Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
He didnât speak, and the living room fell silent. It was a little hot, and Su Qingsang was sweating from Huo Jinyaoâs embrace.
She placed her hands on Huo Jinyaoâs shoulders. This decision was made after Su Qingsangâs careful consideration today.
âI know, you might not be happy, but Auntie is all alone. Even though she has a housekeeper, she still might not be able to take care of some things. Furthermore, Su Peizhen is going to be locked up for four to five years. Who knows what would happen after she got out? If we bring Auntie over to live with us, no matter what, we can at least make her feel less lonely. What do you think?â
Huo Jinyao looked at her. âHave you made up your mind?â
âNo, Iâm asking you your opinion. If you donât agree, I wonât pick her up.â
âHowever, I donât think we would have any problems with getting along even if Auntie came. You know, Auntie is a good person. She had taken good care of us in Lin City. I really donât want to see her alone.â
If they hadnât spent the past few months together, Su Qingsang would have only lamented at most.
However, after spending the past few months together with Xiang Caiping, she couldnât bear it. She didnât want to see her become so miserable and lonely in her late years.
Huo Jinyao held her hand and wrapped it in his palm. Her hands were very slender and not the fleshy kind of hand. Her hands were so pale that they were almost transparent due to the need to constantly disinfect it during surgery.
His fingertips slid across her palm bit by bit and he looked at the lines on it.
âHoney, look at this love line. Itâs too deep and long. One look and I can tell that youâre a person who values relationships and loyalty.â
Su Qingsang couldnât laugh at his nonsense. âHow come I didnât know that you can read fortunes? Fine. If you want to call me indecisive, just say it without beating around the bush. However, I really donât want to see Auntie like this.â
âOkay.â Huo Jinyao nodded and held her hands. He stared at Su Qingsangâs face, and just when she thought he had agreed, his expression suddenly turned serious.
âYou said that Auntie will move in with us?â
âYes.â
âHave you ever thought about whether or not she would agree?â
âThis?â Su Qingsang thought of Xiang Caipingâs stubborn side. âI will convince her.â
Although Xiang Caiping had a housekeeper at home now, the housekeeper would still go home. Even if she was accompanied 24 hours a day, that feeling wouldnât be the same as being accompanied by relatives or family members.
âOkay. Youâll convince her. What about me?â
âYou?â
âSu Peizhen is her daughter. Who sent Su Peizhen to prison?â Even if Xiang Caiping didnât hate Su Qingsang, she couldnât possibly not hold any grudges, right?
â...âSu Qingsang was speechless. Her voice weakened. âMaybe Auntie doesnât blame you.â
Huo Jinyao continued, âItâs not my fault, but I sent her daughter to prison. Itâs also true that I ignored her when she came looking for me.â
Su Qingsang understood what he meant, but she said, âAuntie isnât that kind of person.â
âShe isnât, but Su Peizhen is.â
Huo Jinyao knew that Su Qingsang was being kind, but some people really werenât worth being nice to. âAfter Su Peizhen gets out of prison, do you think she would thank you for taking care of her mother for her? Or would she hate you for taking away her remaining family, her remaining motherly love?â
âIâm not. I just ââ
âYouâre not, but sheâll think you are.â Huo Jinyao didnât mind giving her a good lesson. âDo you know why Su Peizhen has gotten to where she is today? Sheâs a paranoid person, someone like that. To put it bluntly, you canât afford to offend her. She will only believe in what she has already decided. As for other things, she wonât care.â
âQingsang, if you really care about Auntie, go visit her more often. I believe that will make her very happy as well. But if you want to bring her over to live with us, I donât think itâs appropriate.â
Su Qingsang didnât speak, but her face darkened. Huo Jinyaoâs reasoning made sense, however: âJinyao, weâre only going to take care of her for a few years. After Su Peizhen gets out of prison, weâll return Auntie to her. Besides, we donât know whatâs going to happen to her after she gets out. Since thatâs the case, why donât we let Auntie enjoy the warmth of a family first?â
Huo Jinyao knew that she was stubborn, but he didnât expect her to be this stubborn.
âQingsang, you want her to enjoy the warmth of a family. What about your mother?â
Upon seeing that she didnât react in time, Huo Jinyao didnât mind stating the obvious, âYour mother, that is, Ms. Li Qianxue. There are two people she hates the most in his life. One is your father, and now that theyâre divorced, the other is your Auntie. Mrs. Huo, may I please ask that when you take care of your Auntie and give her the warmth of a home, where so you place your mother?â
Su Qingsang stared at him dazedly. Her expression appeared a little stupefied and a little dazed.
Li Qianxue? Right, she had actually forgotten about Li Qianxue now.
Huo Jinyao smiled and shook his head. He reached out and gently flicked her forehead.
âYou.â
âBut...â
âNo buts.â Huo Jinyaoâs voice was very serious. âQingsang, sometimes life is such a cruel multiple choice question. Itâs either one, two, or three.â
Su Qingsangâs lips opened and closed, then closed and opened again. She thought of Xiang Caipingâs back figure when she got out of the car today, and the way she staggered into the prison gate.
She actually felt very anguished.
But Huo Jinyao was right about one thing. It was impossible for Li Qianxue and Xiang Caiping to coexist.
Li Qianxue wasnât in Rong City right now. If she were in Rong City, she would definitely object if she knew that she had brought Xiang Caiping to her side to take care of her.
This action would definitely affect the mother-daughter relationship between her and Li Qianxue.
âI ââ Su Qingsang said the word âIâ and lowered her head. Huo Jinyao understood her feelings. Xiang Caiping was also very good to him, and he was very willing to take care of her.
However, there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble.
He wasnât afraid of trouble, but he didnât want Su Qingsang to face such trouble.
âI didnât think too much about it. Iâm not saying that I donât respect my mother.â Su Qingsang buried her head in front of his chest. Her voice was very soft. If he hadnât been so close, he wouldnât have been able to hear him.
âI just feel sorry for Auntie.â During those few months. Auntieâs kindness to her was real.
âDo you still remember? She knitted a sweater for me. That sweater is still in the closet upstairs. She made home-cooked Lin City cuisine for me and treated me well every day. I know that you would say that it was because she treated me like her daughter, and these acts of kindness are actually meant for Su Peizhen. But Jinyao... I canât help it. I canât treat her like a stranger. Not to mention that she was hit by a car to buy me a piece of jade for luck. She almost died and was almost paralyzed.â
She raised her head and looked at Huo Jinyao with tears in her eyes. âI just feel sorry for her.â
She was robbed of her man and abandoned her daughter in a moment of anger. After she finally acknowledged her daughter, she was a fake. When she finally acknowledged her real daughter, she was sent to prison.
If it were someone with a weaker mentality, they might have committed suicide.
âI know, but you canât offend your own mother for someone elseâs mother, right?â
Huo Jinyao pulled her into his embrace and patted her back gently. âQingsang, youâve been with Auntie for a few months and have affection for her. I understand that you want to take care of her, but there are some things in this world that it canât do anything about.â
You canât have it both ways.
Su Qingsang didnât speak. She knew that even if she were to take care of a lonely old man today, perhaps Li Qianxue wouldnât object.
But that person was Xiang Caiping, so it wasnât possible. But what did it have to do with Xiang Caiping?
âAlright, donât think about it anymore.â Huo Jinyao cupped her face with both hands and made her look at him. âI donât think Auntie will be willing to come live with us.â
Xiang Caiping was a very proud person. The worse her current situation was, the more unwilling she was to accept help from others. After all, who would want to be looked at with pity?
Su Qingsang knew, but she just felt anguished.
Huo Jinyao saw how upset she was and leaned over to kiss her on the lips. âHoney, why donât we go out and play?â
âGo out and play?â Where? She wasnât in the mood at all.
âLook, we didnât even go on our honeymoon when we got married. Why donât we find a place to have fun for a few days?â
Su Qingsang glanced at Huo Jinyao and suddenly smiled. âJinyao, donât be like this. Iâll adjust myself.â
She buried her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. âHuo Jinyao, thank you.â
âActually, itâs good to go out for a walk. It might not be just to relax. You can go out and have fun too. How about a honeymoon trip?â
Su Qingsang rubbed her face against his chest. âAre you kidding me? You seem to be very busy lately. Can really leave your company?â
Huo Jinyao frowned as he thought of the ongoing case. He really didnât have the time.
âNext month.â Huo Jinyao remembered something. âIâm going to Italy to negotiate a contract next month. Will you come with me then?â
âWeâll talk about it then. I still have to take the exam.â
The hospital had been very busy recently. She still had an exam and a thesis. Recently, she had been delayed a lot because of these things.
âDidnât you say that the exam is at the end of the month? After you finish the exam, we can go again at the beginning of next month. How about that?â
âOkay.â Su Qingsang couldnât find a reason to refuse. His earnest intentions made her unable to refuse, and her mood also eased up a lot. âI havenât been to Italy yet.â
âThen isnât that settled? When the time comes, we can still have fun in Europe for a few days.â
âOkay, Iâll listen to you.â
... ..
Su Chenghui sat across from Su Qingsang. The father and daughter hadnât seen each other for a few months, but they had no words to say to each other.
Su Qingsang was expressionless. Su Chenghui looked at her with a guilty expression. He got off the plane and came to Su Qingsangâs hospital without any rest.
He was lucky that Su Qingsang just got off work. Instead of bringing Su Chenghui home, she brought him to a nearby hotel.
They sat in a corner of the hotelâs magnificent restaurant. The conversations of the guests at other tables didnât affect them at all.
Su Qingsangâs phone rang. She glanced at Su Chenghui and picked up the call. Huo Jinyao was having a party with his childhood friends tonight. He asked her if she was going?
âNo need. I have something to do.â
âJunsheng is back. Itâs rare for him to come back. If youâre not too busy, I can come pick you up.â
Su Qingsang said softly, âYou can play with them. My dad is here.â
Huo Jinyao understood. âOkay, you go ahead. Iâll look for you later.â
âOkay.â
After hanging up, Su Qingsang looked at Su Chenghui, who was in front of her. Time really treated this man very well. He was already middle-aged, but he still looked elegant and suauve.
His temperament didnât look like he was a businessman at all. People had the impression that he was a professor at some university.
âI know youâre here to find out about Su Peizhen. Iâll tell you.â
âQingsang.â
Su Chenghui interrupted her and took out a box from his pocket. âThis is a gift I bought for you when I went to France last time. Itâs for you.â
Su Qingsang looked at the box. She was no stranger to the logo on it. She didnât rush to accept it, but looked at Su Chenghui instead.
âSu Peizhen, she deserves to go to jail. If you want to speak up for her, or if you want Huo Jinyao to let her go, you donât have to.â
It was rare for her to be so tough in front of Su Chenghui. Half of it was because she really despised what Su Peizhen had done, and the other half was because she was somewhat uncomfortable from Su Chenghuiâs previous actions.
Su Chenghuiâs expression was a little awkward. He rarely showed such a side in front of his children.
âNo, Qingsang. Iâm not pleading on Peizhenâs behalf. I just saw this gift the last time I went to France and felt that it suits you very well.â
His voice was very soft. Ever since his two daughters were swapped back, whether it was with Li Qianxue or Su Qingsang, from the beginning to the end, he had lost some confidence.
His sincere gaze didnât seem to be fake. Su Qingsang felt a little awkward and took the small box.
âThank you, Dad.â
âYouâre welcome.â
Su Chenghui called the waiter over and started to order. He then asked Su Qingsang what she liked to eat. Su Qingsang had come here with Huo Jinyao before and ordered a random dish.
Su Chenghui didnât force it. The two of them ordered four dishes and one soup. After the waiter left, he looked at Su Qingsang with a look of concern.
âHow have you been? Is Huo Jinyao treating you well?â
âItâs all well.â Although Huo Jinyaoâs relationship with Liu Tongjia couldnât be repaired overnight, it was obvious that they had become much closer recently.
If they didnât return to the old mansion, and Liu Tongjia would occasionally come over for dinner.
âThatâs good, thatâs good.â
After Su Chenghui said this, he was at a loss for words. He picked up the cup of tea in front of him and poured himself a cup of tea, then poured Su Qingsang a cup as well.
He didnât speak. Su Qingsang had been estranged from him for a long time and could not find anything to say, so she could only speak first.
âDad, Su Peizhen is currently serving her sentence in Rong Cityâs prison. The charge is theft of trade secrets. She previously ââ
âQingsang. I really came here just to see you. Since Peizhen went to prison, she must have done something wrong. I know everything.â
He didnât say what he knew, but some of his words already expressed his attitude. Su Qingsang froze.
âDad, you should listen.â
In Su Chenghuiâs heart, Su Peizhen was his most beloved daughter. Now that she had become like this, he should know.
She briefly described what Su Peizhen had done. She had drugged Zhang Yichen in Rong City, and then she drugged her in Lin City. Later, she had stolen Huo Jinyaoâs plan.
âLetting her go to jail for a few years is a huge punishment for her, but I donât think Jinyao and I are wrong.â
Su Chenghui sat there without saying a word. In fact, he was rather shocked at this moment.
âShe... She...has she gone crazy?â
âI donât know.â Su Qingsang shook her head and said softly, âItâs good that youâre here, Dad. Go see her. Talk to her and comfort her.â
Su Chenghui had a complicated expression on his face. In the end, he nodded and said, âOkay.â
After the meal, Su Qingsang knew that theoretically, she should let Su Chenghui stay at home since there was a guest room anyway, but she was unwilling.
âDad, let me help you book a room.â
This was the reason she brought Su Chenghui to this hotel for a meal.
âItâs okay, Iâll book it myself.â
Su Chenghui glanced at Su Qingsang with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Su Qingsang saw it, but she didnât intend to invite him. She felt like she understood Huo Jinyaoâs feelings now.
After one is hurt by oneâs loved ones for too long, sometimes, it isnât easy to accept them again.
After Su Chenghui had booked a room, Su Qingsang planned to send him back to his room and leave.
âDad, rest early. If thereâs nothing else, Iâll go back first.â
Su Chenghuiâs lips moved. He wanted to ask Su Qingsang to stay a little longer. He wanted to talk to her, but he couldnât find an excuse.
Su Qingsangâs phone rang at this time. Li Qianxue was sending a video call request.
Every day at this time, as long as it was convenient for Su Qingsang, she would definitely video chat with Li Qianxue.
Now that she looked at Su Chenghui, she was a little hesitant, but she still picked up.
âMom.â When she called her mom, she immediately saw Su Chenghuiâs eyes suddenly light up.
He stared at her phone with a passionate gaze. Su Qingsang turned her body slightly to prevent Li Qianxue from seeing from the other side of the video.
âQingsang.â Li Qianxue immediately realized that Su Qingsang wasnât in her home or the hospital. âAre you outside? Is it convenient to talk?â
âYes, Iâm outside. I had something to do. Iâll go back later.â Su Qingsang noticed that Su Chenghui had taken a step towards her. She reflexively took half a step back. âMom, are you still working overtime?â
Li Qianxue was in her office, so it was obvious that she was still working overtime.
âI still have a little bit of work to do. Iâll go back later.â
âDonât work too late.â Su Qingsang knew that Li Qianxue was negotiating a new project lately, so she was actually very busy. âMom, if youâre busy, Iâll talk to you later.â
âItâs okay, I ââ
Li Qianxue said the word âIâ and heard a knock on the door. She didnât have time to hang up when the person outside had already come in.
âI knew it. Youâre working overtime again.â
A soronous male voice sounded. It sounded very young.
It was too late for Li Qianxue to turn off the video. The voice had already come in.
âI brought you dinner. Come, work after you finish eating.â
âWho let you in?â
âI knocked on the door.â
âEven if you knocked, I didnât agree to let you in.â
Li Qianxue stood up and was about to turn off the video when Su Qingsang saw the man approaching.
âGet out. Did you hear that?â
âIâm already in, and Iâm here to bring you dinner. You donât have to be so cold, right?â
Su Qingsang heard the voice getting closer and closer. Soon, she saw a figure.
âHey, is thatyour daughter? She doesnât look like you. Hi, Hello, Iâm your ââ
It was a young and handsome face. She froze. Before she could speak, Li Qianxue had already hung up.
â...âSu Qingsang wanted to ask who that person was, but now she had no chance.
That man appeared to be in his early thirties. He spoke to Li Qianxue in such a casual tone.
Su Qingsang blinked and thought of something that was almost impossible. That man, could he be her motherâs suitor?
If that was the case, then it was really too â
From the corner of her eyes, Su Qingsang saw Su Chenghui standing in front of her. Su Qingsang suppressed the emotions on her face, because she noticed that Su Chenghuiâs expression was very ugly.
âDad?â No matter how wrong he had been, he was still her father. Su Qingsang took a step forward with a concerned expression. âAre you okay?â
Su Chenghui came back to his senses and shook his head stiffly.
âDad?â
âIâm fine.â Su Chenghuiâs voice was a little hard to understand. âYou should go back and rest. Itâs getting late.â
âThen you...â
Su Chenghui didnât seem to want to say anything more. Su Qingsang had nothing to say to him anyway. After saying a few words of concern, he left.
Before he left, she thought about Su Chenghuiâs pale and defeated face when he heard that manâs voice. She suddenly felt sorry for Su Chenghui.
When she got home, Huo Jinyao still wasnât back. She looked at the time. If Li Junsheng was back, the gathering wouldnât end so soon.
She sent another video request to Li Qianxue. However, she was rejected.
She had to make a call instead. It rang for a long time. This time, Li Qianxue finally picked up.
âQingsang.â Li Qianxueâs voice sounded a little off. Su Qingsang couldnât help but become concerned.
âMom? Are you okay?â
âIâm fine, how could I not be okay?â
âI heard that you havenât eaten yet?â
âI have. Iâve already eaten.â
Li Qianxue spoke quickly, but Su Qingsang thought of the man who had said that he brought her food. Could she be eating the food that the man had brought her?
âQingsang, Mom still has some documents to read. Iâll talk to you tomorrow.â
Li Qianxueâs voice was a little anxious. The man in front of her had already started to clean up the takeout box on the table.
During the time Su Qingsang came home from the hotel, it was just enough time for Li Qianxue to finish dinner.
The man smiled at Li Qianxue somewhat arrogantly. His mouth moved as if he was about to speak. Li Qianxue glared at the man. âQingsang, Iâll hang up first.â
âOh. Okay.â
Su Qingsang hung up the phone and confirmed two things. First, that man was most likely still in Li Qianxueâs office. Second, that man and Li Qianxue probably didnât have an ordinary relationship.
He could be Li Qianxueâs suitor, or he could be a man that Li Qianxue admired.
But she wasnât in a hurry. Whether it was a new suitor for Li Qianxue or Li Qianxue falling in love with someone else, she believed that with her age and experience, she would know what she wanted.
She also hoped that Li Qianxue could be happy again. However, when she thought of Su Chenghuiâs pale face today, Su Qingsang couldnât bear it.
If Li Qianxue really started over, then Su Chenghui would definitely be in much pain, right?