Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“Mum, we have to believe in Shao Ming. I believe that in these seven days, Dad will definitely be able to find Shaoming…” As Ning Qing spoke, she paused for a moment and continued, “If he isn’t able to locate him within seven days, all the more reason we cannot give up and feel depressed. Dad and Shaoming need more time, and we have a more serious battle to fight.”
“Agreed.” Song Yajing nodded her head, and she picked Little Young Master Lu even higher up. She stretched out her hand to tease his small face saying, “Little Young Master Lu, do you miss your daddy? Daddy will be home very quickly.”
Little Young Master Lu was not red and wrinkly like when he was first born. He had become fairer, and his skin resembled Ning Qing’s; it was creamy white like milk.
He opened his big eyes wide, and looked around his surroundings as he lie nestled in his own grandmother’s arms. He heard his grandmother speaking, and he opened his little mouth, gurgling with laughter. “Gege…”
Ning Qing and Song Yajing both immediately broke out into a smile. The baby, who had yet to grow up, was really the most adorable angel on earth. He was able to make anyone forget their troubles at once.
Ning Qing stretched out her hand to embrace Little Young Master Lu. “Little Young Master Lu, you must be missing your daddy right? Daddy is definitely missing our Little Young Master Lu also. Daddy will be back very quickly. When he left, he left behind a message. He asked us to wait for him. Daddy would not lie to us. He has never gone back on his word before,” she said with a gentle voice.
Little Young Master Lu heard his Mama’s voice. One of his tiny hands was flailing around all over, and his big bright grape like eyes looked outside the French widows. It was like he was saying that he wanted to go out to play.
“Little Young Master Lu, are you thinking of going outside for some fresh air? Mama will carry you outside to play for a moment.” Ning Qing looked towards Song Yajing and said, “Mum, I will carry Little Young Master Lu outside to play for a while.”
“Sure.” Song Yajing stretched out her hand to grab the wool coat on the sofa, and she placed it onto Ning Qing’s shoulders. “Qingqing, it is cold outside. Wrap Little Young Master Lu up tight. You also should put on more clothes; do not catch a cold,” she reminded.
“Okay.” Ning Qing nodded her head and said, “Thank you, Mum.”
Song Yajing looked through the French windows to look at the reflection of the mother and son leaving. Her eyes were moist. At this moment, the butler came over and handed a piece of paper to her. “Madam, don’t be upset.”
Song Yajing breathed through her nose, and said with a choked voice, “At that time when I just met Ning Qing, I was still not satisfied and didn’t like her, but she didn’t cry. She faced off against those vultures graciously. She had a smile on her face when she comforted me, and she tried her best to take care of Little Young Master Lu. She is so strong, and she makes me pity her greatly…”
The butler also looked outside the French windows. Madam was carrying little Young Master, standing beside the flower garden. There were plum blossoms that had bloomed. She plucked one plum blossom to place in Little Young Master Lu’s small hands. Her side profile was covered with her hair falling over her gentle small face. Even if they couldn’t hear her, they knew that she was conversing softly with Little Young Master Lu.
“That’s right, Madam is resilient. Even if she were depressed inside her heart, she would not express it on the outside. Young Master has met with an accident, and she wants to give everyone strength. She wants to hold onto this home. So, Lady, you should also not cry. If Madam sees you like this, she would feel obligated to come comfort you.”
“Okay, I won’t cry anymore.” Song Yajing wiped her tears, and continued, “I also believe that, Shaoming will definitely return home safely.”
They waited for six days, and there was no news from Lu Dinghua’s side.
The entire Lu family were enveloped with a sadness that could not be expressed in words. Rain came pouring down in the middle of the winter as the weather got colder, and it became chilly and frosty.
Ning Qing did not have much of an expression on her face. She ate and slept as usual. She had to take care of Little Young Master Lu, and she could not collapse; she would not allow herself to collapse.
The only comfort through all of this was that Yue Wanqing’s kidney illness did not worsen. Ning Qing went to the hospital a few times. Jian Han had already contacted her professor in the United Kingdom to assist in the treatment of her mother, and the results of the treatments were very positive.
Jian Han spent all her time taking care of Ning Qing’s mother; she was not distracted by the matters in the hospital. She was able to give her full of energy to help Yue Wanqing.
No matter how hard the situation at hand was, everyone’s gathered efforts made quite the formidable force, and Ning Qing was especially thankful for that.
One morning, the Lu family welcomed a guest in.
The maids opened the main doors, and Yin Shuiling’s hands were full of bags as she walked in. “Ning Qing”
At that moment, Ning Qing was coming downstairs. She saw Yin Shuiling come, and she quickly ran forward. “Shuiling, why are you here? Aren’t you in Sanya on vacation?” she asked, surprised.
In this span of a year, much has happened between Yin Muchen and Yin Shuiling. They broke up, and Yin Muchen announced to the masses that he was about to get married. He would have a huge wedding at the end of the year.
Yin Muchen was going to get married, but the bride was not Yin Shuiling, and it was fated that it would never be Yin Shuiling.
Yin Shuiling rolled her eyes at Ning Qing and said, “Ning Qing, can we even continue being good friends now? How come you didn’t even tell me what was going on when such a huge matter occurred? Do you think I am sincere enough? I sped over from Sanya to accompany you. I can’t help you find him, but I bought ingredients. Empty out your kitchen for me in the afternoon. I will cook personally, and in the future, you can rest assured and leave your stomach to me.”
Ning Qing had a sincere smile — the first in a long time. She went forward to embrace Yin Shuiling, and she nudged her on the shoulder. “Shuiling, you treat me so dearly.”
Yin Shuiling caressed her small head and said, “That’s enough, don’t be sappy here. You are a mother now.”
At this moment, Song Yajing came down from upstairs, and she had Little Young Master Lu in her arms. Although they were at odds during the Ou family’s charity gala, she had a smile on her face when she saw Yin Shuiling. “How are you, Miss Yin?”
Yin Shuiling lifted her head to look at Song Yajing and replied, “Aunt, I’ve come to stay at your house for two days. You would not chase me out because of the matters that occurred at the charity gala, right?”
Song Yajing smiled benevolently, and said,” It was my fault at the charity gala. How could I chase Miss Yin out of the house? It is great that Miss Yin is here now. Qingqing has not been in the best of spirits these past few days. She is under great stress. With you accompanying her now, I am relieved.”
The trio broke out into a smile.
The helper came forward to help take the bags from Yin Shuiling’s hands. Yin Shuiling went to carry Little Young Master Lu and said, “Ning Qing, is this my godson? He is only 2 months old now, but he is already so handsome. When he grows older, how many young girls is he going to mesmerize?”
Song Yajing smiled while she said, “Miss Yin, you are so beautiful yourself. Your children in the future will definitely have good genes. In the future, when you give birth to a daughter, let both of our families be in-laws then.”
Yin Shuiling’s lashes that were like a thin fan fluttered for a moment, and she lifted her head, curled her red lips into a sweet, bright smile, and said, “Sure, but I still do not have a partner. Aunt is friends with many wealthy people, when the time is right, introduce me to someone.”
Song Yajing patted her own chest and said, “That’s all you had to say. Wait for me; I will take care of it all for you.”
As they chatted merrily, Ning Qing curled her lips into a big smile. It was great, if Shaoming were here, how great would this moment be?
In the afternoon, the trio sat at the dining table, and Yin Shuiling personally served the dishes.
“Aunt, this is something that I prepared for you. They are beef slices with mushroom rice wrapped with aluminium foil and seaweed soup.”
Song Yajing used her chopsticks to open the aluminium foil, and the strong fragrance of the rice wafted out in the air. Song Yajing took a bite and nodded her head immediately, “It is really too delicious. Miss Yin, where did you learn how to cook? Your skills are even better than the cooks in our family.”
“Mum, Shuiling is self-taught.” Ning Qing looked at the aluminium foil wrapped rice. There was a layer of rice that was full of meat juice, and its aroma spread. Although she tried hard to eat her meals, she had been always lacking in appetite, but she was now drooling upon seeing this dish. “Shuiling, where is my aluminium foil wrapped rice? I also want to enjoy it.”
“Ning Qing, you are a mother now. You have to breastfeed, and is not suitable to eat aluminium foil wrapped rice. You need to have something light and plain.”
Light and plain again?
Ning Qing had a frown while she said, “Shuiling, I don’t want to eat something plain. I want to eat something with some flavour.”
“I know, plain and light doesn’t mean that it must lack flavor.” Yin Shuiling took a metal pot from the helper’s hands and lifted the cover open. “Steamed rice together with green peas and meat slices. Ning Qing, have a taste.”
Ning Qing looked at the rice inside the metal pot. The rice was covered with lush green peas and meat slices. It looked appetizing, but there was no sauce inside the rice. I was just plain, white rice.
She was extremely displeased as she said, “Shuiling, you are biased!”
Yin Shuiling took a scoop and placed it into Ning Qing’s palm. “Whether I am biased or not, why don’t you give it a taste first?”
Ning Qing lowered her gaze and took a spoon of rice to place it into her mouth. She chewed for a while, and her brows that were originally tightly knit were comfortably spread out now. “Shuiling, this is so good.”
It looked like plain rice, but the rice was full of flavour from the fragrance of the peas and meat slices. It was absolutely delicious.
Yin Shuiling received the bowl of black fish soup from the helper’s hands, and she placed it beside Ning Qing. “I made some black fish soup with herbal medicine. Mothers that breastfeed need take note of the maintenance of their chest.”
As she spoke, Yin Shuiling took a glance towards Ning Qing’s chest.
Ning Qing’s face was crimson red. Her chest was indeed more full after giving birth.
Song Yajing saw that everyone was having a meal together happily. She was delighted, and she smiled as she said, “Miss Yin, everyone says that in order to hold onto a man’s heart, you have to first hold onto his stomach. Girls that possess the culinary skills that Miss Yin has are really not common. In the future, the man who loves you will definitely be loyal in his love towards you.”
Ning Qing heard her words and gave a glance at Yin Shuiling. Yin Shuiling’s expression was normal, and she lifted her beautiful eyebrows while she replied, “That is a must!”
The three of them broke out into laughter.
After dinner, the three of them sat in the living room to chat. The depressed and sad energy of the Lu family had been washed away with Yin Shuiling’s arrival, and everyone had a smile on their faces.
At this moment, the sound of a phone ringing rang out in the air. Ning Qing’s phone was ringing.
It was a call from Xiao Zhou.
Ning Qing pressed the answer key to pick up the call and said, “Hello, Xiao Zhou.”
“Hello, I am extremely angry.” Xiao Zhou’s angry voice came over from the other end. “Ning Qing, did you know that while we are trying to suppress the news of Young Master Lu’s disappearance, Zhou Zhilei, she actually spread rumours during the gala. She was firm in front of media and journalists in saying that Young Master Lu’s plane crashed, and he is definitely dead now.”
“What?” Ning Qing lifted her eyebrows.
“Ning Qing, you give me some time. I will send the video recorded during the gala to you.”
The scene of gala appeared on Ning Qing’s phone. She turned the phone horizontally. Zhou Zhilei was dressed in a beautiful evening gown. She had put on an exquisite light makeup and stood elegantly before the camera.
Many journalists passed her the microphone. “Miss Zhou, are the things that you said about Young Master Lu just now true? We have already contacted Ning Qing Work Studio, but they have responded that Young Master Lu is still overseas on a business trip.”
Zhou Zhilei gave mesmerizing smile and said.” Of course it is all true. Young Master Lu took a plane to China six days ago, but there was an accident above the Lake Baikal. The plane crashed and everyone on board died.”