Chapter 328 She couldn't say it was okay

Fu Siyan carried the white porridge upstairs.

Shen Qingshu is video chatting with Xiao Anning and Xiao Nian'an.

She sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a coat, so it wasn't obvious from the camera that she was in a hospital.

"Mom, when are you coming home?" Xiao Anning asked.

In front of her soft, cuddly daughter, Shen Qingshu unconsciously relaxed, and her tone of voice softened.

"In a couple of days, Mom will be quite busy these days because she's been abroad for a long time and there's a lot of work piling up at the studio."

Little Anning blinked. "Then is Daddy with you?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingshu subconsciously glanced at Fu Siyan.

Fu Siyan walked over, put the white porridge on the table, and sat down next to Shen Qingshu.

He looked at his youngest daughter on his phone and said in a gentle voice, "Daddy's here too."

"Wow~" Xiao Anning covered her mouth and laughed mischievously, "Daddy and Mommy are together, are you two secretly dating behind our backs?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingshu was taken aback.

Fu Siyan glanced at her.

He noticed the unease in the woman's eyes.

He looked at his phone and patiently explained to his daughter, "Daddy lost his job abroad, and the big company went bankrupt. Now Mommy is the boss, and Daddy works for Mommy, which is why we spend every day together."

"Huh?" Little Anning blinked. "Then does Mommy have to pay Daddy's salary?"

Fu Siyan smiled and said, "Yes, Mom is Dad's boss, so naturally she has to pay Dad a salary."

"Wow! Mom is so amazing!" Little Anning clapped her hands excitedly. "When I grow up, I want to be a big boss, and then I'll spend money to hire lots and lots of handsome guys like Dad to work for me! That way I can see lots and lots of handsome guys every day!"

Fu Siyan: "..."

Shen Qingshu: "..."

Wen Jingxi on the other end of the phone was furious: "Xiao Anning! Your thinking is wrong! All handsome guys are scumbags. It's dangerous to have so many scumbags around you. I don't recommend it. Your godfather doesn't agree!"

“Godfather, you’re handsome too,” Xiao Anning turned to look at Wen Jingxi, “So, Godfather, are you a scumbag too?”

Wen Jingxi: "..."

Xiao Anning said, "I know, godfather isn't a scumbag. He's not only handsome, but he's also very capable at his job. Oh, godfather, do you work for my mom too?"

Wen Jingxi: "...No, your mother and I are business partners, colleagues!"

“That means working together!” Xiao Anning winked at Wen Jingxi, then counted on her fingers one by one, “Godfather, Dad, Uncle Tang, Uncle Jin, Uncle Han, you are all handsome guys, you all work with Mom! Why can so many handsome guys work with Mom, but I can’t?”

Shen Qingshu: "..."

Fu Siyan was both amused and exasperated. He turned to look at Shen Qingshu and said, "Although our daughter is attracted to good looks, she is intelligent. We probably won't need her to be deceived by men in the future."

Shen Qingshu: "..."

There was no way we could continue talking today.

Shen Qingshu quickly hung up the video call.

Fu Siyan got up and handed her the bowl of white porridge. "It's freshly cooked, so it might still be a little hot. Drink it slowly."

Shen Qingshu looked at the steaming white porridge in front of her.

It's cooked until it's crystal clear, and the consistency looks just right.

It looks similar to the porridge she cooked.

She was somewhat surprised and looked up at Fu Siyan, "You made this?"

Fu Siyan touched his nose, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I made it the way you like, so try it."

"Mine?" Shen Qingshu asked in confusion. "I didn't teach you that either."

Fu Siyan lowered his head, avoiding Shen Qingshu's gaze, and said in a very low voice, "The diary you left behind..."

Calm and slightly stunned.

She remembered.

More than four years ago, when she left Beicheng for Xingcheng, Fu Siyan asked her to teach Ni Yutian.

She used to learn cooking from scratch to take care of Fu Siyu, and her diary contained a complete record of cooking methods for various ingredients.

I never expected that Fu Siyan still kept his diary.

What I never expected was that Fu Siyan would learn from that diary.

Shen Qingshu lowered her head and looked at the bowl of white porridge.

During the years when she loved Fu Siyan the most, she never imagined that one day she would be able to eat porridge cooked by Fu Siyan himself.

A bowl of plain porridge contained all the untold sorrows and grievances she had endured over the years.

Shen Qingshu's eyes felt hot.

He picked up the bowl of white porridge, scooped up a mouthful, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

The aroma of rice fills the air, and the texture is soft, sticky, and creamy.

It tastes just like the one she cooked.

She closed her eyes and swallowed the white porridge in her mouth.

Fu Siyan looked at her, a little nervously, "How is it? Is it delicious?"

Shen Qingshu kept her head down, afraid that he would notice something was wrong.

She nodded and scooped up another spoonful of porridge, putting it into her mouth.

Fu Siyan stood aside and watched, and finally noticed something was wrong when she took her third bite.

He quickly squatted down and happened to see tears falling from her eyes.

Tears fell into the white porridge.

Fu Siyan felt a pang of pain in his heart, "A-Shu?"

Shen Qingshu raised her hand to wipe away her tears, "I'm fine..."

Fu Siyan took the bowl of porridge and placed it on the table.

"Ah Shu, I'm sorry, I've made you suffer a lot in the past." He knelt on one knee in front of her, his heart heavy.

He knew why she was crying.

A bowl of plain porridge stirred up her memories.

For five years, she learned everything from scratch, raising a newborn baby bit by bit, giving selflessly and without complaint, only to be deceived by him and betrayed by that child...

After a four-year separation, when they met again, he still made her suffer endless injustices...

Each and every one of these incidents ultimately left an indelible scar on her heart.

She said she'd let go, but she didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. Perhaps she was just tired and didn't want to hold grudges anymore...

But how can something that actually happened be treated as if it never happened?

A bowl of plain porridge made her cry like this.

He used to be an absolute scoundrel!

Fu Siyan was filled with remorse and regretted his past actions.

He wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, but Shen Qingshu avoided him in time.

"I want to be alone." She kept her head down, unwilling to look at him, and even more unwilling to let him see her current disheveled state.

Fu Siyan's hand froze in mid-air.

After a moment, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he said, "Okay."

He slowly stood up, turned around, and walked out of the room.

The moment the door closed, Shen Qingshu covered her face and burst into tears.

The bowl of white porridge remained untouched, gradually cooling down as time passed.

Time may fade one's emotions, but things that truly happened in the past will never be truly erased. When familiar people and things reappear, those emotions etched deep in memory will still find a way in, grow domineeringly, and torment the heart.

Shen Qingshu is well aware that, at least for now, she cannot completely say to her past self that it's okay.

...

Shen Qingshu's illness could not be kept secret.

Aside from Jiang Yuelan, everyone close to and trusting around her knew about it.

Upon receiving the news, Jiang Wenjin and Bai Jianwen rushed over from Xingcheng immediately.

They came to the hospital. Bai Jianwen cried uncontrollably, while Shen Qingshu remained calm. She was the one who was sick, and she was the one comforting Bai Jianwen.

Bai Jianwen and Jiang Wenjin decided to stay in Beicheng first. With Shen Qingshu in this state, they wouldn't feel at ease even if they returned to Xingcheng.

However, with Fu Siyan at the hospital, along with caregivers and one-on-one medical services, Bai Jianwen and Jiang Wenjin couldn't offer much help if they stayed, so they returned to Yungui to be with their two children.

—

Because of Jin Que's sensitive identity, even now, apart from Shen Qingshu and Fu Siyan, no one else knows about it.

Although Jin Huaimin was Jin Que's uncle, he had lived in seclusion in the countryside for a long time and knew nothing about Jin Que's experiences.

Jiang Yuelan remained carefree, and under Jin Huaimin's meticulous and gentle care, she became increasingly plump.

Aunt Qin would take pictures of Jiang Yuelan's daily life every week and send them to Shen Qingshu.

Three days later, Jin Huaimin made an excuse to go out alone and secretly came to the hospital to visit Shen Qingshu.

When Jin Huaimin arrived, Shen Qingshu was sitting in a rocking chair in the courtyard watching a video sent by Aunt Qin.

Fu Siyan came out of the house, carrying a bowl of Chinese medicine.

Their eyes met, and Jin Huaimin paused slightly.

He already knew about Fu Siyan's "resurrection". Although he didn't know the story behind it, seeing the two who had once fallen apart and hated each other so much now able to get along harmoniously, he felt a mix of emotions.

As for Fu Siyan, he had no hostility towards Jin Huaimin.

The higher-ups have already investigated Jin Huaimin.

Jin Huaimin has no problem.

Fu Siyan treated him with the courtesy due to an elder.

He nodded slightly to Jin Huaimin, "Uncle Jin."

Jin Huaimin greeted him with a smile. "Young Master Fu, it's been a long time."

Shen Qingshu was taken aback, then looked up and met Jin Huaimin's kind gaze.

"Xiao Shu".

Shen Qingshu was quite surprised.

"Uncle Jin, what brings you here?"

She subconsciously looked behind Jin Huaimin.

"Xiao Lan doesn't know yet, I came alone." Jin Huaimin walked over, placed the fruit in his hand on the small wooden table next to her, and looked at her. "I heard you were sick, and I was worried about you. I thought I should come and see you to put my mind at ease."