Chapter 161: Favoritism Even Through Tears-Dr. Song, Shall We Fall in Love?(Ye Wan’an)

"Why would you say such things to the child?" Luo Hongtao asked, unable to hold back once they had walked some distance away.

"You think I'm willing, considering it's the daughter I raised? I know Zhou Yun and the others cherish Xixia, but what about the old matriarch? We are a humble, ordinary family, and she might very well look down on Xixia," Yu Wenjing's eyes turned red as well.

"My company has hundreds of employees, at least," Luo Hongtao retorted with dissatisfaction.

"Can that possibly compare to the Song family's company with thousands of people?"

Luo Hongtao was left completely speechless by the counter-argument.

"Let's head back, it's cold outside." Song Chengyi walked over from a distance, gazing at Luo Yihe, who remained lost in thought for a long time.

Luo Yihe turned around slowly, her eyes still red.

"I'll take you back after the New Year." Song Chengyi reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Luo Yihe wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him: "Is your grandmother difficult to please?"

Song Chengyi couldn't help but chuckle: "Are you worried about that?"

"I really am."

Luo Yihe's expression flickered with anxiety and a faint sense of unease.

"My grandmother likes lively atmospheres."

Luo Yihe thought about it earnestly. A lively atmosphere—did that mean someone who was lively and cheerful?

"Why do I feel like you're indirectly criticizing me for talking too much?"

"Oh, did you figure it out?"

"Hey, how can you be so awful!"

That very day, the family began packing their belongings, preparing to head home the next day.

In the afternoon, Luo Yihe dragged Song Chengyi to the shopping mall.

"Do you have any relatives? An uncle? An aunt? Any male or female cousins?" Luo Yihe was feeling rather flustered overall.

"I have a younger aunt, and there's a younger cousin on her side. Didn't you meet her before?" Song Chengyi replied.

Luo Yihe instantly recalled that young woman. If she remembered correctly, she was two years younger than Song Chengyi, which meant she was the exact same age as herself. Luo Yihe had run into her a few times.

A few years ago, that girl frequently visited the Song family to see Song Chengyi. On one occasional visit when Luo Yihe dropped by, the two of them had crossed paths.

In short, Luo Yihe felt that the girl was full of thorns, and she was extremely clingy toward Song Chengyi. Back then, when Luo Yihe merely asked Zhou Yun a couple of questions about Song Chengyi, that girl's face had darkened with displeasure.

Those were all unpleasant memories, and Luo Yihe curled her lip: "Is her name Manman?"

"Mm, Qi Manman."

Luo Yihe sighed silently in her heart. Still, since she was from her aunt's side of the family, she would probably only return after the New Year. After the New Year, she herself would be returning to her own parents' home with Song Chengyi, so the chances of running into her should be very slim.

"Why doesn't Grandmother live with you guys instead of living alone?" Luo Yihe asked casually.

"Well, Grandmother's health isn't great, and she's used to living in her hometown. She's not accustomed to living here."

"Is that so? Just like my grandparents—they also refuse to come here." Luo Yihe didn't give it much more thought and simply accepted the explanation.

Over the years, Song Shaohui had returned countless times, eagerly trying to bring the old lady over, but each time he was refused. In earlier years, she would come here to stay for a bit, but now she basically never budged from her home.

From a very young age, Song Chengyi knew that his grandmother held a deep obsession with their home—an immensely deep obsession—one that she simply had not let go of after all these years.

"Grandmother likes sweets. Why don't you go buy some candies?" Song Chengyi suggested. If he were actually asked what his grandmother liked, he wouldn't really know; he only knew that over the years, his grandmother had always loved sweets, just like a child.

"Is Grandmother just like me?" A smile danced in Luo Yihe's eyes.

"You need to eat less, or you'll get cavities," Song Chengyi teased her with a light scoff.

"I know what to get now. Let's go, go, go." Luo Yihe had a flash of inspiration, grabbed him, and headed out of the mall.

They went to a bakery.

This shop had been open for quite a few years. A few years prior, on Luo Yihe's birthday, Yu Wenjing had brought her here to make a cake.

Luo Yihe took off her heavy coat, put on an apron, and immediately started making small snacks.

"You're going to help me too," Luo Yihe said, feeling quite disgruntled as she looked at Song Chengyi, who was standing off to the side with his arms crossed, acting like a spectator who loved enjoying the show.

Song Chengyi smiled, but he did put on an apron and came over.

"Let's make some snowflake crisps, waffles, and bake some cookies as well," Luo Yihe said, full of enthusiasm and drive.

In truth, this was the first time for both of them. For Luo Yihe, who rarely even stepped foot in the kitchen, it was genuinely rather difficult.

Fortunately, a pastry chef was standing nearby the entire time to guide them.

For the snowflake crisps, Luo Yihe added raisins and nuts, and she also casually whipped up some nougat and cranberry cookies.

Busy for the entire afternoon, Luo Yihe made a large quantity, more than enough.

However, the baking process was quite slow, and they couldn't fit too many in the oven at once, so they had to bake them in several batches.

Seeing Luo Yihe acting as though her interest had been completely hooked, making more and more, Song Chengyi found it a bit hard to watch.

"You're making too much. If they sit out for too long, they won't taste good."

"Is that so?" Luo Yihe felt a slight headache coming on.

Ultimately, under Song Chengyi's persuasion, she baked the final batch of cookies and finally stopped.

The two of them spent a whole hour packaging these small snacks. Looking at the six bulging bags, Luo Yihe felt a profound sense of satisfaction, though she still held a trace of small regret: "I feel like those glutinous rice cakes looked delicious, but we didn't make them."

"We can make them next time."

"Alright then." Luo Yihe obediently nodded and headed back.

When they got home, it was already half-past eight.

Zhou Yun had called several times urging the two of them to hurry back for dinner.

By the time they arrived, everyone was still waiting for them to start eating.

"Mom, Dad, why haven't you eaten yet?" Luo Yihe was genuinely surprised. She had already mentioned in her phone call that they would be relatively late and told the two of them to eat first.

"We were waiting for you. What were you so busy doing?" Zhou Yun smiled as she carried the dishes to the table.

Luo Yihe rushed over to help. "Chengyi said Grandmother likes sweets, so I went and made some small cookies."

"Really? I'll have to see them in a bit." Zhou Yun wore a look of utter astonishment.

As it turned out, only Song Chengyi sat at the dining table to eat in the end.

The others all gathered around the coffee table to look at the small cookies Luo Yihe had baked.

Luo Yihe had made a lot, so she unwrapped a small packet for them to try first.

"Xixia, did you make these? They look so pretty, I almost can't bear to eat them." Zhou Yun stared at the cookies for a long time, looking thoroughly delighted.

Song Shaohui ate one and immediately praised: "These cookies taste far better than those brand-name ones that cost tens of thousands."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun tasted one as well: "These are truly delicious—very crispy, sweet without being greasy."

Luo Yihe instantly grew a bit shy from all the praise, flashing an honest, foolish smile: "It's not as exaggerated as you're saying."

Luo Yihe had tasted every single thing she made while preparing them; all she could say was that everyone's homemade treats tasted pretty much the same, and her parents were definitely exaggerating.

The two of them ate a few more before reluctantly moving to the dining table to eat.

Zhou Yun was still reminiscing about the taste of the cookies: "Xixia is truly amazing; I'm starting to envy the old lady a bit."

"Mom, I made a lot. Grandmother won't be able to finish them all anyway, so everyone can share. When we get back, I'll make some more."

It wasn't until Luo Yihe promised to make more next time that Zhou Yun finally looked satisfied.

When Song Chengyi walked upstairs, he took the lead. Reaching the doorway, he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Luo Yihe to enter, but right as she reached the threshold, he extended a leg to block her path.

"What?" Luo Yihe stared at the long, slender leg blocking her way.

"If I remember correctly, those cookies afterwards were basically all made by me. You wanted to taste a bit of everything and only made a tiny bit of each, so I was the one who had to clean up the mess," Song Chengyi said leisurely.

"Oh come on, it's pretty much the same... I made some too, you know! Who knows, maybe the ones Mom and Dad just ate were the ones I made," Luo Yihe said with a cheeky chuckle.

Song Chengyi refused to let it go: "But you didn't mention just now that I made any."

"Is that so?" Luo Yihe genuinely didn't remember what she had said. When Zhou Yun asked, she had just answered off the cuff, mainly assuming that with Song Chengyi's personality, he would prefer doing good deeds anonymously; she hadn't expected him to quibble with her over this.

"Then how about I go back downstairs right now and add a sentence for you, telling Mom and Dad that you made them too?" Luo Yihe asked hesitantly.

"But you already took all the credit yourself just now." Song Chengyi put on a deeply aggrieved expression.

Seeing that familiar expression—the exact same one he wore when she woke up hungover before—it utterly startled Luo Yihe, making her genuinely think she had done something terrible to him.

Sure enough, this time Luo Yihe was hit with guilt once again. The moment she saw that aggrieved look, it felt as though someone were tugging at her heartstrings, filling her with unbearable heartache.

"Then can I praise you now?"

"It's not the same." He still looked completely wronged.

With that, Song Chengyi acted as though he were wronged beyond measure, pulled back his leg that had been blocking her, and walked into the bedroom.

"Don't be mad, I was wrong, is it not okay for me to be wrong?" Luo Yihe quickly hurried after him.

Before she could take more than a few steps, Song Chengyi suddenly whipped around, grabbed her arm, pulled her against his waist, and pinned her firmly against the wall.

Luo Yihe let out a startled gasp, and Song Chengyi pressed his lips against her earlobe.

"That... that... I need to take a shower." Luo Yihe tilted her head, trying to break free.

Song Chengyi suddenly wore a seductive and charming smile.

"We'll take one together, then." Bending down, he hooked the backs of her knees, scooped her up effortlessly in a bridal carry, and strode straight into the bathroom.

He hooked the door with his foot and shut it with a sharp "click."

From inside the bathroom came Luo Yihe's protests: "I want to wash up by myself, get out!"

"No way, we have to do it together."

"Get out first, will you!!!"

"Are you shy? It's not like you haven't seen it."

"Song Chengyi! You are such a... Mmph... Mmph..."

Luo Yihe was woken up by her alarm clock the next morning. She glanced up at the window, but the curtains were drawn tightly shut, revealing nothing.

Luo Yihe stretched out her arm and discovered numerous dense, faint marks scattered across her shoulders.

She looked over at the person beside her—he was sleeping soundly!

Perhaps disturbed by Luo Yihe's movements, Song Chengyi once again reached out, hauled her back into his arms, and muttered sleepily, "Don't move, let me sleep a bit longer."

"No way, it's already seven o'clock, time to get up!" Ignoring him, she wriggled out of his grasp first.

She went into the bathroom to wash up and change clothes, then deliberately pulled the curtains open, instantly flooding the room with bright morning sunlight that beat straight down onto the giant bed.

Song Chengyi furrowed his brows and tossed an arm over his eyes.

"Get up, get up, the sun is already out!!" She even chimed in right beside his ear.

Unable to endure any longer, Song Chengyi lifted his arm, opened eyes heavy with sleep-induced irritation, and stared at her with displeasure.

"Bleh bleh bleh..." Luo Yihe laughed and scurried away.

Song Chengyi rubbed the bridge of his nose. *Endure,* he told himself, *I have to endure. She's my own wife; even if she cries, I still have to spoil her.*