Xiaofeng had just arrived home and had not gotten the chance to feed the babies when the mobile phone at her waist rang.
Unable to wash her hands yet, she had no choice but to head upstairs to answer the phone prior to checking on the babies.
Xiaofeng answered the call, "Hello."
"Sister Xiaofeng, this is Xiaonian." Xiaonian’s voice was hoarse on the other end of the line, "Have you gotten home?"
"I just got home. What’s wrong? Have you been crying?" Xiaofeng could tell from the heavy nasal sound in her voice.
"Sister Xiaofeng," Xiaonian’s voice grew even more nasal as she was about to cry again, "I just missed you, so I gave you a call."
"What’s the matter?" Xiaofeng listened as Xiaonian’s voice was indeed not right, "Have you encountered something troubling? If you have, you can talk to me. You consider me a sister, and I see you as my sister too. I think we can share secrets between us."
Xiaonian was only sixteen-years-old, too young to be considered an adult, yet calling her a child seemed not quite right either.
Children of this age group, although not yet adults, need to be respected by adults as they would a friend.
Upon hearing Xiaofeng’s words, Xiaonian felt even more distressed.
Yes, she did see Xiaofeng as a sister. As a sister, could she simply watch Sister Xiaofeng be kept in the dark about everything?
Yes, Sister Xiaofeng had the right to know what had happened in Imperial Capital and also the right to choose her own life anew. Ye Cheng wasn’t indispensable to Sister Xiaofeng, and surely Sister Xiaofeng wasn’t indispensable to Ye Cheng.
She sobbed, her voice becoming even more nasal, "Sister Xiaofeng, if I were to tell you some bad news, would you be sad?"
She regarded Sister Xiaofeng as a sister, and facing such a situation, she felt it necessary to inform Sister Xiaofeng.
Xiaofeng chuckled softly, "Xiaonian, what is it? Go ahead, I’m listening."
"I mean, it’s just a hypothetical," Xiaonian sat in a corner of her bed, holding the phone, unsure where to begin, "Hypothetically, if one day Ye Cheng decided to marry another woman and didn’t want you anymore, what would you do?"
After saying this, Xiaonian gripped the receiver tightly, fearing Sister Xiaofeng on the other end might not be able to handle it and might hang up on her.
Contrary to her expectations of anger, she heard Xiaofeng laugh softly, "So, are you saddened by this idea?"
"Sister Xiaofeng, I mean, if something happens one day, would you be sad? Would you leave my Brother Ye?" Xiaonian was uncertain of her own feelings.
Between Brother Ye and Sister Xiaofeng, she was more worried about Sister Xiaofeng, and also afraid that Sister Xiaofeng might not be able to handle it.
"If Ye Cheng really decided to marry someone else, then I would leave. It’s that simple. You silly girl, by the sound of it, you are worried about me." Xiaofeng couldn’t help but smile wryly.
To say that Xiaonian and she had a deep connection would be an overstatement; their time together hadn’t been very long. But the concern Xiaonian currently showed was genuine.
This silly girl really was worried about her, and this revelation warmed Xiaofeng’s heart, a feeling akin to having a heartfelt conversation with a true sister by blood.
"Of course. You and Brother Ye were married first, and you even helped Brother Ye have a set of boy and girl twins. Without any reason, Brother Ye shouldn’t abandon you for someone else." If Ye Cheng were to do that, he would no longer be her Brother Ye, but rather a complete scoundrel.
A scoundrel who only seeks pleasure.
"Are you saying that Ye Cheng is about to marry another woman?" Xiaofeng’s tone was gentle, showing no emotion, and to Xiaonian, Xiaofeng’s question sounded as if she were asking a stranger, utterly calm.
This only added to her confusion.
"No, I was just making a comparison." Xiaonian gathered her spirits, "I recently read a novel where the male lead was terribly vile, and the female protagonist’s situation was a lot like yours, so I naturally thought of you. Sister Xiaofeng, you’ll be coming to Imperial Capital after the new year, right?"
"Yes, I’ve arranged with Ye Cheng to stay there for a while."
"Good, come over soon." Xiaonian thought about it and spoke cautiously, "Come soon, I want to hang out with you."
Xiaonian chatted with her for a few more moments, then hung up the phone.
To put it simply, Xiaonian’s call was strange and somewhat suspicious.
So, was Ye Cheng planning to marry another woman in Imperial Capital? If not for this reason, how else could Xiaonian’s call be explained?
Should she call Ye Cheng to inquire? She was now his queen, entitled to question him.