Chapter 11: Gu Qingci

Shen Yunhe stayed at home for two days before hurriedly returning to the army. Yunhe Father and Mother planned to visit Jiang’s family in a few days.

At this time, Jiang Banyue was playing with the babies in the shop. Suddenly, a three-year-old girl darted into Sweet House. She was wearing a beautiful knitted dress, had two braids, and was holding onto the counter with both hands, staring at the cakes with her mouth watering.

At first, Jiang Banyue thought an adult had brought the girl in, so she didn’t pay much attention. However, after observing for a while, she realized that there was no adult with the girl. Jiang Banyue walked over, squatted down, and gently asked,

“Little friend, where’s your adult?”

The girl wasn’t shy at all and sweetly called out, “Auntie, my uncle brought me here. He’s outside.”

Jiang Banyue stepped outside to look but didn’t see anyone. She then returned to the shop.

“Little one, where is your uncle?”

The girl didn’t answer but asked in return, “Auntie, I want to eat this sweet cake. Is that okay? When my uncle comes, he will pay you.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Banyue took a cake from the counter and placed it on a round table. The girl climbed onto a chair and sat obediently, eating the cake. Jiang Huaijin, nestled in his mother’s arms, mumbled,

“Mom, do you think this girl is lost?”

“Maybe,” Jiang Banyue replied, standing outside and looking around. She didn’t see any adults searching for the child, so she picked up her eldest son and returned to the shop.

A while later, a young man wearing glasses rushed in and shouted at the girl,

“Zhao Jiaojiao, how dare you run off like this!”

When Zhao Jiaojiao saw her uncle, she happily jumped off the chair.

“Uncle, the cake here is so yummy! You should try it too!”

Gu Qingci was so angry at his niece that he almost wanted to hit someone. He struggled to suppress the fire in his chest.

“You’re running around everywhere. I’ve been looking for you for a long time, almost ready to call the police. What if there were some traffickers outside who took you away? What would we do then?”

“Uncle…” Zhao Jiaojiao was frightened by her uncle’s scolding, her whole-body shivering. Her eyes instantly reddened, and tears began to fall.

Jiang Banyue, standing nearby and holding her child, awkwardly stepped forward to advise, “Um, don’t worry, the child is fine…”

Gu Qingci turned to look at Jiang Banyue, calming his anger a little. His tone was somewhat apologetic as he spoke.

“Hello, I’m Gu Qingci, and this is my niece. I’m sorry for the trouble. I’ll definitely come to apologize properly another day.”

“No need for that. She was very well-behaved, just sitting there eating cake without causing any trouble.”

Gu Qingci quickly asked, “How much is the cake?”

“One fifty.”

Gu Qingci took money from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Banyue. She took the money and carried her son to the counter. Zhao Jiaojiao grabbed onto Gu Qingci’s sleeve, looking up at him cautiously.

“Uncle, I haven’t finished eating the cake yet.”

Gu Qingci looked down at his niece’s timid expression, realizing that he had scared her. He bent down and hugged her in his arms.

“Jiao Jiao, you can’t run off like that anymore, do you understand? There are bad people outside who could take you away, and then you won’t be able to see your mom and dad anymore.”

Zhao Jiaojiao, frightened, hugged her uncle’s neck tightly and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Uncle, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was hungry, and when I smelled the sweet cake, I just ran over here.”

“Well, next time you can ask your uncle to take you here to buy the cake.”

“I understand, Uncle. Can I come back next time to eat cake?”

“Sure, but you can’t run here by yourself. I have to bring you.”

“Yay! Thank you, Uncle!” Zhao Jiaojiao said, happily laughing out loud. Gu Qingci, holding her, walked her to the dining table, where they continued eating the cake.

“Uncle, try it! The cake that the pretty auntie made is so delicious!”

Gu Qingci didn’t like sweets, but when he saw his niece looking at him expectantly, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He took a bite and his eyes brightened. It was good—not too sweet, and not overwhelming.

“How is it? Is the cake that auntie made delicious?”

Zhao Jiaojiao grabbed his hand, excitedly shouting, eager to share the joy of the delicious food with her family.

Gu Qingci smiled faintly, adjusting his glasses with his fair fingers.

“Yes, it’s very good.”

Zhao Jiaojiao, satisfied with his praise, smiled brightly and lowered her head to eat the cake bit by bit.

Gu Qingci turned to look at Jiang Banyue, who was holding a little girl in her arms. Their foreheads were pressed together as Jiang Banyue lovingly played with the girl, who laughed joyfully in her arms. There were two other children beside them.

Gu Qingci was astonished. She actually had three adorable babies.

After Zhao Jiaojiao finished her cake, Gu Qingci wiped her mouth and was about to leave with her. Just as they reached the door:

“Boom…”

A loud thunderclap echoed, followed by a flash of lightning. The sky suddenly darkened, and raindrops came pouring down in a torrential downpour. The thunder was so loud it made the scalp tingle.

“Uncle, I’m scared…” Zhao Jiaojiao cried as she hid in her uncle’s arms. Gu Qingci quickly picked her up and returned to the shop. The power was out, and the three babies were also frightened, hiding in their mother’s arms.

Jiang Banyue patiently comforted the children, asking the two nannies to watch over the kids while she went to find candles. She lit the candles, and the weak glow of the light made the room feel calm again. The babies no longer seemed scared and sat on the carpet to continue playing. Zhao Jiaojiao got out of her uncle’s arms and walked over to Jiang Banyue.

“Auntie, can I play with the little brothers and sisters too?”

“Of course! Go ahead!” Jiang Banyue smiled as she patted her head.

“Yay! Thank you, pretty auntie!” Zhao Jiaojiao happily sat down with the babies, excitedly joining them in play. Gu Qingci sat aside, watching, making casual conversation with Jiang Banyue.

“Are they triplets?”

“Yes,” Jiang Banyue replied, still knitting. She glanced up at the babies. “They’re very cute.”

“Thank you,” she added, her hands still busy with her knitting.

Gu Qingci gazed at the gentle, calm woman and the lively, adorable children. He couldn’t help but sigh. The man who had her and these children must be so fortunate.

“With such cute babies, the father must be very happy.”

Jiang Banyue paused for a moment, her hands stopping. Her lips twitched, but she remained silent. Gu Qingci felt a little awkward, and after a while, one of the nannies spoke up:

“The lady is divorced. There’s no man around. She did everything on her own, from pregnancy to giving birth.”

Gu Qingci was stunned. He turned to look at Jiang Banyue, wanting to apologize, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Under the candlelight, the woman knitting looked beautiful, gentle, and exuded a sense of peace and serenity.

Gu Qingci felt his heart racing wildly, as though the calm surface of a lake was rippling, expanding outward in waves. Jiang Banyue must have sensed his gaze, as she looked up at him. Gu Qingci quickly averted his eyes, his ears flushing red.