Before dinner, Su Mu called the old house to report her safety and told her grandmother that she wouldn’t be returning home today, asking them not to wait for her.
Wen Shaoyuan sat by the dining table and listened to most of Su Mu’s conversation. When she came back and sat beside him, he spoke with a bit of guilt:
"Sister Su, is it because of me that I’ve delayed a lot of your plans?"
Su Mu shook her head with a smile:
"How could that be? Look, it’s 7:40 now. If it were a normal day, our classes wouldn’t have even finished yet. Don’t think too much, okay?"
Jiang Bei had always felt that Wen Shaoyuan was very fond of Su Mu, and Su Mu was also very kind to Wen Shaoyuan. It seemed to be a special fate. She had even imagined that if Su Mu hadn’t been with Fu Shinian, perhaps a match with Wen Han wouldn’t have been bad. But it was all just wishful thinking. However, witnessing this warm scene, she was quite moved.
"Su Mu, if you are sure you and Fu Shinian will continue together, you should have a child sooner. I think you’ll definitely be a great mom."
Su Mu gave a slight smile, but it obviously didn’t reach her eyes, and she said:
"We’ll see."
Previously, Su Mu had not been resistant to the idea of pregnancy and childbirth. She had even hoped for a child with Fu Shinian, be it a son or daughter, to watch them grow up slowly, listening to their baby talk—it would certainly be a blissful thing.
But now, Su Mu was somewhat hesitant to think about it, as a previous miscarriage had left her somewhat resistant to the idea of pregnancy.
After dinner, the Wen family’s driver brought Wen Shaoyuan his change of clothes, and Jiang Bei also took the opportunity to have the driver take her away. She had been running around all afternoon and was utterly exhausted.
Wen Shaoyuan had always been one for routine; normally, he would go to bed at 8:30 p.m. He went to bed at the same time today, but perhaps due to the unfamiliar environment or the day’s escape, he didn’t feel sleepy at all.
Su Mu sat beside the bed, looking at his lively eyes, and smiled gently:
"Not sleepy?"
"Mm," Wen Shaoyuan nodded within the blanket: "Is this Sister Su’s home?"
"Yes, this is Sister Su’s home."
"Then Sister Su was tricking me before. You said you were short on money recently, but looking at this house, it’s even better than our own. Zhang Wenwen said that people who live in big houses are very rich, just like her family."
Su Mu frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed:
"What she said is not entirely wrong, but not everyone who lives in a big house is rich. Like your family, having a driver, a maid, and a butler, they also live in a big house, but they work for you, so they are not really rich. And me, although I live in a big house, I like the feeling of being independent, so I only spend the money I earn."
"Sister Su, you are amazing."
"Really?" Su Mu smiled slightly, "Then would you like to talk to the amazing Sister Su about why you did something today that had us all worried? I remember I left you my phone number, telling you to call me if you ever needed anything or were unhappy, but it seems you didn’t."
When today’s incident was mentioned, Wen Shaoyuan’s expression faded somewhat, and he seemed hesitant, but he ultimately decided to speak:
"I don’t like grandma."
Su Mu said nothing, just kept looking at him, encouraging him to continue.
"She broke my favorite Avengers Alliance figure this morning, and she also stepped on the family portrait I had hidden under my pillow. She asked me for money, telling me to hand over all my pocket money and New Year’s money. I have it, but I just didn’t want to give it to her."
"I’ve only met her a few times, and every time she does things I really don’t like. I don’t know why dad insists on letting her live with us, especially since both grandparents don’t like her either." Wen Shaoyuan’s face flushed with anger as he looked at Su Mu, "I know dad doesn’t like it either, but he has to go back to the army, and grandparents often have to go abroad for work. They really don’t have much time to deal with her. Is that why dad thinks it’s okay for grandma to stay, because they don’t have to interact with her much?"
Su Mu held his hand:
"That’s not it, your dad never thought that way."
Wen Shaoyuan hung his head, seemingly not convinced by this explanation, but Su Mu didn’t force him and just asked him one question:
"Do you know your dad loves you?"
Wen Shaoyuan nodded:
"I know."
"Do you remember the good things he’s done for you?"
"I remember." Wen Shaoyuan smiled, "Once when we were out, I got tired, and dad let me ride on his shoulders for a very long, long time. Also, my pencil case—whenever he is home, the next day when I go to kindergarten, all the pencils are sharpened. And oh, I had a cavity, and grandpa and grandma wouldn’t let me eat sweets, but I really, really wanted to eat some. Dad secretly gave me a piece, and after I ate it, he helped me brush my teeth so grandma and grandpa wouldn’t notice."
Su Mu smiled warmly as he looked at him:
"Anything else?"
"There’s more—dad cooks really well. Every time he comes back, he cooks for me personally. He also plays games with me. He’s so strong that he can toss me as high as the roof and then catch me steadily. That’s my favorite game. He also knows I like the Avengers, so he bought me those figures," Wen Shaoyuan said as he climbed out of the bedcovers and stood on the bed, showing a ’that high’ height with his hands, then he settled back under the covers as Su Mu continued to hold his hand and tucked him in:
"You already understand, don’t you? Your dad, who is so nice to you, how could he purposely leave you at home to be with someone he doesn’t like by yourself? Although I haven’t spent much time with him and don’t know him very well, I think he truly loves you and feels a deep sense of guilt."
"He talked to me before, feeling that he has too little time to spend with you. But I don’t think you’ve become a moody child who adults don’t like because of the lack of family time. I believe your dad has also put in a lot of effort and has done his best, and you must feel that too."
"He is a soldier who protects our country, a real man, and a good dad who would do anything for you. He has set a good example for your growth with his actions."