Chapter Two Hundred and Three
“Huh?”
‘What exactly is going on? Who is in my house?’
Song Qiuyu froze for 2 seconds before she suddenly snapped out of it.
She immediately pulled out her phone and saw that her mom still hadn’t replied to her message.
She couldn’t help but find it strange. If her mom had come home early, she should have sent a text.
“Don’t be nervous. Maybe your mom just came back but was busy with something else, so she didn’t see the message?”
Jiang Xiao looked at the house with the lights on, then at the person beside him, subconsciously rubbing her head.
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu frowned. After considering it for a moment, she clenched her hands and continued forward with a mix of doubt and anxiety.
Deep down, emotions of excitement and tension surged.
She was excited because she hadn’t seen her mom in a long time, but nervous because she feared her expectations would be crushed.
She was also afraid to face her in her current appearance as a girl—especially since she hadn’t come back alone today.
She bit her lip, and her footsteps gradually slowed until she finally stopped in the hallway not far from the front door.
Her nose twitched as she took a few breaths.
She could faintly smell the warm, nostalgic aroma of home-cooked food coming from the brightly lit room.
It wasn’t just that someone was home; they were actually cooking!
Countless guesses flooded Song Qiuyu’s mind.
She stood dazed, staring toward her home, wanting to move forward yet hesitant, and filled with unease.
Immediately after, her left hand felt a wave of warmth. Jiang Xiao had grasped her trembling hand!
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here!” Jiang Xiao said, looking at her with a bright smile.
Song Qiuyu turned her head and looked up, watching the boy’s smile under the light of the setting sun with surprise. Her eyes widened slightly.
She had never felt that the smile on his face was as dazzling as it was now—so dazzling that she couldn’t look away.
A sudden sense of luck and peace spread through her heart.
She was glad she hadn’t returned alone; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to enter the house.
She might have even been cowardly enough to turn and flee.
As if a surge of encouragement had been injected into her heart, she instantly gathered her courage.
She took a shallow breath, nodded, and walked forward a few steps.
Stopping a pace away from the door, she reached out and knocked.
*Knock, knock.* Her hand clenched into a fist as she held her breath.
With a *creak*, the door opened.
Standing there was a middle-aged woman with chestnut-colored, medium-length hair whose eyes and brows bore a thirty percent resemblance to Song Qiuyu’s.
The woman had the aura of a capable, elite white-collar worker, though she was currently wearing a pink apron.
This woman was, naturally, Song Qiuyu’s mother, Su Luo.
Looking at her mom’s face, Song Qiuyu’s pupils dilated in disbelief. This face, which she had missed for so long and feared for just as long, felt a bit unfamiliar. There was a significant difference from the last time she had seen her.
The biggest difference was that, for some reason, her mom seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.
She looked like she was only 18 or 19 years old—almost like they were the same age.
“Oh, if it isn’t Mommy’s little baby, Little Fish!” Su Luo said with a smile as she sized up Song Qiuyu, tilting her head in surprise.
Song Qiuyu was stunned. In her memory, her mom had only called her that when she was very, very young, before her father went missing.
It had been so long that she had almost forgotten it.
More importantly, being called that so suddenly by her mom made her feel both awkward and embarrassed.
After all, she was an adult now. Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed being called “little baby” by their mother?
Catching Jiang Xiao’s playful gaze out of the corner of her eye, her mind buzzed, and she felt uncomfortable all over. She had a bad premonition.
“Mom, why are you back so suddenly? And you didn’t reply to my messages. Did you not see them?” She ignored the premonition, took a deep breath, and spoke hurriedly.
Su Luo blinked, then laughed, immediately explaining the situation. “Oh, that. Of course, I wanted to give my little baby a surprise! As for the messages, I saw them, but after that, I was busy rushing to the shop to grab groceries and forgot to reply, haha!”
Ugh…
Song Qiuyu was speechless. Was her mom always this scatterbrained and ditzy? It was quite the contrast to her capable-looking outfit!
Jiang Xiao, with a smile on his lips, looked at the person beside him thoughtfully.
‘They’re so similar. Like mother, like daughter.’
“Is this your college classmate?” Su Luo turned to look at Jiang Xiao, her eyes lighting up.
At those words, Jiang Xiao was taken aback. Even though he already had an answer in his heart, he was still curious about how his girlfriend would introduce him to this person.
Song Qiuyu’s lips thinned into a line. She knew how she should introduce him, but the words were stuck in her throat.
“Little baby?” Su Luo asked, finding it strange that her son hadn’t spoken for a long time.
“Right… Mom, he’s my classmate and my roommate! His name is Jiang Xiao!” Song Qiuyu blurted out the introduction in one breath.
Before she could even finish her sentence, she clearly heard the person beside her let out a short, soft chuckle.
She understood the meaning behind that laugh, but right now, she could only choose to wrong Jiang Xiao. If he was angry, she would just have to find a time to coax him later…
Thinking of this, she became restless, her heart racing with anxiety.
Jiang Xiao was indeed a bit frustrated. This frustration, strictly speaking, came from the fact that he was doing everything a boyfriend should do but still couldn’t get the title. He felt a sense of defeat from not being recognized by his girlfriend.
Even so, his face remained filled with a gentle and kind smile. As for his frustration, he only planned to settle the score with Xi’er once the door was closed and they were alone!
Thus, he politely bowed his head and spoke in his clearest voice. “Hello, Auntie. I’m Jiang Xiao. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Yes, yes. I’m very happy to meet you too.” Su Luo looked at Jiang Xiao with appreciation and nodded.
After speaking, she paused, a look of realization slowly appearing on her face. ‘Look at my memory… It’s so cold today, why are we chatting at the door? Since you’re home, come on in!’
At those words, Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao both nodded in unison.
“You’ve come back at just the right time. I’ve just finished a table full of food, and they’re all my little baby’s favorites. Let’s eat together!” Su Luo opened the door wide and turned around with a smile.
Song Qiuyu hesitated. She desperately wanted to ask her mom what exactly was going on.
Walking into the house, she looked at the entryway. Where there should have only been a pair of her mom’s leather shoes, there was now a pair of much larger men’s leather shoes.
Huh?
Was Mom not the only one at home?
Song Qiuyu stared intently at the unfamiliar men’s shoes. She wasn’t the only one staring at them; Jiang Xiao was looking as well. Recalling Song Qiuyu’s family situation, he couldn’t help but look further into the house, but out of politeness, he didn’t dare be too obvious.
“Mom, could it be…?” Song Qiuyu took a sharp breath. “That person is back?”
Hearing this, Su Luo was slightly startled, then nodded with a smile.
“But hasn’t that person been missing for over 10 years? How did he suddenly come back?” Song Qiuyu was shocked.
Jiang Xiao silently closed the door behind them.
Su Luo tilted her head curiously and winked at her son. “Little baby, what are you talking about? Your father was just away for a special work project. When was he ever missing?”
Hearing this, a giant question mark popped up in Song Qiuyu’s mind. Her facial expressions were on the verge of collapsing.
What?
Maybe she was just inexperienced, but she truly didn’t know what kind of job required a man to leave his wife and son for over 10 years without ever coming home, as if he had vanished into thin air.
Her mom’s reaction was also very strange. How could she not have a single word of complaint?
Something was wrong—really wrong.
“But speaking of which, your father went to lie down and rest as soon as he got home. Now that the food is ready, I should go call him.” Su Luo was still smiling cheerfully. “Could my little baby help me set out the bowls and chopsticks?”
“Um, okay,” Song Qiuyu replied subconsciously.
“Such a good baby!” Su Luo hummed a song as she happily headed upstairs. Anyone could see that this middle-aged woman was truly happy from the bottom of her heart.
Song Qiuyu was dazed. Suddenly, her head spun, and she almost couldn’t stand. Fortunately, Jiang Xiao was quick and supported her.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jiang Xiao asked immediately.
“Jiang Xiao!” Song Qiuyu looked into his eyes with urgency and anxiety. “Quick, slap me!”
“…”
“Hurry up and slap me! Remember to use some strength!”
“Why would I slap you?”
“Then pinch me!”
“Calm down first. Calm down. I think I know what you’re thinking, but this should be reality, not a dream.” As Jiang Xiao spoke, he still reached out and pinched her soft, smooth cheek.
“But this is clearly something that would only happen in a dream!” Song Qiuyu grabbed Jiang Xiao’s arms like a drowning person clutching at a straw. It was as if she would collapse onto the floor if she didn’t hold onto something.
Then, she stuttered and unconsciously gave him a general outline of everything that had happened in that dream.
The expression on Jiang Xiao’s face shifted several times.
He looked at the girl crying out for help with a complicated gaze.
Gritting his teeth, he couldn’t help but pull her into a tight embrace.
The frustration of not being acknowledged easily dissipated.
He really had no way to deal with this poor little hedgehog.
He wanted to be angry countless times, but he was always willing to let it go for her.
So she had even had a dream like that—a dream where she bravely gave him her everything and they ran toward the halls of marriage, only to ultimately fall into hell alone.
He suddenly didn’t dare to imagine what kind of mood she had been in last night when she decided to give things a try with him.
At a time like this, he should have felt heartache, yet his heart beat wildly for her, falling for her even more deeply once again.
Song Qiuyu didn’t move.
She simply immersed herself in his addictive warmth and scent, letting him hold her tightly.
It felt as if as long as they were together like this, she could feel at peace no matter how much trouble they encountered.
When exactly did Jiang Xiao start to feel like a warm harbor to her?
A place that made her want to dock and lose herself over and over again.
Even if the world wasn’t beautiful, there was always a harbor where she could rest.
“Don’t be afraid, Xi’er. This is a good thing. Dreams and reality are often opposites, so you can try to understand it that way!” Jiang Xiao skillfully soothed her.
As she was being comforted, Song Qiuyu’s mind uncontrollably went blank.
She felt as if she were stepping on cotton, a bit light-headed.
“In the dream, after we got together, the ending was terrible. That means in reality, we’ll be very happy.”
Jiang Xiao let go of her and squeezed her cheeks with both hands, looking at her with absolute conviction.
“Xi’er, at least that’s what I believe. Are you willing to believe me?”
As their eyes met, a crystalline light flickered in Song Qiuyu’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but be moved.
She wanted to believe his words.
A future opposite to that nightmare… that would be an absolutely wonderful life!
Her family would be fine, Jiang Xiao’s family would be fine, and their own little home would be even better.
Thinking this, her lips moved slightly as she tried her best to give him an answer.
At that moment, the sound of two sets of footsteps coming downstairs suddenly rang out.
Immediately after, Song Qiuyu froze.
Her pupils shrank as if she were waking from a dream, and her train of thought was instantly broken.
She helplessly and anxiously licked her lips, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe.
The courage she had gathered to answer him became like a candle in the wind, flickering and on the verge of vanishing.
She couldn’t use her and Jiang Xiao’s future as a gamble.
In her daze, she couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful toward her parents for suddenly returning.
If they hadn’t come back, she probably would have hugged Jiang Xiao and responded to him without hesitation.
“Xi’er, what are you thinking?” Jiang Xiao had naturally heard the footsteps, but this was undoubtedly a critical moment for both of them.
He didn’t want to stop.
If Xi’er was willing to believe him, no matter what awaited them next, he would firmly stand by her side to face and overcome it together, working for the future they wanted.
If only Xi’er was willing to believe him.
The two sets of footsteps grew closer. Song Qiuyu’s thoughts were in complete disarray, and she grew panicked.
Holding her breath, she closed her eyes, falling into a struggle.
She probably should have hugged Jiang Xiao back tightly, but the people coming downstairs were her parents—the family love she had always craved but had to keep suppressed in her heart.
This was the family bond she had waited over 10 years to finally possess.
The thought of how her parents’ attitudes might change once everything was out in the open terrified her.
On one side was her family; on the other was Jiang Xiao. Like the fish and the bear’s paw, she might not be able to have both.
If Jiang Xiao knew she was thinking this way, would he come to hate her? Would he stop liking her?
If she had to make a choice…
In the moment before the two sets of footsteps reached the first floor, her mind went blank. She simply grit her teeth and decisively, forcefully pushed Jiang Xiao away.
Jiang Xiao was stunned.