The domestic helper left after making dinner. It was now just the three of them. Xiang Caiping stood rooted to the ground. She was already feeling awkward when she first got there. Looking at Huo Jinyao now made her even more uncomfortable.
The way Huo Jinyao was looking at her was especially disconcerting. Xiang Caiping wanted too much to be with Su Qingsang to be put off.
“Let’s eat,” Huo Jinyao spoke first. He shifted his gaze to Su Qingsang. Su Qingsang purposefully blinked at him to indicate that they should have their meal first before talking about anything else.
The three of them sat at the dining table.
Su Qingsang held up a bowl to scoop soup into it and, after thinking for a moment, placed the bowl of soup in front of Xiang Caiping. “Have some soup first.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
Su Qingsang looked at Xiang Caiping’s demeanor and seemed a little perplexed. “You don’t have to be so formal.”
Xiang Caiping’s smile reflected some embarrassment and she could not help but glance at Huo Jinyao.
Huo Jinyao took no notice of Xiang Caiping and, instead, placed the bowl of soup he had just scooped in front of Su Qingsang. “Dear, for you.”
Su Qingsang smiled at Huo Jinyao as she took the bowl of soup from him. The domestic helper had good cooking skills. Su Qingsang was hungry after performing two surgical procedures in the afternoon.
Dinner was eaten silently. Huo Jinyao was, as usual, attentive to Su Qingsang and put food items into her bowl from time to time.
Whenever he did this, Xiang Caiping was visibly comforted by his act. It seemed to her that Su Qingsang was well cared for and she was extremely happy about that.
Huo Jinyao pretended not to notice Xiang Caiping’s reactions and he behaved as he usually did.
After the meal, Xiang Caiping was adamant about helping to wash the dishes. Su Qingsang was not able to stop her in time even if she had wanted to do so.
After waiting for Xiang Caiping to clear the dishes and take them to the kitchen, Huo Jinyao pulled Su Qingsang aside to have a seat in the living room.
Su Qingsang recounted her meeting with Xiang Caiping simply and Huo Jinyao narrowed his eyes after hearing her. In contrast to Su Qingsang, he felt that this matter seemed a little fishy.
“Why didn’t she acknowledge you in the past?”
Su Qingsang lowered her voice to explain the reason to him. She definitely felt that the reason was highly plausible: betrayed by her lover and in a moment of fury, she had left her child and walked away from it all.
Huo Jinyao could understand the reasoning but he felt somewhat uncomfortable about it. “Do you want to hear my honest opinion?”
“Shoot.”
“She did not attempt to look for you for so many years, but suddenly decided to do so after your trip to Rong City. What motive does she harbor?”
Su Qingsang blinked a few times and stared cluelessly at Huo Jinyao, seemingly comprehending what he was driving at within seconds.
“Dear,” Huo Jinyao edged closer to Su Qingsang, whispering into her ear about what he had deduced from this matter. After he was done, he espied the pained look on her face. “Do you feel unhappy about what I have said?”
Su Qingsang shook her head. “No, I know what you mean.”
She understood the concept of being guarded against others’ intentions.
After speaking about the worst case scenario, Huo Jinyao suddenly wanted to tease her. “To think about it, you have got to be relieved that the tree outside the door was a mulberry tree. If it was a parasol tree, perhaps you would be called Qingtong?”
“You and your nonsense.” Su Qingsang’s initial worries were substantially dispelled by Huo Jinyao’s joke. She raised her hand and pummeled his chest with force.
He instinctively clutched his chest and collapsed backward onto the sofa with a contorted look on his face. “It’s so painful… so painful. I got shot by an arrow.”
“Stop fooling around.”
“I really got shot by an arrow. If you don’t give me a kiss, I won’t be able to get up.” Huo Jinyao put on a convincing act.
Su Qingsang admitted defeat and could only lean over to kiss him on the cheek.
Before she could move away, she espied Xiang Caiping coming into the living room.
Su Qingsang immediately blushed a deep crimson and speedily sat up straight. At the same time, she gave Huo Jinyao’s arm a tap.
Huo Jinyao also sat up and, in contrast to Su Qingsang, he was rather cool about being seen cozying up to her.
“Aunty, it must have been tough on you. Please have a seat.”
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