"I..."
Song Erqianjin, who was usually willful, headstrong, and fearless, became inexplicably nervous when faced with Chen Xiao's accusations. She instinctively lowered her head and cautiously explained:
"It was... it was Aunt Qing who insisted on taking me grocery shopping, and... and I also called you, but your phone was busy the whole time..."
She was clearly very concerned about Chen Xiao. As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but ask in a soft voice:
"By the way, you didn't come home all night. I... Aunt Qing and I were very worried. Did you encounter any trouble?"
Chen Xiao noticed that Song Nuan and Chen Qing looked unwell, clearly due to lack of sleep. He felt guilty and quickly explained with a dry laugh:
"Sorry, last night I..."
"Hmph!"
Chen Qing interrupted Chen Xiao's words unceremoniously, putting on a stern face and snorting. Then, she gently took Song Nuan's fair and soft slender hand and said with a smile:
"Nuan Nuan, Aunt Qing is hungry. Go quickly and cook breakfast. Don't bother with this scoundrel who stays out all night."
Chen Xiao's medical skills were extraordinary. Chen Qing's facial abrasions had already recovered considerably. Her usual competence and arrogance gradually resurfaced, and she couldn't resist giving Chen Xiao a pointed look as she spoke.
Song Nuan suddenly felt like a duck being driven onto a shelf, caught in a dilemma. After all, she knew nothing about cooking, and the exquisite breakfast from Partridge Sky hadn't arrived yet. If she really went into the kitchen, she would make a fool of herself.
But she wasn't stupid. She knew Chen Qing wanted to get rid of her. With no other choice, she reluctantly entered the house with a crestfallen face.
As expected, the moment she stepped inside, Chen Qing immediately pulled Chen Xiao to her wheelchair and whispered in a low voice:
"You blockhead, are you brainless? Nuan Nuan clearly has feelings for you. If you don't seize the opportunity to win her over, fine, but how can you stay out all night? I'm asking you, is working overtime at the hospital more important, or finding a wife and having children?"
As soon as Chen Qing finished speaking, Song Nuan, who had already entered the house, suddenly asked with suspicion:
"Who are you?"
"Huh?"
Chen Qing was stunned at first, and then she quickly controlled her wheelchair and rushed out the door.
The first glance at Daphne, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, made Chen Qing's mind reel. After a moment of stunned silence, she turned to look at Chen Xiao, who followed her in. Her expression was incredibly complex, but gradually her eyes lit up, and she secretly rejoiced, her heart surging:
"Did my son stay out all night because of this foreign girl? Oh my god! Has my foolish son, who has been single his entire life, finally opened up?"
Chen Xiao noticed Chen Qing's overly joyful and exaggerated expression and guessed that she had misunderstood. He quickly introduced:
"Mom, Miss Daphne is a patient I'm treating. It's not easy for a girl to come all the way from abroad to our Central Hospital for medical treatment alone, and living alone is also very dangerous. So, she will be staying with us for a while. She can also keep you company and chat."
Daphne, afraid that Chen Qing would refuse, eagerly pleaded:
"Auntie, I'm alone in Juxian City, with no relatives and no one to rely on. Please, please don't send me away, or I'll have to sleep on the streets."
She was truly afraid of being driven away by Chen Qing. That's why she had been hiding behind the door, trembling, while Chen Xiao and Chen Qing were talking outside. Now, she couldn't help but squeeze out tears, playing the victim and acting pitiful.
"To come all the way from abroad to our Juxian City for treatment and not have a single relative to accompany her. She's like Nuan Nuan, having to work as a nanny at such a young age to make a living. It's too difficult. Stay, stay as long as you want! Nuan Nuan, you'll have to prepare an extra portion of your delicious breakfast."
Chen Qing was easily moved to tears and didn't doubt Daphne's words at all. As she spoke and reached out to pull Daphne, her eyes were already misty, filled with sympathy and pity for Daphne.
"..."
Song Nuan wanted to say something but stopped. Her expression couldn't hide her suspicion. After all, she could tell at a glance that Daphne's attire, though seemingly simple, was all high-end luxury that ordinary families could only dream of. How could someone with such "money power" be without anyone to rely on?
"Trying to play the victim and steal my man? I'll poison you!"
With that thought, Song Nuan picked up her bags of fresh vegetables and various meats and headed for the kitchen, her mind filled with how to get the exquisite breakfast from Partridge Sky onto the table without being noticed by Chen Qing and Daphne.
Daphne, of course, also saw through Song Nuan's luxurious attire at a glance, realizing that Song Nuan was by no means a pitiable person who had to work as a nanny at a young age. Moreover, she had finally secured a chance to stay at Chen Xiao's house and was eager to impress. She quickly snatched the bags from Song Nuan's hands:
"Let me do it. It's our first meeting, and I'd like to make an authentic Western breakfast for Auntie."
In fact, she said this with a guilty conscience. Like Song Nuan, she knew nothing about cooking and was focused on how to deceive them.