Chapter 357: Chapter 357 - She Is Exaggerating

The previously joyous atmosphere stagnated a little. Su Chenghui remained silent and the others did not speak either.

Xiang Caiping knitted her brows as she looked at the ingredients in the hotpot. Finally, she picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and placed it in Su Qingsang’s bowl.

“Come, eat this.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Su Qingsang’s lips twitched. She knew that Xiang Caiping felt a little troubled about the possible reason why Su Chenghui would visit at this time.

“Father, you should eat as well.” Xiang Caiping could ignore Su Chenghui, but Su Qingsang could not.

“I’m not sure if the food suits your tastes. If you don’t eat spicy food, you can eat from the non-spicy side of the hotpot.”

Su Qingsang was well aware of Su Chenghui and his family having the habit of eating lightly-flavored food.

“Sure.”

Su Chenghui did not stand on ceremony. After Sister Lu handed him a bowl, he started on his meal.

Shi Mengwan was a little cautious at first because after all, Su Chenghui evoked some fear in her. However, thinking of her mission today and noticing the persistent look of displeasure on Xiang Caiping’s face, she could only force herself to continue to be the one who influenced the general mood positively.

“Auntie, have this. Qingsang especially likes it too.”

Shi Mengwan picked up a prawn dumpling with her chopsticks and gave it to Xiang Caiping.

“Really?” Xiang Caiping was still trying to build a bond with Su Qingsang these days and was also trying very hard to get to know Su Qingsang’s food preferences. “Would the two of you go for hotpots together often?”

“Yes, we did, especially when the weather was cold.”

Shi Mengwan looked at Su Qingsang as she was speaking. “Auntie, you know, when Su Qingsang was studying for her examinations, it was really tough on her. She was studying till the wee hours of the morning every day. There were times when she even forgot to have dinner, and it was me who got her food.”

“You treat Qingsang really well.”

Xiang Caiping looked at Su Qingsang as she was speaking. “No matter how engrossed you are in your studies, your physical well-being is the most important thing. You should never neglect your health in the future.”

“Mother, I did not. Mengwan is exaggerating.” Su Qingsang threw Shi Mengwan a look. “Why don’t you talk about how you were oblivious to everything else and continued sketching into the wee hours of the morning whenever you were focused on your sketches?”

“Yes, I sketched until I forgot all about having my meals, and it was you who got me food to prevent me from starving to death.”

Shi Mengwan kept reminiscing about the past and looked in Xiang Caiping’s direction. “Auntie, actually it was Qingsang who took care of me more often. After all, there were more instances of me working outside regular hours compared to her.”

“Both of you are good kids.”

“It’s really not that exaggerated.” Su Qingsang could feel Huo Jinyao’s eyes on her and explained plainly, “Honestly, during the period of time when we lived together, we just took care of each other.”

“That’s right. Auntie, the room you’re staying in now used to be my room.”

Shi Mengwan had chosen an office space which was far from where she lived and since she was making money, she moved out. However, whenever she was free from other commitments, she would stay with Su Qingsang for a day or two.

When Su Qingsang got married, Shi Mengwan’s frequency of visits decreased.

“Come and stay next time, as long as you don’t mind me.”

“What are you talking about, Auntie? Why would I mind you?” Shi Mengwan patted her shoulder affectionately. “Qingsang is like my sister. Her mother is my mother too.”

With Shi Mengwan present, the atmosphere returned to how it was before Su Chenghui joined them.

Su Chenghui never made any attempt to speak. He sat there listening to others talk about heard interesting stories about his daughter.

It was not his first time looking at this daughter of his, but it was his first time looking at her with admiration.

Without him knowing or being aware of it, Su Qingsang had grown from a child into a woman.

When she smiled, she did not look as strikingly attractive as Su Peizhen, but she looked extremely gentle. Looking at the way her eyes narrowed as she laughed, he could almost see himself in his youth.

Both Su Qingsang and Su Yuxin resembled him. Their eyes and the shape of their faces were like his.