Become a mother in a night

Chapter 63

The next morning, Lizzy Xia walked in with a pouty, chubby face, trying her best to convey the message "Lizzy is unhappy, Lizzy is mad" to the adults in the house.
Nora Su, who was preparing breakfast for the family in the kitchen, noticed the young girl's sulking demeanor as she asked for milk. Thinking the child was just being grumpy from just waking up, Nora gently ruffled Lizzy's hair. After all, kids always enjoy a few extra moments in bed. And what's a little morning grumpiness from a child? Soon enough, they cheer themselves up.
Nora gave Lizzy a warm smile, retracted her hand from the girl's head, and continued with the breakfast preparations.
Lizzy stared down at the sweet milk in her hands. "Oh, it's sweet milk today! Much tastier than plain milk!" Holding her delightful drink, her mood lifted, and she thought of joining her mom in the dining room for some pampering. However, just as she approached the kitchen door, she remembered she was still mad at her mom.
Making sure to maintain her "Lizzy is unhappy, Lizzy is mad" expression, she sternly walked over to the dining table and climbed onto a chair without greeting Michelle Xia or Alex Ye.
Lizzy was somewhat upset because when she woke up, her mother wasn't beside her. They had promised to sleep together the previous night, but her mother had moved to the couch in the middle of the night. This deeply bothered Lizzy. Her mom didn't keep her word.
"She deceives kids. She's a bad mom!" Lizzy thought. To make sure her mom realized her mistake and to ensure she stays beside her every night, Lizzy decided she would show her displeasure throughout the day. Otherwise, she feared her mom would always act this way.
Lizzy, still sulking, now turned her attention to Michelle, hoping her mother would ask, "What's wrong, Lizzy?" That way, she could start scolding her. This method was something her older sister Sophie had taught her, and it had worked last time.
She eagerly awaited her mother's question, but Michelle only glanced at her, affectionately ruffled her hair, and then went back to her phone.
Confused thoughts buzzed in Lizzy's tiny head. "Why isn't mom asking me what's wrong?"
Alex Ye, on the other hand, had noticed Lizzy's discontented expression from the start. He realized that Michelle was acting out of the ordinary today. She wasn't immediately trying to console Lizzy and even pretended not to notice her daughter's mood. "Are they playing some kind of game?" he wondered, feeling a bit left out. Alex sighed, sensing a distance between himself and the two most important women in his life.
Seeing her mother obliviously immersed in her phone, Lizzy thought, "Such a clueless mom!".
To expect her clueless mom to notice she was upset, it might take an eternity. 
The clever child decided to take a more indirect approach by getting her father's attention. If only her dad asked, "What's wrong, Lizzy?", she could blame her mom. And who knows? Maybe he'd join her in scolding her mother.
With this strategy in mind, Lizzy looked up at Alex Ye, batting her eyelashes, waiting for him to ask. 
Lizzy Xia: "Daddy, ask! Quick!"
Alex noticed his daughter looking his way. Those round, hopeful eyes stared intently at him. Unsure of the game she was playing, but not wanting to ruin whatever fun she was having, Alex pretended not to notice her hints.
He reached out, gently ruffling her hair, offered a soft smile, and then continued to read his morning news while waiting for breakfast.
Lizzy was taken aback, feeling a mix of disappointment and shock. "Silly mom. Silly dad! How can neither of them see I'm upset? Only I am clever in this house!" This realization made her feel quite pleased with herself, but also somewhat worried. 
How would she make her mom realize she was upset?
Soon, Nora Su finished preparing breakfast and served it to them. As Lizzy ate, she continued pondering her dilemma. By the time breakfast was over and it was time for her dad to take her to preschool, she still hadn't figured it out. Her mom remained oblivious.
With a downcast look, Lizzy reluctantly held Alex's hand, ready to leave. But just as they approached the door, she couldn't hold back any longer. Breaking free from Alex's grasp, she dashed over to Michelle Xia, giving her a pouty, endearing look.
Lizzy thought to herself: "I might be mad, but I still want to be pampered."
Seeing Lizzy return for a bit of attention, Michelle couldn't help but smile. Kids were so impatient. To think she'd feigned anger this early in the morning!
She comforted Lizzy briefly, but seeing that it was getting late and the little one wasn't quite ready to stop seeking affection, she quickly ushered them out the door.
So, with her brief moment of pouting over, Lizzy once again held onto Alex's hand, looking sullen, and they set off.
Alex Ye sighed internally, thinking, "What game are they playing?"
Lizzy's preschool was a short walk from their house, only a few hundred meters away. Even in the depths of winter, they always walked.
On their way, Lizzy Xia could no longer contain herself. She converted all the grievances she had received from Michelle Xia into adorable complaints towards Alex Ye. In her innocent, childlike voice, she whined to him, "Daddy, last night, mommy was so unfair! She promised to sleep with me, but she sneaked out in the middle of the night to sleep on the sofa, leaving me all alone in bed!"
Hearing her complaint, Alex finally understood why his daughter looked so displeased that morning. Though Lizzy wore a face full of anger, her round, cherubic cheeks made her look more endearing than threatening. It's no wonder Michelle turned a blind eye to Lizzy's displeasure this morning. She was just playfully teasing their child.
Alex chuckled, gently tousling Lizzy's hair to appease her. He recalled a recent post Michelle had shared on social media, humorously commenting about how she sometimes dozes off while writing. When she wakes up, she would find her screen filled with gibberish, not knowing if the next time she awakens, she would be on her bed or on the keyboard.
It wasn't hard to imagine that Michelle had probably gotten up from Lizzy's bedside to continue her writing, only to unintentionally fall asleep on the sofa and give the impression that she had deserted her daughter.
Patiently, Alex explained, "Mommy probably went out to the living room to write last night. She was so tired that she accidentally fell asleep on the sofa."
Lizzy pouted slightly and huffed, signaling her continued displeasure.
Seeing this, Alex cajoled, "Lizzy, mommy surely wanted to sleep with you. Why else would she wait for you to fall asleep before getting up to write? She must've thought, 'I'll finish writing quickly and then go back to sleep with Lizzy.' So, can we forgive mommy now?"
From their home's entrance to the kindergarten's doorway, Alex finally managed to placate his daughter. Though Lizzy had stopped being mad a while ago, she continued to put on a reluctant face, acting as if she had graciously decided to forgive her mother.
"All right," Lizzy announced, "I'm not mad anymore." When they reached the classroom, she tilted her little head up, saying with a touch of seriousness, "Lizzy loves mommy and daddy!"
With that, she scampered into the classroom with her tiny, rapid steps, eager to join her older sister, Sophie Ye, for their class.
...
Due to Alyssa and Michelle's previous conversations about marketing her work, Michelle had been searching her pen name and the titles of her work on social media platforms and various book-related sites. She discovered that there were new promotional campaigns every day. Some marketing accounts diligently kept up-to-date with her latest chapters, sharing their insightful views on her work punctually each day, crafting reviews even more diligently than most students' book reports.
Michelle Xia was highly impressed by these promotional accounts, drawing parallels to her earlier days when she was a ghostwriter – though she never wrote with such genuine emotion back then. The realization that Alex Ye was the one who'd organized these promotional efforts for her made her feel a complex mix of emotions.
Having spent over six months with Alex, Michelle knew him well enough to say he was a "less talk, more action" kind of guy. Especially two days ago when Alex had mentioned he'd asked the PR department to monitor online mentions of her, it made Michelle realize there were many things she hadn't been aware of, things she wouldn't have considered at the age of 20.
Acknowledging that Alex had done more for her and Lizzy Xia than she had ever imagined made her truly emotional. Although she had a hunch that what he had done wasn't limited to these things, she couldn't deny the significance of these actions.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Michelle's current writing wasn't as fluid as it used to be. Frustrated, she decided to give in, take a break for half an hour, and then get back to work.
Michelle shot a message to Alex, asking if Lizzy had any tantrums on her way to kindergarten or if she'd shed any tears.
Alex wasn't the type to indulge in non-work-related matters during office hours. Unless it was critical, he'd typically reply when he had some free time. However, there were exceptions. For instance, if Eleanor Ye called him, regardless of how busy he was, he would always pick up. Some people and matters held that kind of priority in his life.
Reading Michelle's message and recalling the image of an upset Lizzy complaining to him earlier that day, Alex couldn't help but smile. He briefly described the morning's events to Michelle, concluding with a half-told sentiment from Lizzy: "Lizzy told me later that she likes you. If she's still upset in the afternoon, maybe you could apologize to cheer her up?"
Michelle chuckled when she read Alex's final comment. She was well-acquainted with her daughter's temperament. She was certain Lizzy wouldn't remain upset by the afternoon. Besides, Michelle felt that Lizzy had just feigned her anger earlier. And Michelle didn't feel she'd done anything wrong. Surely, accidentally falling asleep because she was too tired wasn't a mistake, right? While she believed this, she still nonchalantly agreed to Alex's suggestion. She responded: "If Lizzy is still upset in the afternoon, I'll try to cheer her up."