Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 300: Acting

From a distance, Liu Changqing watched the figure working inside the shop, his expression not looking too good.

He glanced up at the midday sun…

It was glaringly bright.

He thought back to the hospital, to the moment when Chen Dafu had asked him if he was free—and he had agreed without hesitation…

Liu Changqing’s mood was complicated right now.

He had assumed that from now on, there would be no more contact between him and Lan Yixian. But fate, as it often did, decided to play another one of its tricks.

By the time he learned the location of that shop, it was too late to back out.

He stood in the distance silently for a long while, but eventually, Liu Changqing forced himself to move and began walking toward that all-too-familiar shop.

Until he stepped inside.

It was close to lunchtime, and unlike before, Lan Yixian hadn’t closed up early. Maybe it was because of the conversation she’d had with Liu Changqing in the past—she had since extended the shop’s hours into the evening.

In the morning, she sold breakfast items like steamed buns and fried dough sticks. At noon, it was wontons and dumplings. In the evening, she sold pan-fried buns and savory pancakes.

At first, it was definitely more tiring than before. But ever since Gu Xiyu had joined to help, Lan Yixian didn’t feel as exhausted, and business had improved quite a bit too.

Through her efforts, life seemed to be improving little by little.

Lan Yixian had no grand ambitions.

What she wanted now… was simply to raise her daughter.

To raise her… slowly, until she grew up.

“One bowl of dumplings, please.”

The motion of rolling out dough came to a halt. Lan Yixian looked up at the sound of a familiar voice and saw the man standing in front of her.

She froze.

After a moment, she reacted, and her face lit up with surprise, clearly not expecting to see Liu Changqing.

But after that initial shock, her face broke into a joyful smile.

It felt like… seeing an old friend she hadn’t met in a long time.

Gu Xiyu, who had been helping to fold wontons, also noticed Lan Yixian’s change in demeanor. She glanced curiously at Liu Changqing.

Then looked at Lan Yixian again.

Who is this guy?

Unaware of what Gu Xiyu was thinking, Lan Yixian set down her rolling pin. She was clearly surprised by Liu Changqing’s sudden appearance, but her face was lit with a warm smile as she asked,

“Is this to take home to Yuanyao?”

“No… it’s for me.”

Slightly dazed, Liu Changqing noticed how intimately Lan Yixian had referred to An Yuanyao.

Yuanyao…? Why did it sound so close?

Hearing his response, Lan Yixian smiled and said,

“You know, when you started your new job last month, she came here to eat almost every day.”

“Is that so…”

“Right—do you want a big bowl or a small bowl?”

“Big. I’m pretty hungry.”

“Got it!”

As she spoke, Lan Yixian bumped Gu Xiyu gently with her elbow and gestured,

“Xiyu, go wipe down the tables.”

“Okay.”

Gu Xiyu nodded. At Lan Yixian’s request, she put down what she was working on and turned toward the tables. As she walked past Liu Changqing, she couldn’t help sneaking a curious glance.

This mature and handsome uncle…

Gu Xiyu felt intrigued.

Once Gu Xiyu stepped outside to clean, Lan Yixian turned her eyes back to Liu Changqing’s face.

It seemed… different from when she’d seen him at the sports meet.

He looked… even more mature now.

In the early days of knowing Liu Changqing, for some reason, Lan Yixian always had the odd impression that this man—who was a year older than her—seemed younger than she was.

But over time, that feeling gradually faded. And now…

Just standing there, he carried an entirely different aura.

He seemed… more confident.

Liu Changqing didn’t notice the look on Lan Yixian’s face. He knew why he was here today. He looked up at the store in front of him.

It was mostly the same as before—still just as tidy. Every corner spotless. Only someone as meticulous as Lan Yixian could maintain things to this degree.

But… Liu Changqing had once spent time with this mother and daughter. He knew what this shop meant to them.

And it was precisely because he knew—

That it made this moment even harder. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Neither of them spoke.

Liu Changqing stood to the side, watching Lan Yixian drop dumplings into the pot. Then she picked up the lid and covered it.

For a moment, neither of them said a word.

Just as Liu Changqing was about to break the silence, Lan Yixian seemed to remember something and suddenly asked,

“How’s Yuanyao doing lately? I haven’t talked to her in a while.”

“She’s been resting at home.”

“Is that so… If I get the chance, I’ll go visit her.”

“Mm.”

The atmosphere cooled again. Liu Changqing kept his mouth shut, deep in thought.

He remembered this store was the last piece of property left to Zhou Shiyan by her grandmother—and it was the one thing mother and daughter could never part with…

That thought made Liu Changqing abandon the original plan he’d proposed to Chen Dafu.

Instead, he came up with a different idea.

He took a deep breath and finally spoke.

“Lan Yixian, I want to talk to you about something.”

Meanwhile, Chu Fang arrived at a high-end apartment complex.

She looked at the slip of paper that had somehow mysteriously appeared in her pocket. After double-checking the address written on it, she confirmed it was the building in front of her.

She wore a long dress with a fitted waist-length jacket. Her hair was dyed a shade of ash-brown and curled slightly at the ends, reaching just to her neck.

A purse hung over her shoulder.

She seemed well-prepared as she finally pressed the doorbell.

After a few chimes, the door opened.

Li Chongming looked surprised as he pushed the door open. But the moment he saw Chu Fang standing outside, his face immediately turned sour.

His first instinct was to slam the door shut.

But Chu Fang clearly saw that coming. Before Li Chongming could react, she quickly darted inside.

His face darkened instantly.

Worried someone outside might happen to see, Li Chongming hesitated for a second, then reluctantly closed the door.

Once it was shut, he turned back toward Chu Fang, who was now inside.

It seemed he couldn’t hold back anymore. He lowered his voice and asked, watching her glance around the apartment,

“What the hell do you want?”

“……”

She didn’t answer right away.

After hearing the question, Chu Fang finally stopped looking around and locked eyes with Li Chongming.

A moment passed… and then, suddenly, she stepped forward and threw her arms around him.

The move caught Li Chongming completely off guard. He instinctively staggered back two steps to steady himself. He was just about to scold her when he heard her trembling voice:

“Why… why are you avoiding me?”

That sentence stunned Li Chongming.

It clearly wasn’t what he had expected. For a moment, he was at a loss, feeling completely thrown off.

What he didn’t see—

Was the expression on Chu Fang’s face as she clung to his shoulder.

There wasn’t a single tear in sight.

Not even a hint of crying.