{“After all, that’s our real mom.” 2}

“Is it possible that Mom might have treated us poorly before, but now that we’re coming back, she’ll try to make it up to us in some way?” Shen Qiyue’s face was still round and innocent, but when she said this, she spoke with a sense of coherence and conviction.

Of course, these thoughts weren’t based on her actual understanding of their mother but rather on her fantasies about her.

She imagined that every woman cherishes her own child, and that her mother’s departure must have been understandable.

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

That’s what the discouraging words said, but after all, Shen Qinian was still very young, not yet five years old. How could he have enough judgment? Though he didn’t show it on the surface, he longed for the care and love from his biological mother just as much as anyone else.

He wondered if his mother, Cheng Shuangyi, would be better than Qian Xu.

If she was better than Qian Xu, it wouldn’t be entirely unacceptable to him.

As Shen Qiyue often said in his ear, “After all, she’s our real mom.”

Children are naive and also worldly. Their comparisons between parents are not as precise as adults’ judgments about social status, but they do have their own set of standards.

_____

Back at the hot spring hotel in New York City.

“There are no rooms available.”

After a long night of exhausting travel, Qian Xu and Yan Li were once again given this familiar answer. Although they had already lost hope, Yan Li, still bored and frustrated, leaned on the front desk’s ink-colored marble counter and asked the same question with sincere earnestness, “Are you really out of extra rooms?”

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Qian Xu.

“Mrs. Shen!”

“Mrs. Shen, what a surprise to see you here all the way from afar for a rest!”

The speaker was none other than Mr. Huang, the Chinese owner of the hot spring hotel. Due to Shen Qi, she had previously come to New York to look after the two children and had also accompanied Shen Qi to some informal events. Mr. Huang, noticing the awkwardness and difficulties faced by Qian Xu and Yan Li, greeted them warmly, “I’m truly sorry for not having welcomed you properly. How about our Zen-themed suite? I can arrange it for you right away.”

Perhaps unwilling to let Yan Li endure sleeping rough or perhaps feeling uncomfortable with disappointing others, or perhaps because this relationship had become a thing of the past, Qian Xu could now take advantage of the situation without any reservations—

She decided to play along.

Standing beside the flowing rockery, Qian Xu greeted Mr. Huang politely, “Mr. Huang, it’s been a long time. You haven’t changed much over the years, still the same as ever.”

“Old, old,” Mr. Huang sighed, then immediately arranged a room for them with great efficiency.

Yan Li, who was next to Qian Xu, was instantly mollified. Having finally found a high-end room where they could stay comfortably, she muttered in her ear, “I didn’t expect that this deadbeat Shen dog would still be of some use.”

Qian Xu smiled without saying a word.

Although this maneuvering might be irritating, it proved to be genuinely useful in the late-night setting of New York.

Qian Xu smiled gently, “Then we’ll trouble Mr. Huang to make the arrangements for us.”

Qian Xu still didn’t mention it directly, but she suddenly remembered her trip to New York two years ago. She had stayed at a property owned by Mr. Huang back then, and she had some vague recollections of it.

At that time, Shen Qi was not wealthy, but he had willingly taken the initiative to handle the check-in for them.

Mr. Huang spoke of Shen Qi with unusual warmth, as if it were entirely out of personal admiration. “I must say, among the so-called geniuses from our homeland, General Manager Shen is truly deserving of the title. I don’t understand or keep up with his research on artificial intelligence technology, but if he ever needs funding, I hope Mrs. Shen can speak a few good words for me.”

In the end, the true nature of the relationship became clear—after all, they were both businessmen, and their interactions were ultimately driven by mutual benefit.

Qian Xu nodded, “Alright.”

At last, she and Yan Li found a place to stay in the stormy New York night.