Chapter 546: Sad and Funny
Ling Sheng looked at her father’s irritable backview and held back her laughter. She deliberately drawled, “Mommy will take it to him.”
After Xiaoqi flushed the toilet, his face blushed as he dashed out of the washroom and threw himself at Ling Sheng. He hugged her thigh, feeling too ashamed to face anyone.
He had just… done that in front of Uncle Jun. Did Uncle Jun dislike him now?
Upon seeing her son’s unbelievably red face, Ling Sheng squatted in front of him and whispered, “What’s wrong?”
Xiaoqi was very worried. In a small voice, he asked, “Mommy, does Uncle Jun not like Xiaoqi anymore?”
Upon seeing the child’s shy look, Ling Sheng shook her head. “No.”
Xiaoqi bent down beside her ear. “Mommy, can Xiaoqi stay in the afternoon? I won’t disturb your studies. I’ll be good and read my book.”
Ling Sheng nodded. “Okay.”
Upon seeing the mother and son come out, Huo Ci felt disgusted. When Xiaoqi ran over, he covered his nose and warned him. “Stay away from me.”
How stinky!
Xiaoqi said seriously, “Xiaoqi has already washed his hands. He doesn’t stink at all.”
Huo Ci stretched out his leg and pointed at him. “I’ll kick you if you come closer. Do you believe me?”
Xiaoqi rushed over and hugged his thigh. He smiled as he climbed up. “Xiaoqi doesn’t mind that you stink.”
Huo Ci looked at the brat, who would not leave him alone. His handsome face contorted as he growled. “I think you’re stinky. I smell nice!”
Xiaoqi had already crawled into his embrace and let him smell him. Grandpa was lying. He had not really stunk up the bathroom with his poop. “Grandpa, I really don’t stink at all. Take a sniff. Xiaoqi doesn’t stink.”
Huo Ci broke down. The brat was like an octopus that could not be shaken off. He bellowed angrily, “Scram!”
Ling Sheng watched as the duo quarreled on the sofa. Xiaoqi was no longer afraid of him. The more her father chased Xiaoqi away and scolded him, the more Xiaoqi pestered him. In the end, her father had no choice but to lie flat and let him do whatever he wanted. It was heart-wrenching and amusing.
The tutor, Wu Yang, arrived earlier than she had expected. He was a very handsome university student who was very mature and stable. He briefly discussed Ling Sheng’s learning situation with Huo Ci and promised that he would guide her. Her Mathematics results for the college entrance examination would definitely not be lower than 140 points. On an optimistic note, it was not impossible for her to get full marks.
Wu Yang had been the top scorer of the college entrance examination in S Province. Ever since he had entered the Imperial Capital University, his results had always been number one in the school and his admission had been guaranteed.
In the second half of the year, he would be an exchange student at MIT. He was an outstanding student, so he showed Huo Ci his identification documents, honors and awards, and other evidence.
Huo Ci also felt that this student was quite reliable. Upon looking at Ling Sheng, he finally looked like a father. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to help her, Teacher Wu. She’s stupid, so you have to be very forgiving.”
Wu Yang nodded. “Don’t make it sound so serious, Mr. Huo. As a teacher, I definitely do my best to teach my students well. As long as Ms. Ling doesn’t mind me being her teacher.”
“Then you can start your class. I’ll take my leave now.” Huo Ci got up and called out to Xiaoqi with a gentle smile. “It’s time to go home.”
Xiaoqi looked at Mommy. She had promised to keep him there. Mommy could not go back on her word. He wanted to be with Mommy and Uncle Jun.
“Uncle.” Ling Sheng pulled Huo Ci aside and whispered, “Xiaoqi will stay in the afternoon. He won’t disturb my studies.”
Huo Ci’s face was cold, and he was very domineering. “No.”
Chapter 547: Praying To The Heavens
“Uncle, Xiaoqi will be good.” Xiaoqi promised. “He won’t disturb Mommy’s studies, alright?”
Wu Yang also tried to persuade him. “Mr. Huo, I think Xiaoqi is quite obedient. You can let him stay. If he interrupts Ms. Ling’s studies, I’ll inform you about the situation.”
Brother Xu Xi had already briefed him on the situation and told him to listen to Ms. Ling.
Huo Ci smiled coldly at Ling Sheng. “If you don’t get over 145 in the Mathematics examination, just wait and see!”
Ling Sheng smiled. “Thank you, Uncle.”
Xiaoqi said, “Thank you, Uncle.”
Huo Ci left. Upon seeing that the brat was not reluctant to see him leave at all and was even waving and smiling at him from the door, Huo Ci started fuming.
Look!
What was the point of doting on him? Besides angering him and stinking the area around him, he was useless. He had forgotten about him as soon as he had seen his mother.
Xiaoqi was very obedient. He huddled in the study’s bay window and looked at his picture book while he played with his blocks. His voice was very soft, as he was afraid of disturbing his mother’s studies.
There was a heater in the house, but it was not sufficient. Ling Sheng was afraid that he would be cold, so she even spread an electric blanket on the window sill.
When Jun Shiyan went over, the little fella was sleeping. There was a book under his head, and his face was red. His heart ached as he took the book away.
The child woke up and opened his eyes to look at him. As he remembered where he was, he said in a small voice, “Uncle Jun, where’s my mommy?”
Jun Shiyan looked at the little fella, his eyes moistening slightly. His heart softened. How could there be such a sensible child? In a low voice, he asked, “Do you want Uncle to read you a story?”
There was a thick stack of picture books on the window sill. There was an English original book, a three-dimensional book, and a translated version. They were not very new, so they should have been read many times.
Xiaoqi shook his head and looked at him with big sparkling eyes. “Uncle Jun, let me tell you a story. I know all of them.”
Mommy, great-grandmother, and great-grandpa would read stories to him. If he pestered Grandpa, Grandpa would also read stories to him.
When Ling Sheng was done with an examination paper, she stretched lazily. When she looked up, she saw that the house was empty. Everyone was gone, and the curtains by the window had been drawn.
She walked over and pulled the curtains slightly. Then, she saw a handsome man sitting against the small window. His eyes were closed, and he was already asleep.
The child in his arms was sleeping soundly against his chest.
The little boy was holding a book.
It was snowing heavily outside, and snowflakes resembling down feathers floated through the window like petals.
Meanwhile, sunlight shone in. The way the duo was sleeping at that moment was beautiful and warm. Their faces were tilted slightly, and their profiles looked like they had been carved out of the same mold.
Ling Sheng’s eyes were gentle as the corners of her lips curled up subconsciously. She tiptoed to get a silk blanket and covered them with it.
She did not know when the man had woken up, but he took her hand gently and moved close. His voice was hoarse from sleep, but it was gentle and loving. “You must be tired. Rest a bit.”
Ling Sheng had not expected to wake him up. The window was not big, but she was small. She squeezed in and leaned against the man’s shoulder to look at the snow outside.
Jun Shiyan frowned slightly. He could see the young lady’s delicate face and the little guy sleeping like a piglet in his arms.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and his heart felt full. This was warm and comfortable. It was nice. This was the first time he sincerely prayed to the heavens to make his future life like this.
Chapter 548: My Pride
“What if I fall asleep?” Ling Sheng’s voice was lazy as she leaned against him and looked at the snow. Her eyelids started to flutter.
“It’s alright. You’ve already completed a week’s tasks ahead of time. The teacher will allow you to rest for a while.” Jun Shiyan’s voice was gentle and hoarse as he smiled.
“You’re lying to me. Am I that impressive?” After saying that, Ling Sheng started acting smug again. She looked at him smugly. “Am I that impressive?”
Upon seeing the young lady’s glowing confidence, Jun Shiyan nodded. “You’re super impressive. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met.”
Ling Sheng was embarrassed by the compliment. She buried her face in his shoulder and smiled secretly. “I’ll feel proud if you praise me like that.”
Jun Shiyan let out a low laugh. “You are my pride.”
“Tell me, who taught you these sweet words?” Ling Sheng pretended to be serious as she looked into his eyes, her heart warming up.
Oh my god, how could this man say such sweet nothings? The key was that he did not seem to know what he had said. Being seductive without knowing it was the highest realm of an egregious flirt!
“Is there a need to learn this?” Jun Shiyan looked at the young lady. “When I’m with you, everything I say comes from the bottom of my heart.”
“Shh!” Ling Sheng pointed at Xiaoqi, refusing to let him speak anymore. Her face was red. She could not let this continue. After all, her son was still beside her. It wasn’t right for them to do this!
Jun Shiyan nodded and tersely acknowledged this. In a low voice, he said, “Take a nap!”
Ling Sheng lacked sleep to begin with. Two days after she had returned from filming, she had been forced to start her tutoring sessions. At 6:30 in the morning, her grandma had to repeatedly wake her up.
It would be strange if she did not fall asleep in such a comfortable environment. She was still watching the snow, so she did not know when she fell asleep.
When she woke up, she was still huddled against the bay window. She looked across from her and saw the man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His fair fingers were holding a fountain pen as he graded the test papers.
Xiaoqi ran in and reported excitedly, “Mommy, Uncle Jun, the fried meatballs the grandma next door just brought are still hot!”
Ling Sheng got up hurriedly to take a look before running barefoot.
When she walked past the desk, the man suddenly grabbed her arm and forced her to sit on a chair. He put a pair of furry slippers on her feet and tidied her messy hair seriously before nodding in satisfaction. “Go!”
When Ling Sheng and Jun Shiyan went out, the old granny was still standing at the door, carrying a big bowl of fried meatballs. Upon seeing the two of them, she handed it over and smiled. “They were just fried. Eat them while they’re hot.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Ling Sheng thanked her hurriedly. The lady was already very old, yet she’d still brought them food. She felt touched.
“No need to thank me. Your son is really well-behaved and sensible. He’s really handsome too.” The old lady took a look at the child and then at Jun Shiyan. “He really looks like Daddy.”
Xiaoqi looked at the old lady with big eyes, pursed his lips, and lowered his eyes slightly. He was both a little happy and sad.
Uncle Jun was not his father.
Jun Shiyan could sense the child’s low spirits instantly. He knew that he was young, but he knew a lot. He must have gotten sad again. He smiled and said, “All children look like their fathers.”
The old lady nodded in agreement. After confirming that the young couple in front of her had not recognized her, she felt a little strange. “Then eat while the food is hot. I need to go back and see the old man. I can’t even leave for a while.”
Chapter 549: Young Couple
While Xiaoqi was eating a meatball, he kept secretly looking at Jun Shiyan. Did he really look like Uncle Jun? If Uncle Jun and Mommy were married and had a child, would he treat him so well too?
Ling Sheng did not let Jun Shiyan eat. Whenever he reached out to eat a meatball in secret, she would hit his hand mercilessly and point at the hot porridge. “This is yours.”
Jun Shiyan swallowed and panicked. He then tried to negotiate. “Sheng Sheng, you got this food thanks to the kind intentions of the auntie next door. Can you let me have one? I’ll soak it in porridge and eat it when it softens. Okay?”
Ling Sheng broke off half a meatball. The meatball had been fried and stuffed with zucchini and bean noodles. It was obvious that the auntie knew a lot about gastronomy. She divided it into small pieces and soaked them in his porridge. “Eat it later.”
Jun Shiyan nodded and sighed deeply. He looked at Xiaoqi with a complaining gaze. Look at your mother. She didn’t even give me anything to eat.
Xiaoqi gave him a sympathetic look. Uncle Jun, you’re so pitiful! But you have to listen to Mommy. You can do it!
Upon seeing the exchange of gazes between the two men, Ling Sheng felt that it was a little adorable. She soaked two meatballs in the porridge for her son and took away the bowls. “You’re not allowed to eat too much. You have to eat when you get home tonight.”
Otherwise, Grandma would nag her for feeding Xiaoqi all kinds of snacks and causing him to not eat properly.
Ling Sheng put the meatballs in a Tupperware box, closed the lid, and put it in the fridge. Then, she went to return the bowl to the neighbor, wondering what she should make tomorrow to offer it to grandma and the rest.
The door was not closed. When Ling Sheng reached it, she heard the couple talking. They were old, and their ears did not work well, so their voices were a little loud.
“Old man, it’s the two of them. Do you think I have a bad memory like you? I think it’s them. I didn’t expect the child to get so big in the blink of an eye.”
“Okay, if you say so. Why don’t I remember meeting a young couple in California?”
“You had a heart attack back then, and I didn’t speak English. The couple called an ambulance and took us to the hospital.”
“If I had a heart attack, how could I remember them? Old woman, you’re confused.”
“I’m just telling you about it, but the two of them don’t seem to remember us. I thought they were familiar at first glance. Do you think I should ask them about it?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Sheng knocked on the door.
The old granny came over to welcome her. Upon seeing her, she said, “There was no need to rush to bring the bowl over. Was the food delicious?”
Ling Sheng nodded and smiled. “It was delicious indeed. Thank you, Auntie.”
However, was she pretending she had not heard what they’d just said, or had she really not heard them? Had she and the Third Master saved them before? Together at that? The old lady must have remembered wrong. However, she was a curious person, so she wanted to know.
“Auntie, I’m sorry. I accidentally heard what you just said.” Ling Sheng finally said it.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Do you remember? It was around this time four years ago. In the lobby of the Kebinski Hotel in California, my old man had a heart attack. I don’t speak English, and I was really anxious back then. It was you and your husband who helped us.” The old lady held her hand gratefully.
Ling Sheng shook her head, looking confused. “Auntie, do you remember wrong? It can’t have been us. Perhaps it was a couple who looked like us?”
Besides, she had just met the Third Master this year. The original owner of the body had never left the country. It did not make sense that she had been in a hotel in California four years ago.
Chapter 550: Vague Memory
“Lady, although I’m old, I’m not a fool. You and your husband don’t even look like a couple in ten million people. How could I have remembered wrong?” The old lady stood up. “Wait a minute.”
Ling Sheng felt even stranger. How could this be? This was definitely impossible. The Third Master had not known the original host. The original host had been a high school student back then in the countryside.
The old man told Ling Sheng not to mind his wife. Perhaps she remembered it wrong. He even smiled and asked her to go along with the old granny’s story. The old granny was stubborn and would be even more stubborn when she made up her mind.
Ling Sheng nodded with a smile. Then, she saw the old lady walk out of the house with a box. She took out their hotel records and hospitalization paperwork.
Ling Sheng took a look at the date. It was the 23rd of October four years ago. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she bit her lips. When her memories flooded back, she controlled her emotions and said in a tense voice, “Sorry, I have something to do. I have to go now.”
When she was outside, she leaned against the wall and took in big gulps of air, patting her erratic heart.
There were some things she did not want to think about. She remembered that date clearly. October 23rd had been the day of the host’s accident. There were many coincidences, but it was definitely impossible for the old lady to have seen her.
Upon seeing her run out, the old granny muttered strangely, “She should remember. It was raining heavily that night. How could I forget her and her husband’s outstanding looks? They’re still exactly the same as four years ago. They haven’t changed at all. Their son is already so big… She must have gotten pregnant during that period.”
“She already said no. You remember it wrong.” The old man sighed.
“I don’t remember it wrong. Do you think I’m an old fool? They saved your life. How could I remember wrong?” The old lady glared at him indignantly.
When Ling Sheng returned, Jun Shiyan and Xiaoqi were washing the dishes. Their two figures looked very harmonious. For some reason, she blurted out, “Third Master, do you remember where you were on the 23rd of October four years ago?”
“That day…” Jun Shiyan thought for a moment, his expression distant. His thin lips moved slightly as he said, “I was in France. That day was my mother’s birthday.”
Although that was what his memory told him, when she suddenly asked, he actually felt that his memory of that day was a little blurry. In fact, he could not remember what he had done. He only subconsciously remembered that it had been his mother’s birthday.
Ling Sheng heaved a sigh of relief inexplicably. She knew that the old lady had been talking nonsense. How could that be? The Third Master had not been in China that day, let alone in M Nation. The old lady must have remembered it wrong.
Xiaoqi stood by the window and looked down. It was evening, and the snow that had been falling for a day had finally become much lighter. Some people were building a snowman on the grass in the district.
Ling Sheng and Jun Shiyan stood beside him, one of them on the left and the other on the right. They were a family of three. A girl and her parents were happily building a snowman outside.
“Son, let’s go down and have fun too.”
“Sheng Sheng, we…”
The duo spoke in unison and smiled at each other.
Jun Shiyan picked up Xiaoqi, and Ling Sheng followed him. Xiaoqi was overjoyed, but he tried his best to suppress his excitement.
It was still snowing outside, and children these days were very delicate. The people who had brought their children out to play were the same family they had seen through the window.