Chapter 2031: Extra: A Brand New Life 146 Chapter 2031: Extra: A Brand New Life 146 “Brother…” the little girl put down her knife and fork, her head hung even lower, “I’m sorry…”
“What are you apologizing to me for?” Zhou Ping couldn’t help but smile wryly, “Don’t talk nonsense, hurry up and eat, there’s only half an hour left.”

“Okay…” Only then did the little girl pick up the knife and fork again, eating slowly.

Zhou Ping, however, didn’t eat a bite. He just watched the little girl opposite him who kept her head down but slowly ate her food, pondering what to do with her.

Considering the little girl’s past and how sensible she was, he truly wanted to scold her a little but couldn’t bear to do so.

The same was true for the other members of the family.

Ever since the little girl came to their home, no one had ever spoken harshly to her. He didn’t expect that this wouldn’t make the little girl feel secure. On the contrary, it heightened her sense of insecurity, making her feel even more like she was living at the mercy of others.

After finishing the meal, the little girl continued to distribute flyers, while Zhou Ping got in the car and went back to the office.

On the way back, sitting in the backseat, Zhou Ping, who rarely smoked, still took out a cigarette from the case and smoked it.

Halfway through the cigarette, he dialed his good friend Xue Yan’s number.

“What are you doing?” Zhou Ping asked.

Xue Yan: “I’m having dinner; the surgery this morning ended a bit late. What’s up?” He heard something off in his voice.

“Smoking.”

Xue Yan chuckled, “Encountered some vexing issue?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s about your little girl at home, isn’t it?”

Zhou Ping was stunned for a moment, “How did you know?”

Xue Yan laughed: “Yao Xi and others have said that ever since the little girl entered your home, your mood has been tied to her. My Yue Bao and I feel the same.”

Zhou Ping also laughed, “Is it that obvious?”

“It’s quite obvious,” Xue Yan chuckled and nodded. “So, what’s up?”

“It’s the same old issue, the better we treat her, the more she feels like an outsider, like she’s depending on someone else for a home. My head hurts. I even want to scold her, but when I see her with her head down in front of me, I can’t bear it.”

Xue Yan said, “Her mother passed away when she was already quite grown up, so she had her own ideas by then. Now that she’s in university, she has even more of her own thoughts. If you don’t push, perhaps it might be a bit better.”

“But we want to give her a home!”

“Yet if she’s not happy, and doesn’t feel that it’s her home, then even if you give her ten homes, what can you do?”

“That’s why I’m frustrated!” then Nian Nian asked, “So, what do you think I should do?”

“I’ve already told you the solution, not to press, and maybe it will be better.”

Zhou Ping looked even more dispirited, “I got it. I’ll try.”

*
Zhou Ping understood, but he misunderstood Xue Yan’s advice, thinking that not to press meant not to keep looking for Mo Yaoyao or calling her all the time.

He was also scared, afraid of putting any more pressure on Mo Yaoyao.

Under this fear, that night, Zhou Ping did not call Mo Yaoyao as he used to do.

In the following days, it was the same–Zhou Ping didn’t call Mo Yaoyao either.

He also thought it through carefully; when Mo Yaoyao, the little girl, first arrived at his home, he and his family members indeed made some deliberate efforts. They would deliberately call her often, deliberately find various topics to talk to her about, deliberately always bring her along with them, afraid that she would feel the slightest bit neglected.

However, as time went on, the family members did change a bit, because it was almost always him paying attention to the little girl. They were very reassured, and so they left everything to him.

And he got used to it.

He got so used to it that it wasn’t deliberate at all anymore; calling Mo Yaoyao or looking for her had become as normal as eating and drinking for him.