367: No Longer A Child

No Longer A Child

"Mom?"1

Su Qingsang looked at the two of them, feeling confusion creeping up on her. What are they on about this time? The mood was fine during the meal, wasn't it?

"Qingsang, it's already quite late. It's best if you retire early. Go and get a hot water bath — soak your hands and feet in hot water for a bit."

Xiang Caiping did not return Su Qingsang's gaze. She only held her hand, a gentle smile on her face.

Gentleness aside, there were also self-blame, remorse, and heartache. Xiang Caiping deftly concealed such emotions. The only thing she seemed to have revealed was unconditional warmth and tender, motherly love.

"Mom." Su Qingsang felt a little helpless yet touched at the same time. "I'm no longer a child."

"Mmhmm. Right. No longer a child, yet you still don't know how to take care of yourself." 

How would Su Qingsang know how to take care of herself? She didn't have her biological mother by her side, and her biological father might as well not have existed. Since a young age, she was not even aware of how much she had suffered growing up.

When she thought about it, Xiang Caiping once again rejoiced in her decision to come to Lin City. If she had not, Qingsang could have suffered even more.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll take good care of Qingsang in the future."

Huo Jinyao took the chance to express his heartfelt opinion as he stood next to Su Qingsang, his powerful arm draped around her shoulders. "Right, Qingsang?"

You're being too free again, while my mom and dad are still here. Su Qingsang glared at him, trying to wriggle free from his embrace.

Huo Jinyao was very strong — how could Su Qingsang resist him? He could tell that Su Chenghui did not bear good news during his visit this time.

Else, Xiang Caiping would not bear an expression like this. Su Chenghui must have said something that had upset Xiang Caiping.

Perhaps he could backtrack and investigate? As his gaze landed on Su Chenghui, who had a face full of conflicted emotions, Huo Jinyao felt the extremely bizarre premonition surfacing once more.

Xiang Caiping watched the two newlyweds, who looked very much in love, being sweeter than honey to each other. "You two should rest up. I'll watch TV for a bit more."

That meant she wanted to speak with Su Chenghui alone. Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang gave each other a look. Turning around simultaneously to bid Su Chenghui goodnight, they then retreated into their room.

Su Chenghui's impulsive urge to speak had completely dissipated when he saw that Su Qingsang was back.

He would mess up the entire scheme if he did not resist this urge. He could not reveal the secret now.

With the children gone, Xiang Caiping was not inclined to keep up the facade. "Su Chenghui, why don't you tell me now that Qingsang isn't my daughter? Whose daughter is she, then? And where is my daughter?"

Su Chenghui observed the hard expression on Xiang Caiping's face — the face of a gentle woman who used to have almost no opinions at all.

She seemed to have become stronger after becoming a mother as she revealed a sword-edge-like sharpness like this before him.

"Can't say it, can you?" Xiang Caiping sneered and nodded. "Tell me. You just didn't want me to trouble Su Peizhen, right?"

"Yes." Su Chenghui closed his eyes. His heart was riddled with bitter conflict, yet his face reflected calmness. "Caiping, Peizhen is a good girl. Next time, can you keep from making things difficult for her?"

If there was a pain in this world that was equivalent to the pain and suffering of having one's heart gouged out, Xiang Caiping thought it must have felt like this.

"Su Chenghui, Peizhen is a good girl. Isn't Qingsang too? I'm not allowed to make it difficult for Su Peizhen but your wife and daughter can make life difficult for my Qingsang, right?"

Su Chenghui opened his eyes and looked at her with a face full of helplessness. "That's not what I meant."

"That's exactly what you mean. Leave. I'm telling you to leave." Xiang Caiping's face had a sort of certainty he had never seen before. "Su Chenghui, I never want to see you in this lifetime again. Get out."

pqdm.com