Spoiled by Love - Sweetheart, Don't Tempt Me - Chapter 91 - Love Through Empathy

When Aunt Qiao visited, no one was happier than Xiaomai. She was bustling around, serving water and juice, her hospitality impeccable.

“Xiaomai, feel free to take whatever you want to eat,” Gong Xiaoqiao generously offered, spreading her snacks out before the little guy.

Wow, a mountain of treats! Aunt Qiao’s taste was so similar to hers, filled with her favorite chocolate beans, fruit jellies, lollipops, and planet cups-all imported goodies. The sight was so tempting that the little foodie’s eyes sparkled with delight. Seizing the moment while her mom was in the room packing, she boldly grabbed a pack of chocolate beans, tore it open, and was about to indulge.

Just then, a clear voice tinged with displeasure rang out, “Gong Xiaoqiao, don’t spoil my Xiaomai.” Zhan Niantong approached, snatched up the snack bag, and inspected it. Her anger flared upon seeing the contents, “Look at what you’ve bought-high-calorie, high-fat snacks. Xiaomai can’t eat these. You should eat them yourself!” With that, she tossed the snack bag back onto the sofa and confiscated the chocolate beans from Xiaomai’s hands. If Xiaomai ate those, she might skip dinner and risk cavities.

The little guy, not having tasted the treats, felt wronged but didn’t dare protest to her dear mommy. She could only look at Aunt Qiao with big, hopeful, and pitiful eyes, hoping she would advocate for her snacks.

True to her expectations, Gong Xiaoqiao didn’t disappoint. She hugged the little guy and picked up another pack of chocolate beans, ready to open it, while muttering, “Ignore her. If she really doesn’t let you eat, she’s a wicked stepmother abusing children. We’ll have your dad divorce her and find you a new mom.”

Zhan Niantong was so provoked by her words that she nearly fumed, “Gong Xiaoqiao…” This person was here to cause trouble!

Seeing her mom getting upset, Xiaomai quickly slipped from Aunt Qiao’s embrace to the floor, gently tugging at her mom’s hand to comfort her, “Mom, don’t be mad. Aunt Qiao is just joking. Dad loves you so much; he won’t marry another aunt. Don’t be angry, I won’t eat it.”

Seeing Xiaomai so pitiful, the little justice warrior inside Gong Xiaoqiao couldn’t stay silent. She stood up and exclaimed, “Oh come on, what kid doesn’t eat snacks? Don’t be so strict!”

Sensing a potential clash between her mom and Aunt Qiao, the little guy quickly stepped in as a mediator, “Aunt Qiao, these snacks are high in calories. Xiaomai really can’t eat them. Mom’s just looking out for me!”

Not wanting to be unreasonable, Gong Xiaoqiao rummaged through the bag and pulled out the only snack the little guy could have, “Here, this pack of jelly is okay.”

“Thank you, Mom. Xiaomai loves you the most,” the little guy beamed, accepting the jelly and expressing her affection without reservation.

“But you can only have two pieces. The rest are for after dinner.” Eating was allowed, but the amount had to be controlled!

“Okay.” After all, the whole pack would eventually end up in her tummy, so the timing didn’t matter much!

“Aiyo, you’re so jittery. I’ve been eating these since I was a kid, and look at me, still as radiant and beautiful as ever.” Gong Xiaoqiao, being a young girl who’s never been a mother, naturally didn’t understand the concerns of one. Seeing the little guy could only have two jelly candies, she couldn’t help but mutter in sympathy.

This young lady was quite the talker, always ready with a clever retort. Apparently, her beauty and charm were thanks to these junk foods. Zhan Niantong rolled her eyes in exasperation, looking at the lively young lady on the sofa, and decided to rub salt in the wound. “How come you don’t seem the least bit heartbroken? Young lady, weren’t you just dumped by your boyfriend? Why do you look like you’re starving?”

“I am heartbroken, that’s why I’m venting with snacks. Didn’t you notice how loudly I was crunching the chips? I’m imagining them as Ye Weijia, biting them hard to make them hurt.” Gong Xiaoqiao grabbed a handful of chips and stuffed them into her mouth, childishly chomping down.

Such a childish act could only be pulled off by this immature young lady. “I doubt you’ve truly loved him in the twenty years of your relationship.”

“Of course I loved him!” Gong Xiaoqiao replied as if it were the most obvious thing.

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Zhan Niantong sat down beside her, snatched the chips away, and placed them on the table. She looked at her seriously. “When you first found out he betrayed you, did you feel a pain here? So intense it felt like you couldn’t breathe?” She placed a hand over her heart.

Gong Xiaoqiao answered without hesitation, “I guess, I was so angry I couldn’t even speak.”

Angry? Not hurt? Zhan Niantong was more convinced of her suspicion. Don’t think she hadn’t noticed; when this young lady came out of the clinic with Xing Chengyi, her cheeks were flushed. Wasn’t she the most timid? Seeing a wound should have made her pale, not rosy. Something was definitely up.

She thought for a moment and continued to probe, “Do you ever dream about him at night?”

“Nope, you know I sleep like a log, never dreaming.”

Zhan Niantong recalled her own symptoms when she fell in love and asked, “Do you often think of him?”

“Sure, when I want to eat something delicious or go out and have fun, I think of him. Life’s a twist!”

Sweat. Her situation was completely different from her own. As someone in the throes of a passionate romance, she was sure her instincts couldn’t be wrong. “You’re so carefree, I’m really convinced you never loved him.”

Her friend’s sudden conclusion startled Gong Xiaoqiao. She jumped up as if struck by lightning, her expression incredulous. “No way! Don’t scare me like that!”

“If you truly loved him, you’d be heartbroken right now, devastated to the point of feeling like you can’t go on. It wouldn’t be anger you’d feel, but a deep, aching pain. And when you love someone, if they’re not by your side, you miss them so much that you even dream about them. Just thinking about them makes you smile endlessly, whether you’re happy or sad. They’re the first person you want to share everything with. If they say something sweet, it feels like you’ve fallen into a vat of honey. And if another woman so much as glances at him, you’d feel an intense jealousy, wishing you could wrap him up, stuff him into your pocket, and keep him away from everyone else.” Zhan Niantong poured her heart out, describing the feelings of being in love, hoping to strike a chord with Gong Xiaoqiao.

Gong Xiaoqiao stared blankly, comparing her own feelings to what Niantong had just described.

Niantong, sounding like a seasoned love guru, continued, “I think it’s because he’s always been around, and the elders kept pushing you two together, making you mistake familiarity for love. In reality, you’ve always seen him as more of a big brother. That’s why you’re angry, not heartbroken. And that’s why you’re still able to foolishly buy a mountain of snacks to eat. If you were truly heartbroken, you’d lose your appetite completely and wouldn’t even think about food.”

“Ah…” Gong Xiaoqiao was almost convinced by her friend’s reasoning. It made so much sense that she was on the verge of admitting it. But how could she just dismiss twenty years of feelings like that? “You’re making it sound so far-fetched, like it’s actually true. I’m almost starting to believe you.” She shook her head firmly and declared, “No, that’s not it! I love him, love him, love him!”

Well, if she was that adamant, Niantong decided to drop the subject. As long as Gong Xiaoqiao wasn’t heartbroken, that was all that mattered. Ye Weijia wasn’t her destined match anyway, so why waste too much emotion on him?

Niantong fell silent, but Xiaomai, who had been quietly listening while finishing her two jelly cups, couldn’t resist chiming in. “Aunt Qiao was staring at Uncle’s back earlier, completely lost in thought. I called her several times before she snapped out of it!”

“What? Really?” Gong Xiaoqiao jumped in surprise, her crystal-clear eyes blinking rapidly as if trying to recall or deny something.

So there was more to this story. If the little guy hadn’t mentioned it, Gong Xiaoqiao wouldn’t have realized. Now, Niantong was even more convinced that Gong Xiaoqiao felt differently about Xing Chengyi. “When you were looking at him, did your cheeks feel warm, your heart race, pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of your chest?”

Gong Xiaoqiao thought back, her expression growing increasingly stiff. The little heart in her chest started pounding wildly again. Oh no, it seemed like Zhan Niantong had hit the nail on the head!

“Come on, you two, what are you doing? I was just grateful to him, that’s all. Don’t make it sound so dramatic, like I’m in love with him or something. Haha, as if! Honestly, my true love is these snacks!” She laughed awkwardly, plopped back onto the sofa, grabbed a bag of chips, and tried to shove them into her mouth. But whether it was due to her flustered state or something else, she ended up getting chips all over her nose, leaving crumbs everywhere.

“Serves you right! No more snacking for you, or I won’t cook dinner for you tonight.” Niantong couldn’t help but grumble. It was so unfair-no matter how much Gong Xiaoqiao ate, she never gained weight. This girl was truly blessed by the heavens.

After a delicious dinner, Niantong left the two girls in the living room watching cartoons while she headed to the study to write her self-criticism letter.

“Mom, aren’t you going to keep Aunt Qiao company?” Xiaomai asked, puzzled.

“Mom has to write a self-criticism letter. Your dad is punishing me, and it has to be handwritten.” The family head was probably going to call soon, so she had to hurry and get it done.

“What? Dad is so mean!” Xiaomai exclaimed, outraged that her father would punish her mother like this.

Finally finding a kindred spirit who understood her frustration, Niantong felt a small wave of gratitude. “Exactly! I have no idea how he even found out. It’s so annoying.”