Following the outburst, Ming Li turned a cold shoulder and stared out the window. Gu Qingshuang remained silent, focusing on the road.
The interior of the car was stifling, filled with an awkward, frigid tension. Mingyue was the busiest of the three, her eyes darting between the two adults. Finally, she poked Ming Li’s shoulder. “Sister Li, can I send a message to my big sister?”
Ming Li handed over her phone, already mentally planning a trip back to her mother’s house.
They had left in such a hurry yesterday that they hadn’t brought any of Mingyue’s electronics. If Ming Li had to go to work, Mingyue would be left with nothing but the television for company, which would be dreadfully boring.
After a few moments, Mingyue handed the phone back.
“Done talking?” Ming Li asked.
Mingyue gestured: She’s busy.
Ming Li glanced at the chat history. Mingyue had sent Zhu Hanxing two messages: [Are you there?] and [Eat well.]
Zhu Hanxing had replied almost instantly: [?]
Ming Li was puzzled. This didn’t look like “busy.”
However, the tone of those two messages was indeed strange. They didn’t sound like Ming Li at all. When she and Zhu Hanxing spoke, they usually cut straight to the chase, perhaps adding a name at most. They were never this polite.
Ming Li was about to type a reply explaining it was Mingyue when Zhu Hanxing sent another message: [Ming Li and I are just innocent friends.]
Zhu Hanxing: [Is it really necessary to test me like this, Miss Gu? (Stern tone)]
Ming Li: […]
Ming Li explained it was Mingyue, but she couldn’t help but ask: [Why did you think it was Gu Qingshuang?]
Zhu Hanxing: [Intuition.]
Ming Li: [Then your intuition is terrible.]
After a bit of bickering, Ming Li handed the phone back to Mingyue so she could keep chatting with Zhu Hanxing.
With Mingyue quiet in the back seat, the atmosphere in the front became even more bizarre.
A moment later, Gu Qingshuang stole a glance at Ming Li, then at Mingyue in the rearview mirror. Finding a topic at last, she asked in a low voice, “Whose child is she?”
Ming Li looked at her in disbelief. “You let me bring her home without even knowing who she belongs to?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Ming Li realized she was letting her emotions show again.
The “rational dialogue” Miss Gu desired had not occurred. However, compared to the overwhelming pressure Gu Xueqiang exerted when displeased, Ming Li’s outburst was like a cat swiping its claws at thin air.
Because her voice was naturally soft, even her anger didn’t sound harsh. She wasn’t the type to scream until she shattered eardrums.
Gu Qingshuang paused, then said calmly, “She’s very attached to you. She looked so pitiful when she cried.”
Ming Li realized that Gu Qingshuang was a remarkably steady person. It showed in her driving; even on busy city streets where Ming Li would lose her temper and mutter at reckless drivers, Gu Qingshuang remained unfazed.
Gu Qingshuang always drove in a smooth, straight line, rarely even changing lanes unless absolutely necessary.
Even when Ming Li’s tone was sharp, she could respond with total composure.
Yet, at this moment, Ming Li would have preferred an argument. Otherwise, she just felt like she was throwing a tantrum for no reason.
The thought made Ming Li want to laugh. When had she started looking forward to fighting with people? Spending too much time with Gu Qingshuang had clearly given her some twisted ideas.
A self-deprecating smirk touched Ming Li’s lips. “So, if every child on the street clings to me and cries, can I bring them all home?”
Gu Qingshuang denied it with absolute certainty. “You wouldn’t.”
Fearing Ming Li would bring up more extreme scenarios, Gu Qingshuang explained calmly, “You aren’t the type to act recklessly or without regard for consequences. You have a perfect sense of control. That situation simply wouldn’t happen with you.”
Ming Li: “…”
The tone was casual, making it impossible to tell if it was a compliment or a critique. But for Gu Qingshuang, this was already high praise.
Ming Li knew there was no point in arguing further. She was the only one getting worked up; Gu Qingshuang simply didn’t “get” it.
“She’s Zhu Hanxing’s sister, Zhu Mingyue,” Ming Li said after calming down. “Hanxing is filming down south and won’t be finished for a few more days. The girl will stay with me until then.”
Gu Qingshuang didn’t ask why she hadn’t been left with someone else. She merely caught another glimpse of the well-behaved child chatting with Zhu Hanxing in the mirror. There was indeed a resemblance.
After a few seconds of silence, Gu Qingshuang’s voice softened slightly. “She is quite cute.”
The rest of the drive passed without conflict. Gu Qingshuang had uncharacteristically lowered her guard, and Ming Li took the opportunity to play some music.
The shuffle landed on an old song, a cover sung by a man with a lingering, sorrowful voice.
Loving until I compromise,
In the end, there’s still no solution…
Listening to it, Ming Li felt an inexplicable wave of sadness.
Upon arriving at Gu Manor, Ming Li felt a hint of trepidation as she led Mingyue through the door. However, she found that Gu Xueqiang was still at the office.
Ming Li breathed a sigh of relief. She noticed the household staff were being exceptionally cautious, speaking in hushed tones.
Since they hadn’t seen Mingyue before—especially since she had arrived with both Gu Qingshuang and Ming Li—they cast curious glances her way. Ming Li ignored them and took Mingyue upstairs to bathe.
While Mingyue had been stubborn with Ming Xi, she was perfectly obedient with Ming Li.
Ming Li didn’t help her with the bath this time. She simply prepared her things and waited in the guest bedroom.
She had gone straight upstairs the moment they arrived, not caring what Gu Qingshuang was doing. Their life had always been like this; even when sharing a room, they usually minded their own business. On nights they weren’t having sex, they would often spend the whole evening on their phones without exchanging a word.
Ming Li didn’t find it strange, even though Gu Qingshuang had gone out of her way to pick her up today. Ming Li wasn’t going to ask why she had done it.
The answer likely wouldn’t be a pleasant one. After all, there wasn’t even a hint of “romance” between them. That fleeting, illusory intimacy only existed when they were in bed.
A short while later, Gu Qingshuang knocked on the door. She glanced toward the sound of running water in the bathroom and asked, “Do you have time to talk?”
“Talk about what?” Ming Li asked bluntly.
In the past, she would have proactively provided topics for Gu Qingshuang. When Gu Qingshuang didn’t know how to express herself, Ming Li would offer options to keep the conversation going and ease the tension.
She didn’t do that anymore. Consequently, an awkward silence stretched between them.
Finally, Gu Qingshuang spoke. “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with the way we’re interacting lately?”
“Miss Gu, let me remind you of something,” Ming Li said. “Bringing up a problem without specifics is just another way of being unable to solve it.”
Gu Qingshuang: “…”
For a second, Ming Li felt that Gu Qingshuang was stunned. It was rare to see any reaction on that ice-cold face.
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