Chapter 30

However, thinking back to how she had previously joined other kids in excluding Ning Yichen, Song Yuxi hesitated to approach. She stood in place, uncertain for a long time.

Eventually, the class time started, and she didn’t go over.

In the morning, Nuo Nuo had done well, but after waking up from her nap, she missed her mom desperately. Just as tears welled up in her eyes, she saw the other kids happily getting up.

Nuo Nuo thought she couldn’t cry in front of so many children, so she quickly wiped her tears away and obediently got up with the others to prepare for class.

In the afternoon, they sang songs and read with the teacher. Nuo Nuo met several new friends, making the day feel very fulfilling.

Before long, it was time to go home, and she was excited to finally be heading back.

Before school let out, Sheng Zexi messaged Xu Ai, asking, “Are you going to pick up the kids, or should I?”

In truth, Sheng Zexi hoped they could go together, but he wasn’t sure if Xu Ai would agree. He tentatively suggested, “How about we go together? It’s Nuo Nuo’s first day at school, and she might prefer us both to pick her up.”

Although Xu Ai was resistant to the idea of going with Sheng Zexi, she had to admit that Nuo Nuo probably did want her dad to be there. After all, it was the first day of kindergarten, and creating good memories for the child was important.

Xu Ai agreed to his suggestion. “Alright, I’ll drive to your office.”

Sheng Zexi replied, “No need, I’ll come to you. Just wait for me.”

After sending the message, Sheng Zexi quickly got dressed and stood up.

Seeing his message, Xu Ai didn’t bother to argue. She continued to focus on her work at her desk.

They were currently busy with children’s clothing. Nuo Nuo had already taken several model photos, and now they needed to prepare for marketing and production.

There was a lot to do.

While Sheng Zexi was coming over, Xu Ai kept her head down, immersed in her tasks.

About half an hour later, Sheng Zexi arrived at her studio entrance. It was his first time there, and as he parked his car on the street in front of the studio, he felt a sense of novelty looking at the stylish entrance. Xu Ai had once seemed like a woman who only sought pleasure, but now he realized she had quickly matured and become more sophisticated.

He didn’t call her; instead, he approached the front desk and told the staff, “I’m here to see Xu Ai.”

Dressed in a white shirt, he gave off a cool demeanor, like the snow on a mountain. No one could tell what his purpose was.

“Please register your name,” the receptionist said.

Sheng Zexi was surprised that he had to register to see her, which made him chuckle. After signing in, he waited for the front desk to contact Xu Ai.

Xu Ai was busy when the receptionist came in to call for her. She paused for a moment, realizing she had become too engrossed in her work. Annoyed with herself, she tapped her head and told the receptionist, “Next time, just let him come in to find me. There’s no need to register; he’s my husband.”

Even if they weren’t together anymore in the future, he would always be Nuo Nuo’s dad.

The receptionist, who had been marveling at how handsome the man was and speculating on why he was visiting the boss, was taken aback when she learned he was Xu Ai’s husband. Her heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces at that moment.

Still, they did seem like a perfect match.

Xu Ai grabbed her bag and hurried out, walking towards the door where Sheng Zexi was waiting. “Let’s go,” she said.

A moment later, she realized she hadn’t grabbed her phone. Quickly handing her bag to Sheng Zexi, she rushed to her office. “I forgot my phone, just wait a moment.”

Sheng Zexi smiled as he took the bag she handed him and stood there waiting for her.

When Xu Ai ran out with her phone, she suddenly realized what she had done—she had just handed her bag to Sheng Zexi without a second thought. While it wasn’t an issue, she hadn’t expected to be so informal with him.

However, time was running short. If they delayed any longer, Nuo Nuo would be waiting too long at kindergarten. Not wanting to keep her daughter waiting, Xu Ai decided not to dwell on it and got into his car.

As they drove away, the two receptionists watched them leave and remarked, “Wow, wasn’t it said that the boss was about to get a divorce? How can she let go of such a handsome and wealthy husband?”

“I don’t know; if I had such a handsome husband, I wouldn’t want to let him go,” one of them replied.

Just then Xu Ai’s partner, He Yi, walked out and saw the two receptionists gossiping. He glared at them. “The boss is off duty, you two aren’t. No gossiping during work hours.”

The receptionists stuck their tongues out playfully and returned to their tasks.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the kindergarten.

Nuo Nuo was already waiting. As soon as she heard the teacher announce that her parents had arrived, she quickly dashed out and hugged her mom’s leg.

Xu Ai had been worried that Nuo Nuo might cry at kindergarten, so she asked the teacher about it when she picked her up. “Nuo Nuo didn’t cry today, did she?”

The homeroom teacher smiled, saying, “Nuo Nuo was very well-behaved today. She didn’t cry once and performed wonderfully.”

To think that this little crybaby hadn’t cried at all surprised Xu Ai. She looked at her daughter in amazement, not expecting her to do so well in kindergarten.

Nuo Nuo pointed to the little red flower on her forehead, excitedly telling her mom, “Mommy, I got a little red flower today! The teacher said that only the best kids get one!”

Xu Ai glanced at the other children leaving with their parents and noticed not every child had a little red flower. This meant Nuo Nuo must have performed exceptionally well.

Proud of her little one’s achievement, Xu Ai felt she could hug and kiss her daughter multiple times if they weren’t at the kindergarten entrance.

She generously praised her, saying, “Nuo Nuo is amazing!”

Nuo Nuo beamed, her bright eyes sparkling like stars. “Mommy, I think I’m amazing too!”

After chatting with the teacher for a bit, Xu Ai took her daughter home.

Sheng Zexi remained mostly quiet throughout the conversation, but he listened attentively to what they discussed.

Once they were in the car, he asked Xu Ai, “Where to next? Home, or somewhere else?”

Nuo Nuo piped up, “The teacher said we need to buy paper for arts and crafts tomorrow!”

Both of them were part of Nuo Nuo’s kindergarten class group chat, and sure enough, just as she finished speaking, the teacher posted a notice in the chat asking parents to buy paper for the kids’ craft projects.

Of course, the kindergarten had supplies, but if the children wanted nicer materials, they needed to buy their own.

Xu Ai thought for a moment and said to Sheng Zexi, who was driving, “In that case, let’s stop by the bookstore. We can also grab dinner afterward.”

Sheng Zexi had no objections. He drove them to the bookstore.

At the bookstore, Xu Ai helped Nuo Nuo pick out not just the colorful paper needed for kindergarten but also quite a few books.

While Xu Ai didn’t have any lofty expectations about Nuo Nuo’s future excellence, she still hoped to nurture her child well, equipping her with the ability to navigate life’s uncertainties. Reading more books was always beneficial for a child.

After buying the books, they headed out to eat.

Once they ordered their food, the kindergarten group chat sent more information regarding courses based on the children’s interests, asking parents to choose options to help kids learn according to their preferences.

While Sheng Zexi was looking at his phone, Xu Ai wasn’t sure if he was checking the group chat, so she forwarded the information to him and asked, “What are your thoughts?”

Sheng Zexi had indeed been looking at it. He glanced at the little girl beside him who was playing with the colorful paper they had just bought and said, “I don’t have any particular thoughts. We should respect Nuo Nuo’s wishes.”

Xu Ai agreed. “Then let’s wait until she finishes this month’s classes and let her choose for herself.”

Nuo Nuo was playing with her little figurines when she heard her parents talking. She immediately looked up and asked, “What? Daddy, Mommy, what are you going to choose?”

Xu Ai replied, “We need to choose some courses for kindergarten. Is there anything you want to pick?”

Nuo Nuo was unsure about the courses available and asked, “What courses are there?”

“English, French, German, piano, violin, dance, math, art, Go, chess, and more,” Xu Ai explained.

Nuo Nuo felt a bit confused and shook her head, continuing to play her own little game. “I don’t understand any of that.”

Sheng Zexi said, “It’s okay if you don’t understand. The teacher will help you learn slowly over the next month. If you find something you like, you can tell Mommy and Daddy.”

Nuo Nuo thought for a moment and asked, “But what if I don’t like anything?”

“If you don’t like anything, then you don’t have to study it,” Sheng Zexi replied.

Xu Ai was surprised at how open-minded he sounded.

Wait, based on his recent behavior, it wasn’t just open-mindedness, it was overly indulgent.

While she wanted to support this approach, they should ideally balance each other out—one being strict and the other gentle.

If he spoiled the child too much, she’d have to play the “bad cop.”

Xu Ai interjected, “You can’t just not choose anything.”

Sheng Zexi added, “But if you don’t choose anything, you might feel bored at kindergarten.”

Both of them paused for a moment.

Just then, the food arrived.

Xu Ai took a couple of bites while feeling downcast and couldn’t help but ask Sheng Zexi, “Do you think I sounded a bit… strict just now?”

Sheng Zexi smiled and shook his head. “Not at all.”