‘You’re like a daughter to me,’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘It’s Jiao Wu’s lost.’
‘Aunty, you’re too kind,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
During the three years of marriage, Wang Tu Ya loved Qiao Tan Yuan and treated Qiao Tan Yuan as a daughter. But it didn’t matter how good Wang Tu Ya was to Qiao Tan Yuan if Gu Jiao Wu hated and mistreated Qiao Tan Yuan.
Wang Ta Ya was overwhelmed to see Xiao Bao in Qiao Jie’s arms.
Qiao Tan Yuan saw Wang Tu Ya’s gaze on Xiao Bao, and signalled Qiao Jie to lay Xiao Bao on the bed.
‘Tan Yuan, are you in any pain?’ Wang Tu Ya asked. ‘Did you have a natural birth or a C-section?’
‘Natural birth,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
‘Good, good, a natural birth is good,’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘You’ll recover faster.’
‘I can get out of bed on my own after three days,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘If I had a C-section, I’ll need to rest for a week.’
‘Tan Yuan, promise me you’ll stay in bed and rest,’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘I don’t want you to get sick.’
‘Aunty, I’m OK,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
‘Um, can I hold your daughter?’ Wang Tu Ya asked.
Qiao Tan Yuan nodded her head. She would let Wang Tu Ya hold Xiao Bao but Wang Tu Ya couldn’t steal Xiao Bao.
Wang Tu Ya stepped closer to Xiao Bao and her heart had a revelation. She watched Qiao Tan Yuan grow up. She didn’t know if Gu Jiao Wu loved Qiao Tan Yuan even a little, but she and everyone knew Qiao Tan Yuan loved Gu Jiao Wu. No one could deny the sleeping Xiao Bao was Gu Jiao Wu’s daughter, her granddaughter.
‘She’s beautiful,’ Wang Tu Ya said.
Wang Tu Ya wanted to touch her granddaughter’s adorable small face, but Qiao Jie looked at her like she was a thief.
‘Qiao Jie, let me hold her,’ Wang Tu Ya said.
‘No,’ Qiao Jie said coldly.
Qiao Jie wasn’t going to let anyone from the Gu Household steal Xiao Bao.
‘She’s belongs to the Qiao Household not the Gu Household,’ Qiao Jie said.
‘Qiao Jie…’ Wang Tu Ya said. She turned to look at Qiao Tan Yuan. ‘Tan Yuan, you were part of the Gu Household for three years. I’ve always seen you as my daughter. You and Gu Jiao Wu are divorced. But I see your daughter as my granddaughter. Don’t I have the right to hold her even once?’
‘Aunty, if you want to hold her once, you can,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said firmly. ‘I hope aunty understands she’s my life.’
Wang Tu Ya understood Qiao Tan Yuan’s undertone. ‘But she’s Gu Jiao Wu’s…’
‘She’s Shen Cheng’s daughter,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Aunty, do you know how much Gu Jiao Wu hates me? We were married for three years, he never slept with me. So it’s impossible he’s the father.’
Wang Tu Ya knew Gu Jiao Wu and Qiao Tan Yuan’s relationship was bad, but she didn’t expect Gu Jiao Wu hated Qiao Tan Yuan that much. She looked at her granddaughter’s small face that looked exactly like Gu Jiao Wu’s face. How could Gu Jiao Wu not be the father?’
‘Tan Yuan…’ Wang Tu Ya said. She knew Qiao Tan Yuan loved Gu Jiao Wu deeply, and wouldn’t move on with another man that quickly. ‘Honestly, I wanted you and Gu Jiao Wu to have a happy marriage.’
‘Aunty, he and I are divorced,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
‘I understand,’ Wang Tu Ya said.
Wang Tu Ya dismissed Qiao Jie’s hostile glare and held her granddaughter. Her granddaughter curled into her chest and slept sucking a thumb. She wanted to cry happy tears. Her dream came true, she finally had a granddaughter.
‘Tan Yuan…’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘You’re still young. I heard you’re dating Shen Cheng. In the future you and Shen Cheng can have other children. Can you give this baby to the Gu Household?’
‘Aunty, what right do you have to take Xiao Bao?’ Qiao Jie asked coldly. ‘Aunty, where’s your conscience. Everyone knows clearly how Gu Jiao Wu mistreated my big sister. Now that big sister gave birth, aunty and everyone from the Gu Household are jumping up and down to take Xiao Bao. What about my big sister? The Gu Household rejected big sister, but wants to steal big sister’s daughter.’
‘Qiao Jie, how can you be disrespectful toward aunty?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.
Qiao Jie scoffed. He picked up Xiao Bao from Wang Tu Ya’s arms, carefully put Xiao Bao on the baby bed and confronted Wang Tu Ya.
‘What aunty?’ Qiao Jie asked. ‘If aunty truly loved big sister, why didn’t aunty stop Gu Jiao Wu divorcing big sister? Why didn’t aunty persuade Gu Jiao Wu to treat big sister with respect? Why didn’t aunty intervene and scold Gu Jiao Wu for mistreating big sister? Now big sister gave birth to Xiao Bao, aunty wants to talk about rights. What right does aunty have to steal big sister’s daughter? Aunty isn’t human.’
Wang Tu Ya admitted she loved Qiao Tan Yuan, but she loved Gu Jiao Wu more. She didn’t want to see Gu Jiao Wu stay in an unhappy marriage. Gu Jiao Wu wouldn’t be Gu Jiao Wu if he valued other people’s opinions over his own. Gu Jiao Wu chose to marry Qiao Tan Yuan on his own and divorce Qiao Tan Yuan without consulting her and Gu Qi Jiang. She was embarrassed at Gu Jiao Wu’s behavior. She had no control over Gu Jiao Wu, but she never let anyone else from the Gu Household mistreat Qiao Tan Yuan. In the end, she couldn’t protect Qiao Tan Yuan from suffering in a cold marriage to Gu Jiao Wu.
‘Qiao Jie, what happened between Gu Jiao Wu and I wasn’t aunty’s fault,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Aunty, thank you for visiting me and my daughter. But I’m not giving my daughter to you. My daughter belongs to the Qiao Household, not the Gu Household. I’m going to marry Shen Cheng soon, I hope we’ll receive aunty’s blessing.’
‘Tan Yuan…’ Wang Tu Ya said.
Wang Tu Ya didn’t believe Qiao Tan Yuan loved Shen Cheng. She looked at her granddaughter, and finally understood why Mrs Shen visited her in the Gu Mansion and told her how Mrs Shen disapproved of Qiao Tan Yuan when she knew Mrs Shen loved Qiao Tan Yuan as a daughter too.
‘Aunty, you can leave,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t want to see anyone from the Gu Household anymore.
Wang Tu Ya sighed. ‘I’ll leave.’
The messy situation was made by Gu Jiao Wu, Wang Tu Ya would let Gu Jiao Wu clean up his own mess.
‘Tan Yuan, I admit you suffered while being married to Jiao Wu,’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘If you want to marry Shen Cheng, of course I can give you my blessing. But I want you to ask your heart, who is the person you love? Do you love Shen Cheng or Jiao Wu? If you don’t love Shen Cheng, why do you want to marry Shen Cheng? If you’re marrying Shen Cheng as a buffer against Jiao Wu then you’re being cruel to Shen Cheng. Do you think there’s a difference between how you’re treating Shen Cheng and how Jiao Wu treated you?’
Qiao Tan Yuan’s complexion paled.
‘Tan Yuan, you know how much I love you,’ Wang Tu Ya said. ‘I watched you and Sheng Cheng grow up with Jiao Wu. I truly hope you’ll all find happiness.’
Wang Tu Ya’s eyes lingered on her granddaughter then she reluctantly left the room.
‘Big sister…’ Qiao Jie called. He was worried to see Qiao Tan Yuan’s pale complexion. ‘Big sister, don’t listen to her nonsense. Big brother Shen Cheng loves you. Big sister and big brother will be happy together.’
‘Will we be happy together?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked weakly.
Qiao Tan Yuan loved Gu Jiao Wu, but they weren’t happy together.
‘Qiao Jie, do you think I’m a selfish person?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.
Qiao Tan Yuan could see how selfish she was. She never stopped to consider Gu Jiao Wu and Shen Cheng’s happiness. As long as she thought she could be happy, she one-sidedly forced Gu Jiao Wu to marry her and took advantage of Shen Cheng’s love to use him as a buffer.
Qiao Tan Yuan asked her heart if she could love Shen Cheng in the future. Could she truly forget Gu Jiao Wu and love Shen Cheng?
‘Big sister, who said you’re selfish?’ Qiao Jie asked. ‘Big sister, you said if you love someone, scheming a little isn’t a crime.’
‘I did say that…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.
Qiao Tan Yuan paid a heavy price for scheming to get Gu Jiao Wu to marry her. She sighed at her foolishness and pulled the bedsheet over her face.
‘Big sister…’ Qiao Jie called. He hated seeing Qiao Tan Yuan act defeated. ‘Big sister, don’t be like this. You’re stronger than this. Don’t you know her ulterior motives? She said nonsense to force big sister to hand over Xiao Bao to the Gu Household. Big sister don’t take her bait.’
‘Don’t say anything else,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She was physically and mentally tired. ‘I want to nap. Look after Xiao Bao while I nap.’
‘Big sister…’ Qiao Jie said.
Qiao Jie was disappointed Qiao Tan Yuan let Gu Jiao Wu stomp all over her, and he didn’t want her to let Wang Tu Ya dictate her life.
Qiao Tan Yuan hid under the bedsheet. She wasn’t scared of Wang Tu Da and she had no plans to hand over Xiao Bao to anyone. What she was doubted was hers and Shen Cheng’s relationship. Shen Cheng loved her and truly wanted to marry her. Could she marry Shen Cheng knowing she didn’t love him? Would Shen Cheng be happy married to her?
Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t know when she fell asleep. After she woke up, it was dark outside the window. She panicked and sat up on the bed to call Qiao Jie to bring Xiao Bao to her… she couldn’t see Qiao Jie, but she saw Gu Jiao Wu sitting on the chair in front of the bed.
End of Chapter Twenty-Two