Wen Zhaoning had insomnia.
She already had many things weighing on her mind, and He Huaiqin's appearance made her even more restless.
Around three or four in the morning, she managed to fall asleep for a bit, but was soon woken by the alarm clock.
Wen Zhaoning turned off the alarm and went into the bathroom to wash up and apply makeup to cover her wounds. After getting herself ready, she went to wake her daughter, Qing Ning.
"Mom, why have you been wearing a hat and sunglasses these past two days?" Qing Ning asked curiously.
"Because Mom had a beauty treatment. The doctor said I need to cover my face completely like this to recover faster."
Qing Ning was asleep that night when Lu Hengyu committed domestic violence and didn't see it. Wen Zhaoning was grateful that her child didn't witness it firsthand. If possible, she wished her daughter would never have such a traumatic experience.
"Mom is already beautiful enough, you don't need more beauty treatments." Qing Ning hugged Wen Zhaoning's neck. "In Qing Ning's heart, Mom is the most beautiful mom."
Wen Zhaoning's heart felt warm hearing this.
Qing Ning had been well-behaved and sensible since she was little. Her birth had healed Wen Zhaoning's shattered heart at the time. Her daughter was the salvation that heaven, after cruelly pushing Wen Zhaoning into darkness, had kindly bestowed upon her.
"Thank you for the compliment, my baby. In Mom's heart, you are also the most beautiful baby. Shall we get up and get ready to go to kindergarten?"
"Okay."
Wen Zhaoning kissed her daughter and took her to change clothes and wash up.
After breakfast, the mother and daughter chatted as they went to the corridor to wait for the elevator.
As soon as the elevator door opened, Wen Zhaoning froze. He Huaiqin was standing inside.
He Huaiqin was wearing a perfectly tailored dark grey suit, his shirt collar crisp and white, perfectly highlighting his sharp jawline. He simply stood there, exuding a sense of steady strength.
Wen Zhaoning nervously tightened her grip on little Qing Ning's shoulder.
Why was He Huaiqin here?
Could he be living in this building too?
No, that shouldn't be the case. Although Su Yunxi's house was positioned as a mid-to-high-end residence when it first opened, it was quite old now, and the community's facilities were a bit dated. Given He Huaiqin's current identity and status, he definitely had better places to live.
Their eyes met. He Huaiqin only glanced at Wen Zhaoning, his gaze not lingering, and quickly moved away.
"Mom, aren't we going in?" Qing Ning looked up at Wen Zhaoning.
"Yes... yes, we are."
Wen Zhaoning pulled Qing Ning into the elevator. The elevator car was spacious, but she deliberately pushed Qing Ning into the farthest corner from He Huaiqin, using her body to shield her daughter's face.
The elevator descended, the numbers ticking down slowly. Each second felt like an eternity.
Wen Zhaoning's breathing became cautious, but in reality, He Huaiqin hadn't even looked at Qing Ning.
Of course, he hated her, so why would he pay attention to her child?
Just as Wen Zhaoning let her guard down, the rainbow bouncy ball Qing Ning was playing with suddenly fell and rolled to He Huaiqin's feet.
"Mom, my rainbow ball! My ball fell!"
Wen Zhaoning: "..."
It was exactly what she feared would happen.
Qing Ning's small hand reached out from the gap in Wen Zhaoning's human shield, trying to grab it, but she couldn't reach it at all.
He Huaiqin glanced down, bent over, picked up the bouncy ball, and handed it back to Qing Ning.
Wen Zhaoning watched their large and small hands touch, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Even their hand shapes looked so similar!
"Thank you, Uncle," Qing Ning said with a sweet smile at He Huaiqin.
He Huaiqin nodded impassively, like a machine.
Qing Ning was about to say something else, but Wen Zhaoning quickly reached out and covered her mouth.
Finally, they reached the first floor. The elevator dinged, a sound like heavenly music.
He Huaiqin stood at the front, but since he was going to the underground garage, he didn't move. Wen Zhaoning, holding Qing Ning, sidestepped past He Huaiqin and rushed out of the elevator as if fleeing.
The elevator doors closed again and continued to descend.
Little Qing Ning looked back and asked softly, "Mom, was the uncle we met in the elevator just now a bad person?"
"Why do you ask that, Qing Ning?"
"Because you kept blocking me, and your palms were sweating?"
Wen Zhaoning then realized that her child had sensed her nervousness.
"No, Qing Ning, that uncle wasn't a bad person, but he was a stranger. Mom told you, we need to keep a certain distance from strangers, right?"
"Yes, but if he's just a normal stranger, why were you so nervous, Mom?"
"Mom was just... just afraid you'd be late. Hurry, hurry, you'll be late for kindergarten if we keep talking."
Qing Ning's thoughts were successfully diverted: "I don't want to be late, I want a little red flower!"
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