Back in the old community, Mother Lu, who had been trembling slightly, finally let out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest, a look of lingering fear on her face. “Fortunately, we didn’t promise to take your sister’s child. Our life is hard enough as it is. Where would we even begin? One more mouth to feed—how would we raise him in the future?”
The thought of her deceased eldest daughter always brought a pang of sadness. Even a dog, after being raised for a long time, develops feelings, let alone a daughter she had nurtured for over ten years. Why did she have a car accident and pass away? No wonder there had been no news. However, recalling what that man had said—that her daughter had died in a car accident with her husband—Mother Lu felt a flicker of resentment. Her daughter had married, yet hadn’t told her such important news. Clearly, her eldest daughter didn’t consider her a mother. Mother Lu sighed, a whirlwind of thoughts churning in her mind. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. Mom will cook for you.” In that grand villa, she hadn’t dared to move her feet. She wondered what the rich people ate. If only they had stayed for a meal, at least she could brag about it to her mahjong friends tomorrow.
“Mom,” Lu Xiang interjected, her silence throughout the journey finally broken by bursts of remorse. Jiang Haoyan was truly her sister’s child; no wonder she had always felt an inexplicable familiarity. She grabbed Mother Lu’s arm, frowning. “Mom, when Mr. Jiang told us to raise the child, we should have agreed.”
“Are you foolish? Do you know how much it costs to raise a child?” Mother Lu scoffed. “Besides, you’d have to pay for his schooling in the future. Don’t you need to get married yourself?”
“No, Mom, do you even know whose child my sister’s child is?” Lu Xiang hated her mother’s shortsightedness at this moment. She bit her lip. “That child is Jiang Haoyan, Mr. Jiang’s son.”
“What is Mr. Jiang’s son, and your sister’s son?” Mother Lu was utterly bewildered by Lu Xiang’s words, unable to comprehend.
Lu Xiang recalled what the kindergarten teacher had told her earlier: Mrs. Jiang was not Jiang Haoyan’s biological mother, and Jiang Haoyan had been adopted by Jiang Ci as a child. It turned out Jiang Haoyan was her sister’s child, and now Mr. Jiang wanted to give the child to her and her mother to raise.
“Mom, the child has always been adopted by Mr. Jiang and calls him his father. Even if the child is handed over to us, Mr. Jiang won’t simply ignore him,” Lu Xiang told Mother Lu seriously. “We made a mistake just now. We shouldn’t have refused to adopt my sister’s child.”
Mother Lu had lived for so long; she wasn’t entirely foolish. How could she not understand what her daughter was so clearly implying? If they brought the child back to raise him, that Mr. Jiang would definitely pay a substantial amount of living expanses , and their family and that Mr. Jiang wouldn’t be completely unrelated in the future, would they?
“You child, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Understanding this truth, Mother Lu was instantly consumed by deep regret. She patted Lu Xiang and turned around immediately. “No, I’ll go and tell that Mr. Jiang that we’re willing to raise the child. Let him give me the child, and then pay the living expanses. We will definitely take good care of the child.”
“Mom, don’t go. It’ll be humiliating now ,” Lu Xiang quickly pulled Mother Lu back. “We just rejected them and were kicked out. How could someone like Mr. Jiang allow us to go back on our word?”
“Then just let this fat duck fly away?” Mother Lu pouted.
Lu Xiang had never imagined she would be entangled with a family as wealthy as the Jiangs; even a minor connection would ensure her comfort. “It doesn’t matter. The child is in my class. As long as the child voluntarily comes to us, Mr. Jiang won’t say much. After all, what he meant today was that he doesn’t want to raise children.” She knew Jiang Haoyan carried Mr. Jiang’s surname and called him his father; they clearly shared a bond. She had observed it during the parent-child activity. As long as the child chose them, Mr. Jiang would never neglect him.
Hearing this, Mother Lu was overjoyed. “Then you must coax your sister’s child well. After all, they are relatives; how can you favor outsiders? If you can, bring him home, and Grandma will cook him something delicious.” At this moment, Mother Lu showed no trace of her previous aversion to the child or her refusal to raise him.
“I know what to do,” a smile appeared on Lu Xiang’s face. Jiang Haoyan was well-behaved and very obedient to his teachers in class, so getting close to him wouldn’t be difficult.
At the villa, after Lu Xiang and her mother left, Su Yue’s mood brightened considerably. Jiang Ci had sent them away, which meant his earlier idea of sending Xiao Haohao away had been dispelled. She turned to look at Jiang Ci, who still wore a sullen expression beside her, and smiled, rolling her eyes playfully. “Why didn’t you send Xiao Haohao away?”
“Are you very happy?” Jiang Ci raised his eyes.
“Of course! I’ll make you a mango cake later, okay? I’ve come up with a new method,” Su Yue said, reaching out to imitate his usual gesture of pinching her, lightly pinching his face. “You’re so good; you should be rewarded.”
Jiang Ci snorted.
In the evening, Su Yue truly did make Jiang Ci a new mango cake. The fragrant, alluring golden mango cake was gently sliced, revealing eleven layers of crunchy chocolate within—sweet but not cloying—and icy, glutinous coconut-flavored skin embracing slices of sweet mango flesh. The distinct layers and alluring fragrance tantalized the senses.
Xiao Haohao’s eyes lit up. He sat on a chair, his small hands folded on the dining table, his head resting on them. His two short legs dangled in the air, swaying as he sucked in his saliva, his dark eyes fixed on the cake, unable to look away. “Mom, Haohao wants to eat mango cake.”
“Okay, I’ll cut it for you,” Su Yue said, turning her head to glance at Jiang Ci, who pursed his lips, expressionless. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Jiang Ci, you can’t eat it all by yourself.” Just a moment ago, when she asked Jiang Haoyan to come down for cake, his expression had changed. He clearly intended to enjoy it all himself. Cheapskate.
Su Yue cut a small portion for Jiang Haoyan, then a larger portion for Jiang Ci. His hand was still injured, so she had to feed him.
“Is it delicious?” Su Yue asked the little boy, who had cake on his mouth.
Xiao Haohao’s mouth was bulging as he nodded. “Mom is the best. The mango cake she made is also the best.”
Su Yue wiped the cake from the corner of his mouth, her eyes gentle. “If Haohao likes it, I’ll make it for you next time.”
Beside them, Jiang Ci snorted coldly, kicked Leek, who had approached his feet, and slowly stated, “It’s not good for children to eat too much cake; they’ll gain weight.” He glanced at the little boy’s fleshy body. “You should lose weight.”
“He’s still young, and when he grows taller, he’ll be thin,” Su Yue said, plugging a large piece of cake into his mouth to prevent him from spouting more nonsense.
Xiao Haohao’s big eyes rolled, and he stuffed another mouthful of mango cake into his mouth. Well, Haohao listens to his mother. He doesn’t need to lose weight. He’ll be thin when he grows up.
As the night deepened, the cold wind blowing outside, while the interior remained warm like spring. Under the soft light, Jiang Ci once again pulled Su Yue, who had been lying some distance away, into his arms. Recently, he had noticed she seemed to be avoiding him, unwilling to get close. Had he frightened her during their bath last time?
“Don’t hold me so tightly,” Su Yue pushed against Jiang Ci’s arm, her face flushing, her breathing quickening slightly. Even if she was growing somewhat accustomed to this physical condition now, the moment she got too close to Jiang Ci, a sense of shame would resurface, a desire to draw even closer and kiss him. Going to bed every night was the most challenging time. Hugged tightly by Jiang Ci, she always struggled to ignore that overwhelming sensation, and it would be a while before she could finally drift off to sleep.
Jiang Ci lowered his head, looking at her softly glowing pink face under the warm light. “Are you hot?” The weather had turned cold recently, and they were now covered by a light goose-down quilt, which was warm enough.
“No.” Fearing Jiang Ci would perceive something amiss, Su Yue grabbed his hand, wrapped in white gauze, and lightly tickled him. His wound was scabbing over, making it particularly itchy. His scarred hand was the most bothersome part now, and she would occasionally scratch it for him. “That Lu Xiang is Xiao Haohao’s teacher. What if she tells Xiao Haohao the truth tomorrow?” Su Yue hadn’t anticipated such a coincidence. If Lu Xiang genuinely intended to say something to Xiao Haohao, the little boy was still too young to discern right from wrong.
Jiang Ci clearly didn’t care. He let Su Yue tickle him, his eyes still half-closed in comfortable contentment. Under the warm yellow light, his cold brows relaxed slightly, and the prominent scar on his face was now barely noticeable, reduced to half the size of a palm. Jiang Ci, whose scars were no longer overly obtrusive, commanded attention that wasn’t solely focused on his facial wounds. Unhindered by the frightening perception of his scars, his clear outline gradually became more distinct and began to dazzle.
“If he knows, he knows,” Jiang Ci stated. He hadn’t planned to hide it from Jiang Haoyan anyway. “He’ll always know.”
Su Yue pursed her lips. “He’s still too young.”
“Four years old, not too young,” Jiang Ci replied, his lips twitching in dissatisfaction, his tone laced with a hint of jealousy. “You can’t just focus on the weak. Your attention should be entirely on me, a sick person. Do you understand caring for the sick and disabled?”
Su Yue resisted the urge to squeeze his hand. This man truly dared to say anything. How could he possibly look like a sick person?
The next day, As Lu Xiang arrived at the kindergarten early. Last night, she had gone to a toy store and carefully selected many toys that boys typically liked, intending to give them to Jiang Haoyan today. Children were still young, and the easiest to coax. Whoever treated them well would earn their affection.
Parents gradually began dropping their children off at school. At the door, when she saw Su Yue bring Jiang Haoyan over, she offered a kind smile and quickly took Jiang Haoyan’s schoolbag. “Haohao, say goodbye to your family.”
“Mom, goodbye! Haohao will go to school obediently and miss his mother,” Xiao Haohao waved his chubby hand at Su Yue and grinned. He called Su Yue “Mom” now, quite naturally, and his milky voice melted Su Yue’s heart.
“Okay, your father and I will pick you up after school tonight,” Su Yue said, glancing at Lu Xiang, then leaving without another word.
Lu Xiang held Jiang Haoyan’s hand. “Haohao, the teacher has prepared a lot of gifts for you! Come here, I’ll show you.” She led the child to the podium and pulled out a bag full of gifts. “I got these for you. Do you like them?” Lu Xiang squatted, smiling softly.
Jiang Haoyan looked at the pile of toys on the table, his big eyes shining, his small fingers wiggling slightly. After a moment, the little boy pouted and politely said, “Haohao can’t ask for gifts from the teacher. My mother said you can’t just take other people’s things.” He was a good boy and had to obey his mother. “Teacher, Da Zhuang is here! Haohao is going to play with Da Zhuang.”
Xiao Haohao saw Da Zhuang approaching, his eyes lit up, and he ran off on his two short legs, completely ignoring Lu Xiang, whose face clouded slightly behind him.