Qiao Yuxian looked at the message sent by Zhao Shimeng.
The smile on her face suddenly froze, and she herself was also frozen upon seeing the message.
Nearly ten minutes passed, and she thought for a moment, preparing to tell her that she had plans tonight.
But just as she typed a character, another message from Qin Xia came through.
Qin Xia: [Xian, how about I treat you to dinner tomorrow instead? Something suddenly came up on my end.]
This was followed by a super cute winking emoji.
Qiao Yuxian: "......"
Qin Xia waited for a while without receiving a reply and said again: [Chu Zhengran asked me out, I...]
Qiao Yuxian came back to her senses and replied to her message: [If there’s no good news tonight, don’t message me.]
Qin Xia sent a saluting emoji.
Qiao Yuxian chuckled, then opened Zhao Shimeng’s message and replied: [Okay, what do you want to eat? I’ll choose the place.]
Zhao Shimeng’s reply was quick: [I’ve got it, I’ll pick you up, or send you the location.]
Qiao Yuxian: [I’ll go by myself.]
Zhao Shimeng: [Alright.]
Zhao Shimeng sent her the location.
Qiao Yuxian looked at the dining place, then messaged Gu Yanjing: [Got plans tonight, not coming back.]
Mr. Gu, who was working diligently, replied instantly: [?]
Qiao Yuxian took a screenshot of her chat with Zhao Shimeng and sent it to him.
After reading it, Gu Yanjing said: [I’ll pick you up after dinner.]
Qiao Yuxian: [No need. After dinner, I’ll swing by home. Sleep by yourself tonight, Mr. Gu. Don’t be scared.]
Gu Yanjing fell silent.
Qiao Yuxian waited a moment and then smiled.
Just as her lips curved up, An Zhiyi walked by and glanced at her.
The smile on Qiao Yuxian’s face instantly froze.
An Zhiyi gave her a disdainful look and walked away.
Qiao Yuxian: "......"
Qiao Yuxian watched his back, shrugged it off, and continued to smile.
After a while, Gu Yanjing sent a message: [Stay safe.]
Qiao Yuxian: [Okay, don’t worry.]
A few seconds later, she sent him a playful blowing kiss emoji.
Zhao Shimeng had booked a western restaurant.
When Qiao Yuxian arrived, Zhao Shimeng was already there.
Seeing her enter the restaurant, Zhao Shimeng got up to greet her. Walking to her side, she naturally took her hand: "Yu Xian, are you cold?"
Qiao Yuxian’s hand stiffened, unable to move, letting her hold it, she said: "Not cold."
Zhao Shimeng led her inside by the hand: "I looked up dining spots before the New Year, all with good reviews. Let’s try this one today, and others in the future."
Qiao Yuxian responded: "Alright."
Zhao Shimeng pulled out a chair for her, and Qiao Yuxian took off her coat, hung it on the chair, and sat down.
The waiter came over.
They both ordered their meals.
Before New Year, they had dined together twice too.
Back then, Qiao Yuxian had realized her taste buds were inherited from her.
This feeling was so magical.
Having someone who was not around, yet in some ways, being so similar to them.
After ordering, and with the waiter gone, Zhao Shimeng said: "You started your internship?"
"Yes." Qiao Yuxian replied, "In translation."
Zhao Shimeng nodded: "How does it feel to suddenly start working? Any discomfort? Are you tired?"
"It’s all okay." Qiao Yuxian said, "No important tasks for me, sometimes I feel a bit bored."
"That’s how work is." Zhao Shimeng said, "Even with important tasks, there’ll be times you find it boring."
Zhao Shimeng smiled gently, looked at her, and said: "We planned to come back after the New Year, but some things were delayed, so we returned late."
Zhao Shimeng continued: "I discussed with my husband about moving our business back here, so we can be closer to you."
Qiao Yuxian blinked, looked at her, and thought for a moment, saying: "It might not be easy to move."
Zhao Shimeng said: "Connections in the Capital City need to be established. Take it slowly, good things are worth the wait."
Qiao Yuxian nodded again.
Zhao Shimeng paused for a moment and said: "Yu Xian, can we find a time to have dinner with my husband too?"
Qiao Yuxian looked at her.
Zhao Shimeng said: "Yu Xian, your dad and I couldn’t give you a complete family, couldn’t let you grow up happily, and for that, I’m very sorry."
Qiao Yuxian didn’t speak, just listened to her.
"I deeply regret it now, shouldn’t have left you here back then, should have taken you with me." Zhao Shimeng lowered her gaze and said, "But there’s no remedy for regrets, and time can’t go back. All I can do now is try my best to make amends."
Qiao Yuxian still didn’t speak.
She didn’t know what to say.
When people used to call her an orphan, a bastard, and an unwanted child, she longed to bring her parents to school the next day to show them that she wasn’t.
When one is young, they are always so naïve, always fantasizing about unrealistic things.
But when grown up, those times have passed.
There’s no need, nothing in her heart needs to be filled.
Instead, now that her parents were in front of her, she didn’t know how to face them.
She wasn’t that eager anymore, really wasn’t.
"I hope whether with dad or with me, you can have a family, a sense of belonging." Zhao Shimeng said slowly and earnestly, "My husband also said he would treat you like his own daughter. You can visit us anytime."
Qiao Yuxian listened to her words, seeing she wanted to continue, she quickly changed the subject asking: "Is your current husband good to you?"
Zhao Shimeng swallowed her words back, knowing she deliberately changed the topic, she didn’t continue. Smiling, she followed her lead: "He’s always been very good to me."
Qiao Yuxian gave a cute smile, a bit curious, she asked: "Did you meet him after you went to A Continent?"
Zhao Shimeng’s gentle eyes slightly stiffened, then she said: "No. He went to university here; we met in college."
Qiao Yuxian was a little surprised.
These things she indeed didn’t know.
Before she met her last year, all she knew about her mother was from her uncle’s wife.
Nobody else ever mentioned it.
What she heard was ugly, saying her mother abandoned her father and ran off with some man.
If she didn’t bear a resemblance to her grandmother,
her uncle’s wife almost accused her of not being her father’s child.
All she knew was her mother left with someone, not that they had known each other long before.
Zhao Shimeng saw her slightly surprised look and asked: "You didn’t know? Grandpa and grandma never told you?"
Qiao Yuxian shook her head.
This time, it was Zhao Shimeng’s turn to be surprised. Follow current novᴇls on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
When she left the child and went with Sheng Chendong, she thought the Qiao Family would curse her. She thought they’d definitely tell the child bad things about her.
"Grandpa and grandma are good people." Zhao Shimeng said.
Qiao Yuxian nodded: "They’ve always been good."