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The next day
Xu Chunian did not sleep well throughout the night. As she groggily opened her eyes, she felt a soft sensation in her arms.
Looking down, she met the sparkling eyes of Zhuzhu.
“Good morning!” Xu Chunian pinched her soft little face.
Today was a special day for Zhuzhu because it was her first time going to kindergarten with both her parents after three months. Xu Chunian had styled her hair into little horn braids and dressed her in a light yellow suspender dress.
When the teacher came to take Zhuzhu away, she turned back to glance at them.
“Go on, go on. Mom will pick you up after school,” Xu Chunian waved at her.
In the car
Xu Chunian sat in the back seat. “Why is Zhuzhu starting kindergarten so young?”
Jiang Huaixu glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Kindergarten is the safest place besides home when I’m not around.”
“For Zhuzhu,” he added.
Xu Chunian pursed her lips and remained silent.
After a while, she spoke up, “I’ll take care of Zhuzhu from now on. If you’re worried, you can find someone to follow me.”
The response was still silence. For some reason, Xu Chunian felt a bit fearful of Jiang Huaixu at this age. She was afraid of his intensely piercing eyes and the aura of authority he exuded. When she was 18, she simply liked him.
But she couldn’t help but look into his eyes. Mixed within those deep, profound pupils were emotions she couldn’t comprehend, and for some reason, her heart ached in response.
“Just drop me off at that intersection,” Xu Chunian indicated a nearby road sign.
Jiang Huaixu complied, “I have a meeting this afternoon. After you pick up Zhuzhu, come directly to the company. If you want to attend the dinner tonight, I’ll have someone prepare a dress for you.”
“Sure!” Xu Chunian replied.
After the car came to a stop, she got out.
“Thank you.”
Watching the car disappear from sight, Xu Chunian hurried to a nearby supermarket to buy a helmet and rent a small electric scooter.
Feeling more at ease compared to being with Jiang Huaixu, she rode the scooter following the navigation.
At the traffic light
Jiang Huaixu, wearing a Bluetooth headset, was listening to his assistant’s arrangements over the phone.
Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye—a petite and recognizable silhouette that momentarily left him in a daze. Even after she disappeared around the corner, he remained lost in thought.
“Beep beep.”
It was only the impatient honking from behind that snapped him back to reality.
His assistant tentatively called out over the phone, “Mr. Jiang?”
Jiang Huaixu let out a deep breath and turned the steering wheel. “Yes, proceed as planned.”
———
The navigation indicated they had arrived at their destination. Xu Chunian bought two cups of milk tea and some snacks, leaning against the door.
Before long, she heard someone calling her.
“Chunian.”
“Ali.” Xu Chunian handed her the milk tea. “Here you go.”
“Hurry inside; it’s hot today,” Shen Qingli said as she took the items from Xu Chunian’s hands.
Xu Chunian naturally linked her arm with Shen Qingli’s. “This place is so confusing.”
“There are a lot of film crews here. Don’t get lost.”
“Can we see a lot of celebrities? Hey, have you met So-and-So? Is he as handsome as he is on TV?”
It was Xu Chunian’s first time here. People dressed in Japanese military uniforms and Qing Dynasty costumes were moving through the crowd, it was a real hodgepodge.
“Who?” After all, six years had passed between them, and Shen Qingli had almost forgotten.
Xu Chunian mentioned a name.
Shen Qingli said, “Oh, he slept with his fans and got exposed.”
Xu Chunian was shocked. “What about Sheng Koutian?”
“He slept with a minor and went to jail.”
Xu Chunian: “…”