It’s just that every time she passes Rainy some milk, Rainy would always finish it nicely. Then, like now, she would raise her apple-like face for her mother to praise and compliment since Rainy drank the milk that she didn’t like.

“Good girl, come, kisses from Mommy.” Xia Ruoxin kissed her daughter’s tiny face before passing the doll to her. She then went to wash the milk bottle.

In the afternoon, she sent her daughter to school. They lived near the school, thankfully. Otherwise, without a car, Rainy had to squeeze onto the public bus with her, and that would have been sad for the child. Furthermore, the current weather wasn’t all that good, and Rainy’s weak immune system made her prone to falling sick.

“Ruoxin.”

Suddenly, she heard someone calling her. It was a familiar voice, but she currently was not fond of anyone familiar.

She turned around, her eyes guarded.

What was she doing here?

Xia Ruoxin patted her daughter’s back gently.

“Rainy, be good and play a game with Mommy, okay?”

Rainy blinked her bright, round, and big eyes,” Mommy wants to play hide-and-seek with Rainy?”

“Yes, what a smart baby.” Xia Ruoxin hugged her daughter tightly, with Rainy’s face pressed into that embrace, “You can’t show up if I don’t ask you to appear, okay? If you lose, there’ll be no cake for you.”

“Okay,” Rainy replied with a childlike voice, one hand holding onto her doll and the other grasping on her mother’s clothes. If Mommy told her not to get up, then she wouldn’t get up. She knew that granny may be a bad person. She couldn’t see her face, but she remembered the voice. It was like the last time at the hospital where that person bullied Mommy. That granny seemed to have helped Mommy; then, is that granny good or bad? She didn’t know, but she would listen to Mommy.

“Ruoxin, is that really you?” Song Wan took big steps over, being very surprised to have bumped into Xia Ruoxin at that spot. She found Xia Ruoxin hugging a tiny girl, seeming to be too small for 2 or 3 years old.

“This child is…”

Song Wan carefully asked, but she didn’t think that the child would belong to Xia Ruoxin. This was because, in their eyes, Xia Ruoxin was unable to conceive. Otherwise, why would the Chu family have decided so cleanly to allow Chu Lui’s divorce?

Xia Ruoxin didn’t hate Song Wan. Not taking into account everything else, she was a good mother, one that was hard to come about. She had a sense of justice and would not blatantly take the side of her son—whatever was right was right, and whatever was wrong was wrong. While at the Chu family, Xia Ruoxin was thankful for her and once thought how good it would have been if Song Wan was her own mother. Alas, Song Wan was not. She was Chu Lui’s mother and would do things in consideration of Chu Lui.

Xia Ruoxin saw Song Wan continuously gazing at Rainy. She tilted her body, blocking Song Wan’s direction of sight.

“This is my friend’s child.” She slowly patted Rainy’s soft hair. Now, she obviously did not want anyone from the Chu family to know of Rainy’s existence. Rainy was hers and hers only. No one could take Rainy away.

That should be a pretty kid. Song Wan didn’t think too much. She knew that Xia Ruoxin had a boyfriend, and the child probably belonged to that guy. How was none of her concern as long as she had a child, and it was a daughter at that. Girls were sweeter and easier to bring up.

“Sorry, Aunty, I have some other things to handle, I’ll go first,” Xia Ruoxin spoke apologetically to Song Wan. Although her tone wasn’t rigid, she didn’t have any intention of continuing the conversation.

She didn’t wish to mix with anyone from the Chu family.

Including Chu Lui, Li Manni, and—of course—Song Wan.

“Oh. Okay.” Song Wan was awkward. She wanted to say something, but those words were stuck in her throat, not coming out no matter what. Actually, she wanted to apologize.

What for, exactly? What could she be sorry for?

No matter how much she apologized, nothing could be changed. Furthermore, Xia Ruoxin did not need it anymore.

“Can I hug her?” Song Wan asked nervously. Adults were never immune to children. Those small hands and legs, tiny body, and child voice—all made everyone fall in love… definitely not excluding Song Wan who was anxiously waiting for a grandchild.

Xia Ruoxin’s grip on her daughter’s hand tightened. She was not willing to.

People might not be able to connect Rainy with her just by looking at Rainy alone. However, juxtaposing them side by side would make it very obvious that they were mother and daughter.

Rainy actually looked like her so she would not risk letting the Chu family know of Rainy’s existence. Even though Li Manni was pregnant now, the Chu family would never let their own bloodline out of their sight.

“Sorry,” Xia Ruoxin rejected, “she’s asleep already.”

“It’s okay.” Song Wan was still slightly nervous, reaching out her own hands, “It’s just for a short while. Don’t worry, I’ve carried children before. I wouldn’t hurt her.”

Xia Ruoxin was slightly nervous. If she didn’t agree to Song Wan’s wishes, she was afraid that Song Wan would overthink. Now, they believed that Rainy was Gao Yi’s child since the fact that she was unable to conceive was not unknown by Chu Lui and his family. However, Song Wan was not stupid. It was only a hug and not taking her away from Xia Ruoxin. If Xia Ruoxin maintained her stance, Song Wan might realize something.

When she was in a dilemma, Rainy’s tiny gentle voice rang out from her embrace.

“Aunty, don’t want other people, want Aunty to carry.”

Song Wan was a little disappointed but could only lower her hand. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to carry the child.

“Sorry.” Xia Ruoxin nodded towards Song Wan and carried Rainy away, with quicker footsteps than usual. She only placed her daughter down when she reached somewhere secluded without anyone before squatting down to Rainy’s eye level.

“How did you know to call Mommy Aunty?” Xia Ruoxin pinched her daughter’s cheeks. It was surprising: this weird reaction of her daughter.

Rainy played with her own tiny fingers and spoke with her bright round eyes, “Daddy said before… if Mommy didn’t want Rainy to see anyone, then Rainy should call Mommy Aunty.”

Xia Ruoxin didn’t know how to thank that man anymore. He thought of these minute things when she didn’t even give it much thought.

“C’mon, let’s go home.”

Xia Ruoxin stood up, ready to carry her daughter; but Rainy tugged at her sleeves.

“Mommy, Rainy can walk by herself. Rainy is big; don’t need Mommy to carry.”

She was actually worried about Mommy’s left arm. She knew that it was in pain and would be in more pain if Mommy carried her. She was going to be a good kid and shouldn’t let Mommy be in more pain.

“Then, let’s go.” Xia Ruoxin held onto her daughter’s tiny hands, matching her footsteps as both of them walked home. At this moment, autumn had already arrived, and trees on both sides of the road had many fallen leaves… as if there was a beautiful rain of leaves instead of raindrops.