Xia Ruoxin ruffled Rainy’s hair and smiled at the teacher. So it was because of that.
As for what the teacher said and what kind of person Chu Xiang would turn out to be in the future, it was none of her business. How the Chu family wanted to raise their adopted daughter was their problem.
“Baby, let’s go home.” Xia Ruoxin lifted her daughter off the ground and carried her out of the school. The wind was bitingly cold, but there were times when the cold wasn’t important.
“Rainy, do you want to get first place?”
Xia Ruoxin asked her daughter.
“Mhm, I want it.” Rainy nodded. “First place receives flowers. I want to give the flowers to Mommy as a present.”
“Is that so…?” Xia Ruoxin stopped in her tracks. She freed one hand and adjusted her daughter’s clothes. Then, she wrapped Rainy up with her own clothes.
“Mommy doesn’t want flowers. I’m fine with just your drawing. Mommy knows that my Rainy had come in first so Mummy wants the drawing and not the flowers.”
“But there are still no flowers.” Rainy bit her lip lightly. The precocious child already had a hunch. It was the bad uncle and the granny.
She shrunk into her mother’s embrace, reluctant to attend school anymore.
When they returned home, Gao Yi noticed Rainy’s unhappiness and carried her off the ground, questioning her. Rainy couldn’t keep it in and rattled on for a long time without clearing things up, making Gao Yi befuddled.
“Let me say it.” Xia Ruoxin carried her daughter again and patted her shoulders lightly. She lowered her head, coming eye-to-eye with the child’s innocent eyes. At times, she really wanted to keep these bright eyes void of troubles they shouldn’t have.
Gao Yi turned to listen and placed his fingers on the table. His index finger lifted and tapped softly on the table.
“It’s actually nothing much.” Xia Ruoxin chuckled, and Rainy cracked a smile towards her, too. Then, she closed her eyes, ready to sleep.
She told everything that had unfolded to Gao Yi.
He sneered after listening to the whole story.
“If he knew that he had snatched the first place from Rainy, I wonder if he’d vomit out of regret.”
“I don’t know if he’d want to vomit?” Xia Ruoxin caressed her daughter’s small face. “I’m just grateful that Rainy wasn’t brought up by their family. Before anything else, I will raise her to be a decent and righteous person at least. I won’t let her engage in immoral acts and become a twisted branch that could never be straightened again.”
Gao Yi reached out and squeezed Rainy’s hand. “She is very obedient. She’ll grow up to be a good and healthy girl.”
“Thank you.” Xia Ruoxin hugged her daughter tightly in her arms. Her eyes stung with tears. Those words were more moving and more heartwarming than any others. She did not wish for anything else, just for her daughter to grow up healthy without any calamity.
Gao Yi sat nearer and wrapped the mother and daughter in his embrace, giving them a piece of serene sky. Here, there was no wind or rain, no suffering or disasters.
Meanwhile, at the Chu household, Chu Xiang placed a small bouquet of flowers in front of Chu Lui.
“For me?” Chu Lui asked Chu Xiang. He wasn’t that interested in flowers. Often, he was the one giving women flowers. This was the first time a female had given him one.
Despite that this female being relatively younger.
Chu Xiang smiled bashfully and placed the flowers in Chu Lui’s hand.
“Flowers for you, Daddy.”
“Thank you.” Chu Lui received the flowers. The child on the ground was trying her best to keep looking upwards. Chu Lui, who had a heart of stone, had to admit that the look of admiration for her father on her face made even his heart melt a little.
Forget it, whatever. Some things would never come.
He lifted Chu Xiang onto his lap. This was the first time Chu Xiang had been so close to her father. Her lips cracked into a grin as she buried her face in Chu Lui’s embrace.
“Daddy, I’ll be good.”
“Mhm, Daddy got it.”
Chu Lui said, and yet his heart seemed to be missing a part that could never be filled up again.
Chu Xiang finally smiled. It was a smile different from those before. She knew that Daddy had come to like her, and she had to work harder in the future to make him like her
even more.
Song Wan nudged Chu Jiang’s shoulders.
“Look, Xiang Xiang’s getting along so well with our son. This child is really fated with our family.”
“I wonder if I’m this fated as well.” Chu Jiang sighed. “All I know is that this imp has ruined my life completely. I have to look after her when I’m home, and I can’t go fishing or read my newspaper. She has even taken over the television.”
Now, both his wife and son had accepted this child. Yet, there was still a doubt in his heart so he was unable to get close to her.
Song Wan shot a glare at Chu Jiang. “Look at how black your face is. Fine, I’ve looked at this face for decades and I’m used to it, but you better not show it to my granddaughter. Otherwise, you’ll be sleeping on the sofa in the future, and I’ll sleep with my granddaughter.”
“You’ve always been sleeping with your granddaughter.”
Chu Jiang retorted indignantly. The bickering would end up with the death of him.
At this time, someone knocked on the door. Song Wan went and opened the door, but upon seeing the face on the other side, she slammed it shut immediately.
Chu Lui placed Chu Xiang back on the ground and walked over. He placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted before Song Wan could stop him. She was about to speak when Chu Lui closed the door and blocked it with his back.
“What are you doing here?”
He asked blandly, without happiness or anger. The pair of dark blue eyes could not tell whether his heart was feeling calm or complicated.
“Lui, I’m here to see you.” Li Manni had not been faring well. Just a month had passed, but she had lost considerable weight and looked like she had aged over ten years. She didn’t look like a pregnant lady at all.
“You don’t have to come anymore.” Chu Lui opened the door to head in, but Li Manni tugged on his sleeve.
“Anything else?” Chu Lui turned around, his gaze stopping on Li Manni’s hand. His chilling stare made Li Manni retract her hand instinctively. It was as if Chu Lui would chop off her hand if she’d pulled any longer.
She knew very well that Chu Lui was no good person since long ago. It was evident from the time he tormented Xia Ruoxin. No matter who his enemies were—whether they were male or female, he would make them pay dearly.
Chu Lui was being undeniably merciful, for she was still able to stand here well and alive. Hence, she shouldn’t have come to meet this man again. However, she just couldn’t let it end like this. So, she came here, looking for a ray of hope.
You never know, you never know…
