I Became the Mother of His Child

"No," Song Yuanming shook his head. All he had wanted from the beginning was to prove his innocence and incidentally retrieve his own pen. He didn't care about anything else, especially whether Liao Shixing apologized or not.

Yet Xu Xiuxiu's straightforward and relaxed handling of the situation today had left a profound imprint on Song Yuanming's heart, even though it appeared effortless throughout. The events of the day had made him acutely aware of the taste of wealth and power from a lofty perspective, leading him to embark on a splendid path beyond the reach of ordinary people.

On the road to growth, everyone is more or less aided by someone who fuels the journey. Monumental in forging Song Yuanming's ambition to strive forward was undoubtedly today's oppression, sinking him into the mud, and the moments he stood tall and supported by Xu Xiuxiu.

After resolving Song Yuanming's issue, Xu Xiuxiu continued to stay with him in N City for two more days. As the weekend concluded and it was confirmed that the school had issued an apology letter to Song Yuanming, they headed to Imperial City. Since the semester was coming to an end, Xu Xiuxiu thought it best to wait until the next semester for Song Yuanming to continue his education. With just under a month until the New Year, she did not want Song Yuanming to return to his hometown and worry Mrs. Song and Father Song. Hoping to ease his mind, she decided to take him to Imperial City for a change of scenery.

Since resolving the matter, Song Yuanming had lost his previous cheerful vivacity. Having gone through certain experiences, a person must grow in some way. Song Yuanming had taken a big loss in life this time. If he was still as carefree as before, Xu Xiuxiu would have indeed been worried.

Having been delayed in N City for a few days, Xu Xiuxiu missed her children deeply. Song Yuanhuan had classes to attend, and the train from N City to Imperial City was a long and chilly journey. After experiencing the speed and steep price of a plane once, Xu Xiuxiu still lavishly chose to take Song Yuanming by air.

By now, her nest egg from Soup City had grown considerably. Her dream for her children to live as the beautiful and rich was almost realized, and naturally, Xu Xiuxiu spared no expense on travel. She even planned to discuss buying a car with Song Yuanhuan upon returning to Imperial City, no longer feeling the pinch of spending more on plane tickets.

Song Yuanming had had his ups and downs over the past few days. The shock of power and wealth was something he had to slowly adjust to. While he had always understood the importance of money, comprehending and deeply feeling it were not the same. So, when Xu Xiuxiu took him on the plane, he became acutely aware that as he flew through the skies, the surging, tumultuous ambition he had repressed became all the more evident.

Xu Xiuxiu and Song Yuanhuan arrived in Imperial City by three o'clock on Monday afternoon, after a five-to-six-hour flight. As Xu Xiuxiu was extremely anxious about the three children and unsure if Song Yuanhuan had taken a leave of absence, she decided to take Song Yuanming home first. Her initial plan was to let Song Yuanming rest at home while she went to the Imperial Military Academy after Song Yuanhuan's classes to pick up the three unattended children.

"Sister-in-law, I'll go with you," Song Yuanming said, missing his nephew and niece. The plane trip hadn't been too tiring, so he requested to accompany Xu Xiuxiu to the Imperial Military Academy and also seize the opportunity to witness the authority of this renowned military academy.

"If you're not tired, then come along," Xu Xiuxiu agreed with a smile.

Xu Xiuxiu had called Song Yuanhuan the day before, telling him she would return to Imperial City today. When Song Yuanhuan stepped out of the military academy, he saw his beautiful wife, and his face instantly brightened from gloom to delight. "Xiuxiu, you've finally come back." If it weren't for the military academy's entrance, if it weren't for Song Yuanming standing by, if it weren't broad daylight, Song Yuanhuan would have really liked to rush forward and embrace his wife.

Over the past few days of caring for the children alone, dealing with meals, sleep, formula preparations, and the like had given him quite a headache; he had gained a profound appreciation for how challenging his wife's role was. Balancing child-rearing and earning a living, the difficulty was unquestionably immense.

"Yep! I'm back." Xu Xiuxiu nodded cheerfully, "How's everything? You and the kids are all right, aren't you?"

"Pretty good," Song Yuanhuan replied with a bit of insincerity, thinking of his eldest and youngest sons who looked and behaved so differently now from before his wife had left. This caused Song Yuanhuan to feel inexplicably guilty.

"Brother Yuanhuan." After a friendly greeting with Song Yuanhuan, Song Yuanming finally called out to him, his eyes betraying a hint of discomfort, like that of a little child who has made a mistake and fears being scolded upon returning home.

"Everything went smoothly, I suppose!" Seeing this, Song Yuanhuan did not dwell on it, instead he asked with concern.

"Quite smoothly," Xu Xiuxiu took over the conversation, her mind anxiously on her own three children. After replying, she asked, "Where are the kids?"

"Well, I've been swamped with coursework and haven't had time to watch the kids, so I sent them to the kindergarten next door. Mrs. Yu also teaches there, so I asked her to keep an eye on them," explained Song Yuanhuan to Xu Xiuxiu. "Let's go pick up the kids together. They've been asking about you." Classes at the military academy ended late, and the kindergarten would already be out of session. He wasn't worried because he had arranged the pick-up time with Mrs. Yu beforehand.

"Oh! I didn't know there was a kindergarten next to the military academy," Xu Xiuxiu said, only just realizing this. Her eyes lit up at the revelation. Since arriving in Imperial City, she had wanted to find a nursery or kindergarten for Song Chengguang but only knew of privately run ones. She hadn't expected the military academy to have a kindergarten and thought about all the hassle she could have avoided.

"There are quite a few military families at the academy, with many children, so addressing where the children would go has become a troublesome issue. Thus, the leaders decided to establish a kindergarten nearby to solve the childcare issue and also provide employment opportunities for some of the family members," Song Yuanhuan explained the origin of the kindergarten.

"Oh," Xu Xiuxiu nodded in admiration upon hearing this.

...

The kindergarten established near the military academy was called Hope Kindergarten. Its overall environment and standards were noticeably higher than those of the nurseries in Z City. As Xu Xiuxiu walked and observed, she resolved to send Song Chengguang there after the New Year. She was about to discuss this with Song Yuanhuan when her sharp ears caught the familiar crying sound of her youngest child, and her smile instantly froze into stiffness.

Song Yuanhuan, too, was very familiar and sensitive to his daughter's soft, wriggling voice. As soon as he heard the crying, his not-so-nimble legs moved with the instinct of a special forces operative, his body darting into the Hope Kindergarten office with incredible agility.