The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 783 - 782: Puppy in Pursuit of Love

Yan Su couldn’t quite pin down her feelings, a mix of surprise and a joy she couldn’t quite explain or understand.

"You need to take responsibility for me."

Hearing this, the tumultuous emotions in Yan Su’s heart suddenly calmed down quite a bit.

Her prominent family background and identity ensured that those who approached her always had various motives.

"What do you want?"

Han Zibin took a half step forward, squeezing his tall frame into the doorway, "I want you to join me for dinner."

She glanced at the meal box he was holding, "Anything else?"

"Tell me what flowers you like."

Meeting the craftiness in his eyes, Yan Su suddenly realized she had been tricked.

But the words were out, and what’s done couldn’t be undone, she had to let him into the house.

"Need to change into slippers?"

Han Zibin didn’t rashly barge in but stood politely at the entryway, giving off a vibe of a well-behaved younger brother.

Yan Su felt a bit annoyed, thinking she shouldn’t have let him in; they didn’t necessarily have to eat at her home.

"No spare slippers."

"Then I’ll go barefoot, my feet don’t stink."

After staring at him for a while, Yan Su resignedly fetched a pair of her brother’s slippers for him from the shoe cabinet.

The dishes were simple: cherry pork, shrimp in tomato sauce, a mixed vegetable dish, and fennel dumplings.

They were all flavors Yan Su loved.

After setting the table, Han Zibin asked her to start eating while he unabashedly went to the kitchen to prepare soup.

Being a chef, it only took him a few minutes to serve up a steaming bowl of green vegetable and meatball soup, fragrant and inviting.

"I saw some ready-made meatballs in the fridge that looked pretty fresh, so I used those."

His implication was clear;if the meatballs weren’t tasty, it wasn’t his fault.

After all, in front of a woman he liked, he always wanted to show his best side.

But Yan Su, with little experience in romance, failed to recognize his youthful enthusiasm, "Let’s eat, so you can head back early."

He didn’t want to leave so soon, he wanted to take his time eating.

A normal man could stuff three dumplings in his mouth at once, yet Han Zibin divided it into three small bites.

"I eat quite elegantly."

If she hadn’t figured out by now that he was intentionally stalling, all her years would have been in vain.

However, Yan Su didn’t speak up to expose or blame him.

She felt it was beneath her to quarrel with a man in his twenties.

But she didn’t realize that this very thought was indulging him to run wild on her turf.

The meal, dragged and dawdled, took an hour.

After eating, Han Zibin diligently cleaned up the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash, completely ignoring Yan Su’s suggestion to leave them for the housekeeper the next day.

Listening to the noises from the kitchen, Yan Su felt uneasy.

Afraid the man washing the dishes would still refuse to leave and insist on staying over.

It was a great regret; how could she have been so bewitched last night?

Such a headache.

Lost in her thoughts, the kitchen fell silent and soon after, he walked out of it.

"You should go back now."

"Alright, I’m leaving."

His prompt agreement somewhat relieved her, but Han Zibin’s next words caught her off guard like a cat whose tail was stepped on: "I was a bit reckless last night, didn’t hurt you, did I? If you need some medicine, I can go buy it..."

"No need!"

Han Zibin looked at her, his eyes resembling those of a puppy, "Then I’m leaving?"

Yan Su stood up to open the door, clearly expressing her stance through her actions.

Resignedly, Han Zibin walked to the entryway to change his shoes, but he didn’t rush to leave.

"You still haven’t told me what flowers you like."

Yan Su dismissively said, "Violets."

Han Zibin left in high spirits after getting his answer.

With the departure of the outsider, the house regained its quiet, but his throbbing heart was slow to calm.

...

For several days, Han Zibin didn’t show up, but his small gestures were incessant.

Today he sent homemade food, tomorrow a potted violet, and the day after tomorrow a herbal foot soak for menstrual pain.

Each time, he chose to deliver them when Yan Su was not around, handing them to the housekeeper.

Yan Su was very annoyed.

She felt that Han Zibin’s actions disrupted her life, yet she couldn’t suppress her joy upon receiving these small gifts.

She had reached the point where even drinking couldn’t put her to sleep, she couldn’t continue being entangled like this.

Yan Su picked up the phone and asked her assistant to arrange a work trip.

Any country would do, as long as it wasn’t in the home country.

The assistant was very efficient and arranged for her to go to country F that day to assess and inspect an investment project, a trip that would take about two months.

Yan Su was very satisfied and asked the housekeeper to pack her bags that night.

The next day, before dawn, she headed to the airport.

The moment the plane left the ground, she didn’t feel the relief she had imagined, but rather a hollow feeling inside.

On the first day in country F, Yan Su threw herself into work, trying to use the high intensity of work to forget everything back home.

But after a day’s work, walking the unfamiliar and cold streets at night, the tidal wave of loneliness nearly choked her.

Admit it, you can’t let go of this person.

"Sis, I, I want to go back."

Clasping the phone, Yan Su was as fidgety as a child.

Even she thought she was being too capricious—handing her a project worth hundreds of millions, and just after one day, she wanted to quit.

But she couldn’t help it, she had to go back, she couldn’t wait a moment longer.

"Okay, come back. I’ll have your brother-in-law arrange for someone else to take over the project."

"You’re not even going to ask me why?"

"I’ll wait for you to come back and tell me in person."

The plane landed at dawn.

Ignoring the fatigue and dust of the journey, she picked up her luggage and rushed straight to 39 Changbai Street.

Entering the building, she climbed up to Han Zibin’s apartment 609 in high heels.

This was the highest staircase she had ever climbed, nearly fainting from exhaustion, but her heart was filled with excitement and joy.

She set down her suitcase, slowly walked to the door, imagining the surprise or joy on the face of the person behind it, and couldn’t help but smile.

Knock knock.

A long time passed, but the door didn’t open.

She took out her mobile phone and called home, but there was a long wait and no answer, and no reply to a pager message either.

The enthusiasm she had felt gradually cooled with each passing second of waiting.

Yan Su did not know with what kind of mood she returned home.

But as she stepped out of the elevator and saw the person squatting by her front door, her suitcase dropped to the ground.

The awakened Han Zibin looked up when he heard the noise, his eyes reddening like a child’s when he saw her.

The distance between them closed with Yan Su’s steps.

"What are you doing here?"

Han Zibin remained squatting, hugging his knees, his eyes red with stubbornness and grievance, "I thought you didn’t want me anymore."

"I went to F country."

"I know."

"Then why are you still waiting here?"

"I couldn’t find you."

"How long were you planning to wait?"

"Until you came back."

"I’m back now, do you know why I came back?"

Han Zibin shook his head.