The nanny opened the door. Recognizing him as Su Su’s father from a previous visit, she let him in.
Su Su and Qu Qingwei were sitting on the sofa, watching a children’s cartoon with Zai Zai. He was watching intently and even mimicking the speech.
Su Su found herself following along as well, amused by the childish tone.
They were enjoying themselves when the nanny came in and announced loudly, “Su Su, your father is here.”
“Huh?” Su Su turned her head, and sure enough, it was Su Yi.
Surprised, she quickly lowered the legs she had been curled up with on the sofa.
Su Yi first looked at Qu Qingwei. After she glanced at him, she looked away. Then he turned to Su Su. “Su Su, I came to see you and the children.”
Su Su frowned, unsure what she felt.
Not knowing how to talk to him, she simply said lightly, “You’re here.”
Her distant tone made Su Yi feel a pang, but he still smiled gently. “Mm,” he nodded.
Time had softened him. He no longer had the sharpness of his youth, but carried a more refined and gentle demeanor.
Qu Qingwei told Su Su to take the child back to the room.
Su Su looked at the two of them, nodded, and carried Zai Zai upstairs.
Because there were children in the house, some areas had surveillance cameras installed, and the monitoring room was also on the second floor. Su Su really wanted to take a look, but realizing her mother had sent her away precisely to avoid her overhearing their conversation, she gave up.
She tossed Gu Zai onto the bed and then pounced on him.
His body was so soft. Su Su especially loved resting her head on his soft little belly. Whenever she did it in front of her mother, she would get scolded, but now that her mother was not around, she could finally get her way.
She did not really put weight on him, just lightly rested her head there. Sometimes he would not react at all, and sometimes he would try to push her away, but could not move her. Straining himself, he would make little “mm mm” sounds in his throat.
Su Su enjoyed most the way he wanted to resist but could not…
Today was the same. After Gu Zai lazily flopped onto the bed, Su Su rubbed against his belly and rested her head on it. He lowered his eyes to look at her and did nothing.
“Zai Zai, call me Mama.”
He did not.
When he was in a “calm” mood, he would act lazy and ignore people. But the more he was like that, the more Su Su wanted to play with him.
She was probably the most annoying mother in the world…
Seeing that he would not call her, she said, “In a moment, when I call you, you say ‘yeah.’”
“Zai Zai.”
“……”
“Say ‘yeah.’”
“……”
“Yeah.”
“……”
That game reached its end, so Su Su climbed up and started tickling him. He was extremely ticklish, and as soon as she tickled him, he burst into laughter.
After “punishing” him enough for not playing along, Su Su flopped onto the bed and lay still.
She thought of Gu Shao and wanted to call him.
Not knowing whether he was busy, she sent him a video call.
He picked up.
He was wearing a suit, upright and composed. When he did not smile, he looked refined and restrained.
Su Su lay on the bed with her chin resting on a pillow. Zai Zai lay on top of her. She greeted Gu Shao through the screen, and Zai Zai’s chubby figure was also captured in the camera.
“Gu Shao, are you busy right now?” Although she wanted to talk to him about this, it was not exactly a pleasant topic. If he was busy or in a bad mood, she would rather hang up or talk about something light instead of adding to his worries.
From the background behind him, he did not seem to be in an office, more like a hotel. Su Su guessed he might be attending some event.
Gu Shao loosened his tie. “I have a few minutes. What’s wrong? You didn’t just wake up, did you?” he asked with a smile, seeing her still in pajamas on the bed.
It sounded noisy on his side, with the distant chime of an elevator, scattered footsteps, and overlapping voices. Yet there was a clear layering to it, giving a strong sense of the bustle and pace of life there.
Once he turned a corner and reached what seemed like a conference room, it became quiet.
From his tone, his mood seemed good.
Su Su’s side was different. It was like a sheltered greenhouse, isolated from all the noise and chaos outside, simple and peaceful.
Hearing him say she had just woken up made her unhappy.
“I already watched two episodes of cartoons with Zai Zai, okay? You won’t praise me, and instead you doubt me.”
Gu Shao chuckled. “My mistake. You did very well.”
Su Su frowned. There was not a bit of sincerity in that praise. “What is that, it sounds like you’re talking to a subordinate.”
Gu Shao glanced at the two subordinates beside him who were talking. Was he really supposed to say something sweet in this situation…
That would be a bit too much…
Fortunately, Su Su continued, “You’re in a good mood, but I’m not.”
“What’s wrong?” Wasn’t she just watching cartoons with Zai Zai? That could make her upset?
“My dad came here.”
“Why did he come? Is he still there? Who’s talking with him?” Gu Shao, being someone who always thought things through, immediately asked several questions.
“He should still be here. He didn’t call before coming, so neither Mom nor I knew. Mom told me to go upstairs, she clearly doesn’t want me to hear what they’re saying.”
“Then it’s something your mom can handle herself, or she already has a plan and doesn’t want others interfering. Just act like you don’t know and do your own thing.”
“I’m not thinking that much. I just want things to stay like this, Mom always here with us. As for Dad, it doesn’t matter if he isn’t.”
Because life without Su Yi was quite comfortable.
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Su Su pulled Zai Zai off her back where he was nibbling on her. “Gu Zai, say hello to your dad.”
She then touched her back. Damn it, his drool had soaked her clothes.
“Gu Zai, how can you be so excessive?”
Seeing Gu Shao on the screen, Gu Zai called out “Daddy” on his own.
Gu Shao responded and asked Su Su whether he had been well-behaved at home, and what Wan Wan was doing.
“Wan Wan fell asleep again and hasn’t woken up. As for Gu Zai, he’s always like this. If he’s in a good mood, he listens. If not, he doesn’t.”
Gu Shao became busy again and had to hang up. After the call ended, Su Su tossed her phone aside, bored.
She was thirsty.
There was water in the bedroom dispenser.
But she insisted on going downstairs to get some.
Holding Gu Zai’s little hand, she went down with him.
After stepping out and walking a few steps, she heard her mother’s deliberately lowered voice arguing.
“You still have the nerve to say that? Go back, don’t come here again. If you want to see Zai Zai and Wan Wan, I’ll have Su Su bring them over a few times. Don’t think about anything else, it’s impossible.”
The sentence came through in fragments, not entirely clear.
Su Su crouched down with Gu Zai in her arms, hiding behind the wall so they would not be seen.
Her father’s voice was even lower. From this distance, she could barely hear anything.
Sigh, eavesdropping like this made her, a supposedly upright adult, feel quite guilty…
Qu Qingwei said, “What does it have to do with me how things are between you and Xia Qixin? Have you already forgotten what you two did back then? Su Yi, you…”
There were many harsh words she wanted to say but could not bring herself to. What hurt the most was how he had let her down back then…
Her eyes reddened as she spoke. Even now, she could not forget that sense of grievance.
“Forget it. We’re nearly half a lifetime in, what’s the point of talking about this now?” There had been so many chances to say these things before, all missed. Bringing them up now felt meaningless.
“I don’t care what you do anymore. Su Su is married and living well, that’s my greatest comfort in this life. I only ask that you don’t appear before me again. Just seeing you annoys me.”
Hearing this, Su Su felt a warmth in her heart.
…When she first saw Su Yi, she had softened just a little. After all, he had always protected her. But hearing her mother’s words, her heart hardened again, and that softness turned into disdain.
It was her father’s fault. If not for him, things would not have turned out like this. And there was still that annoying Fan Jing’an appearing in front of them.
Su Su stopped hiding. She was going to stand up for her mother. Pulling Gu Zai from her arms, she said, “Zai Zai, let’s go find Grandma.”
As she stepped out, she called loudly, “Dad…”
But when she saw the scene below, her eyes widened and she fell silent, forgetting what she had been about to say.
Su Yi sat on the sofa with his face covered by both hands. The once confident figure now looked utterly dejected.
Qu Qingwei looked away. Usually gentle, she now appeared both angry and stubborn.
Her eyes were red, her expression as if she was holding something back.
The atmosphere was heavy and tense.
What made Su Su fall silent was this, why was her father covering his face?
She thought she might have come out at the wrong time. Could she just go back in…
…Why did I shout just now, what’s wrong with me…
She really should have listened to Gu Shao and stayed out of it.
Seeing Qu Qingwei frown and look at her, Su Su guiltily called out softly, “Mom…”
“What are you doing out here?” Qu Qingwei asked.
“I was thirsty, I came out to get some water.”
“The one in your room was just refilled, wasn’t it?”
Su Su said nothing. When her mom got stern, she really did not leave her any face.
Su Yi also turned his head, his expression already composed. “Su Su, if you’re not busy, come sit for a while.”
Su Su knew that if he said that, it meant the conversation between him and her mother was over.
She nudged Zai Zai, who was leaning against her leg. “Let’s go down.”