Xiao Lai suddenly walked up to me and asked, "Daddy, where are you going?"

"Home."

"But home is right here, isn't it?"

Pei Shi Yu patiently answered for me, "There's also a home in China, with Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandpa on your mother's side."

"I only need Mommy and Daddy," she said in a grown-up tone.

I immediately said, "They're Mommy's daddy, and Daddy's mommy and daddy."

Pei Shi Yu suddenly laughed and said, "Do you think she can understand your tongue-twister?"

I looked at Xiao Lai and asked, "Did you understand?"

"I don't know what you're saying," Xiao Lai said, leaning against my leg.

"In a few days, you'll be another year older..."

"How old will I be when I'm another year older?"

"Four years old. Remember that."

"Four... four..." Xiao Lai repeated, trying to memorize it, as if afraid of forgetting.

"And, your daddy is me, right?"

"Mhm."

"My daddy is your grandpa, and my mommy is your grandma."

"Then who's Grandpa on Mommy's side?"

"Mommy's daddy."

"Oh?" She looked completely confused.

Pei Shi Yu pulled her over and said, "No matter how much you explain now, she won't understand. She'll understand naturally later."

So I looked at Pei Shi Yu and teased, "Didn't you say her IQ is like yours?"

"It has nothing to do with IQ. A child's thinking hasn't reached that point yet."

I immediately thought back to my own memories from when I was three years old. They seemed quite vague. I basically couldn't remember anything that happened or left an impression back then. Instead, I was reminded of what it was like when I was Xiao Lai's age, staying with my grandparents. Compared to my daughter, the difference was like heaven and earth.

I stood up and walked to the cabinet where the wine was kept and asked Pei Shi Yu, "We're going to Mark's for dinner tomorrow. What should we bring?"

"Make a pizza to take. No need to bring anything vulgar."

"The red wine you bought last time was pretty good. Can't we bring that?"

"Mark and you both like to drink. Just take two bottles."

"Yeah, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Otherwise, they'll think we're nouveau riche."

Pei Shi Yu didn't reply, so I curiously walked over to her and asked, "Have I embarrassed you since I came to New York?"

"Embarrassed me how?" She looked at me in surprise.

"My appearance after the plastic surgery, everything included, like my speech."

Pei Shi Yu seemed quite interested in the question I asked. She had been bending down, looking at Xiao Lai on the ground, but when she heard my words, she immediately sat up straight and said, "I've noticed that you're capable of putting on an act, and you're also concerned about your image. It's different from how you were back in China."

"It's not so much acting as it is adapting to a new environment. I'll play it by ear and secretly compete with myself. Sometimes I'll also watch how you interact with people, and if I feel like I don't know how to do something, I'll talk less. I'm not acting; I'm just afraid of being inappropriate."

"Well, a few of my other friends thought you were introverted."

I laughed and asked, "Then what kind of personality do you think I have?"

After I asked, Pei Shi Yu didn't answer. She looked at me and thought for a while before saying, "It's hard to say."

"Is it that complicated?"

"A bit of a dual personality."

"For example..."

"For example, when you first meet people, you do seem introverted. You seem relatively reserved, but once you get to know them, you become more humorous, especially when you're with Wang Rui. It's like you're doing a skit."

"I was led astray by Wang Rui."

"Then I haven't led you astray, have I?"

"You're different from Wang Rui. Being with Wang Rui is because she's very humorous and always teases me when she speaks. As for you, your personality is a bit too serious, so I deliberately wanted to make you happy." I was actually telling the truth.

"Thank you for bringing me happiness!"

"That's what I promised myself after I got the marriage certificate with you."

"Uh?" Pei Shi Yu looked surprised.

"I promised to make you wake up smiling every day."

"You just lost your temper a few days ago."

"If you smile every day, aren't you afraid of getting wrinkles?"

"Sometimes you make me laugh, and sometimes you make me angry. Won't that make me age faster?"

"No, this is the most charming age for a woman, with a certain allure."

What I said was true. Pei Shi Yu is in great shape now. She's full of allure. I just think that every woman is different. Most women may be more beautiful when they're younger, but when I first met her, I only felt that she was a very pretty girl. But now, she not only maintains her original state, but also has added a touch of sexiness. Anyway, she can arouse my desires.

I leaned in and whispered, "Give me a kiss."

Pei Shi Yu generously brought her face closer to mine. I took the opportunity to hold her face straight and then kissed her. Before I could deepen the kiss, Pei Shi Yu quickly pushed me away, looked at Xiao Lai, and said, "What are you doing? You become so beastly in front of the child."

After hearing that, I immediately dismissed the thought, "It just shows that you're too enchanting."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Half and half."

"Think about what to eat for dinner, okay?"

I looked at the time. It was almost five o'clock. I immediately stood up and said, "It's Christmas Eve today. I'll take you and our daughter out to eat, and we can also take a walk in New York Park. It's been a while since I've taken you out."

"You used to just take us for a walk downstairs for a while."

We bought our house some distance from Times Square in New York. Plus, I have to juggle studying and working now, so I usually don't have the energy to spend time with them. Putting other places aside, just Times Square, I initially thought that I would come here often after I arrived, but in fact, in three years, I can count the number of times I've been there on one hand.

"Then where do you want to go?" I asked Pei Shi Yu for her opinion.

"Treat us to a good meal, take a walk in New York Park, and then come back. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Were you thinking about me?" I looked down at Pei Shi Yu and asked.

"It's not that I was thinking about you; it's that your daughter was thinking about you. She kept making a fuss until very late before she fell asleep, and she wasn't easy to deal with in the middle of the night either."

"That shows she's usually closer to me, right? Is that how to understand it?"

My words made Pei Shi Yu immediately turn her head to look at Xiao Lai, and then she said to me, "I've been taking care of her since she was born, but she's still closer to you. Don't you think that's strange?"

I answered without thinking, "It's not strange at all. When I get home, I spend all my time playing with her. Although you're with her, you're doing things that she doesn't like, like washing up and eating. She resists those things more."

"You can do those things later. Let's go."

Xiao Lai, who was playing with a puzzle, heard "Let's go" and immediately ran to our side and asked, "Daddy, where are you going?"

"Daddy's going to play with Brother Xiao Long."

"I want to go too."

"I was originally going to pick up Xiao Long to stay for a few days. I forgot if you didn't mention it," Pei Shi Yu said, straightening her clothes.

"Why don't we take him with us for the New Year? Your dad should miss him too."

"Yeah, I'll call his aunt tonight."

I bent down and picked up Xiao Lai and had just walked out of the house when I heard Pei Shi Yu shout loudly, "Xiao Lai is only wearing one shoe!"