âMai Qi and I took our respective motherâs surname. For a special reason, we canât take our fatherâs surname.â Qu Hao explained.
âDid Mrs. Mai know you were on the second floor that day?â I asked directly.
Qu Hao smiled. The waiter served a cup of coffee. He stirred the coffee. âDo you think she knew?â
I was sure that Mrs. Mai didnât know.
Qu Hao smiled. âNanxing, youâre really smart. No wonder Ye Qian would do anything to earn your trust.â
âYou heard our conversation?â I felt discomfited immediately.
Qu Hao smiled faintly. âIâm sorry, Nanxing, I was not following you. I was trying to look into Ye Qianâs background but it was a pleasant surprise to run into you.â
I⦠I felt naked before him. This was a very uncomfortable feeling. Qu Hao picked up his coffee and took a sip. âNanxing, I donât mean you any harm.â
I nodded. âIf you do, I would be dead already.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Qu Hao smiled, âMai Qi is lucky to have you as her friend.â
I smiled, âNo, I am lucky to have her as my friend. She has a free pick of friends if she wants it.â
Qu Hao said, âMai Qi grew up with Mrs. Mai, so I thought she would grow up to be another Mrs. Mai. Thankfully she knew her right from wrong. That is very fortunate and rare. In any case, I know I can rest easy now. With you by her side, I donât need to worry too much about her anymore.â
I raised my brow. âWhat do you mean by that?â When did I become their nanny?
Qu Hao said lightly, âNow that Mai Qi is with you, sheâll have a chance to be a normal person. With her personality, if she is forced to follow Mrs. Maiâs path, she wonât be happy.â
âAnd you wonât care about her anymore?â I was confused.
âI am the least qualified to do that. If I show too much concern, itâll only have a negative effect. Mrs. Mai is always worried that Iâll harm her daughter. In her eyes, Iâm a horrible beast.â Qu Hao said self-deprecatingly.
I shrugged. âSo even if I make an enemy out of Mrs. Mai, you wonât be my enemy?â
Qu Hao smiled. âWhat do you think?â
I didnât know what to think. This one family had four people but three different surnames. What was I supposed to think?
âNanxing, Iâll be staying at M City for a while. If you need anything, feel free to come to find me.â He picked up a napkin and wrote down a string of numbers. I hesitated. He placed it before me and smiled. âI should find a time to invite Jing Tian out for a drink. I havenât seen him for years already. I hear he has made a good life for himself.â That made me feel better about him.
I nodded, âOkay, I will pass your number onto him. You donât mind, right?â I waved the napkin. He nodded with a smile. A man who was dressed as a bodyguard walked over and whispered something in Qu Haoâs ears. He stood up and told me politely. âNanxing, I have to go. Remember to contact me if you need anything.
I smiled and waved. I didnât stand up to send him off.
When I reached home, I found Mai Qi in the gym fighting with the sandbag. Mai Qi wiped her sweat and took the water bottle I gave her. âWhere have you been? Youâve been out for so long.â
âI went to meet Ye Qian,â I said.
âWhy? Was she there to lobby for my mother or she was there to warn you off Jing Tian?â Mai Qi bristled.
âNeither,â I answered.