Chapter 22
The sun was shining brightly when the plane took off, but it was late at night when we disembarked, accompanied by neon lights and the sound of a bleak wind.
Back home, the villa was brightly lit, and the housekeeper, Uncle Yun, who remained on duty, had everything arranged in an orderly manner.
"Young Master, you must be tired from your journey. Would you like Mr. Fang to come in and help you relax?"
Mr. Fang is a senior massage therapist employed by the Xu family, and is proficient in various massage techniques.
Xu Qingyan was inevitably sore and tired after a long flight, but thanks to Yunbo's arrangement, Mr. Fang was already in place, ready to serve his employer at any time.
"No need." Xu Qingyan took off his long overcoat, took the glass of red wine from Uncle Yun, swirled it slightly, and said, "Give me a report on Mother's recent condition."
Uncle Yun: "Yes, young master."
"Madam has been getting along very well with the old lady recently. The old lady personally teaches Madam piano lessons every morning at nine o'clock and ends at eleven-thirty. The two get along very well."
"Madam has three-hour dance classes on Monday and Tuesday afternoons and weekend afternoons. She is currently very interested in ballet. She will go to Tongyu Company for a photo shoot on Thursday and Friday afternoons, which will last for two to three hours. Madam's safety has been ensured and everything is going smoothly."
"Finally, the Third Miss took very good care of the Madam in every way."
Xu Qingyan: "Have you had a physical exam this month?"
Uncle Yun shook his head: "Madam is very reluctant to go to the hospital, and even the Third Miss couldn't persuade her."
Although Xu Yirou's cancer cells have disappeared, the shadow of her mother's illness and near death remains indelible for the three siblings.
Even after Xu Yirou shrank and regained her health, they dared not take it lightly and agreed to take her for a physical examination once a month.
The mother, who was shrunk, was very resistant to hospitals, and Xu Qingyan had to go to great lengths to coax her into having the procedure done last time.
"I understand." Xu Qingyan glanced at his wrist; the clock showed 3:30 a.m. "That's all for now, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Having traveled a long way back, he waved for Uncle Yun to rest, then took a bath and went to sleep.
*
The sky was bright and clear, without a single cloud in the sky.
A wonderful Monday begins!
The bedroom door quietly opened, and Xu Niancheng came out in her slippers. She glanced casually at the top of the stairs and saw two figures sitting opposite each other in the living room.
"Grandma, good morning. Have you had breakfast yet?" Xu Niancheng quickened her pace as she descended the spiral staircase. "Big brother, when did you get back? Was it in the middle of the night yesterday?"
She and Xu Yirou slept so soundly yesterday that they didn't hear a sound.
"Yes, it's past midnight." Xu Qingyan smiled faintly. "Is Mom still asleep?"
Xu Niancheng: "Recently, my mom has been busy with dancing and filming, even busier than me at work. She falls asleep as soon as she hits the bed; she's probably exhausted."
She was outspoken, and only after speaking did she vaguely realize that it was inappropriate, so she added, "But it's all something she likes to do, and my siblings and I all support her. Grandma has worked so hard teaching Mom to play the piano these past few days, thank you so much."
Qiao Wen picked up her teacup and took a sip: "It's nothing serious."
Qiao Wen arrived earlier than usual today, and Xu Niancheng felt bad for making the old lady wait. After thinking for a while, she decided to go back to the bedroom to wake up Xu Yirou.
Qiao Wen saw through her intention and gently put down her teacup: "Let her sleep, she's still growing."
When she was Xu Yirou's age, she always stood in the last row when dancing.
Upon hearing this, Xu Niancheng felt it made sense and thus abandoned the idea.
The three generations of the family sat in silence for over an hour before Xu Yirou finally arrived, led downstairs by a maid.
Xu Yirou didn't know her eldest son's exact return date beforehand. When she suddenly saw her son after not seeing him for many days, she let out a loud cry.
"Dabao!" She spread her arms and ran quickly with her short legs, the maid following cautiously behind. "Dabao, am I dreaming? You're back."
Xu Qingyan squatted down and hugged the cub tightly.
"I came back last night, Mom, you were sleeping at the time." He hugged Xu Yirou in his arms and weighed her in his arms, his brows relaxing. "Mom, have you had a good time these past few days?"
"I'm so happy!" Xu Yirou's little face blossomed into a happy smile. "Mom teaches me to play the piano, and Erbao and Xiaobao even take me to dance classes and accompany me to earn money."
Xu Qingyan already knew from Uncle Yun that Xu Yirou called Qiao Wen "Mom," so his reaction was indifferent.
"Grandma, thank you for your hard work." He said to Qiao Wen, "I brought you a gift this time, please accept it."
They were clearly a grandfather and grandson, yet they were as polite as strangers, showing no sign of intimacy.
Qiao Wen's back was as straight as a pine tree, exuding a somber aura, and her voice was flat: "No need to spend money, I have nothing to lack."
Hearing the expected answer, Xu Qingyan's brows furrowed with a hint of helplessness.
Xu Niancheng sighed inwardly, puzzled and frustrated, picking at her fingers. Were they really that unlikable? They weren't monsters, yet Grandma avoided them like the plague.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Suddenly, a pair of soft little hands took Qiao Wen's arm, and Xu Yirou, who had gotten down from her eldest son's arms, nestled next to Qiao Wen.
"Mom, Da Bao will earn a lot of money, don't be shy." She praised him sincerely, "Da Bao earns money, we spend it, Da Bao is happy when he earns money."
“If you don’t accept Da Bao’s gift, Da Bao will be sad. When Da Bao is sad, he will not only cry, but he will also become picky about food and refuse to eat.” Xu Yirou looked at Xu Qingyan with worry.
Xu Qingyan forced a smile and said, "Grandma, I'll be sad if you don't accept the gift."
"..." Qiao Wen was surprised and stared at Xu Qingyan, her thoughts in turmoil.
This grandson is not of the He family bloodline, but he is most like her. He is emotionally stable, stern and decisive, and never does anything futile, whether at work or in life.
In her view, since the relationship between the two parties is only based on blood ties, there is no need to spend extra energy and time maintaining the relationship.
She is financially independent and in good health. Even if she becomes bedridden one day, she will not need her descendants to take care of her day and night. She will not be a burden to anyone and will die peacefully.
Qiao Wen is someone who hates trouble, and she doesn't want to make the other person uncomfortable.
Her face was expressionless, her brows tightly furrowed. Had she misunderstood?
"Mommy, Mommy~"
Qiao Wen suddenly snapped out of her daze, and Xu Yirou's round eyes were full of curiosity: "Mom, why aren't you saying anything?"
As she spoke, her soft fingers gently touched Qiao Wen's cheek, and a warm, milky scent slowly enveloped her.
Qiao Wen's expression changed slightly. She suppressed her instinctive reaction to raise her hand and wave it away, and passively felt the warm, tender hand gently stroking her face.
"Mom, your face looks like an egg, so smooth and tender."
The childlike language was like a hot spring, melting away the snow that had been stuck in Qiao Wen's heart for thousands of years.
The unfamiliar warmth left her unsure how to respond, so she calmly changed the subject:
"I accept the gift, thank you."
No one can resist such an affectionate and warm cub.
Grandpa passed away early, and apart from the eldest brother Xu Qingyan, the twins Xu Niancheng and He Nianzhu didn't have a deep impression of him. However, Xu Yirou once told them that Grandpa was a very humorous and kind old man, completely different from their strict and rigid grandmother.
Xu Niancheng had always longed for a harmonious family atmosphere where three generations of her family could live together. As time went by, her expectations gradually faded, but now it seems that she can look forward to it.
Her eyes reflected that delicate, soft little dumpling; perhaps she would soon be able to wait for that day.
*
After breakfast, Xu Yirou practiced piano with Qiao Wen all morning, while Xu Qingyan went back to the company for a meeting and then rested at home.
Xu Yirou was unusually cheerful today.
She goes to her dance class at 2 PM, and after lunch, she can't wait to change into her ballet dress and ballet shoes, running around everywhere.
Knock knock knock.
"Da Bao, will you come with me to my extracurricular class this afternoon?" Xu Yirou's sweet voice squeezed through the crack in the door outside the study.
Xu Qingyan opened the door and let the little dumpling in: "Of course I'll go with you. Mom, don't you want to rest for a while? There's still an hour before class starts."
Xu Yirou's mind was filled with the touching scene of Bubbles and Da Bao meeting their father and daughter. Her little brain was so excited that she couldn't fall asleep at all.
"Son, Mommy has prepared a huge surprise for you!" She plopped down on the recliner.
Xu Qingyan feigned anticipation: "Oh, what's the surprise?"
Xu Yirou held up a clean, white finger and pressed it against her soft, plump lips: "Shh, I won't tell you, it's a secret for now."
"But you won't have to wait long, you'll see in a little while~"
You'll definitely like it!
Xu Qingyan was charmed by her mysterious little appearance and became interested. She smiled and nodded, "Then I'll thank you, Mom."
You're welcome! You're welcome!
At this moment, Xu Qingyan had no idea what was about to happen.
The extended Lincoln smoothly drove out of the underground garage and stopped in front of the villa. The moment the door opened, Xu Yirou slid in and got in, followed by Xu Niancheng.
On the other side of the car seat, Xu Qingyan looked at Xu Niancheng, who had appeared in the car, with surprise.
"Chengcheng, don't you have work to do this afternoon?"
Xu Niancheng smiled sweetly: "No matter how busy I am at work, nothing is more important than my mother. I've thought about it, and spending time with my mother is the most important thing."
Hehe, she wouldn't say that she came to watch the show and had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Xu Qingyan frowned slightly: "Chengcheng, I'm taking care of Mom now, so you can focus on your work without worrying about any problems."
He's a workaholic, and he'll choose to work without hesitation as long as Xu Yirou's safety is guaranteed, so he doesn't really approve of his sister neglecting her work.
Xu Niancheng laughed it off.
Xu Yirou arrived early; most of the children in the class hadn't arrived yet, including her best friend Paopao.
She skipped and jumped around the dance studio, occasionally leaning against the doorway and gazing into the distance, her face full of worry.
"Why isn't Bubble here yet? Is it not coming?"
Xu Niancheng was also worried; if he didn't come today, wouldn't she miss out on the good show?
Seeing her mother almost turning into a statue waiting for her husband, Xu Qingyan knew that she had indeed been happy during this time and had made some very good friends.
It probably heard her call.
A small dot not far from the entrance slowly grew larger as it approached: "Succulent!"
Xu Yirou's eyes lit up: "Bubble~"
The two cubs clung to each other affectionately, and Xu Qingyan watched this scene with a look of gratified satisfaction, his eyes shining with the radiance of a filial son.
"Bubble, I have a surprise for you."
"What surprise? What surprise?" Her puffy eyes sparkled, but suddenly, her gaze froze, and she slapped her face, screaming at the top of her lungs, "I know! I saw it!"
She jumped high, excitedly spinning like a top: "It's him, isn't it?"
It was him, it was definitely him. Xu Niancheng took a deep breath and suppressed a smile.
Xu Qingyan, who was being pointed at by the cub, was confused but keenly sensed something was amiss.
Xu Yirou nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, Bubble, you're so smart."
Bubble screamed again, followed by a big, leaping motion.
Caught off guard, Xu Qingyan was suddenly embraced by the cub, who looked up and called out in a clear voice, "Daddy Da Bao!"
Xu Qingyan was startled.
Xu Niancheng turned to the side and pressed down on the brim of her hat.
"Hi Daddy, my name is Bubble, and I'm Rou Rou's best friend~" Bubble smiled, her cheeks rosy. "Oh my god, you're even more handsome than in the photos! That's wonderful! My mom will definitely love you to death!"
Xu Qingyan: ...
Xu Yirou ran over and looked up earnestly to introduce him, saying, "Dabao, this is Paopao. I'm lending you to Paopao to be her dad. From now on, Paopao is your daughter. You have to be a good dad and take good care of Paopao and her mom, okay?"
"I believe you can do it. Mommy has faith in you."
Xu Qingyan was struck dumb, her whole body stiff with shock.
Bubble: "Daddy~"
Xu Qingyan's mind was buzzing, and he could barely stand.
After a moment, his throat bobbed up and down, and he spoke with difficulty, his voice numb: "Mom, you... you lent me out to be a dad to some other kid?"
“That’s right.” Recalling what happened before, Xu Yirou was still angry. “Bad Duoduo made fun of Bubble for not having a father. I can’t let Bubble be bullied. I have to protect Bubble. Dabao, you are so strong. You can definitely protect Bubble and her mother.”
Xu Qingyan's face darkened, and he took two steps back, saying, "Mom, this is not something to be taken lightly. I'm sorry, I can't agree to it."
He firmly rejected the cub's mother.
Completely unprepared for this outcome, Xu Yirou stopped smiling in astonishment, her big eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
Why not?
"Bubble is not my child, so of course I can't be her father. She will have her own father in the future, but it will definitely not be me."
Xu Qingyan's words were not malicious; he was used to discussing the matter at hand.
But to the sensitive and fragile cubs, it sounded like something to be rejected.
Bubble stared at the empty space in front of her, listening to the arguing voices above her, and her bright eyes dimmed like shooting stars.
The cub withered like a small flower, losing all its vitality.
Xu Niancheng couldn't bear it. It was rare for her to feel resentment towards her brother's actions. Couldn't he have been a little more tactful? Really.
Bubble turned away dejectedly, her small figure looking forlorn and forlorn.
"Bubble, where are you going?" Xu Yirou quickly chased after her: "Are you angry?"
“If Daddy doesn’t want me, then I don’t want Daddy either.” Bubble was quite principled, but her little voice was tinged with tears. “Rou Rou, thank you for lending me your daddy.”
The cub's emotions were easily influenced. Xu Yirou's nose tingled, she grabbed her hand, and angrily said something harsh:
"If he doesn't want you, then... then I don't want Da Bao either. Let's go together."
The two children, hand in hand, were about to leave the dance studio when the brother and sister chased after them.
Xu Qingyan was very troubled: "Mom, please calm down."
Xu Yirou, cute yet fierce: "I don't want to calm down, I don't want to calm down! Move aside, we need to get through!"
Xu Qingyan: Where are you going?
“Of course, it’s running away from home!” Little Dumpling’s mother said firmly.
Bubble suddenly looked up, tugged at her clothes, blushed, and whispered, "Meatball... I don't want to run away from home. We're poor little babies. If we leave home, we'll go hungry and become smelly little beggars."
Xu Yirou thought of the dirty beggars begging for money on the overpass, and her chubby cheeks jiggled. No way, she didn't want to become a beggar.
But once words are spoken, they're like water spilled; it's too embarrassing to take them back.
"Then, if you don't run away from home, I'll go to your house!" she suddenly had a brilliant idea.
Bubble visibly cheered: "Great! Then we can sleep together every day, Bubble! Oh, by the way, my mom is a really good storyteller, we can listen to her stories together!"
The two little ones, oblivious to everyone else, discussed their strategy, leaving one both helpless and amused.
Xu Qingyan decided to have a good talk with the baby's mother: "Mom, is the dad who let me be Bubble the big, big surprise you prepared for me?"
Xu Yirou was angry and didn't want to talk to him.
Xu Qingyan understood. He turned his gaze to Bubble and forced a smile.
"I'm sorry, Bubble, Uncle doesn't mean I dislike you. It's just that being a dad is different from playing house. If I really agree to be your dad, it might cause unnecessary speculation and trouble for you and your mom."
After a long period of training, Xu Qingyan's facial muscles are no longer too stiff, and his smile is much more natural.
Its destructive power is incomparable to that of the past.
Bubble was mesmerized and dazed: "Oh, oh."
Xu Qingyan thought the cub understood his meaning, so he turned around and went to coax Xu Yirou.
"I understand, Daddy Dad. You want to be my dad forever, right?" Bubble suddenly understood and was full of energy. "Don't worry, I'll help you and try my best to make Mommy like you for a longer time, so you can be my dad for a longer time and fulfill your wish!"
"..."
Top-level understanding.
Xu Niancheng: Slap slap slap slap!
"Oh, Da Bao, so that's what you meant." Xu Yirou realized that she had misunderstood her eldest son.
She changed her attitude, pinching her little skirt and speaking softly, "Mommy misunderstood you, I'm sorry."
Xu Qingyan comforted herself with the thought that she was fortunate to have only one cub in the family.
He pondered his next move with a serious expression. The children gradually arrived for class, and when the bell rang, the teacher prepared to start the lesson.
The misunderstanding persisted until the next day without being resolved. During this time, Xu Yirou suddenly urged him to add Bubble Mom as a WeChat friend and asked him to invite her to a movie and send her flowers to cultivate their relationship.
*
Xu Qingyan was always concerned about the physical examination. He would worry about it every day the baby's mother didn't have the examination.
Xu Qingyan consulted with Xu Niancheng, but Xu Niancheng simply shrugged, indicating that she couldn't help.
"Don't be fooled by Mom turning back into a cub. Sometimes she seems like a silly little thing, but she's actually quite clever. Whenever the topic of hospitals comes up, she either stays silent or pretends to be clueless."
"Brother, you can try it if you don't believe me."
No matter how tough the problem, we have to tackle it; Xu Qingyan made the final decision.
While the cub's mother was still groggy after waking up from her afternoon nap, Xu Qingyan walked to the bedside and said gently, "Mom, Chengcheng said you wanted to take Grandma to the zoo, is that right?"
Xu Yirou sat half-upright, clutching her small blanket, her sleepy little head nodding occasionally, her soft, childlike voice saying, "Hmm, let's go to the zoo."
Xu Qingyan: "The weather is nice today, so let's go today."
The little dumpling, still half asleep and unsuspecting, responded with tears streaming down its face and yawning.
"Chengcheng and I want to go too, Mom, can you take us with you?"
"Okay, let's go together."
Xu Qingyan held one of her small feet and helped her put on a sock: "But I feel a little dizzy and not feeling well today. I might have a fever."
"Hmm." Xu Yirou was slow to react. After a few seconds, she slowly raised her head and stared wide-eyed as if the village had just been connected to the internet. "Dabao, do you have a fever?"
"Possibly."
"Oh, then I'll have Uncle Yun take you to the hospital. Don't worry."
"Mom, I'm scared to go to the hospital alone," Xu Qingyan said without batting an eye. "Could you come with me?"
Xu Yirou hesitated and said in a low voice, "I...I'm scared too."
Xu Qingyan coaxed softly, "If the two of us go together, you don't have to be afraid, Mom. I will protect you."
Xu Yirou pouted, rolled her eyes, and muttered disdainfully, "You're sick and you're still protecting me? What a load of bull."
Xu Qingyan: ...
"Mom, I'm more than capable of protecting you."
"I don't eat fish," Xu Yirou pouted. "I just ate some yesterday."
Xu Qingyan rubbed his temples: "Mom, aren't you worried that I'll run into bad people at the hospital?"
When he was a child and sick, no matter how busy Xu Yirou was, she would never let the nanny take him to the hospital alone. She would immediately put down what she was doing and take him to the hospital with the nanny, and stay with him until he recovered.
"Run away when you see bad guys, Da Bao! Do you want me, your little baby, to fight them for you?"
A baby like her could be punched ten times by a bad guy and still run five more marathons.
"Dabao, you're a grown-up now, not a little baby anymore. You need to learn to be strong and smart~"
A young talent with a net worth of hundreds of billions, ranked in the top ten of the Forbes Celebrity List.
Xu Qingyan: My mother tongue is speechless.
My son seems a bit slow and dazed today. Could he really have a fever?
Xu Yirou hesitated before placing the back of her hand on his forehead. She pulled her hand back after being burned, and said nervously, "Oh dear, Da Bao, you're so hot! You have a fever."
Xu Qingyan didn't feel any discomfort, but nodded in agreement: "Yes, Mom, I have a fever."
"Hmph, you're lying!"
"?"
“You don’t have a fever at all.” Xu Yirou poked his cheek with her finger and said arrogantly, “You don’t know, do you? Before, when you had a fever, your face would turn red like a bottom, but now your face is white and not red at all. Why did you lie to me?”
Xu Qingyan secretly made a mental note: her mother was not easily fooled, and she would need to be more prepared in the future.
"Mom, I'm sorry." He lowered his head to admit his mistake and offered to take you to the hospital for a check-up.
"No, no, no! I don't want to go to the hospital!"
Xu Yirou reacted strongly as always, rejecting him completely.
The mother and son were locked in a stalemate.
Sitting on the bed, Xu Yirou clutched the blanket, her eyes red as she grumbled, "You bastards! You all want to take me to the hospital. Injections hurt so much! Humph, you don't care about your mom at all! I've worked so hard to raise you all!"
Xu Qingyan's temples twitched, and he asked with a look of endurance, "Mom, who did you learn that accent from? Mom?"
They are all from the north, and they speak with a clear and distinct accent, without any obvious accent.
Xu Yirou blinked and rubbed her hands shyly: "I learned it from watching short dramas with Bubble. How about it, isn't it cute?"
Xu Qingyan took a deep breath: "Mom, are we allowed to bring cell phones to extracurricular classes? Do you use your cell phones during extracurricular classes?"
Xu Yirou raised her voice and gave him a soft glare: "Hey, don't be so difficult, it's none of your business."
...I have to send my mother to school.
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