Chapter 434: Clearing the misunderstanding

It was evening by the time Nana returned to Liu villa. She was in a good mood since everything sorted out in Natsukashi, and no customer was displeased.

“Baaaaa…”

“Baaaaaaaa…”

She heard her son’s voices and stopped. She turned her head and saw the stroller was standing near the dining table. Nobody was around them.

Ugh? This is strange…

She quickly checked, walked up to it, and found the twins smiling at her. Their gazes brightened, and they were excited for her to hold them.

Nana looked around but saw nobody.

“How are they alone here with nobody to watch over them?” she murmured to herself.

“Baaaaaaaaaa…”

They were still waiting for her to hold them in her arms. They widened their watery eyes, looking expectant, but to their dismay, she seemed hesitant. Of course, she patted their heads, but they wanted more.

“Baaaa…”

Now their voices began to choke, and eyes shone in tears. Their chubby hands were not excitedly flailing in the air anymore.

To Nana, the pain felt as if somebody was butchering her heart. Her gaze dimmed, and she pursed her lips. “I-I am sorry, but you should not be near me…”

“Why not?” A voice came from behind.

Nana froze. She recognized her husband’s voice. She slowly turned and saw Jinhai calmly walking up to her with low, unhurried strides. But his penetrating gaze on her felt as if he saw through everything.

She quickly smiled. “Jinhai. You are here.”

“Hm.”

“Oh, okay…where is everybody? And why are the twins here alone? I cannot see any maid either.”

“Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Jing went to attend one music concert that Mom likes very much. The maids left early. I told them to.”

“O-oh. I see…Well then. I should freshen up and go to sleep. Since Mom and Dad can be late at night, Jian and Nian can sleep with you. Bye. Good night.”

She hurriedly turned to leave, but Jinhai caught her wrist and pulled her back.

Nana tried her best to smile. “Anything else?”

“Shouldn’t you hold them since they are almost on the verge of crying?”

“Baaaaa…”

“Baaaabaaa…”

Jian and Nian looked as if a dam was about to burst at any moment.

Nana was a little anxious, but she maintained her composure. “You know I am sick so…” She averted her gaze.

Jinhai bored his gaze into her as if he already understood her lie. But she said nothing and didn’t meet his eye.

When he realized that Nana was not going to say anything, he sighed.

“Why are you avoiding them if it’s killing you that much?”

Nana stiffened. “What are you saying? Why would I avoid them?”

Jinhai held her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Nana. Seriously. Everybody in the family has already noticed what you are doing.”

She widened her eyes in shock.

Huh? Everybody? How?

“You see. You are beautiful, kind, and an awesome chef, but you suck at acting.”

Her mouth twitched.

“I am not acting. I am sick.”

“Should I call brother-in-law? Or take you to the hospital to test?”

She stayed silent.

“Why are you doing this?”

Nana choked but said nothing.

Jinhai cupped her face and warmly smiled. “You are unnecessarily blaming yourself for what happened in the mall.”

“I-I…”

“Don’t bother lying to me. You started to behave differently after that incident. So, it’s not hard to figure out what useless things were cooking in your mind.”

Nana’s gaze teared up.

“You are a chef, aren’t you? How can you let such bad and tasteless things cook up and ruin your palette?”

She finally burst into tears.

“Okay. That was a bad joke.”

She let out a soft involuntary chuckle amidst her tears. “H-How can I not blame myself? First, Tang Ning was about to kill them, and then that man almost kidnapped Jian and Nian. I was with them both of the times, but I couldn’t protect them at all…What kind of a mother fails to protect her children?”

“So you think distancing yourself from them is the solution?”

Nana lowered her head and mumbled. “They might be safer if I am not with them.”

“Bullshit,” He forced her to look at him. “Now listen to me. You are getting too negative. Whatever happened wasn’t your fault. We didn’t know the Tangs would suddenly attack you, or the man would push you to take the stroller. Anybody would have failed to protect them. And you did fight your best with Tang Ning even though you were hurt so badly on the head. How does that make you a bad mother? No way in hell.”

Nana still didn’t look convinced.

Jinhai sighed and pulled her in his arms. “My Nana is the best wife and the best mother in this whole universe. The best chef, the best sister, the best daughter, and the best daughter-in-law. Nothing can change that. You would just be hurting yourself and our children with this distance you are putting. You are not protecting them by doing this. Instead, you are making them sad. Do you know how much they missed you in the past days? It was so difficult to calm them because you weren’t beside them.”

“R-really?” her voice was hoarse and tiny.

Jinhai smiled. “Of course. After all, they love their mother so much, just like their father,” he tapped her nose, “How can they bear to be apart from you?”

Nana sniffled, and his words seem to affect her positively.

“I am sorry…”

Jinhai kissed her forehead. “Don’t be. I know it must have been difficult for you with the back-to-back incidents but trust me, you weren’t and would never be the cause of Jian and Nian’s harm.”

She tightly clutched his shirt and nodded.

Jinhai lightly flicked her forehead. “And if something this big was bothering you, then you should have shared it with me. I asked you that night, and I was waiting for you to come out with it, but you didn’t. I am your husband. I want to be a part of your worries, too, as much as your happiness.”

She felt a little guilty. “I am sorry.”

“En.” Jinhai dipped his head and captured her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss, softly brushing lips on hers like a calm and gentle breeze.

“Waaaaaahhh!”

“Waaaahhhhh!!!!!”

Jian and Nian’s patience finally broke apart, and they started wailing and crying at the top of their voices.

We want to hug Mama too!

Why is Mama hugging Dada but not us?

Their teary, accusing gazes clearly expressed what they were thinking like an open book.

Nana felt embarrassed and quickly held Jian in her arms. “Aw, aw. I am so sorry! Forgive Mama, please. I will never avoid you again, okay? I was wrong,” she kissed his cheek. She tightly embraced him and swayed him in her arms.

Jinhai helplessly carried Nian and brought him near her. She kissed his cheek too, and they finally stopped crying, feeling satisfied. Their bright smiles returned, and it instantly lifted the depressing atmosphere in Liu villa.