Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 236 Restraint
Last night, Hu Xiaobei flew at high speed over the sea for nearly an hour, and also brought back some seafood before returning to his residence to wash up and rest.

This morning he got up on time, had breakfast with Liu Xiaoli, and soon began preparing lunch.

Being in a hotel in Bali is not as convenient as being in the country.

Even when making delicious food, differences in tools, seasonings, and other factors can lead to variations in flavor.

Fortunately, it's seafood, so it's not a big problem; it's just that the taste is slightly different.

The midday sun shone through the sheer curtains, casting warm, dappled light into the room.

An Xiaoqian slept exceptionally well until the sunlight climbed onto the edge of the bed. Only after Liu Xiaoli urged her repeatedly did she lazily peek her little head out from under the covers.

At this moment, the soup on the stove was bubbling and steaming.

The enticing aroma of food wafted slowly from the kitchen, indicating that lunch was almost ready, with only a few finishing touches to complete.

Liu Xiaoli usually takes care of these things, and today is no exception.

Hu Xiaobei washed his hands in the kitchen and wiped them with paper before coming to An Xiaoqian's door. His eyes fell on the open door, and he gently knocked.

Inside the room, An Xiaoqian had just finished washing up and was standing in front of the dressing mirror combing her long, jet-black hair.

Hearing the knock on the door, she subconsciously turned her head, and the moment her eyes met Hu Xiaobei's, a look of joy quickly appeared on her pretty face.

Before her brain could even process it, her slender, fair legs involuntarily moved towards Hu Xiaobei, lightly and urgently.

Hu Xiaobei smiled as he looked at An Xiaoqian's impatient expression. He glanced at the kitchen out of the corner of his eye and strode into the room.

An Xiaoqian didn't even bother to check if her mother was nearby. The next second, like a fledgling returning to its nest, she rushed into Hu Xiaobei's arms without a care in the world.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Hu Xiaobei's waist, her fingers unconsciously gripping the back of his clothes, burying her face deep in his neck.

With a slight tremor of her delicate nose, she took a deep breath.

The familiar scent emanating from Hu Xiaobei, carrying a warmth unique to him, flowed into my lungs like a gentle stream.

An Xiaoqian's eyebrows curved, her eyelashes trembled slightly, her nose twitched slightly, and a long, soft "mmm~" sound slowly flowed out of her nasal cavity.

Then, like a lazy kitten, she gently rubbed her cheek against his neck, again and again, her little face full of satisfaction and sweetness.

Hu Xiaobei also wanted to keep hugging him like this, but he had to consider more issues.

He reached out and gently patted An Xiaoqian's pert bottom, reminding her, "Auntie is still outside, be careful."

An Xiaoqian's delicate body trembled, and she hugged him even tighter. She gave a smug "Mmm" and said nonchalantly, "I'm not afraid!"

Hu Xiaobei naturally knew that she wouldn't be afraid, and might even think, "It's good that she knows."

He quickly whispered his predicament: "She's your mother, of course you're not afraid, but I am!"

"Think about it, we just celebrated your 18th birthday yesterday, and today we're hugging each other. What will your aunt think of me?"

An Xiaoqian slowly moved her hands to Hu Xiaobei's neck, wrapping them around to draw them closer, while blinking her innocent big eyes and saying sweetly, "Mommy loves you so much, she won't be angry. Besides... she'll find out sooner or later anyway~"

Hu Xiaobei sighed helplessly, gently pressing his forehead against hers, his gaze tender and solemn: "Qianqian, your aunt raised you with great care and has high hopes for you."

If she suddenly finds out we're together, she definitely won't be able to accept it. She'll feel like I took you away as soon as you turned 18.

Yesterday, your aunt was happily celebrating your birthday. If you're sad about this today, how can we feel good about it?

We need to give Auntie some time to adjust. We're together almost every day anyway, so it's better for everyone to go public a little later.

An Xiaoqian blinked, her arms still wrapped around Hu Xiaobei's neck, and muttered, "But we can't keep dating secretly forever, can we?"

Hu Xiaobei gently tapped her nose with the tip of his own, continuing to coax her gently: "Qianqian, you've only just come of age, and you have a long road ahead of you. If outsiders find out about our relationship, people might gossip."

Not only will it affect your reputation, but many people might also accuse me of abducting young girls or say that I didn't discipline them properly.

We're keeping a low profile now, which will protect our relationship and avoid causing trouble in our lives.

"Wait a year or two, then we can openly announce that we're together. Wouldn't that be better?"

An Xiaoqian bit her lower lip lightly, her fingers unconsciously clutching Hu Xiaobei's collar, and whispered, "But I want to be with you openly and honestly, every single second..."

Hu Xiaobei gently kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose, his expression serious: "Sigh... Qianqian, I cherish our relationship very much, and I want to continue walking with you forever."

But if people find out about our relationship now, it might actually make it harder for us to be together.

It's important to understand that meeting the right person at the wrong time rarely leads to a good outcome.

Now that we've already encountered this situation, we shouldn't be in such a hurry in order to plan for the future.

We should keep our distance from each other and nurture our feelings, so that we can live together better in the future.

"Let's wait a year or two until the time is right, then we can go public. We can be together openly and honestly then, and no one will object."

An Xiaoqian waited quietly for a moment, but when he didn't move, she lightly moistened her lips with her tongue before burying her face in Hu Xiaobei's neck and saying sullenly, "Okay, I'll listen to you. But...but..."

Seeing this, Hu Xiaobei hugged her tightly before she could finish speaking and said softly, "We're going out to eat soon, let's hug a little longer."

Upon hearing this, An Xiaoqian felt that spring was too short, so she said nothing more, tightly wrapped her arms around Hu Xiaobei's neck, enjoying the brief embrace, wishing she could hang on him all the time.

Hu Xiaobei knew she must be feeling bad, but he couldn't just let her have her way now.

In the current situation, it is the best choice for both himself and An Xiaoqian and her daughter.

They may not care about what others say, but public opinion is still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Besides, they are just being restrained and slowly maintaining their relationship, delaying the announcement of their romance. It doesn't mean they are breaking up.

Since we're together every day anyway, a little patience is worthwhile for the sake of our present and future happiness.

If a relationship can't even withstand such a simple test, what is there to talk about for the future?

He looked at An Xiaoqian in his arms, his heart filled with emotion.

At this moment, he really wanted to hold An Xiaoqian and give her a good kiss.

But he also knew that he definitely couldn't do that now.

It's almost time to eat. If we do this now, Liu Xiaoli will definitely see through our deception when An Xiaoqian goes out later.

But how can I soothe An Xiaoqian's feelings without giving her a passionate kiss?

Hu Xiaobei sighed softly, leaned close to An Xiaoqian's ear and whispered, "Qianqian, I really want to kiss you..."

Upon hearing this, An Xiaoqian perked up immediately, her lips curving upwards involuntarily. She leaned back slightly, gazing at Hu Xiaobei with tender affection, her beautiful eyes filled with both shyness and a hint of encouragement.

Seeing this, Hu Xiaobei let out a long sigh and said helplessly, "Sigh... But I also know that I must control my emotions."

If I do that, Auntie will definitely notice something amiss with you later.

As he spoke, he reached out and gently pinched An Xiaoqian's cute chin, his thumb occasionally stroking her lower lip, looking as if he was trying his best to restrain himself but still couldn't quite hold back.

(End of this chapter)