When Xiang Caiping saw that familiar face appear in front of her, she felt it was almost the same as the one in her memory. She was dumbfounded. 

  In an instant, the cake in her hands dropped onto the ground. The sound of the cake hitting the ground failed to snap her to her senses. 

  She stared blankly at Su Chenghui. He returned her stare. Compared to his privileged life these past twenty years, Xiang Caiping had clearly gone through considerably more turmoil. 

  She had aged substantially and did not resemble the soft-spoken and beautiful girl she had been in her youth. He was still able to recognize her immediately. The shock reflected in his eyes was overshadowed by sympathy. 

  “Caiping? Caiping? What’s happened to you?” 

  It had been too long since they parted ways and, in Su Chenghui’s heart, Xiang Caiping’s features had become blurry. Despite that, he still remembered her at her most beautiful at the very beginning of their relationship. 

  Su Chenghui’s words snapped Xiang Caiping out of her trance. She gazed at the man in front of her whom she had practically loved and yearned for her whole life. She helplessly forced a smile and it was a bitter one. 

  “This is what I look like now.” 

  When she was returning to Lin City, she figured that she would eventually bump into Su Chenghui. 

  She had never thought that day would come so soon. She had felt that she would already be fully prepared for the day when it arrived. 

  Little did she expect that day would catch her off guard like this. 

  She originally thought of leaving hastily to escape from the situation. At this moment, however, she was not thinking about making a hasty retreat. She stood there determinedly and fixed her eyes calmly on Su Chenghui. 

  “I have aged.” 

  These simple words caught Su Chenghui off guard and his feet felt light. His arms hung limply by his side and his hands trembled slightly. 

  Xiang Caiping had indeed aged. She was wholly different from how she was more than twenty years ago. She had changed in a way that almost caused him to lose the courage to acknowledge her. 

  “Caiping, you……” 

  Su Chenghui tried his best to control his emotions. Despite that, he was still a little reluctant to look at Xiang Caiping. He was afraid that he would lose control. 

  “Where have you been all these years? Have you been doing well?” 

  The question only allowed two answers – yes or no. It was difficult for Xiang Caiping to explain. She shook her head. “It is all in the past. It has all passed.” 

  How could it not be difficult for a woman to conduct business all by herself? How could it have all gone well for her? 

  It was all in the past, however, and there was no need to bring it up. 

  Even without Xiang Caiping answering his question, Su Chenghui knew that it must have been tough for her. He felt the urge to tear up. “Why did you not look for me? I did look for you. I looked for you everywhere. I……” 

  “What if I had found you?” Xiang Caiping shot back. “You were already married with children. If you had found me, what would you have done anyway?” 

  Su Chenghui was at a loss for words. He could not utter anything at this moment. 

  Even if he had tried to look for Xiang Caiping in the past two decades, it was only to satisfy his curiosity in knowing if she was doing well by herself. What could he have done even if he had found her? 

  He was Su Chenghui, Li Qianxue’s husband. He was Li Corporation’s general manager. He…… 

  He teared up more than before and took a step forward to stand in front of Xiang Caiping. “Caiping, listen to me. I…… I can……I can……” 

  “Don’t say anything.” Xiang Caiping knew what he was going to say. “Don’t speak of things which you’ll not be able to do.” 

  More than twenty years ago, he was not able to keep his promises. She did not believe that he could keep his promises more than twenty years later. 

  Being a veteran in the business arena for many years, Su Chenghui did not fail to comprehend what Xiang Caiping meant. He stood, dazed. 

  Yes, he had qualms about the past and he still had them in the present. Not only did he have qualms, but he also had more apprehensions now. 

  “Caiping……” 

  “Mother?” 

  Two voices called out in unison.

  Chapter 321: You Were Not Even Aware of Your Daughter’s Birthday

  Su Chenghui was momentarily stunned before he speedily turned in the direction of the other voice. He realized that it was Su Qingsang who had called out to Xiang Caiping. He was startled and watched blankly as she headed towards Xiang Caiping. 

  “Mother,” Su Qingsang glanced at Su Chenghui after calling out to Xiang Caiping. “Father?” 

  Why is he here too? 

  “What……what are you doing here?” Su Chenghui appeared more flabbergasted than she was. He stared at her and then at Xiang Caiping. “You……the both of you……” 

  “Chenghui, let bygones be bygones. I’m very content with the way things are now.” 

  Xiang Caiping gazed in Su Qingsang’s direction as she spoke, wringing her own hands. She seemed helpless. “Qingsang, I originally wanted to pick up your birthday cake. It’s……” 

  Su Qingsang had already espied the cake on the ground as well as Su Chenghui’s presence. 

  She had not expected to bump into Su Chenghui when they were only out for a meal. She looked at the contrasting and peculiar expressions on Su Chenghui and Xiang Caiping’s faces and then at the box of cake on the ground. 

  “It’s alright, the box is rather sturdy. It seems that no damage has been done to the cake.” 

  Su Qingsang stepped forward to pick up the box of cake from the ground. She looked at Xiang Caiping again. “Mother, both of you……” 

  Su Chenghui was suddenly aware of the cake and finally recalled that it was Su Qingsang’s birthday. “Qingsang, it’s your birthday today?” 

  Su Qingsang grossly lacked the ease and closeness she felt Caiping when she was with Su Chenghui. “Yes, it’s my birthday today.” 

  Su Chenghui suddenly stood motionless, because he saw the look of utter disbelief and consternation in Xiang Caiping’s eyes. 

  He was momentarily at a loss for words. 

  “Mother.” Su Qingsang instinctively felt the curious change in the atmosphere. She held up the box of cake in her hands. “Huo Jinyao is still waiting for me. Both of you can continue chatting. I’m heading back into the dining room first.” 

  She threw a look at Su Chenghui again as she spoke and then headed in the direction of the private dining room with hurried footsteps. 

  Xiang Caiping had not yet recovered from her state of disbelief and hence she pinned her glare on Su Chenghui. The shock in her eyes was slowly clouded with disappointment. 

  “You were not even aware that it’s your daughter’s birthday today?” 

  Su Chenghui’s question had revealed much to Xiang Caiping about his relationship with and his regard for Su Qingsang. 

  She thought of Su Chenghui’s family portrait. She thought of Su Chenghui standing beside Li Qianxue, smiling. She thought of him having children of his own. 

  She also thought of how Su Qingsang’s birthday celebration today only consisted of her and Huo Jinyao. On the contrary, she had seen the grandeur of the dinner party full of extravagantly-dressed people from the photograph that depicted a beaming Su Yuxin. 

  Her daughter’s birthday, in contrast, was a modest and quiet affair. On top of that, Su Chenghui, as a father, was not even aware of his daughter’s birthday? 

  “Caiping,” A look of panic flashed across Su Chenghui’s face. He wanted to explain himself. “I……” 

  “Su Chenghui.” 

  Xiang Caiping pursed her lips into a hard line. Her aging demeanor fully reflected her feelings of disappointment, criticism, regret, and contrition. “I am to blame. I have really made a mistake. I should have kept her with me. I should have taken her away. I shouldn’t have given her to you.” 

  “Caiping, hear me out. I……” 

  Xiang Caiping had no intention to listen to Su Chenghui. It was her daughter’s birthday today. Su Qingsang had just acknowledged her as her mother. Su Qingsang had just addressed her as ‘Mother.’ 

  Xiang Caiping was going to keep her own daughter company now. 

  “Caiping, I……” 

  “Director Su, why is your phone call taking such a long time?” 

  Su Chenghui’s acquaintances were coming out of the private dining room to look for him. They appeared to be making fun of him with traces of blandishment. 

  For the first time in his life, Su Chenghui was wary of such social courtesy. He coldly scanned the person who had called out to him. The person was taken aback by Su Chenghui’s imposing manner and hurriedly backed off into the private dining room. 

  In this short span of time, however, Xiang Caiping had already returned to the private dining room Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao were in.