"Mother... you..."
Before Da Bao could finish his aggrieved accusation, Ling Mohan hurriedly changed the subject, "Let's eat first. We can talk about anything after we finish eating."
"Okay, let's eat first." Feng Jin echoed him, and followed Ling Mohan out, leaving Da Bao standing there somewhat stunned, not knowing what to do.
Er Bao laboriously climbed down from the chair and walked with steady steps to his elder brother. He looked at Da Bao, who hadn't snapped back to his senses yet, and shook his head helplessly.
He reached out and patted Da Bao's shoulder, expressing his sympathy, and then directly walked out.
Da Bao's expression remained stiff. He was silent for a moment before dejectedly walking out.
Throughout the meal, Da Bao's mood was at an all-time low. Even when faced with his favorite dishes, he couldn't muster much interest. He always kept his head down, eating one bite at a time.
Feng Jin naturally noticed Da Bao's mood but didn't pay him any mind. Children were often unhappy, and they had to learn to adjust their emotions themselves; they couldn't always rely on others to coax them, or they would develop a habit.
"Young master, don't just eat the vegetables. Have some of these shrimp." Cai Qing placed the peeled shrimp onto the plates in front of Da Bao and Er Bao.
How did she feel that the young master wasn't eating with much gusto today? Especially Da Bao, who usually loved to eat. Why did he seem completely uninterested today? He hadn't even touched his usual favorites.
Feng Jin ate a couple of mouthfuls casually and then put down her chopsticks. "You two eat obediently. Mother is going to wash your clothes for you."
"Mother..." Da Bao looked up at his mother, his large eyes welling up with tears, looking incredibly pitiful.
"Eat obediently. Mother is going to wash your dirty clothes."
These two sentences from Feng Jin instantly moved Da Bao to tears. So, his mother still loved him.
"Alright, let's eat first. Don't go hungry." Feng Jin reached out and gently rubbed Da Bao's forehead, her expression filled with tenderness.
Da Bao sniffled emotionally, his face full of gratitude. The food in his bowl suddenly seemed much more appetizing, and he immediately dug in, eating heartily.
...
"Madam, please let me wash these clothes," Chu Qing said, looking at the basin full of dirty clothes.
"No, these are my children's clothes. I'll wash them."
This was the most basic duty of a mother. She couldn't entrust even these tasks to others; otherwise, she wouldn't be a qualified mother.
"Madam, the winter is harsh, and the water is bone-chillingly cold. Let me go fetch some hot water to add."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Qing hurried to fetch the hot water from the stove and poured it into the basin.
With the water a bit warmer, Feng Jin found it more comfortable to wash the clothes. By the time she finished washing them all, the sky had already started to darken.
Feng Jin was so tired that her back ached. She went back to the room and lay down on the bed, gently patting her waist until she felt much more comfortable.
"Are they washed?" Ling Mohan got up when he saw Feng Jin and walked to her side, asking.
"They're washed. My back is so sore. Can you massage it for me?"
Feng Jin directed Ling Mohan to massage her shoulders and back. She was too tired to move any further and preferred to lie on the bed and enjoy the man's service.
"Give me your hands."
Ling Mohan grabbed Feng Jin's hands and began to meticulously apply the rose essential oil that had been prepared earlier.
"You have this? How unusual."
"I took it from your dressing table. It smells quite good, so using it on your hands is making good use of it."
Feng Jin rolled her eyes. So he was using her things to curry favor, how very thoughtful. And she had even been moved by him a moment ago.
"Don't randomly touch my things anymore. They are all very expensive, and you're wasting them all."
She always felt that half of the skincare products on her dressing table had been used up by Ling Mohan, a pure waste of her things, which was utterly excessive.
Ling Mohan rubbed his nose, feeling a little embarrassed. He had been very careful when he'd "borrowed" them a few times, but he hadn't expected Feng Jin to discover it.
"Actually, I haven't used them that much. It's just your imagination; you're mistaken."
Feng Jin narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Ling Mohan, scrutinizing his face. Finally, she pinched his face and examined it from all angles. "You dare say you haven't used them? Your face is at least a shade lighter, and the pimples on your forehead are also due to using my skincare products."
"I'm female, and you're male. Our skin types are different, so we cannot use the same skincare products. If you want to use them, I can create men's skincare products tailored to your skin type. If you use them randomly like this, your face will eventually be covered in pimples."
Ling Mohan hastily touched his face in alarm. He felt a sharp pain on his forehead; a pimple had indeed appeared. Why hadn't he noticed it a couple of days ago?
Could it really be caused by secretly using those skincare products? If so, he wouldn't dare to use them again.
"Serves you right. Let's see if you dare to use them again," Feng Jin chided him a few times. She then got up, took out a pink jar from the dressing table, opened it, and took out some ointment, which she applied to the man's forehead, gently massaging it.
"Apply it again tonight, and it should start to fade."
Fortunately, she had already researched an acne-removing cream. Otherwise, Ling Mohan's pimples would have to go away on their own, which would have been quite an ordeal.
"Don't sneakily use them again from now on. I'll make a few suitable skincare products for you."
This was partly to prevent Ling Mohan from wasting her skincare products and partly for the sake of his face, so he wouldn't ruin it completely.
If his face were truly ruined and unsightly, it would be a great pity. Feng Jin felt it was best to create a dedicated set of skincare products for Ling Mohan.
Ling Mohan nodded in agreement. Even if Feng Jin hadn't said anything, he wouldn't dare to continue using them, for fear of actually ruining his face.
Although he considered himself not to be dependent on his looks for a living, who wouldn't want a handsome face? Even looking at it could bring joy.
He reached out and touched his smooth, unblemished skin. Ling Mohan felt that his skin had indeed been getting better and better these past few days. It seemed Feng Jin's skincare products were truly effective, but it was a pity he couldn't use them anymore.
"Hurry up and develop skincare products for me that are like yours."