The screen of the mobile phone on the table lit up.
It was the caller ID, displaying a name—Shen Qingqing.
However, the phone was on silent, so Fu Jingshu hadn't seen it.
After he left, seeing the missed call on his phone, he had intended to reply immediately, but then he thought about what he had to do next…
He put his phone in his pocket.
Shen Qingqing stared blankly at her phone. Xingyao, standing beside her, couldn't help but ask, "Mommy, is Uncle coming?"
"He will,"
Shen Qingqing smiled slightly and patted her head.
Xingyao then beamed, "Mhm!"
Shen Qingqing had a bad feeling, but she remembered that Fu Jingshu had promised to come. He wouldn't break his word.
"Mommy will make you something delicious first. Wait for him in the living room, and we'll eat together when he arrives."
Xingyao nodded obediently and went to the kitchen.
Once she got busy, she forgot about waiting for Fu Jingshu. When she finished and came out, she saw Xingyao sitting on the sofa, but the person who was supposed to come still hadn't arrived.
She glanced at the time. An hour had passed. According to their agreed time, Fu Jingshu was late.
A flicker of anger rose within her.
What was this man thinking? He promised to come for the child's birthday, and now he was breaking his promise again.
If he couldn't make it, he should have at least called to let her know.
She sat on the sofa and picked up her phone. He hadn't even replied to a text message.
"Mommy, why isn't Uncle here yet?" Xingyao asked cautiously.
Even though Shen Qingqing was upset, she couldn't take it out on her child. She said gently, "Perhaps he had something urgent at work and couldn't get away."
"Is Uncle still coming?"
"Of course he's coming. He promised," Shen Qingqing had originally not wanted him to come, but she couldn't refuse Xingyao's liking for him.
This little girl was introverted and didn't talk much to anyone, but she was inexplicably fond of Fu Jingshu. Shen Qingqing didn't know why.
The mother and daughter waited for another half an hour. The person who was supposed to arrive still hadn't shown up. Meanwhile, Shen Qingqing received a call from the police station.
"Ms. Shen, Mr. Fu just came to our police station to sign a letter of understanding. Miss Lin has already left."
"What?"
Hearing Shen Qingqing's surprised tone, the person on the other end hesitated for a moment. "What, didn't you agree to this?"
How dare he?!
A surge of anger instantly rose in Shen Qingqing's heart. The angrier she became, the calmer her voice grew. "I understand. Thank you for telling me."
After hanging up the phone, Shen Qingqing put down her phone expressionlessly.
Although Xingyao couldn't see it, she was sensitive and sensed that something was wrong. "Mommy, was that Uncle on the phone just now?"
"No," Shen Qingqing didn't want her child to notice anything and deliberately relaxed her tone. "It was a friend of Mommy's. Xingyao, are you hungry? If you are, let's eat first."
"Aren't we waiting for Uncle anymore?"
"No," Shen Qingqing sneered inwardly, not knowing if he would come. She took Xingyao's little hand. "Whether he comes or not, Mommy will give you a happy birthday today."
"Mommy..."
Xingyao, already sharp-witted, felt that Mommy's attitude was a bit off. And they had agreed to wait for Uncle. Was Mommy angry?
She wanted to ask, but in the end, she swallowed the words.
"Okay, I'll listen to Mommy."
Shen Qingqing pulled her to the table. The aroma of the food wafted to them. Xingyao sniffed the air. "Did Mommy make all this herself?"
"Of course. Try it and see which one you like. Mommy will make it for you every day from now on."
Shen Qingqing had been busy with work before and didn't have much time to cook for her child. She had only cooked a few times. Today, it was her child's birthday, and she was off work. She had pulled out all the stops and made a table full of dishes.
Xingyao grabbed her small bowl and chopsticks, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Mommy's cooking must be incredibly delicious. It's the best food I've ever eaten!"
Shen Qingqing chuckled. "You haven't even eaten yet, and you already know?"
"Mhm, my nose is very good," Xingyao wrinkled her little nose. "And Mommy always makes me so full when she cooks!"
With such encouraging words, Shen Qingqing's mood improved considerably. She served Xingyao a bowl of soup. "Then try it. If it's good, Mommy will make it for you every day."
"Mhm!"
Even though Uncle hadn't come, Xingyao was still very happy with Mommy's company.
While they were eating, Fu Jingshu returned.
He saw them already eating and assumed the mother and daughter were hungry. He didn't say much, took off his coat, and sat opposite them.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Shen Qingqing ignored him.
Xingyao didn't hear Mommy's voice and thought Mommy might be angry, so she didn't dare to speak either.
"Are you angry?"
Fu Jingshu's question still went unanswered. He didn't get angry either. After all, he was the one who was late. He went to the restroom to wash his hands. When he came out, he took a rectangular box from his pocket.
Inside was a necklace.
It had a cartoon character pendant made of diamonds.
He handed it to Xingyao. "This is your birthday gift from me. Touch it."
Xingyao didn't move. Her face was turned towards Mommy, as if seeking her opinion.
Shen Qingqing didn't even look at the necklace. "Xingyao, focus on eating. After eating, Mommy has a gift for you."
Xingyao immediately buried her head in her food, not saying a word.
The atmosphere became stiff.
Fu Jingshu pursed his lips. He didn't say anything either. Seeing that there were no bowls or chopsticks for him on the table, he went to the kitchen to get a set himself.
The meal was incredibly quiet.
During this time, the only sounds were the clinking of chopsticks and bowls, and the atmosphere was exceedingly awkward.
After breakfast, Shen Qingqing took Xingyao to wash her hands and then sent her to her room. When she went downstairs, she saw Fu Jingshu silently tidying up the dishes.
She didn't say anything and went to help.
After they finished tidying up, Fu Jingshu finally spoke. "I'll bring the two children back to you in a couple of days."
These two children were not happy at all at the Fu family's home. Although Fang Ruo and Fu Tingyi were reluctant to send the children away, they couldn't manage the clever and mischievous Xixi, so they had no choice.
"Thank you."
Fu Jingshu paused. "Do you need to be so polite to me?"
"Don't I need to be?" Shen Qingqing said lightly. "Of course, you don't need to be polite to family."
"You mean I'm not your family?"
Shen Qingqing glanced at the time, feeling tired. "I don't want to talk about this with you. I'm tired and need to rest. I won't see you out."
Watching her retreating back, Fu Jingshu stood up.
"You're chasing me away?"
"You know yourself what you've done." Shen Qingqing finally couldn't help but show a hint of her edge. If it weren't for wanting to give Xingyao a perfect birthday,
She would have kicked him out long ago!
Fu Jingshu was silent for a moment and said, "I did this for a reason."
"Isn't it just pitying the weaker sex?" Her face was filled with sarcasm.
"No," Fu Jingshu patiently said. "I can't tell you the reason for now, but please believe me, I have no choice."
Shen Qingqing felt like she had heard the biggest joke. How could Fu Jingshu have no choice? "If you're going to lie to me, at least come up with a more credible reason."