After finishing the meal, the two from upstairs—one big, one small—came downstairs.
“You’ve been talking for so long.”
Jiang Lingwei had already brought the dishes to the table and served a bowl of rice to everyone. She took off her apron and said, “Let’s eat.”
“Dad, I’m going to talk to Mom first. I’ll come back to eat later.”
Jiang Yao didn’t sit down but instead whispered to Jiang Cheng, then directly pulled Jiang Lingwei aside, slipping away to a corner.
“Yao Yao… whatever it is, let’s eat first, okay…”
Looking at Jiang Yao’s somewhat serious little face, Jiang Lingwei felt uneasy.
She wasn’t sure if Jiang Cheng’s brazen confession during the Aurora state had been overheard by Jiang Yao. She was truly afraid her daughter might directly probe about magic and the Aurora.
(If she really asks me, how am I supposed to answer…?)
Feeling cornered, Jiang Lingwei tried to signal Jiang Cheng with her eyes, hoping he would stop this and wait until she figured out what to say.
But Jiang Cheng was useless at this critical moment—he simply nodded and said, “Okay.”
(Show some fatherly authority, will you!)
With nine-tenths of her heart filled with dread, Jiang Lingwei reached out, only to be pulled into Jiang Yao’s room.
After closing the door, Jiang Yao dragged Jiang Lingwei onto the bed and asked, “Mom, are you hungry?”
“Not really… Well, he already told you, right? He was sent ahead first because he wanted you to recognize him.”
They had fabricated a story that Jiang Lingwei had just come out of the shelter and hurried home, running into a man right at the doorstep. After some explanations, with some doubt, Jiang Yao was persuaded to let him in.
“Mm-hmm.”
The seriousness on her daughter’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a slightly mischievous smile.
“Since we’re on that topic, Mom, what do you think of Dad?”
“Huh?”
Jiang Lingwei didn’t understand why she suddenly asked that but replied, “What do you mean?”
“Tsk, Mom, your psychological age is only seventeen anyway, just like a teenage girl looking at the first thing she notices.”
Seeing her mother’s confused expression, as if she had no idea what a seventeen-year-old teenager’s mind was like, Jiang Yao had to wave her hand in front of her face and said:
“I mean, is he handsome or not?”
“Th-that…”
Jiang Lingwei had already had an answer to that question long ago. Even ignoring the flutter in her heart, by her own standards, this silver-haired man, full of masculine charm, was quite attractive.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng didn’t look that old—he was younger and even more handsome.
So, Jiang Lingwei hesitated a bit but, too shy to be completely honest in front of her daughter, she slightly turned her face and said, “He’s just… okay, passable.”
“Hehe.”
Jiang Yao immediately clung to her like a koala bear, speaking in a teasing tone, “I don’t believe you. Tell the truth, Mom.”
“You little—”
Jiang Lingwei was a little annoyed but didn’t push her away. Instead, she twisted her body and leaned sideways, pretending to struggle, “Let go, let go—”
“Tell the truth!”
“He’s handsome, he’s handsome, alright?”
At that, Jiang Yao finally let go and obediently sat back to the side.
“Seriously, your dad just got back, and you immediately team up to bully me.”
Jiang Lingwei said with a hint of grievance. After all, she had cooked for this child for so long, and they’d gotten along quite well. Though she didn’t understand some modern things, their young hearts could connect.
If Jiang Yao hadn’t always seen her as her mother (which she truly was), they might have even ended up as sisters.
But as soon as Jiang Cheng returned, the good daughter immediately betrayed her.
What was so great about this man? He wasn’t much different from her.
“Mom~”
Jiang Yao didn’t say more but cuddled into her arms like a spoiled child.
Instinctively wrapping her arms around Jiang Yao, Jiang Lingwei said repeatedly, “Alright, alright… You know your dad’s current condition is only a little better than mine. He never told me exactly what he’s been through all these years, only said he didn’t know.”
“Sigh, I’m just as bad.”
Gently stroking her daughter’s head like a kitten, Jiang Lingwei murmured, “I’m really sorry to have given you such unreliable parents.”
“Not at all!”
Jiang Yao immediately rolled over and lifted her head, trying to look into Jiang Lingwei’s eyes.
However, the girl found her view almost completely blocked by two huge mounds, forcing her to move aside slightly before continuing:
“Mom, when you get to my age, you’ll understand… Uh, I mean, Mom, you don’t know, but today’s happiness for me is the same as the day you woke up. I don’t think you’re bad parents, so please don’t say things like that again.”
“If I was ‘zero’ before, now I’m already a ‘two’. What more could I ask for? I’m very satisfied!”
“Besides, Dad and Mom haven’t really changed, after all, you’re still ‘you’.”
Even Jiang Lingwei didn’t know why, but she couldn’t help asking, having always deliberately avoided that period:
“What… was I like before?”
Right after she said it, she pressed her temple, a bit troubled, and added, “Ah, with my current condition, I guess I could say I’m the ‘future’ me.”
“Ha ha.”
The girl was amused by her reaction, resting her head on Jiang Lingwei’s thigh and staring at the half-covered ceiling:
“I was still small back then, so it wasn’t a very deep memory.”
Afraid of being misunderstood, Jiang Yao quickly added:
“It’s not that I didn’t want you, it’s just… I was really young then.”
“But I still remember, Mom was always very gentle, got along well with neighbors and everyone she knew. Even if strangers had difficulties, she’d bring me along to help.”
“You always took me to places like the park and the aquarium. You told me lots of stories, like the girl who protects everyone like the sun, the girl blessed by the sea, the lazy girl like a plant who could grow pea shooters.”
“But, well, there were some stories I didn’t really like…”
As she spoke, Jiang Yao’s memories slowly opened up, revealing many details she hadn’t really paid attention to before. The richness of the memories even surprised herself.
“…Like the stern special forces captain with a sniper rifle, or the mad scientist who liked dissecting monsters. When I was little, I was so scared sometimes I’d cry.”
“Mom, you’d quickly come over and comfort me, and as long as you petted my head, I wouldn’t be afraid of anything~”
With a sweet smile on her face, the girl withdrew from the memories and continued,
“So, Mom, there’s no need to worry if you’re different from before because from my perspective, you’re still Mom, never changed.”
She mischievously blinked, “Just like when you got out of the sanatorium, you quickly accepted me as your daughter, right? We only missed a little time together; the future is long, and we can easily make up for it.”
“You’re such a kid…”
Jiang Lingwei couldn’t help but laugh silently.
“You’re too mature. You make me sound so good. Fine, you cry then, I’ll give you candy.”
“Mom!”
“All right, all right.”
She patted Jiang Yao’s little head, signaling her to get up. After a moment, Jiang Lingwei stood as well.
“I… Mom, I understand. How about we go downstairs to eat now?”
“Mm.”
Jiang Yao nodded, then added, “Mom, you go downstairs first. I’ll come down soon.”
“…Okay.”
Just as Jiang Lingwei nodded and was about to leave the room, Jiang Yao suddenly said,
“Oh, right.”
“Hmm?”
The girl gave her that auntie-like smile again:
“Mom, do you really think Dad is handsome?”
“Z, E…”
Jiang Lingwei felt a little embarrassed but had to admit, “I already said, yes, he is.”
“Good, just wanted to make sure, Mom. I’m not asking this just to side with Dad!”
Jiang Yao nodded, her smile fading slightly:
“Mom, you have no memories about him, and as we talked just now, he can’t remember much either. So some things are really out of our control.”
“If you were to start over again, maybe you two wouldn’t even be together.”
She sat on the bed, toes pointed up slightly:
“I do want Dad and Mom’s relationship to be as good as before, but I can’t be too selfish. Forcing things would just be stressful for you both. At least from what I see, Mom, you think he’s handsome, so there’s still a chance.”
“But even if you don’t love him in the end, I guess…”
Before she could finish, Jiang Lingwei interrupted,
“Who said I don’t love him… hmm!”
Realizing she’d blurted out a rebuttal, she blushed, covering her lips and stammered,
“Anyway! Hurry up and come downstairs to eat!”
Then she quickly closed the door and ran off.
“…Hehehehe.”
Afraid Mom would get mad and come back to scold her, Jiang Yao collapsed on the bed, quietly laughing and rolling around.
After some fussing, she smoothed her messy hair and squinted under the bright, unshielded light, murmuring to herself,
“But come to think of it, Mom, you didn’t even call me…”
“How did you know I’d be home first?”
(Seriously… what am I even saying!)
At that moment, with her mind still echoing her own words, a frazzled Jiang Lingwei stumbled into the living room—
“Pft.”
And she couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Jiang Cheng sat at the dining table, arms pressed against himself, eyes fixed on the simple homemade dishes, constantly swallowing.
He looked like he’d been attracted by the aroma for a long time but, since his wife and daughter had slipped away to talk, he didn’t want to start eating first. He wanted to wait for everyone to eat together.
So he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay in his chair, swallowing his saliva.
No wonder Jiang Lingwei couldn’t help but laugh—his expression was…
(He’s a handsome older man, but who’s this Samoyed dog at home~)