After spending a relaxed weekend with Ye Jie, Xu Mey had to come back to the reality on the following Monday since a lot of work had been pending because of her mini-vacation. From the morning, she had been buried in the pile of work so deeply that she didn't even find some time to take a break for lunch.
Around 8 o'clock at night when she decided to leave the office, she was famished. While she was planning to make a trip to a restaurant for some takeout, she saw that the lights in her father's office were still on. Frowning a bit, Xu Mey thought to check up on him.
As she came near her father's office, she could hear the distinctive voices coming from inside.
"Brother, are you really not planning on seeing her?" Xu Mey could recognize the voice of Wu Wang's mother, Fan Bingbing anywhere.
"Xiao Bing, let's not discuss this topic." Xu Cheng replied and after a brief pause, he added, "Also, why are you even asking me this? Don't you hate her guts?"
"Even if I hate her guts, you need a few answers. That's your right." Fan Bingbing emphasized on this point.
"I wanted some answers but now that she's happy with her son and all, I can't possibly force her to remember that painful time all over again." Xu Cheng tried to appear indifferent but Fan Bingbing knew him better.
"Stop trying to act like everything is fine. You and I both know how much you'd been hurting from the time you heard about her having a son." Fan Bingbing felt a wave of fatigue crashing her. It was like this argument alone was enough to wear her down. She took a seat at the chair before his desk and went on, "I didn't like paying attention before but now, I checked. Even though she has a son, there is no husband."
"And why are you telling me that exactly?" Fan Bingbing was a bit taken aback by this question since she thought he'd be happy to hear this news. "Don't get your hopes too high... Xiao Bing, I'm seriously okay. Stop reminding me of her."
"I'm reminding you of her?" Fan Bingbing asked in disbelief. "Brother, it's you who never forgot her in the first place. And don't argue with me on that... You are still wearing the same wedding ring that she put on your finger."
At this reminder, Xu Cheng looked at the wedding ring on his hand and sighed dejectedly. "It's just a reminder that I failed as a husband. Not once but twice."
Fan Bingbing rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, "It's not you who actually failed... It had to be your wives who didn't know any better. Argh! I'm so angry right now!"
"Don't let these things incense you this much. Here have a glass of water," Xu Cheng offered her some water before continuing, "I agree that once I was afraid to lose her but now, I'm more scared to face her."
"Why? You didn't do anything wrong."
"I'm scared that I might really want to forgive her for whatever reason she had to leave me and my daughter. And honestly, I don't want to forgive her... At least, not for what my daughter had to face because of her absence. If she hadn't left me back then, I wouldn't have been forced into a deadlock which led me to marry Fu Lan." Xu Cheng's reply was reasonable to Fan Bingbing. No one knew better than herself about the pressure he had to face just so he could marry Fu Lan. And the fact that if Xin Qian hadn't left like that, he wouldn't have to marry again was also true.
"Fine... I won't force you to see her then." As the silence prevailed inside the office, Xu Mey was conflicted outside the door. She had already figured who they were talking about but in all honesty, she had no interest to know about her mother at all. She might have spent years trying to stay away from her father but in her heart, she was well familiar with how he had to fight with everyone in their family and Fu family all these years all on his own.
Taking their silence as a cue, Xu Mey knocked on the door and sashayed inside with a cheery expression. "Dad, what are you doing so late in the office?" She looked at Fan Bingbing and feigned surprise saying, "Oh my! Auntie Bingbing, when did you come?"
Fan Bingbing immediately lost the sulky look as she stood up and hugged Xu Mey in a frisky manner. "Little Mey, I thought you would have left for home by now."
"Why? You don't like seeing me here?" Fan Bingbing smiled at her as she shook her head.
"Obviously not! I'm glad to see you here. Wait for a second!" Under her scrutinizing gaze, Xu Mey felt a bit weird. "What is this? It seems like your husband really dotes on you."
"Huh? How did you come up with that idea?" Xu Mey asked with surprise.
"Well..." Fan Bingbing dragged the time a bit and caressed her cheek saying, "You're glowing like a light bulb. It has to be because of his love."
Xu Mey chuckled a bit before saying, "Or perhaps, my beauty products are actually working."
"Mmm..." Fan Bingbing bobbed her head up and down slowly. "That's also possible... Anyways, I'll still say that it's the magic of love."
"Why?"
"Aiyoh! That way my old soul will still have some faith in young love." Xu Mey couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably. Xu Mey would never dare to call Fan Bingbing an old soul since that term didn't fit with her personality at all. She was more like a teenager even at this age.