The Sweet Rival (Mango Shen and Nathaniel Ye)

Chapter 418

"That's enough, Rita!"

While Zion was not paying attention, Rita printed her oily fingers on his originally spotless white shirt.

He twitched his lips.

"You're a filthy pig, Rita!"

"I'm not filthy, just look at how clean are my hands, clothes, and my handkerchief. Oh dear, what's the matter with your shirt, bro? How did you get so clumsy while eating?"

Rita turned the tables on her brother and made Zion furious.

Mango and the rest, however, began to laugh.

Ever since Rita recovered from her illness, she became livelier and even naughty at times.

"Alright, settle down. Luckily, I've just bought some clothes for you both to keep here. Come with me to get a change of clothes, Zion."

Nathaniel saw how his son was showing restraint in the face of his mischievous sister, and he felt sorry for him.

Zion stood and he followed Nathaniel upstairs, as Rita continued making faces at him.

"Rita, since when did you become so naughty and a bully towards your brother?"

Mango could not let this sort of behavior continued.

Rita stuck her tongue out and she said, "I was just teasing him. Zion is too serious for his own good. Mommy, don't you agree that he behaves just like an old man? He hasn't got an ounce of fun in him."

Mango was inclined to agree with her daughter.

It was true, Zion was too sensible for his age. It was sometimes heartbreaking to see how mature he was at his young age.

Madam Ye sensed Mango's thoughts and she patted the back of her hand while saying, "Every child has their own timeline, all we can do is to provide them with the basics. Ultimately, it's up to them to direct the course of their lives. Zion is a boy, so there's no harm in having him go through some difficulties in life. It's the girl who needs to be raised with tender loving care."

"Grandma is saying that I need to be raised with extra love, right?"

Rita's sweet smile and cute voice made her mother and grandmother laughed in amusement.

"Yes, yes, you're the princess of the house, hurry up and eat more."

"That's for sure, otherwise once big brother comes back, there will be nothing left for me to eat."

Rita sounded like Zion was a glutton who always snatched her food, but Mango smiled anyway.

Seeing Mango like this, Madam Ye chuckled and she said, "The kids missed you and they begged to come over to see you. I know what you're worried about, but rest assured that the gossips from the outside world won't cause harm to the children. If I did not bring them over, they would insist while screaming the roof off of the house."

"I did no such thing, Grandma, I have been a good girl!"

Rita advocated for herself quickly.

Mango caressed her hair and she said, "Of course dear, you're a good girl. Hurry up and eat."

After that, Mango looked at Madam Ye and she said gratefully, "Mom, the Ye family and you have done so much for me, it was me who brought trouble to all of you."

"What are you talking about, dear? You're a lady of the Ye family now, so your problems are the family's problems too. How could you think that it's troublesome to us?"

Madam Ye's words caused Mango's eyes to redden and the latter was getting teary.

"Be that as it may, I still think I am truly lucky to have the full support from the Ye family amid all this chaos."

"Silly girl, don't be a stranger, please. I trust Nathaniel to handle the situation appropriately, and I believe that you are a good person too. This will all blow over soon enough. Don't fret too much, go ahead and enjoy the afternoon with the kids. I'll bring them back in the evening."

When Mango heard that Madam Ye intended to bring her kids home with her, she was a little surprised.

"It's okay to let them stay here for a few days."

"I'll bring them over when they miss you again, I don't think it's convenient to have them live here."

Madam Ye did not say it out loud, but Mango knew what she was implying.

After all, it was a place of contention now, and the children were not yet old enough to know what was going on. If anything happened here, the kids would get hurt accidentally.

Mango nodded as she observed her innocent young daughter. She felt sorry for her children.

It was difficult for her to spend time with her family because of the ongoing feud. Mango wondered how long she would need to keep fighting with Susie and the rest.

She had to come up with a plan to put an end to all this.

Mango frowned, and Madam Ye knew what she was thinking.

The old lady picked up some food with her chopsticks and she said nonchalantly, "Some tactics never seem to get old, for example, the bait and switch."

Mango paused as she listened.

"Mom, are you saying..."

"I said nothing. I'm old and getting senile now, I could be just rambling. Let's finish our meal quick before it gets cold."

Madam Ye smiled knowingly, as her eyes glowed with a kind of wisdom.

Mango didn't quite understand her intentions and she continued eating quietly.

Just as Rita was finishing her food, Zion and Nathaniel were coming back down the stairs. Zion still looked gloomy as he plodded behind his father.

"Wow, you look beautiful!"

Zion's mouth twitched upon hearing his sister's praise for him.

"The correct adjective to describe a goodlooking boy is handsome, not beautiful."

"Well beautiful means the same thing too. What's wrong with it?"

Rita seemed to enjoy annoying her brother, and Zion was too tired to retaliate.

Zion reached Mango's side and he looked up expectantly at his mother.

Zion was dressed in a smart casual outfit and he looked dashing.

Mango's heart was thrilled.

"Oh, what a handsome son I have!"

Zion's face lit up when his mother praised him, and he smiled awkwardly while blushing.

He had not received such compliments from his mother in a while now.

Zion sat quietly beside Mango and he ate his lunch silently. This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

Zion's manners were quite polished and elegant, as though he were a prince or nobility. Mango wondered if this was really her son?

Rita, on the other hand, could not be more different from her brother as she stuffed her face as though she was famished. Mango frowned at her behavior.

Nathaniel did not seem to mind it, though. He encouraged Rita to keep on eating.

They finished their meal happily.

Mango played some games with her kids after lunch, but Nathaniel noticed some fatigue in her eyes.

"Alright, you little rascals, go play by yourselves and let Mommy rest. She's not feeling herself today."

Nathaniel could not help but felt a little jealous as he saw Rita cling to her mother the whole time.

Since when did Rita become so needy?

Wasn't he her favorite?

Nathaniel had tried several times to carry Rita today, but she seemed to dislike being carried around by her father. Instead, she would always sneak back to Mango's side to sit on her lap. Nathaniel was denied the opportunity to be close to his wife with Rita orbiting her constantly.

He felt a little resentful.

Did these brats come here just to steal Mango's attention from him?

Upon hearing Nathaniel's instruction, Rita hugged her mother tightly and she said, "I'm tired too, I want to go and sleep together with Mommy."

The corner of Nathaniel's mouth twitched.

"You're not allowed to sleep with Mommy."

"Why? Mommy used to accompany me to bed all the time!"

Rita blinked her big eyes and Nathaniel forgot what he wanted to say.

Mango saw that her sweet little girl had come back to her side and she felt like giggling.

"It's alright, Rita can come and rest with me. Zion, are you coming too?"

"Can I?"

Zion looked forward to it, but he hesitated.

He hadn't napped with his mother in a long time now, so it was understandable that he would want to do so. But seeing his father's foul mood, Zion had to make sure that he had permission.

Mango knew how jealous Nathaniel was, but these were her babies and she had yearned to spend more time with them since they were here.

"Of course you can. Come along now, let's all go nap together."

The two children were overjoyed to hear this.

Nathaniel said dejectedly, "Well, I want to come along too, can I?"

"No, you can't!"

Rita and Zion blurted out together.

Mango smiled and he said, "You go spend time with your mother, Nathaniel. I'll bring the kids upstairs for a bit. They'll leave later this evening."

"Alright! Let's go!"

Madam Ye smiled and she did not stop them.

"Mom, are you thinking of taking a nap too?"

Nathaniel blinked at his mother, but the old lady seemed to ignore him on purpose. She shook her head while saying, "No, thank you. I had a good sleep last night and I am feeling fresh still. How about we play a game of chess?"

As soon as she finished her words, Nathaniel's shoulders dropped in disappointment.

Mango stifled a laugh when she saw her husband's posture.

Nathaniel was acting like a child himself.

Worried that Mango might change her mind, Zion grabbed her hand and he led her upstairs while saying, "Come on, Mommy. Let's go upstairs and nap."

"Yes, mommy! Let's go nap."

Rita grabbed her other hand and she jointly dragged her up the steps.

Mango was incredibly satisfied as she saw her two children by her side.

The children were obedient and they slept on both of her sides after clambering onto the bed. Zion said nothing, but Rita requested a bedtime story.

Mango wanted to go back five years ago when she was alone with her two children and they snuggled together just like this.

Mango was moved and she told their favorite bedtime story as they drifted off to sleep. In the end, she dozed off too.

The three of them lined up in bed made everything feel right in the world.

Even if there was a storm raging just beyond their periphery, they were safe and warm in here.

When Nathaniel crept in and saw them, his heart melted into a puddle. If it was possible, he wanted nothing more than to preserve this very moment.

He recalled that he had promised Mango to bring them out on a trip, but his plans had been foiled because of recent events. Nathaniel felt a little guilty for not fulfilling his promise yet.

Zion had woken up and he spotted Nathaniel at the doorway. He noticed the sky darkening outside and Zion knew that it was almost time to leave.

"Please take good care of Mommy."

"I will, kiddo."

Nathaniel wanted to shoo these brats away quickly. He hadn't spent time with his wife all afternoon, and Nathaniel missed her badly.