Chapter 30 Boyfriend
Yang Shuhua's stage of breast cancer treatment has been completed. Doctors assessed that the treatment has achieved complete clinical remission, demonstrating significant effectiveness. She's a very active person; these past few days she's been busy in the kitchen and picking up and dropping off her two children every day.
When Zhaoye first went to Chen Jiashu's place, Yang Shuhua cried every day. Later, she gradually got used to it. When she missed Zhaoye, she would go and pick him up. Occasionally, he would stay overnight for one or two nights. The children, like her, also got used to it.
Five months ago, Zhao Ye ran away from home. When Chen Jiashu called, she was stunned. She secretly went to Chen Jiashu's place without telling Yang Shuhua and searched everywhere in the neighborhood. Even the police came. It turned out that Zhao Ye hadn't left home at all but was hiding in the storage room on the third floor. Chen Jiashu even got bruised and battered because of this.
She pulled Zhaoye in front of her and gave him a stern reprimand and warning. The child couldn't take a harsh word and squatted on the ground, crying loudly in utter distress.
Chen Jiashu pulled him into his arms and talked to him, asking him why he hid. Actually, the child's thoughts were very simple but also awkward, simply because Chen Jiashu had lent his toys to Zhang Yicheng to play with yesterday.
Chen Jiashu apologized to him and promised that he would always ask him if he was willing in the future.
Zhao Ye sobbed as he forgave Chen Jiashu, adding that he liked Chengcheng and asked him not to leave him behind, explaining that sometimes children get angry because adults think "it's nothing." He then threw himself into Chen Jiashu's arms, and the father and son reconciled.
This was also the only time Qin Qiao had seen Chen Jiashu in the past six months.
The only conversation between the two before they left was:
Chen Jiashu: "How have you been lately?"
He had a scrape on his left temple and a small bruise on the bridge of his nose. Qin Qiao pointed there and said, "I'm fine, but the wound still needs some simple cleaning. It would be bad if it got infected."
"No, Xixi will wait for me at home."
Qin Qiao left work early today and went to the supermarket to buy some daily necessities. Xi Xi wanted to eat Want Want biscuits, so when she passed by the snack section, she bought two packs. She also spotted Zhao Ye's favorite chocolate bear cookies. Thinking that Zhao Ye would be back in two weeks, Qin Qiao took them and put them in her shopping basket.
Back home, before even stepping inside, she was greeted by a delightful aroma of sour and spicy flavors. Yang Shuhua had made her favorite hot and sour shredded potatoes. The two children watching TV in the living room ran over to fetch her bag. This time, Daine won, and Xixi, hands on her hips, said like a little adult, "Brother is bullying me."
Daine stuck out her tongue and ran off quickly, while Xi Xi took off after her brother.
Worried that they might fall, Qin Qiao shouted "Be careful!" as she changed into slippers and chased after them.
Yang Shuhua came out of the kitchen with a big smile on her face: "Xixi, Daine, stop playing and eat."
Daine is five years and nine months old, seven months older than Xixi, but fortunately, due to China's school enrollment policy, they can be placed in the same grade.
Moreover, all three children are in the same class. According to the teacher, Daine is more sensible and often protects her younger brother and sister. When Zhaoye cries, Daine not only comforts her brother but also helps him find a teacher.
Qin Qiao is too busy on weekdays and has very little time to spend with her children. She has never even picked them up from school. But the nanny said that she often sees Chen Jiashu picking up Zhaoye. When they meet, Chen Jiashu will come up to hug Xixi and Daine and sometimes give them the toys he brought.
Perhaps it was that natural pull in her blood. One day, while out with Chen Jiashu, she suddenly called out "Dad" in a clear voice. The nanny later told her that Chen Jiashu was stunned for a long time; the usually composed man had tears welling up in his eyes.
Chen Jiashu knew of Daine's existence, but he didn't ask her about the child's background and continued to give the child small gifts indiscriminately.
But the nanny also said that Daine had been somewhat depressed lately. Xixi and Zhaoye had both found their fathers, but he hadn't. Every time he saw Xixi being held by her father, he would blink, as if he was about to cry. Even though Chen Jiashu would hold him, even though he was only five or six years old and understood, he wasn't his biological father.
Often, she would unconsciously favor Daine more, which would make Zhaoye jealous, but Xixi was kind-hearted and never held a grudge.
Qin Qiao had just entered the study when Yang Shuhua followed closely behind.
"Qiaoqiao, how about Daine changes her name to take our surname?"
She gathered her hair and tied it into a ponytail. Qin Qiao looked up and said, "No, the child is still young. When he grows up, he can make his own choice. We can't make decisions for him now. Besides, I promised Leo that I would take care of the child until he is eighteen. In the future, Leo's property will need to be inherited by the child in this capacity. Moreover, Dain has a mother."
Opening a document, Qin Qiao took a pen from the pen holder and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the blurry "Qin Qiao" mark on it. Her breath hitched; it always was like this.
This fountain pen was a gift from Chen Jiashu fifteen years ago. It's from a major brand and is indeed very durable. The engraving on it was done by Chen Jiashu himself, stroke by stroke, with a carving knife. He said he practiced on a discarded cell phone case no less than a hundred times before he could successfully carve it on the pen in one go.
“I find this child quite pitiful,” Yang Shuhua said, sitting down in a solid wood chair against the wall. “They just say they don’t want him, and they just say they don’t want him. These foreigners are really heartless.”
This has nothing to do with any country; parents like this exist everywhere.
Qin Qiao slowly raised her eyes, but after thinking about what was on the tip of her tongue, she decided against it.
She lowered her eyelashes again, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her smooth nose made annotations next to the document.
Unexpectedly, footsteps approached, and then, shrouded in shadow, she was already standing in front of the desk.
"Qiaoqiao, how is Chen Cheng's company doing?" Yang Shuhua's voice revealed a hint of worry.
"Great, we'll proceed with the next round of financing immediately," Qin Qiao replied calmly, without even lifting her eyelids.
"You're always like this when you're in a relationship, you don't think things through at all. How can you invest six million so soon after confirming the relationship? What if you don't manage it well? That money will just go down the drain!"
Yang Shuhua's tone carried a hint of resentment.
This story begins in mid-July when Qin Qiao brought back a tall young man.
Before coming, Qin Qiao sent a voice message to Yang Shuhua saying that she was bringing her boyfriend back tonight.
Yang Shuhua's first reaction was that this girl was lying to her, that she really thought she was senile, and that she just didn't want to be pressured to meet with Dr. Du.
The young man has a truly handsome face, but his arms are too thin and long under the loose gray t-shirt, making him look unattractive. However, he bears a striking resemblance to someone—not in his eyes or eyebrows, but in his spirit. His calm and polite eyes contain a hint of strong sharpness, and his sharp jawline gives the impression of a sword sheathed in its sheath.
Yang Shuhua's heart trembled inexplicably.
"Chen Cheng, my new boyfriend," Qin Qiao introduced him to her.
Chen Cheng stepped forward, his posture respectful: "Hello, Auntie, nice to meet you."
"How old are you? When did you meet Qiaoqiao?" she asked.
“Auntie, I’m twenty-eight years old.” The boy’s gaze was unwavering: “At the Science and Technology Innovation Summit in March, Sister Qiao was the host. At that time, I was anxious about the technological bottleneck. Her words, ‘Aim high and your heart will surely lead the way to the sunrise,’ guided me in the right direction.”
She was twenty-eight years old, a full eight years older than the man. The dinner was unappetizing. After seeing the man off, Yang Shuhua pulled her daughter into the room.
"Do you really think Mom is sick and confused? What do you value in him?"
Qin Qiao sat at the foot of the bed, pressed her hands on the bed, lifted her chin, and even had a smile on her face: "You asked me to find a partner, so can I choose someone I like? Mom, Chen Cheng is a local of Jiang City. His parents both work for the government, and his family is well-off. Most importantly, he is ambitious and is starting his own business."
"You like someone like Chen Jiashu?" she blurted out quickly.
As soon as she spoke, she pressed her lips together tightly, swallowing hard without audible relief.
Under the bright white light of the overhead lamp, Qin Qiao's fair and flawless face seemed to be coated with a layer of watery luster. She smiled and her eyes curved into a smile: "You forgot, back then you asked me what I liked about Chen Jiashu, and I said it was because he was handsome, so... I just like handsome people, it has nothing to do with Chen Jiashu."
This was a joke that the mother and daughter used to make, which Qin Qiao brought up.
Yang Shuhua choked for a moment, then asked, "Then let me ask you, have you ever thought about marrying him?"
Qin Qiao was still smiling: "At my age, whether I get married or not won't affect how I live my life in the future. Of course, if my mother wants me to get married, I will talk to her properly."
Her daughter spoke softly and gently throughout, calling her "Mom" repeatedly, but Yang Shuhua could detect a strong sense of resentment in her voice.
She pursed her lips and said softly, "Qiaoqiao, Mom is doing this for your own good."
Chen Cheng visited for the second time in September. Compared to the first time, the two were much more intimate in their tone of voice and behavior, and they whispered in each other's ears from time to time.
Suddenly, when the topic of the six million investment came up, Chen Cheng thanked Qiao Qiao, but Qiao Qiao said nonchalantly, "You're welcome."
Six million.
As soon as Chen Cheng left, Yang Shuhua knocked on the study door, went in, and stood outside the desk.
"How long have you known him? How did you lend him six million?"
She was worried that her daughter had been scammed, but she also felt that something was amiss, like a staged performance, only this time it was more convincing.
Unexpectedly, Qin Qiao pulled out an investment agreement and a bank-stamped transfer receipt from the drawer.
Yang Shuhua picked them up, her eyes twitching, and accidentally punctured the paper with her fingernail.
"This is an investment, not a loan."
The daughter's expression was indifferent; to her, the six million seemed like just six hundred dollars: "...This money is useless to me; I might as well do something meaningful with it."
Isn't this doing charity?
Yang Shuhua was so angry that her chest ached, and she clutched her spot: "Six million... you just say you'll invest... Qiaoqiao, what exactly are you trying to do?"
*
Since the birth of his child, Chen Jiashu has hired a caregiver to look after Zhaoye. This caregiver has been working here for more than five months now.
When Chen Jiashu is busy, he can't often pick up and drop off Zhaoye from school, so the family's nannies take turns. They can all drive, and today it was Lao Song's turn.
When Zhaoye was in school, he would get up at seven o'clock and have breakfast with Chen Jiashu.
When Zhao Ye first arrived, he was like a kitten, his eyes always red, looking at them timidly. He wouldn't say what he didn't like to eat. Sister Bai found it strange. Even the children raised by ordinary families were like little emperors. He would throw a tantrum if he didn't like something. This child was particularly afraid of people.
That day, Sister Bai cooked boiled eggs and a small portion of noodles and placed them in front of the children. Zhaoye ate all the noodles but hesitated to take the eggs.
Chen Jiashu sensed something was wrong and turned to ask Zhao Ye, "What's wrong, Zhao Ye?"
His eyesight is poor, so he couldn't see the remaining eggs on the child's plate. Just as Sister Bai was about to explain for the child, Chen Jiashu asked again, "Is it because you don't like anything to eat?"
This is the third day since the child came to our home, and the father and son are still getting used to each other.
Chen Jiashu has not been feeling well these past few days; he looks haggard and his voice is slightly hoarse.
"I...I..." Zhao Ye shrank his shoulders, not daring to look at Chen Jiashu: "I don't like...eggs."
Chen Jiashu frowned slightly, reached out to the child, and then opened his palm: "For Dad."
The egg was placed in his hand, and Chen Jiashu wrapped it up, his expression softening. "Zhaoye, your father wants to discuss something with you. From now on, you need to learn to say what you want. If you don't like eggs, just say, 'Dad, I don't want eggs.' The decision of what you want to eat and what you don't want to eat is yours."
"Grandma said... eggs... can help you grow taller," Zhao Ye's eyes widened in disbelief, "Can... I not eat them?"
“Of course you can,” Chen Jiashu peeled the eggshell, broke the egg in half, scraped the yolk to the side of the bowl, and ate half of the egg white. “Dad only likes to eat egg whites, so I will tell Auntie,” he turned his head and deliberately raised his voice, “Sister Bai, please don’t boil eggs next time.”
Sister Bai immediately responded.
Under Zhaoye's tearful gaze, Chen Jiashu smiled: "Zhaoye, if you don't want something, just say it out loud, okay? Come on, let's try saying 'Dad, I don't want to eat eggs,' louder than that."
Zhaoye stammered, "I...don't want...eggs."
It still wasn't loud enough, so Chen Jiashu let the child try again.
"I don't want eggs."
The third time, the child finally expressed his thoughts aloud.
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