“That’s it. You don’t have to be concerned about her. As for keeping your mother happy, that would be quite simple. You just have to stay and keep her company, and she would be quite gratified.”
Huo Jinyao’s words caused Su Qingsang to grow silent because while it all was reasonable, her heart just could not accept it.
“Huo Jinyao.” She suddenly took another step closer to him, reaching out and holding his hand in hers. “You said that I wouldn’t be going back with you. Would Grandpa be really upset about that?”
Old Master Huo was a very good person. Su Qingsang didn’t want to disappoint the old man.
“Of course not. You can rest easy. He’d still have me.”
There would surely be some discontent. They were just married and did not make it back for the New Year, and now they weren’t even able to go back to celebrate the festivities.
Not to mention that they had initially planned to be there. This time, she was afraid that Liu Tongjia and Huo Mingguang would both be unhappy.
Su Qingsang couldn’t be quite at ease, but Huo Jinyao’s repeated assurances made her somewhat less worried.
Huo Jinyao looked at her and couldn’t help but tousle her hair again. “In the end, you’re always a doctor. You just love to worry. Everything is fine. You’ll have me no matter what.”
“Mm.” Su Qingsang nodded. “When you go back, remember to tell her as gently as you can.”
They both knew perfectly well who ‘her’ referred to. Huo Jinyao resisted the urge to tease her again. “Oh, you. Could you stop being worried about these things?”
Su Qingsang stopped talking. It was true that she did tend to overthink a bit too much.
“You can relax. I will leave the story for you to tell. I’ll just say that there was a problem with the patient you were consulting at the hospital today. Would that work?”
Su Qingsang was not sure whether Xiang Caiping would believe this. However, this type of white lie was really the best way to go for now.
“Thank you, Huo Jinyao.”
Huo Jinyao stepped forward and planted a kiss on her lips. “It’s all good. I’ll reserve all the thanks to cash in for the future.”
Su Qingsang blushed immediately. Being teased by Huo Jinyao like that allowed all her other worries from before to disappear in a puff of smoke all of a sudden.
After sending Huo Jinyao off, Su Qingsang turned and walked back, only to find that Li Qianxue had been standing at the door and looking at her from afar.
As she turned around, she saw that her face wore a look of embarrassment, but at the same time she seemed finally at ease.
Su Qingsang had seen that look on Li Qianxue’s face before. This tugged at her heartstrings, and her steps quickened a little.
“Mom, it’s really windy outside. Why did you have to come out here?”
“It’s alright. I just wanted to see you.”
Su Qingsang’s eyes were stinging again, but she did her best to suppress that feeling.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Li Qianxue. “Mom, you had better look at yourself than at me. You’re much more beautiful than I am, after all.”
Li Qianxue’s mood finally lightened.
“Who said so? My daughter is the prettiest.”
Old Master Li was waiting in the living room like before. In fact, he and Su Yuxin were just as worried as Li Qianxue. They were afraid that Su Qingsang was going away.
Now that they were sure she had not gone, Old Master Li and Su Yuxin breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Qianxue was actually very tired from the long-distance flight of more than ten hours and the rollercoaster ride of emotions she experienced after she got off the plane.
She was exhausted, but she was also reluctant to go to sleep.
Su Qingsang exchanged a few words with her and found that Li Qianxue was sleep-deprived. She couldn’t bear it.
“Mom, go and have a rest. I promise I will still be here when you wake up.”
“How about you sleep next to me today, then?” Li Qianxue grabbed her hand. “Just sleep beside mom, how about that?”
Su Qingsang could not refuse and eventually nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
Li Qianxue was content. She recalled that she had been away for a while now. She called the servants so they could go upstairs and change all the sheets and bedding.
Old Master Li was getting on in years and was already fast asleep. Indeed, he had gone up to rest soon after Su Qingsang came in again.
Mother and daughter headed up the stairs. Su Qingsang did have a room in the mansion before, so naturally, she still had some clothes there.
When Li Qianxue went to take a bath, Su Qingsang went back to her room and found some of her old clothes. The maid cleaned regularly, and all the things in her room were still there.
As Su Qingsang considered her old things, she became quite emotional. After picking out a set of pajamas, she returned to Li Qianxue’s room.
Her mother had already taken a shower and seemed to have made a rush job of it, as if afraid to let her daughter out of her sight for too long.
Li Qianxue was so insecure and Su Qingsang was helpless about it. She was about to go into the bathroom with her pajamas. It was just then that Li Qianxue’s cell phone started to ring.
The two looked at each other. Li Qianxue took a glance at the screen, and her face suddenly changed.
Su Qingsang had also seen it. It was Su Peizhen calling.
Li Qianxue did not answer the phone. Earlier, she had thrown her whole self into the matter of reconciling with her daughter. Now that things had calmed down, she had finally thought of Su Peizhen
The fact was that Su Peizhen was not her real daughter. However, no matter how much she hated Su Chenghui, she had also raised Su Peizhen for more than 20 years.
She would not be able to cut ties with Su Peizhen, but she could not pretend that nothing had happened and continue treating Su Peizhen as usual.
Li Qianxue looked at that number again and hated Su Chenghui more than ever.
“Mom. You can take the call.”
In fact, Su Qingsang sympathized with Su Peizhen. She didn’t dare to think how Su Peizhen would react when she found out…
Li Qianxue looked at her and picked up her phone to answer the call.
“Mom.” When Su Peizhen returned to her apartment, Su Yuxin had told Li Qianxue that he would check with Su Chenghui and see if he would agree to her return.
A long time had passed since then, but Su Peizhen had not heard from her mother or her brother.
Su Peizhen was alone in the United States all this time, and even if Li Qianxue did hire help to take care of her, she was fed up with the whole thing.
Now that she was back in her apartment, even though she was back in her own country, she was still alone, on her own. How was that any different than keeping her abroad, then?
After the nanny had cooked for her in the evening, she had been waiting for her mother’s call. After waiting until she could handle it no longer, she took the initiative to call Li Qianxue.
“What did Dad say? Has he agreed to let me come back?”
Li Qianxue did not speak. In fact, at this point, she seemed to have forgotten entirely about how to get along with Su Pei.
She had called her ‘mom’, and Li Qianxue did not want to respond to that.
“Mom, did Dad say no?” Su Peizhen’s voice grew frustrated. “Why is he like this? It’s been so long, and he still hasn’t been able to let go of his anger.”
Li Qianxue didn’t want to listen to this anymore. She suddenly remembered the reason why Su Chenghui sent Su Peizhen away in the first place.
If it weren’t for Su Peizhen, Xiang Caiping would not have been injured, and Su Qingsang would not have felt so sorry for Xiang Caiping.
“Your dad is still angry. You’ll have to stay there for a while. Wait for his mood to improve. Soon enough you will be back.”
Li Qianxue’s tone seemed rather cold and aloof. Su Peizhen was a little taken aback. “Mom?”
“That’s it then. I’m really tired of today. I think I’ll call it a night.”
“Mom?” Su Peizhen’s voice was laced with a little more worry this time. “You… you are not arguing with Dad, are you? Please don’t quarrel with Dad. If he doesn’t want me to come back, I won’t. Don’t get into a fight with him because of me. ”
Her parents’ relationship had never been very good to start with, with an argument happening every three days, and a big fight every five days. She was afraid the relationship had gotten even worse.
And if that woman Xiang Caiping were to stir up something again, perhaps Su Chenghui would be even more merciless.
Li Qianxue was unable to keep her heart hardened at Su Peizhen’s words. Su Qingsang had a mother-daughter relationship with Xiang Caiping. Wasn’t this even truer for her and Su Peizhen?
“I know. You should have a rest too. I’m tired as well. I’m going to bed.”
Afraid that she would reveal something more, Li Qianxue quickly hung up. When she turned to face Su Qingsang, she seemed uneasy again. “Qingsang, are you angry with me?”
“Why should I be angry?”
“Your sister, Su Peizhen.” Su Qingsang and Su Peizhen had their birthrights switched, and Su Qingsang was no longer Su Peizhen’s illegitimate sister. Instead, she was now the trueborn one. “I have raised her as my own, and I…-”
She wanted to tell her all about Su Peizhen’s history. However, some things could not be explained fully.
“Mom. I already know everything. You don’t need to explain.”
Feelings were not just born out of nowhere but were fostered through constant relationships. Su Qingsang knew this very well. “I’m going to take a shower. Mom, you should get to sleep first.”
By the time Su Qingsang came out of the bathroom, only a small bedside lamp was left on. Li Qianxue’s eyes were closed as if she was already asleep.
Walking lightly to the bed, Su Qingsang, lay down as gently as she could, afraid to wake her up.
However, Li Qianxue hadn’t fallen asleep at all, and when she heard her daughter’s movements, she opened her eyes to look at her.
“Are you done with your shower?”
“Mom. Go to sleep.” Su Qingsang felt rather distressed. “I’m right here, I won’t run away.”
Li Qianxue blinked several times. “I know you won’t. I am just…”
Feeling a little uneasy, Su Qingsang took her hand in hers. “Then shall I hold your hand until you fall sleep today?”
“Okay.” Li Qianxue clenched her hand tightly. She held on with quite a grip, but Su Qingsang didn’t try to break free.
“Qingsang.” Li Qianxue looked at her as if she couldn’t see enough of her, and though she was already very sleepy, she still wanted to say a few more words to her. “All these years, they have been hard on you.”
“It hasn’t been that bad,” Su Qingsang shook her head. “Mom, don’t think that way.”
“I should have been better to you.” Li Qianxue was filled with remorse. “I really should have treated you better.”
If that were so, she wouldn’t feel as much regret, guilt, and distress as she did now. It was painful to think of all the time that she had wrongfully lost.
“Mom. You must not think that way at all. I really have been fine.”
How could she have been fine? Li Qianxue thought about Su Qingsang leaving home at the age of eighteen. “Tell mom everything about your life, and whether everything has been going well. Anything will do.”
Su Qingsang was a little embarrassed. She really didn’t know what she could say.
“How about you tell me why you wanted to become a doctor?”
Su Qingsang wanted to be a doctor because she could never figure out why some women didn’t want to keep their own children.
Therefore, she chose to be an obstetrician and gynecologist, because she wanted to reach out to more expectant and new mothers. She wanted to know exactly what those mothers were thinking.
However, of course, she could not tell this to Li Qianxue. As soon as she did, her mother would be upset again.
“Mom, perhaps I could tell you a little bit about my time at the medical school.”
“When we were freshmen, we first learned about medical theory. And then—”
Su Qingsang had glossed over the question and did not answer, but Li Qianxue was sensitive enough to notice that she was definitely hiding something.
If Su Qingsang didn’t want to tell, she didn’t want to press her. However, she still felt a little disappointed that her daughter did not choose to trust her.
If she wanted Su Qingsang to trust her completely and accept her, it would take more than a day or two.
Su Qingsang had a mellifluous voice, and Li Qianxue listened to it, mesmerized. She listened as she talked about the interesting times she had at college and about her feelings when she first took an anatomy class.
Little by little, she was regaining the lost years this way.
Li Qianxue was really too tired, and after struggling to listen for more than half an hour, she finally fell asleep.
After Li Qianxue fell asleep, Su Qingsang could finally take a breather. In fact, she too was tired. Looking at Li Qianxue, she gently moved a little closer to her.
This feeling was quite strange, completely different from the feeling of sleeping next to Huo Jinyao.
Huo Jinyao gave her safety, peace of mind, and deep warmth. But Li Qianxue gave her another sort of feeling.
She couldn’t say what it was, but it felt strange and wonderful.
Li Qianxue had a faint fragrance, and her body was very soft and warm. Su Qingsang carefully moved her face an inch closer to her shoulder.
Feeling the warmth coming from Li Qianxue’s body, the warmth of her mother, Su Qingsang closed her eyes, the corners of her lips forming a smile, and fell slowly into a deep sleep.
Li Qianxue was completely exhausted the day before but still woke up pretty early in the morning.
The excitement from that day was too great, and she had a dream in the night. She dreamed of the time from the first encounter with Su Chenghui to the birth of his child.
Then the dream switched to the things that unfolded yesterday. She dreamed that she had not been able to keep Su Qingsang and that she had boarded a plane to Rong City.
No matter how desperately she called out, Su Qingsang refused to turn around. She had awakened from that dream, frightened. When she opened her eyes, she saw Su Qingsang sleeping next to her.
Her daughter’s steady breathing, and her cheeks that were flushed from the night’s sleep, reminded her that she was just dreaming before.
Li Qianxue felt giddy with relief. She looked at Su Qingsang’s face and, observing her, she felt that many of her features were in fact quite similar to hers.
This was her daughter. Her real daughter.
Su Qingsang’s face was leaning on her shoulder, and her hands still holding onto her own. She was like a small baby, seeking to be close to its parents.
She had been sleeping apart from Su Chenghui for a long time. When she went to the United States, she and Su Peizhen also had their own rooms.
It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with someone else. She couldn’t help but raise her hand to caress Su Qingsang’s cheek.
The warm touch reminded her that Su Qingsang was real. That she was not dreaming. That her daughter was now sleeping in the same bed with her.
“Huo Jinyao, stop your nonsense.” Su Qingsang muttered drowsily. She did not wake up, but just frowned a little and fell back to sleep.
Li Qianxue froze when she heard those words. She seemed to recall now that Su Qingsang was already married.
Huo Jinyao. Li Qianxue had never liked him before. All the little things he did to protect Su Qingsang had always made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
Now she was even more uncomfortable and felt like she had let Huo Jinyao off too lightly.
…
