Chapter 19

After dinner, Sheng Zexi took Grandpa Xu to see the birthday gift he had prepared.

The gift was a painting of a majestic horse by a renowned artist, immediately recognizable as a valuable piece by anyone in the know.

Grandpa Xu admired this artist greatly and had collected many of his works over the years, but none compared to this one in quality.

He had long yearned for this particular painting but had been unable to obtain it despite many attempts. To his surprise, today his wish had finally come true.

The powerful stallion depicted in the painting looked incredibly impressive. Grandpa Xu’s hand rested on the artwork as he examined it for a long time, reluctant to let go. He couldn’t believe this was an authentic piece by the master artist, but since it was a gift from Sheng Zexi, it could not possibly be a fake.

Sheng Zexi’s thoughtful gesture delighted Grandpa Xu even more. The old man repeatedly praised the painting, clapping his hands in joy.

Xu Yu, who already had a sour expression, felt even worse upon seeing Grandpa so excited over the painting gifted by Sheng Zexi. Her face darkened a few shades, and she couldn’t help but feel resentful.

Lin Xuan’s gift wasn’t bad either, so why was Grandpa not as thrilled? Was it just because the Sheng family had a slightly better background? Why did Grandpa have such double standards?

She truly couldn’t understand why, despite her good relationship with Grandpa, he still favored Xu Ai and her sister.

At that moment, Lin Xuan took Xu Yu’s hand in his, his voice soothing, “It’s alright. As long as Grandpa is happy today.”

Xu Yu felt a lump in her throat, tears brimming. She thought to herself how wonderful her husband was, and why should they be favored over them?

Meanwhile, Xu Ai was completely oblivious to their expressions. Sheng Zexi had gone downstairs to play chess with Grandpa Xu, and she was pulled into her mother’s room for a chat. Mother Xu had a stern look in her eyes as she questioned her, “What’s the situation between you and Sheng Zexi now? Didn’t you say you were going to get a divorce? Why did he come here today?”

Xu Ai also felt quite confused. She didn’t understand why Sheng Zexi suddenly came today. Reflecting on her daughter’s recent relationship with him, she said, “Maybe it’s because he’s been getting along well with Nuo Nuo lately. But mom, please don’t ask me too much. Anyway, we don’t have any feelings for each other. Even if we get divorced later, we’ll still take care of our child together, so…”

Mother Xu felt like giving her daughter a serious scolding upon hearing those words.

She earnestly advised her daughter, “No matter what happened between you two before, now that Sheng Zexi is willing to come, it shows that he’s willing to make amends. Xu Ai, if you don’t appreciate this, even if you marry someone else in the future, it won’t be much better. After all, he is Nuo Nuo’s biological father. It’s better for you two to be together than for you to be with someone else, right? If you divorce him, where will you find a man who’s better than him?”

Xu Ai thought, it’s not that I want to divorce him, but he’s just like the antagonist in a novel, destined for a miserable end. If he doesn’t steer clear of trouble, should I really advise him not to offend the male lead? Forget it, it’s unlikely that Sheng Zexi would listen to her. It’s best for them to keep their distance.

However, she couldn’t say such things to her mom right now.

With the shift in her mother’s opinion due to Sheng Zexi’s arrival, if Xu Ai dared to oppose her mother at this moment, Mother Xu would surely call her every day to nag her until she was utterly frustrated. To keep her peace, Xu Ai decided to be patient for the time being. After all, their divorce wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Before the divorce, Xu Ai needed to use her identity as a member of the Sheng family to earn as much money as possible and take what she could from Sheng Zexi, ensuring that she and her child would have a good life.

As for Sheng Zexi, she thought that if they did end up getting divorced and he didn’t seem like such a terrible person, maybe she could find a way to remind him not to do anything self-destructive.

Sheng Zexi spent over an hour playing chess with Grandpa Xu upstairs. His chess skills were quite good, and they engaged in an exciting back-and-forth, completely engrossed in the game, as if they were old friends enjoying each other’s company.

This wasn’t the first time they had played chess together. Grandpa Xu liked Sheng Zexi not just for his family background. Initially, Grandpa Xu had some reservations about Xu Ai and Sheng Zexi’s marriage. As his beloved granddaughter, he believed she deserved the best, and marrying into the Sheng family wouldn’t necessarily guarantee her happiness.

At that family gathering a few years ago, when Sheng Zexi had also attended, Grandpa Xu asked him if he knew how to play chess. After Sheng Zexi replied that he did, the two spent several rounds playing together.

Grandpa Xu was deeply engrossed in the game, and after a few rounds, he had a good impression of his granddaughter’s husband. Unfortunately, as Sheng Zexi became increasingly busy with work, they rarely had the opportunity to play together afterward.

After finishing the game, Sheng Zexi bid farewell to Grandpa Xu and prepared to leave. Before they left, Nuo Nuo received a gift from her aunt, a sparkling music box. When she opened it, beautiful music played. Nuo Nuo lifted her music box and told her father, “This is what Auntie gave me! Dad, do you think it’s pretty?”

Sheng Zexi nodded and praised, “It’s beautiful.”

Nuo Nuo beamed and then focused intently on playing with her music box.

Before leaving, Xu Ai felt a bit uneasy and reiterated her warning to Xu Ying, “Sister, I’m not joking. Please remember to investigate this matter thoroughly. It’s serious.”

Once they got into the car, Sheng Zexi asked, “What’s wrong? Do you need any help?”

Xu Ai instinctively wanted to say no, but then realized that Sheng Zexi had more channels to gather information than she did. After thinking it over, she replied, “Could you help me look into Lin Xuan? I find him a bit strange.”

In fact, Xu Ai had tried to investigate before but hadn’t found any useful information. Although the Xu family had gone bankrupt after her divorce, she felt it was better to prepare in advance to avoid any irreparable situations.

Lin Xuan?

Sheng Zexi recalled the harmless, gentle face of the man and asked, “What do you think is wrong with him?”

Since she was already asking Sheng Zexi for help, Xu Ai decided not to hold back any information.

“I suspect he’s doing something to harm the Xu family, but I can’t find any evidence right now.”

Sheng Zexi hadn’t paid much attention to what kind of person Lin Xuan was, but seeing the serious expression on Xu Ai’s face made him realize it was necessary for him to help her.

“It might take some time,” he replied.

Initially, Xu Ai worried that he wouldn’t want to get involved with the Xu family’s affairs, but upon hearing his words, she subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and said gratefully, “Thank you.”

With Sheng Zexi’s help, perhaps they could gather evidence against Lin Xuan more quickly.

Xu Ai tightened her grip on her dress, her fingertips turning pale as she thought of the Xu family’s final outcome.

Lin Xuan, the seemingly gentle and accommodating man, had hidden his true nature so well. If it weren’t for Grandpa Xu never trusting him, the Xu family would have been secretly undermined long ago.

Later, when he betrayed the Xu family, it was likely because he felt Grandpa Xu’s continued distrust and lost patience.

She hoped her actions would not be too late.

Sheng Zexi smiled at her and said, “You don’t need to be so polite with me.”

Just then, Nuo Nuo, feeling neglected, complained, “Daddy, Mommy, I’m talking to you, and you’re not paying attention to me!”

Xu Ai finally realized that she had overlooked her little one.

Both she and her husband were so busy discussing the Xu family’s matters that they hadn’t noticed the child. When she turned to look, she saw her little one struggling to rub her eyes, clearly very sleepy.

Xu Ai hugged her and comforted her, saying, “Nuo Nuo, if you’re tired, just go to sleep. Mommy is here.”

Nuo Nuo nodded her little head and then scolded her mother, “Mommy, it’s Grandpa’s birthday today, and you didn’t call Daddy to come along. I think that’s a bit unfair. You can’t do that next time, okay?”

Xu Ai didn’t expect her child to bring this up later. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she watched as the little one fought to stay awake to talk to her, and her heart ached slightly. She rubbed her child’s face and gently said, “Alright, Mommy understands. If you’re sleepy, just sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

“Remember, you can’t do this next time,” Nuo Nuo repeated her warning to her mother before finally closing her eyes and falling asleep. Once the little one was asleep, Xu Ai let out a sigh and couldn’t help but shake her head.

She then poked her little nose and playfully scolded, “You little housekeeper.”

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of the driver in the front seat, whose lips seemed to be curled into a smile.

Xu Ai felt a bit annoyed. What was so funny?

**

Hey everyone! 😊

I’m working on a new translation—it’s a sweet slice-of-life story about a couple who got married on not even 24 hours after their first meeting! 💍💖 If you love cozy, heartwarming stories, do give it a try!

Thanks for your support, and happy reading! 📖✨

Three Meals a Day