I Bacame the Mother of His Child-Chapter 41 - 40: A Chance Encounter with Lu Xiangxiang

"Mm! But Cheng Guang is still young, don’t be too harsh on him," Ye Hua looked back at the group behind him, then nodded solemnly as he remembered the official business to discuss today, but soon added a softer line, worried that Xu Xiuxiu might be too strict with Song Chengguang.

"I know," Xu Xiuxiu turned her head to order a waiter on the second floor to serve Ye Hua’s private room, then carried Song Chengguang to the staff lounge on the first floor.

Song Chengguang had always been doted on by Xu Xiuxiu; this was the first time she had been harsh to him. The little guy was now sadly shedding tears, golden tears that couldn’t be stopped, even silently crying so hard that he started to hiccup, looking quite pitiful as he whimpered, "Mommy bad, Mommy bad" and kept accusing Xu Xiuxiu while he cried.

Xu Xiuxiu felt both frustrated and amused, being worried and then having the tables turned on her, "You little rascal, now you’re accusing me too." She bounced the little one in her hands, pulling him tightly into her embrace and planted a kiss on his forehead with her red lips, "I’m sorry, baby, Mommy neglected you." Whenever Xu Xiuxiu closed her eyes now and thought back to him climbing the stairs, her heart couldn’t help but tremble.

"Mm! Mommy is not allowed to be mean to Chenchen." The little guy took Xu Xiuxiu’s apology to heart, his soft little hands wrapping around her cheeks, and his red, watery eyes looked into Xu Xiuxiu’s for a long time, "Chenchen will be good."

"I know, Chenchen has always been very good," said Xu Xiuxiu, her voice tinged with emotion as she nodded.

Because the little guy wasn’t behaving, Xu Xiuxiu didn’t stay long at Sichuan Pavilion. Half an hour later, after soothing her nerves, she went to Ye Hua’s private room, said a few words of apology for not being a good host, and then took Song Chengguang back home, still worried. She went to bed early, holding Song Chengguang close.

The next morning, Xu Xiuxiu and Song Chengguang took a walk in the nearby park. Normally going to Sichuan Pavilion at noon, she decided to take a break and instead took Song Chengguang to the Tiger Wolf Military District in the morning.

Ever since Sichuan Pavilion opened, Xu Xiuxiu rarely returned to the military.

One reason was that the housing for military families was not yet completed, and the other was that all her attention was on Sichuan Pavilion. Being so busy, she had never thought about spending a few days in the military. Yesterday’s mischief from Song Chengguang had suddenly made Xu Xiuxiu realize her neglect, so with nowhere else to go, she decided to take Song Chengguang to stay in the military for a couple of days, lest he grow unfamiliar with his father, Song Yuanhuan, over time. And since Song Yuanhuan lived in a single-person dormitory, which, though not spacious, was fine for Xu Xiuxiu to stay for a day or two now and then.

Xu Xiuxiu actually found the military quite nice, where one could cook at home on a homemade stove if they liked, or eat the communal food provided for free by the canteen if they didn’t want to cook. The only inconvenience for Xu Xiuxiu was that it was a bit of a hassle to enter and exit the base, but thankfully, she had been to the military a few times and had stayed for a while. Also, because of Sichuan Pavilion, she knew many of Song Yuanhuan’s subordinates, and the guards outside the military knew her too, so after filling in some basic details, Xu Xiuxiu was allowed through.

"Sister-in-law, do you need me to find a car to pick you up?" It was quite a walk from the main gate of the military to where Song Yuanhuan and the others lived; it could take half an hour on foot, maybe more, especially since Xu Xiuxiu had a child with her, so the guard kindly offered.

"No need to bother," Xu Xiuxiu gratefully smiled at the guard but didn’t really want to be treated specially. Not knowing much about military matters, she reminded herself not to trouble others or add to Song Yuanhuan’s concerns, so she politely declined the guard’s offer and pushed Song Chengguang’s stroller towards the military quarters. novelbuddy.cσ๓

In the sweltering heat of the late-summer tiger, at high noon, the sun was downright venomous. After walking for more than ten minutes, Xu Xiuxiu felt overwhelmed. Frowning, she pushed Song Chengguang’s baby stroller and stopped to rest in the shade of a nearby tree, while taking out a small water bottle filled with "Space Water" for the little guy to hold and quench his thirst.

Glug, glug, Song Chengguang drank eagerly, his head held high. The little one had been babbling with gestures under the scorching sun just a moment ago—probably tired and thirsty, his little mouth having longed for a drink. He held the water bottle with such earnestness that Xu Xiuxiu’s mood lifted, and she turned around to wipe his sweat with a handkerchief.

Suddenly, the tightly shut doors of the Cultural Troupe building in the distance flung open, drawing Xu Xiuxiu’s attention. A group of women in bustling chatter emerged from the lobby inside, displaying their figures in green military uniforms. "Where do you think we’ll perform this weekend?" one short-haired woman inquired of a girl with two small braids, curiosity and anticipation in her voice.

"How would I know?" Lu Xiangxiang replied with furrowed brows and a touch of annoyance in her tone. She was planning to go to the neighboring training field to watch Captain Song train, holding a thin book of performance schedules, but unexpectedly saw Xu Xiuxiu resting in the shade. Xiuxiu’s refined eyebrows immediately furrowed tight enough to squish a fly.

As Lu Xiangxiang’s gaze fell on Xu Xiuxiu, the short-haired girl also noticed her, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes.

"Why have you come back? Weren’t you busy making money?" Lu Xiangxiang had a pretty good relationship with many of the military wives in the troops. She had heard about Xu Xiuxiu, knew that she was Major Song’s wife, and knew that Xiuxiu ran a profitable, albeit vulgar, restaurant in town. Hmph, truly a country bumpkin unworthy of the stage.

"Heh," Xu Xiuxiu considered herself to have a pretty good temper, but against Lu Xiangxiang’s blunt and dissatisfied questioning tone, she could only respond with a laugh full of hidden meaning. She really couldn’t understand the lady-of-the-manor air that Lu Xiangxiang put on.

"What do you mean by that?" Lu Xiangxiang guessed Xu Xiuxiu’s chuckle was mocking her expression, and her face quickly filled with displeasure. Her eyes flicked to the little one beside Xu Xiuxiu, who was holding a milk bottle and drinking water, fueling the fury in her heart.

Why? What right did this woman have to marry Major Song, with that fox-like face of hers? What made her worthy of bearing his child? Why did her years of heartfelt devotion amount to nothing?

"Lady officer, I think you need to get something straight—I don’t believe I know you," Xu Xiuxiu spoke lightly, answering her.

"How could you not know me? I just greeted and spoke with Major Song recently," Lu Xiangxiang wore a smug expression as if accusing Xu Xiuxiu of trying to feign ignorance.

Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t quite accept Lu Xiangxiang’s reasons to be smug.

"Which time exactly?" Xu Xiuxiu continued to frown and question back, her puzzled expression genuine. However, after a moment, she suddenly had an epiphany, "Oh! It’s you! I know you, the soldier who actively invited my husband to the countryside to watch a performance last time! Now I remember! No wonder you looked a bit familiar," Xu Xiuxiu revealed an expression of realization.

Seeing Xu Xiuxiu recognize her, Lu Xiangxiang felt a bit self-satisfied, her red lips curving up, her cheeks lifting slightly.