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墨書 Inktalez
Jin Chengyan was surprised to realize that he had been talking to Qiao Kawai for such a long time, only to be interrupted by the servant calling him down for dinner.
It dawned on him that he hadn’t even taken a shower or changed his clothes.
“Handsome Uncle, are you going to eat?” Qiao Kawai's voice carried a hint of sadness.
“Yeah, at this hour, you must be hungry too, right?” Jin Chengyan walked over to the wardrobe, grabbed some clothes, and planned to freshen up quickly before heading downstairs.
“Yes, Mom and Xi Dad prepared a lavish dinner today. They said we’re having New Year's Eve dinner!”
“Oh…” So Qiao Nuo and Xi Yisheng were having their New Year's Eve dinner. How interesting.
“Do you want to come over too? Mom said this day should be lively at home, but Little Daddy hasn’t returned yet…”
Jin Chengyan paused at the bathroom door, hesitating. He didn’t outright refuse, but he turned back to grab a clean shirt and underwear.
“Alright, I’ll come see you in an hour.”
“Really? That’s great!”
The unexpected New Year's Eve dinner had Jin Chengyan rushing through his shower. When he appeared downstairs in a suit, everyone was quite surprised. It was almost time to eat; was he really going out?
“Mom, Dad, I have something urgent to attend to. I won’t be having dinner at home today.” Jin Chengyan’s intention was clear as he held the car keys in his hand.
“What could be so urgent? It’s New Year’s Eve; what could possibly be more important?” Jin Zhongshu frowned slightly. Over the past few years, he had been less strict with Jin Chengyan due to Qiao Nuo's situation.
However, ever since the public confession three days ago, he had started paying more attention to his son. Was he being too indulgent?
“I really do have something to take care of. Enjoy your meal.” Just before leaving, Jin Chengyan's gaze inadvertently swept over Qiao Chen.
How should one put it? One was a successful man in his thirties, while the other was a twenty-two-year-old fresh out of school. Yet whether it was the successful individual or the young novice…
A chilling and unexplainable aura surrounded them.
It had nothing to do with age; both were remarkable men, making it difficult for anyone to look away.
In the end, it was Jin Chengyan who averted his gaze first and chose to leave.
Now, it would be more appropriate to head over to Qiao Nuo's place. He certainly did not want to witness the warm family scene of Qiao Nuo, Xi Yisheng, and Qiao Kawai enjoying their New Year's Eve dinner together.
Just thinking about it made Jin Chengyan feel nauseous at the thought of last year's celebration.
An hour later, Jin Chengyan pressed the doorbell at Qiao Family Villa.
Qiao Nuo and Xi Yisheng were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Xi Yisheng was quite skilled at making Western dishes, but when it came to Chinese cuisine, he was utterly clueless and could only assist Qiao Nuo.
So throughout the process, it was Qiao Nuo who did all the cooking, but she seemed happy in this environment, feeling... blissful?
When Jin Chengyan was led inside by Qiao Kawai, he saw Qiao Nuo ladling soup into a bowl for Xi Yisheng to taste.
The look in Xi Yisheng's eyes was entirely focused on Qiao Nuo. If they weren’t in the kitchen, one could only imagine what might be happening between them...
“Ahem!” Jin Chengyan cleared his throat lightly. He wasn’t sure why he merely coughed instead of marching over to push Xi Yisheng away from his wife.
Perhaps it was because Qiao Nuo had yet to forgive him, leaving him feeling somewhat apprehensive about his actions?
Qiao Nuo and Xi Yisheng turned simultaneously, only to find the last person they expected standing there. He held a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other, looking every bit like he was visiting relatives.
But had anyone invited him?
“What are you doing here?” Qiao Nuo’s brows immediately furrowed at this uninvited guest. “Qiao Kawai, let go of him! Did you open the door for him?”
Seeing his mother upset, Qiao Kawai quickly withdrew his hand from Jin Chengyan's suit jacket and stuck out his tongue.
“Qiao Kawai invited me over to have New Year's Eve dinner with you all.”
“You know it’s New Year’s Eve, a time to be with family. Are you really taking a child’s invitation seriously? How old are you? Aren’t you being a bit childish?” Qiao Nuo fired back at Jin Chengyan like a machine gun.
Seeing Qiao Nuo so agitated, Xi Yisheng gently patted her back in comfort.
“Aren’t we family?” Jin Chengyan countered. “Besides, Qiao Kawai is an independent individual. Why shouldn’t she be able to invite me?”
After saying this, Qiao Kawai looked up at Qiao Nuo with big eyes, feeling that this Handsome Uncle was her guest, and Mommy couldn’t send him away.
“Ha…” Qiao Nuo sighed deeply, unsure of how to handle Qiao Kawai.
“Forget it, a guest is a guest. We have plenty of food today anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to let one more person stay for dinner. If we send him away, the little darling will be unhappy,” Xi Yisheng said, taking on the role of the head of the household.
This made Jin Chengyan feel uncomfortable all over!
Qiao Nuo also felt uneasy at the thought of sharing a table with Jin Chengyan.
But ultimately, she didn’t want to see Qiao Kawai unhappy. “As a guest, you should understand the responsibilities that come with it!”
Qiao Nuo turned around and picked up the spatula again, but she could hear Qiao Kawai happily leading Jin Chengyan to the living room. She didn’t understand why Qiao Kawai had invited Jin Chengyan over or why Qiao Kawai liked him.
Could it be… just because of looks?
“Faye?” Xi Yisheng gently stroked Qiao Nuo’s back, sensing her irritation. “Are you okay?”
Qiao Nuo couldn’t say she was fine; she just wasn’t showing it. “You can go out first. I can handle this.”
“Are you sure?” Though concerned, Xi Yisheng didn’t want to stay and make Qiao Nuo feel more pressured.
Her emotions were fluctuating greatly, especially after seeing Jin Chengyan.
“Hmm.” Qiao Nuo nodded and went to grab some eggs to prepare a dessert.
Watching Qiao Nuo busying herself, Xi Yisheng stepped out of the kitchen.
Suddenly, the kitchen was left with only the bubbling sound of the soup simmering on the stove and the rhythmic cracking of eggs by Qiao Nuo.
She mechanically repeated her actions, but her mind began to wander into a maze of inexplicable thoughts.
Jin Chengyan... Jin Chengyan... Jin Chengyan...
Why was his name echoing in her head? Why?
Did she not remember how Yan Beiting had died? Had she forgotten the pain he had caused her? Did she want to relive that suffering all over again?
No...
Qiao Nuo resolutely shook her head. Looking down, she realized that she had intended to use only the egg whites, but in her distraction, she had cracked the yolks into the bowl as well.
Who said Jin Chengyan wasn’t the one who affected Qiao Nuo’s emotional switch?
She belonged to him, and he belonged to her.
Taking out a few more eggs, she started separating the egg whites from the yolks again.
Wasn’t it better to get everything back on track?
...
In the living room, Qiao Kawai was enthusiastically showing Handsome Uncle just how beautiful the clothes Qiao Nuo had bought for her were, though it seemed that Jin Chengyan's interest was not particularly high.
His gaze appeared to be fixed on the kitchen.
Perhaps it was the clarity of his goal, but after a few exchanges, Xi Yisheng was the first to speak up.
“Mr. Jin, the little cutie is talking to you.” Xi Yisheng could easily see through Jin Chengyan's thoughts and knew exactly why he was here.
Upon hearing Xi Yisheng's words, Jin Chengyan lazily turned his head and saw Qiao Kawai presenting a new outfit in front of him.
He had little interest in these small clothes and could only nod perfunctorily.
The moment he remembered that this was not his daughter, he found it hard to muster any enthusiasm, even though Qiao Kawai was undeniably adorable.
“Handsome Uncle, don’t you think this one looks nice?” Qiao Kawai asked, tilting her head.
“It looks nice.” In truth, Qiao Nuo had a good eye for choosing clothes, and nowadays, children's clothing often looked better than adults'. To Jin Chengyan, these outfits really seemed… indistinguishable.
However, Qiao Kawai did not see any expression on Jin Chengyan's face that indicated he thought the clothes were nice. She pouted slightly and unhappily placed the outfit on the sofa.
Then she squatted by the coffee table, playing with the cup in front of her.
This scene did not escape Xi Yisheng's notice; he could sense that Jin Chengyan did not like Qiao Kawai.
When he first approached Qiao Nuo, she already had this child. The ailing Yan Beiting had not told him where the child came from, so he naturally assumed the child belonged to Qiao Nuo.
Qiao Nuo was Jin Chengyan's wife, so the child was theirs.
Yet, he realized that Jin Chengyan did not like this child.
Perhaps he had misunderstood something!
But let him continue to misunderstand…
“Little cutie!” Xi Yisheng called out to Qiao Kawai.
Qiao Kawai was so focused on the cup game that when Xi Yisheng called her name, she accidentally knocked over the cup, spilling warm water all over herself.
Xi Yisheng immediately stood up and rushed over to pick up Qiao Kawai, worried that the cup might break and hurt her.
His movements were swift; by the time Jin Chengyan glanced over, Xi Yisheng had already lifted the child into his arms.
He was genuinely anxious about Qiao Kawai!
But was the child really Xi Yisheng's?
Jin Chengyan pondered this question in his mind.
Thinking about it made him feel a surge of frustration. What exactly did Qiao Nuo want?
“Sorry, I’ll take the little cutie upstairs to change,” Xi Yisheng said without waiting for Jin Chengyan's response, carrying Qiao Kawai upstairs with a fatherly demeanor.
Jin Chengyan frowned. Fine, let him play the good father; after all, his goal wasn’t Qiao Kawai but Qiao Nuo!
As he walked into the kitchen, he saw Qiao Nuo intently waiting to put the snacks into the oven. From Jin Chengyan's angle, he caught sight of her slightly raised backside. Her figure was as stunning as ever, complemented by those long legs—delicate and well-proportioned.
Only by experiencing it could one truly understand how intoxicating it felt.
He approached and wrapped his arms around Qiao Nuo from behind.
“Don’t mess around; there are others here,” she said, thinking it was Xi Yisheng and not resisting.
But soon, she felt the arms encircling her stiffen.
Looking down, she saw a suit fabric that didn’t belong to Xi Yisheng.
Jin Chengyan!
Qiao Nuo furrowed her brows.
“Let go of me!” Qiao Nuo lowered her voice, not wanting Xi Yisheng and Qiao Kawai to hear.
“Am I just a stranger to you?” He didn’t mind being mistaken for Xi Yisheng, but he did mind being treated as an outsider.
Listening to his slightly melancholic tone, Qiao Nuo didn’t move, allowing him to hold her.
“Yes.”
“Then can I get to know you again? Can you give me another chance? Qiao Nuo, you said you wouldn’t forgive me until the day I’m buried. So please give me a lifetime to make it up to you.”
The glass panel of the oven reflected Jin Chengyan’s arm around Qiao Nuo. She placed her hand on it, but instead of holding his hand, she began to pry his fingers apart one by one.
“If I give you a chance, who will give my child a chance?” Finally managing to pull Jin Chengyan’s hand from her waist, she turned around and leaned back against the countertop, trying to distance herself from him.
“Child?” Jin Chengyan frowned.
“Yes, we have a child together. But when you stabbed that knife into my chest, it had already died.”
Jin Chengyan grabbed Qiao Nuo’s wrist tightly. “You need to explain this to me. What happened?”
Qiao Nuo smiled faintly. “What else could it be? Don’t you know? When we were together, did we ever take any precautions? Time and time again—if I didn’t get pregnant, is it because your body is weak or mine?”
At that moment, Jin Chengyan felt as if his head was about to explode! Qiao Nuo had really been pregnant!
“I told you, if there had been a doctor or nurse alive on the day of the explosion, they would have told you that Qiao Nuo was pregnant! But…”
The most terrifying part of the situation was the “but.”
If Qiao Kawai wasn’t Jin Chengyan’s daughter, then whose child was it…?
"The child is gone, it flowed out from Qiao Nuo's body, turning into a pool of blood. Then, Qiao Nuo's heart also died, killed by your own hands! Qiao Nuo and your child!"
Jin Chengyan held Qiao Nuo's hand, slowly loosening his grip.
He had no idea that Qiao Nuo was pregnant! He knew nothing at all!
"But what about Qiao Kawai...?" What was her existence all about?
"You did her DNA with yours, but you didn't do mine with hers!"
"Qiao Kawai has no blood relation to you?!" Jin Chengyan was completely bewildered!
Qiao Nuo didn't understand why, after four years of silence in front of Xi Yisheng, she could reveal everything to Jin Chengyan in less than a month.
Was it because she felt no reservations and was thus open-hearted?
Or was she worried that he... might misunderstand?
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