Relieved that he hadn't misunderstood, Shen Qingqing let out a sigh.
Fu Jingshu then added, "It's just that you've been wronged."
Shen Qingqing shook her head, "Wronged is not the word. But I always knew some people were snobs. I didn't expect it to be unavoidable even in kindergarten."
This would inevitably corrupt the children.
Fu Jingshu's thin lips parted, "Environment shapes people."
Shen Qingqing strongly agreed with this. Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Fu Jingshu, "Weren't you busy in a meeting at the company? Why did you come here?"
She paused, narrowing her eyes, seemingly displeased.
"Don't tell me you don't have confidence in me and think I can't handle this?"
"Of course not." Fu Jingshu immediately retorted, then softened his tone, "I just knew some people here can be difficult, and I was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Although the meaning was similar, hearing it phrased differently made her feel much better.
Shen Jinxi looked left, then right, and suddenly realized. Daddy's gentle tone was actually him pursuing Mommy!
This wouldn't do!
He couldn't let Mommy get together with Daddy!
"Auntie, I have a secret to tell you." He suddenly leaned close to Shen Qingqing and whispered, in a voice that was seemingly soft but audible to all four people in the car, "Daddy doesn't shower, doesn't brush his teeth, and his feet smell at night. Oh my, I smelled it that day, it nearly killed me!"
Lin Mo gasped, wishing he could go deaf. Was this something he was supposed to hear?!
Fu Jingshu's face immediately darkened. "Fu Zhichen!"
Shen Jinxi shrunk his neck and immediately nuzzled into Shen Qingqing's embrace, yawning repeatedly as if he were sleepy. He had only been pretending to be sleepy to avoid his father, but after pretending for a while, he actually fell asleep.
Shen Qingqing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She was also worried Fu Jingshu might be truly angry, so she held the child in her arms. "Let him sleep. He was also quite frightened today."
Fu Jingshu glanced at the soundly sleeping, oblivious child. Truly... carefree.
The car stopped. After placing the child in the car, Fu Jingshu escorted Shen Qingqing upstairs. In the silence, he suddenly spoke, "What the child said just now..."
Shen Qingqing was somewhat surprised, not expecting him to be so eager. "The child is still young, and I'm not a child."
Seeing she didn't believe him, Fu Jingshu let out a soft sigh. "That night, why didn't you show up for our meeting?"
His question was sudden, and Shen Qingqing was genuinely taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure. She felt that regardless of the circumstances, she owed an explanation for standing him up.
"I had something important to do that day."
"I saw it," Fu Jingshu said calmly.
Shen Qingqing immediately understood that he had seen her leave with Yuan Zichen. She took out a necklace from inside her collar, on which hung a sparkling, expensive blue diamond.
"He gave it to you?"
Fu Jingshu himself hadn't noticed, but his tone carried a subtle hint of bitterness.
"No." Shen Qingqing hadn't expected his imagination to run so wild. She caressed the necklace with great affection and said softly, "This was my mother's necklace."
The sourness in Fu Jingshu's heart instantly dissipated.
"My mother loved this necklace very much back then. She even said she'd give it to me later. But then something happened, and she had to sell the necklace to manage things."
Shen Qingqing later tried every means to find the necklace, but it had been auctioned off. The subsequent buyer had then sold it to someone else. After several transfers, she had completely lost track of it. Later, when Yuan Zichen learned of this, he helped her find the necklace.
Fu Jingshu watched her tenderly cherish the necklace and couldn't help but say, "You value this necklace greatly."
"Yes," Shen Qingqing put the necklace back inside her collar before looking up. "My mother is no longer with us. Her belongings are my last memento."
The gloom in Fu Jingshu's heart slowly receded, and a slight smile curved his lips. "I can understand you."
Shen Qingqing was a little surprised. "Do you perhaps have a similar experience?"
Fu Jingshu said somewhat helplessly, "Can't I understand your feelings without having the exact same experience?"
While empathy in such matters was difficult, his gaze held a hidden depth as he looked at Shen Qingqing intently.
She felt a little uncomfortable and turned her face away, not sure what she was saying.
"Oh, well, thank you then."
"What's there to thank?" The arc of Fu Jingshu's smile didn't fade. Gazing at her delicate profile, he couldn't resist asking, "How did your mother..."
Shen Qingqing seemed to recall something, her expression turning a little hazy.
He bit his lip somewhat regretfully. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
Shen Qingqing, however, shook her head indifferently. "It's alright, it's all in the past. It's just that every time I think of my mother, I think of the person who harmed her."
Shen Zhizhong, Shen Yaoyao, and Chen Xiang.
Whenever she thought of them, she wished she could tear them to pieces to satisfy her hatred.
The hatred on her face was so intense, as if it were an unending feud. Yet, Fu Jingshu didn't find it frightening. Instead, he felt a faint, unusual sensation in his heart. It was like heartache, and also indignation, a complex mix of emotions.
He couldn't quite sort it out and silently escorted her to the door. "Go inside quickly. You've had a hard day, thank you again."
Shen Qingqing said helplessly, "You've already said that."
Fu Jingshu lowered his gaze slightly, remaining silent and not leaving.
She tilted her head. She couldn't just leave him standing at the door and go in herself, so she leaned against the doorframe. "Do you have something else to say?"
Fu Jingshu hummed in agreement.
She waited for a moment but he didn't speak. She then asked, "Is it inconvenient to say it here? There's no one around, just say what you need to say."
"I'm sorry." He said stiffly.
"Ah?"
Shen Qingqing thought she must have misheard. Fu Jingshu actually apologized? How rare! He was as hard and unyielding as a rock, seemingly never making mistakes.
"About that day..." Fu Jingshu recalled how he had mistakenly given the necklace to Yan Ya out of misunderstanding, and then thought of the spittle on the table that day, his face instantly darkening. "In short, I won't do that again."
Shen Qingqing looked at him with a face full of confusion. "What exactly are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Fu Jingshu decided that from now on, he would never bring this matter up again. "If you need anything, tell me, and I'll help you."
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Fu Jingshu said calmly, "I'm pursuing you."
"Are you serious?"
"I publicly announced that day that I was going to pursue you." Fu Jingshu frowned slightly. "Have you forgotten?"
"No..."
Fu Jingshu took a step forward, looking down into her beautiful eyes. "What you want, I will help you get. Your mother's affairs, I will also help you investigate."
If she truly had his help, investigating this matter would be much simpler.
Regarding her mother, Shen Qingqing really couldn't bring herself to refuse. After a long silence, she only managed to say, "Thank you."