CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: PREPARING TO RETURN TO B CITY

There’s a custom here in C City: "dumplings on arrival, noodles on departure."

Xiao Li saw the noodles and thought about how she used to have a bowl when coming home from a trip. Even though she wasn’t hungry now, she picked up the bowl and ate.

The next day, Xiao Li and Qin Xiao went to the cemetery early. Xiao Li placed flowers in front of the tombs of Wen Lan and Xiao Zhennan, then squatted down and leaned against the tombstone...

"Dad, Mom, Qin Xiao and I came to see you. I have good news to share — I’ve become a mother to a baby girl. Her nickname is Mianmian, and her formal name is Qin Chu.

You always said I was your little princess. Now your little princess has her own little princess, isn’t that amazing!

Mianmian is still very young, just a month old. We didn’t bring her back this time, but I’ll bring her to see you when she gets a bit older..."

Leaning against the tombstone, Xiao Li spoke at length to Xiao Zhennan and his wife about her life over the past year. Qin Xiao stood quietly beside her, watching her share...

By the time Qin Xiao and Xiao Li left the cemetery, two hours had passed. During this visit with Xiao Zhennan and his wife, Xiao Li hadn’t cried at all — she left with a smile...

At S City, as soon as Xiao Li and Qin Xiao got off the plane, they couldn’t wait to head to the Mountain View District. After being apart from their child for a day and a night, they both missed her.

At home, Mother Qin was playing with Mianmian, who was now well-fed and rested, lying in the stroller, kicking her legs and waving her hands...

Mother Qin was shaking a bell, and little Mianmian would turn her head toward the sound...

When Qin Xiao and Xiao Li opened the door and came in, Mother Qin was a bit surprised to see them back already, "Back so soon? You said it would be a couple of days."

Back so soon...

Look at how she said that, as if she hoped we wouldn’t come back so soon!

Qin Xiao replied plainly, "Things got done, so we came back."

Smiling, Xiao Li walked to the stroller, looked at the playful Mianmian, and then said to Mother Qin, "Mom, thanks for your hard work these past two days. I’ll go up and take a shower, and I’ll be down soon to hold Mianmian..."

Mother Qin smiled and said, "Go ahead, no rush... Mianmian just woke up and had milk. She’s having fun now."

Xiao Li, "Alright..."

In the evening, after dinner, Xiao Li knew that Father Qin and Mother Qin loved playing with Mianmian, so she didn’t take the child upstairs immediately after eating but stayed playing in the living room for a while.

Mianmian was awake, waving her little hands and playing. Everything was fine. Xiao Li just needed to wait until a little later when Mianmian got sleepy and then take her upstairs to sleep.

However, while Mianmian was still playing, Xiao Li went to the restroom for a moment, and when she returned to the living room, Mother Qin and little Mianmian were not there.

Father Qin was sitting there. When he saw Xiao Li, he said, "Little Mianmian is sleepy. Your mom took her to the room to sleep."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li thought Mother Qin had taken the child upstairs, so she told Father Qin and went upstairs as well.

But when she got upstairs, there was no one in the room!

Downstairs, as soon as Father Qin saw Xiao Li go up, he got up and returned to his room, locking the door behind him.

Qin Xiao, who had just finished his tasks, came out of the small study on the second floor. Seeing Xiao Li standing dumbly at the room door, he asked, "Nini, why are you standing at the door?"

Xiao Li turned around, "I just went to the restroom. When I got back to the living room, Mom and Mianmian weren’t there.

Dad said Mianmian was sleepy, so Mom took her to the room to sleep. I thought Mom had taken her upstairs, but look..."

Xiao Li pointed to the empty room, showing it to Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao, understanding, smiled, "Mom likely carried Mianmian to her room, and Mianmian probably isn’t sleeping yet either..."

Xiao Li blinked, "Can I go downstairs to bring Mianmian upstairs?"

Qin Xiao shook his head with a smile, "Trust me, right now, Mom and Dad have certainly locked their door. You can’t get in..."

Xiao Li: Ugh...

Qin Xiao gently held Xiao Li’s hand, leading her into the room, "Don’t worry! Mom and Dad know what they’re doing. They’ll definitely give Mianmian back by tomorrow. Let Mianmian sleep with them for one more night today!

Tonight, let’s enjoy some time to ourselves!"

With that, he followed up with a kiss.

After some affection, Xiao Li lay in Qin Xiao’s embrace and softly said, "Uncle, I want to cover up the scar on my back a little."

Hearing Xiao Li mention the scar on her back, Qin Xiao felt a twinge of pain in his heart. It’s a wound he can never erase — it’s the consequence of not striking Xiao Yan down hard enough the first time, which gave Xiao Yan the chance to hurt Xiao Li.

Qin Xiao spoke gloomily, "Why do you want to cover it? Is it because of what Xiao Yan said?

You know I don’t mind the scar. Seeing it only makes my heart ache..."

Xiao Li reached out to smooth the frown on Qin Xiao’s forehead, "Of course, I know you don’t mind. I want to cover it because I don’t want you to relive the scene of my accident every time you see it. I don’t want you to feel that heartache...

And I also want to wear backless dresses in summer. How can I look beautiful with it there?"

Hearing this, Qin Xiao lightly kissed Xiao Li’s lips, "Alright, if you want to cover it, then cover it..."

Qin Xiao didn’t care about his own heartache, but he cared about Xiao Li’s feelings. He didn’t want Xiao Li to be mocked by others because of the scar on her back...

Hearing this, Xiao Li gently shook her head, "Not to remove it — I don’t want to remove it. Even though it’s a scar, it’s also a part of my body.

I want to cover it with a tattoo."

Qin Xiao, "Sure, I’ll find someone to do the tattoo. But right now, the wound isn’t completely healed, so let’s wait a bit...

In the meantime, use some cream to lighten the scar first."

Xiao Li nodded, "Okay..."

The two chatted for a bit longer before embracing each other to sleep.

As expected, the next day, Mother Qin didn’t take little Mianmian back to her room. By evening, she even let Qin Xiao take the crib back upstairs...

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, little Mianmian was almost a year old. Xiao Li had completed her internship at S City’s First Hospital, submitted her thesis, and was just waiting to return to school in June for her defense.

Qin Xiao had also resigned from both the hospital and the school after Xiao Li finished her internship.

In a duplex apartment in the Mountain View District, Xiao Li was organizing Mianmian’s things. They would be going back to B City in two days — Mianmian’s first birthday needed to be celebrated at the Qin Family’s ancestral home.

Mother Qin came up from the first floor holding Mianmian, "Xiao Li, stop tidying up. Later, let Auntie Wu and her helpers do it."

Xiao Li smiled, "Mom, it’s okay, it’s just something to keep busy with. I want to pack Mianmian’s things myself."

Hearing this, Mother Qin put down Mianmian, who was in her arms, to play with her toys and sat down to help Xiao Li organize Mianmian’s little clothes.

Xiao Li was sorting out the clothes that Mianmian wore right after she was born, which now looked so tiny...

Mother Qin picked up a pink onesie and, smiling, said, "Pink is still the prettiest. When I was pregnant with Ah Xiao and his brother, I always hoped for a girl and bought lots of pink clothes. But ended up never having a chance to use them..."