying to compete with your own son for it."
Feng Jin understood Ling Mohan's intentions perfectly. These were precisely the kinds of things he would do.
It was better to be cautious and not let her guard down, lest she suffer an unexpected defeat.
"You absolutely must not touch it. These are prepared for your sons. If you take them, then you can expect your sons to come looking for you."
She deliberately made her tone stern, all to issue a warning to Ling Mohan.
"Let's go, don't keep looking at it!"
As Feng Jin left, she didn't forget to pull Ling Mohan along with her. As she closed the door, she took out a lock and secured it tightly.
She put the key into her personal clothing, feeling relieved.
"You really are..."
Ling Mohan started to speak, but stopped midway. After a moment's hesitation, he ultimately did not say it.
He was also worried that these words might anger Feng Jin, so it was better for him to say less.
"Really what? If you have something to say, just say it openly. Why be so secretive?"
Feng Jin said with clear displeasure, feeling that Ling Mohan was becoming increasingly unlike his former self, even his temperament had changed considerably.
Comparing the two, the earlier Ling Mohan seemed much more pleasing to her eyes.
Giving the man behind her a fierce glare, Feng Jin then turned and left, paying no heed to whether the man followed.
...
The next morning, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Da Bao eagerly climbed out of bed. He had even dreamed of what kind of gift his mother would give him.
Finally, dawn had arrived, and he would finally see the gift he had longed for. It truly filled him with anticipation.
The commotion Da Bao made woke Er Bao, who was still fast asleep.
Opening his drowsy eyes, Er Bao saw Da Bao bustling around and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Why are you up and making noise so early in the morning?"
He was sleeping, yet he was disturbing everyone else's rest, which was quite uncivilized.
"You're awake?"
Compared to Er Bao's annoyance, Da Bao was incredibly excited, completely unfazed by Er Bao's displeased tone.
Dragging his slightly short legs, he climbed onto the bed and pulled Er Bao, who was still trying to fall back asleep, up. "What kind of gift do you think Mother will give us this time?"
"I don't know!" Er Bao replied emphatically, his eyes barely open due to sleepiness.
More than what gift their mother would give him, he wanted to sleep soundly. He was so drowsy that he could barely keep his eyes open, so he had no mind to think about such things.
Looking at Da Bao's excited expression, Er Bao also admired where Da Bao got his energy from; it was as if he never got tired.
"I knew asking you was pointless. You have no sense of humor!"
He truly wondered how the two of them were brothers of the same father but different mothers.
Their temperaments and personalities were so vastly different. Da Bao shook his head. With Er Bao like this, he was sure he wouldn't be popular with girls when he grew up.
It was likely that finding a wife would be difficult for him. As an older brother, he truly felt a deep concern for Er Bao.
Da Bao sighed helplessly and shook his head, reaching out to pat Er Bao gently on the shoulder. "Alas! With you like this... it's really..."
Never mind... Er Bao had been like this for more than a day or two. He had said it not just once or twice, but it was always futile.