The next day.
Jiang Qingmi kept her eyes closed. Her mind was already awake, but she still couldn’t open them. She felt a small hand gently touching her face. The soft milky scent unique to a baby lingered at the tip of her nose, along with the baby’s warm breathing.
Jiang Tuantuan was already awake.
The next second, she felt a kiss on her face. Jiang Tuantuan softly said, “Mama, good morning~”
Jiang Qingmi’s heart melted instantly. This child never cried or fussed when waking up, and she slept obediently at night. She was easy to care for and very lovable.
She reached out and pulled Jiang Tuantuan into her arms, still with her eyes closed. She found her chubby little face and kissed it. “Good morning, baby. Are you hungry?”
She picked up her phone. It was already eight o’clock.
There was an unread message on WeChat from Qing Yanshen, sent ten minutes ago:
【Message me when you wake up】
Jiang Qingmi replied: 【I’m awake. What’s up?】
He responded quickly: 【I’ll bring you breakfast】
Jiang Qingmi said it wasn’t necessary, but he didn’t reply.
She realized this man had a mind of his own and was a bit stubborn. Once he decided something, he would do it.
She didn’t dwell on it. She got up, dressed herself and her daughter, and took Jiang Tuantuan to brush their teeth and wash up.
Just after they finished, there was a knock on the door.
Jiang Qingmi guessed it was Qing Yanshen. She opened the door, and sure enough, he was standing there. He had changed into clean clothes, loose workwear style, looking tall and upright.
“Good morning,” she greeted, stepping aside to let him in.
“Mm.” He glanced at her face and quickly looked away, as if he didn’t dare meet her eyes.
“I bought soup dumplings and soy milk for you. That place is well known nearby. For the baby, I got steamed egg custard and vegetable beef porridge. I checked, she can eat them.”
She could indeed eat them.
Jiang Qingmi glanced at him again and thanked him. The words “How much, I’ll transfer it to you” reached her lips but she swallowed them back. He wouldn’t accept it anyway. She could thank him properly when she had money.
Jiang Tuantuan looked up at the man she had met yesterday and said sweetly, “Hello, uncle.”
Qing Yanshen held the porridge and crouched down. “Shall I feed you?”
Jiang Tuantuan frowned slightly. “No feeding. Tuantuan eat by herself.”
“Wash hands, wear bib!”
Qing Yanshen looked confused and turned to Jiang Qingmi for help. He understood the first part. “What’s a bib?”
Jiang Qingmi found his confused expression oddly amusing. “It’s her eating bib. She doesn’t need to be fed now. She insists on doing everything herself. If you don’t follow her way, she’ll cry. Don’t underestimate her. She has her own routine.”
She took Jiang Tuantuan to wash her hands, then put on her bib. After placing breakfast on the table, she handed her a clean spoon.
Jiang Tuantuan scooped up a spoonful of egg custard, blew on it carefully, then ate it. Her little legs swung back and forth as she sat.
Qing Yanshen suddenly said, “Is this the order phase?”
He had looked it up last night.
The order phase is a sensitive developmental stage for children between 1.5 and 3 years old. They understand the world through fixed routines, rules, and placement of objects. Everything must follow a set pattern for them to feel secure. It is also the beginning of their sense of rules and logical thinking.
Adults should not go against the child during this stage. It is better to follow their lead.
“I’ve already eaten breakfast. You should eat too,” he said.
Jiang Qingmi took a bite of a soup dumpling and her eyes lit up. “Wow, this is so good.”
Seeing that, Qing Yanshen’s eyes softened. “If you like it, we can come often.”
He watched Jiang Tuantuan eat for a while before remembering he had to go to work. Reluctantly, he stood up and left.
He had stayed up late last night and woke up early today. He went to the construction site and did heavy labor. He thought he would be exhausted, but surprisingly, he wasn’t sleepy or tired at all. He felt full of energy the whole morning.
At noon, it was time for lunch.
Hungry workers walked out of the site to find food. Outside the gate, there were stalls selling fruit, boxed meals, and snacks.
Qing Yanshen didn’t know what the mother and daughter wanted to eat, so he sent a message. After waiting a long time with no reply from Jiang Qingmi, he bought himself a large 10 yuan boxed meal and quickly finished it.
Since she hadn’t replied, he bought bananas and apples and headed to the hotel.
He would ask her when he got there. As for the cheap boxed meals, he had no intention of letting them eat those.
He walked quickly. The hotel wasn’t far. In less than ten minutes, he arrived.
The same receptionist from yesterday saw him and looked surprised. “Oh, why are you here? Didn’t your wife and child leave? Did they forget something?”
Qing Yanshen stopped in his tracks. His whole body froze. “Leave… what do you mean?”
The receptionist said, “She checked out at nine this morning. Took the child and luggage and left. Said she didn’t need to stay that many days.”
The apples in Qing Yanshen’s hand fell to the ground. His vision spun. He reached out to steady himself against the wall.
Left with the child?
Did Jiang Qingmi leave?
Did she not want him anymore?
“Hey… you didn’t know?” the receptionist asked. “She didn’t tell you?”
Qing Yanshen said nothing. He ran toward the stairs, not even taking the elevator. His heavy footsteps echoed as his heart sank.
Maybe the receptionist had mistaken him.
There were so many guests every day. How could she remember everyone?
She must have remembered wrong.
Third floor. Room 605.
The door was open. He rushed inside.
The cleaning lady inside screamed and instinctively swung the mop at him.
The mop hit his chest, splashing dirty water onto his neck and clothes.
She quickly realized and apologized. “Sorry, sorry! Are you okay? You scared me.”
Qing Yanshen didn’t care. He searched the room, his face expressionless, but inside he was collapsing.
No one was there.
They were gone.
She had really left.
When he left that morning, the room was still full of traces of the mother and daughter. The luggage in the corner, the woven bags, the baby’s toys scattered on the sofa. The ones he had bought.
Now, everything was empty.
She didn’t want him anymore.