Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  She said so as she opened the car door. After she had finished her sentence, she alighted from the car and closed the door behind her. She turned around and headed for her grandfather’s shop.

  As she pushed aside the strip curtain, she saw Qi Lei dressed in his white robe. He was occupied with his chores.

  The house suddenly brightened when Qi Lei looked towards the door. He saw Xuxu and then beamed with delight. “Xuxu is back.”


  He immediately put down his work and moved towards Xuxu.

  Xuxu smiled and said to him, “Qi Lei, Happy New Year.”


  “The bad lass is back.” When Old Master Wen heard Xuxu’s voice, he eagerly stuck his head out from the second floor. Yet when he saw her, he deliberately put on a nonchalant look. “You were away for so long. You didn’t even bring me a present now that you’ve returned?”


  Xuxu looked at him. “Yes I did, but I didn’t bring it along with me. I’ll send it over tonight.”


  The elderly went down. “You are coming over again tonight?”


  Xuxu smiled in a relaxed manner. “I’ve moved back to my apartment.”


  “Wretched lass. How can I not be worried for you?” The old man lightly smacked her head. His action and tone of voice sounded helpless.

  He obviously didn’t want to see Xuxu and Yan Rusheng’s marriage ending in a divorce.

  But he felt that the haughty Yan Rusheng needed to experience more setbacks to steel himself. Otherwise, he would never know how to love someone.

  Hence, when he heard that Xuxu had moved back to her apartment, he didn’t object.

  After that, he looked down at Xuxu’s hands and said, “Then why are you back today? To wish me a Happy New Year? Where is your stuff?”


  Xuxu knitted her eyebrows. “Can you not be so realistic? I’m here to ask for a free meal. Is there anything to eat? Any? I’m famished.”


  She hugged her grandfather’s arm with one hand and pressed her other hand on her tummy, behaving like a spoiled child.

  “Nothing.” The elderly shook his head. “You didn’t even bother to bring me New Year gifts and still have the cheek to come and be a freeloader. Go and buy your own food.”


  Hearing this, Xuxu lowered her gaze to her tummy and deliberately spoke with a sour tone. She sighed. “Look at your great grandfather. He doesn’t even want to feed you.”


  The elderly got all excited. “Wretched lass, what do you mean?”


  He dropped his gaze to Xuxu’s tiny belly.

  Xuxu curled her lips. “Looks like you are really getting on in ears, and your hearing has deteriorated too. I will not repeat what I’ve just said as you won’t understand, anyway.”


  With that, she withdrew her hand from the old man’s arm and walked over to the rocking chair which was decked with a layer of woolen cushion and sat down. Her toes occasionally touched the ground as she rocked back and forth. She closed her eyes. The corners of her lips broke into a crafty smile.

  “How wonderful!” The elderly recollected himself and joyfully clapped his hands. He looked at Qi Lei and immediately instructed, “Qi Lei, quickly go and prepare a bowl of noodles for Xuxu and warm up the chicken drumsticks for her as well.”


  Qi Lei also came to a sudden realization. He swiftly nodded his head. “Okay.”


  “Wretched lass. How many months already? Let grandfather take your pulse.” The elderly man pulled a stool over and sat beside Xuxu, forcibly pulling her hand over to feel her pulse.

  He’s going to have a great-grandchild soon, and no amount of words could describe his joy.

  Xuxu retracted her hand and looked at the elderly man and said, “I’ve just been to the hospital for a checkup, and I’m only four weeks pregnant. So you don’t have to show off your medical skills yet.”


  The old man knitted his eyebrows. “You have doubts with my expertise?”


  Xuxu shook her head. “I don’t dare.”


  The elderly man didn’t pursue further and asked, “Then why did you move back to your apartment? There are so many people in his house to look after you. You shouldn’t be staying alone.”


  Xuxu rolled her eyes at him. “It’s alright if youngsters nowadays are fake and spoiled. But you have gone through so many hardships in the village, so how could you be so pretentious too? Even grandmother who was pregnant back then also continued toiling at the fields.”