Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 18: Once Seen Before

Liu Changqing was in a great mood.

After what had happened yesterday, he had fully expected his daughter to hate him even more and perhaps even refuse to eat the meal he prepared.

He had already mentally prepared himself to ask Liu Zhiyue to deliver her food to her room.

But to his surprise, although Liu Xiazhi still wore an unhappy expression and didn’t give him any warm looks, she was eating normally again.

Before his arrival, the old Liu Changqing hadn’t cared much about the children’s meals. After divorcing Li Wanran, he had simply bought a box of instant noodles from the supermarket and left it at home for the kids.

When the current Liu Changqing first arrived in this world, he inherited the knowledge of how to cook. However, while his body could execute the techniques, his mind struggled to keep up. At first, the food he made was edible but far from delicious.

After some time and practice, though, he had finally managed to prepare meals that were both tasty and satisfying.

Of course, the main reason for cooking chicken tonight was that Liu Xiazhi loved chicken.

Recalling the memories in his mind, he smiled at the thought of her once clutching his hand and begging him to take her out for fried chicken.

Remembering those moments, Liu Changqing couldn’t help but chuckle.

His good mood persisted, even as he tidied up the dining table, humming a little tune.

“Uncle, it’s getting late. I should head home now,” Zhao Xuanwen’s voice pulled Liu Changqing out of his reverie.

He paused his cleaning and looked at his son’s classmate.

“Won’t you stay a little longer?”

“I’d love to, but it’s already late. If I don’t get home soon, my mom will scold me!”

“You’re right. Zhiyue, walk her home,” Liu Changqing said after a moment of thought.

Liu Zhiyue didn’t object. He nodded, picked up Zhao Xuanwen’s backpack, and opened the door.

As they put on their shoes, Zhao Xuanwen beamed a bright smile.

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“Uncle, your cooking is amazing!”

“Thanks for the compliment. I’m glad you liked it.”

It was always gratifying to hear someone praise your cooking, and Liu Changqing was no exception.

With her large, sparkling eyes fixed on Liu Changqing, Zhao Xuanwen clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

“Uncle… can I come again next time?”

“…”

Liu Changqing was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”

“Thank you, Uncle!”

Leaping into the air with joy, Zhao Xuanwen gave Liu Changqing a deep bow before trotting toward the door.

She turned back and shouted, “Goodbye, Uncle!”

But before Liu Changqing could respond, Liu Zhiyue, clearly exasperated, dragged her away.

As the door closed, the house fell silent once more.

Reflecting on what had just happened, Liu Changqing’s face lit up with an uncontrollable grin.

Carrying her bag for her?

That’s my boy! He’s got some moves!

“I’m so happy today!”

Zhao Xuanwen skipped ahead, her empty hands swinging at her sides.

A step behind her, Liu Zhiyue followed, watching her bounce along the street.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights cast a soft glow over the quiet road.

The area where Liu Zhiyue’s family lived was quite remote. Initially, he had planned to call a cab to take Zhao Xuanwen home, but she had unexpectedly refused.

She claimed she wanted to walk off the food.

Remembering how much she had eaten during dinner, Liu Zhiyue couldn’t help but worry about whoever ended up marrying this girl in the future.

She had eaten so much, it was hard to believe her flat stomach could hold it all.

“Liu Zhiyue…”

“Huh? What is it?”

Ahead of him, Zhao Xuanwen stopped under a streetlamp, her back to him.

“Do you remember the first time we met?”

“You mean in our first year of middle school?”

After thinking for a moment, Liu Zhiyue asked, unsure.

For a brief moment, Zhao Xuanwen didn’t respond.

Standing behind her, Liu Zhiyue couldn’t make out what was on her mind. He was about to ask when she suddenly turned around with a bright smile.

“Nope!”

“No?”

He was surprised.

In Liu Zhiyue’s memory, they had met when they were assigned as desk mates at the start of middle school, a seating arrangement that had continued to this day.

“Then when was it?”

“I’m not telling!”

With that, Zhao Xuanwen darted forward.

“If you catch me, I might consider telling you!”

Laughing, she dashed ahead.

Startled, Liu Zhiyue quickly began chasing after her, worried she might get lost in the unfamiliar surroundings. His heavy footsteps pounded the pavement, and before long, he was out of breath.

After a while, noticing he hadn’t caught up, Zhao Xuanwen turned around, visibly displeased. What she saw, however, was Liu Zhiyue bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

She immediately ran back to him.

Stopping in front of him, her tone was full of concern.

“Are you okay?”

Suddenly, Liu Zhiyue reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Startled, Zhao Xuanwen let out a yelp.

“Gotcha,” Liu Zhiyue said with a mischievous grin, his breathing now calm and steady.

For a moment, Zhao Xuanwen was stunned. Then she realized what had happened and began pounding her fists against his shoulder.

“You tricked me!”

Her punches landed with unexpected force, prompting Liu Zhiyue to quickly let go of her wrist.

Now free, Zhao Xuanwen pounced on him, determined to retaliate.

The two wrestled playfully for a while before finally settling down, walking and chatting casually as they continued toward Zhao Xuanwen’s neighborhood.

When they arrived, Liu Zhiyue froze for a moment.

Although he had suspected it might be the case during their walk, seeing her home confirmed his thoughts.

He recognized this neighborhood all too well—it was the one his family had moved out of not long ago.

“You never mentioned we used to live so close,” Liu Zhiyue remarked.

“Well, you never asked!”

Grinning, Zhao Xuanwen took her backpack from him.

Seeing Liu Zhiyue’s stunned expression, she couldn’t help but feel delighted.

“Now you know. Better late than never, right?”

Watching her playful smile, Liu Zhiyue sighed and waved her off.

“Alright, alright. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. Be careful on your way in.”

“I’m already at my front door. What’s there to be careful about?”

Raising an eyebrow, Zhao Xuanwen paused for a moment before her expression softened.

“Didn’t you want to know when we first met?”

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyue perked up, though he didn’t want to admit how curious he was.

He nodded and looked at her expectantly.

Their eyes met.

The cool night breeze rustled Zhao Xuanwen’s hair, and she raised a hand to smooth it down.

Suddenly, she turned and began jogging away, her voice floating back to him.

“I’ll tell you next time, dummy!”

Liu Zhiyue stood frozen, watching her retreating figure until it disappeared from sight.

She… we… had met before?

Stopping in her tracks, Zhao Xuanwen stood still, gripping her bag tightly.

Her usual playful smile was gone.

She turned to watch Liu Zhiyue as he walked away.

After a long silence, a soft sigh escaped her lips.