After checking the small shop for new orders, she opened the communication tools she hadn't used in a long time, idly looking at the messages and chat records.
She unintentionally saw a message from Chang Qingchuan on QQ, which she hadn't used in ages. He had asked where she went and if she had brought the child. The message was from two years ago.
She tried sending Chang Qingchuan a smiley face, wondering if he would respond. She also wanted to ask how Mishang Company had developed over the past two years and if the fashion show at Paris Fashion Week that year had been successful.
Chang Qingchuan was busy at the company until late. His colleagues had gradually left, but he was still working on design blueprints.
Two years had passed, and he had become Mishang's chief fashion designer. Mishang had now entered the international fashion scene, with a strong reputation abroad.
However, the company's advantage currently lay in menswear, and he always lacked a bit of inspiration for women's fashion design, nowhere near the women's collection designed by Gu Susu for the Paris Fashion Week show back then.
Thinking of this, he put down his colored pencils and took out a few of Gu Susu's design drafts from that year. The company still relied on her designs for changes or innovations in women's wear, barely managing to lead the trends each season.
He wondered where Gu Susu was now and if she was doing well.
As far as he knew, Qin Tianyi had been trying to find Gu Susu everywhere for the past two years, but without success. Where had she gone with the child?
Chang Qingchuan couldn't help but click on the QQ account he rarely used again. To his surprise, Gu Susu's avatar had lit up, and she had sent him a message.
He quickly opened it and replied.
"I'm fine, how have you been these past two years? How is Little Star?"
"Where are you?"
"So many things have happened in the past two years, don't you watch the news? Qin's Group has collapsed and been completely acquired by Aoxiang."
"Your departure was followed by a very successful fashion show at Paris Fashion Week that spring."
"Are you still there?"
"So many things can't be explained clearly by typing. Do you have new contact information? I can call you."
...
Chang Qingchuan sent over a dozen messages in one go, but after waiting for a while, there was no reply. It seemed Gu Susu had gone offline again.
He stared at QQ on the computer, thinking he would have to wait for her to come online to leave another message. Then, he packed up his things and left work.
Around 5 PM, after Little Star returned from kindergarten, Gu Susu had been doting on him.
Qin Tianyi was busy with his own matters in the study and hadn't bothered them again.
Gu Susu no longer corrected Little Star's mistaken belief that Qin Tianyi was his father. She felt that this matter needed to be handled gradually, as the child's desire for a father was understandable.
Little Star was very happy when he returned from kindergarten, constantly telling her about interesting things that happened at school, which classmate made a funny mistake that day, which little girl wanted to be his friend, and what English nursery rhymes the teacher had taught.
Gu Susu listened to him, seeing how happy he was and how his face had gained confidence. She smiled and said, "Then sing it for Mommy, let's see how well our Little Star sings. Have you learned it?"
Little Star gathered his thoughts and generously sang for her. Gu Susu listened attentively, discovering for the first time how pleasant Little Star's voice was, his innocent childish tone carrying an ethereal echo.
Chen Ma and Xiao Mei couldn't help but walk over, becoming an audience for Little Star's singing.
After he finished singing, they applauded enthusiastically. Little Star said proudly, "Teacher said I can participate in the Good Voice choir. Mommy, do you think I should sign up?"
"So our Star sings so beautifully, of course, you should participate. I'll sign you up tomorrow." Gu Susu readily agreed.
Little Star smiled happily, "Great! I can be in the same choir as Yingying."
Gu Susu smiled and asked, "Who is Yingying? You didn't mention this child earlier?"
Little Star said coolly, "When I first came to kindergarten, I didn't understand anything. She helped me."
Gu Susu said "oh," pinched his little face, and joked, "Could it be that our Star has a little girlfriend now?"
Little Star's mouth twitched instantly. He pushed Gu Susu's hand away and said, "Mommy, what are you talking about? She helped me, and I want to repay her help."
Gu Susu laughed, and Chen Ma and Xiao Mei also chuckled. Little Star felt embarrassed and ran off to the garden behind them.
Xiao Mei quickly followed. Chen Ma instructed, "Take good care of the young master, don't let him fall."
Gu Susu, however, was stunned. She felt that Little Star's twitching mouth and the way he pushed her hand away were very similar to Qin Tianyi.
She had never thought Qin Tianyi and Little Star resembled each other before, but in that moment, they truly did. Was it her imagination?
Little Star had been spending time with Qin Tianyi these days; he must have been influenced by Qin Tianyi and learned his expressions. Yes, it must be like that.
"The young master is so talented, he really resembles the young master when he was little," Chen Ma said with emotion beside her.
Gu Susu just smiled and, thinking of something, asked, "Chen Ma, do you have any photos of Tianyi from when he was little? I'd like to see them."
Chen Ma thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I should have one somewhere. It's a photo of you, me, and the young master when we were little. I've kept that photo all along."
"Can you show it to me?"
"Of course, I'll go find it now."
While waiting for Chen Ma to get the photo, Gu Susu stayed in the hall, pushing her wheelchair around the first floor, carefully observing the villa's decoration.
It was almost the same as when she had visited two years ago. Every detail of the design exuded the unique taste of the villa's original owner. However, many areas still retained the decorative style of decades ago, making them seem a bit outdated. Places that should have had decorations were left bare, and the vast first floor still felt too cold.
It would have been understandable if Qin Tianyi didn't live here often, but now he practically lived here every day and no longer went to the Qin family mansion. This place should be redecorated and organized.
But then she thought, was this her business? They only treated her like a pet, not a mistress of the house.
As she was self-deprecating, she looked up and saw that next to the portrait of Qin Tianyi's mother, there was a new portrait – that of the old madam, the Qin family's matriarch, hanging side by side with Xiao Yongmei's portrait.
She was utterly shocked, unable to believe her eyes.
When she left two years ago, the old madam was still alive and well. Although her health wasn't great, it was normal for an elderly person to have many ailments. It wasn't enough... not enough to take her life!
Chen Ma came out of her room holding a somewhat aged color photograph. Seeing Gu Susu staring at the two portraits on the wall, her expression suggested she still didn't know that the Qin family matriarch had passed away.
She slowly walked to Gu Susu's side and said softly, "Young Madam doesn't know yet, do you? The Qin family matriarch suddenly had a heart attack a year ago. No one expected her to leave so quickly. Sigh, the young master has been blaming himself for this. He hasn't recovered in a year and is still immersed in grief."
"Heart attack? Did the old madam have heart disease before? Was her heart condition very serious?" Although confirmed by Chen Ma, Gu Susu still couldn't believe it.
Chen Ma said somewhat uncertainly, "I only heard that her heart wasn't very good, but it shouldn't have been too serious. It's just that too many things have happened in the Qin family these past two years. The old madam might not have been able to accept it all at once and was angered to death by those unfilial descendants."