"He's sick? What kind of sickness? Is it incurable?" Little Xingxing pouted. "Little Fatty from kindergarten told me his grandpa got sick, then he died, and he'll never see him again."
By Little Xingxing's age, it was getting harder to coax him. Susu smiled and said, "Daddy's sickness can be cured, it just needs time. Maybe a few months, maybe a few years, but it can be cured."
"Oh, then I, this little man, will protect Mommy while Daddy is getting treated." Little Xingxing raised his little arm, wanting everyone to see his muscles.
Xiao Mei couldn't help but shed tears. During this time, at Rong Ma's place, the young master had been asking about what happened to the master, and she had been vague, never daring to answer directly.
"Alright, alright," Chen Ma said, taking Little Xingxing's hand. "Young master, you've had a long journey. Go back to your room quickly, take a bath, and change your clothes."
Susu patted his head and said, "That's right, go wash up, change, and I'll take you out to play."
...
It wasn't the weekend today, and the large amusement park under Aoxiang was not crowded. Little Xingxing sat on the carousel, which was almost empty, waving continuously at Susu.
Susu stood outside the fence, smiling at him. His eyes were increasingly resembling Tianyi's, reminding her of the sweet and happy days when their family of three used to play here.
But Tianyi's shadow was no longer visible beside Little Xingxing's carousel. She was deceiving Little Xingxing, and she was also deceiving herself. Perhaps days, perhaps months, perhaps years... she didn't know when Tianyi would return.
"Tianyi, it's time to go back to the hospital," Xiao Anjing reminded him from beside him. "Stay outside too long and your wound might get infected."
Qin Tianyi, dressed in a black trench coat, a black mask, and a black hat, stood by the window of the children's restaurant facing the carousel, quietly watching Susu and her son.
Susu had gained weight, and her protruding belly was already quite noticeable.
Little Xingxing had gotten darker, but his obsidian-like eyes made him seem brighter, looking healthy and lively.
It seemed they had adapted to life without him. Both of them were smiling happily. He could go and do what he needed to do with peace of mind.
Xiao Anjing reminded him again, "There are fewer people in the amusement park today. If we don't leave soon, be careful that the young madam might find out. If you can't bear to leave them, then..."
"I know," Qin Tianyi said, taking one last look at them. Through a window, separated by only ten-odd steps, it felt like a lifetime.
Susu, I don't know if I can ever come home, back to your side. Take good care of yourself!
I'm sorry, I lied to you this time. If I can't fulfill my promise to you in this life, just hate me, resent me. See you in the next life...
"Let's go," Qin Tianyi turned around resolutely. Xiao Anjing carefully accompanied him out through the back door of the children's restaurant.
"Mommy, I want to eat at that restaurant!" Little Xingxing pointed to the children's restaurant not far behind Susu.
Susu inexplicably felt someone behind her and suddenly turned to look at the children's restaurant, seeing a familiar back in the floor-to-ceiling window facing her.
Xiao Anjing? That figure looked like Xiao Anjing.
Why would President Xiao be in the amusement park's children's restaurant at this time? Shouldn't he be in the group's office?
At this moment, the carousel music stopped. Little Xingxing got off the carousel by himself and ran to Susu, asking, "Mommy, what are you looking at?"
Susu snapped back to reality, turned to look at Little Xingxing, and said, "Nothing, I was just checking if the restaurant was open today."
"Then we'll know if we go in and take a look," Little Xingxing took her hand and pulled her towards the children's restaurant.
"Okay, okay, walk slowly," Susu accompanied him into the restaurant.
A waiter greeted them, saying, "Welcome."
Susu looked around the restaurant and asked, "There are no customers, are you open for business?"
"We are open," the waiter said with a smile. "There are few people visiting the amusement park today, and it's not yet dinner time, so there are no customers yet."
"But I just saw someone in your restaurant," Susu said, still looking towards the floor-to-ceiling window. "Did a customer just leave?"
The waiter smiled politely and said, "Did you mean just now? There were no customers. It must have been amusement park staff. Would you and your child like to order something to eat?"
"I want chicken wings, fries, and a double scoop of ice cream," Little Xingxing told the waiter what he wanted.
Susu smiled and said, "Yes, we'll have those." Then she took Little Xingxing to sit at the table by the floor-to-ceiling window.
She gazed at the carousel still spinning round and round outside the window, feeling a little dazed, and smelled the lingering scent of Tianyi.
Tianyi, I had a prenatal check-up a few days ago, and you were right, the two babies in my belly are twins, a boy and a girl. You would be so happy to know this news...
"Mommy, here are some fries for you," Little Xingxing put a long fry into her mouth.
She stopped herself from overthinking, took a bite of the fry, and said, "It's still the same taste, the fries here are the best."
It seemed she had seen wrong just now, her eyes had played tricks on her, and she had a hallucination.
...
Four months later, the divorce lawsuit between Shu Zhongze and Jia Nanfang had been settled. Except for the properties that were already under Jia Nanfang's name, Shu Zhongze did not get them back, and Jia Nanfang could not take a single cent from the Shu family.
Meanwhile, Lü Yuanhong had high-profilely launched the acquisition of Shu Group not long ago. Susu, without making a sound, had already begun acquiring scattered shares of Shu Group privately with Xiao Anjing.
She had secretly met with Shu Zhongze a few more times, and Shu Zhongze solemnly transferred all his held Shu shares to her.
Because she and Shu Zhongze now had a common goal – to prevent Lü Yuanhong from acquiring Shu Group – she no longer disliked Shu Zhongze as much from the bottom of her heart.
She hadn't had time to think too much in these four months. She and Xiao Anjing had been working closely together in secret, just waiting for Lü Yuanhong to lose the acquisition completely, to expose the shameful behavior of that dog and bitch couple, and to avenge Tianyi.
Around six o'clock tonight, Susu, wearing a black sequined gown with a light beige suit jacket over it, stepped out of Xiao Anjing's car.
This immediately caused a stir among the media reporters gathered outside the entrance of the International Convention and Exhibition Center, with flashes of light directed at her.
Xiao Anjing, beside Susu, supported her, who was eight months pregnant, and smiled and waved at the reporters. He whispered in Susu's ear, "Young Madam, you're about to give birth, and you're still attending Lü Yuanhong's charity gala. Is that okay?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Susu replied, also smiling and dealing with the media naturally.
Since Lü Yuanhong had sent her an invitation, for the sake of Aoxiang, as long as she hadn't reached her due date, she couldn't let any rumors unfavorable to Aoxiang spread.
She wanted everyone to know that as long as she, Mrs. Qin, was still here, Aoxiang Group would remain as it was, occupying a place in Lancheng's business world.
There was a murmur of admiration from those around. They hadn't expected a pregnant woman to be so beautiful under the spotlight.