Chapter 361: Chapter 361 Is that you, Ding Yinuo?_1
 

An awkward atmosphere was spreading for a moment.

Seeing this, Mrs. Ding promptly scolded Ding Yinuo,

“You child, how can you speak to your wife like that? She brought flowers to celebrate your return.”

Having said that, she quickly took my hand, pulling me into the living room,

“Xiaoyun, you’ve come just in time. You’ve been so worried about Yinuo; now that he’s back, you can finally relax. You are the biggest hero in our Ding Family. Come, sit here.”

As soon as I sat down on the sofa, Ding Ruirui ran over, climbed onto me, and started being coquettish, rubbing her little face against me.

“Auntie, you’re back, I missed you so much!”

“Mm, I missed you too!”

Ding Ruirui was a very clingy little girl, and after I held her, she snuggled into my arms continuously.

During this time, Jiang Jiaying also tried to come over and hold her,

“Little friend, pretty sister has some delicious candy here, do you want some?”

However, no matter how Jiang Jiaying coaxed, the little girl kept her head buried in my chest, refusing to pay her any attention.

Jiang Jiaying smiled awkwardly,

“This child is really shy!”

“She’s not shy; she’s just not used to being with strangers.”

I said flatly.

In fact, Ding Ruirui was a very sensitive little girl; she didn’t trust people who seemed insecure.

“Really? I am not a stranger. Come on, sister will take you to buy toys.”

Jiang Jiaying was an extremely assertive person.

She intended to prove my words wrong by deliberately trying to take Ding Ruirui from me.

“Miss Jiang, you can’t do this!”

I objected.

But Jiang Jiaying replied rudely,

“Song Xiaoyun, don’t drive a wedge between me and Ruirui here. If she’s really scared of strangers, then I need to hold her more, kiss her more. Once we become friends, she won’t be shy anymore. If you keep preventing me from getting close to her, do you not want me to build a good relationship with her, is that it?”

Jiang Jiaying’s values were indeed twisted, and I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

But she took advantage of the moment I was distracted by our conversation and snatched Ding Ruirui away from my arms.

“Ah!”

Ding Ruirui cried out loud.

Yet Jiang Jiaying still refused to let her go,

“Be good, darling, sister will take you to buy some chocolate. What do you want to eat? Don’t cry, shall we go see the monkeys?”

Jiang Jiaying thought that by simply appeasing Ding Ruirui, the child would be as easily swayed as other children.

But she was wrong.

Ding Ruirui had been trafficked and kidnapped before; the child had post-traumatic stress disorder.

At this moment, being forcibly taken away by a stranger, she started to lose control, becoming frantic and aggressive.

She screamed, her hands clawing at Jiang Jiaying’s face, and even bit her viciously on the shoulder.

Jiang Jiaying probably did not expect such strong aggression from a little girl.

She reacted by almost throwing Ding Ruirui onto the sofa.

Then she looked at me in panic.

Ruhui, who had been in the room, rushed out upon seeing this, and immediately scolded Jiang Jiaying, complaining,

“Don’t touch my child. Kids don’t understand things, but you’re an adult, don’t you understand?”

After speaking, she took Ding Ruirui back to the room.

Jiang Jiaying stood frozen for a long while, not knowing how to respond.

At this moment, Mrs. Ding came in, saw the tense atmosphere, and quickly said,

“Uh, the meal is ready; Miss Jiang, could you please come help me in the kitchen for a moment?”

“Auntie, Ruirui’s reaction was really intense just now, wasn’t it?”

“Are you hurt?”

“No worries, it’s just a slight scratch. I think she should be taken to the hospital for a checkup. Luckily, I know some authoritative pediatricians who can treat children like Ruirui.”

Jiang Jiaying wasn’t overly suspicious and followed Ding’s mother straight into the kitchen.

But I could tell that Ding’s mother was creating an opportunity for me and Ding Yinuo to be alone together.

Just now, while I was playing with Ding Ruirui, Ding Yinuo had already gone to the study, so he was unaware of everything Jiang Jiaying had just done.

I got up and went straight to the study.

Upon opening the door, I saw him sorting files on his desk.

His face was calm.

Yes, he was calm, detached, as if those months he had spent in a vegetative state after the accident had never happened.

He finished sorting the files and then started to flip through medical books.

I cleared my throat lightly.

Only then did he look up at me.

His gaze was no different from when he saw me at the front door just earlier.

It was overly calm.

“Ding Yinuo!”

I actually wanted to call him Yinuo or Anuo. It would have sounded more intimate.

But seeing his cold eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to use such a familiar name.

“Is there something you need from me?”

“Uh, I wanted to ask how you fared in the United States? Like, during the treatment, did you suffer any pain?”

After all, we had been apart for nearly two months; he should have something to say to me.

However, he simply said calmly:

“There was definitely pain, but it’s in the past now, and I don’t want to reminisce.”

“Oh… okay, do you feel any discomfort now?”

“I’ve recovered!”

“Oh, then during the time you weren’t in the country, your brother managed Tianjiao Company. He’s been really tired and strained…”

“Aren’t you there as well?”

His sudden question was bland, but inexplicably carried a hint of sarcasm.

“Uh, indeed, I did help out a bit, but what I mean is, when do you plan to return to the company to work?”

Ding Yinuo closed the medical book, and looked at me indifferently,

“I don’t plan to go back to Tianjiao anymore!”

“What do you mean?”

“I plan to continue being a doctor! Practicing medicine is my dream, not business!”

“But you had said before that you wanted to expand and strengthen Tianjiao…”

“The past is the past, now is now… I’ve forgotten about the past, let’s not bring it up again.”

“Oh…”

Actually, whether he chooses to work or to be a doctor, either is his will, I don’t interfere, and that wasn’t really the issue.

But from his cold and distant attitude, I always had the feeling that he was intentionally creating a sense of distance between us.

I talked with him for a while, all initiated by me.

He answered half-heartedly, sometimes not at all.

At this moment, Jiang Jiaying also hurriedly ran in.

Seeing that I was talking with Ding Yinuo, she went straight up and took Ding Yinuo’s hand, “Anuo, time to eat! Auntie’s braised chicken cubes are so delicious, I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“Okay!”

Ding Yinuo didn’t refuse her and stood up to leave with her.

He nearly brushed past me without a glance, not sparing me a second look.