The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 462 - 464. Haohao who sticks to Jiang Chenxi

Catherine listened to her mother’s accusations, and the resentment in her eyes grew thicker. Emotions that had been suppressed for a long time were bound to explode, and Catherine’s emotions finally erupted amidst Daisy’s constant criticisms.

"You only know to blame me, but as a mother, what have you ever done for me? When other mothers’ daughters are in trouble, they think of helping them. What about you? Besides criticizing me, what else can you do? Am I even your biological daughter?"

Perhaps it was the depth of resentment in her eyes that startled Daisy. She froze for a moment before her expression turned colder, "Are you accusing me of not helping you now?"

"Isn’t that the case? If you were willing to help me, would I be threatened by others? Not only do you not help me, but you also want me to enter into an arranged marriage. Are you pushing me into the fire simply because you’re unhappy?"

"Keep on talking. Let out all the hatred you have for me in your heart. I want to know just how much my daughter hates me," Daisy said indifferently.

Catherine defiantly stared at her own mother, "Ever since I was young, you’ve always been cold to me whenever I failed to meet your expectations. What I want or don’t want has always been up to you; you’ve never cared about my opinion. You never treated me like a daughter, but more like a toy—amusing yourself with me when happy, casting me aside when you’re not. You treat the family dog better than you treat me, what right do you have to be a mother?!"

Daisy hadn’t expected to be seen in such a light by her daughter, "If you weren’t my daughter, would I care whether you were good or bad?"

"I’d rather not be your daughter then, so I could pursue my own love instead of becoming a tool for your arranged marriages!"

"Your love?" Daisy looked at her with contempt, "Your so-called love is to chase a married man and become a mistress? If you’re not ashamed, I’m ashamed for you."

"Love is not a crime. What is a mistress? If Fu Hengyi loves me too, then I wouldn’t be the mistress; it would be Shen Qinglan."

"Fu Hengyi has taken a fancy to you?"

Catherine faltered—if Fu Hengyi really had taken a fancy to her, she wouldn’t be in such a sorry state now.

"Free love? Catherine, don’t be foolish. Where is there freedom in this world? You’ve lived a life of luxury since you were young, a princess’ life, all because of what your father and I have given you. If you weren’t my daughter, you might now be living in a slum, worrying about bread every day. Love? Freedom? What a joke!"

"In plain terms, you just don’t love me, you’re simply unfit to be a mother. Let me tell you, wanting me to enter into an arranged marriage is a pipe dream. I absolutely, absolutely won’t agree to it, not even if you kill me," Catherine roared at Daisy and then ran upstairs.

Daisy stood in the living room with a cold and somber face, her eyes exuding profound exhaustion. She admitted she had been somewhat harsh on her daughter, but it was for her own good. If not for her strictness, it was hard to say how spoiled Catherine would become by her own husband.

She too hoped for her daughter’s happiness, but the man her daughter was interested in was simply not a possible match, and she had to be cruel to sever that possibility—also for Catherine’s good.

The match Daisy had chosen for Catherine’s arranged marriage was carefully considered, truly a young and talented individual, not just a marriage for the sake of marriage itself.

But Catherine failed to understand all of this, and Daisy, who was indifferent by nature and least liked to explain, found the gulf between mother and daughter growing ever deeper.

*

Within two days, Shen Qinglan received a check for ten million yuan—it was clear who it was from. Daisy was certainly much smarter than Catherine.

As for the woman who was taken away by the police, although she did not reveal who was behind the scene, a search of her residence turned up the painting that had been stolen from Shen Qinglan. This further solidified the truth.

When the woman saw that painting, she finally spoke the truth. Someone had given her one hundred thousand yuan to do this, and said that if the matter succeeded, they would give her another hundred thousand afterward.

Regarding the actual thief, that woman didn’t know. The painting had been sent to her after the matter had been settled, along with the oldest of the paintings.

Shen Qinglan sued the woman for slander, setting an example to warn others. As for the ten million yuan in compensation from Daisy, Shen Qinglan donated it.

There were three less paintings at the art exhibition, but Shen Qinglan didn’t choose to add three more from her remaining works—she let it remain a blank space. The first day’s incident at the exhibition did not affect the subsequent enjoyment of her work by visitors.

Daniel stayed in Beijing for several days, spending most of his time with Xu Xiangqian, conducting a handover of work.

When he left, it was Shen Qinglan who personally took him to the airport. Before boarding the plane, Daniel looked at Shen Qinglan, hesitant to speak.

Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "Speak if you have something to say."

"Qinglan, is she... still alright?"

Shen Qinglan, of course, knew who Daniel was speaking about, "Daniel, you’re the strength that keeps her going. As long as you’re fine, she will be fine."

Hearing this, Daniel slowly smiled, "Then please tell her, I’m doing very well."

"I will." Shen Qinglan nodded seriously.

When Shen Qinglan got home, he saw Anan rolling around on the lawn with the chubby little dog, Fatty. Shen Qinglan walked over and picked up his son, "Just look at you, you little mud monkey."

Anan grinned, an innocent look on his face.

Following behind was Er Pang, and after Shen Qinglan gave both the boy and the dog a bath, he heard his cellphone ring. Anan ran over to help Shen Qinglan bring the phone to him, "Mommy, here."

The call was from Yu Xiaoxuan, who had just returned from the film set and said she was coming to see Anan.

"Should I come and pick you up?"

"No need, as long as you know I’m coming home. I brought some toys for Anan, I’ll be there soon," Yu Xiaoxuan said before hanging up.

"Anan, your little sister is coming. Are you happy?" Shen Qinglan looked down at his son, who was playing with Er Pang.

Anan looked up, puzzled, his mother’s face clearly showing he’d forgotten about the existence of the Han family’s little girl.

Guoguo was already five months old, and Yu Xiaoxuan had weaned Guoguo off breastmilk when she was four and a half months old. Her milk supply wasn’t abundant to begin with; Guoguo had been fed half breastmilk and half formula. Later on, Han Yi decided to wean his daughter completely, allowing Yu Xiaoxuan not to always be tethered by their daughter. After weaning Guoguo, Yu Xiaoxuan resumed work, but because the child was still young, she seldom stayed on the set for long periods.

Yu Xiaoxuan arrived quickly, her hands full of big and small bags, "Qinglan, help me with these, will you?"

Shen Qinglan took the bags from her, "Why did you bring so many things?"

"These are for Anan, as well as for Grandpa Fu and Grandpa Shen. I went on a trip to R country and saw these things and bought them," Yu Xiaoxuan explained.

Behind Yu Xiaoxuan was Han Yi, holding their child in his hands. When Yu Xiaoxuan saw Anan, her eyes lit up. She picked up Anan and showered him with kisses. Anan frowned and, at last, unable to bear it any longer, pushed Yu Xiaoxuan’s face away as she tried to kiss him again, "Don’t."

Yu Xiaoxuan looked pitifully at Anan, "Anan, you’re already disgusted with your godmother after such a short time?"

Anan hesitated at her expression, then took the initiative to kiss her face and even reached out to touch her cheek, "Don’t cry."

Yu Xiaoxuan laughed heartily, hugging Anan and rubbing her face against his, "Anan, you’re just too adorable. I really want to take you home to raise you."

Anan looked helplessly at his own mother. Shen Qinglan returned her son’s gaze with a smile. Yu Xiaoxuan pointed to the daughter in Han Yi’s arms and said, "Anan, do you remember your little wife?"

Anan had a blank look on his face, while Han Yi and Shen Qinglan were speechless.

Han Yi looked at his daughter in his arms and silently wiped away an invisible tear, thinking to himself, "Daughter, look how your mom fears you won’t be able to get married, finding you a match so early on."

Yu Xiaoxuan took her daughter into her arms and showed her to Anan, "You see, this is your little wife, her name is Guoguo."

Anan looked down at the little girl from the Han family, "Guoguo, little sister."

"Not little sister, little wife."

"Little sister."

"Little wife."

"Sister."

Han Yi and Shen Qinglan just watched as Yu Xiaoxuan and Anan argued over whether it was "sister" or "little wife," until Yu Xiaoxuan finally gave up.

"Forget it, sister then." She looked dejected and turned to Shen Qinglan, "Why is Anan so stubborn?"

Shen Qinglan just smiled without saying a word. Despite Anan’s young age, it was hard for others to change her mind once she was set on something.

Guoguo was a very quiet little girl who would stay put and not make a fuss after feeding, making her a child easy to take care of. Even when Yu Xiaoxuan was not at home, Han Yi could handle everything alone.

Fu Hengyi had returned to the army, so Han Yi went to play chess with Old Sir Fu.

Shen Qinglan looked at Yu Xiaoxuan, "How do you feel about returning to work these days?"

Yu Xiaoxuan slumped on the couch with a sigh, "Ah, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve rested too long, but I always feel out of place when going back to work all of a sudden. Especially during work, I keep wondering if Guoguo is sleeping well, eating well, if she misses me, if she’s crying or fussing. Qinglan, this is the first time I’ve felt that since becoming a mother, I’ve really changed. There’s this extra worry in my heart, and I can’t focus on my work anymore."

"Thinking of taking a break?"

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head, "Not really, maybe because Guoguo is still small, I can’t stop worrying about her. I believe it will get better when she’s older. I went to the set to film last week and dreamed in the middle of the night that Guoguo was sick. I called home, and Han Yi called me melodramatic. Men..."

Shen Qinglan chuckled, "Han Yi is just worried about affecting your work." Han Yi was a very enlightened man fully supportive of Xiaoxuan’s career. Whether she wanted to work or rest, it was entirely up to Yu Xiaoxuan.

"What’s the situation like now with Han Yi’s family? Has their attitude changed?"

Mentioning Han Zhengshan, Yu Xiaoxuan’s face darkened, and she waved her hand, "Don’t bring that up, it just makes me angry. After Guoguo was born, he was actually pretty good to her, often coming over to see the child. I thought that maybe Guoguo could help ease the father-son relationship a bit, which would be a good thing. But every time he comes to see the child, he still gives me an earful, saying I’m a neglectful mother. I keep my mouth shut out of respect for him as an elder, thinking it’s only a few words – no harm done, it’ll pass. But what really made me angry was..."

"What upset you?"

"I got angry because, since I resumed work, he came over and kept nagging. His insinuations were that I’m unfit to be a mother, totally lacking a mother’s disposition, never at home, his words were very unpleasant. Finally, Han Yi couldn’t take it anymore, and father and son started arguing. Then he pointed at the door and told me to get out, saying I was ruining his son and granddaughter. With my temper, I couldn’t hold back and argued a few words, making him so angry that he stormed off. Then, he started to tell everyone that I was abusing him."

Shen Qinglan was speechless about Han Zhengshan, who had been making trouble since Han Yi got together with Yu Xiaoxuan, and he was still up to no good even after the child was born.

"Just try to keep your distance," Shen Qinglan said lightly.

"Right, that’s what I thought," Yu Xiaoxuan nodded. "I was just being foolishly kind-hearted, but now I see through him, and I don’t want to bother anymore, or it’ll wear me to death. By the way, Qinglan, do you remember Director Wang Bin?"

Shen Qinglan was puzzled and, after thinking for a moment, finally remembered who Wang Bin was, "What about him?"

"He’s had a script for a while that he wanted you to star as the lead. I’ve seen the script, and it actually suits your personality quite well. Have you considered taking the part?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "I’m not interested in the entertainment industry." If she had wanted to act, she would have agreed long ago, but it was surprising that Wang Bin had kept the script for such a long time.

"I guessed as much. He came to me a few days ago, hoping I’d persuade you, but I didn’t agree. But honestly, Qinglan, it’s a pity for someone with your appearance not to be in the show business."

"Are you interested in the script?"

"Not really, although it’s a good script, it’s not suitable for me. I just think the female lead is almost tailor-made for you." Yu Xiaoxuan held a bunch of grapes in her hand, casually tossing one into her mouth from time to time.

"If this script is really good, you might suggest to Director Wang Bin to hold a casting call. It could also help Shengxuan recruit some new talent," Shen Qinglan offered a suggestion.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up, and she sat up straight, "How come I didn’t think of that? Great idea. I heard from Sister Linda just a couple of days ago that the new recruits at Shengxuan this year aren’t of high caliber."

"It’s just a suggestion. You can discuss it with Director Wang Bin. After all, the script is his, and since he’s held on to it for so long without moving forward, he’s obviously someone with high standards. He may not be satisfied with the results of the casting call."

"He will definitely be hard to satisfy, you are the person he’s most satisfied with," said Yu Xiaoxuan, who had collaborated with Director Wang Bin many times and naturally knew his personality.

Yu Xiaoxuan immediately had plans in mind regarding the open casting call.

**

"Mummy, where are you taking me today?" First thing in the morning, Haohao was once again roused from bed by Pei Yinong. After she dressed him, she said with a smile, "I’m taking you to see that uncle."

"Uncle Jiang?" Haohao’s eyes lit up.

"Not Uncle Jiang, he has classes today. It’s the uncle you met last time, the one you said you wanted to see," Pei Yinong said gently.

Haohao was Duan Ling’s son, an undeniable fact, so after giving it serious thought, Pei Yinong did not refuse Duan Ling’s request to see the child. However, the visits could not be too frequent, at most only once a week, and Duan Ling naturally had no objections.

Pei Yinong took Haohao to the meeting place she had arranged with Duan Ling, handed her son over to Duan Ling, and was about to leave when Duan Ling wanted to call out to her, but before he could say anything, Pei Yinong had already driven away.

He watched the taillights of Pei Yinong’s car in disappointment, "Uncle," Haohao called to him.

Duan Ling looked down, his smile gentle, "What is it?"

"Mummy’s already left, don’t look anymore," said Haohao.

Duan Ling looked at his son and suddenly squatted down, "Haohao, do you wish for daddy and mummy to be together?"

To his surprise, Haohao shook his head, "No, I want mummy to be with Uncle Jiang."

Duan Ling hadn’t expected Haohao to think this way and was somewhat taken aback, "Why? Other kids’ daddy and mummy are together. If daddy and mummy were together, we could live as a family of three every day. Don’t you want to see daddy every day?"

Haohao continued to shake his head and pointed at Duan Ling’s hand, "Uncle, you’re already married; married people can’t be with my mummy."

Duan Ling froze, regretting for the first time why he had told Haohao he was married, "Haohao, although uncle is married, the auntie who married uncle has left, and uncle is alone now," he attempted to explain. Ever since he had last seen Haohao, he thought every day about being with Pei Yinong, to start a family and give his child a complete home.

But Pei Yinong simply wouldn’t give him the time of day, and she wouldn’t even reply to a text if it weren’t for him asking to see Haohao, so he could only start with Haohao. If Haohao wanted to be with his biological father, then Pei Yinong would definitely consider Haohao’s feelings.

"Uncle, that still won’t work. Mummy doesn’t like you; she likes Uncle Jiang," Haohao said seriously.

"Haohao, do you also like Uncle Jiang?"

"Yes, I like him. Uncle Jiang is very, very nice to me; no other uncle has been that nice to me."

"Have you ever thought about it? If your mummy ends up with Uncle Jiang, and they have a little brother or sister for you later on, your Uncle Jiang won’t like you as much anymore."

"That won’t happen. My Uncle Jiang won’t stop liking me," Haohao said, upset.

"Haohao, you are daddy’s child; daddy definitely loves you. Even if you don’t live with daddy, daddy still loves you. But it’s different with your Uncle Jiang; you’re not his biological child. If he and your mummy have their own children later, will he still treat you the same as now?" Duan Ling hoped Haohao would understand the difference between biological and non-biological.

Haohao stared straight into Duan Ling’s eyes, tearful, "You’re lying. My Uncle Jiang won’t be like that; he’ll always like me," his voice on the verge of tears.

Duan Ling panicked, "Haohao, don’t cry. It’s daddy’s fault, daddy shouldn’t have said that about your Uncle Jiang. Daddy is sorry."

Haohao wiped away his tears, "I want to go home. I want my mummy. I don’t like you anymore."

"Haohao, daddy was wrong just now. Will you forgive daddy?" Duan Ling coaxed.

But Haohao was determined to go home, and nothing Duan Ling said made a difference. In the end, Duan Ling had no choice but to take Haohao to Pei Yinong’s company.

Pei Yinong was puzzled. Hadn’t they just met? Why had it ended so quickly? Had Duan Ling suddenly had an issue?

As soon as Haohao saw his mother, he clung to Pei Yinong’s thigh and remained quietly silent.

"Yining, I’m very sorry. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and made Haohao angry," Duan Ling admitted his mistake first.

Pei Yinong looked at him suspiciously, "What did you say to Haohao?"

Duan Ling fell silent, "In any case, it was my fault today. I’m leaving first."

And Haohao didn’t say goodbye to Duan Ling until he was gone.

Pei Yinong moved Haohao a bit away and squatted down to look at him, "Tell Mommy, why are you upset?"

Haohao kept his head down and remained silent.

"Haohao, haven’t we agreed? To be friends, and to tell Mommy everything that makes you unhappy," Pei Yinong softened her voice.

Haohao looked up at Pei Yinong, "Mommy, I’m not unhappy."

"Your mouth is turned down so much, you could hang a pot on it, yet you say you’re not unhappy," Pei Yinong playfully tapped his little nose.

"Mommy, I don’t want to talk about it right now," Haohao’s mood was still downcast. Pei Yinong thought for a moment, "Alright, then let’s not talk about it now. How about you come to work with Mommy today, does that sound good?"

Haohao shook his head, "Mommy, I want to go see Uncle Jiang."

Pei Yinong frowned, "But your Uncle Jiang has to teach today."

"Can I sit down there and watch Uncle Jiang teach? I promise I won’t make any noise or trouble," Haohao pleaded softly.

"Isn’t it nice to come to work with Mommy? Or Mommy could take you home to Grandma’s, or go to see your little cousin at your aunt’s place."

"But I just want to be with Uncle Jiang."

"Haohao, tell Mommy what that uncle said to you." Pei Yinong instinctively felt that Duan Ling must have spoken to Haohao about Jiang Chenxi, which made him become so clingy.

"Mommy, can you take me to see Uncle Jiang, please?" Haohao’s little hand tugged at Pei Yinong’s sleeve, pitifully begging.

Pei Yinong quietly watched her son, ultimately conceding under his gaze, picked up her phone, and called Jiang Chenxi. Jiang’s morning class had just finished, and upon hearing Pei Yinong’s words, he immediately said, "Okay, I’ll come over now. You and Haohao just wait for me there."

"Okay, there’s no rush. Drive carefully, safety first."

After hanging up the phone, Pei Yinong looked towards her son, "Uncle Jiang will be here soon, are you happy now?"

Haohao, hugging Pei Yinong’s leg, didn’t say anything, while Pei Yinong stroked her son’s head, her eyes filled with a deep color.

When Jiang Chenxi arrived, Pei Yinong and Haohao were sitting in the coffee shop beneath the company, with Haohao holding a cup of warm milk. Seeing Jiang Chenxi, he immediately put down the milk and ran to him. Jiang lifted him up, "Haohao, did you miss me?"

Haohao hugged Jiang Chenxi’s neck, a smile finally appearing on his face, "I did."

"Chenxi, I’m really sorry to trouble you like this. I don’t know what’s gotten into this child today; he just wanted to see you," Pei Yinong said apologetically.

Jiang Chenxi replied with a gentle smile, "It’s no trouble at all. I’ll take Haohao with me first, you go to work. I’ll pick you up after my class this afternoon, and we can all go for a meal together."

Pei Yinong nodded, glanced at Haohao, and Haohao waved at Pei Yinong, "Goodbye, Mommy."

Pei Yinong was speechless, what a little rascal.

"Uncle Jiang, can I come to class with you? I promise I won’t cause a fuss and will follow classroom rules," Haohao sat in the back seat, swinging his little chubby legs, his mood finally brightened.

"Of course, you can," Jiang Chenxi said.

Upon arriving at the university, Jiang Chenxi checked the time; it was already nearing noon. "Haohao, shall we go get something to eat first?"

"Sure, Uncle Jiang. Auntie Xiao Xuan said the food at the school’s cafeteria is really tasty, is that true?"

Jiang Chenxi picked him up out of the car. "Do you want to eat at the cafeteria?"

"Yep," Haohao nodded without hesitation.

Jiang Chenxi took Haohao’s hand and headed to the school cafeteria, drawing a lot of attention along the way.

"Hey, who’s that kid? Is he Teacher Jiang’s son?"

"Teacher Jiang doesn’t even have a girlfriend, how could he have a son that big? I bet he’s a relative’s child."

"Who says Teacher Jiang doesn’t have a girlfriend? I saw him buying flowers last time, roses no less, obviously for a girlfriend. Such a big bunch, beautifully wrapped, too."

"Really? What does that girl look like? Is she pretty? Teacher Jiang is so handsome; if she’s not good-looking, she won’t match him."

"I don’t know, I didn’t see the girl, I just saw Teacher Jiang coming out of the florist with a large bouquet of fresh flowers. But that kid is really cute, look at his skin, so tender, makes me want to pinch it."

"People will think you’re a weird auntie."

...

Jiang Chenxi listened to the murmurs around him and was somewhat speechless. He looked down at Haohao who seemed oblivious, his eyes scanning the surroundings, full of curiosity.

To avoid attracting even more curiosity, Jiang Chenxi took Haohao straight to the faculty cafeteria.

"Haohao, is the food here tasty?" Jiang Chenxi asked with a smile as he placed a piece of deboned fish into Haohao’s bowl.

Haohao nodded, "Tasty, Uncle Jiang. When I grow up, can I study here too?"

"Of course, you can. Our Haohao is so smart, definitely able to study here."

After finishing their meal and leaving the cafeteria, they bumped into Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang was a professor at University A, and she happened to have a class that morning. She was quite surprised to see Haohao, then her expression turned somewhat sullen. She glanced at Jiang Chenxi, who looked unfazed.

Haohao was delighted to see Granny Jiang. "Hello, Granny Jiang."

Mrs. Jiang offered a slight smile. "Hello, Haohao. What brings you here today?"

"I missed Uncle Jiang, so I came to visit him today."

Mrs. Jiang didn’t say much, disapproving of Jiang Chenxi’s actions in her heart, but it was not the place to speak. She just patted Haohao’s head, "Well, you go play with Uncle Jiang. Granny Jiang is going to eat now."

"Okay, goodbye Granny Jiang," Haohao waved.

Jiang Chenxi took Haohao back to his own office, where the other teachers naturally were curious about Haohao’s identity, but before Jiang Chenxi could introduce him, Haohao spoke up, "Hello, all the uncles and aunties, my name is Haohao. My mom is a good friend of Uncle Jiang, and she was busy today, so I am staying with Uncle Jiang."

Upon hearing this, everyone naturally understood. Jiang Chenxi felt a warmth in his heart; this little guy was clever.

Haohao had the habit of napping, and it wasn’t long before he felt sleepy. Jiang Chenxi borrowed a reclining chair from a colleague for Haohao to sleep on.

After finishing her meal, Mrs. Jiang felt increasingly uneasy and called Jiang Chenxi, who came out of his office to find his mother waiting for him downstairs.

"Come out and sit with me," Mrs. Jiang began.

"Mom, whatever you want to say, say it here. Haohao is sleeping and he’ll get scared if he wakes up and can’t find me," said Jiang Chenxi.

Mrs. Jiang’s face fell. "Why did you bring him to school? What’s it supposed to mean if others see this?"

Jiang Chenxi laughed, "What’s wrong with Haohao coming to school? It’s not like he’s someone to be ashamed of."

"You know what I mean, Chenxi. I’ve already told you about you and Pei Yining..."

"You don’t approve. Mom, there’s no need to stress it; I know you don’t approve. But as I’ve said before, aside from Pei Yining, I don’t want anyone else."

"Chenxi, are you trying to upset me to death? You pass up a good girl like Wan Jiao for such a woman."

"Mom, I know what kind of woman Yining is better than you do, and I’m certain she’s the one I want to spend my life with. As for Haohao, he’s Yining’s son, and he’ll be my son in the future. There’s nothing shameful about that."

"Chenxi, have you thought about your father? Today just happens to be a day he doesn’t have classes and isn’t at the school. What would you do if he bumped into you?"

"Then I’d tell him the truth. He’s bound to find out sooner or later," Jiang Chenxi said matter-of-factly, then continued, "Mom, Dad’s attitude has always been what you imagine it to be. Maybe he isn’t as rigid as you think. He might agree, right?"

Mrs. Jiang sighed, trying to soften her tone, "Chenxi, your mom and dad have been living together for decades. Don’t you think I understand your father’s character? If there was any chance your dad would agree, I wouldn’t be so opposed."

"Mom, can’t you try to accept Yining?" Jiang Chenxi softened his voice.

"Chenxi, can you listen to your mother on this? Break it off with Pei Yining before your father finds out. If you don’t like the ones mom introduces, I won’t set you up anymore."

Jiang Chenxi’s expression faded, "Mom, deep down you look down on Yining, don’t you? You think she’s not good enough for me, not good enough for our family."

"Chenxi, how can you think that of your mother? Everything I’ve done is for your own good," Mrs. Jiang said, a bit hurt. Every argument between mother and son was about Pei Yining.

Jiang Chenxi didn’t want to have a falling out with his mother right there, so he said, "Mom, let’s not talk about this anymore. I don’t want to keep having disagreements with you over it. You know me; I’ve finally found someone I have feelings for and I don’t want to let go easily."

"Chenxi..." Mrs. Jiang called out her son’s name but ultimately said nothing else, "Forget it, I won’t interfere anymore. You can deal with your father yourself."

Mrs. Jiang said this as if in a huff and then left. Jiang Chenxi watched his mother’s retreating figure and heaved a deep sigh.

During the afternoon class, the Chinese department’s classroom was bustling. Everyone looked at the little figure in the first row with curiosity, for the first time losing interest in what Jiang Chenxi was teaching.

"Hey, is that kid Teacher Jiang’s?"

"Definitely not, Teacher Jiang isn’t even married."

"What a cute child. Look at how well-behaved he is sitting there. I wish he were mine."

Whispers spread through the classroom, and Jiang Chenxi knocked on the blackboard to draw their attention, "Who can answer this question?"

Everyone glanced at each other cluelessly, having no idea what Jiang Chenxi just talked about, so how could they answer? Jiang Chenxi shook his head and continued, "After class today, everyone will write an essay on the four great beauties of ancient times. It’s due next Wednesday."

"Ah, no, Teacher Jiang." As soon as they heard about the essay, the class let out a collective groan.

But their moans did not soften Jiang Chenxi’s heart, "Not less than five thousand words."

"Ah, Teacher Jiang, that’s too cruel."

"Teacher Jiang, where’s your kindness?"

"Teacher Jiang, we were wrong, let’s do it over."

Jiang Chenxi swept his gaze across the room, "Seems this assignment isn’t enough."

"No, no, Teacher Jiang, it’s enough, it really is." Everyone quickly straightened up and focused on the blackboard, as neatly seated as elementary school children.

A smile passed across the depths of Jiang Chenxi’s eyes as he continued the lesson.

Haohao sat in the first row, looking up at Jiang Chenxi with bright, sparkling eyes. Even though he couldn’t understand what Jiang Chenxi was saying, it didn’t diminish his admiration for him.

As the bell rang for the end of the class, someone rushed to Haohao’s side, smiling kindly, "Little brother, what’s your relationship to Teacher Jiang? If you tell sister, you can have the lollipop she’s holding."

Haohao tilted his head, looking at the inquiring girl, "You guess."

"Is Teacher Jiang your uncle?"

Haohao continued to smile.

"Is he your great uncle?"

Haohao kept smiling.

"Your cousin?"

Haohao was still smiling.

"Little brother, are any of the guesses right?"

Haohao shook his head, "None of them." Then he turned toward Jiang Chenxi, who had approached them, "Haohao, it’s time for us to go."

Haohao slid off the chair, waving at the girl, "Bye-bye, pretty sister."

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she waved back, and after Haohao followed Jiang Chenxi away, she clasped her hands to her face, "Ahhh, so cute! The way he waved his hand was so adorable, how can there be such a cute little fellow? I really want to take him home."

A male student nearby heard this and sighed helplessly, "If you like him so much, why don’t you have one yourself?"

The girl rolled her eyes and sized up her boyfriend, shaking her head, "Forget it, with your genes, I wouldn’t be able to have such a cute baby."

The male student frowned.

"Haohao, did you have fun at school today?" Jiang Chenxi asked, holding Haohao’s hand with a smile.

Bouncing along, Haohao was clearly in a great mood, "It was fun, Uncle Jiang. You look so handsome when you’re teaching."

Jiang Chenxi smiled, "Then next time you want to come, just call Uncle Jiang and I’ll pick you up."

"Uncle Jiang, I better not come. If I do, those brothers and sisters won’t focus on their studies," Haohao said earnestly, and Jiang Chenxi chuckled, picking him up, "You’re such a thoughtful little guy."

Haohao clung to Jiang Chenxi’s neck, his little face serious, "Uncle Jiang, will you always like me?"