I woke up to find I have a child - Chapter 72
The next day, Han Feixu first put on some makeup, changed into different clothes, and then took Yiyi with her before heading out.
Even though Yiyi’s destination was just from their own home to Shen Sangluo’s house, Han Feixu couldn’t resist having Old North give her some light makeup and curl her hair first.
Holding Yiyi’s hand, they arrived at the doorstep of Shen Sangluo’s house. She rang the doorbell. Shen Sangluo opened the door, she was taken aback, “Are you both going to attend the coronation ceremony for the Queen or something?”
Han Feixu first brought Yiyi inside and then entered herself, “Our little Yiyi is a princess in her own right, she doesn’t need to attend anyone else’s coronation.”
Yiyi cherished her new hairstyle, even though it was just a temporary one, so she was careful not to mess up her hair.
When she hugged Shen Sangluo’s thigh, she intentionally shifted a bit to avoid having her beautiful hair flattened.
Shen Sangluo lifted Yiyi up, and Han Feixu pointed a finger at her, “Make sure she goes to bed at nine, and limit her cartoon-watching time to no more than one hour at a time. She must take a break after an hour, and don’t give her anything to eat after eight, and not too many sweets either. Don’t spoil her, and if she causes any trouble, call me immediately, I’ll come to your rescue right away.”
“I know already. I’m an adult now, do you really think I can’t watch such a small child? Don’t worry, there won’t even be a hair missing on her head when I send her back tomorrow.”
Han Feixu stopped her lecturing and handed over Yiyi’s sippy cup, the iPad, and two sets of clothes before walking around the place. She looked over at the bed in the bedroom, “Remember to make her sleep towards the wall at night. Sometimes she rolls around in her bed and may fall out of the bed otherwise.”
Shen Sangluo nodded her head and Han Fexiu thought about it for a while before deciding she had said everything she needed to say, “Then I’ll be leaving first. At what time will you be bringing her back tomorrow?”
“After she’s eaten lunch,” Shen Sangluo pinched Yiyi’s little face, “Then I’ll take her out to play for a little while before sending her back to you.”
Han Feixu took two steps towards the door, “Then you must keep a close eye on her. She’s at that age where she wants to explore and try everything, but doesn’t pay attention to where the adults are.”
“I know, I know, I will definitely keep an eye on her.”
Han Feixu still felt a bit uneasy. She turned her head, trying to recall if there was anything else she hadn’t mentioned. Her gaze swept across the living room, and she noticed something unusual. She shifted her gaze back.
The study door was slightly ajar, and Han Feixu squinted, unable to make out what was written on the calligraphy scroll hanging on the study wall.
Her nearsightedness might have worsened = =
Curiosity got the better of her. Han Feixu lowered the hand that had been resting on the front door knob and moved to head towards the study. Seeing this, Shen Sangluo suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to put something away. She quickly put Yiyi down and hurried over. Han Feixu was in the midst of reading the scroll, muttering to herself, “One night…”
She didn’t finish reading out loud when Shen Sangluo slammed the door shut with a bang. Han Feixu turned red in the face when she realized what she just read. She swiftly turned around, only to find Yiyi standing beside her, also curiously looking at the study. Since the study door had been closed, she asked Han Feixu, “Mama, what were you looking at?”
Han Feixu forced a laugh, “I was looking at the little swallows flying outside the window, Yiyi. Why don’t you go watch some cartoons, Mama needs to leave soon.”
“Ok, bye Mama.” Yiyi tiptoed, reaching her arms up, and Han Feixu bent down so Yiyi could give her a kiss on the cheek.
While Yiyi ran to the living room to study the remote control and the tv channels, Han Feixu grabbed Shen Sangluo. The latter was feeling guilty and lowered her head in apology. She tensed up and whispered an apology, “I was wrong, it’s all my fault. I was just thinking of putting that scroll away, but then I got busy, and I forgot!”
Han Feixu was speechless, “It’s one thing to write things like that, but you actually hung it up! And you hung it on the study’s wall too. What, are you really that proud of it?”
Shen Sangluo protested, defending herself, “I didn’t write nor hang that scroll! It was Jiang Lingyan who wrote it and then insisted on hanging it!”
Although the two of them spoke in anxious, and indignant tones, their voices were barely louder than mosquitoes for fear that Yiyi, who was in the living room, might hear them. Han Feixu looked at her suspiciously. “She wrote it? Why would she write something like that?”
After Shen Sangluo told her this clue, she thought for a moment and recalled that the handwriting on the scroll indeed didn’t resemble Shen Sangluo’s style. Shen Sangluo’s handwriting was more elegant and graceful. The handwriting on the scroll on the wall looked nice, but only in comparison to Han Feixu’s sloppy handwriting.
Compared to Han Feixu’s dog-like writing, even Jiang Lingyan’s handwriting could be considered a calligraphy masterpiece.
Shen Sangluo scratched her head and said weakly, “She found the ones I wrote before.”
Han Feixu’s expression smoothed out, and Shen Sangluo saw four words in her eyes: “So that is why.”
Leaning against the wall, Han Feixu couldn’t help but laugh. “Jiang Lingyan is quite artistic.”
The words, “One night can lead to a lifetime of mercy” certainly make one’s imagination run wild.
Shen Sangluo quietly opened the study door. “I’ll put the scroll away now. You can leave.”
Han Feixu chuckled. “I’m not in a hurry. I want to ask you a few questions first.”
Shen Sangluo turned her head to look at her in confusion. Han Feixu’s face was filled with glee and a gloating smile, “’First question, Jiang Lingyan isn’t here, so why do you let that generic calligraphy piece keep hanging on the wall?”
Shen Sangluo: “This….”
“Second question, how did Jiang Lingyan find out about your other pieces from before? Did you take the initiative to show them to her, or did she snoop around when she stopped by your house?”
Shen Sangluo: “Well….”
“Third question, why is your place so clean all of a sudden? And I think some of your furniture has been replaced too. Didn’t you say you wanted to save money to buy yourself a house? How can you have the money to buy new furniture? If nothing else, that bedside table of yours seems to be a new model from Fan Duxin’s falship series this year. Even I haven’t bought any pieces yet, where did you buy it?”
Shen Sangluo: “Actually….”
Han Feixu leaned against the wall, patiently waiting for her answer. Shen Sangluo’s eyes wildly wandered around, as she was fidgeting with her hands. Han Feixu chuckled twice and asked with great consideration, “One last question, do you want to find something to scratch?” (T/N: reference to earlier chapter where it was revealed that Shen Sangluo has a habit of scratching/tapping on things when she lies)
Shen Sangluo lowered her head without a word. After a while, she reached out and, with a bang, closed the study door behind her.
Outside the door, Han Feixu couldn’t contain her laughter. She lingered for about ten minutes, before leaving. She didn’t want to leave so quickly, but she would be late to the gala otherwise. Just thinking about how Shen Sangluo was currently racking her brains to come up with a lie made her want to laugh uncontrollably.
Thus, Han Feixu’s smile didn’t diminish even when she arrived at the gala. Among all the female celebrities present, her smile seemed the most genuine, as if she had just won a five million-yuan lottery.
Chloe walked over and handed her a cocktail when she saw that she arrived, “Did something good happen today?”
Han Feixu took the glass and replied politely, “Can’t I just be happy that you invited me to this gala?’
Chloe smiled gently, “The charity auction starts at 8:30. If you don’t see anything you like, you can leave early. There are going to be a lot of paparazzi around when the auction ends, so be careful as to not attract their attention.”
Han Feixu looked at her dumbfoundedly. This was the first time the host of an event told her she could leave early.
After saying what she needed to say, Chole turned around and began socializing with her other guests. Han Feixu turned her head and looked at Zhong Yuanyuan. The two stared at each other, both of them confused. Zhong Yuanyuan suggested, “Maybe she’s just being polite?”
Han Feixu thought for a while, shook her head and said, “No, I think she’s just a really good person.”
Zhong Yuanyuan: “….”
Han Feixu happily wandered off to chat with an acquaintance she spotted. Yin Jiahe and Chi Qiu were both here as well and she hadn’t seen them in a while so she moved to chat with them some more. Ye Mingxin had arrived earlier than her and was walking around the venue, chatting with people here and there.
When she looked in Chole’s direction, she found that her attitude towards Han Feixu seems similar to how she treat others, but she felt something was off. Unfortunately, she was too far away just now and couldn’t hear what Chloe said, nor could she make out their expressions clearly.
Lan Zhu followed closely behind her, watching as her boss occasionally glanced at Marie Claire’s new Chief Editor from time to time. Lan Zhu also observed the woman for a while, and as she kept staring, the more she felt sure. She tapped Ye Mingxin’s back. “Mingxin-jie.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you find this new Chief Editor looks somewhat familiar?”
Ye Mingxin looked in Chloe’s direction again, then turned to look at Lan Zhu. “I don’t think so. Do you? Have you met her before?”
Lan Zhu quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just a feeling, like I’ve seen her somewhere.”
In Lan Zhu’s eyes, all foreigners looked somewhat similar. She suddenly clapped her hands. “I know! She looks a lot like Lena Milan, that famous model from the 1960s!”
Ye Mingxin: “…”
She had thought Lan Zhu might have actually met Chloe, but it turned out she got excited over nothing.
Yin Jiahe noticed Han Feixu approaching but continued to act indifferent. Han Feixu was used to her behavior and glanced to the side. Sure enough,Yu Tingxue was nearby, chatting with someone else. Yu Tingxue noticed Han Feixu looking at her and raised her glass, nodding slightly.
Since President Yu took the initiative to greet Han Feixu, she raised her own glass and smiled flatteringly back at her.
After Yu Tingxue turned her attention away, Han Feixu fell silent for a moment. She turned to Zhong Yuanyuan and asked in a low voice, “Why is it that every time I see Yu Tingxue, I can’t help but want to smile? And not a genuine smile, but a flattering one?”
Zhong Yuanyuan was scanning the room to see which people Han Feixu should approach for a conversation. She answered absentmindedly, “Is it because every time you see her, your expression becomes polite yet distant? Although your smile appears sincere, its underlying meaning is actually telling her to stay away from you?”
“That’s exactly it!” Han Feixu nodded enthusiastically, as if she had found a kindred spirit. “Do you feel the same way?”
“No,” Zhong Yuanyuan calmly replied. “But if you look at the expression on Liang-jie’s face when she sees Ye Mingxin, it’s exactly the same. So I was able to infer from that.”
Han Feixu asked, “Why is Liang-jie so afraid of Ye Mingxin? She’s been quite nice to Liang-jie.”
Zhong Yuanyuan looked like she had just heard a funny joke. She was in the middle of drinking, and her sudden laughter almost made her choke on her drink. After a couple of coughs, she waved her hand and said, “Ask Liang-jie later. Let her describe Ye Mingxin’s dark side to you.”
Zhong Yuanyuan’s exaggeration response made Han Feixu raise an eyebrow, but she didn’t pursue the topic further. She looked around and saw that Ye Mingxin was talking to a man in his fifties or sixties. Seeing them engrossed in conversation, she hesitated for a moment but decided to stay where she was.
Han Feixu lowered her head, lost in thought. Yin Jiahe stood beside her and said quietly, “I’m going to chat with Director Zhang. See you later.”
Han Feixu raised her head and nodded in response. She didn’t know many people at this event. Most of them were in their own groups based on their companies, while Han Feixu had her own studio so she no longer belonged to any big company. She didn’t have many friends in the industry, and she felt no need to make small talk, so decided to find a place to sit up front.
As she walked halfway, someone suddenly called out to her, “Feixu-jie!”
The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Han Feixu turned around and found that it was the young and handsome Gao Changxiu.
It has been half a year since they last met, and the young actor hadn’t changed much except for his hairstyle. When he saw Han Feixu, he walked over briskly and said, “Feixu, we’re going to be partners this time.”
Han Feixu looked puzzled and, seeing her confusion, he reminded her, “In the film?The Sleeper?. I’m playing Gao Tian.”
Han Feixu finally understood. In?The Sleeper? there are six protagonists, and Gao Tian is the last on the list. He’s the most innocent and cheerful character in the entire film, despite being a police officer. He’s also kind-hearted to the point that it was almost exasperating. While the other five protagonists had experienced their misfortunes in the past, Gao Tian’s misfortune was in the present.
The role had been undecided until recently. Ye Mingxin had mentioned a few days ago that they had finally found a suitable actor but hadn’t informed Han Feixu that it was Gao Changxiu.
Han Feixu looked at him with delight. “Is this your first time acting in a movie? Oh, this is great! Being able to act alongside a young actor like you, so many girls must envy me.”
Gao Changxiu smiled shyly. “Everyone on the set is my senior. I’m just a newbie who doesn’t know anything. Please don’t make fun of me.”
“Everyone has to start from somewhere and with your good looks, you’re bound to shine.”
Gao Changxiu gave Han Feixu the impression of the boy next door. Han Feixu had a natural fondness for shy and timid individuals like him, and Gao Changxiu liked professional and low-profile actors like Han Feixu. He wanted to learn acting from her and enter a senior-junior mentorship with her.
The two of them got along well, chatting for a while. Ye Mingxin spotted them from a distance, and Lan Zhu asked her, “Mingxin-jie, why don’t you join them?”
“No need,” Ye Mingxin thought it would be good for Han Feixu to have some male friends. She knew Gao Changxiu well, so she felt at ease. “Let’s go over there.”
Ye Mingxin pointed in a direction, and Lan Zhu followed. However, she realized that Ye Mingxin was heading towards a quieter area with fewer people. Most of the people over there were strangers to them, except for one person – Han Yiren.
Despite the recent cover stealing controversy, Chloe still invited Han Yiren to the event. She was generous and so Han Yiren’s response was equally composed. After arriving at the event, the woman even exchanged a few words with Chloe, despite them not knowing each other.
After tonight, Chloe’s impression of her had changed for the better. She admired the young woman but only in a professional sense.
Seeing Ye Mingxin approach, some people smiled and wanted to talk to her, but Lan Zhu discerningly intercepted them all. Ye Mingxin walked straight to Han Yiren, as if there were no one else around them. She smiled at her. “Long time no see. How have you been lately?”
Han Yiren also smiled and said, “Not bad, thanks for your concern, Mingxin-jie.”
Ye Mingxin took a couple of steps closer to her, and the distance between them was now less than twenty centimeters. She lowered her head slightly and looked at Han Yiren, saying, “Of course, I have to care about you. How do you feel about the first gift I sent you? Has your company recovered?”
Han Yiren looked up at Ye Mingxin, and the smile on her face gradually faded. She replied, “Thanks to you, everything is fine now.”
Ye Mingxin smiled slightly, “Mrs. Chang and I are similar in many ways. We both don’t like making a big fuss, nor do we like wasting our energy on unnecessary people. For her, you’re not the first outside lover to interfere with her affairs, and you won’t be the last. So, she only targeted your company but didn’t do anything to you personally.”
Ye Mingxin lowered her head slightly and turned her gaze to Han Feixu in the distance. Her tone became gentler as she continued, “But I’m different. I rarely come across people who make me feel uncomfortable. Each one who does is a rarity, and rare things are valuable. It’s not often that someone like you appears, so I need to treat you well, don’t you think?”
Han Yiren lowered her head and chuckled softly, “Do as you wish. I’m not like that useless person, Kong Shi. I won’t run away just because you’re trying to intimidate me.”
Her voice was low, meant for only Ye Mingxin to hear. “I know you still want to keep me around, so I won’t be polite either. I’ll grow as quickly as I can. When the day comes that you no longer want me around, we’ll see if you really can remove me from this industry as easily as you did with Kong Shi.”
After saying that, Han Yiren turned around and left.Ye Mingxin watched her departing figure with narrowed eyes.
Seeing her leave, Lan Zhu came over to Ye Mingxin and asked in a hushed voice, “Mingxin-jie, why didn’t you teach her a lesson? Why let her scuttle around like that? She snatched our roles last time and tried to steal our place on the cover after, so who knows what she might try to snatch next?”
Ye Mingxin swirled her wine glass and said, “I find her quite interesting. There’s no need to push her to a dead end so quickly.”
Lan Zhu widened her eyes and asked, “Mingxin-jie, you can’t be…”
Ye Mingxin’s face turned dark, and she made a gesture as if she was going to splash Lan Zhu with the drink. Lan Zhu quickly dodged, but Ye Mingxin didn’t actually tilt her glass more than thirty degrees. “You’re getting bolder and bolder. Do you really think I won’t fire you?”
Lan Zhu smiled cheekily,”’You won’t dare to. If you fire me, Yiyi won’t let you off.”
Ye Mingxin gave her a sideways glance. The longer Lan Zhu stayed with her, the bolder she became. Although she occasionally said surprising things, Ye Mingxin liked the change of pace. Lan Zhu was like a younger sister to her, and their relationship had been getting better, which was a good thing.
“Humans are social animals. Throughout their lives, they form different types of relationships—family, friends, lovers—these are all essential relationships in life. And in a journey of growth, having a worthy opponent is indispensable.”
Lan Zhu blinked at Ye Mingxin’s explanation, “Oh, I see. You want Han Yiren to motivate Han Feixu.”
Ye Mingxin nodded. “Something like that. Even though I’ll always love Little Xu no matter what she becomes, even if she becomes lazy and carefree, that kind of life can easily become boring. I want to add a bit of challenge to her life, not too much, just a little, so she can experience the thrill of victory.”
Why did that last sentence feel a little weird? Lan Zhu frowned, “Is it really that fun to have a rival?”
“Of course,” Ye Mingxin smiled. “Why do you think I worked so hard before? It was to surpass Lin Yiyi as soon as possible after all.”
Lan Zhu murmured, “After all these years of effort, you still haven’t surpassed her.”
Ye Mingxin’s tone turned serious. “What did you just say?”
“’Cough, I didn’t say anything. But, Mingxin-jie, aren’t you afraid that a little challenge might turn into a big pit? What if Han Feixu falls into it?”
Ye Mingxin smiled without much emotion. ‘You underestimate Little Xu, and you underestimate me.’
Lan Zhu: “….”
Resentful wives are usually born among housewives because their lives are too boring. Apart from household matters, they have too much idle time. With ample time for self-reflection, people tend to focus on their own shortcomings rather than their strengths.
The past Han Feixu was not a resentful wife, but she was often unhappy. Even with Yiyi in her life, her emotions remained low. Looking back now, the happiest time for Han Feixu was when she was still acting.
People have to stand up and go out to see the world. Broaden their horizons, and expand their social circles, so their eyes won’t just stay stuck in one place.
Ye Mingxin was trying very hard to be a good wife. In the past, she lacked experience and overlooked many things, thinking that as long as she maintained the state they had while dating, then everything would be fine. However, no one can remain in their honeymoon period forever. The transition from lover to family member is a subtle and silent transformation, not something that is clear-cut, where there is a complete destruction of the past before followed by a rebirth.
Everyone has lots of demands on their spouses, but not the same amount of demands for their children, parents, and siblings. This is an essential difference between lovers and relatives. Ye Mingxin used to focus on fostering one of these identities, but forgot that she is both.
As her spouse, she should always care about Han Feixu’s emotions, providing her with companionship and comfort. As a family member, she should help Han Feixu fill the gaps in her emotional development, always pushing her to improve herself. If she can’t do it herself, then she’ll let others do it for her.
Being a good wife is a skill, and Ye Mingxin had read numerous marriage-related books and consulted several marriage psychology experts to learn a thing or two.
Han Feixu was still chatting with Gao Changxiu with a smile on her face. Her happiness was infectious, and Ye Mingxin, who was watching them, felt a smile unconsciously appear on her own face.
Suddenly, she remembered what Zhong Ya had said to her at the dinner table: “I’m not very optimistic about you and Little Xu. You’re both young and not very experienced in dealing with people. Girls are especially sensitive, and when two sensitive people come together, all sorts of friction are bound to occur. However, you’re a smart person, and Little Xu is also no fool. Every couple goes through ups and downs before they cling to each other until the end. I think, eventually, you two will be the same.” (T/N: Reminder that Zhong Ya was Han Feixu’s mother)
When Zhong Ya said those words, she had a casual smile, as if she was discussing the weather. Now, looking back, she seemed to have hit the nail on the head.