Jiaojiao, who had been babbling about wanting to wear a dress during dinner, fell asleep leaning against her mother shortly after eating, too tired to remember anything about dresses.
"I'll take Jiaojiao back to sleep first," Sheng Xia said, carefully picking up her daughter.
"Alright, you should rest too, no need to rush."
Nian Suian took a short nap and woke up just as Gu Junxing called.
"Did I wake you?"
Nian Suian had just woken up when she answered the phone, and Gu Junxing thought his call had disturbed her sleep.
"No, I just woke up. What's up?"
"I have to go on a business trip tomorrow, just wanted to let you know."
"A business trip?! How come you didn't mention it before?"
Nian Suian thought that business trips were usually planned in advance, so why was this one so sudden?
"The vice president was supposed to go, but he went skiing this weekend and broke his leg. Now the company can't find anyone else to replace him."
The vice president himself was willing to go in a wheelchair, saying that if the partners saw him coming with a broken leg, they might soften up and give them a better deal.
But Gu Junxing wasn't a heartless capitalist to make someone work with a broken leg.
"Where are you going? Haitang City?" Nian Suian thought if it was Haitang City, he could take her along to see the sights.
Gu Junxing's face darkened... "No, why are you so interested in Haitang City? That place... isn't very respectable."
Gu Junxing, in his thirties, thought he had seen it all until one night at a hotel when a business partner who had been discussing work with him during the day knocked on his door asking if he wanted to sleep together, scaring him so much he fled on a plane that very night.
"I want to go precisely because it's not respectable. I wouldn't be interested in respectable places! Oh well, when will you be back?" Nian Suian remembered that next Tuesday was Gu Junxing's birthday. She had already prepared a gift, but if he couldn't make it back himself, she wouldn't be held responsible.
"I'm not sure, I'll try to get back as soon as possible. If you want to go home, just contact Old Su, he'll arrange for a driver to pick you up."
"So Zhijing will be alone at home now? I should go back tomorrow then."
"It's fine, believe it or not, he'll probably be happier alone at home. It's not like he's the only one there, it'll be fine." Gu Junxing didn't think his fifteen-year-old son couldn't handle being home alone.
"Alright then. Take care on your trip, don't rush too much, and look after yourself."
Hearing this, Gu Junxing's tone softened even more: "I will. You enjoy yourself and have fun."
Their inner monologues:
Nian Suian: Let me think of how to say something polite.
Gu Junxing: She cares about me!
After talking to Gu Junxing, Nian Suian planned to ask Gu Zhijing in the evening after his classes if he'd be okay alone at home.
However, Gu Zhijing already knew his father was going on a business trip, and his father had instructed him not to bother Nian Suian.
This time, Gu Zhijing really hadn't planned on bothering her, and even thought the timing of his father's business trip was perfect.
"Hey Mingyan, why don't you come stay at my place for a few days? My dad's on a business trip, and my stepmom is still at the hot springs. No one's home, and you're alone too, so it's perfect for us to stay together!"
"Really?" Chu Mingyan looked at his friend skeptically.
"Why would I lie about this? I wouldn't dare make up stories about my dad. He's really going on a business trip tomorrow."
"Well, that's true, you wouldn't dare. Alright then!"
Chu Mingyan's grandmother was having surgery, so his mother went to see her, which would take at least three days round trip.
He was the only one at home, so when Gu Zhijing suggested it, they immediately agreed.
"We can team up and game all day, it'll be great."
Hearing this, Chu Mingyan clutched his school uniform collar in mock horror: "I... I... I like girls. Even if you're my best friend, it's not happening."
"You're seriously messed up," Gu Zhijing side-eyed his idiotic friend. He was a pure straight guy, okay!
"What about you two? Why don't you all come stay at my place? We have plenty of guest rooms."
When the cat's away, the mice will play. Today, Gu Zhijing was determined to be the king of the castle.
"I'll pass. I'm staying at a classmate's place. My dad would go crazy otherwise." Qi Anlu said this jokingly, but all three friends knew it wasn't really a joke.
"I'll pass too. My mom's an empty nester now, so I should stay home."
"Oh well..."
Gu Zhijing's dreams of being king were shattered.
After contacting Gu Zhijing, Nian Suian also learned that he was bringing a classmate home, so she abandoned the idea of going back.
In the past, when she visited friends' homes and their parents were around, she felt uncomfortable. But when it was just her and her friend, it was completely different.
So she decided to give him some space.
In the afternoon, Jiaojiao put on a little pink spaghetti strap dress and ran towards Nian Suian wrapped in a towel.
Nian Suian picked her up, the child was quite solid, and she almost couldn't lift her.
"Let's go! We're going to the hot springs!"
Jiaojiao mimicked her: "Hot springs!"
Worried about the child catching a cold, the three of them went to an indoor pool in the hotel today.
Although it was indoors, there were floor-to-ceiling windows with a clear view of the scenery outside.
"The view here is beautiful," Sheng Xia said, admiring the layered mountains outside the window.
"Yes, it's perfect for relaxing."
"From the moment I found out I was pregnant with Jiaojiao until yesterday, I never truly felt at ease. Right after giving birth, I was so exhausted, but I didn't dare close my eyes to sleep, afraid someone might appear and try to take her away."
Nian Suian couldn't help but say to Sheng Xia: "You're amazing."
Going through pregnancy alone, giving birth alone, raising a child alone, and raising her so well. Nian Suian felt she couldn't imagine the hardships and difficulties involved.
Hearing Nian Suian praise her, Sheng Xia smiled, suddenly remembering someone.
"I had a college classmate who was also my best friend. When I first started dating Wei Zongqi, she wasn't very happy about it. At the time, I thought she was just worried I wouldn't hang out with her anymore once I had a boyfriend."
Sheng Xia laughed at this, seemingly at her own naivety.
"Later, when Wei Zongqi and I broke up, she went to his company to yell at him for me, and almost got into a fight with the security guards.
Then when I found out I was pregnant, she said she'd go with me to get an abortion. By then, I was already several months along and hesitant to do it. She had a big argument with me, calling me an idiot. She said I was ruining my life for that Wei guy, and we parted on bad terms.
But when I was giving birth, she still came. She cried even harder than I did, telling me, 'You're really amazing.'"
"Is she in Jinjiang now?"
Sheng Xia shook her head, looking up at the sky as she said, "She's not in Jinjiang now. She's... no longer with us."