Su Chenghui was momentarily stunned before he speedily turned in the direction of the other voice. He realized that it was Su Qingsang who had called out to Xiang Caiping. He was startled and watched blankly as she headed towards Xiang Caiping.
“Mother,” Su Qingsang glanced at Su Chenghui after calling out to Xiang Caiping. “Father?”
Why is he here too?
“What…what are you doing here?” Su Chenghui appeared more flabbergasted than she was. He stared at her and then at Xiang Caiping. “You…the both of you…”
“Chenghui, let bygones be bygones. I’m very content with the way things are now.”
Xiang Caiping gazed in Su Qingsang’s direction as she spoke, wringing her own hands. She seemed helpless. “Qingsang, I originally wanted to pick up your birthday cake. It’s…”
Su Qingsang had already espied the cake on the ground as well as Su Chenghui’s presence.
She had not expected to bump into Su Chenghui when they were only out for a meal. She looked at the contrasting and peculiar expressions on Su Chenghui and Xiang Caiping’s faces and then at the box of cake on the ground.
“It’s alright, the box is rather sturdy. It seems that no damage has been done to the cake.”
Su Qingsang stepped forward to pick up the box of cake from the ground. She looked at Xiang Caiping again. “Mother, both of you…”
Su Chenghui was suddenly aware of the cake and finally recalled that it was Su Qingsang’s birthday. “Qingsang, it’s your birthday today?”
Su Qingsang grossly lacked the ease and closeness she felt Caiping when she was with Su Chenghui. “Yes, it’s my birthday today.”
Su Chenghui suddenly stood motionless, because he saw the look of utter disbelief and consternation in Xiang Caiping’s eyes.
He was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Mother.” Su Qingsang instinctively felt the curious change in the atmosphere. She held up the box of cake in her hands. “Huo Jinyao is still waiting for me. Both of you can continue chatting. I’m heading back into the dining room first.”
She threw a look at Su Chenghui again as she spoke and then headed in the direction of the private dining room with hurried footsteps.
Xiang Caiping had not yet recovered from her state of disbelief and hence she pinned her glare on Su Chenghui. The shock in her eyes was slowly clouded with disappointment.
“You were not even aware that it’s your daughter’s birthday today?”
Su Chenghui’s question had revealed much to Xiang Caiping about his relationship with and his regard for Su Qingsang.
She thought of Su Chenghui’s family portrait. She thought of Su Chenghui standing beside Li Qianxue, smiling. She thought of him having children of his own.
She also thought of how Su Qingsang’s birthday celebration today only consisted of her and Huo Jinyao. On the contrary, she had seen the grandeur of the dinner party full of extravagantly-dressed people from the photograph that depicted a beaming Su Yuxin.
Her daughter’s birthday, in contrast, was a modest and quiet affair. On top of that, Su Chenghui, as a father, was not even aware of his daughter’s birthday?
“Caiping,” A look of panic flashed across Su Chenghui’s face. He wanted to explain himself. “I…”
“Su Chenghui.”
Xiang Caiping pursed her lips into a hard line. Her aging demeanor fully reflected her feelings of disappointment, criticism, regret, and contrition. “I am to blame. I have really made a mistake. I should have kept her with me. I should have taken her away. I shouldn’t have given her to you.”
“Caiping, hear me out. I…”
Xiang Caiping had no intention to listen to Su Chenghui. It was her daughter’s birthday today. Su Qingsang had just acknowledged her as her mother. Su Qingsang had just addressed her as ‘Mother.’
Xiang Caiping was going to keep her own daughter company now.
“Caiping, I…”
“Director Su, why is your phone call taking such a long time?”
Su Chenghui’s acquaintances were coming out of the private dining room to look for him. They appeared to be making fun of him with traces of blandishment.
For the first time in his life, Su Chenghui was wary of such social courtesy. He coldly scanned the person who had called out to him. The person was taken aback by Su Chenghui’s imposing manner and hurriedly backed off into the private dining room.
In this short span of time, however, Xiang Caiping had already returned to the private dining room Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao were in.
