Chapter 69
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Seeing Qi Yan's smiling eyes filled with anticipation, joy and tenderness, Lu Zhiqiao suddenly hesitated, and the fingers on the tie bent stiffly. But thinking about how she spoke improperly, earlier, she felt regretful, so she decided that since the gift was already prepared, she might as well give it as it was.
She bit her lip, gently pulling off the string, and the nightgown slipped off, revealing the erotic lingerie that makes one blush.
The scenery is attractive.
Lu Zhiqiao half-closed her eyes and said nothing, a large and dazzling blush appeared on her cheeks.
The music in the speaker happened to play to the passionate part, and her heartbeat fluctuated with the rhythm, feeling anxious for some reason. Her thoughts that had just been disturbed by her daughter haven't calmed down. She seemed to be pushed by a force, reluctantly moving forward, reaching an uncontrollable point where she could only bite the bullet.
A scorching gaze fell on her, full of affection and desire. Can she imagine that person's expression, surprise? excited? Or—
Both.
Qi Yan stared at the scene and swallowed, a moment of surprise and excitement flashed through her eyes, but they disappeared quickly. Her eyes turned dim, her face slightly sunken, as if she understood something, but didn't speak.
Lu Zhiqiao waited nervously.
Suddenly, two hands stretched out. She held her breath.
Instead of doing what was expected, both hands picked up her nightgown and draped them over her, covering all the scenery tightly. Then carefully tied the strings and tied a beautiful bow - with thin and slender fingers, and the knots were so beautiful
Lu Zhiqiao stared blankly, looked up, and met the person's calm gaze. Qi Yan lightly curled the corner of her mouth and smiled reluctantly, whispering, "I don't want this gift until we establish a relationship.
After finishing speaking, she avoided Lu Zhiqiao's eyes and turned around.
The corners of her lips collapsed.
If what happened earlier had not happened, she would happily accept the gift, and then the two would establish a relationship and live a happy family life of three. However, those words stuck in her heart like nails. Even if she had a pleasant surprise at this moment, it was hard to resist the faint pain.
It's like slapping her face, then massaging her three times. First, hurt her deeply, and then give her a self-righteous comfort.
Does this person think that all she wants is her body?
Countless times, she felt that she had gained her heart, only to be always pushed away, resisted, and even given up, like she is today. She has never liked someone so humbly, but the humble she is, the more she is taken for granted. Of course, she didn't want to speculate on Lu Zhiqiao in this way, she believes that she is not.
Back when she was young, she didn't know how to show weakness emotionally, and she ran around with thorns all over her body, and in the end she was left alone. Later, she learned to show weakness, but to no avail, her nature could not be changed. Then much later she discovered that there is no need to learn whether to be humble, show weakness, or infinite tolerance. As long as she meets that person, she can learn it without a teacher, just like the body's instinct.
Qiao Qiao is "that person".
The closer their relationship became, the more reluctant she was to put pressure on Lu Zhiqiao, and she would rather digest all the grievances and pains by herself. She can accommodate all of her.
It's just that today, the patience and good temper she's always been proud of, almost failed her.
Those words hurt her deeply.
It hurts so much.
What's the point of having an ambiguous relationship? She wants the heart, not the body.
She thought, this is their last hurdle, right? As long as the child's matter can be resolved smoothly and Lu Zhiqiao can be assured, they can be together. By that time, she will no longer be a teacher, she will have nothing to do during the day than to shoot photos, teach her daughter homework at night, sleep with Qiao Qiao in her arms, and go out with the mother and daughter on weekends to relax. One room for three people, three meals for four seasons.
Very nice.
The corners of her collapsed mouth raised again. She buried the bitterness deep in her heart, pretending that she never felt pain.
Lu Zhiqiao choked.
The "why" that came to her mouth was swallowed, she didn't need to ask, she understood. When it comes to feelings, her emotional ups and downs are uncontrollable. When she is impulsive, she speaks unscrupulously, and when she calms down, she'll regret endlessly. It was always like this, which inevitably chills people's hearts.
However, she had too many uncontrollable burdens to bear. She seemed indestructible, but in reality, she was extremely fragile.
She has shown Qi Yan the softest and most vulnerable part of her heart without reservation.
She knew that Qi Yan was sad.
"…sorry."
Her apology seemed weak.
Lu Zhiqiao bit her lip tightly, trying to maintain a calm surface, looking so calm and breezy.
Qi Yan didn't answer, her eyes fell on the cake, she stood up with a smile, and said, "Let's cut the cake. I haven't eaten such a big cake for a long time." After speaking, she picked up the plastic knife next to her and was about to cut it, but saw two number candles standing on the top tier.
One 28, one 13.
"What does thirteen mean?" She turned her head and asked.
Lu Zhiqiao stood up and looked at the number candle that belonged to her daughter, her heart was stabbed, and her eyes darkened, "Today is also Niu Niu's birthday." Then she added: "Thirteen years old."
"What a coincidence!" Qi Yan was surprised, her face was full of joy, "Where's Niu Niu? Why didn't I see her?"
"I..." Lu Zhiqiao frowned, not knowing what to say.
Qi Yan suddenly realized something, her smile froze for two seconds, put down the knife, and said nonchalantly, "I'll call her."
Lu Zhiqiao clenched her nightgown tightly with her hands hanging by her side, her lips moved, she hesitated to speak, her eyes showed a look of embarrassment, but she didn't stop her in the end.
The corridor was silent, and the sky outside the window was dark.
Qi Yan knocked on the door of 901, and it took a long time before it opened. When Lu Wei appeared behind the door, the smile on her face became stiff and faded when she saw those red and swollen eyes, and the "Happy Birthday" she had prepared was also swallowed back.
"Niu Niu, what's the matter?" She frowned, and raised her hand to caress her daughter's face.
Lu Wei stood under the light, her immature face was covered with tears, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, her eyelids were half drooping, and there were still crystal teardrops on her eyelashes, her body twitched. Seeing her, the little girl called out in a low voice, "Teacher Qi..."
"Don't cry, don't cry, what happened?" Qi Yan was so distressed, she hurriedly wiped her tears, entered the room, closed the door, shook off her shoes, and led her to sit barefoot on the sofa.
The little girl stared at her feet, then turned around and brought slippers to her feet, signaling her to put them on.
Qi Yan's heart warmed, she put on the slippers, pulled her daughter to sit on her lap, wiped her tears meticulously, and asked softly, "Did mom scold you?"
Lu Wei hummed nasally and lowered her head.
"She...may not be in a good mood today, it's my fault. I've already comforted her. Niu Niu is good, don't bother with her~" Qi Yan stroked the child's ponytail, and squeezed out a dry sentence of comfort. She suddenly understood Lu Zhiqiao's mood, because when she actually faced her daughter, she didn't have the courage to ask directly or speak out.
Everything happened so suddenly, she was unprepared, even if she was calm at the moment, she didn't know how to organize her thoughts and organize her words. She is like this, let alone Lu Zhiqiao.
The pain in her heart felt better.
Lu Wei gasped and raised her head to look at her: "Teacher Qi, are you and my mother dating?"
One sentence from her daughter liberated her.
Qi Yan heaved a sigh of relief, and asked carefully, "What do you think?"
"I think…you are."
"Actually—" Qi Yan pursed her lips and said anxiously, "Your mother and I haven't established a relationship yet, but I'm pursuing her." After speaking, she hurriedly asked: "Niu Niu, do you mind? It's me, with your mother... um, two women together?"
She had no experience in talking to children about this kind of thing, so she just had to bite the bullet. The car had already reached the front of the mountain, and she had to make a way out even if there was no way.
But she was fortunate that she was the one who talked about this matter with her child first, at least she was able to deal with it positively and tried her best to guide the child in the direction she wanted to see. If it was Lu Zhiqiao...
That foolish woman, apart from being cruel to the child, only knows how to make trouble for herself.
Maybe because she is not her daughter's real mother, she can't experience it personally. She and Lu Zhiqiao grew up in different family environments, sometimes she can't empathize with her, but with her hard work, the naked eye can see that Lu Zhiqiao is slowly changing, and she believes that everything will get better.
"I don't mind." Lu Wei sniffed and shook her head.
Qi Yan's eyes lit up, as if expected. She brushed away the broken hair on her daughter's forehead, and continued to ask: "Then what are you thinking?"
"Me?" Lu Wei puffed up her cheeks, thought for a moment, and said seriously: "I don't have any thoughts, and my life hasn't changed. But I think my mother has a lot of thoughts, and doesn't seem to want to accept you. I can see it, but she still won't admit it."
Being poked at the sore spot, Qi Yan frowned unconsciously, but quickly suppressed it, and she smiled, "Niu Niu, do you know mom? What was her life like before?"
"Busy with work." Lu Wei replied truthfully.
"..."
"When I was very young, I was accompanied by a nanny aunt at home. Later, there was no more auntie, so I was alone at home. My mother often worked overtime and came back late. Sometimes I saw her tired and wanted to talk to her, but she ignored me. Then it should be when I was in elementary school, she had time to talk to me, but she just asked me how I was doing in school, whether I did my homework…um, my life before was pretty much the same, very monotonous, I don’t know how to describe it.”
The little girl lowered her head and pinched her fingers, her eyes washed with tears were black and clear, she looked simple and innocent, but when she looked carefully, she seemed to be hiding something on her mind.
"By the way, when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, there was an aunt who had a good relationship with her, as if they were colleagues. At that time, I didn't know that girls could be like this, but now I think it must not be a friendly relationship."
"Lover?" Qi Yan held her breath.
"It's not like that, they didn't kiss." Lu Wei shook her head, then looked at Qi Yan sheepishly, and whispered: "The night before the three-day holiday, I saw you kissing in the room, and I thought of the plot of the novel .”
Facing Teacher Qi, she was willing to say anything. She really likes gentle people. People who always have a smiling face, can't help but want to get close, and are willing to exchange all her secrets for a hug.
Thinking about it, she hugged Qi Yan's neck and secretly kissed her.
Qi Yan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized.
So that's how it is.
In the era of developed Internet, information sharing is very fast, and children are generally precocious nowadays. What things can't be understood? Instead of concentrating on concealing, it is better to speak out and give correct guidance.
Qi Yan suddenly felt that things were much simpler and easier.
"Niu Niu, what exactly is the aunt you mentioned just now?" She wanted to know more about this.
Lu Wei observed her face, it seemed that there was no change because of the kiss, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and said while recalling: "Looking at it now, I feel that the aunt is chasing my mom, but mom doesn't seem to have that intention. Later they quarreled. There was a fight, and I heard something in the room…'with her without you', I don't understand."
"Then that aunt never came to my house."
Qi Yan raised her brows and asked, "Do you like that Auntie?"
"I don't like her very much." Lu Wei curled her lips, "It feels like she smiled at me in a fake way." After speaking, she looked at Qi Yan again, as if she was afraid that she would mind, and quickly added: "Teacher Qi, I like you very much. You are different from that aunt, I like you more than mom."
Qi Yan burst out laughing, stretching out her hand to scratch the little girl's nose, "Your mother would be jealous when she hears that."
"He he~"
The little girl smiled through tears.
Qi Yan smiled softly, but her heart was filled with turbulent waves. She felt that she had touched a blind spot and stepped into an area that had never been explored. Although it was unfamiliar, the general situation was the same as her guess.
If she guessed right, the so-called "her" should refer to Niu Niu. As for using the child as an excuse to reject people whom she doesn't like, or to give up feelings because of concern for the child, is not known.
Qi Yan is more inclined to the former, but anyone with a bit of emotional experience, will not be like Lu Zhiqiao.
She couldn't figure it out again.
Lu Zhiqiao treats her daughter as her life, but she doesn't seem to put herself in the position of a mother. In other words, she doesn't know how to be a mother. What she plays is more like a cold "monitoring machine". Fully wound up and only rotating in a predetermined trajectory.
What went wrong?
"Niu Niu—" Qi Yan's mind flashed, "Does your mother usually mention your father?"
Lu Wei was stunned, with disappointment in her eyes, and shook her head, "She hardly mentioned him When I asked her, she first said that he was abroad, and then she said that he had passed away."
"..."
Got stuck in a dead end.
Never liked a man? Not "that '' kind of love for Niu Niu's dad? Photos in the closet? The more Qi Yan thinks about it, the more she feels that there are still many mysteries to be solved, but the clues are broken, no way to go, and the source cannot be found.
Unless, Qiao Qiao tells her personally.
"Teacher Qi..."
"Mm?"
Lu Wei looked at her, clutching the buttons of her clothes with both hands, a little hesitant to speak, her eyes couldn't hide her curiosity, "Who is the gong and who is the shou?"
"Cough cough cough—"
Qi Yan's face changed slightly, she couldn't laugh or cry for a while, and coughed twice, "Let's not talk about this issue for now. Niu Niu, I just found out that today is also your birthday, do you think it's a coincidence?" She kissed her cheek, "Happy birthday, baby, let's eat cake."
"Happy birthday, Teacher Qi too." The little girl smiled happily, and then the corners of her mouth collapsed again.
She really wants to eat cake.
So big!
But her mom is over there, she was fierce just now. Won't she just be looking for scolding now?
Thinking about it, the child looked at Qi Yan with grievances, and was about to cry, "Teacher Qi, I told my mother just now that you are in a relationship, and she scolded me and wouldn't let me eat the cake."
Qi Yan held her face and rubbed it, comfortingly said: "It's okay, your mother was just scared today, and I didn't come back early, which made her feel bad. I have coaxed her well, she let me come to tell you to eat cake, wash your face quickly, let's go."
Lu Wei was a little hesitant, but thinking of such a big cake, she became so greedy that her mouth was watering, it would be a pity not to eat it.
In the end, it was the glutton who overcame the fear.
She got up and ran to the bathroom, washed her face indiscriminately, and followed Qi Yan to the opposite door.
The music on the speaker was replaced with a birthday song, and Lu Zhiqiao squatted in front of the coffee table and cut the cake. She cut the two pieces with the most fruit cream on the bottom layer, put them on a plate and put them aside, and then lit the two number candles on the top.
Qi Yan led Lu Wei in.
Lu Zhiqiao looked at the big one and the small one, with a hint of guilt in her eyes, a stiff smile on the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "Come and eat the cake."
During the day, she took her daughter out to play, bought gifts, and had a big meal. It is considered half of her birthday done, just short of eating a cake this night. And Qi Yan...she put all her thoughts into preparation, waiting for tonight, but so far, it's only half done.
Her daughter looked like she had cried, her eyes were red and a little swollen, and there was timidity in her eyes. On the contrary, Qi Yan was full of smiles. She took the child into the room and brought her the cake that Lu Zhiqiao had served. "Our little girl, Niu Niu, is one year older today."
"Teacher Qi is one year younger again~" Lu Wei took the cake, her eyes lit up, and she grinned at her.
"Sweet talker." Qi Yan patted her head, "I prepared a gift for you, wait for me." After speaking, she turned and went into the study.
"Uh-huh."
Originally, Qi Yan thought that her daughter was not yet fourteen years old and it was going to be Children's Day, so she prepared a Children's Day gift for her in advance, but she didn't expect that it would be her birthday, so she sent it out as a birthday present first.
T/N: Children's Day in China is observed by children below 14 years old.
The gift is a pair of shoes.
Lu Wei has been craving for it fo a long time, but because it is too expensive and cannot be bought, she has no choice but to give it up.
The moment she saw the shoes, Lu Zhiqiao, who was silent on the sidelines, suddenly understood. No wonder, some time ago, Qi Yan asked her daughter what she liked, and also asked about the size of clothes and shoes. She pressed, and Qi Yan said it was for Children's Day.
She didn't think too much about it at the time, but now that she thinks about it, the coincidence happened just right. This person really has a heart.
The child was so happy that she didn't even eat the cake, she pouted her mouth full of cream and kissed Qi Yan on the face. The two hugged and made a fuss, smiling and laughing. Lu Zhiqiao was left on the sidelines, unable to care about the embarrassment and panic of being seen through by her daughter, her heart and eyes were full of bitterness, and a little bit of envy.
She silently cut a piece of cake for herself, and sat beside them to eat.
At ten o'clock in the evening, most of the cake was eaten. Qi Yan put the rest in the refrigerator and kept it for tomorrow. She brought the camera and arranged it, and the three of them squatted in front of the golden English letters and took a photo together.
"Niu Niu, are you sleepy? Mom and I will tidy up here, go back to brush your teeth and go to bed first, huh?" Qi Yan stroked her daughter's bulging belly and used it as a head pillow for her.
The little girl secretly glanced at her mother, quickly looked away, and nodded: "Okay, good night, Teacher Qi~ I'll eat cake tomorrow."
"Haha, okay, I'll keep them all for you."
Little greedy cat.
Qi Yan got up and sent her to the door, and watched her step into the door of 901. In an instant, the smile on her face collapsed, and her eyes showed fatigue.
Turning around, Lu Zhiqiao stood under the lamp and watched her quietly.
"Let me clean it up. You're tired today, so go to bed early. I'll be there soon."
"No need." Qi Yan smiled lightly and shook her head, looked up at the decorations in the living room, "It's good to keep, I like it."
Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips and smiled, a little at a loss.
She was wearing a loose nightgown, showing a slender figure faintly, with a pair of slender calves exposed at the hem, long hair draped over the shoulders, and a gentle face that was plain and indifferent, not a bit seductive.
Qi Yan looked at her, feeling as if her heart was stuffed with cotton, no matter how seductive it was visually, she couldn't taste it.
The two looked at each other for a long time, Qi Yan walked over with her lips curled up, held her hand, and said softly: "I talked to Niu Niu, she said she didn't mind, and she didn't have any thoughts. In fact, the child is not as complicated as you think. I know you are afraid that she will also take this difficult path, but sexual orientation is innate and cannot be changed overnight. Niu Niu is still young, when she grows up, how to choose is her own business, we just need to be her most solid backing."
Lu Zhiqiao's eyes turned a little red, and she looked at Qi Yan full of desire to talk, her lips parted and closed, but they didn't say anything after all.
Qi Yan saw it all.
Her warm heart turned half cold again.
"Go back, I want to rest." She said
Lu Zhiqiao lowered her head, hummed softly, picked up the phone on the table and left.
The door was gently closed, and Qi Yan suddenly collapsed on the sofa, leaning her head, closing her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and then opening it again. She looked at the carefully decorated living room and then lowered her head to look at the earphone box, tears dripping down after holding back for a long time.
She wiped her face, opened the box, read the instructions briefly, connected her phone, and turned on the player.
Noise reduction, the whole world belongs to her.
….
Her daughter was taking a bath in the bathroom, and Lu Zhiqiao hid in the room to listen to the noise, and when the child returned to the bedroom, she quietly went out and knocked on the door of the second bedroom.
"Baby, can mom go in?"
There was no answer from inside, and after a while, the door opened, and the daughter stood behind the door looking at her, and called mother carefully.
Lu Zhiqiao was startled, raised her smiling face, and took the child's hand into the room.
There was only one pair of shoes that Qi Yan gave her on the ground, and the other was on her daughter's foot. She seemed to like it very much, and she wanted to try it on before going to bed. Lu Zhiqiao sat on the edge of the bed with her daughter, bent over to pick up the shoe, and put it on for her.
The little girl was wearing new shoes, her feet were raised up, her other hand had no place to rest, and she felt a little cramped.
"It's beautiful." Lu Zhiqiao boasted.
The child also smiled, being very careful.
Lu Zhiqiao sighed secretly, took her daughter's shoulders and pulled her into her arms, apologizing: "I'm sorry, mom shouldn't have lost her temper with you today..."
The person in her arms froze and didn't make a sound.
"Girl, do you like Teacher Qi?"
"Yes."
Lu Zhiqiao asked nervously, "Then do you want...another mother?"
"Isn't it a father?"
"Fool." She smiled and patted her daughter's shoulder, "Teacher Qi is also a woman, there is no such thing as a father."
The child did not answer for a long time.
"Baby?" Lu Zhiqiao was a little flustered.
Lu Wei bit her lower lip, raised her head, and looked at her complaining: "But Teacher Qi said, you are not in a relationship yet, I...what should I call her..."
After poking at the sore spot, Lu Zhiqiao's eyes darkened, like ashes.
Lu Wei didn't dare to say any more, her mother's temper was unpredictable, she was fierce like a tigress in the first two hours, but now she is coaxing her gently again, she is afraid. Feeling like a pet, her mother teased a few times when she was happy, and kicked away when she was unhappy.
Pets are not free and must be controlled and monitored.
Lu Zhiqiao was confused and couldn't answer the child's question directly. She thought she was cornered, but luckily she was just worrying too much. She couldn't react for a while now, and felt that her daughter accepted it too quickly. It is a little unbelievable, but she also thought that Qi Yan had already communicated with her daughter, subconsciously she still believed in Qi Yan.
Whether it is educating children or communicating with them, Qi Yan is always better than her in this regard.
She used to think that taking good care of the child's food, clothing, housing and transportation was already a success, but now it seems that it is far from enough. She is simply a failed mother.
Also a failed romantic partner.
"Mom, honestly, you don't have to worry about me. Teacher Qi is very kind to me. You can see that, anyway, I like her very much. You should also like her, right? Otherwise, why would you kiss—" Lu Wei couldn't help but persuade her like a little adult.
Speaking of the latter, she couldn't hold it back, and quickly covered her mouth.
Lu Zhiqiao was stunned: "What?"
"I... I saw you kissing in the room that night..." After the child finished speaking, she covered her face and put her head on her shoulder.
"..."
It doesn't matter which night, what matters is being seen.
No wonder.
Lu Zhiqiao blushed, coughed twice, and said, "Young girl, you must never talk about this at school, do you understand?"
There was a muffled hum from behind.
Being seen by the child is enough to show that they are too careless. If they paid more attention, it wouldn't bring about today's disaster. Lu Zhiqiao felt so remorseful right now, all her faults were brought together on her own head, which invisibly put heavy pressure on her, and she was felt little out of breath.
"Girl"
"Mm?"
"Do you think mom is a pervert?" She asked with difficulty.
Lu Wei took off her hand, widened her eyes, and looked at her in surprise: "Oh my god, Mom, what era are you from? So many Lily novels are so popular now, you actually call them perverts? I'm going to tell Teacher Qi, that you called her a pervert."
It's over.
She seems to have slipped up again.
"Lily novel?" Lu Zhiqiao frowned.
The little girl swallowed her saliva, made two he-he, and quickly raised her hands to swear: "I only read it in my spare time."
"You borrowed a classmate's book?"
"No, website."
Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Lu Wei quickly confessed honestly, not daring to hide a word. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly and narrowed her eyes: "I'll confiscate your mobile phone, and I will replace it with a keypad phone."
"Don't--"
Before she finished speaking, Lu Zhiqiao stood up, snatched the mobile phone from the desk, and lightly reprimanded: "Go to sleep."
"..."
Back in the master bedroom, Lu Zhiqiao turned off her daughter's cell phone and put it in the dresser drawer. She opened the closet, changed out of her nightgown and sexy underwear, put on ordinary pajamas, and fell head first on the bed.
The light from the ceiling was projected down, it was bright and dazzling, she closed her eyes, her mind was full of Qi Yan's face.
Some are happy, some are lost, some are angry, some are cold-hearted...
Tonight's plan was in vain. She messed it up herself. She wanted to muster up the courage to do it again, but would Qi Yan care about her? Had she seen through her face? Just like a nail driven into a stake, even if it is removed, the traces will remain there forever.
Originally, she planned to confess everything about her past to Qi Yan, and even planned a short-term future.
But like a bubble, it bursted.
Lu Zhiqiao took a deep breath, her face flushed, and after a while, she sat up, took her phone and sent Qi Yan a wechat message
[Can you give me a few more days?]
[There is something I want to tell you.]
A reply in seconds.
[?]
Lu Zhiqiao turned off the screen, threw her phone aside, and turned on the laptop. The short-term future plan she wrote is still in the folder. Now creating a new document and listing the things she wants to say one by one...
When your mind is messed up, it's easier to get your head around it when you write it down.
….
It's the beginning of summer in the new week, and the temperature is getting higher and higher day by day.
Lu Zhiqiao's appointment as the vice president by the company's board of directors was sudden and direct. Although the news of her promotion had been widely circulated before, this official promotion still attracted a lot of discussions.
Lu Zhiqiao moved her office and moved a lot of things. She had hired a help with the cleaning, but it still took a while to tidy up.
At four or five in the afternoon, the new office was tidied up, she sat down, made a cup of scented tea, opened QQ* on her desktop and transferred the list of documents she had written to her mobile phone.
*messaging app
She opened it on her phone, browse through it carefully, and confirmed that there are no omissions.
She thought about it, and added a sentence after the last "The girl is not my biological daughter": But she is related to me by blood.
Just as she was about to send, a phone call came in showing Shu Minxi.
"Hello? Ms. Shu."
A woman's hoarse and desolate voice came from the other end of the phone: "She's gone..."
Author's Note:
Don't worry, the crematorium* hasn't been arranged yet hahahaha =3=
*aka wife chasing, a chinese novel trope where a character will chase after a lost love after taking it for granted (may or may not include abuse and cheating) for a long time, just when the other party gives up on/stopped loving him/he
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Seeing Qi Yan's smiling eyes filled with anticipation, joy and tenderness, Lu Zhiqiao suddenly hesitated, and the fingers on the tie bent stiffly. But thinking about how she spoke improperly, earlier, she felt regretful, so she decided that since the gift was already prepared, she might as well give it as it was.
She bit her lip, gently pulling off the string, and the nightgown slipped off, revealing the erotic lingerie that makes one blush.
The scenery is attractive.
Lu Zhiqiao half-closed her eyes and said nothing, a large and dazzling blush appeared on her cheeks.
The music in the speaker happened to play to the passionate part, and her heartbeat fluctuated with the rhythm, feeling anxious for some reason. Her thoughts that had just been disturbed by her daughter haven't calmed down. She seemed to be pushed by a force, reluctantly moving forward, reaching an uncontrollable point where she could only bite the bullet.
A scorching gaze fell on her, full of affection and desire. Can she imagine that person's expression, surprise? excited? Or—
Both.
Qi Yan stared at the scene and swallowed, a moment of surprise and excitement flashed through her eyes, but they disappeared quickly. Her eyes turned dim, her face slightly sunken, as if she understood something, but didn't speak.
Lu Zhiqiao waited nervously.
Suddenly, two hands stretched out. She held her breath.
Instead of doing what was expected, both hands picked up her nightgown and draped them over her, covering all the scenery tightly. Then carefully tied the strings and tied a beautiful bow - with thin and slender fingers, and the knots were so beautiful
Lu Zhiqiao stared blankly, looked up, and met the person's calm gaze. Qi Yan lightly curled the corner of her mouth and smiled reluctantly, whispering, "I don't want this gift until we establish a relationship.
After finishing speaking, she avoided Lu Zhiqiao's eyes and turned around.
The corners of her lips collapsed.
If what happened earlier had not happened, she would happily accept the gift, and then the two would establish a relationship and live a happy family life of three. However, those words stuck in her heart like nails. Even if she had a pleasant surprise at this moment, it was hard to resist the faint pain.
It's like slapping her face, then massaging her three times. First, hurt her deeply, and then give her a self-righteous comfort.
Does this person think that all she wants is her body?
Countless times, she felt that she had gained her heart, only to be always pushed away, resisted, and even given up, like she is today. She has never liked someone so humbly, but the humble she is, the more she is taken for granted. Of course, she didn't want to speculate on Lu Zhiqiao in this way, she believes that she is not.
Back when she was young, she didn't know how to show weakness emotionally, and she ran around with thorns all over her body, and in the end she was left alone. Later, she learned to show weakness, but to no avail, her nature could not be changed. Then much later she discovered that there is no need to learn whether to be humble, show weakness, or infinite tolerance. As long as she meets that person, she can learn it without a teacher, just like the body's instinct.
Qiao Qiao is "that person".
The closer their relationship became, the more reluctant she was to put pressure on Lu Zhiqiao, and she would rather digest all the grievances and pains by herself. She can accommodate all of her.
It's just that today, the patience and good temper she's always been proud of, almost failed her.
Those words hurt her deeply.
It hurts so much.
What's the point of having an ambiguous relationship? She wants the heart, not the body.
She thought, this is their last hurdle, right? As long as the child's matter can be resolved smoothly and Lu Zhiqiao can be assured, they can be together. By that time, she will no longer be a teacher, she will have nothing to do during the day than to shoot photos, teach her daughter homework at night, sleep with Qiao Qiao in her arms, and go out with the mother and daughter on weekends to relax. One room for three people, three meals for four seasons.
Very nice.
The corners of her collapsed mouth raised again. She buried the bitterness deep in her heart, pretending that she never felt pain.
Lu Zhiqiao choked.
The "why" that came to her mouth was swallowed, she didn't need to ask, she understood. When it comes to feelings, her emotional ups and downs are uncontrollable. When she is impulsive, she speaks unscrupulously, and when she calms down, she'll regret endlessly. It was always like this, which inevitably chills people's hearts.
However, she had too many uncontrollable burdens to bear. She seemed indestructible, but in reality, she was extremely fragile.
She has shown Qi Yan the softest and most vulnerable part of her heart without reservation.
She knew that Qi Yan was sad.
"…sorry."
Her apology seemed weak.
Lu Zhiqiao bit her lip tightly, trying to maintain a calm surface, looking so calm and breezy.
Qi Yan didn't answer, her eyes fell on the cake, she stood up with a smile, and said, "Let's cut the cake. I haven't eaten such a big cake for a long time." After speaking, she picked up the plastic knife next to her and was about to cut it, but saw two number candles standing on the top tier.
One 28, one 13.
"What does thirteen mean?" She turned her head and asked.
Lu Zhiqiao stood up and looked at the number candle that belonged to her daughter, her heart was stabbed, and her eyes darkened, "Today is also Niu Niu's birthday." Then she added: "Thirteen years old."
"What a coincidence!" Qi Yan was surprised, her face was full of joy, "Where's Niu Niu? Why didn't I see her?"
"I..." Lu Zhiqiao frowned, not knowing what to say.
Qi Yan suddenly realized something, her smile froze for two seconds, put down the knife, and said nonchalantly, "I'll call her."
Lu Zhiqiao clenched her nightgown tightly with her hands hanging by her side, her lips moved, she hesitated to speak, her eyes showed a look of embarrassment, but she didn't stop her in the end.
The corridor was silent, and the sky outside the window was dark.
Qi Yan knocked on the door of 901, and it took a long time before it opened. When Lu Wei appeared behind the door, the smile on her face became stiff and faded when she saw those red and swollen eyes, and the "Happy Birthday" she had prepared was also swallowed back.
"Niu Niu, what's the matter?" She frowned, and raised her hand to caress her daughter's face.
Lu Wei stood under the light, her immature face was covered with tears, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, her eyelids were half drooping, and there were still crystal teardrops on her eyelashes, her body twitched. Seeing her, the little girl called out in a low voice, "Teacher Qi..."
"Don't cry, don't cry, what happened?" Qi Yan was so distressed, she hurriedly wiped her tears, entered the room, closed the door, shook off her shoes, and led her to sit barefoot on the sofa.
The little girl stared at her feet, then turned around and brought slippers to her feet, signaling her to put them on.
Qi Yan's heart warmed, she put on the slippers, pulled her daughter to sit on her lap, wiped her tears meticulously, and asked softly, "Did mom scold you?"
Lu Wei hummed nasally and lowered her head.
"She...may not be in a good mood today, it's my fault. I've already comforted her. Niu Niu is good, don't bother with her~" Qi Yan stroked the child's ponytail, and squeezed out a dry sentence of comfort. She suddenly understood Lu Zhiqiao's mood, because when she actually faced her daughter, she didn't have the courage to ask directly or speak out.
Everything happened so suddenly, she was unprepared, even if she was calm at the moment, she didn't know how to organize her thoughts and organize her words. She is like this, let alone Lu Zhiqiao.
The pain in her heart felt better.
Lu Wei gasped and raised her head to look at her: "Teacher Qi, are you and my mother dating?"
One sentence from her daughter liberated her.
Qi Yan heaved a sigh of relief, and asked carefully, "What do you think?"
"I think…you are."
"Actually—" Qi Yan pursed her lips and said anxiously, "Your mother and I haven't established a relationship yet, but I'm pursuing her." After speaking, she hurriedly asked: "Niu Niu, do you mind? It's me, with your mother... um, two women together?"
She had no experience in talking to children about this kind of thing, so she just had to bite the bullet. The car had already reached the front of the mountain, and she had to make a way out even if there was no way.
But she was fortunate that she was the one who talked about this matter with her child first, at least she was able to deal with it positively and tried her best to guide the child in the direction she wanted to see. If it was Lu Zhiqiao...
That foolish woman, apart from being cruel to the child, only knows how to make trouble for herself.
Maybe because she is not her daughter's real mother, she can't experience it personally. She and Lu Zhiqiao grew up in different family environments, sometimes she can't empathize with her, but with her hard work, the naked eye can see that Lu Zhiqiao is slowly changing, and she believes that everything will get better.
"I don't mind." Lu Wei sniffed and shook her head.
Qi Yan's eyes lit up, as if expected. She brushed away the broken hair on her daughter's forehead, and continued to ask: "Then what are you thinking?"
"Me?" Lu Wei puffed up her cheeks, thought for a moment, and said seriously: "I don't have any thoughts, and my life hasn't changed. But I think my mother has a lot of thoughts, and doesn't seem to want to accept you. I can see it, but she still won't admit it."
Being poked at the sore spot, Qi Yan frowned unconsciously, but quickly suppressed it, and she smiled, "Niu Niu, do you know mom? What was her life like before?"
"Busy with work." Lu Wei replied truthfully.
"..."
"When I was very young, I was accompanied by a nanny aunt at home. Later, there was no more auntie, so I was alone at home. My mother often worked overtime and came back late. Sometimes I saw her tired and wanted to talk to her, but she ignored me. Then it should be when I was in elementary school, she had time to talk to me, but she just asked me how I was doing in school, whether I did my homework…um, my life before was pretty much the same, very monotonous, I don’t know how to describe it.”
The little girl lowered her head and pinched her fingers, her eyes washed with tears were black and clear, she looked simple and innocent, but when she looked carefully, she seemed to be hiding something on her mind.
"By the way, when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, there was an aunt who had a good relationship with her, as if they were colleagues. At that time, I didn't know that girls could be like this, but now I think it must not be a friendly relationship."
"Lover?" Qi Yan held her breath.
"It's not like that, they didn't kiss." Lu Wei shook her head, then looked at Qi Yan sheepishly, and whispered: "The night before the three-day holiday, I saw you kissing in the room, and I thought of the plot of the novel .”
Facing Teacher Qi, she was willing to say anything. She really likes gentle people. People who always have a smiling face, can't help but want to get close, and are willing to exchange all her secrets for a hug.
Thinking about it, she hugged Qi Yan's neck and secretly kissed her.
Qi Yan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized.
So that's how it is.
In the era of developed Internet, information sharing is very fast, and children are generally precocious nowadays. What things can't be understood? Instead of concentrating on concealing, it is better to speak out and give correct guidance.
Qi Yan suddenly felt that things were much simpler and easier.
"Niu Niu, what exactly is the aunt you mentioned just now?" She wanted to know more about this.
Lu Wei observed her face, it seemed that there was no change because of the kiss, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and said while recalling: "Looking at it now, I feel that the aunt is chasing my mom, but mom doesn't seem to have that intention. Later they quarreled. There was a fight, and I heard something in the room…'with her without you', I don't understand."
"Then that aunt never came to my house."
Qi Yan raised her brows and asked, "Do you like that Auntie?"
"I don't like her very much." Lu Wei curled her lips, "It feels like she smiled at me in a fake way." After speaking, she looked at Qi Yan again, as if she was afraid that she would mind, and quickly added: "Teacher Qi, I like you very much. You are different from that aunt, I like you more than mom."
Qi Yan burst out laughing, stretching out her hand to scratch the little girl's nose, "Your mother would be jealous when she hears that."
"He he~"
The little girl smiled through tears.
Qi Yan smiled softly, but her heart was filled with turbulent waves. She felt that she had touched a blind spot and stepped into an area that had never been explored. Although it was unfamiliar, the general situation was the same as her guess.
If she guessed right, the so-called "her" should refer to Niu Niu. As for using the child as an excuse to reject people whom she doesn't like, or to give up feelings because of concern for the child, is not known.
Qi Yan is more inclined to the former, but anyone with a bit of emotional experience, will not be like Lu Zhiqiao.
She couldn't figure it out again.
Lu Zhiqiao treats her daughter as her life, but she doesn't seem to put herself in the position of a mother. In other words, she doesn't know how to be a mother. What she plays is more like a cold "monitoring machine". Fully wound up and only rotating in a predetermined trajectory.
What went wrong?
"Niu Niu—" Qi Yan's mind flashed, "Does your mother usually mention your father?"
Lu Wei was stunned, with disappointment in her eyes, and shook her head, "She hardly mentioned him When I asked her, she first said that he was abroad, and then she said that he had passed away."
"..."
Got stuck in a dead end.
Never liked a man? Not "that '' kind of love for Niu Niu's dad? Photos in the closet? The more Qi Yan thinks about it, the more she feels that there are still many mysteries to be solved, but the clues are broken, no way to go, and the source cannot be found.
Unless, Qiao Qiao tells her personally.
"Teacher Qi..."
"Mm?"
Lu Wei looked at her, clutching the buttons of her clothes with both hands, a little hesitant to speak, her eyes couldn't hide her curiosity, "Who is the gong and who is the shou?"
"Cough cough cough—"
Qi Yan's face changed slightly, she couldn't laugh or cry for a while, and coughed twice, "Let's not talk about this issue for now. Niu Niu, I just found out that today is also your birthday, do you think it's a coincidence?" She kissed her cheek, "Happy birthday, baby, let's eat cake."
"Happy birthday, Teacher Qi too." The little girl smiled happily, and then the corners of her mouth collapsed again.
She really wants to eat cake.
So big!
But her mom is over there, she was fierce just now. Won't she just be looking for scolding now?
Thinking about it, the child looked at Qi Yan with grievances, and was about to cry, "Teacher Qi, I told my mother just now that you are in a relationship, and she scolded me and wouldn't let me eat the cake."
Qi Yan held her face and rubbed it, comfortingly said: "It's okay, your mother was just scared today, and I didn't come back early, which made her feel bad. I have coaxed her well, she let me come to tell you to eat cake, wash your face quickly, let's go."
Lu Wei was a little hesitant, but thinking of such a big cake, she became so greedy that her mouth was watering, it would be a pity not to eat it.
In the end, it was the glutton who overcame the fear.
She got up and ran to the bathroom, washed her face indiscriminately, and followed Qi Yan to the opposite door.
The music on the speaker was replaced with a birthday song, and Lu Zhiqiao squatted in front of the coffee table and cut the cake. She cut the two pieces with the most fruit cream on the bottom layer, put them on a plate and put them aside, and then lit the two number candles on the top.
Qi Yan led Lu Wei in.
Lu Zhiqiao looked at the big one and the small one, with a hint of guilt in her eyes, a stiff smile on the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "Come and eat the cake."
During the day, she took her daughter out to play, bought gifts, and had a big meal. It is considered half of her birthday done, just short of eating a cake this night. And Qi Yan...she put all her thoughts into preparation, waiting for tonight, but so far, it's only half done.
Her daughter looked like she had cried, her eyes were red and a little swollen, and there was timidity in her eyes. On the contrary, Qi Yan was full of smiles. She took the child into the room and brought her the cake that Lu Zhiqiao had served. "Our little girl, Niu Niu, is one year older today."
"Teacher Qi is one year younger again~" Lu Wei took the cake, her eyes lit up, and she grinned at her.
"Sweet talker." Qi Yan patted her head, "I prepared a gift for you, wait for me." After speaking, she turned and went into the study.
"Uh-huh."
Originally, Qi Yan thought that her daughter was not yet fourteen years old and it was going to be Children's Day, so she prepared a Children's Day gift for her in advance, but she didn't expect that it would be her birthday, so she sent it out as a birthday present first.
T/N: Children's Day in China is observed by children below 14 years old.
The gift is a pair of shoes.
Lu Wei has been craving for it fo a long time, but because it is too expensive and cannot be bought, she has no choice but to give it up.
The moment she saw the shoes, Lu Zhiqiao, who was silent on the sidelines, suddenly understood. No wonder, some time ago, Qi Yan asked her daughter what she liked, and also asked about the size of clothes and shoes. She pressed, and Qi Yan said it was for Children's Day.
She didn't think too much about it at the time, but now that she thinks about it, the coincidence happened just right. This person really has a heart.
The child was so happy that she didn't even eat the cake, she pouted her mouth full of cream and kissed Qi Yan on the face. The two hugged and made a fuss, smiling and laughing. Lu Zhiqiao was left on the sidelines, unable to care about the embarrassment and panic of being seen through by her daughter, her heart and eyes were full of bitterness, and a little bit of envy.
She silently cut a piece of cake for herself, and sat beside them to eat.
At ten o'clock in the evening, most of the cake was eaten. Qi Yan put the rest in the refrigerator and kept it for tomorrow. She brought the camera and arranged it, and the three of them squatted in front of the golden English letters and took a photo together.
"Niu Niu, are you sleepy? Mom and I will tidy up here, go back to brush your teeth and go to bed first, huh?" Qi Yan stroked her daughter's bulging belly and used it as a head pillow for her.
The little girl secretly glanced at her mother, quickly looked away, and nodded: "Okay, good night, Teacher Qi~ I'll eat cake tomorrow."
"Haha, okay, I'll keep them all for you."
Little greedy cat.
Qi Yan got up and sent her to the door, and watched her step into the door of 901. In an instant, the smile on her face collapsed, and her eyes showed fatigue.
Turning around, Lu Zhiqiao stood under the lamp and watched her quietly.
"Let me clean it up. You're tired today, so go to bed early. I'll be there soon."
"No need." Qi Yan smiled lightly and shook her head, looked up at the decorations in the living room, "It's good to keep, I like it."
Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips and smiled, a little at a loss.
She was wearing a loose nightgown, showing a slender figure faintly, with a pair of slender calves exposed at the hem, long hair draped over the shoulders, and a gentle face that was plain and indifferent, not a bit seductive.
Qi Yan looked at her, feeling as if her heart was stuffed with cotton, no matter how seductive it was visually, she couldn't taste it.
The two looked at each other for a long time, Qi Yan walked over with her lips curled up, held her hand, and said softly: "I talked to Niu Niu, she said she didn't mind, and she didn't have any thoughts. In fact, the child is not as complicated as you think. I know you are afraid that she will also take this difficult path, but sexual orientation is innate and cannot be changed overnight. Niu Niu is still young, when she grows up, how to choose is her own business, we just need to be her most solid backing."
Lu Zhiqiao's eyes turned a little red, and she looked at Qi Yan full of desire to talk, her lips parted and closed, but they didn't say anything after all.
Qi Yan saw it all.
Her warm heart turned half cold again.
"Go back, I want to rest." She said
Lu Zhiqiao lowered her head, hummed softly, picked up the phone on the table and left.
The door was gently closed, and Qi Yan suddenly collapsed on the sofa, leaning her head, closing her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and then opening it again. She looked at the carefully decorated living room and then lowered her head to look at the earphone box, tears dripping down after holding back for a long time.
She wiped her face, opened the box, read the instructions briefly, connected her phone, and turned on the player.
Noise reduction, the whole world belongs to her.
….
Her daughter was taking a bath in the bathroom, and Lu Zhiqiao hid in the room to listen to the noise, and when the child returned to the bedroom, she quietly went out and knocked on the door of the second bedroom.
"Baby, can mom go in?"
There was no answer from inside, and after a while, the door opened, and the daughter stood behind the door looking at her, and called mother carefully.
Lu Zhiqiao was startled, raised her smiling face, and took the child's hand into the room.
There was only one pair of shoes that Qi Yan gave her on the ground, and the other was on her daughter's foot. She seemed to like it very much, and she wanted to try it on before going to bed. Lu Zhiqiao sat on the edge of the bed with her daughter, bent over to pick up the shoe, and put it on for her.
The little girl was wearing new shoes, her feet were raised up, her other hand had no place to rest, and she felt a little cramped.
"It's beautiful." Lu Zhiqiao boasted.
The child also smiled, being very careful.
Lu Zhiqiao sighed secretly, took her daughter's shoulders and pulled her into her arms, apologizing: "I'm sorry, mom shouldn't have lost her temper with you today..."
The person in her arms froze and didn't make a sound.
"Girl, do you like Teacher Qi?"
"Yes."
Lu Zhiqiao asked nervously, "Then do you want...another mother?"
"Isn't it a father?"
"Fool." She smiled and patted her daughter's shoulder, "Teacher Qi is also a woman, there is no such thing as a father."
The child did not answer for a long time.
"Baby?" Lu Zhiqiao was a little flustered.
Lu Wei bit her lower lip, raised her head, and looked at her complaining: "But Teacher Qi said, you are not in a relationship yet, I...what should I call her..."
After poking at the sore spot, Lu Zhiqiao's eyes darkened, like ashes.
Lu Wei didn't dare to say any more, her mother's temper was unpredictable, she was fierce like a tigress in the first two hours, but now she is coaxing her gently again, she is afraid. Feeling like a pet, her mother teased a few times when she was happy, and kicked away when she was unhappy.
Pets are not free and must be controlled and monitored.
Lu Zhiqiao was confused and couldn't answer the child's question directly. She thought she was cornered, but luckily she was just worrying too much. She couldn't react for a while now, and felt that her daughter accepted it too quickly. It is a little unbelievable, but she also thought that Qi Yan had already communicated with her daughter, subconsciously she still believed in Qi Yan.
Whether it is educating children or communicating with them, Qi Yan is always better than her in this regard.
She used to think that taking good care of the child's food, clothing, housing and transportation was already a success, but now it seems that it is far from enough. She is simply a failed mother.
Also a failed romantic partner.
"Mom, honestly, you don't have to worry about me. Teacher Qi is very kind to me. You can see that, anyway, I like her very much. You should also like her, right? Otherwise, why would you kiss—" Lu Wei couldn't help but persuade her like a little adult.
Speaking of the latter, she couldn't hold it back, and quickly covered her mouth.
Lu Zhiqiao was stunned: "What?"
"I... I saw you kissing in the room that night..." After the child finished speaking, she covered her face and put her head on her shoulder.
"..."
It doesn't matter which night, what matters is being seen.
No wonder.
Lu Zhiqiao blushed, coughed twice, and said, "Young girl, you must never talk about this at school, do you understand?"
There was a muffled hum from behind.
Being seen by the child is enough to show that they are too careless. If they paid more attention, it wouldn't bring about today's disaster. Lu Zhiqiao felt so remorseful right now, all her faults were brought together on her own head, which invisibly put heavy pressure on her, and she was felt little out of breath.
"Girl"
"Mm?"
"Do you think mom is a pervert?" She asked with difficulty.
Lu Wei took off her hand, widened her eyes, and looked at her in surprise: "Oh my god, Mom, what era are you from? So many Lily novels are so popular now, you actually call them perverts? I'm going to tell Teacher Qi, that you called her a pervert."
It's over.
She seems to have slipped up again.
"Lily novel?" Lu Zhiqiao frowned.
The little girl swallowed her saliva, made two he-he, and quickly raised her hands to swear: "I only read it in my spare time."
"You borrowed a classmate's book?"
"No, website."
Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Lu Wei quickly confessed honestly, not daring to hide a word. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly and narrowed her eyes: "I'll confiscate your mobile phone, and I will replace it with a keypad phone."
"Don't--"
Before she finished speaking, Lu Zhiqiao stood up, snatched the mobile phone from the desk, and lightly reprimanded: "Go to sleep."
"..."
Back in the master bedroom, Lu Zhiqiao turned off her daughter's cell phone and put it in the dresser drawer. She opened the closet, changed out of her nightgown and sexy underwear, put on ordinary pajamas, and fell head first on the bed.
The light from the ceiling was projected down, it was bright and dazzling, she closed her eyes, her mind was full of Qi Yan's face.
Some are happy, some are lost, some are angry, some are cold-hearted...
Tonight's plan was in vain. She messed it up herself. She wanted to muster up the courage to do it again, but would Qi Yan care about her? Had she seen through her face? Just like a nail driven into a stake, even if it is removed, the traces will remain there forever.
Originally, she planned to confess everything about her past to Qi Yan, and even planned a short-term future.
But like a bubble, it bursted.
Lu Zhiqiao took a deep breath, her face flushed, and after a while, she sat up, took her phone and sent Qi Yan a wechat message
[Can you give me a few more days?]
[There is something I want to tell you.]
A reply in seconds.
[?]
Lu Zhiqiao turned off the screen, threw her phone aside, and turned on the laptop. The short-term future plan she wrote is still in the folder. Now creating a new document and listing the things she wants to say one by one...
When your mind is messed up, it's easier to get your head around it when you write it down.
….
It's the beginning of summer in the new week, and the temperature is getting higher and higher day by day.
Lu Zhiqiao's appointment as the vice president by the company's board of directors was sudden and direct. Although the news of her promotion had been widely circulated before, this official promotion still attracted a lot of discussions.
Lu Zhiqiao moved her office and moved a lot of things. She had hired a help with the cleaning, but it still took a while to tidy up.
At four or five in the afternoon, the new office was tidied up, she sat down, made a cup of scented tea, opened QQ* on her desktop and transferred the list of documents she had written to her mobile phone.
*messaging app
She opened it on her phone, browse through it carefully, and confirmed that there are no omissions.
She thought about it, and added a sentence after the last "The girl is not my biological daughter": But she is related to me by blood.
Just as she was about to send, a phone call came in showing Shu Minxi.
"Hello? Ms. Shu."
A woman's hoarse and desolate voice came from the other end of the phone: "She's gone..."
Author's Note:
Don't worry, the crematorium* hasn't been arranged yet hahahaha =3=
*aka wife chasing, a chinese novel trope where a character will chase after a lost love after taking it for granted (may or may not include abuse and cheating) for a long time, just when the other party gives up on/stopped loving him/he
Seeing Qi Yan's smiling eyes filled with anticipation, joy and tenderness, Lu Zhiqiao suddenly hesitated, and the fingers on the tie bent stiffly. But thinking about how she spoke improperly, earlier, she felt regretful, so she decided that since the gift was already prepared, she might as well give it as it was.She bit her lip, gently pulling off the string, and the nightgown slipped off, revealing the erotic lingerie that makes one blush.The scenery is attractive.Lu Zhiqiao half-closed her eyes and said nothing, a large and dazzling blush appeared on her cheeks.The music in the speaker happened to play to the passionate part, and her heartbeat fluctuated with the rhythm, feeling anxious for some reason. Her thoughts that had just been disturbed by her daughter haven't calmed down. She seemed to be pushed by a force, reluctantly moving forward, reaching an uncontrollable point where she could only bite the bullet.A scorching gaze fell on her, full of affection and desire. Can she imagine that person's expression, surprise? excited? OrBoth.Qi Yan stared at the scene and swallowed, a moment of surprise and excitement flashed through her eyes, but they disappeared quickly. Her eyes turned dim, her face slightly sunken, as if she understood something, but didn't speak.Lu Zhiqiao waited nervously.Suddenly, two hands stretched out. She held her breath.Instead of doing what was expected, both hands picked up her nightgown and draped them over her, covering all the scenery tightly. Then carefully tied the strings and tied a beautiful bow - with thin and slender fingers, and the knots were so beautifulLu Zhiqiao stared blankly, looked up, and met the person's calm gaze. Qi Yan lightly curled the corner of her mouth and smiled reluctantly, whispering, "I don't want this gift until we establish a relationship.After finishing speaking, she avoided Lu Zhiqiao's eyes and turned around.The corners of her lips collapsed.If what happened earlier had not happened, she would happily accept the gift, and then the two would establish a relationship and live a happy family life of three. However, those words stuck in her heart like nails. Even if she had a pleasant surprise at this moment, it was hard to resist the faint pain.It's like slapping her face, then massaging her three times. First, hurt her deeply, and then give her a self-righteous comfort.Does this person think that all she wants is her body?Countless times, she felt that she had gained her heart, only to be always pushed away, resisted, and even given up, like she is today. She has never liked someone so humbly, but the humble she is, the more she is taken for granted. Of course, she didn't want to speculate on Lu Zhiqiao in this way, she believes that she is not.Back when she was young, she didn't know how to show weakness emotionally, and she ran around with thorns all over her body, and in the end she was left alone. Later, she learned to show weakness, but to no avail, her nature could not be changed. Then much later she discovered that there is no need to learn whether to be humble, show weakness, or infinite tolerance. As long as she meets that person, she can learn it without a teacher, just like the body's instinct.Qiao Qiao is "that person".The closer their relationship became, the more reluctant she was to put pressure on Lu Zhiqiao, and she would rather digest all the grievances and pains by herself. She can accommodate all of her.It's just that today, the patience and good temper she's always been proud of, almost failed her.Those words hurt her deeply.It hurts so much.What's the point of having an ambiguous relationship? She wants the heart, not the body.She thought, this is their last hurdle, right? As long as the child's matter can be resolved smoothly and Lu Zhiqiao can be assured, they can be together. By that time, she will no longer be a teacher, she will have nothing to do during the day than to shoot photos, teach her daughter homework at night, sleep with Qiao Qiao in her arms, and go out with the mother and daughter on weekends to relax. One room for three people, three meals for four seasons.Very nice.The corners of her collapsed mouth raised again. She buried the bitterness deep in her heart, pretending that she never felt pain.Lu Zhiqiao choked.The "why" that came to her mouth was swallowed, she didn't need to ask, she understood. When it comes to feelings, her emotional ups and downs are uncontrollable. When she is impulsive, she speaks unscrupulously, and when she calms down, she'll regret endlessly. It was always like this, which inevitably chills people's hearts.However, she had too many uncontrollable burdens to bear. She seemed indestructible, but in reality, she was extremely fragile.She has shown Qi Yan the softest and most vulnerable part of her heart without reservation.She knew that Qi Yan was sad."sorry."Her apology seemed weak.Lu Zhiqiao bit her lip tightly, trying to maintain a calm surface, looking so calm and breezy.Qi Yan didn't answer, her eyes fell on the cake, she stood up with a smile, and said, "Let's cut the cake. I haven't eaten such a big cake for a long time." After speaking, she picked up the plastic knife next to her and was about to cut it, but saw two number candles standing on the top tier.One 28, one 13."What does thirteen mean?" She turned her head and asked.Lu Zhiqiao stood up and looked at the number candle that belonged to her daughter, her heart was stabbed, and her eyes darkened, "Today is also Niu Niu's birthday." Then she added: "Thirteen years old.""What a coincidence!" Qi Yan was surprised, her face was full of joy, "Where's Niu Niu? Why didn't I see her?""I..." Lu Zhiqiao frowned, not knowing what to say.Qi Yan suddenly realized something, her smile froze for two seconds, put down the knife, and said nonchalantly, "I'll call her."Lu Zhiqiao clenched her nightgown tightly with her hands hanging by her side, her lips moved, she hesitated to speak, her eyes showed a look of embarrassment, but she didn't stop her in the end.The corridor was silent, and the sky outside the window was dark.Qi Yan knocked on the door of 901, and it took a long time before it opened. When Lu Wei appeared behind the door, the smile on her face became stiff and faded when she saw those red and swollen eyes, and the "Happy Birthday" she had prepared was also swallowed back."Niu Niu, what's the matter?" She frowned, and raised her hand to caress her daughter's face.Lu Wei stood under the light, her immature face was covered with tears, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, her eyelids were half drooping, and there were still crystal teardrops on her eyelashes, her body twitched. Seeing her, the little girl called out in a low voice, "Teacher Qi...""Don't cry, don't cry, what happened?" Qi Yan was so distressed, she hurriedly wiped her tears, entered the room, closed the door, shook off her shoes, and led her to sit barefoot on the sofa.The little girl stared at her feet, then turned around and brought slippers to her feet, signaling her to put them on.Qi Yan's heart warmed, she put on the slippers, pulled her daughter to sit on her lap, wiped her tears meticulously, and asked softly, "Did mom scold you?"Lu Wei hummed nasally and lowered her head."She...may not be in a good mood today, it's my fault. I've already comforted her. Niu Niu is good, don't bother with her~" Qi Yan stroked the child's ponytail, and squeezed out a dry sentence of comfort. She suddenly understood Lu Zhiqiao's mood, because when she actually faced her daughter, she didn't have the courage to ask directly or speak out.Everything happened so suddenly, she was unprepared, even if she was calm at the moment, she didn't know how to organize her thoughts and organize her words. She is like this, let alone Lu Zhiqiao.The pain in her heart felt better.Lu Wei gasped and raised her head to look at her: "Teacher Qi, are you and my mother dating?"One sentence from her daughter liberated her.Qi Yan heaved a sigh of relief, and asked carefully, "What do you think?""I thinkyou are.""Actually" Qi Yan pursed her lips and said anxiously, "Your mother and I haven't established a relationship yet, but I'm pursuing her." After speaking, she hurriedly asked: "Niu Niu, do you mind? It's me, with your mother... um, two women together?"She had no experience in talking to children about this kind of thing, so she just had to bite the bullet. The car had already reached the front of the mountain, and she had to make a way out even if there was no way.But she was fortunate that she was the one who talked about this matter with her child first, at least she was able to deal with it positively and tried her best to guide the child in the direction she wanted to see. If it was Lu Zhiqiao...That foolish woman, apart from being cruel to the child, only knows how to make trouble for herself.Maybe because she is not her daughter's real mother, she can't experience it personally. She and Lu Zhiqiao grew up in different family environments, sometimes she can't empathize with her, but with her hard work, the naked eye can see that Lu Zhiqiao is slowly changing, and she believes that everything will get better."I don't mind." Lu Wei sniffed and shook her head.Qi Yan's eyes lit up, as if expected. She brushed away the broken hair on her daughter's forehead, and continued to ask: "Then what are you thinking?""Me?" Lu Wei puffed up her cheeks, thought for a moment, and said seriously: "I don't have any thoughts, and my life hasn't changed. But I think my mother has a lot of thoughts, and doesn't seem to want to accept you. I can see it, but she still won't admit it."Being poked at the sore spot, Qi Yan frowned unconsciously, but quickly suppressed it, and she smiled, "Niu Niu, do you know mom? What was her life like before?""Busy with work." Lu Wei replied truthfully."...""When I was very young, I was accompanied by a nanny aunt at home. Later, there was no more auntie, so I was alone at home. My mother often worked overtime and came back late. Sometimes I saw her tired and wanted to talk to her, but she ignored me. Then it should be when I was in elementary school, she had time to talk to me, but she just asked me how I was doing in school, whether I did my homeworkum, my life before was pretty much the same, very monotonous, I don't know how to describe it.The little girl lowered her head and pinched her fingers, her eyes washed with tears were black and clear, she looked simple and innocent, but when she looked carefully, she seemed to be hiding something on her mind."By the way, when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, there was an aunt who had a good relationship with her, as if they were colleagues. At that time, I didn't know that girls could be like this, but now I think it must not be a friendly relationship.""Lover?" Qi Yan held her breath."It's not like that, they didn't kiss." Lu Wei shook her head, then looked at Qi Yan sheepishly, and whispered: "The night before the three-day holiday, I saw you kissing in the room, and I thought of the plot of the novel .Facing Teacher Qi, she was willing to say anything. She really likes gentle people. People who always have a smiling face, can't help but want to get close, and are willing to exchange all her secrets for a hug.Thinking about it, she hugged Qi Yan's neck and secretly kissed her.Qi Yan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized.So that's how it is.In the era of developed Internet, information sharing is very fast, and children are generally precocious nowadays. What things can't be understood? Instead of concentrating on concealing, it is better to speak out and give correct guidance.Qi Yan suddenly felt that things were much simpler and easier."Niu Niu, what exactly is the aunt you mentioned just now?" She wanted to know more about this.Lu Wei observed her face, it seemed that there was no change because of the kiss, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and said while recalling: "Looking at it now, I feel that the aunt is chasing my mom, but mom doesn't seem to have that intention. Later they quarreled. There was a fight, and I heard something in the room'with her without you', I don't understand.""Then that aunt never came to my house."Qi Yan raised her brows and asked, "Do you like that Auntie?""I don't like her very much." Lu Wei curled her lips, "It feels like she smiled at me in a fake way." After speaking, she looked at Qi Yan again, as if she was afraid that she would mind, and quickly added: "Teacher Qi, I like you very much. You are different from that aunt, I like you more than mom."Qi Yan burst out laughing, stretching out her hand to scratch the little girl's nose, "Your mother would be jealouswhenshe hears that.""He he~"The little girl smiled through tears.Qi Yan smiled softly, but her heart was filled with turbulent waves. She felt that she had touched a blind spot and stepped into an area that had never been explored. Although it was unfamiliar, the general situation was the same as her guess.If she guessed right, the so-called "her" should refer to Niu Niu. As for using the child as an excuse to reject people whom she doesn't like, or to give up feelings because of concern for the child, is not known.Qi Yan is more inclined to the former, but anyone with a bit of emotional experience, will not be like Lu Zhiqiao.She couldn't figure it out again.Lu Zhiqiao treats her daughter as her life, but she doesn't seem to put herself in the position of a mother. In other words, she doesn't know how to be a mother. What she plays is more like a cold "monitoring machine". Fully wound up and only rotating in a predetermined trajectory.What went wrong?"Niu Niu" Qi Yan's mind flashed, "Does your mother usually mention your father?"Lu Wei was stunned, with disappointment in her eyes, and shook her head, "She hardly mentioned him When I asked her, she first said that he was abroad, and then she said that he had passed away.""..."Got stuck in a dead end.Never liked a man? Not "that '' kind of love for Niu Niu's dad? Photos in the closet? The more Qi Yan thinks about it, the more she feels that there are still many mysteries to be solved, but the clues are broken, no way to go, and the source cannot be found.Unless, Qiao Qiao tells her personally."Teacher Qi...""Mm?"Lu Wei looked at her, clutching the buttons of her clothes with both hands, a little hesitant to speak, her eyes couldn't hide her curiosity, "Who is the gong and who is the shou?""Cough cough cough"Qi Yan's face changed slightly, she couldn't laugh or cry for a while, and coughed twice, "Let's not talk about this issue for now. Niu Niu, I just found out that today is also your birthday, do you think it's a coincidence?" She kissed her cheek, "Happy birthday, baby, let's eat cake.""Happy birthday, Teacher Qi too." The little girl smiled happily, and then the corners of her mouth collapsed again.She really wants to eat cake.So big!But her mom is over there, she was fierce just now. Won't she just be looking for scolding now?Thinking about it, the child looked at Qi Yan with grievances, and was about to cry, "Teacher Qi, I told my mother just now that you are in a relationship, and she scolded me and wouldn't let me eat the cake."Qi Yan held her face and rubbed it, comfortingly said: "It's okay, your mother was just scared today, and I didn't come back early, which made her feel bad. I have coaxed her well, she let me come to tell you to eat cake, wash your face quickly, let's go."Lu Wei was a little hesitant, but thinking of such a big cake, she became so greedy that her mouth was watering, it would be a pity not to eat it.In the end, it was the glutton who overcame the fear.She got up and ran to the bathroom, washed her face indiscriminately, and followed Qi Yan to the opposite door.The music on the speaker was replaced with a birthday song, and Lu Zhiqiao squatted in front of the coffee table and cut the cake. She cut the two pieces with the most fruit cream on the bottom layer, put them on a plate and put them aside, and then lit the two number candles on the top.Qi Yan led Lu Wei in.Lu Zhiqiao looked at the big one and the small one, with a hint of guilt in her eyes, a stiff smile on the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "Come and eat the cake."During the day, she took her daughter out to play, bought gifts, and had a big meal. It is considered half of her birthday done, just short of eating a cake this night. And Qi Yan...she put all her thoughts into preparation, waiting for tonight, but so far, it's only half done.Her daughter looked like she had cried, her eyes were red and a little swollen, and there was timidity in her eyes. On the contrary, Qi Yan was full of smiles. She took the child into the room and brought her the cake that Lu Zhiqiao had served. "Our little girl, Niu Niu, is one year older today.""Teacher Qi is one year younger again~" Lu Wei took the cake, her eyes lit up, and she grinned at her."Sweet talker." Qi Yan patted her head, "I prepared a gift for you, wait for me." After speaking, she turned and went into the study."Uh-huh."Originally, Qi Yan thought that her daughter was not yet fourteen years old and it was going to be Children's Day, so she prepared a Children's Day gift for her in advance, but she didn't expect that it would be her birthday, so she sent it out as a birthday present first.T/N: Children's Day in China is observed by children below 14 years old.The gift is a pair of shoes.Lu Wei has been craving for it fo a long time, but because it is too expensive and cannot be bought, she has no choice but to give it up.The moment she saw the shoes, Lu Zhiqiao, who was silent on the sidelines, suddenly understood. No wonder, some time ago, Qi Yan asked her daughter what she liked, and also asked about the size of clothes and shoes. She pressed, and Qi Yan said it was for Children's Day.She didn't think too much about it at the time, but now that she thinks about it, the coincidence happened just right. This person really has a heart.The child was so happy that she didn't even eat the cake, she pouted her mouth full of cream and kissed Qi Yan on the face. The two hugged and made a fuss, smiling and laughing. Lu Zhiqiao was left on the sidelines, unable to care about the embarrassment and panic of being seen through by her daughter, her heart and eyes were full of bitterness, and a little bit of envy.She silently cut a piece of cake for herself, and sat beside them to eat.At ten o'clock in the evening, most of the cake was eaten. Qi Yan put the rest in the refrigerator and kept it for tomorrow. She brought the camera and arranged it, and the three of them squatted in front of the golden English letters and took a photo together."Niu Niu, are you sleepy? Mom and I will tidy up here, go back to brush your teeth and go to bed first, huh?" Qi Yan stroked her daughter's bulging belly and used it as a head pillow for her.The little girl secretly glanced at her mother, quickly looked away, and nodded: "Okay, good night, Teacher Qi~ I'll eat cake tomorrow.""Haha, okay, I'll keep them all for you."Little greedy cat.Qi Yan got up and sent her to the door, and watched her step into the door of 901. In an instant, the smile on her face collapsed, and her eyes showed fatigue.Turning around, Lu Zhiqiao stood under the lamp and watched her quietly."Let me clean it up. You're tired today, so go to bed early. I'll be there soon.""No need." Qi Yan smiled lightly and shook her head, looked up at the decorations in the living room, "It's good to keep, I like it."Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips and smiled, a little at a loss.She was wearing a loose nightgown, showing a slender figure faintly, with a pair of slender calves exposed at the hem, long hair draped over the shoulders, and a gentle face that was plain and indifferent, not a bit seductive.Qi Yan looked at her, feeling as if her heart was stuffed with cotton, no matter how seductive it was visually, she couldn't taste it.The two looked at each other for a long time, Qi Yan walked over with her lips curled up, held her hand, and said softly: "I talked to Niu Niu, she said she didn't mind, and she didn't have any thoughts. In fact, the child is not as complicated as you think. I know you are afraid that she will also take this difficult path, but sexual orientation is innate and cannot be changed overnight. Niu Niu is still young, when she grows up, how to choose is her own business, we just need to be her most solid backing."Lu Zhiqiao's eyes turned a little red, and she looked at Qi Yan full of desire to talk, her lips parted and closed, but they didn't say anything after all.Qi Yan saw it all.Her warm heart turned half cold again."Go back, I want to rest." She saidLu Zhiqiao lowered her head, hummed softly, picked up the phone on the table and left.The door was gently closed, and Qi Yan suddenly collapsed on the sofa, leaning her head, closing her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and then opening it again. She looked at the carefully decorated living room and then lowered her head to look at the earphone box, tears dripping down after holding back for a long time.She wiped her face, opened the box, read the instructions briefly, connected her phone, and turned on the player.Noise reduction, the whole world belongs to her..Her daughter was taking a bath in the bathroom, and Lu Zhiqiao hid in the room to listen to the noise, and when the child returned to the bedroom, she quietly went out and knocked on the door of the second bedroom."Baby, can mom go in?"There was no answer from inside, and after a while, the door opened, and the daughter stood behind the door looking at her, and called mother carefully.Lu Zhiqiao was startled, raised her smiling face, and took the child's hand into the room.There was only one pair of shoes that Qi Yan gave her on the ground, and the other was on her daughter's foot. She seemed to like it very much, and she wanted to try it on before going to bed. Lu Zhiqiao sat on the edge of the bed with her daughter, bent over to pick up the shoe, and put it on for her.The little girl was wearing new shoes, her feet were raised up, her other hand had no place to rest, and she felt a little cramped."It's beautiful." Lu Zhiqiao boasted.The child also smiled, being very careful.Lu Zhiqiao sighed secretly, took her daughter's shoulders and pulled her into her arms, apologizing: "I'm sorry, mom shouldn't have lost her temper with you today..."The person in her arms froze and didn't make a sound."Girl, do you like Teacher Qi?""Yes."Lu Zhiqiao asked nervously, "Then do you want...another mother?""Isn't it a father?""Fool." She smiled and patted her daughter's shoulder, "Teacher Qi is also a woman, there is no such thing as a father."The child did not answer for a long time."Baby?" Lu Zhiqiao was a little flustered.Lu Wei bit her lower lip, raised her head, and looked at her complaining: "But Teacher Qi said, you are not in a relationship yet, I...what should I call her..."After poking at the sore spot, Lu Zhiqiao's eyes darkened, like ashes.Lu Wei didn't dare to say any more, her mother's temper was unpredictable, she was fierce like a tigress in the first two hours, but now she is coaxing her gently again, she is afraid. Feeling like a pet, her mother teased a few times when she was happy, and kicked away when she was unhappy.Pets are not free and must be controlled and monitored.Lu Zhiqiao was confused and couldn't answer the child's question directly. She thought she was cornered, but luckily she was just worrying too much.She couldn't react for a while now, and felt that her daughter accepted it too quickly. It is a little unbelievable, but she also thought that Qi Yan had already communicated with her daughter, subconsciously she still believed in Qi Yan.Whether it is educating children or communicating with them, Qi Yan is always better than her in this regard.She used to think that taking good care of the child's food, clothing, housing and transportation was already a success, but now it seems that it is far from enough. She is simply a failed mother.Also a failed romantic partner."Mom, honestly, you don't have to worry about me. Teacher Qi is very kind to me. You can see that, anyway, I like her very much. You should also like her, right? Otherwise, why would you kiss" Lu Wei couldn't help but persuade her like a little adult.Speaking of the latter, she couldn't hold it back, and quickly covered her mouth.Lu Zhiqiao was stunned: "What?""I... I saw you kissing in the room that night..." After the child finished speaking, she covered her face and put her head on her shoulder."..."It doesn't matter which night, what matters is being seen.No wonder.Lu Zhiqiao blushed, coughed twice, and said, "Young girl, you must never talk about this at school, do you understand?"There was a muffled hum from behind.Being seen by the child is enough to show that they are too careless. If they paid more attention, it wouldn't bring about today's disaster. Lu Zhiqiao felt so remorseful right now, all her faults were brought together on her own head, which invisibly put heavy pressure on her, and she was felt little out of breath."Girl""Mm?""Do you think mom is a pervert?" She asked with difficulty.Lu Wei took off her hand, widened her eyes, and looked at her in surprise: "Oh my god, Mom, what era are you from? So many Lily novels are so popular now, you actually call them perverts? I'm going to tell Teacher Qi, that you called her a pervert."It's over.She seems to have slipped up again."Lily novel?" Lu Zhiqiao frowned.The little girl swallowed her saliva, made two he-he, and quickly raised her hands to swear: "I only read it in my spare time.""You borrowed a classmate's book?""No, website."Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Lu Wei quickly confessed honestly, not daring to hide a word.Unexpectedly, Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly and narrowed her eyes: "I'll confiscate your mobile phone, and I will replace it with a keypad phone.""Don't--"Before she finished speaking, Lu Zhiqiao stood up, snatched the mobile phone from the desk, and lightly reprimanded: "Go to sleep.""..."Back in the master bedroom, Lu Zhiqiao turned off her daughter's cell phone and put it in the dresser drawer.She opened the closet, changed out of her nightgown and sexy underwear, put on ordinary pajamas, and fell head first on the bed.The light from the ceiling was projected down, it was bright and dazzling, she closed her eyes, her mind was full of Qi Yan's face.Some are happy, some are lost, some are angry, some are cold-hearted...Tonight's plan was in vain. She messed it up herself. She wanted to muster up the courage to do it again, but would Qi Yan care about her? Had she seen through her face? Just like a nail driven into a stake, even if it is removed, the traces will remain there forever.Originally, she planned to confess everything about her past to Qi Yan, and even planned a short-term future.But like a bubble, it bursted.Lu Zhiqiao took a deep breath, her face flushed, and after a while, she sat up, took her phone and sent Qi Yan a wechat messageCan you give me a few more days?There is something I want to tell you.A reply in seconds.?Lu Zhiqiao turned off the screen, threw her phone aside, and turned on the laptop. The short-term future plan she wrote is still in the folder. Now creating a new document and listing the things she wants to say one by one...When your mind is messed up, it's easier to get your head around it when you write it down..It's the beginning of summer in the new week, and the temperature is getting higher and higher day by day.Lu Zhiqiao's appointment as the vice president by the company's board of directors was sudden and direct.Although the news of her promotion had been widely circulated before, this official promotion still attracted a lot of discussions.Lu Zhiqiao moved her office and moved a lot of things. She had hired a help with the cleaning, but it still took a while to tidy up.At four or five in the afternoon, the new office was tidied up, she sat down, made a cup of scented tea, opened QQ* on her desktop and transferred the list of documents she had written to her mobile phone.*messaging appShe opened it on her phone, browse through it carefully, and confirmed that there are no omissions.She thought about it, and added a sentence after the last "The girl is not my biological daughter": But she is related to me by blood.Just as she was about to send, a phone call came in showing Shu Minxi."Hello? Ms. Shu."A woman's hoarse and desolate voice came from the other end of the phone: "She's gone..."Author's Note:Don't worry, the crematorium* hasn't been arranged yet hahahaha =3=*aka wife chasing, a chinese novel trope where a character will chase after a lost love after taking it for granted may or may not include abuse and cheating for a long time, just when the other party gives up on/stopped loving him/he
