{Off you go, and take your children with you 1}

The snow outside suddenly stopped.

The stormy night seemed to have cleared the way for their overnight departure.

That face, once as kind as the Virgin Mary’s, suddenly lost all its kindness. She stood at the top of the spiral staircase, looking down at the bewildered children and… the smiling Shen Qi.

“You should understand Mandarin, right?”

“Shen Qiyue, Shen Qini, shouldn’t you understand human language after studying English in the United States for a few years?” Her words were cold and devoid of warmth. “Hurry up and leave with your impressive father.”

Shen Qiyue never expected Qian Xu’s hostility to be directed at her.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked at the sky outside the window, realizing that Qian Xu wasn’t without a temper, she pouted as usual, “Aunt, I want to sleep, can you tell me a story?”

Qian Xu couldn’t direct her anger at the ignorant child.

Although some of their actions were despicable, Qian Xu knew who was behind it all.

She turned her head, re-directed her gaze at the indifferent Shen Qi. It turns out her real disdain wasn’t for his aloofness, but for the apathy behind it. Who else could make Shen Qi care? Perhaps even his two children couldn’t. Perhaps, from beginning to end, there was only Cheng Shuangyi, one person.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Qian Xu’s questioning voice trembled slightly. “If not now, then when?”

Three years, they had occupied three years of her life. These should have been the best three years of her life, but reality was cruel.

The guidance from those dreams, she refused to believe them.

But she knew Shen Qi was capable of doing those despicable things. If she didn’t cut the messy rope today, she would face the strange gazes of others tomorrow… perhaps only she would fall into the abyss.

Shen Qi still stood in the corner, calm and composed. “If we leave tonight, it might be too late. What I mean is, even if we’re leaving, we should wait until tomorrow morning at least.”

“Qian Xu, I understand your pain.”

Shen Qi found it ridiculous. He thought Qian Xu would calmly accept his arrangements, but unexpectedly, she was emotional now. He thought she understood the rules and was tactful, but found out that women were fundamentally the same, all inherently stubborn.

He frowned.

Was Qian Xu so afraid of losing him?

Shen Qi didn’t like troublesome women. After driving for a long time, he just wanted to find a comfortable place to sleep, whether the hostess was Qian Xu or any other woman… If this place couldn’t provide a quiet environment for him, he didn’t mind leaving late at night.

But he feared that the one who would be sad then would be her.

So, Shen Qi left her some room to maneuver.

“No, you don’t understand,” Qian Xu’s pale face was no longer serene and gentle. She walked alone to the window, gazing into the night that seemed like day in the distance. After a long time, she murmured softly, “If you understood, you would take your children and leave now.”

They are your children, not mine.

This was the first time Qian Xu had made such a clear distinction while taking care of Shen Qiyue and Shen Qini.

It was like removing the ivy that shouldn’t have grown in the first place from a bush.

…

Shen Qinian and Shen Qiyue only realized belatedly that their father was planning to take them away, which ignited Qian Xu’s anger.

Shen Qiyue completely ignored Qian Xu’s feelings. She had always been like this, so she felt justified. She immediately asked about her father’s plans, her eyes shining brightly with disbelief, “Dad, are we really going back to China?”

Her tone was impatient.

Her father’s demeanor was cold, giving a completely certain answer, “I booked a flight for this week.”

The original grudge held against Qian Xu was all thrown aside. Just moments ago, she was blaming Qian Xu for her rude behavior, but now, she was only imagining the beautiful scenes after returning to their home country—

She was born in the United States and had always lived there. If she could go back… did it mean she would finally be able to see her mother?

The child’s excitement was undeniable.

Surely, she wouldn’t stay in Ohio, this big rural area of ​​the United States, bored to death just for a stranger, someone who only took care of her for a while. Her mother probably didn’t like this place either, or else she wouldn’t have flown straight from New York.

Shen Qiyue’s smile suddenly became sweet and tender, and her tone even had a hint of arrogance, as if to say, “See you didn’t want to carry me tonigh right? So now Dad won’t take you with us when we return to the country.”

But Shen Qiyue was very good at acting.

“Aunt, don’t be sad. I’ll come back to see you when I have the chance.”

“No need.”

Qian Xu answered without hesitation.

This rash promise was just like her father’s, so should she celebrate the fact that this father-daughter duo cared so little about her?

Qian Xu didn’t know why, but she thought she could completely ignore it, only to discover a terrifying thing: Shen Qiyue’s happiness that couldn’t be hidden was easily seen through at a glance.

And although Shen Qinian didn’t actively ask about returning to the country, he already grasped the comfort bear he always brought when going out in his palm.

Their expectations of returning home were evident.

Her last remaining fantasy was completely shattered, but if they really couldn’t bear to leave her, if they cherished even a bit of their bond, if there was really a trace of attachment, it wouldn’t be the current eagerly-awaited look for the plane to return home—

So, if it weren’t for this chaotic dream that made her anxious, she would probably continue to wholeheartedly believe in the nonsense of the man and children, and even eagerly graduate from Ohio University and return to China. Happily she would be thinking that what awaited her was the fact that she would be marrying Shen Qi according to their pre-arranged and unchangeable plans ….but awaited her was an other reality. Of course, she wasn’t completely uninvolved in this play. Look, the children of the male and female leads regarded her as a sacrificial tool, occasionally used to Cheng Shuangyi’s nerves.

When Cheng Shuangyi realized she should cherish her children, she would be kicked away again.

From beginning to end, they all regarded her as a useful tool.

How could they do that?

How dare they?

“Are we leaving?” Qian Xu couldn’t be rational anymore. She drove them away repeatedly, her tone no longer containing any trace of past affection. “If you’re not leaving, I will.”

“If you feel better, I’ll take them with me,” the lofty Shen Qi finally showed some concern, finally picking up the children from the wooden floor, “We’ll stay at the nearby Hilton. If you need anything, you can contact me anytime.”

After they left, Qian Xu leaned against the door, motionless for a long time, and finally slid down weakly.