225 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 225 (Bonus Chapter) "Are you sure? Baby, do you want to go with the aunties?" Chen Wan asked, both amused and exasperated. "I'm sure, I want to eat cookies!" Zai Zai declared with great fervor. "Alright then, Commander Cao, I'm counting on you to take care of her," Chen Wan conceded, seeing that the little foodie was determined to go with them. Zai Zai was quite pleased, comfortable in the arms of her new acquaintance, Cao Wei, who carried her away with her little legs swinging. Once they were out of sight, Shang Nuan leaned in close to Zai Zai, pinching her small hand, and asked, "Yang Yang, why did you give me the flower earlier?" Zai Zai tugged at her little ponytail, pondering the question before replying, "It just felt like I should give it to you, Auntie." Hearing this, Cao Wei let out a soft chuckle and praised, "Yang Yang, you're really good at picking people. You gave it to exactly the right person." "Hehe." Delighted by the compliment, Zai Zai snuggled up to Cao Wei, feeling proud of her own knack for choosing people. Trailing behind with a slightly envious expression, Shang Nuan resolved to prove herself later that night. When they returned to Cao Wei's office, it was close to lunchtime. Concerned that the little one might not be used to the cafeteria food, Cao Wei asked Shang Nuan to make fish-flavored fried noodles for the group. The three of them shared the same meal for lunch, and Cao Wei poured a glass of orange juice for the little one. Without any prompting, Zai Zai devoured her meal, her little mouth chomping down happily. After lunch, Cao Wei noticed that the little one was getting sleepy. She carried Zai Zai to her room for a nap. By the time she returned to the office, only Shang Nuan was left. With a teasing smile, Shang Nuan approached Cao Wei, "Wei Wei, how do you plan on competing tonight? Want me to take it easy on you?" Cao Wei's ears turned red, but she responded defiantly, "Are you kidding? You think I need you to go easy on me? I trained you, remember? There's no way you can beat me." "Of course, you're the best," Shang Nuan replied quickly, already planning her own evening benefits. Cao Wei shot Shang Nuan a glare, retorting with a soft scoff, "Just so you know, those times before, I wasn't feeling well. Today, I'm fully back to form. You better watch out tonight." "Sure, I will," Shang Nuan nodded obediently, adopting a look of compliance that left Cao Wei feeling slightly unsettled. Zai Zai napped for two hours on Cao Wei's large bed and woke up rubbing her eyes. Sitting up in the unfamiliar room, she seemed a bit confused until she remembered she was there for the cookies. She adjusted her somewhat messy little ponytails and called out in her soft voice, "Auntie, I'm awake." Hearing the little one's voice, Cao Wei's heart warmed as she hurried in, "Yang Yang, you're awake. Let me fix your hair first, and then I'll get you some cookies." "Okay," Zai Zai's eyes lit up at the mention of cookies, recalling the delicious fried noodles and juice from lunchtime. Cao Wei neatly tied up Zai Zai's tousled ponytails and helped her put on shoes before carrying her out. Watching Cao Wei carry Zai Zai, Shang Nuan felt a pang of envy, wishing she could also be held by Wei Wei. Settling Zai Zai on the sofa, Cao Wei brought out the homemade cookies she had prepared herself the day before. She poured a small bowl of them for Zai Zai and packed the rest into a bag. "Yang Yang, these cookies are in this little pink bag. When we send you back later, take it with you to eat. But first, finish what's in the bowl, okay?" Zai Zai nodded her small head obediently, "Okay." As she munched on the cookies, her eyes sparkled. While eating, she didn't forget to praise, "Delicious!" Cao Wei chuckled, shaking her head, "If you like them, eat more. But when we send you back, we need to remind Chen Wan not to let you follow just anyone who has good food." "No, I only go with pretty aunties and sisters," Zai Zai defended herself while eating. Cao Wei and Shang Nuan exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh. Shang Nuan whispered to Cao Wei, "The little one has quite the eye for looks. Only follows the attractive ones." After Zai Zai finished her cookies and drank a glass of orange juice, Cao Wei and Shang Nuan changed into casual clothes and took the little one back to Chen Wan’s place. Chen Wan opened the door to find Zai Zai comfortably nestled in Cao Wei's arms, holding a small bag. She smiled and took Zai Zai, saying, "Baby, why are you taking things to go after eating? Naughty little one, did you get your hands on cookies?" "I did, and Auntie gave me a lot," Zai Zai boasted as she showed Chen Wan the little pink bag like a treasure. Chen Wan shook her head with a smile, "Commander Cao, thank you both for bringing her back. Come in and sit. If you're not busy, why don't you stay for dumplings tonight?" Cao Wei smiled and agreed, "Please, just call me by my name. It's perfect timing, and we have nothing planned. We'd love to help with the cooking. Shang Nuan is quite the cook herself." Hearing the praise from Cao Wei, Shang Nuan's eyes sparkled. Chen Wan invited Qi Jing and the others to join them, making dumplings together for a lively gathering, celebrating their wedding that day. Later in the evening, Chen Wan cooed to Zai Zai, "Baby, would you like to sleep with grandma and the others tonight? Today is Mama and Mami's wedding day, and we need some alone time to celebrate. Do you understand?" Zai Zai shook her head vigorously, looking up at Chen Wan, "I don't understand." "Be a good girl, and Mami will make you the dessert you love — the sweet, soft double-skin milk. Would you like that?" Chen Wan used Zai Zai's love for food to persuade the little glutton, knowing she would give in with promises of tasty treats. "I want it!" Zai Zai perked up immediately. Chen Wan knew she had her, poking Zai Zai’s cheek gently, "If you want it, you have to sleep with grandma tonight. Just for one night, tomorrow you can sleep in your little bed again." "Then I want a glass of watermelon juice too," Zai Zai bargained cutely. "Alright, my clever girl, adding conditions now? Okay, I'll get it for you." Chen Wan hugged her, gave her a kiss, and went off to make the juice. Finally, the little one got her wish, going off to sleep with Ye Lan and the others, while Chen Wan eagerly returned to Jiang Yan Xin. Jiang Yan Xin knew exactly what Chen Wan had planned and didn't stop her. As soon as Chen Wan returned, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Yan Xin from behind and coaxed lovingly, "Honey, the baby is sleeping with Mom and the others tonight. Let’s get some rest early, too." "Mhm, I'll take a shower before bed," Jiang Yan Xin responded calmly, folding the clothes she'd washed that morning. Growing impatient, Chen Wan couldn't help but kiss Jiang Yan Xin's earlobe, sweep by her lips, making it impossible for Jiang Yan Xin to finish folding even three shirts in ten minutes. In the end, unable to resist any longer, she pushed Chen Wan into the bathroom and told her to shower first. Elsewhere, Cao Wei and Shang Nuan leisurely strolled back, but Cao Wei noted that Shang Nuan was picking up the pace as if eager to return for some reason. "What's the rush?" Cao Wei asked, glancing at her. Shang Nuan drew closer, ensuring no one was around, and sneakily kissed Cao Wei's cheek. Cao Wei's ears flushed red, "Hey, what are you doing? We're still outside. What if someone sees us? Where would I hide my face?" "Don't worry, I checked. No one is around. Let's hurry back. Didn’t we say we were going to have a contest later? Or are you too scared to go back?" Shang Nuan raised an eyebrow provocatively. Her words sparked Cao Wei's alpha competitiveness, "Scared? I think it's you who's afraid! Come on, I'll prove it to you. The last few times were because I wasn’t feeling well." "Exactly, I felt like you were holding back. Let's head back quickly," Shang Nuan urged, speeding up her pace back home. As soon as they entered, Cao Wei placed her coat aside and suddenly felt herself being lifted. Seeing it was Shang Nuan, she struggled a bit, "I thought we agreed it would be fair competition?" "Exactly, and it's starting now. If you don’t fight back, you'll lose again," Shang Nuan replied, raising an eyebrow at Cao Wei as she carried her to the bedroom, stealing a kiss along the way. Cao Wei's ears tinged pink while she wriggled from the embrace, realizing whenever Shang Nuan kissed her or did anything, she went all weak, despite how tough she normally was. Finally managing to break free from Shang Nuan's lips, Cao Wei took a few breaths to regain her composure, "Nuan, put me down first." Saying that spread a blush across her cheeks because she was sounding unusually tender, which didn't feel like her at all. Shang Nuan gazed at Cao Wei intently, mesmerized by the aftermath of their kiss. Cao Wei's eyes were slightly red at the corners, her cheeks and ears tinged with a soft blush, which softened her entire demeanor by several degrees. She was nothing like the decisive Commander Cao from earlier in the day; instead, she resembled a gentle, docile rabbit. There was no way Shang Nuan would let her go, so she carried her to the bed and kissed her deeply. Cao Wei tried to push against Shang Nuan's shoulder a few times, only to find herself devoid of any strength to move her. The kiss was so comforting that, unconsciously, her hands shifted from pushing away to wrapping around Shang Nuan's neck. The next morning, Cao Wei woke up nestled in Shang Nuan's arms, feeling a bit deflated. She thought to herself that she was tough too, right? So why did she seem to be getting softer and actually like it this way now? Quickly shaking her head to dismiss those thoughts, Cao Wei reminded herself that she was a strong alpha, and she couldn't let a few setbacks bring her down. Besides, last night Shang Nuan hadn’t played fair; she made a move without warning. Otherwise, she certainly wouldn’t have lost. Convinced of her reasoning, Cao Wei felt a bit reassured and decided to challenge Shang Nuan again next time. She couldn’t believe that as an alpha herself, she could lose every time. Shang Nuan slept soundly, completely unaware of Cao Wei's inner resolve, pulling her closer in her sleep. Cao Wei's ears burned bright red from the embrace, and she grumbled softly at Shang Nuan holding her, “So clingy. How are you even an alpha? Can't you sleep without hugging me? Hmph, next time I definitely won't lose to you!”