I woke up to find I have a child - Chapter 71
Although Ye Mingxin said she would follow along, it was simply impossible.
She was the female lead of the film and had to stay with the film crew for the next half month. In fact, she was so busy to the point where she barely had time to eat, let alone spare time to accompany Han Feixu to the Bahamas.
In the end, Han Feixu had to go alone. However, before her departure, Ye Mingxin made sure to check in with everyone around her. Even if she couldn’t go, she wanted to know everything Han Feixu did there.
Han Feixu left for three days, and Ye Mingxin transformed into a teenager with an internet addiction for three days. Whenever someone from the film crew looked for her, she was either on set filming or glued to her phone.
The weather had turned cooler, and in the evenings, a brisk breeze blew through the air. Tian Chengxian, wearing a windbreaker, approached Ye Mingxin with his hands in his pockets. He sneakily glanced at her phone and then said with a hint of amusement, “Come on, come on, it’s only been a day. Do you have to watch her so closely? If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you were conspiring to do something nefarious.”
Ye Mingxin didn’t even lift her head, continuing to look at various pictures sent over by Zhong Yuanyuan. It was now 8:30 PM, and their shoot was about to wrap up, while Han Feixu had just started her work. She had already changed into the clothes provided by the magazine and was standing by the sea, facing away from the camera. If you ignored the large group of crew members beside her, this photo could easily be used as her computer’s new screensaver.
“I don’t have anything to worry about. Are there still people in the crew who don’t know about my relationship with Han Feixu?”
Tian Chengxian pondered for a moment. “It seems like there aren’t any left. Even the people delivering the bento meals think something’s off between you two.”
Ye Mingxin replied indifferently, “That’s fine then. Since everyone knows, I guess they can figure out what I’m doing. No one will misunderstand.”
A little absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Tian Chengxian was just being polite by coming over. He wasn’t genuinely interested in prying into their private affairs. He stretched lazily and walked back to his side. Meanwhile, Ye Mingxin enlarged one of the photos sent by Zhong Yuanyuan and scrutinized it carefully. She was trying to identify which person was the Chief Editor of Marie Claire.
There were too many foreigners at the scene, and she couldn’t distinguish them. In the end, she had to ask Zhong Yuanyuan. Her friend informed her that the one standing farthest from Han Feixu was the Chief Editor.
Despite taking numerous on-site photos, Zhong Yuanyuan had only managed to capture a blurry side profile of Chloe, which wasn’t very clear as it had been unintentionally blurred into the background. After scrutinizing the photos for a while, Ye Mingxin could only come to one conclusion: this woman was really tall, probably around 1.8 meters.
Looking at Chloe’s blurred profile, Ye Mingxin couldn’t help but think, It’s okay; Little Xiu doesn’t like very tall women. She prefers those who are not too tall or too short, around 1.69 meters, just like me.
Her mood was somewhat delicate for the next three days, but Han Feixu eventually returned. Ye Mingxin took her to her own room, and asked a few questions about the customs of the Bahamas first before casually inquiring, “What did the Chief Editor of Marie Claire treat you to?”
After spending a day on the cover shoot, there wasn’t much time for leisure. It wasn’t until they returned to their hotel that evening that Han Feixu got the chance to go out for a while. Overseas, nobody recognized her, so she didn’t have to wear sunglasses or a mask, allowing her to relax for once. She hadn’t experienced this kind of life in a long time, and Han Feixu was particularly excited. She bought a bunch of useful and useless things at the local night market in her excitement.
While Han Feixu was rummaging through her purchases from the trip, she replied, “It was all seafood—conch salad, spiny crayfish, and giant lobsters.” She lifted her head. “They all had a tangy taste because they used a special sour sauce there. I originally wanted to buy a box to take back, but Yuanyuan said we couldn’t bring it on the plane, so I didn’t.”
Ye Mingxin nodded slowly. “I see. But you don’t really like sour things. Did you not eat well these past few days?”
Han Feixu took out a string of conch shell necklaces from her suitcase and hung it around Ye Mingxin’s neck. “It’s okay. Having a meal with sour foods once in a while feels nice and the seafood tastes great. If we have the time, let’s go together sometime. The Pink Sands Beach is incredibly beautiful. I’d like to go there again, and next time, I hope it won’t be for a photoshoot.”
After putting on the conch shell necklace, Han Feixu took out a string of seashell necklaces and helped Ye Mingxin put it on. Ye Mingxin then asked, “When you had dinner with the Chief Editor, what did she talk to you about?”
Han Feixu pondered for a moment. “Not much, really. She just apologized to me and introduced me to various Bahamian customs. She didn’t say much to me in total. She didn’t only invite me for dinner either; there were seven of us, and we all sat together. I was too busy discussing with Yuanyuan where to go, so I didn’t socialize much.”
Han Feixu took out a pair of sunglasses with silver frames and pink lenses from her luggage, adjusted Ye Mingxin’s head, and put them on her.
What Han Feixu said matched what Zhong Yuanyuan and Liang Zhu had told her, finally putting Ye Mingxin’s concerns to rest. She didn’t need to ask any more indirect questions about Chloe.
The questions that followed were typical of someone returning from a trip. Han Feixu answered each question one by one. When she finished organizing her purchases on the floor, Ye Mingxin held Han Feixu’s hand, agreement on her face, “Next summer, let’s take our whole family on vacation to the Bahamas. We’ll invite Mom and Dad, and if MingDe has time, we’ll bring him too. It’ll also be a chance to escape the summer heat.”
Han Feixu loved lively occasions, and she happily nodded, then took out a small mirror from her handbag and showed it to Ye Mingxin. “Take a look, don’t you look beautiful right now?”
Ye Mingxin half-lifted her sunglasses and looked into the mirror without saying a word.
After a long silence, she finally expressed her opinion, “I can’t really say if I’m beautiful or not, but I do kind of look like one of those street performers in Hawaii.”
Han Feixu: “…”
Upon her return, Han Feixu immediately filmed the final two scenes. Although the script indicated that Han Feixu’s character would survive until the end, she finished shooting earlier than Ye Mingxin. There was another actor who had scenes with her and was in a hurry to wrap up, so they needed to finish her scenes quickly.
After donning some old-age makeup, Han Feixu looked into the mirror. Although she was supposed to be playing a 70-year-old lady, she appeared to be only in her forties. When filming her last few scenes, she laughed and cried, reminiscing the good and bad times in her life. Such as her three deceased sons, and her lifelong rivalry with Yingxiu. While Yingxiu became the Empress Dowager and enjoyed lasting fame, Han Feixu, despite her efforts, ended up with nothing but the title of a forgotten concubine.
She threw a piece of white silk onto the room’s beam, signaling the end of her scenes. The news of Wen Shan’s death would be delivered through eunuchs; they weren’t actually going to film the scene of her hanging herself.
When she heard the director call “Cut,” Han Feixu was still somewhat immersed in Wen Shan’s emotions. It took her a moment to snap out of it. When she saw everyone gathering around her, she put on a smile and happily bowed to everyone.
Ye Mingxin felt her heart drop. However, on the surface, just like everyone else, she went over and hugged Han Feixu to congratulate her.
Ye Mingxin still had to stay here for three more days. After that, the closing ceremony will commence.
The closing ceremony will not be as grand as the opening ceremony, and Han Feixu had the option to not attend. After the closing ceremony, there will be a celebration party. Just thinking about having to drink with so many people, Han Feixu got a headache. Ye Mingxin suggested she go straight back to Beijing instead.
Han Feixu’s heart raced with the desire to reunite with her daughter after remembering that Yiyi had been living with her great-grandparents for almost four months. After saying goodbye to everyone, enjoying a meal with Tian Chengxian, she headed back home.
Liang Zhu had promised to give her two days off because they finished filming ahead of schedule. With an extra two days off, Han Feixu took Yiyi back to their home, cherishing some quality mother-daughter time.
While putting Yiyi to bed that night, Han Feixu spoke softly, “Yiyi, this year Mama is going to regain her position so I’ll be very busy. But next year, when my reputation and popularity have established, I won’t be so busy anymore. I’ll only film two movies a year, and I’ll spend more time with you.”
Yiyi, sounding mature beyond her years, nodded. “Mama, you better keep your promise. Kids grow up quickly. If you don’t cherish me, by the time you realize it, I’ll be as tall as you.”
Han Feixu chuckled. “If you grow as tall as me, believe me, I’ll realize it.”
Yiyi huffed, puffing her cheeks into a balloon-like shape, a habit she seemed to have developed recently when she had nothing to do. Han Feixu poked her face, deflating the imaginary balloon. “Is your great-grandpa’s house fun? Have you only been playing around this entire time?”
Yiyi protested, “I’ve been studying too! Ge-Ge is teaching me how to draw and write. Now I can write my own name.”
Han Feixu was astonished, “You can write your name already? That’s really impressive. Your name is quite complicated and I even have to think for a moment when I write it.”
Yiyi looked at her calmly, “Mama, so even you know that my name is not easy to write.”
Han Feixu chuckled awkwardly, “Well, you get used to it after a while. How did your ge-ge teach you to write your name?”
Yiyi raised her arm high, using her chubby hand to draw each stroke in the air while softly reciting, “Han… Nian… Yi…” (T/N: ???)
The last character took the longest time to write. She even made a mistake halfway through and furrowed her brow. She used her fist to erase the non-existent stroke and started over.
Han Feixu lay on her side, propping herself up with one arm to support her head as she watched Yiyi’s earnest expression. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. When Yiyi finally finished writing, Han Feixu leaned in and praised her extravagantly, “You wrote it beautifully! Yiyi, you’re amazing! But Yiyi, your name isn’t Han Nianyi; it’s Han-Ye Nianyi. In two years, you’ll be going to elementary school, and when you do, you’ll have to use your formal name. So, when you write your name, it will be Han-Ye Nianyi. Understand?” (T/N: ????)
Originally, Han Yenianyi’s three characters already had plenty of strokes, and now, another character was added. Yiyi didn’t know how to write the character “Ye” and she thought it must also be a particularly complex character. Her little face immediately wrinkled into a pout, looking quite unwilling. Han Feixu comforted her, “It’s okay, you can learn it slowly. When you go to elementary school, Mama will make you a seal.”
Yiyi didn’t understand, “What’s a seal?”
Han Feixu extended her hand and gestured a square shape, “A seal is like a stamp. When you go to school, you’ll take a box of ink and a seal with you. When the teacher asks you to write something from memory, you can just stamp it on the paper. That way, you can save time, right?”
Han Feixu wasn’t joking with Yiyi; she genuinely thought this way. As soon as Yiyi learned to write her name, Han Feixu would get her a seal. Otherwise, when the teacher gives out a spelling test, while others have already finished writing the first line of a poem, Yiyi would still be hemming and hawing away as she struggles to write her name.
Yiyi silently observed her for a moment before saying, “Mama you’re really smart.”
Han Feixu joyfully tilted her head back, “Of course, how else could I have given birth to such a smart daughter like you otherwise?”
Yiyi: “….”
Yiyi remained silent. She never considered intelligence inherited from Han Feixu. If she had inherited Han Feixu’s intelligence, her memory would be like that of a fish, and she wouldn’t be able to memorize ancient poems or learn to write as quickly. In fact, she wouldn’t even remember what she had for dinner yesterday.
Three days later, Ye Mingxin also returned. It was a rare opportunity for the family of three to have a vacation together. Even though they couldn’t go out, staying at home was enough to make Yiyi happy for a while.
In another eight days, ?The Sleeper?will start filming. While Han Feixu was busy memorizing her lines and delving into her character’s mindset when Liang Zhu called.
She had just finished shooting the cover for Marie Claire so Marie Claire had invited her to a celebrity gala next Saturday. Han Feixu thought for a moment. The celebrity gala is quite famous, with most A-list stars invited to it. She nodded, “Alright, what should I wear?”
Liang Zhu had specific requirements for her clothing now. When she went out, she had to wear clothes from a few designated brands, partly to secure endorsements for high-end clothing.
“Just wear your favorite brand, the one you always buy custom-made couture from every year. Did the new collection for the second half of the year arrive yet?”
Little did Han Feixu know that her clothes were already delivered and stored by Aunt Li before she got to see them. She walked over to her wardrobe and looked around for a while before finally finding several pieces of clothing still in their packaging. She tore open the paper wrapping and took a look at the style inside, “It’s here, should I wear this one?”
“Yes, I’ll have Old North go over and let him pick out an outfit for you. He can also do the styling for you on-site.”
Han Feixu readily agreed, and then she thought of something that lit up her eyes, “Can we have Old North dress up Yiyi too? I’ve always wanted to see Yiyi in a little dress, but I haven’t had the chance. It would be great if I could bring her along…”
“Han Feixu, please take back that thought immediately.” Liang Zhu said in a serious tone.
“Do you think this party is just some fancy gala? There are reporters of all kinds everywhere and the security is just decoration as they don’t do anything. As long as they bribe the guards with some dessert, any paparazzi can sneak in. And forget about the current life you have now, once you’re exposed, once Yiyi’s face is photographed by the paparazzi she will not have an easy life for the rest of her life. Unless you send her abroad, she’ll never escape the public security. Do you really want Yiyi to go abroad to study at such a young age and experience the feeling of being a public figure too?”
As the daughter of Han Feixu and Ye Mingxin, Yiyi will be captured by the unscrupulous paparazzi sooner or later, but Liang Zhu was hoping that won’t happen until she’s a little more grown up like 16-17 years-old. By then her personality should be well-formed enough that she’ll also have a strong mental endurance to go along with it.
The current Yiyi is too young and becoming famous at such a young age was not a good thing for her. It might even ruin Yiyi’s life.
Han Feixu said embarrassedly, “I was just saying, I’m not actually going to take Yiyi out with me. Don’t worry, Liang-jie, I’m quite well-versed with the conduct of paparazzi.”
Liang Zhu didn’t say much more. After she hung up the phone, Han Feixu took out the recently unpacked haute couture dress, felt the soft fabric, and then hung the dress back up.
Upon hearing about the upcoming gala from Han Feixu, Ye Mingxin nodded, “I’ll be attending too.”
“What about Yiyi?” Han Feixu asked.
Yimingxin thought for a moment and was about to suggest having Yan Yuerong take care of Yiyi, but Han Feixu proposed another idea, “How about letting Shen Sangluo take care of her for the night?”
Yimingxin didn’t quite understand and asked, “Why?”
Han Feixu replied, seemingly nonchalant, “Yiyi has been at her great-grandfather’s house all this time, and Shen Sangluo has complained to me several times that she hasn’t had a chance to see Yiyi. This would be a good opportunity. We can drop Yiyi off in the afternoon, and Shen Sangluo can bring her back the next morning.”
Shen Sangluo hadn’t taken care of children before, and Ye Mingxin furrowed her brows, “Is she capable of handling Yiyi? What if Yiyi causes trouble?”
Han Feixu snorted, “How could that be? You know your daughter, she gets along with everyone just fine. Besides, she likes Shen Sangluo and has even said something about wanting to go on a cruise with her for a while.”
Ye Mingxin was persuaded by what she said and raised her head again after a few seconds of silence, “You really only just want them to develop a relationship?”
Han Feixu turned her head and said, “What do you mean?”
Ye Mingxin smiled and said, “I mean, could it be that you feel guilty for what you did last time and still don’t dare to face Section Chief Shen first, so you sent Yiyi over to pave a path for you and help calm down Section Chief Shen’s anger.”
Han Feixu hesitated and then replied seriously, “Yiyi will understand that she’s helping out her poor, weak, and helpless old mother.”
I knew it = =
While Han Feixu returned to her room, Ye Mignxin dug out the invitation letter Marie Claire sent from under the pile of documents on the table. The invitation letters for important guests are personally signed by the Chief Editor. Looking at the graceful signature, Ye Mingxin slowly lowered her eyes.
Chloe Dumont.
From her signature one can tell she’s a free and easy-going person, but who knows if her personality matches her signature.
She placed the letter back on the table and stood up to head to Han Feixu’s room.
Ye Mingxin’s original intention for buying this house was to leave behind the original residence they lived in so Han Feixu could forget all about her unpleasant past. Among the three rooms on the second floor, Han Feixu’s room was originally their master bedroom, and Ye Mingxin’s room was reserved for Yiyi to live in when she grew up. The children’s room will always be the children’s room until Yiyi grows up and then later it can be used as a way to remember her childhood.
However, they were in a conflict back then so when Han Feixu saw that the master bedroom was being used, she simply moved all her things to the empty room.
What a mistake she made…
Fortunately, the situation is different now, and she no longer has to guard an empty room by herself.
Yiyi was also happy when she found out that her Mama and Mommy were living together again and she even happily asked Han Feixu that night, “Mama, can I sleep with you tonight?”
Han Feixu looked at Ye Mingxin, then turned back and smiled at Yiyi: “Okay, will you be alright sleeping in the middle?”
“Yeah, yeah, I want to sleep in the middle!”
Ye Mingxin was more reluctant at first, but seeing her daughter so happy, she couldn’t help but smile.
The day before attending the party, Han Feixu called Shen Sangluo and asked her if she was available to take Yiyi for the day.
Shen Sangluo agree without saying another word and Han Feixu took the opportunity to ask her how things were going with Jiang Lingyan.
Shen Sangluo answered vaguely, “Things are okay.”
Han Feixu didn’t understand, “What do you mean by okay? Have you taken a step forward, backward, or stayed where you are? Have you completely broken up with her?”
After a moment of silence, Shen Sangluo said, “No.”
Han Feixu blinked, “Is she still pursuing you relentlessly?”
Shen Sangluo glanced instinctively at the study, “No.”
No? That doesn’t seem to be in line with Jiang Lingyan’s style. She had been calling and trying to meet Shen Sangluo almost every other day for the past several months. Did she finally give up?
Thinking along these lines, Han Feixu asked this question. Shen Sangluo was conflicted for a while before responding despondently, “No.”
Han Feixu: “….”
While others may reply “don’t know” to whatever question, Section Chief Shen replies with a firm “No” everytime. Since Han Feixu was still feeling guilty about her previous actions, she didn’t dare to ask further. After hanging up the phone, Shen Sangluo picked up the fruit plate on the table. Five kinds of fruits were gathered on the plate. A variety of large and small, all of them cut or peeled into shapes suitable for easy consumption. Shen Sangluo ate two pieces of dragon fruit, and then sighed dispiritedly.
After she finished the plate of fruit, Jiang Lingyan also walked out of the study, “I finally finished my work. What do you want to eat tonight?”
Shen Sangluo was in a daze, holding up her remote control to change the channel. She didn’t even know what she wanted to watch. She raised her head at Jiang Lingyan’s question and thought for a moment, “Sweet and sour pork ribs, and Nyonya taro rolls.”
Both are sweet and hard to make dishes. The sweet and sour pork ribs must be marinated perfectly, then fried twice, and then stir-fried. As for the taro rolls, one needs to mash the taro into paste, steam it, roll it, and then finally fry it. If you want to make something in less than 2 hours, well then don’t even think about making these two dishes.
The easier route is to have the restaurant cook it for you as they have semi-finished products of the dishes ready and prepared days in advance. Then you just need to fry them yourself and serve it. However, Jina Lingyan herself is a picky person with picky taste. Otherwise, why would she bother learning how to cook for herself?
She’s quite picky when it comes to herself, and even more so when it comes to Shen Sangluo. So she doesn’t allow Shen Sangluo to eat dishes made casually by others from outside.
Her lips curled up and she said, “Ok. Wait a little bit, I’ll go buy some ribs first.”
After saying that, she changed her shoes and went out, carrying two bags of trash out with her.
Shen Sangluo turned her head at the sound of the door closing and took that moment to also look around her home.
Ever since Jiang Lingyan learned her keycode, her home was no longer a pigsty. She no longer ate junk food either because Jiang Lingyan had helped her quit by cooking for her.
Now she lives comfortably, cleanly, and eats healthily. It’s as if she had gained a perfect housewife and didn’t have to worry about anything. Jiang Lingyan practically spoon-fed her.
Shen Sangluo felt her walls slowly start to erode, and what was even more terrifying was that this erosion had already seeped into her very bones. As the saying goes, it’s easy to go from frugality to luxury but it’s difficult to go from luxury to frugality. In less than twenty days, not even a full month, she had completely grown accustomed to this luxury lifestyle. She couldn’t even imagine what she would do if Jiang Lingyan were to leave and she was left all alone again.
When that thought suddenly entered her mind, Shen Sangluo’s expression froze.
Damnit, she knew this person surnamed Jiang had no good intentions!