Chapter 11: The First Time She Lied

“Right.”

Xia An looked up, her gaze meeting Ye Jin’s again.

Their eyes met briefly in the rearview mirror Xia An opened her mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating.

She saw those calm eyes give her a faint, indifferent glance before returning their focus to the road ahead.

Having received Ye Jin’s confirmation, Ye Wan grew even more smug about her own cleverness.

“Auntie Xia, it’s a deal then. From now on, you’re my mama’s girlfriend, and Wanwan’s mama too~~~”

‘This kid…’

For the first time, Xia An was stumped by a little child.

The smile on her face was filled with helplessness; glancing at President Ye in the driver’s seat, she saw the woman maintained her goddess-like poise, driving with singular focus, with absolutely no intention of explaining anything to Ye Wan.

“Wanwan,” Xia An began, carefully choosing her words and speaking patiently.

“One cannot simply become someone’s girlfriend just like that.”

“But,” Ye Wan frowned and said with great seriousness, “Auntie already promised me. Teacher says we must be people of our word; we can’t lie or trick people.”

Xia An gave a silent thumbs-up in her heart; at such a young age, her logic was impeccable—truly President Ye’s daughter.

Though Ye Jin appeared to be focusing intently on driving, she was actually paying close attention to the dialogue between the two in the back.

Seeing Miss Xia, who was usually so eloquent with people at the nightclub, now left speechless by a four-year-old, a rare smile flickered across the corners of Ye Jin’s mouth.

“Little cutie, Auntie really wants to agree. But…”

Xia An paused, her peripheral vision instinctively drifting to Ye Jin in the front.

“You have to like each other to be girlfriends, do you know that?”

Ye Wan had quite a stubborn streak herself; hearing this answer, she became a bit unhappy.

She pouted at Xia An.

“Does Auntie not like my mama?”

Xia An didn’t know how to continue the explanation; the world of a child was just that simple.

“All the other kids in class have two parents, but I only have one mama. They even tease me and ask why I only have one mama,” Ye Wan said, her head drooping in dejection.

Her voice grew smaller, her tone sounding incredibly aggrieved.

“How am I supposed to know…”

Xia An pulled Ye Wan into her arms, heart aching as she rubbed the little girl’s head, her eyes downcast in thought.

At eleven years old, her own mother had left home and never returned; she understood this feeling and knew how much of a psychological impact it had on a child, let alone one as young as Ye Wan.

When Ye Jin heard Ye Wan’s aggrieved tone, her expression turned somber.

She had brought Ye Wan home from the orphanage and provided the best of everything, yet she had failed to satisfy the child’s most basic and desperate wish: a complete family.

“Auntie will come to play with you often from now on, okay?”

Ye Wan said nothing, turning her head to the side.

She seemed to be throwing a tantrum.

Xia An continued to coax her. “I’ll bring Wanwan delicious treats.”

At the intersection, the light turned red.

Ye Jin stepped on the brakes.

“No, I want a mama…”

The usually obedient Ye Wan spoke to Xia An with stubborn persistence, refusing to let the matter go.

Ye Jin turned her head slightly, offering a mild scolding.

“Wanwan, stop acting up.”

Ye Wan went quiet for a moment before saying, “Wanwan won’t act up. Wanwan will be good.”

Then, silence fell.

Xia An looked down and stroked Ye Wan’s cheek; being this sensible at such a young age wasn’t necessarily something to be happy about.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the kindergarten first.

Ye Jin unbuckled her seatbelt and spoke with her back to Xia An.

“Wait in the car for a moment. I’ll walk her into the school first.”

Xia An glanced at the little girl, who was still feeling dejected.

“Let’s go together…”

Ye Jin didn’t respond, but Xia An knew this was President Ye’s way of saying “as you wish.”

It was October, and the breath of summer was fading.

This was definitely an elite kindergarten, which Xia An could tell from the rows of luxury cars parked at the entrance.

Ye Jin walked slightly ahead, holding Ye Wan’s hand—one elegant, one cute.

Xia An watched their silhouettes and quickly caught up; the three of them walked shoulder-to-shoulder.

Many of those dropping their children off were families of three, which explained why the little one felt out of place.

“Wanwan?”

Xia An saw that Ye Wan’s head was still hanging low, so she leaned down and smiled, gently taking that small hand and holding it tenderly in her own.

Ye Wan looked up in surprise, and finally, a smile bloomed on her face.

Being held by both the left and right hands felt wonderful; Ye Wan looked at Xia An, her eyes turning into crescent moons again.

When Ye Jin turned her head, Xia An was looking down with a smile as gentle as a warm breeze—a stark contrast to last night when she sat on that street bench, looking so piteous and alone.

Ye Jin’s gaze lingered on Xia An’s features once more.

Usually indifferent toward others, Ye Jin privately felt that the girl looked beautiful when she smiled.

“Goodbye, Mama.”

Ye Wan let go of Ye Jin’s hand to wave goodbye, but her other hand remained clasped with Xia An’s.

“Auntie…”

Xia An saw that she seemed to have something to say, so she crouched down.

“What is it?”

Ye Wan stole a glance at Ye Jin before leaning in to whisper into Xia An’s ear.

“Can you please like my mama? My mama is very, very good. I don’t want to see her always alone.”

The child spoke these words with a soft, milky voice, purely and seriously, piercing the softest part of Xia An’s heart.

She stared into Ye Wan’s expectant eyes and leaned in to whisper back patiently.

“I will. Someone will like your mama, and someone will stay with her. She won’t be alone forever.”

“Really?”

“Auntie won’t lie to you.”

Having received a satisfactory answer, Ye Wan actually grew bold enough to kiss Xia An on the cheek.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Be good. Go to class now.”

Ye Jin stood by and watched, thinking to herself that this little one had only met Xia An a few times, yet she was already kissing, hugging, and acting spoiled.

She had to admit, Miss Xia had quite a way with children.

After dropping off Ye Wan, Xia An and Ye Jin walked back in silence.

“What did she just say to you?” Ye Jin finally asked out of curiosity.

“She said…” Xia An thought for a moment and smiled. “She said she loves you.”

President Ye gave Miss Xia a classic “Ye-style” cold look, clearly not believing her.

“Wanwan is truly very sensible.”

“I know.”

They reached the car.

Xia An looked at the nearby bus stop and stopped in her tracks.

She still wasn’t used to troubling others, even for small things.

“I can head back on my own from here; no need to trouble—”

She hadn’t finished.

“It’s on the way.” Ye Jin said. “Get in. I’m in a hurry.”

It was practically a command; perhaps she was just too used to being a high-level executive, Xia An thought.

Xia An climbed into the passenger seat.

Turning her head, she saw that President Ye still wore an “I don’t know you well” expression, her mood unreadable.

Xia An couldn’t help but complain inwardly: ‘If she’s in such a hurry, why bother giving me a ride…’

With just the two of them left, the conversation was pitifully sparse.

Xia An didn’t know if Ye Jin was like this only with her or with everyone.

The atmosphere was so cold, even colder than the car’s air conditioning.

Xia An awkwardly rubbed her arms, and not long after, she noticed Ye Jin turned down the AC slightly.

“I’m not cold,” Xia An said, finally finding a topic.

Ye Jin was silent for several seconds before saying, “I am.”

“President Ye, Wanwan’s father…”

Xia An began tentatively, but after Ye Jin gave her a look, Miss Xia swallowed the rest of her words.

This question was indeed too private, and the other woman clearly didn’t intend to bring it up.

Xia An turned to look out the window, absentmindedly watching the scenery, acting as if she hadn’t asked anything at all.

“Wanwan is adopted,” Ye Jin said of her own accord, keeping her eyes on the road. “Don’t let her know.”

“Okay.”

Xia An turned back, quite surprised that Ye Jin had suddenly explained this to her.

After a brief pause in the conversation, Xia An spoke again.

“Do you not plan on finding a partner? I mean, a serious one.”

Xia An asked this because she could tell that Wanwan really wanted a complete home.

A woman as outstanding as President Ye certainly wouldn’t lack suitors.

Ye Jin gripped the steering wheel. “Miss Xia, that doesn’t seem to concern you.”

“…”

Conversation over.

For the remaining fifteen minutes of the drive, the car remained silent.

Xia An was lost in thought; that question she had considered when she first saw Ye Jin became even more curious to her: ‘What kind of person could actually walk into the heart of a woman like this?’

She was brilliant, but even more so, she was unreachable.

Xia An stole a quiet glance at Ye Jin and seemed to understand why she had remained single…

Well, it was understandable; no wonder her four-year-old daughter was worried for her.

Before Xia An got out of the car, Ye Jin wanted to remind her to think over the contract marriage proposal again, but the words reached her lips and she stayed silent.

In the inpatient building of Changnan Hospital, on the tenth-floor Hematology department.

“…I’m sorry, Manager, I still can’t come tonight,” Xia An said into her phone at the end of the corridor.

“I’ve been quite busy lately in the evenings; I really can’t find the time.”

“Xia-Xia, I’m only advising you because you’re doing so well here. You should just quit your current job and work here full-time. With your abilities, I guarantee the pay won’t be bad—definitely more than you’re making now.”

The manager didn’t know Xia An was actually a graduate student; he only knew she was naturally beautiful and that it was a waste of talent not to go full-time.

Xia An thanked him for his kindness but still declined.

In Room 1007, the middle-aged man in the bed had just finished his fifth round of chemotherapy.

His face was pale and bloodless, looking utterly haggard.

Since the acute transformation of his chronic myeloid leukemia last year, Xia Hexian had not left his hospital bed.

“Dad, have something to eat.”

Dinner was something Xia An had packed from the hospital cafeteria.

Xia Hexian looked carefully behind Xia An.

Confirming she was alone, he looked a bit disappointed.

“Why didn’t Xiao Tang come with you?”

Xia An pulled a chair over and sat by the bed, giving a perfunctory answer.

“He’s probably busy.”

Since that night, Tang Zhen hadn’t come to her department to find her.

She had seen him once in the hospital since then, but they hadn’t spoken.

Xia An felt this was for the best.

“He hasn’t been here for several days.”

Xia Hexian was worried; Tang Zhen used to come every single day, and now he didn’t know what was going on.

He asked Xia An again, “Did you have a fight with him? Girl, if you’re… if you’re having a tiff, you should take the initiative to apologize…”

“Dad, I’m begging you, stop troubling him with everything.”

Xia An interrupted him. She had told him more than once: “He has no obligation to help us.”

“How is it troubling him…” Xia Hexian murmured softly. “He promised me he’d take care of you.”

Xia An kept her patience. “What is my relationship with him that you’d let him take care of me?”

“Xiao An, don’t be so stubborn. I’m doing this for your own good. If something happens to me, there will be someone to look after you. Then I can be at peace…”

Xia Hexian hoped Xia An and Tang Zhen would get together.

The Tang family’s circumstances were decent, and Tang Zhen knew about their family situation yet was still willing to marry Xia An.

If his daughter married into the Tang family, she would suffer so much less.

“Old Xia, just focus on preparing for your surgery and waiting to be discharged. Don’t spend all day overthinking. Can you let me worry a little less, please?”

“If you won’t take Xiao Tang’s money, where will you get the money for my surgery?”

Xia Hexian had a weak personality and couldn’t make decisions; otherwise, he wouldn’t have just let his wife run off back then.

“Scholarships and stipends from projects. It’s enough.”

Xia An said it casually; after all, Xia Hexian didn’t know the specifics.

Xia Hexian thought it over. “Marry Xiao Tang. Otherwise, I… I really won’t be able to go into surgery at peace…”

“What does your surgery have to do with me marrying Tang Zhen?”

“The pressure of bearing all this alone must be so great. No, I can’t be a burden to you… how about… how about we don’t do this surgery.”

Xia Hexian kept muttering.

If he didn’t do this surgery, Xia An would basically be free of the burden—so why do it?

Even if his life was saved, he would still be a drag.

“I won’t do the surgery. There’s no need. Let’s not spend this money.”

He was talking more and more nonsense.

Xia An nearly bit through her lower lip as she looked at him helplessly. At a critical time like this…

“Are you trying to kill me with frustration?”

“I…” Xia Hexian kept repeating the same few sentences.

“You can give Xiao Tang a chance. Don’t worry about marriage yet; you can just try being together.”

Xia Hexian didn’t know how many days he had left.

He truly hoped Xia An could find someone to lean on so she wouldn’t have to suffer like she was now, and he had seen how good Tang Zhen was to her.

If Xia An could be with Tang Zhen, to put it bluntly, he could die in peace.

Xia An understood his thoughts.

On one hand, he hoped to see her settled early; on the other, he hoped someone would share the financial pressure with her.

If she were with Tang Zhen, his help would seem justified.

But Xia An still spoke directly: “I won’t be with Tang Zhen. Don’t hold onto that hope.”

“Why won’t you listen to advice, you child?”

Xia Hexian gripped the bedsheet, becoming agitated.

“If you… if you promise to be with Xiao Tang, then I’ll agree to the surgery.”

“Dad?!”

Xia An thought calmly for a moment.

“I’ll tell you straight, I already have a girlfriend…”