After Xiao Anjing walked away again, Lan Yu quickly said to Susu, "Don't tell him yet. With his temper, if he knew, he'd go find that Director Zhao right now. If it ruins today's event, I'll feel very guilty. Besides, it's fortunate you came in time, and I didn't suffer any losses."
"I understand, you're the thoughtful one," Susu said, pulling Lan Yu's hand again and warning her, "You must be careful with people like Director Zhao in the future."
"Let's not talk about that. You and President Qin are the main stars today. When I saw the reporters taking photos of you just now, you were so in sync and coordinated, you look so well-matched."
"You and An Jing are also a good match."
Lan Yu still felt uneasy and said, "Actually, I'm not worthy of him at all..."
Susu stopped her, saying, "Don't talk about yourself like that. You need to be more confident."
"Yes, yes, it's such a happy day today, I shouldn't say these things. Let's stroll around this amusement park later."
They both temporarily forgot the unpleasant little interlude.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tianyi and An Jing were still busy. Susu accompanied Lan Yu as they wandered around the amusement park.
They browsed through the shops, but neither had anything they particularly wanted to buy. Susu spotted some toys and bought a pile for the children.
Lan Yu envied Susu, who was only a few years older but already had three children. She and An Jing didn't have their own children yet, and she feared she might not be able to conceive.
Susu smiled and said, "The doctor didn't say you can't have more children, so why scare yourself? Sometimes children are also about fate. Don't worry too much, just let nature take its course."
They had left the shops and were wandering aimlessly.
Susu looked at the passing amusement rides and wondered if Little Star could play on them, if Little Star would like them, and if they could bring Little Star to play for a whole day next time.
Lan Yu, however, thought of something related to children and asked, "Do you know a child named Xiaoxiao?"
Susu couldn't help but stop and look at her, saying, "Yes, I do. What's wrong?"
"An Jing told me a few days ago that he wants to adopt a child first. He said it's the daughter left by a deceased friend, only three or four years old. He even showed me her photo. She looks like a foreign child in the photo, and he said she's mixed-race."
"That child looks like a doll, but her background is quite pitiful. She has no parents and stayed in an orphanage. She even had leukemia," Susu said. "If you and An Jing are willing to adopt her and give her a complete home, she won't have to suffer anymore."
Lan Yu nodded and said, "The child in the photo is indeed beautiful, and I don't object to An Jing adopting her. But who were the child's parents? Does An Jing have any foreign friends? He didn't explain in detail, and I didn't want to ask too much, fearing he'd think I was prying. Do you know the reason behind it?"
"Actually, this child's mother was Tianyi's fiancée before. They were almost officially married," Susu said, not hiding anything from Lan Yu and telling her everything about Shu Yan.
She thought that if they adopted Xiaoxiao, Lan Yu, as the adoptive mother, should know these things. Otherwise, how would she interact with Xiaoxiao in the future?
After hearing all about Shu Yan, Lan Yu shivered and said, "The child's mother is so wicked, and she had so many entanglements with you. When she grows up, will she seek revenge for her mother? Wouldn't that be like raising a tiger that will bring disaster?"
"I don't think so. You should educate her well. When she grows up and has a sense of right and wrong, she should know that her biological mother did many bad things, which led to her fate. She should be able to distinguish between good and bad," Susu said to reassure her. "No matter how bad adults are, they shouldn't involve children. This child is truly innocent."
Lan Yu also sympathized with the child from the bottom of her heart and agreed with Susu's statement, but she still had a doubt and asked, "Did An Jing have feelings for this child's mother?"
"It wouldn't be called having feelings. At that time, she was giving birth in the countryside, with no one to care for her. An Jing just pitied her and helped take care of the child. He didn't expect to develop some feelings for this child."
"Perhaps this is what you call fate with a child," Lan Yu smiled, thinking that since An Jing wanted to adopt, she would help take care of the child.
However, after knowing these things, she felt a bit emotional. That woman named Shu Yan was so terrifying, and An Jing felt pity for her when she was at her most vulnerable. After that woman died, he was still actively taking care of her child. Was there no trace of love mixed into this pity?
And An Jing appeared when she was at her most helpless and desperate. Wasn't his love for her also pity?
She couldn't quite tell if An Jing loved her, or if he was pitying her and sympathizing with her.
They were tired from walking and went to the venue for the upcoming reception.
The reception was held in the largest banquet hall of the high-end hotel within the amusement park. Everything inside was set up.
They were marveling at the cartoon characters faintly visible on the reflective balloons in the venue, wondering how such balloons were made.
A woman in a qipao, around fifty years old but still maintaining a good figure, stopped beside them. She glanced at Lan Yu and said, "Lan Yu? Is that really you! How did you get here?"
They also looked at the woman simultaneously. Susu didn't recognize her at all.
Lan Yu, however, subconsciously looked at the other person with a nervous expression.
A young man carrying many shopping bags next to the woman called out to Lan Yu, "Young Madam..."
The woman immediately reprimanded him angrily, "You idiot, what are you shouting about? What young madam? She's not worthy!"
The man beside her, who seemed to be an assistant or bodyguard, instantly fell silent, looking at her with reverence and lowering his head.
She arrogantly sized up Lan Yu with a cold gaze and found that she had become even more beautiful and elegant after leaving their Xie family.
Although her attire was low-key, she was adorned with designer brands from head to toe, even that dark small bag was a limited edition. No wonder her son had complained last time that this woman had hooked up with a rich person again.
Lan Yu didn't know what to call her for a moment. Out of politeness, she said, "Mrs. Xie..."
"How dare you still show your face in Lancheng and appear here?" Mrs. Xie's tone was like scolding a servant. "You didn't bear a single child in our family for three years. Look at Sasha, she got pregnant as soon as she entered the house. You wasted a lot of time for our Qining. Fortunately, the old lady is still healthy and can see her grandson. Otherwise, you would have no way to apologize to our Xie family. Useless, good-for-nothing..."
"Is a woman only useful if she has children!" Susu couldn't listen any longer and interrupted her. "Since she has no connection with your Xie family anymore, on what grounds are you saying this about her? Are you sick!"
Susu could probably guess who the woman in front of her was. Seeing her arrogance, just like Xie Qining, she thought, like mother, like son.
"Who are you? Why are you meddling in our family affairs!" Mrs. Xie turned and glared at Susu, speaking with an even worse expression. "Lan Yu, I can't believe you've found a helper! Looking at this woman, she's just as cheap as you!"