Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 53: Plans

Liu Changqing, after all, came from a more developed world.

Compared to this one, where technology and entertainment lag significantly behind, his mind, which had experienced a plethora of novel ideas, was like an ultimate cheat code.

Though he didn’t have a photographic memory that could store every potential business opportunity, his vision still far surpassed that of people in this era.

Of course, no matter how many ideas one had, without sufficient resources to back them up, everything would remain a pipe dream.

After briefly instructing his son to go rest in his room, Liu Changqing turned off the living room lights and walked alone to the window. Opening it, he felt an urge for a cigarette.

Lighting one, Liu Changqing gazed out the window.

His thoughts wandered to a particular woman—his children’s grandmother, Li Wanran’s mother, Ye Rong.

According to Liu Changqing’s memories, she was a vicious woman. No matter how hard the previous owner of this body tried to please her after marrying Li Wanran, he could never win her approval or see a friendly expression on her face.

When his father-in-law was still alive, Liu Changqing could at least enter the house when visiting his wife’s family. But after the old man passed away, even that privilege was stripped away.

Most of the time, he acted as nothing more than a driver, ferrying Li Wanran and Liu Zhiyue to her family’s home, then driving himself back.

Liu Changqing didn’t understand why the original owner endured this and had no desire to. He only knew that now, he harbored no goodwill toward that old woman.

Before the divorce, Ye Rong had drafted an agreement clearly stating she didn’t want any of Liu Changqing’s assets—only the two children.

The original Liu Changqing had refused, prompting her to revise it: the assets would go to her, while the children stayed with him.

After much consideration, the original Liu Changqing agreed. However, he had taken precautions, transferring the old house his parents left behind into Liu Zhiyue’s name beforehand.

Not long after signing the agreement, his factory was inexplicably shut down, leaving the matter unresolved.

Liu Changqing was well aware of her intentions—to push him to the brink of despair and use the children to extract money from him.

In their minds, this was the inevitable course for someone under such pressure.

What they hadn’t counted on was that he was no longer the original Liu Changqing.

As his cigarette burned to its end, Liu Changqing flicked the ashes into a plastic bottle by the window, dropping the still-lit butt inside before exhaling a final plume of smoke.

As he turned to leave, something suddenly crossed his mind.

His gaze shifted to the plastic bottle where he had just flicked the ash.

“...”

He vaguely remembered his daughter mentioning something about not wanting the tadpoles to suffocate. She had cut the bottle in half with scissors, added some water, and enthusiastically placed it in a well-ventilated spot.

Hadn’t he seen her putting something there earlier today when he got home from work?

Approaching the bottle, he squinted for a better look.

He distinctly recalled flicking several cigarette butts into it tonight...

Peering closely at the murky water, he spotted two small black dots floating within.

Liu Changqing’s expression turned complicated.

Something seemed off.

---

Morning.

After their morning jog, father and son returned home.

The first thing Liu Changqing saw was Liu Xiazhi, dressed in her pajamas, intently studying something by the window.

Changing his shoes quietly, he walked up behind her.

Standing there, he noticed his daughter’s large, curious eyes fixed on the plastic bottle in front of her.

“What’s up? Watching your adorable tadpoles first thing in the morning?” he asked with a smile.

“Well…”

Liu Xiazhi glanced back at him, then pointed at the bottle.

“The tadpoles look... kinda strange?”

Her small face was filled with puzzlement.

Liu Changqing maintained his smile.

“Our Xiazhi has taken such good care of the tadpoles! That’s why they’re growing so well—it’s all thanks to you.”

“Really?!”

Her previously glum expression lit up instantly at his words.

After thinking it over seriously, she decided that must be the reason.

She had been diligently changing their water, tearing up small pieces of bread to feed them, and even talking to them every day…

Remembering all this, Liu Xiazhi couldn’t help but smile.

Beaming, she gazed at the floating tadpoles in the bottle.

“You have to grow up fast, okay? And turn into cute little frogs!”

“Xiazhi, time to wash your face!”

“Coming!”

The call from Liu Zhiyue snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned and ran to the bathroom.

Watching her disappear inside, Liu Changqing let out a long sigh, his smile collapsing.

That was close...

Looking at the visibly larger tadpoles, guilt flickered across his face.

“They shouldn’t notice much difference… Tadpoles are tadpoles…”

The two tadpoles from yesterday had long since died, suffocated in the cigarette ash-tainted water. No matter how resilient they might have been, they couldn’t survive such pollution—especially not the little ones.

Terrified that his daughter’s first attempt at raising pets would end in disaster at his own hands, Liu Changqing had gone to a nearby pond late at night to catch replacements.

It should… be fine.

After all, tadpoles were just tadpoles.

---

After freshening up, Liu Zhiyue spotted Liu Changqing by the window.

“Dad, aren’t you going to work today?”

“Later. I’ve got something to take care of.”

“Huh? What’s more important than work?”

“Don’t ask.”

Without explaining further, Liu Changqing waited until the kids left for school, giving them enough money for meals before they departed.

For some reason, the breakfast shop downstairs had been closed for several days without any notice.

With the door slamming shut behind them, Liu Changqing sat on the sofa for a moment before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

After a quick shower, he blow-dried his short hair, changed into one of his more presentable outfits, and was just about to leave when his phone rang.

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

He quickly stopped what he was doing, grabbed the phone, and answered.

“Hello? Mr. Chen, are you here yet?”