Chapter 42

Su Qianqian blinked, looking utterly speechless.

“Did you mishear? What I said was that I will definitely make it big in the future, and I’ll be the one to look down on you and want a divorce.”

Huh?

Cheng Yue thought he must have heard wrong. “What did you just say?”

“I said I’m going to be rich and won’t think you’re good enough for me.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and deliberately gave him a disdainful, mocking look as she sized him up.

But inwardly: Tsk tsk tsk, he looks way too handsome in uniform!

That build!

Those broad shoulders, the way his shirt is tucked into his pants, and that ridiculously narrow waist—he’s definitely rocking an eight-pack under there! Too bad I’ve never seen it.

And those legs—so long and straight. When I massage them, I can feel their strength. His lower body must be incredibly powerful!

Most importantly, his face! He’s so good-looking! Even frowning with that stern expression, he’s still handsome.

Thick, sword-like eyebrows, sharp and deep-set eyes.

A grown man with eyelashes this long? It’s just unfair!

At least the three kids inherited Cheng Yue’s excellent genes, so that’s something.

“Fine, very fine. Su Qianqian, you’d better become rich!” Cheng Yue said through gritted teeth.

“Thanks for the blessing,” she replied with a sly smile, her tone full of humor.

Cheng Yue: “…” Is that what I meant?

Fuming, he stomped off to his study.

When dinner was ready, the aroma wafted through the house, tickling his nose. Instinctively, he got up to head out but stopped himself, recalling Su Qianqian’s earlier attitude. He sat back down, determined.

He thought to himself: If she comes to call me, then I’ll eat.

At the dinner table, the three kids had already taken their seats. Seeing that Cheng Yue hadn’t come out, the eldest asked, “Mom, should we call Dad to eat?”

“The food smells so good. If he doesn’t come, he must be busy. Let’s eat first,” Su Qianqian replied.

The three children didn’t hold back, happily digging into their meal.

Thanks to a balanced diet and some special supplements, the kids had all developed chubby, rosy cheeks, a stark contrast to their previous scrawny appearances.

Meanwhile, in the study, Cheng Yue listened to the sounds outside. Why hasn’t anyone called me to eat?

Am I being excluded?

Fine, I won’t eat! I’ll endure!

He tried to distract himself by reading documents, but over half an hour passed before he realized it had gone completely quiet outside.

Curious, he opened the study door slightly and peeked out.

Huh? Where is everyone?

He opened the door wider and walked out, only to find the house empty. The food on the table was covered with mesh nets.

He rushed downstairs and noticed that the bicycles in the hallway were gone. Did Su Qianqian take the kids to night school?

He guessed correctly!

Su Qianqian had indeed taken the kids to night school, where they were attending a language class.

“Your dad didn’t come today?” someone teased the children.

“He’s busy, so it’s just us,” Su Qianqian replied.

The language teacher came over, taking out a few illustrated books and placing them in front of the kids. “I figured you’d come, so I brought these books for you.”

“Thank you, Teacher!” Su Qianqian said as she flipped through the books. They were excellent, and the kids loved them too. In unison, they sweetly chimed, “Thank you, Teacher!”

“You’re so well-behaved!” Everyone adored the three little ones.

“What are your names?” someone asked.

The eldest proudly answered, “Cheng Qingyan. Mom says it means the beauty of green mountains.”

“I’m Cheng Qinghe. Mom says it means I’ll be a distinguished person in the future.”

“I’m Cheng Qingyue. Mom hopes I’ll be happy.”

Their clear voices, precise pronunciation, and ability to remember what Su Qianqian had told them left everyone impressed.

“Su Qianqian, this book is for you.” The language teacher placed a copy of Andersen’s Fairy Tales in front of her, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Fairy tales? Alright, in everyone’s eyes, she was illiterate, so starting with fairy tales did seem appropriate.

“Thank you!” She raised her eyes to look at him. He nodded with a smile, appearing refined and handsome, like a genteel young scholar.

When the two classes were over, everyone began to leave. Su Qianqian and her three children stayed behind, moving more slowly, leaving only them and the teacher in the classroom.

“Teacher, teacher, are you married?” the youngest daughter suddenly asked, tilting her little head up.

The language teacher was visibly surprised. He shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

The eldest and second child exchanged a glance, immediately understanding the youngest’s intent.

The four of them walked out of the classroom with the teacher, chatting and laughing. The atmosphere was harmonious, but it darkened Cheng Yue’s face as he stood outside waiting for them.

His cold, piercing gaze swept over the group. The teacher met his eyes briefly. “Captain Cheng, you’re here. Take care on your way back. I’ll head off now.”

Su Qianqian was surprised to see Cheng Yue there.

“Second and third, come sit on my bike,” Cheng Yue ordered, his tone stiff.

The second child was about to refuse, but one look at Cheng Yue’s expression made him silently comply. He and the youngest climbed onto Cheng Yue’s bike, one in front and one in back, while the eldest sat with Su Qianqian.

The two bikes rode one behind the other, with no conversation between the adults.

Su Qianqian seemed calm, but Cheng Yue was clearly sulking and struggling internally.

When they got home, Cheng Yue noticed the stack of books they brought back. “Why so many books?”

“Teacher Meng gave them to us,” the second child replied, giving him a sidelong glance.

The language teacher’s name was Meng Jin.

Cheng Yue immediately felt a sense of discomfort.

The teacher seemed young, good-looking, and cultured.

“Alright, let’s get you all cleaned up,” Su Qianqian said, washing the eldest and youngest together before letting the second child bathe on his own. The three kids were very independent and could handle many tasks by themselves.

“Cheng Yue, get ready. I’ll give you a massage,” Su Qianqian said.

“You’ve been ignoring me all day. Why bother giving me a massage?”

She frowned. “When did I ignore you?”

“You…” He almost choked on his words. So it’s just me sulking on my own? This realization only made him angrier. “I don’t need a massage.”

“The massages have been effective, haven’t they? You’re already able to ride a bike. A few more sessions, and your leg will fully recover. Don’t be stubborn.”

Stubborn? Did she just call him stubborn?

“My leg is fine. No need for a massage!” His voice turned cold, his demeanor impatient.

Su Qianqian frowned, puzzled by his attitude.

Then she thought it over. If he didn’t want massages, it might not be an issue. She had been adding a special spring water to his drinks, which would still help him recover if he kept drinking it.

“Kids, how about I tell you a bedtime story?” She picked up the fairy tale book, deciding to put it to good use.

“Yes! That’s great!” The three children jumped for joy.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Su Qianqian read The Little Match Girl to them. The children listened intently. When they heard how pitiful the little girl was, they felt sad. The youngest snuggled up to her and hugged her. “The little girl didn’t have a mom. That’s so sad. We’re lucky to have a mom.”

The eldest and second child joined in, hugging her as well.

“Don’t be sad. Mom will always be here with you, until the day I die.”

“Mom, don’t die!” the youngest cried out, tears streaming down her face.

“Spit, spit, spit. I won’t die,” she quickly reassured them.

Cheng Yue watched the heartwarming scene of the mother and her three children. It was so sweet and cozy, yet he felt like an outsider.

Damn it! I don’t feel included at all!

So why was he even sulking in the first place?

“Uh…” he began awkwardly.