Happy Youngsters: Lin Miaomiao and Yingzi are vying to have babies!

"Thank you so much for taking care of my Xiaoxue. We're sorry to have troubled you." Xia Donghai led Xiaoxue to express his gratitude to Song Qian again.

"It's alright, it's alright. We're all classmates. Yingzi and Xiaoxue are such good friends. Please come to our house often!" Song Qian's words were not just polite talk.

Xia Donghai led Xia Xue out the door. At this moment, Qiao Yingzi's eyes lit up and she said, "Mom, I'll see Uncle and the others off."

Song Qian nodded without giving it much thought.

After leaving Qiao Yingzi's house, Xia Ze stood at the door waiting for her, while Xia Donghai and Xia Xue, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, walked ahead towards the entrance of the residential area.

Seeing Qiao Yingzi chasing after him, Xia Ze laughed and said, "Let me guess why you came after me. It must be because of the haunted house!"

Qiao Yingzi rolled her eyes: "Can't I ask you for anything other than the haunted house thing?"

"Of course! You're my good 'brother'!" Xia Ze said with a smile, emphasizing the word "brother".

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yingzi angrily pulled out her fist and punched Xia Ze twice. Xia Ze symbolically said a couple of times, "Ouch, ouch, ouch."

After arguing for a while, Qiao Yingzi finally asked, "Can you really handle my mom?"

"Let's give it a try! I'll definitely do my best." Xia Ze couldn't guarantee it either.

Seeing Xia Ze doesn't guarantee that Qiao Yingzi won't feel disappointed.

"Don't worry, even if it doesn't work this time, we can go together the week after next, or the week after that, whenever you're free."

Hearing this, Qiao Yingzi was delighted, but she was also very curious: "Do you guys get together every week?"

"Of course not, since not everyone is free on Saturdays and Sundays, we can only try our best to make arrangements."

People like Fang Yifan and Gou Ge can come out every week, but it would definitely be more difficult for people like Lin Miaomiao and Qiao Yingzi.

"Is that right?"

"Don't think too much about it! If you don't go back soon, I reckon your mom will come after you."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yingzi was stunned for a moment. After realizing what was happening, she glanced in the direction of her home and instantly saw Song Qian standing on the balcony.

It's over, it's over!

Thinking that her mother would scold her to death when she got home, Qiao Yingzi ran home quickly without looking back.

Chapter Seventeen: Xia Xue Reveals Her True Feelings (Seeking Flowers, Reviews, and Monthly Tickets)

"Mom, aren't you going to sleep yet?" Qiao Yingzi felt a little guilty looking at Song Qian's expressionless face.

She probably didn't hear what I and Xia Ze were saying, right?

Song Qian sighed: "How is your relationship with Xia Ze?" She was actually a little worried.

Yingzi is sixteen years old this year, which is the perfect age for youthful innocence. Xia Ze is indeed good-looking and quite polite.

What if Yingzi falls in love too early?

"It's alright!" Qiao Yingzi thought for a moment. Her relationship with Xia Ze wasn't particularly close; they were just good friends.

However, after today's incident, she could feel that her friendship with Xia Ze had taken another step closer.

"Really? It's getting late, you should go back to your room and rest." Hearing her daughter's words, Song Qian understood that the two were indeed just ordinary good friends.

She knows her daughter well enough not to lie.

…………

On the way back to Xingfu Community.

Xia Donghai specifically asked the driver to stop at a park not far from Xingfu Community.

The three decided to walk home for the rest of the journey.

The main reason was that Xia Donghai wanted to use the time he spent walking home to talk to Xia Xue.

There weren't many people in the park at 11 p.m., only a few young people passing by laughing and joking.

Xiaoxue followed silently behind Xia Donghai with her head down.

Xia Donghai adjusted his glasses and sighed heavily, "Xiaoxue, Dad has always thought that you and your brother are the most sensible children."

"Being sensible? Does being sensible mean growing up without a father or mother and having to accept a stranger as a stepmother?" Hearing Xia Donghai's words, Xia Xue's eyes welled up with tears of grievance.

Hearing his daughter's complaints, Xia Donghai, who was walking ahead, trembled, feeling as if a pair of large hands were squeezing his heart.

"Xiaoxue, Dad has never felt that he doesn't love you."

"Love me? If you love me, why did you abandon me to my grandfather? Loving me means losing my mother!"

"If you truly love me, you shouldn't have divorced Mom. That way, my brother, who has always doted on me, wouldn't have left me."

Xia Xue's pent-up grievances finally erupted at this moment, and she practically shouted out every word she uttered.

Xia Ze, who was standing to the side, knew that Xiao Xue was in a bad mood and that what she needed most at this moment was not comfort from others, but a supportive embrace.

He pulled Xia Xue into his arms and gently patted her back.

Feeling her brother's warm embrace, Xia Xue felt much better after her breakdown.

"Brother." Xia Xue cried loudly. If Xia Ze hadn't been there, she would have felt like the whole world had abandoned her.

Xia Donghai was initially angry, but seeing Xia Xue crying so hard, he felt very sorry for her.

He couldn't help but start to reflect on whether he was really a qualified father.

"Cry, Xiaoxue, cry out all your grievances. You'll feel better after you cry it out," Xia Ze comforted her.

It took several minutes for Xia Xue to stop crying. Seeing that Xia Xue was in a better mood, Xia Ze let go of her.

Xia Ze knew he shouldn't be saying so much, but he also knew that Xiao Xue was probably the only one who would listen to him.

"Sometimes reality isn't as good as you imagine. Even though my mom and I have lived abroad for so many years, she spends more time at the company than at home."

“But I have never blamed my mother, because she needs money for both taking care of the children and her own expenses.”

Xia Xue wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She knew Xia Ze hadn't lied to her.

Although her childhood memories are somewhat hazy, she does remember that her mother was a woman who spent money extravagantly.

So it's true that he's not by his brother's side because he's making money.

"What I really want to say is that Dad and Aunt Liu Mei really love you. Do you know why Lao Xia was so angry this time?"

"Why?" Xia Xue glanced at Xia Donghai furtively.

“In the eyes of parents, their children’s safety is always the top priority. This time, you went missing without regard for the danger and crossed Lao Xia’s bottom line.”

"And you know what? Aunt Liu Mei almost fainted because she was worried about you. If I hadn't caught her, something bad might have happened."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xue's expression instantly changed, and she couldn't help but feel worried about Liu Mei's health.

Although she disliked Liu Mei, she didn't want to see Liu Mei get into trouble because of her.

While Xia Ze was comforting Xia Xue, Xia Donghai also figured out some things. He walked to Xia Xue's side with an apologetic expression.

“Xiaoxue, I’ve really let you down over the years. It was wrong of me to leave you alone with Grandpa without considering your feelings.”

"The hurt that my divorce from your mother caused you three siblings has always been a thorn in my side, but if I had to choose again, I would still choose to divorce your mother."

"Why?" Xia Xue was very confused. Since they knew that divorce would hurt them a lot, why would they still choose to divorce?

Xia Donghai sat down on the edge of the flower bed with a heavy expression, watching a young couple pass by.

"When your mother and I first met, we were just as sweet as they are now. I thought we would grow old together. But after we got married, I realized that we had different values, different personalities, and different attitudes toward life."

"Xiaoxue, do you think two people like this can be happy together?" Xia Donghai asked.

Xia Xue, a girl her age, longs for love, but Xia Donghai's words gave her a deeper understanding of it.

Xia Ze, standing to the side, agreed with his father's words. People with incompatible personalities would have different attitudes towards life after marriage, and the trivialities of daily life would be a torment for both of them.

Xia Donghai looked at his silent daughter and knew that she had taken his words to heart.

Xia Donghai nodded with satisfaction.

“Xiaoxue, Dad knows you haven’t gotten over the shadow of my divorce from Mom. Maybe you feel that Dad and this family have abandoned you, but Dad has never thought of abandoning you. In Dad’s heart, you will always be my most beloved daughter.”

"And your Aunt Liu Mei, she knows you feel insecure, so she always puts you first in everything at home, big or small. You might think it's just her pretending or being polite to strangers, but Dad can guarantee that your Aunt Liu Mei cares for you like her own daughter from the bottom of her heart."

Xia Donghai's earnest words lessened Xia Xue's defenses against Liu Mei.

However, it will probably take some time before Xia Xue completely opens up to him.

"Alright, alright, you have school tomorrow, Xiaoxue, come home with me." Xia Ze interrupted their conversation.

If Xia Donghai continues talking like this, it will probably be past midnight. Of course, the main point is that saying too much can backfire.

Xia Xue nodded and obediently followed Xia Ze. Soon the three of them returned home.

As soon as the door opened, Liu Mei rushed over with concern, and only felt relieved when she saw that Xia Xue was safe and sound.

Xia Xue noticed Liu Mei at this moment. Remembering what Xia Ze had said earlier about Liu Mei being so worried about her that she almost fainted, she suppressed her nervousness and spoke for the first time: "Aunt Liu..."

Chapter 18: Lin Miaomiao, the Queen of Rice! (Seeking flowers, ratings, and monthly tickets)

"Auntie, are you alright?"

Xia Xue's voice was very soft, but it was very clear in an environment with absolutely no background noise.