Bringing the Nation’s Husband Home

Chapter 875: Ending?36?

Song Xiangsi slowly strolled to the bathroom, afraid to fall. Maybe due to her large belly, her waist felt sore. She reached a hand over to support her protruding belly as she continued to the basin.

As she brushed her teeth, she suddenly stopped, clenching onto her belly. The cheeky baby moved aggressively in her belly, sending pains through her. She gripped onto the basin, and only after a long while did the pain start to subside.

Initially, she was bent on aborting the baby.

She didn’t want the child to be born without a father and she didn’t want her child to end up like Lu Jinnian – an illegitimate child despised by others.

But the moment she laid down on the cold and hard surgical table, she started to question her decision and the moment the doctor was preparing to inject her with the anesthesia, she started to tear up.

This was her child after all… The baby was two months old… Even though it wasn’t born yet, it was still already a life.

So even if she knew that being a single mother would be tough.

Even if she knew that she wasn’t the princess of a fairy tale and that there was no chance of getting back with the prince even if she gave birth to the child.

Even then, she still couldn’t help herself.

In reality, her life as a pregnant women in a foreign country hadn’t been easy.

Besides, as a public figure, she was afraid that someone would take photos of her predicament so she had to keep on her toes constantly.

Even though she tried to keep strong, there were still nights when she could no longer hold back her tears

Regardless of how her days were, whenever she looked at her growing tummy, everything was worth it.

–

Qiao Anhao had a smooth labor, but even though she could be discharged after four days, Lu Jinnian only allowed her to go back after a whole month so that she could have professional care.

On the day she was discharged, Little Rice Cake was a month old.

Father and Mother Qiao specifically held a banquet for this celebration.

Qiao Anxia and Cheng Yang were in charge of the guest list, and they invited several business partners that were close to the Qiao family and several actors that had good ties with Qiao Anhao. While they were preparing the invitation cards, it didn’t seem like a lot but at the time of the celebration, the guests filled the entire house.

Even though Little Rice Cake was just a month old, there was a hint of future stunning looks in him. His eyes were dark and had a gleam, and were covered by a curtain of long lashes. Every time someone came to him, he would stare at them with his wide round eyes.

As a pretty baby, Little Rice Cake was in high demand, everyone couldn’t resist coming forward to give him a hug or to touch him, but every time a female came forward, Little Rice Cake’s little face would scrunch up into a wrinkle as though he was about to burst into tears. However, when a male touched him, he would stare at them mesmerized.

Even though Mother Qiao was looking after Little Rice Cake, Qiao Anhao still focused her attention on him. When she took note of his abnormal actions, she couldn’t hep but to lean over to Lu Jinnian.

“Look at Little Rice Cake, whenever a female touches him, he’s about to burst into tears, but whenever a male touches him, he seems to be all smiles. Did you realize?”

Did he? Lu Jinnian turned to glance at Little Rice Cake.

At that moment, several males came over to carry him, and Qiao Anhao seemed to have another discovery. “Lu Jinnian, ah, whenever Little Rice Cake is carried by an older man, he will seek someone else soon after…”

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Chapter 876: Ending?37?

“Whenever he sees a better looking man, he’ll stay a little longer, take a look… Now that Cheng Yang is carrying him, he’s smiling…”

At that moment, Xu Jiamu reached a hand out to grab Little Rice Cake from Cheng Yang’s arm. The baby stuck out both his stubby arms, clenching onto Xu Jiamu’s face with a bright toothless smile.

Qiao Anxia stood beside him, waiting for her turn, but the moment she reached out her hand towards Little Rice Cake, he tilted his head to the side, continuing to smile at Xu Jiamu.

Qiao Anhao started to worry. “Lu Jinnian, do you think there’s something going on with his sexual preference…”

“Mmh.” He was still a baby, why would he have a particular preference… Before Lu Jinnian could disagree though, Qiao Anhao grabbed onto his sleeve, turning to look at him with seriousness. “Lu Jinnian, tell me honestly, deep inside, do you prefer guys more? Especially the younger ones?

“Was that why you supported Cheng Yang?

“Lu Jinnian, do you perhaps have feelings for him…”

Lu Jinnian felt his heart choke up, what was she saying!

He inhaled deeply, allowing himself to calm down before leaning over to her ear. “Qiao Qiao, I’m starting to worry about Little Rice Cake’s intelligence.”

“Why?” Qiao Anhao glared over, seemingly upset that he was insulting her son. “Little Rice Cake is just a month old, how can you judge his intelligence level?”

“The internet wrote that a baby’s intelligence comes from the mother.” Lu Jinnian leaned over to leave one more sentence before turning to smile formally at an incoming guest.

Qiao Anhao stared at Little Rice Cake for a while more before processing Lu Jinnian’s words. Turning, she rushed over to his side in agitation, and tugging at his sleeve, whined, “Lu Jinnian, were you calling me dumb just now?”

–

Little Rice Cake seemed to really like Xu Jiamu, clinging onto his arms, not allowing anyone else to come near. Xu Jiamu didn’t seem to mind at all as he gazed at the baby indulgently.

Throughout the celebration, Little Rice Cake remained cuddled inside his arms.

Halfway through, the baby wet himself. When Qiao Anhao got the nurse over to handle it, he started to cry, refusing to leave Xu Jiamu’s arms. In the end, Xu Jiamu had to change his diapers clumsily, even helping him wipe his tiny butt.

It was Xu Jiamu’s first time, his actions were clumsy and cluttered. When he removed the diapers, several drops flowed onto his pants, but, still, he didn’t seem to mind. After using a wet tissue to wipe himself clean, he continued to tend to Little Rice Cake.

Later on, there was only one table fit for ten people occupied. Only a couple of the closest friends were left – a few business partners and Cheng Yang’s friends from the industry.

Not all of his friends were actors, one of them was a famous videographer that specifically took photos for the A-listers.

As they chatted, the conversation turned towards Song Xiangsi.

“Song Xiangsi is the most charismatic woman I know.”

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Chapter 877: Ending?38?

“Indeed, Song Xiangsi is the most charismatic woman I’ve met, she’s one in a million.”

The videographer seemed to have a high regard for Song Xiangsi, singing praise as though she was his female goddess. “As long as there was a feeling I mentioned, she could portray it instantly. Among all the stars that I’ve worked with, she was indeed the best and most efficient… It’s a pity that she retired recently.”

Instinctively, Qiao Anhao continued, “Sister Xiangsi has always treated me well, previously, she had also helped me out a lot. But why would she leave the industry so abruptly? She had to pay up two billion for the movie she had accepted earlier.”

“Sister Xiangsi is… decisive indeed.”

Everyone who knew Song Xiangsi only had praises.

From the very beginning, Xu Jiamu kept a faint smile on his face as though they were talking about a stranger he hadn’t heard about. There were several times he raised Little Rice Cake into the air, delighting him tremendously.

“But Song Xiangsi seems to have disappeared entirely…” Cheng Yang added as he sipped his wine.

“The last time I met her…” Cheng Yang’s friend tilted his head sideways to ponder before adding, “It was about six months ago in Los Angeles. She was shopping with a man, and when I greeted her, she greeted me faintly as usual before leaving on the man’s arms.”

Xu Jiamu listened to the conversation, but there wasn’t much change in his expression. His gaze was focused on Little Rice Cake’s tiny face. The baby reached one stubby arm out to caress his chin, garnering a bright smile from him.

Xu Jiamu appeared normal, so no one realized that once Song Xiangsi was mentioned, he stopped being part of the conversation and diverted all his attention to Little Rice Cake. In the end, the baby even fell asleep in his arms. When Qiao Anhao signaled for him to pass him over, he just shook his head, staring at Little Rice Cake as he snoozed.

–

The day of Little Rice Cake’s celebration was also Christmas.

Ever since Qiao Anhao got pregnant, she hadn’t been out enjoying herself, so once the crowd dissipated, Mother Qiao hinted at the younger generation to go and have some fun.

Even though they all met often, they barely had any gatherings. Lu Jinnian instructed his assistant to book a private room at a club for everyone to have some fun.

Qiao Anhao was still undergoing her lactation period, hence she couldn’t touch alcohol and sipped on fresh orange juice.

When they were younger, they would always have gatherings like this, since Xu Jiamu had a playful nature. But as time went by, he seemed to mature, playfulness replaced by solemness and maturity.

Qiao Anxia remained the same, overflowing with vigor and enthusiasm. Under the influence of alcohol, she once again made everyone play truth or dare.

As everyone started to play, Qiao Anhao could feel herself returning back to the past.

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Chapter 878: Ending?39?

It was as though Qiao Anhao had returned back to the days she filmed ‘Alluring Times’. At that time, Cheng Yang had treated and Qiao Anxia had just agreed to become his girlfriend. Even though the entire room wasn’t close, they heated up to each other instantly and, just like today, they started to play truth or dare.

That night, Lu Jinnian had blocked away all her alcohol and was willing to lose to her many times. At that night, he had even sang “It’s a pity”.

That night, he had used hand signals to confess to her multiple times – paper, scissors, and stone. But she was clueless.

This time, both Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian sat in the middle. Just like that day, he continued to throw paper, scissors, and stone whenever he played with Qiao Anhao, but whenever he played with others, he would always win.

Xu Jiamu was actually good at the game, but for some reason he wasn’t in the best condition, continuously on a losing streak.

Just like old times, the loser would have to choose between truth or dare before downing three cups of beer.

Xu Jiamu accepted the punishment readily, downing all the beer.

He chose truth, and in the beginning, the questions were of a joking nature.

For instance: Are you still a virgin? Which hand do use use for your pleasure? How long will you take in bed?

But as he continued to lose, the ridiculous questions began to run out, and in the end, it went towards his love life.

Question: “Xu Jiamu, after you canceled the engagement with Lin Qianqian, you haven’t had any girlfriends. Is it because you already like someone?

Xu Jiamu replied honestly, “Yes.”

Question: “Did you cancel the engagement because of her then?”

Xu Jiamu’s eyes flickered, he nodded. “Yes.”

Question: “Then why didn’t you get together with her?”

Xu Jiamu sunk into a heavy silence, his expression calm, but somehow the entire room seemed under pressure. It was as though everyone could see the loneliness radiating off him. But quickly, his lips curled into a smile and he replied casually, “We broke up.”

Question: “Who initiated the break up?”

This question seemed to have stumped him. He pondered it for a long while before replying, “She didn’t want me.”

She was the one who didn’t want him, for that entire year, she had been trying to leave him. In the end, she had even aborted his child.

Question: “Do you still like her?”

“I do.” This time, he replied without hesitation.

Question: “Who is she?”

Until now, Xu Jiamu had downed almost forty eight cups of beer, and even though he had a high tolerance, he was starting to get drunk.

But even then, his eyes remained bright. When he heard the question, he sunk into silence once more. After a long while, he staggered towards the karaoke machine and picked a song.

A familiar tune started to play. After about five seconds, Xu Jiamu picked up the microphone and began to sing. “In the end, I finally learned to love, but you’ve already left, far into the horizon.”

Qiao Anxia was visibly drunk, slouching lazily in Cheng Yang’s arms. She raised her hand to shout inaudibly, “It’s off key!”

Xu Jiamu continued to sing, ignoring her comment. “In the end, I finally realized among my tears that once you’re gone…”

He stopped, unable to continue on.

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Chapter 879: Ending?40?

Xu Jiamu stopped, unable to continue on.

He felt his throat close up, his breathing becoming uneven.

The background tune continued to play, and without Xu Jiamu’s voice, the original singer’s voice could be heard faintly.

“Why was love at that time so easy. When I was young, why did I allow my deepest love to be hurt…”

“Ah, why aren’t you singing anymore?” Zhao Meng asked foolishly before grabbing onto a beer bottle, treating it as a microphone. Shutting her eyes, she continued indulgently along with the background music. “In this deep night, will you feel the same? Are you silently reliving everything in pain and sorrow…”

Zhao Meng seemed to have influenced the rest for they then sang in unison, “If we had been stronger, there might be no need for regret…”

Xu Jiamu froze, clenching onto the microphone tightly.

“How do you remember me, is it in sorrow or happiness… It’s a pity you left, into the depths of the sea. Only through the blur of my tears do I understand the mistake that can never be righted…”

Xu Jiamu closed the door silently, but he could still hear the music being played. “It’s never to be repeated, a man loving a woman.”

When he left, he realized that it was yet again snowing heavily, the big snowflakes pelting down on the land.

It was almost 10 pm, but since it was Christmas, the roads were still bustling. Occasional fireworks could also be seen brightening the corners of the sky.

Xu Jiamu stood still, suddenly clueless about where to go. He lifted his head to glance at the snow, and after a short while, he headed to the car park about two hundred meters away.

On his way, he passed a mall. The movie theater on the first floor was still open and the screens were showing the newest Christmas movie produced by Huan Ying Entertainment. The posters showed a strong and familiar cast.

He remembered many years ago, there was once he celebrated Christmas with Song Xiangsi. That day, they watched a midnight movie. Song Xiangsi back then hadn’t entered the entertainment industry yet, and she always had on a clean face, her eyes curving into crescents whenever she smiled.

That day, there was an unusual crowd and it was snowing heavily just like today. There were couples walking hand in hand everywhere, only the both of them walked shoulder to shoulder. When they were crossing a road, a car sped past. Xu Jiamu quickly reached out to grab her hand, and ever since, he never let go.

Diverting his gaze, he lowered his head to glance at his palm.

Even though he was holding onto her hand, how did he let go?

Chapter 880: Ending?41?

Xu Jiamu had wanted to propose, to make her his wife, to hold onto her hand forever, how did they end up as strangers then?

Was she doing well?

During the celebration this afternoon, he heard that she seemed to be doing well.

What about him? He was doing well too… Even though he didn’t marry, Xu Enterprise was thriving. This few months, they had secured several big projects, multiplying the profits several times.

They were both doing well… But they weren’t together.

Xu Jiamu stood still for a long while, a thick layer of snow covering his shoulders. Just then, a cute little girl ran past him, accidentally bumping into his leg. The little girl fell backwards, bursting into tears. Xu Jiamu snapped out of his daze and quickly bent down to lift her up.

The little girl’s mother hurriedly came forward. After thanking him, she carried the little girl and left.

Xu Jiamu remained in the same bent position for a long while before straightening. He then headed straight for his car.

After entering it, he started to drive aimlessly without a destination in mind.

In the end, he ended up in a flower shop that was still open. After stopping the car, he entered the shop to buy a beautiful bouquet of Baby’s Breath. Carefully, he placed the bouquet onto the passenger seat before heading out of the city.

The snow was heavy and the winds were strong, so Xu Jiamu drove cautiously. A two hour car ride took him almost three hours.

He arrived at a cemetery that was covered by a thick layer of snow. He knelt down in front of a tomb. With bare hands, he gently wiped off the snow. Some of it had already frozen over, and he exerted more strength to swipe it off, cutting his hand.

Xu Jiamu placed the Baby’s Breath he’d bought in front of the tomb.

There wasn’t a photo, so he stared for a really long time at the stone before using his hands to caress it.

“Daddy doesn’t know what flowers you like so I tried to change them up every time I came. There’s a wide variety in the flower shop but I seem to have exhausted my options. So next time, dad will get you toys instead, alright?

“Today is Christmas… If you were still alive, you would probably have been born and this might be your first Christmas. Maybe at this time, daddy would be fretting about what to get you…

“You have a brother, he’s called Little Rice Cake. Little Rice Cake is really adorable, today, when he held onto my fingers, I could feel his soft tender skin. If you were born and were to grab onto my fingers, would the feeling be the same?

“And… daddy really misses your mommy… but she doesn’t want daddy anymore…”

Xu Jiamu’s eyes started to sting, and he stopped mumbling. After a long while, a smile broke onto his face. “Daddy is going to leave now, daddy will visit you in a few days.”

He lowered his body to the icy cold tomb before turning to descend from the mountain.

It was already 2 am in the morning when he came back to the car. Instead of heading back to the city, he leaned against the steering wheel.

Somehow, the lyrics of the song kept repeating in his mind.

“If we had been stronger, there might be no need for regret…”

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Chapter 881: Ending?42?

“How do you remember me, is it in sorrow or happiness… During all these years, was there anyone who could take away your loneliness…”

Just then, he started to remember a conversation she had had with him.

“Jiamu, I will stay by your side.”

“Jiamu, I’m pregnant.”

“Jiamu, let’s breakup…”

Xu Jiamu clenched onto the steering wheel, bursting into tears, an inaudible murmur among his sobs. “Xiangsi, Xiangsi…”

“How do you remember me, is it in sorrow or happiness… During all these years, was there anyone who could take away your loneliness…

“In the end, I finally learned to love, but it’s a pity that you’re no longer around.

“In the end, I finally realized among my tears that once you’re gone, you’re never coming back.”

–

In Seattle, the moment the clock struck twelve, the delivery room burst open. A fatigued Song Xiangsi was wheeled out. In less than a minute, a blonde nurse walked over with a baby that was bundled up tightly. She glanced towards the pale Song Xiangsi with a bright smile and said in English, “Congratulations, it’s a little princess.”

“Thank you.” Song Xiangsi smiled towards the nurse who carried the bundle in her embrace.

The little baby had pinkish skin. When she saw Song Xiangsi staring, she broke into a big smile.

Even though she was exhausted, the bright smile on her tiny face brought her unimaginable warmth. Song Xiangsi lowered her head to kiss the little baby, her face glowing from motherly love and tenderness.

In just a short while, the little baby fell asleep in her arms.

Song Xiangsi stared at the baby’s features, while outside she could hear the sound of fireworks from the Christmas celebrations.

After a long time, she lifted her head to glance out the window to the east. Even though she knew it was a few million miles away, she still couldn’t help staring that way.

What was Christmas like in Beijing?

And what was he like right now?

Song Xiangsi stopped her wandering thoughts, hurriedly diverting her gaze back to the sleeping baby, a warm smile once again tainting her lips.

But despite her smile, there was an impossible to conceal sorrow in her eyes.

In just nine months, their promise to be strangers had really come true…

–

At 12 am, Lu Jinnian left the private room.

Everyone was dead drunk, staggering out.

At 12 am, there was a large fireworks display outside. Qiao Anxia seemed unusually excited, jumping and running around, regardless of Cheng Yang efforts to calm her down. When she was the most hyped, she raised both arms and shouted, “Cheng Yang, I love you!”

Lu Jinnian’s assistant and Zhao Meng could barely stand straight, bursting into laughter at Qiao Anxia’s confession.

Qiao Anhao held onto Lu Jinnian’s hand, standing at the furthest and highest staircase, observing everyone. Happiness and bliss was apparent on her face.

After the fireworks display, everyone left.

Qiao Anhao didn’t drink and could drive, so both she and Lu Jinnian headed to the car park.

Lu Jinnian drank a lot but he was still sober. The snow was heavy and the car park was a distance away. He placed his jacket onto Qiao Anhao before bending to carry her.

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Chapter 882: Ending?43?

Qiao Anhao leaned against Lu Jinnian’s back as she thought about the memories from a year ago – At that time, due to road construction, cars couldn’t enter Mian Xiu Garden. On a night with a heavy downpour, Lu Jinnian had carried her just like this. Uncontrollably, the memories from their past came gushing out.

Their meeting from thirteen years ago, their life as high schoolers, being far apart in college, becoming strangers after graduation, their reunion about a year ago to finally their wedding at the beginning of the year… The memories from the past floated through her mind one after another.

At that moment, she suddenly felt at ease. It was as though the bustling memories had finally come to a happy ending.

Today, she was finally discharged, she held a one month celebration for Little Rice Cake and had a gathering with her loved ones… After hustling the entire day, her body felt unusually tired, especially since she had spent her pregnancy lazing around. But even so, her spirits were high. She hugged onto Lu Jinnian’s neck, and among the strong winds, she continued to ramble on continuously in a calm tone.

She talked about their past, their future, and even when they would be old, and how she was going to die before him.

Unknowingly, she broke into a slight smile when she leaned over to Lu Jinnian’s ear. “In the future, what if a man that is more handsome and richer than you loves me more… Hmm… No, not one loves me more than you, but the kind that is willing to die for me. If at that time, I also fall for him, what will you do?”

The car was getting closer. Lu Jinnian slowed down, as though trying to lengthen the journey.

The wind grew and the snow pelted down mercilessly, the bushes lining the road engulfed entirely by a sea of white.

Every step he took produced a crunching sound that was delightful to the ears. Lu Jinnian pushed Qiao Anhao upwards before replying to her. “I’ll let him die.”

“Mmh?” Qiao Anhao asked softly.

Lu Jinnian took strong and stable steps forward. “Didn’t you say he was willing to die for you? Then why not just let him die… Besides, I will be there to love you, he doesn’t need to be alive.”

Qiao Anhao burst into laughter. She tightened her grip on his neck, glancing at the road ahead, suddenly feeling satisfied with her life.

When they were about to reach the car, Lu Jinnian asked, “Qiao Qiao, do you know? I have a wish, a really tiny one, and it’s only four words.”

“What is it?” Qiao Anhao leaned against his back, tilting her head to the side to gaze at his dashing profile. She had born him a son and had spent so many nights sleeping beside him, so how could she still be mesmerized every time she saw him?

Lu Jinnian stopped near the car. He helped her from his back before turning to stare into her eyes, his lips widening slightly.

The wind was rushing past them and the snow was strong, and due to Lu Jinnian’s voice being very quiet, it was quickly drowned out.

But Qiao Anhao had still caught it clearly. Her lips curled into a dazzling smile when she opened her mouth to reply with two words.

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Chapter 883: Ending?44?

Lu Jinnian let out a chuckle. He held onto her face and leaned his face downwards…

Not far away, someone was playing a song familiar to the Lu Qiao couple.

“Rainy days aren’t the most beautiful / It’s the house we hid to shelter from the rain that is…”

The kiss deepened.

The wind bellowed, the snow flew.

He said four words: A lifetime with you.

She said three: For me too.

I have a wish, a tiny wish, it only consists of four words: A lifetime with you.

–

[Xu Jiamu, I really wish I could show you my past self, to let you know how much you’ve changed me since you entered my life.]

–

Two and a half years later.

Three years ago, Qiao Anhao had entered a competition for the female lead role in a Hollywood movie, today, the filming was finally over.

Lu Jinnian abandoned all his work, placed Little Rice Cake in the care of Qiao Anxia and Xu Jiamu before personally heading over to America to bring Qiao Anhao back.

The movie had gone on for five whole months. In between, the longest Qiao Anhao had stayed with Little Rice Cake was less than a week. Even though she would talk with him everyday online, but the moment she alighted, she continuously rushed Lu Jinnian to bring her back.

Once the car stopped, she pushed the doors open impatiently, rushing into the house, shouting out for Little Rice Cake. The moment she reached the living area, she scanned it before heading upstairs in search of him. Finally, she found him in the toy room with Qiao Anxia lying in front of him as he played with Lego.

Little Rice Cake was the one piecing it together while Qiao Anxia acted as an assistant, passing him the pieces according to his orders.

“Aunt, I want the pale U shape one.”

“Yellow L shape.”

“Purple S shape.”

“Aunt, it’s purple, not orange!”

Qiao Anhao chuckled. “Little rice cake!” Rushing forward, she caught him into her embrace.

Little Rice Cake kissed her face obediently before greeting her, “Mommy.”

Wriggling out of her embrace, he grabbed her arm, indicating for her to play Lego with him. In a much softer and gentler tone, he asked, “Mommy, could you pass me the blue E shaped one?”

“Mommy, please pass me…”

“Mommy, thank you, could you pass me…”

When Qiao Anxia saw the obvious preferential treatment, she burst into laughter. “Hey, Qiao Qiao, look at Lu Jinnian, being a hen-pecked husband isn’t enough, he’s going to have his son a mommy’s boy…”

Qiao Anhao glanced at her sideways, a faint smile on her lips as she passed a black piece to the boy.

Just then, she seemed to have thought of something. She lifted her eyes to glance at Qiao Anxia. “Oh right, next week I’m going to send Little Rice Cake to school, do you have time tomorrow? Let’s go shopping.”

“Sure.” Qiao Anxia laid down on the mat, raising the toy gun high up. “Did Xu Jiamu get this for Little Rice Cake?”

“Mmh.”

Qiao Anhao lowered her head to pass Little Rice Cake another piece.

Chapter 884: After (1)

“Aye, I don’t know what’s with Xu Jiamu. I feel like he’s changed a lot these last few years. In the past, he used to love going out. Whenever he was bored, he would ask us to go out, but now, even if you called him out, he wouldn’t move. What’s more, have you not noticed how distant he is around everyone now. He truly is Mr. Lu’s biological brother. He seems a little like how Mr. Lu was back then…

“But then again, Xu Jiamu is quite close to Little Rice Cake. He looks at him like he’s his own son. It’s called spoiling him with love. He must’ve bought the majority of toys in this room right? In the past, I didn’t figure that Xu Jiamu liked children. How comes after one of us got one, he turned out to be the one who spoils the kid the most!

“He’s thirty already and unmarried. Say, as his older brother and sister-in-law, why can’t you two go talk to him… He walks around by himself all day. He looks so pitiful…”

Qiao Anxia let out sigh after sigh, then threw the gun in her hands to one side. “It’s time for Little Rice Cake to drink milk now. I’ll go down to heat it up.”

After hearing Qiao Anxia moan for so long, Qiao Anhao finally said, “I’ll go, you stay here with Little Rice Cake.”

When he heard her say this, the boy softly said “Thank you mama” whilst playing with the toys beside him.

Qiao Anhao shot Little Rice Cake a warm smile, reached her arm out and rubbed his head, then stood up and left.

The far west side of Little Rice Cake’s playroom was coincidentally next to the far east side of Xu Jiamu’s villa.

There was a window in the corridor. Before Qiao Anhao went downstairs, she couldn’t help but glance over towards her west side. Through the matching windows, she saw Xu Jiamu leaning against the wall of his corridor, looking depressed, smoking.

Suddenly, Qiao Anhao thought back to what Qiao Anxia had said about him. She couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at him. In the end, she didn’t call out to him, but let out a gentle sigh, and turned to walk down the stairs.

–

In the bedroom, Lu Jinnian put Qiao Anhao’s suitcase away and went to the playroom.

Just as he pushed the door up, he coincidentally heard Qiao Anxia teasing Little Rice Cake. “Little Rice Cake, be good and answer a question for auntie. Tomorrow, auntie will buy your favorite Ultraman egg for you!”

Little Rice Cake immediately let go of the wooden blocks in front of him. He blinked his big pitch-black eyes and stared at Qiao Anxia. “Auntie, ask.”

She let out an “En”, then asked with a beaming smile, “Who’s better papa or mama?”

When Qiao Anxia finished asking, she added, “Remember, you have to choose one, or no Ultraman egg.”

Ever since Little Rice Cake stopped drinking milk, Lu Jinnian practically fed him and changed his diapers. He loved Qiao Anhao dearly, and couldn’t bare to see her tired.

But being just two and half, Little Rice Cake didn’t understand Lu Jinnian’s thoughts. He only understand that papa looked after him a little more, so he answered honestly for the Ultraman egg. “Papa.”

Right when he said that, Lu Jinnian let out a cough where he stood behind the door.

When Little Rice Cake heard the sound, he looked over at Lu Jinnian with a little anticipation. He thought papa would compliment him, but who knew he would actually stare threateningly at him.

“Who did you just say?”

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Chapter 885: After (2)

Little Rice Cake blinked twice at Lu Jinnian and instinctively realised that his dad wasn’t happy. However, though he was just two and half years old, he was really clever. Immediately, he turned his head towards Qiao Anxia and changed his answer. “Mama is better.”

With that, Little Rice Cake sneakily glanced at Lu Jinnian. Seeing how his face relaxed, he relaxed also.

Qiao Anxia rolled her eyes at Lu Jinnian, that lunatic… just how far will he play slave to his wife?

Then, she turned her head and smiled sweetly at Little Rice Cake and said, “Then auntie will ask you another, do you love Baba more or Mama more? Remember! Just like before, you have to choose just one.”

Qiao Anxia even raised one finger to Little Rice Cake, to suggest that he could only choose one.

Love papa more or love mama more?

Little Rice Cake’s pupils quivered, and he thought about how papa had played games with him these past five months, so he innocently said again, “Papa.”

After he said this, he glanced over to where Lu Jinnian was, and saw that he started to look annoyed. This time, he didn’t wait for him to speak. He immediately said, “But I love mama more.”

Although he was young, he understood how to read faces… Who could know just how black-bellied he might be when he grew up!

As Qiao Anxia secretly moaned inside, she felt that Little Rice Cake was even cuter, and so she stroked his head. “Then if papa and mama were no longer together…”

“Qiao Anxia!” As soon as Lu Jinnian heard the words “no longer together”, his complexion immediately fell.

“Lu Jinnian, if you don’t like to hear it, then get out! We’re just playing around!” Qiao Anxia didn’t back down, as she turned her head and angrily shouted at Lu Jinnian. Then, her expression softened again, and she continued to ask Little Rice Cake, “Would you go with papa or mama?”

Little Rice Cake didn’t actually understand what being ‘no longer together’ meant, but seeing that Lu Jinnian was unhappy, he asked innocently, “Can they be together?”

“No.” Qiao Anxia shook her head, then said enticingly, “Ultraman egg, oh…”

Little Rice Cake couldn’t bear the temptation, so he innocently said, “Papa…”

As he said this, he glanced over at Lu Jinnian, who he realized was shooting him a frightening stare. His little face fell, and he looked like he was about to cry when he said, “Mama, I choose mama.”

Qiao Anxia couldn’t help but burst out laughing whilst teasing Little Rice Cake. “Auntie will ask you again…”

Little Rice Cake suddenly let out a cry, instinctively shaking his head and saying, “Auntie, I don’t want the Ultraman egg anymore. I beg you, auntie, don’t ask me anymore. Mama is good and papa is bad, I beg you…”

Just as Qiao Anhao came back upstairs after boiling milk, she heard Little Rice Cake’s cries. She immediately ran over to the playroom and hugged the little boy. As she tried to cheer him up, she stared at Qiao Anxia.

She immediately waved her hands. “Don’t blame me. It was your Mr. Lu who scared Little Rice Cake to tears.”

Qiao Anhao turned her head and looked at Lu Jinnian.

He furrowed his brows, a little afraid that his sweet wife would be mad at him, so he explained, “Qiao Anxia made your son cry.”

“You were the one who teased Little Rice Cake!” said Qiao Anxia boldly and confidently.

“Was that teasing?” scoffed Lu Jinnian.

==========================================================================

Chapter 886: Ending（3）

Without hesitation, Qiao Anhao grabbed a couple Lego pieces and tossed them towards the two of them. “The two of you, get out!”

–

That weekend, Qiao Anhao went shopping with Qiao Anxia. She bought Little Rice Cake a pretty bag , skipped out on pens, and bought a two layered fruit container, while Qiao Anxia got him a bunch of random toys.

That Monday, Huan Ying Entertainment held a morning meeting so Lu Jinnian headed to work very early.

When Qiao Anhao woke up, she helped Little Rice Cake change and have his meal with the guidance of Madam Chen. Holding onto his stubby little arms, she was prepared to send him off to kindergarten.

The moment she opened the door, she saw Xu Jiamu’s car enter her yard. Today was Little Rice Cake’s first day of school, so how could Xu Jiamu, who was his biggest fan, miss out on such a special day?

In the car, Qiao Anhao turned towards Little Rice Cake and instructed him about many things, but before he got out of the car, Xu Jiamu repeated all of them once more before carrying him into the kindergarten.

Xu Jiamu and Qiao Anhao both didn’t notice the red car stopped behind them. The car door was originally pushed open but the next moment, it was hurriedly pulled close.

Xu Jiamu waited outside the entrance until Little Rice Cake entered the classroom with the teacher before heading back to the car with Qiao Anhao.

Only when his car leave did the red car door finally open, and a woman wearing shades and a cap pushed stepped out. She carried a little girl wearing a princess-like dress. Her hair was pinned into two braids and she looked very adorable. In English, she asked, “Mommy, why did you close the door just now?”

“Mommy forgot something,” the woman replied warmly.

After a moment, she spoke again. “Little Red Bean, listen to mommy, remember to play well with the kids, and if someone asks you about your mom’s name, do not mention Song Xiangsi, you must say Song Yao, understand?”

“Yes, mom, you’ve repeated it enough times.”

“Mmh, good girl. Once your grandpa recovers, mommy will bring you back to America so that you can play with your brother Qiao En again.”

Once they were at the entrance, she bent down to place the little girl in her arms down. The little girl planted a kiss on her face before waving at her. “Mommy, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” She caressed the little girl’s head before gazing in her direction until she entered the kindergarten.

The woman returned to the drivers seat but didn’t rush to head out, instead, she fell into a daze.

Yesterday, she had a dream… She dreamed about him, but she never expected to see him this morning.

Song Xiangsi reached out to her chest, her heart racing, its speed sending unease through her.

–

On the first day of school, Little Rice Cake scanned the surroundings before finally settling on Little Red Bean.

He lugged his bag over to her and pointed towards the little yellow table beside her. “Can I sit beside you?”

Little Red Bean wanted to sit with a pretty little girl just like herself so she shook her head. “No.”

Little Rice Cake blinked before asking, “What did I say just now?”

Little Red Bean tilted her head to the side before repeating his question,”Can I sit beside you?”

Little Rice Cake nodded. “Sure.”

Placing his bag on the yellow table, he sat down.

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Chapter 887: After（4）

Little Red Bean widened her dark innocent eyes, staring at Little Rice Cake blankly. After a long while, she realized that she just got tricked. She pouted, tears starting to cloud her eyes. “I don’t wish to sit with you.”

Is she going to cry?

Little Rice Cake stared at the layer of moisture gleaming in her eyes. Hurriedly, he tried to think of the times when he wanted to cry. At that time, his mommy would try to coax him while his dad would remind her to divert his attention. Little Rice Cake rotated his eyeballs before asking randomly, “Do you have apples?”

Weren’t they arguing about the seating arrangement? Why did he suddenly ask abut apples?

Little Red Bean pouted again, thought for a moment, but still couldn’t understand his motives so she stared at the droplets at the corners of her eyes, shaking her head. As she moved, the two long braids at the corners of her head flew sideways.

Little Rice Cake grabbed his bag and unzipped it. He reached in and pulled out a fruit container. Forcefully, he opened the lid and passed a red and round apple over. “I can give you one.”

Little Red Bean glanced at Little Rice Cake. She then lowered her head to look at the apple in his hands. Swallowing the saliva that had formed unknowingly, her short arms clenched onto her pretty dress. In the end, she restrained her desires, shaking her head once more. “My mommy told me not to take things from strangers.”

Strangers? Little Rice Cake blinked once more before correcting her seriously. “I’m not a stranger, I’m Little Rice Cake.”

After which, he stuffed the apple into her palm.

Little Red Bean held onto the apple. She loosened her grip on it, wanting to give it back, yet, she couldn’t bear to. After a short internal struggle, she finally tightened her grip once more before asking, “Are you really going to give it to me?”

As she asked, she seemed to worry that Little Rice Cake would regret, and without waiting for him to reply, she moved the apple towards her mouth, taking a bite.

A child’s world was such, innocent and simple. Because of just an apple, Little Red Bean changed her attitude towards Little Rice Cake entirely, the two of them becoming friends.

Before Little Rice Cake had entered kindergarten, Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian had brought him to classes for toddlers, but every time, he would sit alone and play by himself while the other children clustered together. Qiao Anhao was worried that he had mild autism, but afterwards, she realized that she was simply thinking too much. Little Rice Cake felt that the children were too childish and would much rather play by himself.

Little Red Bean was the first friend that he had taken the initiative to make.

The girl was shy so she didn’t say much. While the other children played, she would often sit by herself. When Little Rice Cake wanted her to join in, she would refuse, so he started to look for other ways. “Do you know what’s one plus one?”

Little Red Bean tilted her head. After a couple seconds, she lifted two fingers. “Two.”

Chapter 888: After（5）

“Then do you know what is two plus two?” Little Rice Cake asked again.

At two and a half years old, Little Red Bean only knew the answer because brother Qiao An had made her memorize it back when she was in America. As for two plus two, she couldn’t reply. Shaking her head, she looked at Little Rice Cake in confusion.

He had wanted to play with Little Red Bean, but when she didn’t reply, he bit his lip and asked once more, “You don’t know? It’s okay, let me teach you.

“Two plus two equals four,” he said as he reached out to count for her with fingers. “Four,” he emphasized once more.

Little Red Bean stared at the four fingers he lifted up and repeated after him, “Four.”

Little Rice Cake continued to teach her. ” Four plus four equals eight.”

He then counted four of her with his fingers.

She nodded and repeated, “Eight.”

“Eight plus eight equals…”

Little Red Bean lifted all her fingers but it wasn’t enough so Little Rice Cake moved his fingers over to count for her. “Sixteen.”

She stared at her ten fingers and his six fingers. It was a pity that she could only count till ten, so she stopped and repeated continuously, “Ten, ten, ten..”

Little Rice Cake hurriedly helped her out. “Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.”

Once they were done, he continued, “Sixteen plus sixteen…”

Little Red Bean glanced at him in anticipation.

Little Rice Cake’s tiny face blushed. He stammered for a while before saying excitedly, “Sixteen plus sixteen equals two sixteen.”

–

Originally, Qiao Anhao thought that Little Rice Cake would end up crying and throwing a tantrum on his first day, but unexpectedly, the next day at just 5 am, he came knocking on her and Lu Jinnian’s bedroom door, rushing them to get ready so that he could go to school.

What’s more surprising was that he who had never liked apples, actually requested for some to bring to school.

–

Xu Jiamu had a dinner meeting. After the meal, Mr. Zhang suggested for them to play mahjong.

Xu Jiamu didn’t want to go but right before he left the hotel, gray clouds covered the skies. A heaviness filled him at the thought of heading back to the empty office so he returned to the room.

Everyone was playing excitedly, heating up the atmosphere.

Xu Jiamu had fairly good luck, winning about three to four rounds, but even so, he remained nonchalant, a faint smile on his face.

A middle-aged man sat in front of him. His surname was Luo and he was in the makeup industry. His company had a renowned brand name, for they only employed A list celebrities. Xu Jiamu had acquired about 30% shares for their newest product.

When Mr. Zhang was touching his tile, he seemed to have remembered something. “Mr. Luo, are you planning to change the endorsement model for your brand this year?”

==========================================================================

Chapter 889: After（6）

Mr. Luo arranged the tiles in front of him. “Yea, we’re planning to change her, but we haven’t found anyone suitable yet.”

“What about Qiao Anhao? She just came back from filming a Hollywood film, very soon her name will be known globally. I’m sure her worth will increase in no time, so I suggest you strike soon. Besides, Qiao Anhao is Mr. Xu’s sister in law and the both of you are partners so there’ll be many opportunities.” Mr. Zhang turned over to glance at Xu Jiamu. “Right? Mr. Xu?”

Xu Jiamu lifted his head. He glanced at Mr. Zhang and tugged his lips up. “You’ve got to ask my brother about that.”

The moment he mentioned Lu Jinnian… The group shook their heads, sighing.

“There’s no hope then, Mr. Lu’s business has grown so much recently. With so much money, I’m pretty sure Mrs. Lu would have already retired if not for the contract she signed two years ago.”

Xu Jiamu chuckled lightly. Reaching out, he grabbed another tile swiftly and accurately.

“Eh… Besides Mrs. Lu, there’s one other choice.”

Mr. Zhang seemed to have thought of someone, so Mr. Luo turned to ask, “Who?”

“Song Xiangsi,” he replied without hesitation.

Those familiar two words that were engraved deeply into Xu Jiamu’s heart.

He tightened his grip on the tile visibly, then lowered his eyes to stare at it motionlessly.

“From what I know, when Song Xiangsi left the industry, she had several contracts on hand. She willingly breached all of them, paying up to six billion RMB… As a star, she was indeed at the top, but after struggling for so many years, she probably spent it all. The Song Xiangsi now probably doesn’t have much left so her pay would surely be lower than the crazily steep one from three years ago.” Mr. Zhang took a breath and continued, “Besides, three years ago, she left the industry without a word, even till today, many are still curious about what happened. If you succeed in getting her to endorse your brand, it’ll definitely be a hit!”

Xu Jiamu clenched the tile in his fist, the faint smile on his face vanishing.

All these years, he had heard about her, but it wasn’t much and every single time, it would be about the funds she had to pay for breaching her contracts.

They weren’t wrong, after struggling for three years, Song Xiangsi wouldn’t have much in her hands. Whenever he thought about her in the middle of the night, he would subconsciously wonder about her life now that she didn’t have much money… After all, she had been living quite pampered before.

“This is indeed an excellent suggestion!” Mr. Luo exclaimed excitedly, but quickly, it was replaced by disappointment. “But Song Xiangsi hasn’t been on the radar for such a long time, where am I going to find her?”

Mr. Zhang was in a hurry to respond, instead, he tapped Xu Jiamu’s elbow. “Mr. Xu, why are you in a daze? It’s your turn.”

Xu Jiamu nodded, keeping his gaze on the tiles. He randomly tossed one before listening to Mr. Zhang’s next words. “From what I heard, Song Xiangsi came back last month.”

==========================================================================

Chapter 890: After（7）

Xu Jiamu felt as though something smashed hard into his heart, sending pulses of pain through him.

All these years, he hadn’t gone to find her and she hadn’t came back to find him, just like that, they cut off all contact.

But every time someone mentioned her name, he would subconsciously take note.

All these years, he had heard many things about her, there was even a rumor about her getting married in Los Angeles. She married a divorced man with two children, the older one eight years old while the younger was three.

As for the accuracy, he wasn’t sure and never did dared to verify.

He knew that he was afraid, afraid that the rumors were true…

Mr. Luo and Mr. Zhang continued to discuss the endorsement model, occasionally mentioning Song Xiangsi. But Xu Jiamu no longer listened to their conversation, only when Mr. Luo asked him about his views on getting Song Xiangsi did he snap back from his daze. After a long moment of silence, he replied, “Anyone is fine.” Right after, he used a random excuse to leave.

It was currently summer. The afternoon sun blazed, sending unbearable heat waves through the air. Xu Jiamu was dressed in leather, so the moment he left the air-conditioned hotel, he started to sweat.

But he continued to stand under the scorching sun, smoking, as though he couldn’t feel the heat, only when he choked on the smoke did he snap out of his daze, heading for the car park.

Xu Jiamu drove aimlessly, and in the end, he only took note of where he was when he once again reached Su Yuan apartment building.

He was here once again.

In this three years, he had been here countless times, every single time he drove aimlessly, he would end up here. He stared at the apartment blankly for a long while before leaving blankly like a fool.

The sun was bright outside his window. When the rays became too blinding, Xu Jiamu restarted the engine. But before he could hit the accelerator, he caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of his eyes. His heartbeat sped up. It was as though someone had pulled him aggressively, sending a tremble through him. Slamming onto the brakes, he turned his head violently to look straight at that familiar figure.

Even though she was wearing a cap and shades that covered most of her face, he could still easily recognize her.

There wasn’t much change to her figure, but she was thinner. She wore matching red shirt and skirt that complemented her pale skin, exposing her long slender legs. Her feet were put into a pair of flats.

She seemed to be talking on the phone. Her head was lowered, her red lips curled upwards. It was the same lazy smile she previously wore so often, exactly like he remembered.

When he finally snapped back to reality, Song Xiangsi had already boarded a car. Instinctively, he slammed onto the accelerator to chase after her, but when he remembered how they had separated three years ago, the impulse dissipated. Exhausted, Xu Jiamu slouched onto the seat weakly.

The car remained in silence for five minutes until his phone rang.

Xu Jiamu hesitated before turning to look at the screen. Without waiting, he picked it up. “Bro?”

==========================================================================

Chapter 891: After（8）

“Are you busy later?” Lu Jinnian asked. There were hushed voices at the back as though he was in a meeting.

Xu Jiamu shook his head lightly, clearing his mind. When he finally calmed down, he replied, “No, what’s up?”

“If you’re not busy, help me get Little Rice Cake. I have a client right now and Qiao family just called saying that Father Qiao isn’t well so Qiao Qiao went over.” While Lu Jinnian explained the situation, he continued to instruct his employees. “This idea won’t work, redo it.”

“Is there any problem?”

Xu Jiamu replied, “No.”

After hanging up, he glanced at the time; he was already late. Hurriedly, he started his car and drove off.

The traffic was bad, by the time Xu Jiamu reached the kindergarten, only the principal and a teacher was left to look after Little Rice Cake and a pretty little girl.

Xu Jiamu had come to fetch Little Rice Cake several times so the principal recognized him. When he saw him walking in, he called out to the boy, “Little Rice Cake, your uncle is here to get you.”

The boy lifted his head, greeting in his childlike voice, “Uncle.”

He then continued to sit on the mat, playing with the little girl with braids with no intention of leaving.

Xu Jiamu was indulgent of Little Rice Cake so he didn’t angry. Walking towards the kid’s bag, he stuffed his things inside before walking over to him. Kneeling down, he called out to Little Rice Cake, who was playing with sand, “Hey, let’s go home.”

Little Rice Cake grabbed a handful of sand, turned to Little Red Bean before, then back to Xu Jiamu. In a calm voice, he asked, “Uncle, can we leave after a while?”

Xu Jiamu glanced at Little Rice Cake, waiting patiently for the reason.

“Uncle, Little Red Bean’s mommy isn’t here yet. If I go, she’ll be the only one left in the kindergarten. Can we wait for her mommy to come before we leave?”

Little Red Bean… That was a special name… It automatically reminded him of a poem called “Xiangsi”: Beautiful Red berries grow in the South / When spring comes, I don’t know how many branches there will be / But I hope you can gather more for these’re a symbol of love.

Maybe due to her name, Xu Jiamu took more notice of Little Red Bean. The little girl looked almost the same age as Little Rice Cake, with a round face and pale skin. From a single look, he was attracted.

When the principal saw Xu Jiamu’s silence, he couldn’t help adding, “Little Red Bean’s mother could be busy. I tried to call her but she isn’t picking up. Little Rice Cake and Little Red Bean have a close relationship so he wanted to accompany her.”

Xu Jiamu came back to his senses. His gaze continued to focus on Little Red Bean for a while longer before he turned to nod at the principal. “Is it okay if I wait a little longer?”

“It’s okay.” The principal smiled.

“If you’re busy, you can go ahead, I’ll look after them.”

The principal smiled, then after staying for a while more, he left.

The two little kids played harmoniously, putting Xu Jiamu at ease.

Time trickled by. Even when sunset came, Little Red Bean’s mother still didn’t arrive.

Chapter 892: After（9）

The two children were tired and hungry so the principal specially prepared healthy kids meal for them.

Little Rice Cake and Little Red Bean sat beside each other as they ate the food.

Xu Jiamu sat opposite them, staring with a warm expression.

Little Rice Cake started to eat by himself six months ago, so right now he was quite skilled with the spoon. Little Red Bean, though, clenched onto the spoon and every time the rice would spill out, even the vegetables falling over. She must have been starving, for in the end she put down the spoon to use her hands.

Xu Jiamu hurriedly stopped her. He grabbed her spoon and started to feed her.

Little Red Bean widened her dark eyes, staring up at him before opening her mouth to eat the spoonful of food. As she chewed, she smiled at him brightly.

The moment she smiled at him, his heart started to ache and a hard to explain impulse to pamper her seeped into his heart. He stared at her in a daze.

Little Red Bean swallowed the food in her mouth before widening her mouth once more. When he didn’t notice, she produced an adorable squeaky sound, “Ah.”

Xu Jiamu hurriedly placed another spoonful in her mouth. When he removed it, he caught sight of her beautiful dark eyes, and his heart squeezed again. Diverting his gaze, he scooped another spoonful of rice. “Little Red Bean, how old are you this year?”

The girl replied inaudibly, then raised three fingers up for Xu Jiamu.

Three years old… That’s half a year older than Little Rice Cake.. But why did she seem younger than him.

Xu Jiamu smiled faintly. “Three years old… That means you’re Little Rice Cake’s Big Sister.”

Little Rice Cake raised his head in displeasure. “I want to be her Big Brother.”

Little Red Bean had wanted to eat the rice, but instead, she turned her head towards him. “But uncle said I’m your Big Sister.”

“I’m your Big Brother.”

“I’m your Big Sister.”

“Big Brother.”

“Big Sister.”

“Big Brother”

…

The two kids bickered endlessly. In end, Little Red Bean got confused and called out “Big Brother.”

Without hesitation, Little Rice Cake acknowledged her call. “Yea!”

Little Red Bean’s eyes grew damp. Filled with sorrow and helplessness, she turned towards Xu Jiamu. “Uncle, Little Rice Cake bullied me.”

Xu Jiamu felt his heart melt into a puddle. Without giving it a thought, he reached out to hug her. “Good girl…”

The moment he hugged her, Little Red Bean naturally reached out her two stubby arms, circling his neck. Just like that, his throat tightened, and he swallowed the comforting words back down.

He felt his heart clench, softening. Curling his lips upwards, he smiled at her warmly. The principal’s voice sounded right then. “We’ve been waiting for a long time, you’re finally here.”

===================================================

Chapter 893: After (10)

Then the faint sound of a woman’s voice spoke up. “Sorry, I was held up.”

Xu Jiamu was all too familiar with that voice. He wanted to go hold Little Red Bean’s hand, but he stopped mid-air. He could clearly feel his heart skip a beat.

He held his breath and summoned all his strength to slowly turn around. There, at the door, the classroom door was pushed open. With a bright smile, the principal smiled and said, “Little Red Bean, your mommy is here to pick you up.”

When the principal said this, the first person to enter was a man.

He looked like he was around thirty-eight years old, and he had a safe, stable, and reserved feeling about him.

Little Red Bean glanced at the man, and her eyes immediately brightened. She rushed over to his open arms and cried, “Daddy!”

The second she spoke, a woman in a red dress walked into the classroom. She had a pair of sunglasses and a hat in her hands while wearing a warm smile on her face. “Little Red Bean…”

Right then, she saw Xu Jiamu hugging the little girl. Her face instantly tensed up and her words were immediately cut short. She stopped walking and stood there on the spot without so much as a twitch.

Xu Jiamu could clearly feel the blood in his body starting to flow in the opposite direction. His eyes fell on Song Xiangsi. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t draw them away from her. He didn’t even know when the man walked in front of him and carried Little Red Bean away.

All he knew was that when he snapped back to reality, the girl was happily kissing he man on the face twice, then saying cheerfully, “I missed daddy so so soooo much.”

The man’s eyes smiled at Little Red Bean’s words. He couldn’t resist but kiss her on her soft cheeks. “Daddy missed Little Red Bean too, so so sooo much.”

Having been playfully teased, the girl smiled and rested on the man’s shoulder. She cried “Mommy” at Song Xiangsi, who still stood at the door.

Daddy… Mommy…

Those two words turned Xu Jiamu instantly pale white.

He thought back to the rumor he heard that Song Xiangsi got married in America to a divorced man who was eight years older. That man had two kids from his previous wife; the older one was an eight year old boy and the little one a three year old girl.

The person who had told him this rumor had sighed and added that it was such a shame. Song Xiangsi was like China’s dream woman, yet she married a normal man, who wasn’t exactly well-off, and became a stepmother to two kids.

The only reason Xu Jiamu always called these talks rumors was because that way he could tell himself that they weren’t true.

This afternoon, he heard about the rumors again whilst playing cards with people at the Royal Palace.

He even thought how he was afraid to confirm them, but in less than five hours, they were confirmed anyway.

Xu Jiamu felt his whole body tremble. He stared straight at Song Xiangsi, as she stood frozen on the spot.

He figured that he must look awful at that very instant.

He snapped back to reality the moment Little Red Bean called Song Xiangsi “Mommy”. She lowered her head first, then raised it again to reveal her usual nonchalant expression. As she walked elegantly and leisurely in her high heels, she reached her hand out to stroke Little Red Bean’s head and shot her an affectionate smile.

===================================================

Chapter 894: After (11)

Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem

The principal assumed that Little Red Bean’s parents hadn’t met Little Rice Cake’s parents, and so he introduced them to each other. “Hello Miss Song, this is Little Rice Cake’s uncle, Mr. Xu, Xu Jiamu.”

When the principal said Xu Jiamu’s name, the man carrying Little Red Bean looked confused for a moment, before quickly reverting back to normal. He continued to play with Little Red Bean, but from the corner of his eyes, he shot Xu Jiamu a few glances.

The principal shot Xu Jiamu a gentle smile and continued, “Mr. Xu, I’m sure you know the big star, Miss Song, Song Xiangsi. This here is her husband, Jiang Licheng, Mr. Jiang.”

She aborted his child… Then married someone else, and became his children’s stepmother…

As the principal introduced them to Xu Jiamu, he balled up his hands into fists so hard that they started to bleed when nails dug into his palms.

After Jiang Licheng listened to the principal’s introduction, he held Little Red Bean with one hand, then turned around. He shot Xu Jiamu a frank smile and reached his hand out. “Mr. Xu.”

Like a robot, Xu Jiamu reached his hand out as well and spoke softly. “Hello, Mr. Jiang.”

When the two let go, Song Xiangsi, standing next to Jiang Licheng, naturally reached her hand out and shot Xu Jiamu a casual smile. Politely, she said, “Mr. Xu, thank you for looking after Little Red Bean just now.”

She called him Mr. Xu. Her voice was so calm and emotionless, as though they’d never met and this was their very first exchange.

Xu Jiamu stared straight at Song Xiangsi for a while, before he raised his hand out to shake hers.

Just like before, even if it were summer, her hands had a hint of coldness, and they still felt soft to the touch. He couldn’t contain the trembling in his heart.

Xu Jiamu summoned a lot of strength to calmly say, “You’re welcome, Mrs. Song.”

Song Xiangsi smiled at him, calm and collected. She didn’t say anything unnecessary, but pulled her own hand back, then turned to apologize to the principal. “I’m so sorry about today. It took me so long to get off work. It’s getting late, we have to get going now.”

The principal smiled and said, “Goodbye.”

Song Xiangsi returned the smile, then gave one look at Jiang Licheng. He shot Xu Jiamu a “Goodbye”, then carrying Little Red Bean left with Song Xiangsi side by side.

Xu Jiamu stayed on the spot for a long time after she left. The lights in the room made his figure look slightly elongated.

When Little Rice Cake finished eating, he looked at Xu Jiamu, who hadn’t moved at all. He climbed out of his chair and walked over to him. He pulled at Xu Jiamu’s trousers. “Uncle, let’s go home too.”

Xu Jiamu’s expression looked cold, as though something had just happened. He bent down and picked up Little Rice Cake, bringing his book bag as well. He then said goodbye to the principal and left the kindergarten.

Back in Mian Xiu Garden, Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao had arrived back home and Madam Chen had just prepared dinner. When Qiao Anhao opened the door, she shot Xu Jiamu a smile, but then instantly realized that there was something wrong with him. His face was unusually white, so she couldn’t help but ask worriedly, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

Xu Jiamu shook his head and put Little Rice Cake down. He handed Qiao Anhao the book bag, then didn’t even wait for her to respond before turning around with the words “I’ve got to go” and leaving.

Chapter 895: After (12)

Xu Jiamu didn’t hear Qiao Anhao following behind him and asking questions. He simply pulled open the door and got into the car. With a troubled heart, he stepped on the accelerator, turned the steering wheel, and drove off.

The phone on the passenger’s seat rang. It was Lu Jinnian calling. Qiao Anhao must’ve told him something. Xu Jiamu glanced over at his phone screen, and reached his hand out to decline the call. After a pause, he switched his phone off.

Two hours later, his car came to a stop. The world outside was already dark.

Xu Jiamu got out of the car and stood at the door, staring at the pitch-black mountain in front of him. He swiftly shut the door, and walked up half the mountain.

He did so with a muddled head. Like a robot, he came to a stop in front of a grave without a photo. After standing there for quite some time, he blinked, still in a daze, and the rims of his eyes suddenly became red.

“Baby… Daddy saw your mommy today…”

From just a few simple words, Xu Jiamu’s voice instantly became choked up.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes… if he hadn’t felt the sharp pain in his heart on the left of his chest, he really would think that everything that happened this afternoon was all just a nightmare.

Even though he said that there was no longer anything between them, he had still fantasized about the circumstances of how they would reunite.

He thought of countless ways, but he never imagined that when they met again, she would be married, be someone else’s wife.

“Baby, your mommy is skinnier than before. Did she not eat well in America? But, she’s still beautiful… It’s just that…” As Xu Jiamu said that, he paused for a moment. “Your mommy really doesn’t want your daddy anymore.

“Baby, did you know? At first… Daddy didn’t mean to treat your mommy like that, daddy just heard that Baby was gone, so I go really mad… You don’t know just how happy papa was to find out about you, but how could mommy be so merciless as to not want you?

“Actually, when daddy left, he really regretted it. Daddy came back to find mommy, but mommy had already left…”

Xu Jiamu became a little distracted.

That day, he was so mad, he really lost it. After he left, he headed straight downstairs, and threw the ring he prepared into the bin without a second thought.

Then he went to a bar, and drank for most of the night. He was so drunk he couldn’t walk straight, yet his mind was terrifyingly clear.

She aborted his child, so how could he still hate part with her?

He staggered out of the bar, and hailed a taxi back to Su Yuan apartments.

He scoured the dirty bins for a long long time before finally fishing out the ring. Then, he staggered up the stairs, punched in the passcode a few times before opening the door.

The messy room told him just how just how much he had fallen.

When wind blew in from an open window, it brought a piece of paper in front of him with the words ‘Painless surgical abortion’ written on it.

Clearly, he should hate her, but he was there to talk things through with her, and yet, she left. She left so swiftly, so easily, just as ruthlessly and cold as the surgical abortion papers.

At that thought, a single tear fell from Xu Jiamu eyes. “Baby, mommy actually didn’t want daddy from the beginning, right?”

Chapter 896: After（13）

She didn’t want him three years ago… No… It was four years ago… At that time, she had already mentioned leaving him.

He understood everything but he chose to be ignorant to let himself feel better.

But now, she is married…

“Baby, daddy needs to stop lying to himself…”

“Baby, don’t blame mommy for being heartless, it wasn’t that she didn’t love you, she did it because of daddy. If you want to blame someone, blame daddy…”

Xu Jiamu could no longer suppress his tears and allowed them to fall freely. Reaching out, he caressed the cold tombstone, his back trembling.

–

Jiang Licheng placed Little Red Bean, who was fast asleep, on the bed softly, while Song Xiangsi tenderly tucked her in. After turning off the lights, they softly exited the room.

Song Xiangsi headed to the kitchen to get two cups of water. When she passed one over to Jiang Licheng, she said, “Thank you.”

He accepted the cup, glancing over at her before taking a sip. “Are you thanking me for bringing my mentor over from America to treat your father or for acting alongside you at the kindergarten yesterday?”

Song Xiangsi was aware that the emphasis was on the second half of the sentence. She smiled lightly, and, without a word, took a sip of water.

Jiang Licheng slouched on the sofa. He turned the cup in his hands. “Xu Jiamu, the CEO of Xu Enterprise, Little Red Bean’s biological father…You placed her under my and Song Yao’s name, and even increased her age by half a month, was it all to prevent him from finding out?”

Song Xiangsi lowered her eyes helplessly.

Three years ago when she reached Seattle, she was a pregnant women who was clueless and ignorant. At that time, she used a large sum to employ a private gynecologist, Jiang Licheng.

His wife had the same first name identical to Song Xiangsi’s – Song Yao. Just like she, the woman originated from Su Zhou, and at that time, she was pregnant as well. With a common topic, they got along harmoniously.

Song Yao was on her second child and was due three months earlier. However, on her eighth month, she went into a sudden labor. The baby wasn’t in the right position, causing a difficult labor, killing both the mother and the child. When Song Xiangsi gave birth to Little Red Bean, she placed her under Jiang Licheng’s name.

Just as he mentioned, she was afraid that Little Red Bean would be photographed by paparazzi, alerting Xu Jiamu and bringing unwanted trouble.

After having three years of understanding, Jiang Licheng could tell that she agreed on the matter. He placed the cup of water down before continuing in a calm tone, “Xiangsi, I can tell that after you met Mr. Xu, you’ve been in a daze. I believe that there is something you haven’t gotten over…”

“Licheng…” Song Xiangsi knew what he was going to say. Smiling, she interrupted him faintly, “This afternoon, a makeup company contacted me. They would like to invite me to be their endorsement model and I plan on accepting it.”

“Xiangsi…”

Song Xiangsi didn’t give him any opportunity to continue, shutting him off. “You should know that with payments for breaching contracts, I didn’t have much left. My living expenses in America depleted a large chunk of the remaining money, and now that my dad is hospitalized, I need a huge sum.”

Chapter 897: AFTER (14)

Jiang Licheng opened his mouth again to speak but the words never came. Without messing around, Song Xiangsi continued to speak. “From now on, if Little Red Bean needs any money, we have more than enough. Although the endorsement fees that the other party offered me are a lot less than before, it’s quite a sum of money for me right now. It’ll be enough for Little Red Bean and I to live frugally for the rest of our lives. Afterall, I don’t know when my father will get well, so we should take the advantage of this time. I want to film that commercial.”

“Song Xiangsi, you obviously know what I want to talk to you about.” Having been unable to let out a single word, Jiang Licheng finally couldn’t hold back the anger in his voice.

“After a while, if I get busy with filming and can’t take care of Little Red Bean please help me look after her. Thank you.” As Song Xiangsi said this, she calmly got up, dragged Jiang Licheng by the arm to the entrance, and opened the front door. “Alright, Licheng, it’s getting late now. You’d better be off, I also need to get some rest.”

“Song Xiangsi, you…” Jiang Licheng hadn’t finished when Song Xiangsi pushed him right out the door. Without a second word, the door shut with a bang.

On the other side of the door, Song Xiangsi clearly heard Jiang Licheng swearing in anger, followed by the ‘ding dong’ of the elevator. In the end, the room fell silent .

Song Xiangsi stood at the entrance for a while, before walking softly over to the bedroom. She looked at Little Red Bean fast asleep on the bed, and then walked over to the balcony.

She pulled the large doors open, and leaned against the railings. Song Xiangsi stared down at the million lights, as her mind involuntarily wandered to the image of Xu Jiamu in the afternoon.

He looked a lot more mature than he did three years ago. His hair was cut short, revealing his handsome forehead. He wasn’t wearing the latest fashion like he did before, but a suit, which made him look taller.

His gaze was far more reserved than before. His every move seemed understated, but stable.

In three short years, he had actually become a more tranquil person. He practically seemed to have lost the upbeat, unorganized, and the do-as-he-pleases attitude.

Jiamu, Xu Jiamu.

As Song Xiangsi thought about it, she couldn’t suppress the pain. It felt like someone had sliced her with a knife, drenching her in blood. The sight of it was tragically gory.

——

The person in charge of negotiating with Song Xiangsi’s cosmetics commercial was Chief Luo, but when Xu Jiamu learned that she was interested in shooting the ad, he suddenly requested to personally discuss it with her.

When Chief Luo heard this, he was quite astonished, but seeing as Xu Jiamu was Lu Jinnian’s own brother, he imagined that he could negotiate for lower endorsement fees, so he agreed with no comments.

Xu Jiamu didn’t directly meet up with Song Xiangsi but arranged for his secretary to first contact her. Once they discussed the details, then the terms had to be finalized. Xu Jiamu waited for the signing of the contract face-to-face to show up.

His secretary and Song Xiangsi’s manager set up a meeting for Wednesday afternoon at The Capital Club.

At first, the secretary thought Xu Jiamu would go together with him, but just as the clock turned twelve in the afternoon, Xu Jiamu grabbed the documents from him, and set off on his own.

Chapter 898: AFTER (15)

It was one o’clock when Xu Jiamu arrived at The Capital Club, two hours before their meeting time. He sent the waiter away and sat alone in the quiet room. He brought the contract out and stared at the writing. In truth, he didn’t pay attention to a word of the terms, but flipped through the pages like a robot. After he went through over a hundred pages, the sound of high heels came from outside the room. With that, the door opened and the waiter’s polite and gentle voice was heard. “Please come in.”

Xu Jiamu instinctively looked up from the contract to see Song Xiangsi elegantly walk into the room like an arrogant queen, as she did in the past. She took just a few steps forward when she suddenly stopped in her tracks upon seeing him.

Behind her, her manager also came to a stop. When she saw Xu Jiamu, she was dazed for a moment, before coming back to her sense. She greeted him, “Hello, Chief Xu.”

When Song Xiangsi heard her manager’s voice, she snapped back to reality. She continued to walk as swiftly as she had done before, then she pulled out the chair opposite Xu Jiamu’s and calmly took her seat.

The waiter walked forward and handed them a drinks menu.

Xu Jiamu didn’t ask for Song Xiangsi’s opinions, but flipped through two pages and ordered a pot of Biluochun tea. Soon enough, the waiter brought the tea forward.

Xu Jiamu waved his hand, to signal for the attendant to leave, then he personally poured three cups of tea, and brought a cup for Song Xiangsi and her assistant.

Song Xiangsi didn’t utter a word, but her assistant gave a soft, “Thank you.”

The sweet aroma of Biluochun filled the

room.

Neither Xu Jiamu nor Song Xiangsi spoke a word.

Her manager looked at him, then back again at Song Xiangsi. After struggling for a while, all she could do was put on a bold face and break the silence. “Chief Xu, the contract… have you read it?”

Xu Jiamu gave a nod. “Yes, I have.” The manager continued to ask, “I wonder if Chief Xu perhaps has any objections to the terms Song Xiangsi has proposed?”

Xu Jiamu said straightforwardly in a flat tone, “No.”

“Then about the endorsement commission, Chief Luo offered five millions at first. Even though our Song Xiangsi has disappeared from the scene for three years and her popularity isn’t as it was before, she can still cause quite the stir by suddenly taking this commercial. And so, after some consideration, we believe the commission should be no less that six million.”

“No problem.” Xu Jiamu had no interest in negotiating, so he agreed without a second thought.

“Then, Chief Xu, can you please amend the offer and sign now?” As the manager asked, she flipped the pages of the contract.

Xu Jiamu raised a hand, and stared at Song Xiangsi without blinking for a long while. His next words were directed at the manager. “Could you please step outside for a moment?”

“Chief Xu, that err…” said the manager, feeling a little awkward. After some hesitation, she turned her head towards Song Xiangsi. The woman’s expression was cold. After about half a minute, she softly gave a nod, after which the manager then nodded at Xu Jiamu and said, “Alright.”

When the manager left, she instinctively shut the door behind her.

Chapter 899: After (16)

Xu Jiamu didn’t speak for a long time.

But Song Xiangsi was in no hurry. She sat there calmly, and looked even more composed than him.

The room was silent.

Who knows how long had passed before Xu Jiamu cleared his throat. For a brief moment, he let out an “En”, then shifted and said, “How have you been all these years in America?”

Those few simple words suddenly softened Song Xiangsi’s heart. The calm and collected attitude she tried so hard to uphold almost shattered to nothing just like that.

She tightly balled up her fists and tried her hardest to not show any emotions on her face, but her heart was already turbulent.

She silently gazed at Xu Jiamu for a long time, before she pulled a polite smile. “Thank you Mr. Xu for caring, I’m good.”

Song Xiangsi’s cold and distant demeanor caught Xu Jiamu off guard. He lowered his eyes, flustered, and said after another pause, “I hear that you got married in America?”

Actually, Song Xiangsi wanted to lie by saying ‘yes’, but no matter what, she couldn’t let it out. In the end, she thought she may as well choose to stay quiet.

Xu Jiamu waited for a while, but she didn’t speak. He raised his eyes and gazed at her for a while, then said, “Yesterday, that gentleman… was your husband?”

What was the point in talking to her about all this? To reminisce about the past?

Three years ago, she used all the strength in her body to force herself to cut all ties between them.

At first, she left her home country and had so many sleepless nights dreaming about him. It was not until she gave birth to Little Red Bean that she turned her attention towards her, and gradually stopped hurting.

Nobody knew what she endured every single day for three whole years trying to forget and let him go. Eventually, she managed to hold out and shake off her initial feeling as though life is no better than death.

If it was possible, she really didn’t want to get herself mixed up with him again, because she didn’t want to see herself repeat the same mistakes.

At that thought, Song Xiangsi secretly took a deep breath. She stared at Xu Jiamu and spoke elegantly. “Mr. Xu, about the contract, my manager just now was very clear about it. If you have no opinions on the matter, then can I sign it now?”

When she said this, she reached her arm out and picked up the contract on the table, then flipped through to the page that required the signature. Just as she was about to pick up the pen, Xu Jiamu suddenly held her hand.

His palms were hot, so hot in fact, they made Song Xiangsi’s entire body tremble. Then she heard him say in a gentle voice, “Xiangsi”. The tone of his voice was exactly the same as how he used to speak in the middle of the night.

She suddenly pulled her arm back, as though she was frightened by something. Then she picked up her bag beside her, stood up, and forced herself to sound poised, but her voice still trembled a little. “Sorry, Mr. Xu, about the contract, talk to my manager. I’ll be going now.”

After she said this, she turned around to leave, but after taking just two stops, Xu Jiamu grabbed her wrist again. Before she could slowly come back to her senses, he pushed her back into her chair with a shove.