As she neared the bedroom, her legs felt so weak at the doorway that she almost fell, but she managed to grab the doorframe just in time.
"Morning, Susu," Sophie said, standing in the center of the living room downstairs in her pajamas, looking as if she had just woken up. She tilted her head up, her face full of concern.
Susu replied to her greeting with a hint of embarrassment and immediately entered the bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her.
Sophie also quickly returned to her own room to wash her face, apply makeup, and change, thinking that Qin Tianyi should be coming out of the study soon.
After she was dressed and ready, she watched Xiao Mei take Xiao Xingxing to school. Then, she went to the nursery to let the nanny rest and take care of Tiantian and Hengheng herself.
She knew that if Qin Tianyi came out of the study, he would definitely come to the nursery.
As expected, she was playing with Tiantian in her stroller when she felt someone walk in behind her. She deliberately pretended not to notice.
Tianyi also walked to Tiantian's stroller and greeted her, "You're here so early to take care of the children, you've worked hard."
"It's no trouble," Sophie said, glancing at him and smiling. "You, you didn't sleep well last night? You look so haggard."
Tianyi simply replied with an "Oh," and looked at Tiantian, intending to pick her up.
Sophie also started to stand up, but her feet suddenly gave way, and she nearly fell towards Tiantian's stroller.
Fortunately, Tianyi was quick-handed and blocked her with one arm, helping her to stand as steadily as possible. Otherwise, she would have fallen on Tiantian. Taking advantage of the momentum, Sophie leaned into Tianyi's embrace, hastily wrapping her arms around his waist and saying nervously, "Mr. Qin, I'm sorry. I just felt dizzy when I stood up. Perhaps I haven't had breakfast yet..."
"It's alright, it's alright. Stand steady before you speak," Tianyi said, trying to push her away so she could stand properly.
At that moment, Susu, who had finished washing up and changed into her professional attire, arrived at the nursery doorway and saw this scene, freezing in place.
Tianyi and Sophie were intimately close, with Sophie holding Tianyi's waist and Tianyi's hand resting on her shoulder.
Sophie was saying something with a wronged expression. Susu felt a chill sweep up from the soles of her feet, invading her internal organs, and her mind became a jumble.
Susu was behind Sophie, who seemed unaware of Susu's presence at the door. She kept apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," but she was in Tianyi's arms and couldn't stand straight.
Tianyi saw Susu and instantly pushed Sophie away, immediately explaining, "She has low blood sugar and almost fainted. I was afraid she would hit the stroller, so I caught her."
Susu seemed to hear what Tianyi was saying, or perhaps not. She only felt her legs stiffen, wanting to leave but unable to move.
Sophy, almost falling backward from Qin Tianyi's push, hadn't expected Susu to appear at this moment. After regaining her balance, she immediately turned around and said to Susu, "We were both in the nursery with the children just now. I haven't had breakfast yet, and I felt dizzy when I stood up. Qin Zong and I have nothing going on, really nothing..."
As she spoke, Sophie became agitated, afraid Susu would misunderstand, wishing she could swear an oath.
Susu calmed herself down and came back to her senses. Believing them, she steadied Sophie and smiled at Tianyi, saying, "You have so much energy. Aren't you going back to rest? Sophie and I will go to the studio after breakfast."
Tianyi's expression darkened. He grabbed her wrist and said, "Sophie, go have breakfast. You stay."
Sophie, like a child who had done something wrong, didn't dare to linger in the nursery and quickly went to the dining room.
Susu twisted her wrist and said impatiently, "What are you doing? I don't disbelieve you. It's getting late, and I have a client appointment this morning."
"What was that look you gave me just now? And calling me energetic!" Tianyi felt that although she said she believed them, she still suspected he had something with Sophie.
"Let go of me first. The children are watching," she said softly again. "I trust you and Sophie completely."
Tianyi flung her wrist away, looked down at her, and wondered why he even bothered to explain. Whether she believed him or not was up to her. He was suddenly annoyed.
Seeing his attitude, Susu also felt annoyed and blurted out, "You can misunderstand me, but I just saw you two embracing, and I can't have any misunderstanding? Qin Tianyi, why are you always like this? You'll never change!"
Tianyi looked at her coldly, his expression completely blank. He brushed past her roughly and strode out of the nursery, heading to the bedroom upstairs.
Susu didn't know what had happened between them. Ever since she saw Yang Sijie on that small island, everything had changed.
For the next two days, she didn't see Qin Tianyi at all. She left early and returned late, pouring all her energy into her designs.
One noon, after seeing off a client she was personally following up with, she returned to find her phone on her desk ringing incessantly. It was Su Kangxi calling.
She answered, "Hello, Kangxi."
"Why are you only answering now? What were you doing?" Kangxi's voice sounded somewhat muffled.
"Seeing a client off. I forgot my phone in the office," Susu said, then suddenly realized something and asked, "Is there any news about Xiaoxiao? Where is that child?"
Kangxi replied, "Not yet, but, it's just..."
Hearing his hesitant tone, Susu asked, "What happened? Is it Ya Nan, or..."
"No, no, everyone is fine, no one is hurt." Kangxi no longer hesitated and said directly, "Jia Nanfang has been extradited back to Lancheng. My colleagues asked about the child's whereabouts, and she said she wants to see you, to meet you before she tells."
"See me? I'm the person she hates the most. Why would she want to see me?" Susu asked.
Su Kangxi said helplessly, "I don't know either. Since she was extradited back yesterday, she hasn't been willing to confess anything and has refused to eat or drink. Perhaps she wants to stall for time, or she's using starvation to avoid our questioning."
Susu couldn't help but recall many past events and agreed, "Okay, I have a lot of things I want to ask her anyway."
"Then I'll arrange it with you. Do you think you can find out the child's whereabouts from her?"
"I'll try my best."
Su Kangxi couldn't help but add, "But you need to be prepared. She had plastic surgery when she was escaping, so she doesn't look like the Jia Nanfang from before. Also, also, we asked her subordinates, and they said that the child might have been thrown into the sea by her."
"Ah, no, that can't be true. That child is her own grandchild!" Susu couldn't believe that Xiaoxiao was gone.
"Her subordinates said that after they got to the island, the child kept crying and fussing, and she was often unstable. Annoyed, she locked the child up alone. If the child didn't behave, she would discipline her physically. Then one day, her subordinates never heard the child cry again, nor did they see the child. So they suspect that she might have thrown the child into the sea during a fit of madness."
Susu shook her head at the phone and said, "No, it's impossible. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs. She must have hidden Xiaoxiao."
"Let's hope so."