He hadn't expected his mother to hire Wang Yujiao as the nanny. Frowning, he remained silent. Liu Yaqin, clearly adept at reading expressions, quickly explained, "My father has lumbar spine problems and needs treatment. My brother is coming to the provincial capital for school, and we're short on money. My mother really needs this job."
He made a gesture. "Understood. Don't wake Bao Bao."
Gao Xiang came out and saw Sun Ruodi flipping through a magazine, ignoring him. He sat down beside her. "Alright now? You've received so many flowers your hands are tired—time to let go of your anger."
Sun Ruodi couldn't hold back a smile any longer and whispered, "Call the florist and tell them to stop. My colleagues are already gossiping with all sorts of strange comments. I can't handle this much attention."
"If you ever argue with me again, I'll use this move."
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here because I'm afraid of receiving flowers. Auntie called me today and insisted I go with her to see the apartment she bought. On the way, she explained that this was all your grandfather's idea. He's been deeply grieving since losing his son in old age, and he had someone calculate Bao Bao's fortune. They said the child shouldn't take his surname, or they'd be incompatible."
Gao Xiang could only marvel at Chen Zihui's storytelling skills while feeling annoyed at her interference in the matter. His expression darkened, but he said nothing. Sun Ruodi, however, misinterpreted his reaction. "Fine, we should respect the elderly's wishes. I admit I was a bit willful, but don't you think you're also at fault? If you had explained clearly to me..."
"You would have been angry anyway, Ruodi."
Sun Ruodi glared at him. "Whether I could accept it is one thing; the important part is whether you told me the truth."
Since things had come to this, he shook his head. "Before my business trip, I told my mother the same thing—rushing into marriage wasn't good. I've already had her register Bao Bao under my name directly. When Bao Bao grows up, we'll find a way to explain it to him naturally. Let's not bring this up again."
Sun Ruodi said irritably, "See, this is the biggest problem between us. You always avoid the important issues and keep more and more from me."
Just as Gao Xiang was about to speak, the nanny brought out soup. It was indeed Liu Yaqin and Liu Guanchao's mother, Wang Yujiao. She seemed somewhat nervous. When Sun Ruodi thanked her, she only smiled stiffly, avoiding eye contact, and quickly retreated to the kitchen.
That evening, after seeing Sun Ruodi off, Gao Xiang returned and noticed Wang Yujiao and her daughter had also left. He asked, "Where's the nanny?"
"She went to see her daughter off to the bus."
"Why did you hire her?"
"The previous nanny kept insisting on leaving, so I decided to hire someone from Qinggang countryside. Nannies who've been in the provincial capital too long are too slick and lazy—I've had enough of that."
Gao Xiang frowned. "Mom, there are some things I've never wanted to press you on. But since you've brought her here to work, I have to ask. When it came to getting the Zuo family to agree to have Bao Bao, did you make some kind of deal with her and her daughter?"
Chen Zihui admitted without hesitation, "Naturally. How could we achieve our goal so smoothly without some cost? I gave Wang Yujiao a sum of money, and she agreed to help make it happen, including persuading her sister-in-law to assist. That money was well spent, wasn't it?"
Gao Xiang looked at his mother helplessly. Clearly, as usual, Chen Zihui saw nothing wrong with her methods. Criticizing her would be futile—especially since Bao Bao was already born and everything was irreversible."Bringing Bao Bao to live in the provincial capital was precisely to avoid him being talked about. Why must you bring someone who knows the situation into our home to work?"
"Wang Yujiao's son came to the provincial capital for school, and their expenses are higher than before. Her husband has a herniated lumbar disc and can't do heavy labor anymore, plus he needs medical treatment. Their daughter hasn't been able to get a permanent position at the county hospital, and her salary is pitifully small. She came to me and proposed working as a nanny, which would also make it convenient for her to take care of her son nearby. I tried her out for a week, and she's really quite good—quick and diligent with her hands, very good with children. The moment she has free time, she does housework, even taking on the tasks of a hourly cleaner. Finding a nanny like this nowadays is truly not easy. Don't worry about Bao Bao's matter; she promised me she absolutely won't gossip."
"Can you trust her? Back then, County Chief Zuo's family treated her well and trusted her so much, yet she still used their daughter to make a deal with you."
"That's a different matter. She's just an uneducated rural woman with a difficult family situation. It's understandable that she'd be tempted by small gains—she can't cause any real trouble. With me keeping an eye on her, what is there to fear? By the way, I promised to arrange a job for her daughter Liu Yaqin at your company."
"This is getting more and more unreasonable. No." Gao Xiang said with full displeasure, "I don't have a job for her."
"Are you deliberately opposing me? After all, she's a girl who once followed Ziyu and has helped me before. I've already promised her."
"Mom, don't always assume others are deliberately opposing you. Think about why your ideas always differ from others'.Chen Zi Hui's attitude toward her son had never been as strong as toward her husband. Seeing his dark expression, she immediately switched to a conciliatory tone: "Alright, alright. She only has a nursing school education anyway; just assign her some miscellaneous work. If you won't arrange it, I'll have your father do it—he is your superior, and I don't believe he'd dare contradict me."
Gao Xiang shook his head, both amused and exasperated, knowing she would indeed do this. He said: "I really can't with you. Also, stop meddling in my affairs from now on."
"Don't be stubborn. If I didn't intervene, who knows how long Ruodi would still be angry with you. I took her to see the apartment I bought—it's almost finished decorating. The neighborhood environment is very nice, quiet, and convenient for transportation. It's a duplex, very spacious, completely suitable for living in when you get married in the future. I told her the property would be under her name. Although she didn't say anything, it was clear she was completely satisfied. If you propose to her again, I guarantee she won't refuse."
Gao Xiang looked at his mother with a headache, but Chen Zi Hui wore a triumphant expression. He had no choice but to say: "Enough, enough. She's not as vulgar as you think. I've thought it over—let's talk about marriage later."
"Why?"
"We're both still young and not ready. In short, stop meddling from now on. Just focus on being a good grandmother and taking good care of Bao Bao."
This time, Chen Zi Hui didn't get angry but instead showed a somewhat wistful expression: "Ah, if it weren't for your grandfather's insistence, I would never have agreed no matter what. In the future, when Bao Bao can talk and calls me, his aunt, 'Grandma'... thinking about it really is... quite awkward."
He found it somewhat amusing and comforted her: "You'll get used to it by then. Go to sleep early."Before heading out, he glanced down at Bao Bao. After the surgery, the child no longer startled easily or cried until his lips turned purple as he used to. His little face had filled out a bit, becoming pink and adorable, with his tiny hands loosely clenched into fists resting on the pillow in a classic surrender pose, sleeping soundly. He had to admit, this sight could truly touch the softest parts of one's heart.
What would it be like if Bao Bao called him "Dad"? Gao Xiang returned to his room, leaned against the head of the bed, and imagined it for a moment. He had to admit, he suddenly felt a very peculiar sensation as well.
This small, frail child, born with an unhealthy heart, had doctors almost implicitly declare his days numbered, advising them to give up on him. Yet he had survived and had already transformed the lives of nearly everyone in his family.
The shadow of losing a child in old age still loomed over Chen Li Guo. His health was poor, his spirits increasingly dampened, and he entrusted more and more of the business to Gao Ming. He avoided social engagements and public appearances whenever possible. He couldn't indulge his grandson like an ordinary grandfather; every time he saw Bao Bao, his expression was complex, a mix of joy and worry. Meanwhile, Chen Zi Hui seemed, from the moment she learned of Bao Bao's existence, to stubbornly channel all the enthusiasm she once had for caring for her younger brother into the child, freeing herself from the near-hysterical resentment that followed her brother's loss. Although Gao Ming maintained a distant stance on the entire matter and did not approve of his son formally adopting Bao Bao, he never complained about his wife's devotion to the child.
Gao Xiang had grown increasingly accustomed to the child's presence in his life. As soon as he returned home, he would go see Bao Bao first. Picking up the infant no longer felt as awkward as it did initially; he had even learned to change diapers, prepare formula, and administer medicine. However, lending a hand when his mother or the nanny were overwhelmed was one thing—truly becoming a father was entirely another. He wasn't prepared, nor did he know what preparations were needed to adjust his mindset enough to embrace the role change that had already arrived.
He had to admit that Sun Ruo Di's concerns were justified. The sudden imposition of parental responsibility could leave even those with blood ties feeling at a loss, let alone someone with no relation at all. And Ruodi's perception of the issues between them wasn't exaggerated either. Since Chen Zi Yu's incident, the number of things he needed to hide from her had grown, compounded by his mother's various interpretations, blurring the lines between fact and fiction until they were nearly inseparable. As Zuo Si'an had said, once a rift forms between two people who were once close, it seems to have a tendency to widen, making it difficult to return to the simplicity of the beginning.Once again thinking of Zuo Si'an, Gao Xiang's sense of melancholy grew stronger. That day, he had taken her home from school, left his phone number with her, and told her she could call him if she felt troubled, but she never contacted him. He almost wanted to call Yu Jia again, but then he reconsidered—no matter the reason, Zuo Si'an had placed a rare trust in him. He might be the only person she could confide in at this stage. She hadn't pinned her hopes on him to solve all her problems, and he couldn't play the savior either. After all, Yu Jia was making an effort to maintain the mother-daughter relationship and give her daughter a normal life. He was merely an outsider to their lives, and offering advice rashly would be too abrupt.
Perhaps only time could heal everything in the end. But was it too cruel to let a child wait alone for time to pass as a means of salvation? If Chen Zi Hui hadn't been so stubborn and coercive back then, if he hadn't intervened, and if Zuo Si'an hadn't given birth to the child, would her life be easier now?
Every time he thought of Zuo Si'an, Gao Xiang couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy. Of course, he knew that not only did Chen Zi Hui think he had done too much for her, but even Yu Jia was grateful and wouldn't ask for anything more. Yet, he just couldn't let go of this concern. Was it pity he felt for her? Or did he feel a sense of debt that needed to be repaid for his peace of mind? He couldn't deny that Zuo Si'an's sharpness and intuition weren't wrong—for him, it seemed to be a mix of both, yet far more than that.
Of course, anyone would feel pity when faced with a completely innocent child becoming a victim. Add to that the fact that the wrongdoer was his relative, and he had directly intervened to make her give birth to Bao Bao, prolonging her suffering—it was impossible for him not to blame himself and feel guilty. He tried his best to make amends, partly to convince himself to feel at ease. But offering care wasn't the self-liberation process he had anticipated. From the small mountain village of Liu Wan in Qinggang to Coqên in Ali, he had developed an increasing sense of concern for her, and she, in turn, had shed her initial wariness and even begun to trust him to some extent. Unconsciously, a bond akin to that of family had formed between them.
He thought self-mockingly that perhaps he didn't need to see the burden of raising Bao Bao as too heavy. Given how much he worried about Zuo Si'an, it already counted as preliminary training for accepting fatherhood.
7
Winter arrived, with dusk coming early and heavy. By the time school ended, a light mix of rain and snow had started falling, the cold wind howled, and the temperature had dropped several degrees abruptly.
Zuo Si'an came out with her deskmate Wang Wanyi. Liu Guanchao was already waiting outside and handed her an umbrella, advising her, "Be careful when taking the bus. If it's too crowded, wait for the next one."
She took the umbrella and noticed Liu Guanchao was thinly dressed, his school uniform hanging loosely. She asked, "Why are you wearing so little? Aren't you cold?"
"It's fine, I'm not afraid of the cold."
"Then hurry and go eat."
He nodded and walked ahead. Wang Wanyi whispered, "He's so attentive to you—he must really like you."
Zuo Si'an opened the umbrella. "We're friends, and I'm the only person he knows around here. Let's go."Oh snap, if you think 52 Book Lake is great, remember to bookmark the URL https:https://www.52shuku.net/ or recommend it to friends~ Pretty please (>.<) Portal: Ranking List | Book Finding Guide | Qing Shan Luo Tuo
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