Chapter 73

Su Qingqiu’s forehead sprouted cheerful little veins.

Rong Jin didn’t know where she pulled a crumpled piece of paper from on her body, but she had no pen and wanted to borrow one from Teacher Yu.

Teacher Yu also recognized Song Limo and stood there in a daze, her face quietly flushing with two red patches as her words became incoherent.

“Oh my god, am I dreaming or what…”

Qu Yiling hadn’t expected that Song Limo had been out of the industry for so many years, yet her legends still circulated in the entertainment world, with so many people still fondly remembering her.

She picked up Song Chuyi and glanced at Song Limo.

Song Limo caught her sharp look and immediately obediently followed behind her.

Su Qingqiu ruthlessly snatched the paper Rong Jin had pulled out for the autograph, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the trash bin at the classroom door.

She took Su Xijing’s little hand and said to Teacher Yu, “Teacher Yu, I’m really sorry for the trouble. Xixi isn’t feeling great right now, so I’ll take her home first and bring her back for afternoon classes.”

Qu Yiling also smiled faintly. “Teacher Yu, I’ll take Weiwei with me too. We’ll come back in the afternoon.”

Teacher Yu nodded dazedly.

…

Su Xijing and Song Chuyi were still sniffling, but their emotions had calmed down a lot.

They glanced at each other, let out a cold huff, and turned their heads away again.

The two good moms led their respective daughters along the road home, chatting softly.

Their kids were about the same age and had been childhood playmates, so the moms were quite familiar with each other and occasionally shared parenting tips.

Su Qingqiu said, “Come sit at my place.”

Qu Yiling nodded. “Sure.”

Rong Jin pushed her own wheelchair, following behind Su Qingqiu and walking alongside Song Limo.

Rong Jin’s little paper scrap had been thrown away, but she wasn’t giving up.

She had grown up watching Song Limo’s movies. Song Limo had won the Best Actress award three times in a row before retiring, then made a comeback for one more film, securing a fourth win before retiring for good. Rong Jin had regretted it for a long time, and Song Limo hadn’t appeared in public for seven or eight years.

Now that she finally saw Song Limo, she really couldn’t hold back.

She just wanted an autograph.

Rong Jin asked her softly, “When we get back later, could you sign one for me?”

The paper from earlier had been thrown away by Su Qingqiu—what a shame.

Su Qingqiu kept one ear tuned to eavesdrop on their conversation and thought: “…”

What was wrong with this person!

Was she still an eighteen-year-old fangirl?!

But Song Limo shook her head.

Rong Jin was puzzled.

She had agreed so readily before—why no signature now?

Song Limo lifted her chin slightly, her gaze toward Qu Yiling walking ahead, her eyes tinged with amusement as her lips curved into a smile.

“She’s jealous.”

Rong Jin: “…”

Why did it feel like she’d just been force-fed a mouthful of dog food?

…

The four adults and two kids returned to the Su family home.

Aunt Zhao came out holding Milk to greet them. “Why are you back so early? Didn’t Xixi have class?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen Weiwei. And how did Miss Song and Miss Qu end up coming too?”

Su Qingqiu said helplessly, “They got into a fight on the first day of school—quite the spectacle.”

Song Chuyi spotted Milk and couldn’t move anymore. She stared longingly at it. “Kitty! Su Xijing, you never told me you had a cat at home.”

Su Xijing pursed her lips. “You never came to play with me, so of course you didn’t know.”

“Milk, come here.”

Song Chuyi said, “You were the one who went abroad. I came to play, and Aunt Zhao said you weren’t home.”

As she spoke, her eyes never left Milk.

Milk circled her little legs a few times, sniffed lightly, and meowed a couple times. “Meow woo…”

Song Chuyi fell instantly. She squatted down to hug it, stars sparkling in her eyes. “Kitty is so cute! Weiwei loves kitties the most!”

She turned her head and asked, “Is it called Milk?”

Su Xijing nodded. “Yeah.”

The little bean sprouts forgot their grudge in an instant over one cat. They made up just like that and happily carried the cat into the house.

Su Qingqiu invited Song Limo and Qu Yiling inside to sit. Aunt Zhao brought them tea.

They sat on the sofa.

Qu Yiling asked, “What happened to your leg?”

Rong Jin replied, “I got into a car accident and injured it.”

Qu Yiling nodded, then noticed Rong Jin’s extremely relaxed demeanor—not at all like a guest.

She glanced around and asked, “So you’re living with Qingqiu now?”

Rong Jin nodded.

Qu Yiling asked curiously, “How did you two get so close? Weren’t you always at odds before?”

It was an open secret in the industry that Rong Jin and Su Qingqiu didn’t see eye to eye. Even at some business banquets, invitations avoided both to prevent public clashes.

But both had collaborations with Qu Corporation, so their relations with Qu Yiling were decent.

Rong Jin and Su Qingqiu exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in the air. Su Qingqiu turned her head away and coughed lightly.

She suddenly remembered that night.

The night Su Qingqiu had offered to wipe her body.

The way Su Qingqiu had looked at her was like awaiting her verdict—if she didn’t agree, it seemed something in her eyes would shatter.

And that itchy feeling in her heart.

It was a hard-to-describe flavor.

Rong Jin turned back, letting out a light laugh.

She said, “We had some misunderstandings before, but we both figured since so much time has passed, we might as well let it go. Now we want to mend fences.”

“After all, we were classmates before. We had some foundation of feelings.”

Qu Yiling was surprised. “You knew each other before?”

Rong Jin: “We sat next to each other as desk mates for three years in high school, and later we were university alumni. It’s more than just knowing each other.”

Qu Yiling wore an incredulous expression.

“So that’s how it is.”

Su Qingqiu hadn’t spoken.

She looked at Rong Jin in the wheelchair. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, slanting in from the floor-to-ceiling window, dappling her face and making her look especially gentle.

So Rong Jin had always viewed their past this way.

She summed it all up lightly in just a few words.

It made sense.

After high school, they’d had little contact. She was always so carefree—once it was over, it was over. She’d let it go long ago.

Time flew, and so many years had passed in the blink of an eye.

She knew nothing.

It was better that way.

Song Chuyi hugged Milk tightly and wouldn’t let go. Milk meowed pitifully, looking utterly done with life.

Su Xijing saw her acting like she wanted to hog Milk and wasn’t happy.

“Give Milk back to me. It’s a gift from Auntie.”

“No way! Just a quick hug, you stingy!”

“Give it back!”

“No!”

Just as the little bean sprouts were about to throw down again, Qu Yiling hurried over and separated them.

“Alright, alright, no fighting. Why do you two always fight the moment you see each other?”

Su Qingqiu was helpless too.

Song Chuyi clung to Qu Yiling’s arm and wheedled, “Mommy, Weiwei wants a kitty too. Can we get one?”

Qu Yiling hesitated, then looked at Song Limo.

Song Chuyi looked at her too.

Song Limo crossed her arms and refused coolly, “No, your mommy’s allergic to cat hair.”

Qu Yiling always indulged Song Chuyi and said softly, “It’s actually not that bad. If we don’t have too much contact, it’s fine. How about we try bringing one home first?”

Song Limo: “No means no.”

Song Chuyi gasped at that, immediately let go, and Milk jumped down from her arms. It circled Rong Jin’s legs before lying down.

This adult might deserve a smack, but it inexplicably felt safe around her.

Song Chuyi stared at Milk wistfully but said firmly, “Then Weiwei won’t get a kitty. Can’t make Mommy sick.”

Qu Yiling kissed her little cheek and suddenly remembered the morning. She asked, “Weiwei, why did you fight with Xixi?”

Song Chuyi was about to complain but belatedly realized it was because she’d tried to cheat off Su Xijing’s test. Su Xijing got first in the grade, she got ten points, and she’d gotten mad and started the fight.

That reason wouldn’t hold up—she’d get roasted by Song Limo again.

She bit her lip and pondered for ages without saying a word.

Like a mute eating bitter herbs—misery with no outlet.

Su Xijing wanted to spill the whole story, but thinking of how Rong Jin had subbed for her exam, she couldn’t let Song Chuyi and her moms know.

So she stayed silent too.

The two little bean sprouts glanced at each other, huffed coldly, and turned away again.

Su Xijing: “She hit Xixi first. It’s her fault!”

Song Chuyi, out of excuses, looked pitifully at Qu Yiling.

Qu Yiling patted her little head. “Weiwei’s a good girl. No hitting, okay? Go apologize to Xixi.”

Song Chuyi didn’t want to, but she felt Song Limo’s gaze.

The “if you dare act but won’t own up, I despise you” kind of gaze.

Song Chuyi gritted her teeth and said softly, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you.”

Su Xijing blinked and held her little hand earnestly. “Xixi shouldn’t have hit so hard either. Xixi’s wrong too.”

During the fight, if Teacher Yu hadn’t stopped her, she almost yanked out the hair tie from Song Chuyi’s pigtails.

Song Chuyi felt aggrieved. “My hair hurt so much…”

Su Xijing patted her hair.

“Wanna play with toys together, Weiwei?”

“Sure!”

The little bean sprouts made up. The two moms breathed a sigh of relief, while the other mom watched coldly.

Auntie sipped her tea and only then realized why they’d fought—as she watched the little ones hand-in-hand enter the playroom.

Was it because she’d given the wrong answers for the pigtails during the entrance exam?

Maybe.

This auntie guessed the reason but was pretty laid-back and soon put it behind her.

No big deal.

Kids bickering like that actually brought them closer.

…

Since they were visiting the Su home and Rong Jin was there, Qu Yiling took the chance to discuss the various collaborations between their groups planned for the fourth quarter.

It had been less than ten minutes since the little bean sprouts went hand-in-hand into the playroom.

Milk lay by Rong Jin’s feet, basking in the sun with squinted eyes, nearly asleep.

It jolted awake at a huge crash from the playroom, meowing and darting away from Rong Jin’s legs.

The adults discussing work paused and looked toward the playroom.

Fighting voices came from inside again.

“You’re bullying me! You know I can’t put it together! You’re laughing at me for being dumb! Waaah, Xixi’s a bad egg!”

“Xixi didn’t! Xixi didn’t laugh! You knocked over Xixi’s castle! Waaah…”

Qu Yiling: “…”

Su Qingqiu: “…”

Rong Jin listened to the commotion inside and took another sip of tea.

She thought that even without her giving the wrong answers for the pigtails girl, they’d still end up fighting eventually.

They were probably fated nemeses.