Mingzhu dropped an unexpected bomb in the car and i i whirled around, eyes wide, nails sharp teeth wishing to sink into her younger sister’s jugular. "I leave you alone with my daughter for no more than an hour and return to find her demanding for a sibling. Jun Yi Yi, explain yourself."
Jun Yi replied as she lazily munched on a biscuit. "Why do you think that this is my fault?"
i i looked at her daughter. "Mingzhu why do you suddenly want a sibling?"
"Aunt Yi Yi said I can box with a little brother like you and uncle Mingzhe." Mingzhu answered in an innocent childish voice.
i i closed her eyes. Other children wanted siblings to play with because they were lonely. Her daughter wanted a sibling to box with! Who was teaching her how to box? Was it Mingzhe? Wasn’t it enough that she was learning karate and judo?
"Mingzhu, are you learning how to box?" She looked back as the car floated upwards.
"No." She answered.
i i sighed in relief. Mingzhu’s fists did not need anymore training.
"But aunt Yi Yi is going to teach ." Mingzhu added.
The relief in i i’s body evaporated like a gas escaping the soil.
"Your sister is an excellent boxer." Chi Lian chid in with pride in her voice. "She was the reigning youth world boxing female champion for two years in a row."
i i was astounded. "Whaaaaaaat!!!" She shouted. So swiftly, she turned her head around and looked at Jun Yi. "World boxing champion!!! How do I not know this? I would have seen it in the news if it was true."
"They allow masks for anonymity." Jun Yi ripped open a new bag of tomato and vinegar flavored crunchy chips. "It was just a brief hobby, I have no desire or intention to turn it into a career. The animals of the world will be lost without ."
i i could not believe that nobody had ntioned this to her. It was a great achievent and she wondered how Jun Yi was so nonchalant about it. Any other person would be showing off their wins, running around like a big deal and endorsing sports related goods for different companies.
Talented athletes were the next best thing to star celebrities when it ca to endorsing brands.
How was Jun Yi so chill about her achievent? How was she so sensible at her age?
"You were the number one female horse racing champion on the world. So of your records are still unbeaten to date. I rank below you on the trophy aisle at ho." Jun Yi reminded i i.
"And Mingzhe ranks above with his Olympiads and academic rewards." i i giggled briefly and she recalled the competition to outdo each other in the trophy departnt.
Mingzhu clenched her fist and said with a determined glint in her fixed hers. "Mommy, I want to be a world champion too."
"You are a baby, do so growing up first." Chi Lian told her. "Do you want to go for ice cream at the King Kong plaza with grandma?"
Mingzhu smiled and abandoned her world champion dreams temporarily.
i i almost sneered. That was not what her mother had said when she was driving her to be the youngest horse racing champion in the Dubai cup at the age of six. The sa age as Mingzhu!!
And there had definitely been no ice cream during training season.
Indeed, parents had double standards when it ca to their grandchildren. The way her mother treated Mingzhu was not the sa as how she treated her growing up.
It brought i i back to the pearl and spare pearl idea. Mingzhu was the pearl and she was the spare. But, she would not bother competing with her daughter for affection. There was nothing wrong with more people loving Mingzhu.
She was lost in thoughts for a while that she ended up dozing off until soone shook her. It turned out to be her mother who had a question to ask.
"You have pushed back the launch of Whiskers 10. Will it affect you any way?"
i i pursed her lips. The premier had been pushed back two tis because of the Empress’s affairs. The first was on the day of her attempted assassination and the second was this very day.
"Other than making so employees antsy, I have not really t any difficulties." She answered. "So, mom, how have you been? I don’t think that I have asked you that question since our reunion."
A car in the air lane opposite of theirs swerved a little and almost crushed into them. Both won were about to yell when they saw the "Learner driver" hologram on the back window.
"Learners should not be allowed to join busy lanes." Chi Lian muttered before raising her voice and grumbling. "They are the single biggest cause of most flying car accidents. We need to cut down on the number of flying cars in the empire. Heck, maybe we should all be driving the normal way--the old way."
"And who introduced flying cars to the world?" i i asked sarcastically.
Chi Lian snorted. "I didn’t think it would get so out of hand. Technology is good, it is humans that ruin it. Who knew that just because flying cars exist everyone would abandon normal driving!!"
i i raised her hand. "I could have told you this." She touched her chin, "Mmmm, I think that I actually did when I was twelve."
"You were a smart ass then and you still are now." Chi Lian answered.
"Grandma, I am not a smart ass." Mingzhu pitched in, uninvited.
Chi Lian turned her head around and smiled at her granddaughter. She had that doting look on her face which all grandmothers gave their granddaughters. It was the soft smile with eyes crinkled at the corners. Her expression was filled with patience that only years of love could teach. "Aiyo, of course my baby is not a smart ass. She is just smart. No--she is the smartest, most beautiful darling baby in the entire world."
Even her voice was sugary, steeped in warmth and undying love and pride. It had that quality which said "I will always love love and cherish you beyond reason. I will always spoil you no matter what and I will forever see the best in you--even when you don’t."
Mingzhu bead with pride. "Mom, did you hear that? Grandma said Mingzhu is the most beautiful and most smartest...."
"Most smartest." Jun Yi laughed. "I think that you should rethink that title a little bit Mingzhu. Most smartest is...."
Chi Lian and i i hissed at Jun Yi in synchronicity. There would be no bringing down the energetic spirit of baby Mingzhu on their watch.
Jun Yi rolled her eyes.
"Are we still going for ice cream?" Mingzhu asked them. Nothing was more important than ice cream.
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