Chapter 74

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Translator: Cheese

One family

The snow fell silently the entire night.

The next morning, there wasn’t a sound to be heard.

Su Tian was wrapped up like a zongzi as she walked to school with the other two. The only sound on the road was the crunch of feet stepping on snow and Wang Haoxue’s chirping.

“Tiantian, so many people have come looking for you these days. Will you follow them back to Didu?”

Liu Kaiyan also raised his head at her question, clearly caring about this issue very much.

Su Tian slid on a pair of thick gloves, shaking her head. “No, I’ll wait until after the college entrance exam.”

Wang Haoxue immediately felt relieved. She said happily, “That’s right, I heard from my dad that someone built a ski resort in my hometown, and it’s super fun. Why don’t I invite you to play there during winter vacation?”

Wang Haoxue’s hometown was in the countryside. It was said that it was very poor, and many people could not marry a wife. But in recent years, things have improved greatly. Young people have gone to work outside, and rows of two-story buildings have been built within the village. This year, they raised funds to construct a ski resort, which was said to be quite good.

Before Su Tian could reply, Wang Haoxue rambled out a long list–where should they go to play for winter vacation, the countryside has a super good environment, there was so much wild game they could eat, blah blah blah…

Finally, she looked at Liu Kaiyan and said, “How can you celebrate New Year alone? Won’t it be exciting for all of us to go together?”

Su Tian thought about it. “I can only go before New Year.”

Ms. He would definitely stay with her grandparents during those few days. The couple was growing older, and it was impossible for them to follow the young people around everywhere. What’s more, Su Tian felt that she would have to visit the Su family’s home during the New Year.

Although Su Yuhe was a scumbag, her paternal grandparents had still treated her rather decently. During the New Year holiday, Su Tian would have to visit the elderlies no matter what.

Wang Haoxue cheered. She turned to Liu Kaiyan and asked, “What about you, Liu Kaiyan? Come along! Tiantian’s coming.”

Liu Kaiyan: “Okay.”

Wang Haoxue enthusiastically counted on her fingers. “Great, we’ll also bring Auntie He… and the little kid upstairs and that one surnamed Yan… wow, so many people.”

Su Tian: “…”

Want to bring so many people? Forget it, since they were going out to play, just go together.

Would Ji Shaoheng and Ji Hang celebrate together?

Speaking of Ji Hang. Su Tian recalled the startling scene from last night.

The image of the youth extending his arm and asking Su Yuhe to leave strangely overlapped with the scene of the boy named Yu Cai introducing himself with his hand outstretched.

Once she felt suspicious, Su Tian immediately noticed that there were many similarities between the two.

Age, gender, height, body type. They were both from Didu. And… that youth named Yu Cai had said that Nemo was at his house and asked if she wanted to see him.

At the time, Su Tian had thought that it was code between “fellow villagers,” but if she thought about it from another angle, Nemo was really “Nemo”–the youth really was raising a clownfish at home and wanted to invite her over to take a look.

And Ji Hang also raised clownfish…

Su Tian clearly recalled that when she followed Ji Hang to Ji Shaoheng’s house, Ji Hang had also used the name “Nemo.”

Back then, she’d thought that Ji Hang had heard her call the clownfish Nemo and used the same name, but… it was quite a coincidence.

Unlike keeping cats or dogs, raising saltwater fish was an extremely niche hobby. As far as Su Tian was aware, there wasn’t a single saltwater tank in all of Luocheng.

But there was no evidence; maybe she was thinking too much. The world was vast and full of wonders, so maybe it was just a coincidence?

Su Tian didn’t want to convict anyone without undeniable proof.

At nine in the morning, the dessert shop promptly opened for business.

As soon as He Qingwan opened the door, Su Yuhe squeezed through the gap.

He Qingwan’s face sank. “You are not welcome here.”

Su Yuhe: “I want to discuss with you the matter of Tiantian going to school.”

He Qingwan paused for a moment before she turned and sat in a chair.

Su Yuhe sat across from her and poured out all his thoughts from last night:

“I don’t agree with sending Tiantian to any bridal school, but Didu University’s exam is no easy thing. You can also see the quality of education in Luocheng–not a single school can produce a student who was admitted. After the New Year, Tiantian will soon be in her third year of high school, the most critical period. What if her education is delayed?”

He Qingwan lowered her gaze on her hands resting atop the table, silent.

Su Yuhe was overjoyed. As long as he could convince her to go back with him–women, they only need a bit of coaxing. At most, he just needed to spend a bit more time.

“Didu isn’t like that. Before, Tiantian was in X Middle School, which had among the best teachers and resources in the country. Wouldn’t it be easy for Tiantian to pass any exam if she went back to X Middle School?”

He Qingwan’s fingers twitched, gently curling into fists.

Su Yuhe: “You have to think not just for yourself, but also for Tiantian, don’t you? The college entrance exam is a big event in the child’s life…”

“Tiantian said…”

He Qingwan finally lifted her head. “… no matter where she studies, she can get into the school and major she likes.”

Su Yuhe’s expression froze. He retorted accusingly, “You’re a mother, don’t you think about the what-ifs?”

He Qingwan’s face was red-hot from either shame or anger.

Did she look that stupid? Did Su Yuhe think she didn’t know what cheap tricks he was up to?

Even if she really did bring Su Tian back to Didu, it was impossible for her to have any relationship with Su Yuhe.

She was just about to open her mouth when another tall figure appeared at the door.

Ji Shaoheng stood by the entrance. He brushed off the snow on his body before pushing open the door and striding in. There was a faint edge to his smiling eyes.

He feigned surprise. “Why hasn’t President Su returned to Didu?”

Su Yuhe responded with a cold laugh. “That’s what I want to ask Director Ji. It’s almost New Year; isn’t it the busiest time for the police station? Is Director Ji still in the mood to stay in this small town?”

Ji Shaoheng glanced over at He Qingwan, and his brows immediately softened. He let out an exaggeratedly heavy sigh. “I have no other choice. My future wife is here–no matter how busy, I must come. Otherwise, my wife will be kidnapped by others.”

Then he shifted his gaze to Su Yuhe, ignoring the man’s faintly blue face, and smilingly raised a brow. “President Su, you think so, too, right?”

Think so, my ass!

Su Yuhe cursed in his heart as he sneered. “Isn’t Director Ji in a hurry to find your wife? What are you doing in my daughter’s mother’s shop?”

He Qingwan thought that Ji Shaoheng was still doing this to help her out of her predicament. Feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt, she began, “[Director] Ji…”

“Wanwan…”

Ji Shaoheng, afraid that she would foolishly continue to call him Director Ji, quickly interrupted. “I have some good news for you. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but then I was distracted.”

The “distraction’s” face became even uglier.

He Qingwan’s attention was successfully diverted. She quickly asked Ji Shaoheng to sit down and asked him what was wrong.

Ji Shaoheng sat next to Su Yuhe, and He Qingwan immediately shifted from her current seat to sit opposite Ji Shaoheng.

Su Yuhe, the one originally sitting opposite He Qingwan: “…”

Ji Shaoheng secretly preened in his heart as he started, “Didn’t you need to renovate the shop you previously bought in the collegetown? It just so happens that a friend of mine is an interior designer. If it’s renovated just before the New Year, it will be ready for use after drying. If you don’t do it now, the workers will return home for New Year, and you will have to wait until after the holiday.”

He Qingwan thought for a moment before asking him, “What do you think?”

Ji Shaoheng: “I think you should start as early as possible. The legal publicity film of Luocheng’s counterfeit money case will be released soon. It can bring you free marketing.”

As he spoke of marketing, Ji Shaoheng couldn’t help but smile

He Qingwan: “Okay, I’ll follow your recommendation and start renovations first.”

Her “I’ll follow your recommendation” made Ji Shaoheng ecstatic.

He coughed and brought out a few sheets of paper. “These are renovation mockups I asked people to draft. Take them back and discuss with Tiantian to see which one you like. I can tell them when I go back and have them start working.”

He Qingwan agreed. She picked up the mockups and scanned through them in pleasant surprise, eyes sparkling with brilliance.

She liked each and every one–so beautiful!

Ji Shaoheng watched her quietly with a smile in his eyes.

Su Yuhe sat next to them, grinding his teeth. Very good, cuckolding him right to his face.

His heart was aching, sour, and bitter.

It had been so long since he had seen this kind of brilliance on Qingwan’s face.

That look of adoration, that bright smile, had once belonged to him alone.

Unable to bear it any longer, he quietly stood up and left.

The snowfall grew heavier as he walked along the road. For the first time, the high-spirited middle-aged man felt as though everything before him was bleak.

A young couple passed by. The husband held his wife’s waist, and the wife hugged a three-year-old child. The family chatted and laughed as they passed by him and entered the dessert shop.

He turned and watched He Qingwan hurriedly welcome the guests.

The family only bought one cheesecake. The husband fed the child and wife with a small spoon. The wife also offered a bite to her husband, but he refused. In the end, the wife could only shove the spoon into his mouth.

A family of three, sharing a small cheesecake.

They weren’t rich. What they earned in one lifetime was likely less money than he earned in a day. But…

Su Yuhe quickly turned back and tilted his head toward the vast sky. Snowflakes fell into his eyes, stingingly uncomfortably.

If one day he were to go bankrupt, who would be the person willing to share a cake with him?

Qingwan? Or Zhou Lan?

He shook his head and silently got into his car. He sat motionlessly in front of the steering wheel.

After a long moment, he started the engine.

He should go back, he thought vaguely. Once he went back, he should deal with the things that needed to be handled. Qingwan…

And also Tiantian. Since the family had separated, it was up to him to piece it back together.

Ji Shaoheng sat inside the store, smilingly watching He Qingwan work. When she finished, she came out holding a cheesecake and placed it in front of Ji Shaoheng. She felt a mix of gratitude and guilt:

“Director Ji, thank you for coming here, and thank you for helping me so much these days. And also last night…”

She didn’t finish speaking. Last night, Ji Shaoheng had suddenly said they were in love, and He Qingwan still felt a bit awkward.

Ji Shoheng could see that she had completely taken none of his words to heart. He sighed in his heart but kept a smile on his face:

“I just couldn’t stand them using this and that to force you. How many years has it been since freedom of marriage? You should think more about yourself. I just happened to be free these last few days. The little brat… cough cough, Xiao Hang wanted to come see his precious fish, so I brought him over.”

He Qingwan’s eyes lit up at the mention of the fish. “Tiantian said that they are going to have baby fish. I was worrying that they might not survive.”

Ji Shaoheng smiled. “Don’t worry, the little… Xiao Heng is a master. With him here, there won’t be any problems. …Do you like fish, too?”

He Qingwan nodded. She liked all kinds of small animals.

Ji Shaoheng: “When there’s a chance in the future, I’ll take you to see the fish tank in my house. We have a really beautiful peppermint angelfish.”

He seized the chance to offer an invitation.

He Qingwan: “Alright. …What about Xiao Hang, why didn’t you bring him here?”

The little brat went looking for your family’s Tiantian, Ji Shaoheng answered in his heart.

Unfortunately, he didn’t dare to say this for the time being.

“Went out to play. He said he wanted to build a snowman.”

He clicked his tongue. “How old is he, yet still so childish.”

Disdaining him both inside and out.

He Qing giggled.

Director Ji really did have a sharp mouth and soft heart, she thought. Every time Ji Hang was brought up, he looked disdainful, but she knew that he deeply cared for the child he had raised since young.

Luocheng No. 1 Middle School.

The snow had fallen all night last night, and it had yet to stop today. During class, the students lifted their heads up and looked outside, waiting for class to end so they could play in the snow.

Their class was particularly lucky. Third period today was PE.

At the end of the second period, the students cheered and rushed outside.

Wang Haoxue pulled Su Tian into a run. “Hurry, hurry! If we’re late, the snow will be stomped flat!”

The snow was only fun to play in when it was as flat like a mirror as it was now.

Liu Kaiyan gave a helpless sigh and followed behind the two girls.

Su Tian and Wang Haoxue were the first to reach the first floor. But before they could reach the playground, they were stunned motionless.

The smooth and mirror-like field of snow had been marred by a series of messy footprints. In the center, a young man in a hat and gloves was building something. It wasn’t clear from a distance, but there were many strange and colorful things strewn on the ground.

Seemingly perceiving their gazes, the youth turned his head to look over. Across the vast field of snow, Su Tian instantly spotted those dark and dewy eyes.

Those eyes curved, and the boy standing in the snow waved to them.

Wang Haoxue asked suspiciously, “Tiantian, you know him?”

Why was it that Tiantian always knew some strange people?

Su Tian raised the corners of her lips. “You might know him, too.”

Saying this, she took the lead and walked towards the youth.

Yu Cai and Ji Hang. It was time to uncover whether they had any connection.

Cheese: scum father exits stage left (though maybe not for long)

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