A few people had a very pleasant al together, and after dinner, Zhao Chun even volunteered to help Grandma Tian and Auntie Tian wash the dishes. He rarely did much housework, but he was quite skilled at washing dishes. Of course, Grandma Tian declined. After all, how could a guest be expected to wash dishes? Still, the young man’s attitude was comndable—he was a good kid.
"I think this young man is pretty decent," Auntie Tian remarked after Zhao Chun left. "Polite to us and without the arrogance of so n."
Grandma Tian nodded in agreent and asked, "Sangsang, what does Xiao Zhao do for a living?"
Tian Sangsang popped a plum into her mouth and chewed. "Him? He’s still studying. He ca to Beijing this ti to shoot a movie—he’s an amateur director."
Grandma Tian seed to grasp what being a director ant and sighed. "Everything about this young man is good, except for his job." As an elderly lady, she couldn’t quite understand such an unstable, roaming career.
Auntie Tian added, "Jinghuai, on the other hand, has a stable job, but he can’t always be around to accompany Sangsang and Yanyan. Also, he’s just too much of a ’man’s man’—doesn’t know how to show tenderness to won."
If only there were a way to combine the two. Wouldn’t that be ideal?
"There’s no such thing as perfection in this world," Tian Sangsang quipped, though she quickly grew irritated thinking about their earlier tone. "Grandma, don’t overthink things. What Zhao Chun does has nothing to do with us." Zhao Chun was her friend, and that was enough. She hadn’t thought much beyond that.
Grandma Tian realized she might have overthought the matter. Her granddaughter had one child and was carrying another—both borne of soone else. Finding another partner would indeed be difficult.
*
Jiang Jinghuai returned to his unit, Ye Binyi was hospitalized, and life beca much quieter.
Finally, there was no more drama.
One day, with a bit of free ti, Tian Sangsang decided to visit the One Taste Pavilion.
It was still early in the morning, and the streets weren’t too crowded. From a distance, Tian Sangsang spotted a woman in white standing at her doorstep. The morning breeze lightly tousled her long, shiny black hair. Sensing soone’s gaze, the woman in white turned around. In the morning light, her face was extraordinarily beautiful.
Her eyes, frad by the delicate glow of dawn, radiated a subtle tenderness.
Taking a few quick steps forward, Tian Sangsang exclaid in surprise, "Kunling?"
Guan Kunling nodded. "Sangsang, it’s ."
"What are you doing in Beijing?!" she asked excitedly, stepping forward to hug her.
Kunling’s body tensed for a mont, clearly startled by the gesture, but she patted Sangsang’s back and let her hold on. "I received a letter from Brother Jiang, so I ca to Beijing."
Sangsang, who was tempted to nuzzle her shoulder, suddenly pulled away and asked, "Jiang Jinghuai?"
Feeling a bit sour, she wondered why Kunling would listen to Jiang Jinghuai. Whatever he said, she followed?
Kunling smiled. "Even if he hadn’t told , I would’ve co. I wanted to visit you all in Beijing."
Moved, Tian Sangsang opened the door. "Co inside quickly. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
As she spoke, she was about to prepare breakfast, but Kunling grabbed her hand and placed her fingers gently on her wrist.
It looked like she was taking a pulse—and she really was.
Kunling’s expression beca focused. After a mont, she said softly, "Your pulse is steady, but your body is a bit weak. You need to take care of yourself."
Tian Sangsang: "..."
"Sangsang, leave the business to from now on. You shouldn’t overwork yourself any longer."
But shouldn’t life involve hard work? Sitting idle all day would only make one feel restless.
Looking into Kunling’s eyes, Sangsang sighed and asked, "Kunling, don’t you have anything you want to do for yourself?" She had asked her this question before, and she still wanted to know.
"I ca here for you—and for..." Her calm gaze flickered slightly. "For what I believe in. As long as I have sothing to keep busy, that’s enough."
Sangsang understood. Kunling was always like this—indifferent to fa and fortune, uninterested in money. It seed she had her own convictions, waiting for the right ti to fulfill them. Still, she felt bad making Kunling help her with so much without paying her. Though they were friends, it seed unfair. But talking about money with Kunling would feel like an insult to her.
So, she could only let it be.
**
At two months pregnant, Tian Sangsang’s appetite had improved, and she was eating a lot more. Over the past few days, Zhao Chun visited ng Shuyan every day and had naturally beco familiar with Grandma Tian as well. After a while, Grandma Tian often invited him to stay for als.
The night before they were to leave, Grandma Tian took the initiative to talk to Zhao Chun, speaking earnestly. "Xiao Zhao, you’re a good kid. Tomorrow, we’re leaving, and Sangsang will be ho alone. I’m worried. You’re her neighbor, so if anything happens, you’ll need to step in and help."
"Don’t worry, Grandma. Sangsang and I are friends—I’ll definitely help her!" Zhao Chun, taking her words far too seriously, straightened up and promised, as if sothing major might actually happen.
"It’s nothing too serious," Grandma Tian explained. "But as a pregnant woman, as her belly grows, her movents will beco clumsier. I’m not asking for much; if you see her bump into anything, just help steady her. And if she suddenly goes into labor, take her to the hospital. That girl is too stubborn—she’ll try to handle everything herself."
Zhao Chun froze, feeling like his brain just exploded into a million pieces.
Pregnant? Labor?!
The next morning, after seeing Grandma Tian and Auntie leave, Tian Sangsang felt a little down. With them around, the house had been lively. Now, it would just be her and ng Shuyan.
A mother needs to be strong—she shouldn’t cry.
Just as she was about to enter the house, Zhao Chun noticed her slightly red eyes and handed her a tissue.
Tian Sangsang took it to wipe away nonexistent tears, then asked, "What’s that shifty look in your eyes? What do you want to say?" She wasn’t blaming him—Zhao Chun had been sneaking curious glances at her all morning.
Carefully, he asked, "I heard from your grandma... that you’re about to have a baby?"
Tian Sangsang: "..." -_-||
Zhao Chun: "So... you’re pregnant?" O.O
"Yes," Tian Sangsang replied with a light chuckle, teasing, "Neighbor Zhao, I’ll need to rely on you from now on."
Zhao Chun took a deep breath, his eyes widening, unable to calm down for a long ti.
Finally, he uttered, "What the hell."
Then, he took a swift step back, as if she were so sort of dangerous creature.
"I’m in trouble now. I’m actually neighbors with a pregnant woman—practically a nationally protected species!" He muttered in a state of alarm.
Amused, Tian Sangsang raised an eyebrow. "Exactly. So, at any mont, this place could beco a cri scene. You’d better go easy on —after all, you’d be the pri suspect. Of course, if the drama around a pregnant woman bothers you, feel free to move elsewhere."
"No way." Zhao Chun shook his head decisively. "I’ll take good care of you. This is the younger sibling of my godson we’re talking about!"
Tian Sangsang gave him a sideways glance. "Since when was Yanyan your godson?"
Zhao Chun: "We’ve already made a lifelong pact."
"Didn’t expect it, huh? You’re kind of creepy," she joked.
Zhao Chun rubbed his nose wordlessly, then, after a pause, looked at her seriously. Tian Sangsang thought he might ask about Jiang Jinghuai, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, "You really should hire a nanny. After all, you’re not on your own anymore."
"No need," Tian Sangsang replied with a laugh. "My body may be that of a woman, but my heart is a man’s. I can be both a mother and a father—I’ll take care of myself just fine."
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