CHAPTER 254: CHAPTER 233: THE TRUTH ON THE VERGE OF EMERGING (1)

"Dad, Mom."

Su Xiaomeng followed Yin Shixiu to wish Mrs. Yin a happy birthday and finally sat down.

The old couple took their grandchildren from their hands and showered them with affection.

"Gou Gou!"

Shuangshuang, with her sharp eyes, spotted Shan Minglang entering and waved excitedly.

Shan Minglang heard the familiar call and rushed over from the entrance, "My Shuang’er!"

"Gou Gou! Hee hee hee hee!"

Now everyone could confirm that Shuangshuang’s "Gou Gou" had a specific person in mind.

Shan Minglang snatched Shuangshuang right out of her grandpa’s arms, the two of them so sticky with affection that it was hard for others to watch.

Prince Huang blinked his eyes and stared intently at Shuangshuang and Shan Minglang, as if he finally realized that Shan Minglang was always snatching his sister away!

"Ah... ah!"

He pointed his chubby finger at Shan Minglang, then looked at Yin Shixiu, "PA PA!"

Yin Shixiu didn’t understand his meaning, but his Third Sister, Yin Shihua, guessed, "Could it be that he doesn’t want his sister to be held by Minglang?"

"Is that so?"

Yin Shixiu couldn’t help but find the guess amusing.

"After all, they are twins. It seems Prince Huang does have some sense of being an older brother... Grandma, is that right? Huang Huang..."

Mrs. Yin chuckled, rubbing Prince Huang’s cheek.

Seeing that Dad didn’t intend to get his sister back, Prince Huang turned to look at Grandma, then pointed at Shuangshuang, "Nainai!"

The little "Nainai" that emerged from his tiny mouth shocked everyone!

The most excited one was, of course, Zhou Mengqin.

Yin Shixiu and Su Xiaomeng had never heard Prince Huang call Nainai either, so they were also a bit surprised.

"Quick, Minglang, give Shuangshuang back to your grandpa."

Shan Minglang was taken aback, hugging Shuangshuang tightly, "That’s not what Huang Huang means, don’t misunderstand."

"Hurry up and give her back to me!"

"I won’t!"

"Nainai! Nainai!" Prince Huang saw Shan Minglang hugging his sister and taking several steps back, so he urgently began bouncing up and down on Zhou Mengqin.

"Shan Minglang!"

Yin Shaohui’s reprimand startled Shan Minglang, making him stop retreating and reluctantly return Shuangshuang...

He mumbled under his breath, "Little brat..."

This mutter was caught by Zhou Mengqin, who immediately gave him a stern look, "You were much more of a brat when you were little!"

"Grandma... don’t be like that... he’s so young, what does he know?"

"I see you’re still clueless after growing up!"

Shan Minglang was frustrated...

He gave Huang Huang a glare, noticing that Huang Huang had stopped calling out. Seeing Shuangshuang transferred from Shan Minglang’s arms to Grandpa’s, Huang Huang stayed calmly quiet.

This really got Shan Minglang riled up, feeling like the little guy was deliberately opposing him!

The whole family was left in stitches by the antics of these kids.

Yin Shixiu chuckled softly, noticing that even though Su Xiaomeng laughed along with everyone, her mind seemed to be wandering off somewhere.

He reached out and held Su Xiaomeng’s hand, finding her palm sweaty and ice-cold...

"What’s wrong? Feeling unwell?"

He asked softly, and Su Xiaomeng, as if startled, quickly looked up, the flash of panic in her eyes not escaping Yin Shixiu’s view.

"Huh? No..."

Yin Shixiu gazed at her with some concern, reaching out to touch her forehead.

"It’s nothing,"

Su Xiaomeng hurriedly said, taking his hand and holding it tightly. She smiled at him, then whispered into his ear, "I got a little distracted... thinking about what Shuangshuang and Huang Huang will look like when they grow up."

Yin Shixiu raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curling up, "Look in the mirror, they look like you, they’ll look more like you as they grow."

Su Xiaomeng shook her head slightly, her big eyes seeming to glimmer with moisture, "I hope they look like you, I hope both Shuangshuang and Huang Huang look like you..."

So that when he looks at the kids later... he won’t so easily think of her.

Yin Shixiu brought her into his arms, lowering his head to touch her forehead. Su Xiaomeng leaned against him...

"Tsk tsk, Brother Shixiu, this display of affection might not be right for the occasion, don’t you think?"

Rong Jing said sourly, holding a cup of tea nearby.

Quite agreeably, Yin Shixiu ignored his comment, and Su Xiaomeng did too.

The warmth she could greedily take in was already pitiably little.

At noon, they had a simple meal, with the main birthday banquet scheduled for the evening, when some important guests would arrive.

After lunch, Yin Shaohui had the servants take the Rong Family elders to the guest room, elders being prone to needing a nap after lunch due to their age.

"Shixiu, Xiaomeng, take Xiao Jing and Xiao Qiao for a walk around the garden. It’s Xiao Qiao’s first time here, and you are of similar age, so you should have fun together."

"Okay."

That’s what Yin Shixiu said, but he and Rong Jing were always at odds, their meetings never cordial.

He had no leisure to extend hospitality to Rong Jing.

He took them to Jun Garden and then instructed the servants to prepare two guest rooms, "The daughter and son need a nap, so we probably won’t have time to accompany you. Anyway, the place is this big, feel free to wander around if you want, or rest if you don’t."

"Brother Shixiu, you just promised Uncle Yin you would look after us!"

Rong Jing immediately complained.

Yin Shixiu looked him over today... the flamboyant outfit, with unconcealed disdain in his eyes.

Rong Jing furrowed his brows, "Brother Shixiu, what’s that expression? Are you questioning my sense of fashion again?"

"Isn’t that right? Dressed up like a porcelain vase, trying to pass off as an ink painting?"

Rong Jing looked at him expressionlessly, feeling a bit hurt inside...

"Then perhaps Little Sister Xiaomeng can show Xiao Qiao and I around?"

Yin Shixiu raised his eyebrow again, uncertain of Rong Jing’s intentions.

Su Xiaomeng was startled upon hearing her name mentioned...

She looked up to meet Rong Jing’s snake-like eyes, and beside him was Rong Qiao...

"Go to sleep."

Yin Shixiu was more concerned about Su Xiaomeng’s mental state, naturally he wouldn’t let her go out with Rong Jing and Rong Qiao.

"Brother Shixiu, it’s not like my sister and I are going to eat Xiao Meng, besides, I haven’t seen Xiao Meng for ages. I especially miss the time when she called me... big big big uncle!"

"Ah Jing, she’s not been well recently, she needs rest, don’t hassle her."

Yin Shixiu sighed and spoke frankly.

"Not been well? Xiao Meng, you’re unwell?"

Rong Jing quickly showed concern.

Su Xiaomeng looked at Rong Jing...

She took a shallow breath, whatever is meant to come will come, others might not know, but how could she not be clear?

Not that Rong Qiao needed to glare at her with such a vicious look, if Rong Qiao showed up, she knew what would happen next.

She’s far more decisive than she imagined...

Choosing Mrs. Yin’s birthday, and not only that, bringing along seniors from the Rong Family with Rong Jing.

"I’m fine, I’ll show you around but I’m not very familiar with this place. If I get you lost, don’t blame me."

Su Xiaomeng smiled.

Yin Shixiu looked at her, surprised she agreed...

"Wait for me a moment, I’ll take the children inside first."

Su Xiaomeng gently soothed the exhausted Shuangshuang in her arms and went to the main house with Yin Shixiu.

She laid Shuangshuang down on the bed, the little one looked like a little angel with her eyes closed, lashes long and black.

She lowered her head and lightly kissed her forehead.

"You don’t need to bother with those siblings from the Rong Family."

Yin Shixiu said, putting Prince Huang on the bed.

Su Xiaomeng looked at Yin Shixiu...

"What’s wrong?"

"Dad wants us to entertain them well, besides, seniors from the Rong Family are here, we should show some hospitality, right?"

"I’m worried you’ll be tired."

"Nothing is more tiring than taking care of two kids..."

"Since you want to go, I won’t stop you. Just wander for a bit and come back, okay?"

"...Okay."

Su Xiaomeng replied, then got up, walked two steps toward the door but paused—

She returned, walked back to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoed, "Uncle..."

"Hmm?"

Su Xiaomeng’s lips moved, the words were at her lips; in that instant, she wanted to confess...

She wanted to toss all the problems onto Yin Shixiu.

And give him all the choices...

All the pain, all the torment, all the humiliation, let him bear them.

If she had relations with someone else, would he still want her?

She wanted to ask, but in the end, she closed her mouth.

Couldn’t say it... too hard.

"What’s wrong?"

"I’ll love you till death."

Su Xiaomeng smiled, "I’ll be back soon."

Turning away to hide the tears spilling from her eyes.

She left the room, shutting the door.

Rong Jing leaned against a red column at the end of the corridor, Rong Qiao looked different today...

Not with that smugness of having something over someone, but rather a more cautious air, resentment in her eyes deeper and heavier than before.

"Jun Garden looks like this, I’ll take you to the garden, there’s a pavilion, you can rest if you’re tired..."

Su Xiaomeng glanced at them and walked straight ahead.

Rong Jing curled his lips, following behind, casually said, "Xiao Meng, you really are... something."

Su Xiaomeng left the house, Yin Shixiu sat by the bed in a daze, unable to snap out of it.

His heart felt unsteady, an unsettling feeling.

"Papa..."

Prince Huang sat there, seeing Yin Shixiu staring blankly and ignoring him, he patted the bed, calling out.

Yin Shixiu’s mind was pulled back by Prince Huang.

He hurriedly smiled and went over to kiss Huang Huang, then undressed him, laid him down, and lay by the bed, soothing him to sleep.

Prince Huang’s eyes blinked and blinked until they closed...

Yin Shixiu gently patted the little one on the back, mind drifting slowly afar.

However, he was suddenly brought back, not by Prince Huang’s call, but by the vibration of the phone.

He took out his phone, saw the caller ID, and softly got off the bed, walked to the door before answering the call...

"Shixiu... I have something to tell you."

"Oh... can’t wait till tonight after work for me to bring her over?"

The caller was the head of the detox center, calling at this hour made Yin Shixiu guess.

"No."

The voice on the other end sounded heavy, speaking haltingly, Yin Shixiu focused, "What’s wrong? If there’s something, just say it directly."