He lowered his head, his voice gentle. "Feeling a bit better now?"
Gu Anxi leaned against him, rubbing her head against him and wling softly like a kitten.
Bo Xichen reached out, touching her small head. "After work, shall we et Chen Ming at the shooting range?"
She humd in agreent, then after a mont, spoke again, "Little Uncle, I’m fine. You don’t need to pamper like this."
"So, do you want to go to the shooting range or not?" he teased.
She imdiately grew anxious. "Yes, I want to go! I really want to go!"
Bo Xichen smiled softly.
On the other side, Tang Yuan returned ho alone. Gu Mingzhu was upstairs practicing the piano, playing a famous piece.
Tang Yuan sat on the sofa, listening. A servant approached and asked softly, "Miss Tang, would you like sothing to drink?"
Tang Yuan was startled for a mont before realizing they were addressing her. She shook her head. "No, thank you."
However, a mont later she added, "Please get a glass of boiled water."
The servant noted her pale complexion and hesitated for a mont before going. Soon, a glass of water was placed before her. Tang Yuan took out a few pills from her bag, swallowed them, and sipped half the glass of water.
Just then, sounds of movent ca from upstairs; Gu Mingzhu was probably coming down. Tang Yuan quickly hid the pills and the dical reports.
Gu Mingzhu ca down the stairs. "Mom, where did you go?"
Tang Yuan smoothed her expression. "Nowhere really. I just went to the hospital to see your Aunt Bo Jin."
Gu Mingzhu paused, then slowly descended the rest of the stairs to sit on the sofa opposite Tang Yuan.
She remained silent.
Tang Yuan looked at her cautiously. "What’s wrong?"
Gu Mingzhu bit her lip before asking, "So, did you happen to et Gu Anxi?"
Tang Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at her younger daughter. "Why do you ask?"
Having asked, she watched her mother, her deanor even more cautious.
Gu Mingzhu felt a bit uncomfortable, fiddling with her fingers. "I just thought she might go too."
Tang Yuan visibly relaxed. "Oh, yes. I ran into her. In the elevator."
"And did you say anything to her?" Gu Mingzhu pressed urgently.
Tang Yuan hesitated. "Just the usual greetings."
Gu Mingzhu said, "Oh," nodding in understanding. After a mont, she changed the subject. "Mom, have you and Aunt Bo Jin... reconciled?"
Bitterness welled in Tang Yuan’s heart.
She had visited Bo Jin, partly because she had sowhat co to terms with things, and partly because of Mingzhu.
She had no one to rely on now. Once she was gone, even if Mingzhu was talented... without anyone to guide her, she was extrely worried.
Silently, Tang Yuan withdrew the check and placed it on the coffee table. Gu Mingzhu’s heart pounded as she picked it up to look at it.
Tang Yuan hadn’t told her about it before.
Now, having looked at it, she asked softly, "Is it... for that purpose?"
Tang Yuan nodded, her voice soft. "Mingzhu, from now on, we can only rely on ourselves. But Mom believes in you."
She had said these words to Mingzhu countless tis since she was a child, but this ti, they carried a different weight.
Gu Mingzhu smiled slightly. "Mom, my new movie project has been approved."
Tang Yuan was overjoyed. "Really? Oh, Mom is so happy! We must celebrate properly tonight."
Saying this, she started to rise, as if to instruct the staff to prepare sothing, but Gu Mingzhu stopped her. "Mom, we only have two helpers here now, and they’re too busy. Besides, we don’t have any guests. Just the two of us opening a bottle of red wine to celebrate will be fine."
Tang Yuan seed montarily dazed. After a pause, she smiled. "Yes, there aren’t many of us left at ho. Mingzhu, if you hadn’t reminded , I would have almost forgotten."
She tapped her head. "Mom’s getting old; my mory isn’t what it used to be."
Gu Mingzhu leaned closer, her voice gentle. "Mom, you’re not old at all; you’re still young. I’ll work hard and make you proud in the future. We’ll have good days ahead."
Listening to her daughter’s comforting words, Tang Yuan felt her composure montarily waver.
She felt terribly sorry for this child. If she hadn’t been unable to tolerate Anxi back then, if she hadn’t sought out Min Xin, wouldn’t Mingzhu still be the esteed young lady of the Gu family, instead of facing a future alone and unsupported?
But she could only desperately fight back her tears, not daring to let them fall...
It was three days later when Gu Mingzhu t Gu Anxi again, in a Hong Kong-style restaurant.
Gu Anxi and Zhou Yu were having dim sum and clearly had a strong bond, which made Gu Mingzhu’s eyes burn with a hint of envy.
Gu Anxi was pouring Zhou Yu a cup of very pale snow top tea. She glanced up and saw Gu Mingzhu but continued to steadily fill the cup before speaking. "What a coincidence."
Zhou Yu also looked up. Seeing Gu Mingzhu, she stiffened slightly; their last encounter had been quite unpleasant, and she still felt so lingering apprehension from it.
Seeing that Gu Mingzhu seed to have sothing to say, Gu Anxi kindly gestured for her to sit.
Gu Mingzhu sat down, stubbornly refusing to eat. She intended to say a few words and then leave. Gu Anxi didn’t press her, instead sipping her tea slowly from her small cup.
Gu Mingzhu stared at her. After a long mont, her expression hardened, and she managed to force out, "About last ti... thank you."
Gu Anxi raised an eyebrow. "What incident?"
Gu Mingzhu was practically hopping mad; Gu Anxi was clearly feigning ignorance.
However, she suppressed her usual imperious temper and said stiffly once more, "For saving last ti, thank you."
She paused, then added, "But I still don’t like you."
Gu Anxi nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see. Don’t feel any psychological burden over it. I don’t like you either."
Gu Mingzhu: ...
She glared daggers at Gu Anxi. Gu Anxi waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, alright. Judging by your expression, you don’t look like you’re here to thank at all. You look more like I owe you a fortune."
Gu Mingzhu fell silent.
Zhou Yu smiled. "Alright, Anxi, so fiery early in the morning. Did Xichen bully you?"
Little Milk Spirit bristled. "He’d dare?"
Zhou Yu didn’t agree with that. She chuckled softly. "In this world, Professor Bo is truly the only one who would dare."
Gu Anxi just smiled and said nothing more.
Gu Mingzhu felt awkward, unable to get a word in. She didn’t want to talk to them anyway—they were... they were people she disliked, and people her mother disliked too.
Her lips pressed tightly together, her acute pride making her announce stiffly, "I’m leaving."
Gu Anxi continued drinking her tea, a faint smile on her lips.
Once Gu Mingzhu had left, Zhou Yu remarked, "I notice you didn’t provoke her much today. Did sothing happen?"
Hearing this, Gu Anxi lowered her head, toying with the teacup in her hands. After a long pause, she said in a low voice, "Tang Yuan is ill. She doesn’t have much longer to live..."
She gave a faint, detached smile. "From the looks of it, Gu Mingzhu doesn’t know yet. Tang Yuan truly dotes on her. To tell about sothing like this first... it must be so that soone can look after Gu Mingzhu in the future."
Zhou Yu was taken aback. This outco was unexpected. Of course, she didn’t like Tang Yuan, but it wasn’t as if she dwelled on her much either...
Neither spoke for a long ti. After a while, Zhou Yu said, "Tang Yuan will surely find a way to make arrangents for her."
Gu Anxi forced a smile.
Zhou Yu thought for a mont, then asked about sothing else. "I heard you and Xichen are going to Jiang City soon?"
Gu Anxi nodded. "Yes. There’s a dical research facility in Jiang City. Little Uncle has a mission there this ti."
Zhou Yu continued looking at her.
Gu Anxi added, "And I have so things to take care of there as well."
Zhou Yu looked down at her belly. "If it weren’t for this baby, I’d want to go to Jiang City too."
"That’s not a problem," Gu Anxi laughed. "Once the baby’s born, you can go for a visit."
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