Ti seed to have frozen.
Looking at the woman before him, who seed a little worn out, Liu Changqing didn’t respond right away. Instead, he glanced at the mother and daughter sitting by the bed, his eyes resting on An Yuanyao’s face.
She looked conflicted.
He had no idea what Li Wanran might have said to them while he was away attending the parent-teacher eting with his daughter…
“Co outside for a bit.”
That was all Liu Changqing said as he stepped out of the bedroom and turned to walk away.
Li Wanran hesitated for a mont after hearing this, but still followed him out the door.
“Daddy, it can stretch its neck super long!”
As soon as Li Wanran walked out of the bedroom, she saw her daughter dash out of the bathroom, shouting excitedly. She ran past her and flung herself into Liu Changqing’s arms.
Liu Xiazhi, thrilled with her new pet, was practically bouncing with excitent.
Clinging to her father, she couldn’t wait to share her discovery.
She tilted her head up and spoke loudly.
“I saw it with my own eyes! It stretched its neck so long! It’s sooo cute!”
“Is that so.”
Normally, Liu Changqing might’ve humored his daughter and chatted with her a bit more. But right now, he clearly wasn’t in the mood.
His gaze instinctively flicked to the bedroom door where Li Wanran stood.
Forcing a smile, he reached out to pat his daughter’s little head.
“It’s fine to look, but make sure you don’t touch the softshell turtle’s head… Got it? It’ll bite you.”
“Heehee, got it!”
Standing at the door, Li Wanran still had her hand on the knob, frozen mid-motion as she watched the warm mont between father and daughter.
She… seed a little moved.
“Xiazhi…”
Li Wanran called out gently.
As soon as she heard the na, Liu Xiazhi’s smiling face froze.
Her expression sobered instantly.
It was like she realized sothing. Her eyes widened, and her head slowly turned.
When she saw the person standing by the bedroom door—soone she hadn’t seen in a long ti but was deeply familiar with—
“Daddy…”
She called out instinctively, clutching tightly onto Liu Changqing’s arm with both hands.
The mont Liu Xiazhi laid eyes on Li Wanran, her whole expression shifted. A look rarely seen on her face appeared.
It was… fear.
People always underestimate a child’s mory. Parents often think that kids are too young to understand or rember, but… painful mories are the hardest to erase with ti.
Especially… trauma.
Liu Xiazhi still rembered that day.
The mother she hadn’t seen in ages showed up and said she’d take her out for sothing tasty.
But…
Not only did she lose the new shoes her dad had just bought her in the mall, she was also brought to a stranger.
And told… to call him dad…
Did Liu Xiazhi like Li Wanran as a mother?
She used to.
Back then, she actually liked her mom more than her dad. But all of that shattered that day.
She could never forget how she spent that night alone in an empty room.
Her knee was hurt, but she didn’t even care…
All she could think about was going ho. Back to the house where her brother and dad were…
Liu Changqing took in his daughter’s reaction. His eyes dropped, and after a mont, he gently tried to pull his arm free.
But he had clearly underestimated how scared his daughter was.
After a few tries, he still couldn’t get his arm loose. In fact, the more he pulled, the tighter she clung.
Realizing what her father was trying to do, Liu Xiazhi quickly looked away from Li Wanran. Her eyes reddened as she looked up at her dad.
“Daddy, I…”
“Don’t be scared. Here… Xiazhi, help Daddy hold this.”
He cut her off and handed the bag in his other hand over to her.
After a pause, he added,
“Take it inside first. When Daddy cos back, I’ll make you a big red flower.”
“……”
“Be good, alright?”
“Okay…”
After a brief silence, Liu Xiazhi finally let go of his arm and took the bag from him.
She held it tightly with both hands.
She looked at Li Wanran standing at the bedroom door, then glanced at Liu Changqing.
Her head dropped.
She took off at a quick pace, almost like she was running away, leaving the living room behind.
With the sound of the bedroom door closing behind her, the living room fell silent once more.
Liu Changqing stood where he was.
After hesitating for a bit, he didn’t go outside to talk. Instead, he turned and walked over to the couch.
He sat down.
Staring at the coffee table in front of him.
One second.
Two seconds…
“Who let you in?”
He finally spoke. Then he lifted his head and looked at Li Wanran, who was still standing there.
“……”
She didn’t respond right away. Li Wanran just looked at Liu Changqing.
Then she slowly walked toward him.
She stopped a couple of ters in front of him.
“An Yuanyao.”
“I see… So you still have my wife’s number.”
When Liu Changqing referred to An Yuanyao as my wife, a flicker of sothing crossed Li Wanran’s face.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
Her hands clenched a little tighter.
“I…”
“If this is about your mother, then there’s no need to say anything.”
Liu Changqing cut her off before she could finish. He’d already guessed what she ca to ask.
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
It had been over a week since he last saw her.
Other than the incident where Ye Rong was taken away, he couldn’t think of another reason she’d co find him.
If it was about the kids… he’d already made himself clear last ti.
There was nothing to discuss.
Sure, she was their biological mother. But judging from Xiazhi’s reaction just now…
The shadow she left on the kids couldn’t be erased so easily.
Maybe one day.
But…
Not now.
Looking at Li Wanran standing in front of him.
She didn’t look like the woman in his mory anymore.
Her face was still cold, but for so reason, Liu Changqing couldn’t see the calm detachnt that used to be there…
Only a faint trace of sorrow.
And… exhaustion.
This is the path you chose, Li Wanran.
There’s no turning back in life.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Liu Changqing said:
“It’s over.”
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