Xie Wanqing followed her finger and saw a child holding a plate walking towards them.
Xie Wanqing had watched the variety show and recognized the child.
Cui Yongsi.
"Aunty, can you move? You're blocking my way."
"Aunty?"
Cui Yongsi looked confused. "What else would I be?"
Xie Wanqing forced a smile and stepped aside. "You're right, I'm sorry, I was in the way."
"Mom, this pastry is delicious. An An, have some."
"Thank you, Sisi gege."
"You're welcome."
Cui Mantong glanced at the two little ones sitting obediently, eating small cakes, and finally focused her gaze on Xie Wanqing. "Miss Xie, do you need anything else?"
Xie Wanqing shook her head. "Okay, I'll go and greet the guests then. If you need anything, just have a waiter call me."
Cui Mantong didn't reply, lowering her head to play with her phone.
The two children were also quietly eating their cakes.
No one paid her any attention.
Xie Wanqing took a deep breath, put on a standard, polite smile, and turned to walk back into the crowd.
After she left, Wen Yan'an put down his cake. "Mom, is she angry?"
Cui Mantong felt a severe headache. "An An, you're still young, you don't understand some things."
Wen Yan'an lowered his head and remained silent.
"Be good, you stay here with Sisi gege, I'm going to find someone, okay?"
Wen Yan'an nodded. "Okay, Aunt Mantong, you go ahead and be busy. I'll stay by Sisi's side and be good, I won't cause any trouble."
"An An is a good child."
"You?"
Cui Mantong raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with me being here?"
Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "You seem to be unhappy with me."
"I'm just a small actress, how could I be unhappy with the person in charge of Wen Corporation?" Cui Mantong said innocently. "It's my fault for not fawning over you."
Wen Zhiyan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"How could that be."
Wen Zhiyan: "..."
He was sure of it. This person did not like him.
"Miss Cui."
"Excuse me, my husband is here, I need to go find my husband."
"Alright." Wen Zhiyan looked at Xin Xuanlai beside him. "Where's my phone?"
"Your phone." Xin Xuanlai looked around and handed the phone to Wen Zhiyan, risking being fired. "Master Wen, aren't you really going back?"
"What's wrong?"
"When I went back to the apartment to get some things today, I saw Madam."
"What?" Wen Zhiyan suddenly looked at Xin Xuanlai. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"Ah... I, Madam told me not to tell you."
Xin Xuanlai's voice grew softer as he spoke.
"Xin Xuanlai."
Xin Xuanlai shivered. "Master Wen, I couldn't do anything."
"Push me over."
Xin Xuanlai pushed Wen Zhiyan towards Ran Lian without delay.
"Mother, I'm going back."
"Back? What for?"
"Miaomiao is back."
Ran Lian paused her action of lifting her wine glass. "Why the hurry? Don't forget what you promised me."
"Mother, you did this on purpose?"
"Say that again?"
"No matter how many times I say it, it's the same. I've done what I promised you, and I don't owe you anymore."
"Xin Xuanlai."
"Master Wen."
"Go and take An An."
Xin Xuanlai walked towards where Wen Yan'an was without looking up.
"Zhixuan takes his leave."
The three of them left the hotel.
"Back to the apartment."
"Yes."
"An An."
Wen Yan'an looked out the window at the scenery and didn't speak.
"Mom came to see you, didn't she?"
Hearing this, Wen Yan'an turned and looked unhappily at Wen Zhiyan. "You made Mom angry."
When he met his mother today, no matter how much he called her "Mom," she didn't respond, instead changing the subject.
Wen Zhiyan raised an eyebrow. "Weren't we both angry with Mom together?"
"Not at all." Wen Yan'an refused to admit that he had made his mother angry, and muttered, "I said I didn't want to go, and you didn't agree."
"Is that so?"
Wen Yan'an grumbled a few times and said nothing more.
"Well then, little friend Wen Yan'an, would you like to go with me to apologize to Mom?"
Wen Yan'an was very unhappy, even more so as he thought about it. "I'm afraid Mom won't forgive me. Dad, don't drag me into your bad deeds in the future, go and explain yourself to Mom."
"Alright, this is the last time." Wen Zhiyan nodded reluctantly. "Good luck."
As he spoke, he rubbed his aching head. He should have told Miaomiao beforehand.
They returned to the apartment.
Fang Miaomiao had curled up on the sofa and fallen asleep.
"Dad."
Wen Zhiyan paused for a moment. "You go back to your room first."
Saying this, he stood up from his wheelchair, walked quietly to the sofa, and held her in his arms.
When Wen Yan'an saw him stand up, he said casually, "Be gentle," and then turned and went to his room.
When Fang Miaomiao woke up, she felt a force holding her.
A familiar light scent came from behind her.
"Wen Zhiyan."
Wen Zhiyan didn't let go of Fang Miaomiao, but held her tighter. "Miaomiao."
"Let me go."
"No."
Wen Zhiyan's voice trembled slightly. "Miaomiao, let me explain."
Fang Miaomiao couldn't break free.
"What do you want to say?"
"It wasn't intentional."
"Oh."
"Miaomiao, let me explain, okay?"
"I'm listening."
"You're not listening."
Fang Miaomiao smiled. "It's your business whether you say it or not, it's my business whether I listen."
"Miaomiao." Wen Zhiyan was very helpless, but he also knew that this was all his fault from beginning to end, and he deserved it now.
Wen Zhiyan slowly recounted the events of the past period.
He said that when Miaomiao was filming in the desert, his mother came to their home saying she was ill and used this excuse to make everyone at home stay at Yu Garden.
"Sick?"
"Yes, bile duct cancer, and it's not suitable for surgery yet."
Fang Miaomiao was stunned. Oh, she remembered, the book seemed to have mentioned this.
"Neither An An nor I knew when Mother took Xie Wanqing as her goddaughter, and even booked the birthday banquet at the October Hotel."
Fang Miaomiao's back was to Wen Zhiyan, and she didn't speak.
"I really didn't expect today's banquet to be for Xie Wanqing. After I knew it was Xie Wanqing's birthday banquet, An An and I didn't stay long before leaving."
"Miaomiao, I really didn't mean to hide it from you."
Fang Miaomiao sighed almost imperceptibly. "Then why didn't you call me before?"
"For a while, I was accompanying Mother in the hospital. Later, when I came out, I had a car accident. I was afraid you would hear something, so I didn't call you."
"You had a car accident? When was that?"
"I'm fine, and the person has been apprehended. The traffic police said it was fatigue driving, but we found a sum of suspicious foreign exchange in that person's son's account."