Just as Jiang Ruolan was about to say something, Xian Zihao suddenly put his hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, he looked at her with a calm look but quietly reminded her that at this moment, Zhou Qingling's condition was unknown. They can't say anything that will affect her.
Under his silent eyes, Jiang Ruolan immediately understood. She pursed her lip and didn't continue to speak; instead, she comfortably held Zhou Qingling's hand and smiled, "Mom, let's stop talking about this. I rarely come here to see you, not to mention that Zihao is here today too, and Chiahao and An Na are also outside. Our family is finally reunited, so we should celebrate it. What do you want to eat? Zihao and I will go out to buy the ingredients. We will stay here for the night and accompany you, alright?"
Zhou Qingling hurriedly nodded her head, but after nodding her head, she hesitantly looked at Xian Zihao, who was smiling faintly at her. He knew Zhou Qingling still mind with his identity as Xian Family.
"Senior Zhou, let's go down and chat." Seeing that Zhou Qingling seemed to have something to say to Jiang Ruolan, Xian Zihao turned around and smiled faintly at Senior Zhou, who had been left alone the entire time.
Senior Zhou looked at Xian Zihao for a moment and understood what he meant. He then nodded thoughtfully.
After they both left the room, Jiang Ruolan bent down to help Zhou Qingling get up. "Come on, let me ask the housekeeper to warm some milk for you first. Zihao and I will personally make a fancy dinner for you later."
"Lan." Zhou Qingling's legs moved to the side of the bed and touched the floor, but she didn't stand up. She just called Jiang Ruolan calmly.
Jiang Ruolan lowered her gaze to look at Zhou Qingling with a smile in her eyes.
"Xian Zihao. What does he mean to you?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Tell me, I want you to tell the truth. If you were to leave Xian Zihao, what will happen to you?" Zhou Qingling looked at her seriously. The panic she had before this had disappeared.
Jiang Ruolan looked at her and then smiled. She replied seriously, "If I left Xian Zihao now, I probably wouldn't die for Chiahao and An Na, but I might not have a heart in this life."
Zhou Qingling was silent for a moment, then she said slowly, "Lan, maybe mom shouldn't force my past hatred and resentment on you. For you, mom has already accepted Chiahao and An Na, two children with Xian Family blood flowing inside their bodies but Xian Zihao…If I give you a choice, do you want him or me?"
Jiang Ruolan looked at Zhou Qingling's calm face in silence. "Do you really want to ask such a question?"
"I know it's not easy to get your forgiveness for lying, but Lan–"
"Mom." Jiang Ruolan held her hand and said softly, "Three years ago, I chose one. At the time, I thought you were really forced to die by Xian Jian, but the truth is actually the opposite. Auntie Jia's death to you might be the same as your own feelings and I can't say that I'm not happy that the person who died wasn't you, but if you force me to choose, I will not choose."
"I will never leave Xian Zihao. I have no reason to leave or to hurt him. You should know that he has given me all the happiness since I met and married him. A man like that is one in a million in this world and from now on, no matter what happens, I will never leave him. You are my mother, and I will not leave you too, so please do not force me."
Zhou Qingling's expression wasn't as complicated as Jiang Ruolan had imagined. She just smiled in relief and gently rubbed her head. "Stupid child, is that how you think of your mother? I admit that I really don't want to be tolerant in this matter, but back then in Imperial City, I could tell that he was very important to you. Even if I forced you to leave him for me, your heart could not leave him. I am getting older and holding a grudge is already a habit for me, but I really don't want to hurt you anymore."
Seeing Jiang Ruolan's shocked look, Zhou Qingling sighed again and laughed, "I just want to hear what my daughter said from the bottom of her heart. Now that I hear it, I am relieved. Xian Zihao is indeed a good man who is hard to come by. I can accept a really nice guy for my daughter."
Jiang Ruolan's eyes were warm and full of tears. She held Zhou Qingling's hand tightly and grinned. "Thank you, mom."
Jiang Ruolan got up and let Zhou Qingling change her clothes. When she opened the door, even before she stepped forward, she suddenly saw Xian Zihao, who had returned at an unknown time, standing outside the door.
Jiang Ruolan was surprised for a moment. She looked at him and saw the gentle light in his eyes. She immediately understood. It was obvious that he had heard her conversation with her mother just now.
"Where's Senior Zhou?" She whispered as she hurried to close the door behind her.
"Downstairs." Xian Zihao replied softly. He then took her hand and held it. With a slight smile on his face, he said, "Your mother is still a reasonable person after all. Your previous worries are all gone now."
Jiang Ruolan nodded. "Now that I'm also a mother, in the future, I might be able to experience something like this. In the end, she gave up for me. But …She still has people she can't let go of."
Xian Zihao comforted her and squeezed her hand gently, "I will deal with Jiang Guanyu's matter. Leave it all to me, hmm?"
"I'm not sure if my mom really forgot what happened in these few days or if she faked it." Jiang Ruolan said while rubbing her forehead. "I–"
Before she could finish speaking, there was a sound from the door behind her. Jiang Ruolan closed her mouth. Xian Zihao knew what she meant, so he just nodded silently to reassure her.
"Leave it to me, hmm?"
Xian Zihao said softly before leading her to the balcony next door, as if asking her to see something there.
Xian Chiahao and Xian An Na were playing under a tree in the front yard of Jiang Residence. Under the tree, there was a custom-made stone table and chairs. They both happily circled around the stone table.
Xian Zihao didn't say anything, and neither did Jiang Ruolan. She just watched everything under the tree with a sweet smile on her face.
Jiang Ruolan understood what Xian Zihao was thinking. He remembered the scene from back then. Back then, under the same tree, she was lying on the snow and holding the legs of his pants.
It was already in the past. No matter what had happened and no matter what memories this place had brought to them, now, their children were having fun there. Xian Chiahao and Xian An Na were the crystallization of their love. The presence of the two of them had cleared up all the grievances of the past with happiness.
Jiang Ruolan smiled at him and said, "Zihao, do you know what I thought when I met you back then?"
Xian Zihao raised his delicate eyebrows and smiled. "What?"
Jiang Ruolan looked out the window and watched the two children skip the stone table and laughed from the bottom of her heart. As she laughed, she said softly, "During the many years I was in the Jiang Family, I rarely had the opportunity to see anyone other than them and only the people from the Qin Family knew the existence of Yijun and me. At that time, only Qin Gengxin, who would sometimes come and make trouble. You are a stranger that I met for the first time in this place. No one within the Jiang Family is willing to help me, whether it is a servant or a temporary worker. When I met you, it was the first time in my life that I'd felt hope."
