"Do you miss your dad? Mianmian, Mom won't be leaving for a while. Don't worry, Mom supports you and your dad being together. You don't have to worry about Mom being sad," Jiang Mi said with a smile.
"..."
"Mom, today is Dad's birthday. I'm sorry." Mianmian felt guilty towards her mother. She should have stayed with her mother since she just returned, but today was her father's birthday, and she didn't want him to spend it alone and lonely.
Jiang Mi hadn't expected this to be the reason. She checked the time; it was already past eight in the evening. "Then let's find a cake shop and buy him a birthday cake first. I'll take you back."
"Mom, can you come with me? After celebrating Dad's birthday, I want to sleep with you tonight," Mianmian said, clinging to her mother's arm and acting spoiled.
Jiang Mi was very helpless. Thinking of Qian Xiaoguo's words, how could she refuse? She truly felt heartbroken for her daughter. She smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
"Really? Thank you, Mom, I knew you were the best." Jiang Mianmian was so happy she danced with joy, even starting to hum a song. She even felt that her mother might forgive her father and get back together with him.
The two went to a cake shop and bought a birthday cake. Mianmian messaged Jiang Jingxiu, telling him that she and her mother would be going back to celebrate his birthday with him. Jiang Jingxiu didn't reply, and Mianmian didn't mind, thinking it would be a nice surprise for her father.
When the mother and daughter arrived home, only the maid was in the apartment. She happily greeted Mianmian upon her return.
"Where's my dad? Hasn't he come back?" Mianmian asked the aunt.
"He hasn't come back."
Jiang Mianmian frowned. Jiang Mi said, "Why don't you call him and ask where he is? Maybe he's working overtime."
Jiang Mi said this, but she already knew. Jiang Jingxiu had gone out with his cronies. He used to love to party. Perhaps he had restrained himself a bit because of Mianmian, but a leopard can't change its spots. He was most likely out having fun.
Mianmian obediently took her phone and called her father. No one answered after a long while. When she made a second call, a woman answered and asked, "Who is this? Young Master Jiang has gone to the restroom."
"Who are you? Why are you answering my dad's phone? Where are you? Why is it so noisy?" Jiang Mianmian's ears felt like they would be deafened by the noise through the phone.
"Your dad? What are you joking about? How could Young Master Jiang have a daughter? This is a club. Today is Young Master Jiang's birthday, and we're all celebrating it with him," the woman said with a laugh and hung up the phone.
Jiang Mianmian was almost furious. Jiang Mi frowned. She didn't want to know or care how Jiang Jingxiu played, but for him to let their daughter find out and be ridiculed by a stranger was something she couldn't tolerate.
"Miss?" The maid, who had also heard, felt awkward and afraid Mianmian would get angry. "Perhaps the young master, seeing you weren't home to celebrate his birthday with him, went out to celebrate with his friends."
"What kind of friends are these? A bunch of hangers-on!" Mianmian said angrily and picked up the cake, ready to throw it away. Jiang Mi quickly stopped her. "This cake cost so much, it would be a shame to throw it away. Let's still eat it."
Jiang Mi didn't want her daughter to be unhappy. She said softly, "Your dad has his own friends. He sacrificed a lot of his time to spend with you before. Now that I'm back, it's normal for him to get together with his friends. Don't be unhappy. Send him a birthday wish."