Chapter 283: 283: Deceiving Xu Yixue_1
Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Deceiving Xu Yixue_1
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It didn’t take long before the service counter called out the number for Xu Fan’s order. Xu Fan stood up again and carried two enormous plates back from the counter, each piled with food that nearly astounded Xu Yixue.
“Xu Fan, didn’t you order way too much? Can the few of us really finish all this?” asked Xu Yixue, frowning.
Before Xu Fan could answer, Little Tongtong was already excitedly hugging a paper bag. Inside the bag were four spicy crispy chicken wings.
“Daddy, Mommy, Little Aunt, is it okay if we each have a chicken wing?” Tongtong shook the bag in her hand and, with her little hands, picked up a wing that had been fried to a crispy golden brown. Extending her chubby little arm, she handed the chicken wing to Xu Fan.
Seeing his daughter’s filial gesture, a pleased smile spread across Xu Fan’s face. Even though he could now go without eating for a long period, the expectant look in Tongtong’s eyes immediately filled him with a sense of purpose, and he gratefully accepted the wing she offered.
Then, Tongtong handed out two more wings to Xu Yixue and Ye Xiaoning. Xu Yixue was a bit resistant to the fried chicken that was still glistening with oil, but seeing Tongtong’s obedient manner, she, just like Xu Fan, found it impossible to refuse.
Thereupon, the four of them put aside whatever they had been doing and engaged in a battle with the crispy chicken wings in their hands.
Unexpectedly, the most efficient eater among them was not Xu Fan, but Ye Xiaoning.
Being a former member of the Phoenix special forces, she was used to gulping down her food, and in almost ten seconds, she had finished off one succulent mid-wing.
Tongtong was the second to finish, as she had been a bit hungry even before, and now, with the tantalizing chicken wings in front of her, her eyes were literally shining with anticipation.
Xu Fan thought he was eating slowly, but Xu Yixue was eating even more slowly than he was. She had never eaten this kind of fried food before, and the education of a proper young lady she had received from a young age made her eating movements incredibly delicate and slow.
While Ye Xiaoning had already finished her wing, Xu Yixue was still gingerly peeling off the crispy outer layer.
“Eating like this, you can’t really taste the flavor of the food,” Xu Fan said slowly, sitting down beside Xu Yixue. “You need to let loose and enjoy it, don’t worry about getting fat. I’m here, and I promise you won’t gain an ounce!”
Hearing Xu Fan’s words, Xu Yixue hesitated for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind. She took a deep breath and, like Ye Xiaoning, started to take big bites.
At this point, little Tongtong, a candy glutton, had already sunk into the world of food. She picked up something from the table and began to eat ravenously.
With Xu Fan’s reassurance, Xu Yixue let herself go. Although she didn’t eat with the same abandon as Ye Xiaoning, she managed to speed up to the pace of a normal eater.
After finishing a chicken wing, Xu Yixue revealed a look of contentment. She had always focused on healthy living, eating nothing but bland foods—watery porridge or leaves of vegetables—and even her meat intake was limited to boiled chicken breasts. The taste was incomparable to the flavorsome, deep-fried junk food like this chicken wing.
Having eaten her chicken wing, Xu Yixue let out a satisfied sigh. Although a twinge of guilt flickered across her mind, she found herself contemplating having another piece.
“Here you go, have a glass of ice soda to wash it down,” Xu Fan said as he picked up a cup of a drink and placed it in front of Xu Yixue.
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“Is this a carbonated drink? I never drink carbonated drinks…” Xu Yixue frowned and spoke with a hint of disdain.
“Relax, with me, the Alchemist here, I can assure you of your health and safety. Look, Tongtong has gulped down half a glass. Don’t you want to give it a try?” At this moment, Xu Fan was like an awkward peddler, eagerly pitching the junk food on the table to Xu Yixue.
In fact, Xu Fan had deeper considerations. Only if Xu Yixue truly deepened her trust in him could he legitimately win the custody of his daughter. To build Xu Yixue’s trust, he knew he needed to subtly influence her through daily life.
Take, for instance, eating junk food like fried chicken, something Xu Yixue would normally not consider. But with Xu Fan’s vigorous promotion and multiple assurances, she eventually gave in.
This indicated that Xu Yixue wasn’t particularly inflexible. If he showed he could provide a good life for Tongtong, then Xu Fan stood a chance to become her legal father.
After all, Tongtong needed a father anyway, so why couldn’t she have a strong father like Xu Fan?
No matter how much Xu Yixue weighed her options or agonized over the decision, she would end up choosing him in the end. That’s the effect Xu Fan aimed for. As long as Xu Yixue wasn’t stubborn to the core, even if she only half-heartedly went along with it, even if Xu Fan had to swear by the heaven and earth, he definitely had a shot at gaining Tongtong’s custody.
With the five-day deadline fast approaching, whether Xu Fan would be able to interact with Tongtong still depended on Xu Yixue’s disposition. Xu Yixue’s willingness to try the things he recommended showed that she was slowly beginning to trust him. As long as she trusted him, he, as the doting dad, wouldn’t face the risk of losing his job.
Thinking about this, Xu Fan ate with even more enthusiasm, and even find himself looking at Xu Yixue with added affection.
Xu Fan had ordered hundreds of dollars’ worth of food, which took two trips from the kitchen to complete. And yet, the strongest warrior at the table turned out to be Little Tongtong.
This little girl ate from the beginning all the way to the end.
She kept eating for over half an hour, barely pausing, her appetite so vast it nearly startled Xu Yixue, who had only eaten a few chicken wings.
“Daddy, Tongtong’s tummy is so full,” Tongtong took a sip of her drink, let out a satisfied burp, and unexpectedly felt rather uncomfortable due to eating too much.
Seeing the little girl’s scrunched-up face, a twinge of pain flashed across Xu Fan’s eyes. Without waiting for Xu Yixue to explode, he reached out his arms and scooped his little princess into his embrace.
“Daddy will rub your belly, and then the pain will go away,” Xu Fan said, gently moving his palm in circles on Tongtong’s round, distended stomach.
From Xu Fan’s palms, a gentle stream of Spiritual Energy began to flow, transferring to Tongtong’s stomach.
With the help of Spiritual Energy, the food in Tongtong’s tummy quickly broke down, and her once bulging belly flattened just from Xu Fan rubbing it a few times.
“Haha, Tongtong’s tummy is better, it doesn’t hurt anymore, Daddy is amazing!” Sitting on Xu Fan’s lap, Tongtong exclaimed excitedly.