CHAPTER 533: CHAPTER 535

Once again she arrived at the active volcano, Xia Xiao held onto Shitou tightly, her heart filled with reluctance.

"Brother, you must hold on. If you reincarnate with your memories, come find me, or I will try my best to find you."

"I will definitely come to find you. Don’t worry, our connection is deep. I was even thinking, why don’t you consider having another child, and then I could become your child."

Once Shitou finished speaking, Xia Xiao laughed. "I’m too old for that now. If it were a few years earlier, maybe I would agree."

"You can still do it now."

Xia Xiao shook her head, "I haven’t been with my lover recently. Why don’t you go back, let me and my lover prepare a bit, and perhaps you really could become my child."

"Forget it, I’m already here." After saying that, Shitou brought Xia Xiao to the side of the furnace and said, "You throw me out, and you leave through the space yourself, be quick. Once you leave, hurry and buy a plane ticket to fly back."

Xia Xiao was silent, then said to Shitou, "Okay, I’ll listen to you. You go quickly and make sure to overcome the energy stone and absorb it."

At that moment, both Xia Xiao and Shitou had hearts filled with tragic resolve.

Shitou smiled at Xia Xiao and said, "Actually, I lied to you. If I die, as long as the space isn’t destroyed, you won’t be harmed. I was afraid you wouldn’t bring me here, so I was guarding against you. So hurry up and leave."

Xia Xiao cried, "It’s okay, I don’t mind you deceiving me, as long as you can successfully reincarnate."

Having spent decades together, Xia Xiao had come to regard Shitou as a confidant in her heart, hoping Shitou’s wish would be fulfilled, even if it meant being deceived by him.

She was able to live another life, and live so well, how could Xia Xiao blame Shitou? She needed to thank him.

"Brother, I look forward to you becoming my family member again." Xia Xiao kissed Shitou and then threw him out of the space, towards the furnace.

Then Xia Xiao swiftly left the space, distancing herself from the volcano.

Yet Xia Xiao didn’t follow Shitou’s advice to leave far away; she waited not far from the active volcano.

Meanwhile, Shitou in the active volcano was absorbing the energy stone, and Xia Xiao waited day by day, restless, either making international calls to Gao Jiaxing or calling her sons, daughters, parents, brothers, and sisters to distract herself.

But one month passed, then two months, three months.

Xia Xiao felt she couldn’t just keep waiting; she needed to do something meaningful, so she began to conduct research again or to make design drafts.

As long as the volcano didn’t erupt, Xia Xiao could feel a little more at ease.

Three months passed, half a year passed, and even the next day, Xia Xiao still hadn’t gone back to her country.

However, Feiling came to see Xia Xiao, "Mom, what’s happening with you? Are you really planning on settling here?"

Indeed, Xia Xiao had bought a house near the active volcano and lived there every day, watching in the direction of the active volcano, waiting day by day.

"I’m conducting research," Xia Xiao said with a faint smile, using it as an excuse.

"Mom, when are you coming home? Dad really misses you, and your sons all think of you. This year, Feiyi participates in the Olympics—are you not going to watch?"

Feiling’s words made Xia Xiao pause. Was Feiyi participating in the Olympics? She had completely forgotten.

At that, Xia Xiao hesitated, looking towards the direction of the active volcano and said, "Okay, you go back first. Before Feiyi’s Olympics, I will finish the tasks at hand and will definitely make it."

Feiling had no complaints and talked about home affairs with Xia Xiao, "Your second brother has found a partner and is waiting for you to come back to preside over the wedding."

"Oh, from where? Your second brother didn’t tell me." Xia Xiao felt a bit guilty; indeed, she hadn’t been paying enough attention to her sons. Feiyue and Feiyang were twins and it was about time they looked for partners to marry.

And also Feiyi, Feiteng, even Feiling, each of them was of marriageable age.

"Who knows? Second brother found a partner and kept it mysterious; even I don’t know," Feiling pouted.

"Do your third and fourth brothers have partners?" Xia Xiao asked.

"The third brother, ah, I remember there was a chubby girl who chased him before, but then she went abroad to study. I don’t know her name, but recently I noticed the third brother has been getting close to a famous female singer."

"Which female singer?"

"That Hu Li—I’ve met her a few times. She’s a good singer and has won many awards. I just don’t know what her character is like," Feiling continued, "As for the youngest brother, Mom, I’ve got to tell you, he is actively pursuing a female lawyer."

Xia Xiao was taken aback again; she just realized she knew very little about her children, and for a moment, she felt saddened, "Am I really being an incompetent mom, neglecting you all?"

"Not at all. Mom, you are the best mom in the world, we all like you and dad. You guys aren’t as authoritarian or overbearing as other parents, nor do you interfere too much. Compared to others, I feel lucky to have such parents; I think my older brothers also feel the same."

Upon hearing Feiling’s words, Xia Xiao blushed with embarrassment. Her laissez-faire parenting hadn’t led her children astray, and for that, she truly felt fortunate.

Feiling gently leaned on Xia Xiao’s shoulder, "Even though dad and mom are busy, you haven’t forgotten about us. And when we were younger, you often accompanied us. It was less so when we grew up, but we’ve also matured and understand that you are busy, and we wouldn’t always cling to you."

Speaking of this, Feiling added, "You know, my brothers and I don’t find partners, and grandpa and grandma also wouldn’t force us to go on blind dates or arrange partners for us. Mom, you don’t know, a classmate of mine, her parents are arranging a marriage for her, forcing her to marry someone she doesn’t like. That guy, I’ve met him too—he even said he wanted to keep me as a mistress, disgusting. But my classmate’s parents care only about his family background. My classmate has a tough life, the guy parties outside, doesn’t come home, and even resorts to domestic violence when drunk."

"Is it that girl who used to be close to you?" Xia Xiao asked.

"Yes, she and I were classmates from elementary school all the way through high school and university. We were very close. She wanted to be an actress like me, but right after graduation, her family arranged for her to get married. Now, she wants to divorce but can’t, and her parents won’t allow it, plus she now has a child," Feiling spoke of her classmate, her face full of sympathy.

"And you?" Xia Xiao asked Feiling, "Seeing anyone? Or have feelings for someone?"

"I’ll consider relations when I am forty." Feiling was currently unwilling to discuss love.

"That Jing Yao, are you still in contact with him?" Xia Xiao’s brows furrowed slightly.

Feiling slowly shook her head, "No, haven’t met him since then."