Chapter 2: How Old is This Child?

Teacher Xiao Hua held onto Yao Yao while muttering, “Children should never run out of the kindergarten by themselves. What if they run into bad people…”

Before she could finish, an angry shout echoed from afar.

“Yue Yao!”

Yao Yao buried her face into Teacher Xiao Hua’s chest, pretending to be dead and too scared to look up.

Teacher Xiao Hua turned towards the sound and saw a beautiful face, fiery with anger, coming into view.

She couldn’t help but secretly admire Yue Su’s flawless features. Her bold yet elegant beauty never failed to astonish her, no matter how many times she saw it.

At that moment, Yao Yao squirmed in Teacher Xiao Hua’s arms.

“Teacher, I want to go down.”

Teacher Xiao Hua set her down, and Yao Yao scampered off, like a small cannonball shooting across the ground.

“Mama, don’t die!”

Yue Su knew her daughter too well. Ever since she was a child, Yao Yao had been a little actress, learning the art of dramatics from her grandmother, who led the neighborhood square dancing. She had even learned how to cry and wail on the floor from Old Lady Wang downstairs.

But seeing her daughter cry with such passion, Yao Yao’s face turning red as she imagined her future as a beggar, caused Yue Su to almost burst into laughter. She couldn’t help but be moved by her performance.

“Mama, you’re going to die! You’re going to die, do you know that?”

Yue Su: “…” Well, she really hadn’t known.

Did King Yan send her a message?

“Woo, woo, woo, I don’t want to be a beggar! Mama, you’re dying so tragically.”

Teacher Xiao Hua was infected by Yao Yao’s sadness, and she thought to herself, no wonder the child refused to attend class and insisted on running outside.

“Teacher Xiao Hua…”

Before Yue Su could speak, she was grasped firmly by Teacher Xiao Hua, her hand shaking with emotion.

“Don’t say anything. I understand. You must stay strong!”

Yue Su: “…” What do you mean you understand?

“Teacher Xiao Hua, I really haven’t…”

“I understand!” Teacher Xiao Hua interrupted her, holding her hand tightly, tears in her eyes.

“There’s no obstacle you can’t overcome. You must be strong. Yao Yao’s father is already gone. You must take good care of yourself.”

Yue Su felt too exhausted to explain, “Teacher Xiao Hua, I really haven’t…! I’m just taking Yao Yao home now. Sorry for troubling you today.”

“Alright.”

This scene was caught in the eyes of Han Si inside the car.

The moment Yue Su appeared, he recognized her.

It had been years, but Yue Su was as beautiful as ever, almost unchanged.

He glanced subtly at Fu Xijin, who showed no reaction, his expression still the same as he calmly interacted with the child, as indifferent as he had been years ago.

Han Si looked at Yue Su and her daughter, deep in thought.

Four years ago, Yue Su had retired from the public eye, her name trending on the hot search list for two whole days.

Four years later, she now had a daughter. It was hard not to wonder.

“President Fu, it’s Yue Su.”

Fu Xijin didn’t respond, not even lifting an eyelid.

Han Si’s gaze shifted to Yao Yao, his brows slightly furrowing.

“President Fu, do you think this child…?”

He turned to look at Fu Xijin, whose expression remained unchanged, and swallowed the rest of his words.

Jiang Xin leaned against the car window, watching Yue Su and Yao Yao outside, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes.

She didn’t know what the relationship was between these two and Fu Xijin, but she couldn’t help feeling a sense of rejection.

“Uncle Han Si, let’s go quickly.”

Han Si smiled and coaxed, “We’ll leave soon, Xin Xin. Just wait a little.”

As Fu Xijin’s special assistant, it was his job to resolve any potential problems for his boss.

The past between Yue Su and Fu Xijin should remain buried.

Four years had passed, and now a child had unexpectedly appeared. It would certainly disrupt the alliance between the Fu and Yuan families, which would not be good for Fu Xijin.

He got out of the car and called out, “Miss Yue Su.”

Yue Su paused, not forgetting Han Si.

She would probably never forget that face for the rest of her life.

Four years ago, whenever she wanted to see Fu Xijin, it was Han Si who always blocked her at the door.

He was notorious for being a smiling tiger. His face looked kind, but his methods were no gentler than Fu Xijin’s.

She vividly remembered his disdainful words when he had reprimanded her.

“Miss Yue Su, you and President Fu are not from the same world. You should stop clinging to him.”

“You are a famous celebrity with a bright future. Why demean yourself like this?”

“That fleeting affair was something you stole, and someone of your status can never be a match for President Fu.”

Yue Su snapped out of her memories, her clear and unparalleled eyes filled with a touch of sarcasm.

“Ah, it’s Assistant Han Si. It’s been years, and you’ve certainly grown in your career.”

Han Si’s face stiffened, thinking that little brat must have inherited that sharp tongue from her!

“Miss Yue Su, is this your daughter?”

Yue Su sneered. “Can’t be yours, can it?”

Han Si chuckled awkwardly, “You’re joking. How old is this child now?”

“Assistant Han, don’t worry. I’ve been married. You can check it yourself.” Yue Su’s expression remained calm.

Han Si looked puzzled. He didn’t know Yue Su had been married.

Yue Su’s gaze swept past him and landed on the strikingly luxurious Cullinan parked nearby.

Through the window, she couldn’t see inside, but she could guess who was sitting in there.

Han Si had been by Fu Xijin’s side for many years, like a shadow, always following wherever he went.

She gave a sarcastic smile, “Assistant Han, what are you suspicious of?”

Han Si had always thought that being by Fu Xijin’s side made him untouchable.

However, when faced with Yue Su’s clear and serene gaze, he suddenly remembered four years ago—how she had stood alone in the snow, helpless and stranded.

For the first time, he felt guilty.

He cleared his throat and forced a smile.

“Miss Yue Su, I’ve been with President Fu for many years and have seen many tricks. Since you’ve already married, I hope this is the last time.”

He glanced at Yao Yao with a sneer in his eyes.

It was too clumsy, and he almost let himself be fooled.

Four years ago, he hadn’t seen Fu Xijin. Now, they were trying to use a child to draw attention?

“President Fu is about to marry the young lady from the Liu family. The elders on both sides are very particular about this marriage and do not want any unstable factors.”

His implicit warning made Yue Su think of certain unpleasant memories.

Memories of words like those being used against her daughter.

Yue Su snorted, “Look at me, forgetting so easily. Don’t bark orders at me. I’ve always been scared of dogs.”

Han Si: “Miss Yue Su, please mind your manners.”

“Manners are something for humans. Dogs don’t need them.”

Han Si: “…”

Yue Su patted Yao Yao, “Go down first, don’t interrupt Mama’s performance.”

Yao Yao obediently climbed down from her arms.

Han Si was shocked. Wasn’t she done scolding him yet?

Yue Su chuckled, “When Fu Xijin left, I was the one who took him in. Didn’t I report to the police? It’s your people who failed to find him, right?”

“Right…”

“I took care of him for two years, everything from food to clothing. There’s no love, but at least there’s a debt of gratitude, right? Assistant Han, you keep talking about the Fu family, but what about me? Don’t forget, you’ve been a servant to them for so long that you’ve forgotten how to be human.”

“You…”

“Did your ancestors build a dung pit on their grave? How did they raise such a thing like you?”

“You…”

“If you have nothing to do, swap shifts with my dog.”

Han Si turned red, the usually suave smiling tiger, almost crushed by her sharp words.

“Miss Yue Su, I was wrong. I apologize.”

Yue Su snorted, “Oh, you apologize? Well, that’s really heartbreaking for you.”

Han Si took a deep breath and lowered his head, pleading for mercy, “I was wrong! I really was! I just thought, it’s been so many years, and you should have let go by now.”

“I only let go of dead exes. Call me when you’re eating.”

She had no generosity when it came to exes, and couldn’t hide the bitterness in her heart.

Han Si felt cold sweat on his back. If he had known, he wouldn’t have come. What a waste of a beating.

He looked down at Yao Yao. Although she was round, she seemed a little short.

Maybe he was just overthinking it.

“Sorry for the trouble.” He nodded and turned to leave, just as the car window rolled down.

A girl’s delicate and adorable face popped out, “Uncle Han Si, hurry up! I want to go eat McDonald’s, and you still have to take me to grab stuffed toys!”

She turned to look at Fu Xijin, pouting, “Uncle, you have to grab me lots and lots of stuffed toys, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll get you as many as you want.”

Yue Su stood by the road holding Yao Yao, the sounds of their conversation drifting to her ears, but it felt like needles piercing her eardrums.

The Cullinan’s window shimmered in the sunlight, bringing back memories of that summer from years ago.

The first time Yue Su saw Fu Xijin, he was in such a pitiful state.

He had just escaped from the hospital, injured, and even lost his slippers.

He had lost his memory, like a wandering soul without its essence.

But his looks were so striking that Yue Su, in her reckless youth, had taken him in.

That was the most daring and selfish decision she had ever made.

Back then, Yue Su was still in university, yet she rented a place off-campus to keep him.

She had fallen into a passionate affair with a mysterious man, crazy and disregarding everything else.

At that time, Yue Su really thought that, no matter who he was, as long as he was by her side, she could give up everything.

She plunged into it, already planning where their child would go to kindergarten.

But less than two years later, the relationship took a sudden turn.

He regained his memory, but had forgotten her.

He returned to the Fu family, becoming the high-ranking heir of the prestigious Jing Circle.

Everything between her and “A Jin” seemed like a memory only she held.

During that time, she endured mocking and ridicule, everyone laughing at her naive dreams.

She had broken her pride and swallowed the shards of glass, hoping to see him once, only to be met with an announcement of his engagement.

His fiancée stood before her, and with a few words, crushed her beneath her feet.

Yue Su desperately tried to explain that she wasn’t the mistress, but who cared about the truth when everyone had already condemned her?

Only a few years had passed, but in the blink of an eye, she almost forgot how she survived those days.

“Mama.”

A soft little hand gently placed itself in hers, pulling her out of those damp memories.

Yue Su looked down at her, her expression momentarily distant.

She had no intention of getting entangled with the Fu family again, but what she feared most was that they would discover Yao Yao’s existence.

“Let’s go home,” Yao Yao said obediently, like the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

And Yue Su realized, no matter how painful the past was, the present was still worth fighting for.