Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 118: Why Are You Here?

"Did you buy those little leather shoes here?"

Liu Changqing turned to Feng Qian, who was standing next to him, and asked.

He recognized this mall; the clothes and shoes sold here weren’t cheap. Compared to shops outside, even if the styles looked similar, the prices were always a bit steeper.

Holding his daughter's small hand, Feng Qian heard Liu Changqing's question and nodded.

"Yeah, Shuyan’s shoes weren’t bought that long ago either… Besides, she already has plenty at home. Why don’t we skip buying this time?"

"Do I seem like the kind of person who breaks his promises?"

Liu Changqing found Feng Qian's suggestion a bit inappropriate. If you make a promise to a child, how can you go back on your word?

No child becomes disappointed in their parents overnight. It’s the accumulation of countless small moments in daily life that eventually leads to such feelings.

Once you’ve promised something, you must follow through.

Liu Changqing didn’t believe that children's leather shoes would cost more than adult shoes.

In his memory, he frequently bought clothes and shoes for his son, while his daughter's clothing was handled by Li Wanran back then. After all, the clothes he chose never seemed to align with his daughter's preferences.

Feng Qian gave Liu Changqing a peculiar look and couldn’t help but ask, "Have you never bought shoes for your daughter?"

"Not yet, as far as I can recall…" Liu Changqing thought for a moment before answering. Seeing Feng Qian’s odd expression, he suddenly felt uneasy.

"How much were the last shoes you bought for your daughter?"

"Three hundred sixty."

"What the h*ll!"

Liu Changqing caught himself before finishing the expletive, visibly shocked. In an era when a big bowl of noodles cost just four yuan, a pair of children's leather shoes priced at 360 seemed exorbitant.

"Isn’t this daylight robbery? I used to work in the clothing industry, and adult shoes cost at most a dozen yuan to make. Charging this much is as good as stealing!"

Feng Qian and his daughter looked at Liu Changqing’s indignant expression without saying a word.

In the children’s shoe store, Liu Changqing muttered two words: "So nice."

Feng Qian, standing nearby, was puzzled. He leaned in closer to Liu Changqing, who was feeling the sole of the shoe with his hand.

"What’s so nice? Do the shoes really smell good?"

It wasn’t until Feng Qian’s voice interrupted his thoughts that Liu Changqing realized he had spoken out loud. He coughed lightly but didn’t stop inspecting the shoes, continuously squeezing and feeling them.

"This texture, this quality…" he murmured as he answered Feng Qian’s curiosity.

"You could say I suddenly started liking something I initially hated."

"Like what?"

"Like these shoes."

Liu Changqing lifted the shoes, slid his hand inside, and felt the interior.

"See? My hand slides in without any discomfort. Shoes like these will feel great for a child to wear."

"Ah, I see."

Feng Qian nodded in agreement, while little Feng Shuyan sat nearby with a blank expression, staring at the two adults having such an odd conversation.

One of her feet was wearing a small leather shoe, while the other, clad only in a white sock, dangled freely. The shoe that should have been on that foot was in Liu Changqing’s hand.

"Uncle…"

"Hello, could you bring me another pair of these shoes in this style?" Liu Changqing ignored Feng Shuyan’s faint whisper and turned to the sales clerk waiting nearby.

"Certainly, sir."

The clerk smiled and walked off to fetch the shoes. Holding the one in his hand, Liu Changqing thought to himself:

These look great. I should get a pair for my daughter too.

Li Qing stood frozen in place.

The world was indeed small.

She stared blankly at the man walking toward her from a distance.

Although he looked thinner than the last time she saw him, Li Qing recognized him immediately.

Liu Changqing.

Her expression shifted into one of pleasant surprise. Li Qing raised her hand and waved, shouting, "Uncle!"

Her shout drew the attention of everyone nearby. Heads turned to look at the young woman waving her arms energetically.

Ignoring the onlookers, Li Qing saw Liu Changqing stop in his tracks at the sound of her voice.

Likewise, Liu Changqing noticed her. His face, too, was filled with surprise.

What’s this silly girl doing here?

Li Qing ran toward him, holding an ice cream cone. Her movements were clumsy, clearly not someone accustomed to exercise. Just as she reached him, her poor running posture caused her to trip. She stumbled forward, and the ice cream flew from her hand.

It landed squarely on Liu Changqing’s chest.

"…"

Liu Changqing fell silent. The cold sensation on his chest told him he had been hit.

With a sigh, he realized this wasn’t the first time this careless girl had done something like this. The last time, she tripped while running with books.

"Can you get up by yourself?" Liu Changqing asked softly.

Still on the ground, Li Qing grimaced in pain before slowly getting up. The first thing she noticed upon standing was the ice cream now dripping down Liu Changqing’s chest.

Stunned for a moment, she quickly pulled out some tissues.

"I’m sorry, Uncle! I didn’t mean to!"

She reached out to help, but Liu Changqing stepped back.

Her hands froze mid-air as she processed his reaction.

"I’ll handle it myself," he said, taking the tissues from her and wiping the ice cream that had seeped into his clothes. The sticky feeling was unpleasant.

Nearby, Feng Qian and his daughter watched the scene unfold as if it were straight out of a TV drama.

Feng Shuyan’s expression remained blank, though her curiosity led her to tilt her head and observe the flustered Li Qing.

Feng Qian, on the other hand, glanced between Liu Changqing and Li Qing with a peculiar look. She was a young girl, probably just over twenty, with a pretty, pleasant appearance—far from stunning but very easy on the eyes.

What could she possibly have to do with Liu Changqing?

The image of the woman from the parent-teacher meeting surfaced in Feng Qian’s mind. It had been a while since he’d seen her.

If they were in a relationship, Liu Changqing didn’t seem to be pursuing her.

Could they have broken up?

Feng Qian’s mind was filled with questions as he looked at Liu Changqing thoughtfully.

Liu Changqing managed to clean most of the mess, though some sticky residue remained on his hands. He didn’t like the sensation at all.

Spotting a trash bin, he threw away the used tissues and returned to stand in front of Li Qing, who was nervously fiddling with her fingers, her head hanging low.

After a moment of silence, he sighed and asked, "Weren’t you supposed to go home for summer vacation? What are you doing here?"