CHAPTER 161

The days of recuperation were monotonous yet fulfilling. Tang Ruoyao occasionally had to go out for work assignments, trying to arrange them as round trips on the same day. If that wasn't possible, she would return early the next morning and spend the entire day sleeping with Qin Yinong in her arms.

Under such carefree and worry-free life, Qin Yinong's health greatly improved. Half a month later, she applied for an early discharge.

There was no other way, the little ones at home kept asking their mother when she would come back. After consulting with the doctor, they said it was fine for her to return home for quiet recuperation, so she decided to leave the hospital. The doctor saw them every day, and some things were understood without being explicitly mentioned. In a meaningful reminder, he said, "You still need to rest for a while, slowly recover, and avoid engaging in strenuous exercise."

The two glanced at each other, then turned their faces away simultaneously, their ears tinged with a blush.

On the day of her discharge, during the late autumn season, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers drifted in from the window, sweet and cloying, just like the atmosphere in the ward at that moment.

Except for necessary disguises, Qin Yinong was practically wrapped in layers upon layers by Tang Ruoyao, like a zongzi [a kind of traditional sticky rice dumpling.], to prevent her from catching a cold. Although Qin Yinong had often referred to herself as an old lady in her heart, she wasn't actually an old lady. When Tang Ruoyao held up a woolen coat and looked at her with anticipation, Qin Yinong promptly stopped her and said, "That's enough, I'm not cold."

Tang Ruoyao said seriously, "No, the sun didn't come out today, and it's windy outside."

Qin Yinong casually suggested, "Then give me a down jacket."

Tang Ruoyao pretended to ponder for a moment and actually took her joke seriously, calling out, "Guan Han."

Guan Han suppressed the laughter in her eyes and responded, "Yes."

After half a month of getting along, Tang Ruoyao had become very accustomed to her role as the boss's wife. Naturally, she ordered, "Go buy a down jacket."

Guan Han replied, "Okay."

Qin Yinong said, "Wait."

She glanced at Guan Han with a hint of meaning in her eyes, but it was difficult to discern her true intentions.

Guan Han understood. It was probably something like "You traitor who takes advantage of both sides! Who your boss, her or me?" But Guan Han wasn't afraid at all. Qin Yinong had been in an unusually good mood lately and wouldn't fire her.

If she could cooperate to give her CP (couple) some sugar, why not?

Qin Yinong withdrew her gaze from Guan Han's face and saw Tang Ruoyao's smiling eyes. Only then did she realize she had been played by her. Immediately, she maneuvered her wheelchair to turn away, facing her back to Tang Ruoyao.

Tang Ruoyao, seeing the woman getting angry, remained calm and slowly walked around to face her.

Qin Yinong's anger had its limits, mostly due to her personality. She wouldn't act like many girls in a romantic relationship, refusing to listen until the other party coaxed her repeatedly. 

Qin Yinong wasn't like that, she was easily appeased.

Tang Ruoyao crouched in front of her, not evading or making a fuss, not saying a word. Qin Yinong's pair of bright and glossy eyes quietly gazed at her, and her hands nervously and expectantly clenched into fists, resting on her knees, obediently waiting for her next words.

She probably didn't realize how endearing her expression was.

Every time Tang Ruoyao saw her, a deep sense of pity would well up inside her, uncontrollable.

Tang Ruoyao placed both hands on the wheelchair armrests, gazing at her slightly pursed and rosy lips, her throat moved, and she was about to lower her head.

Qin Yinong didn't stop her, but simply said softly, "Guan Han."

A smile appeared at the corner of Tang Ruoyao's mouth.

Guan Han understood and tactfully left, gently closing the door behind her.

Tang Ruoyao leaned in and kissed her.

From light to deep, completely immersed.

......

Tang Ruoyao kissed Qin Yinong's lips again, tugged at her disheveled collar, then straightened up and went to open the door.

Guan Han came in, her gaze unaffected as she shifted her eyes away from Qin Yinong's unusually rosy cheeks. She picked up their bags and Tang Ruoyao lowered her hat brim before pushing Qin Yinong's wheelchair out. They deliberately chose a time when there were fewer people around, both wrapped up tightly, especially Qin Yinong, who looked nothing like the glamorous and sexy female star from her appearance alone.

After a journey of over half an hour, the black SUV drove into Qin's residence.

Tang Ruoyao opened the rear door, jumped out, first lifted the wheelchair down, then placed Qin Yinong onto it and pushed her towards the entrance.

Qin Yinong was already able to walk on her own, but her body was still weak and couldn't endure for too long. The doctor recommended she use the wheelchair for a while longer. It was fortunate that Qin Yinong hadn't lost her novelty for the wheelchair yet. After returning home, Tang Ruoyao could still push her around the garden for some relaxation without worrying about being seen by others.

Ningning had heard the sound of the car long ago. Without waiting for her to go inside, she rushed out and pounced onto Qin Yinong's legs, excitedly shouting, "Mom!"

Tang Ruoyao stifled a cough.

Ningning hesitated and said, "Auntie Tang."

Finally, she called for Guan Han.

The child surrounded her, and Qin Yinong simply lifted them onto her lap, laughing and saying, "Let's all go inside."

The house was clean and bright, just like when they left. Qin Yinong looked at her daughter perched on her lap, then turned to Tang Ruoyao. She raised one hand, and Tang Ruoyao moved to her side, taking her hand in hers, feeling the warmth in her palm.

Qin Yinong lowered her gaze and suddenly smiled quietly.

She smelled the aroma of food.

Aunt Fang, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen with a kind smile on her face. "The meal is almost ready. We can eat in a little while."

Qin Yinong looked back through the glass door and saw Ji Shulan busy inside, only seeing her back.

She didn't come out to greet her, probably because she couldn't face her.

At this point, talking about forgiveness or unforgiveness seemed shallow and unrealistic. Ji Shulan was Ningning's grandmother, and regardless of Qin Luning's life or death, Ji Shulan had been taking care of her. Ningning couldn't be without her.

As for herself, she couldn't quite describe what she felt about Ji Shulan. She had betrayed and atoned, and the two couldn't cancel each other out, but it left her with some consolation. She was a person who didn't ask for much, and even a little kindness from others could leave a lasting impression on her, let alone her biological mother. Moreover, Ji Shulan indirectly contributed to the current situation, and she was living a happy life now, not wanting to dwell on past grievances.

She glanced at Tang Ruoyao, and Tang Ruoyao squeezed her hand and nodded at her.

Live in the present and go with the flow.

There was still some time before dinner, so Tang Ruoyao consciously stepped aside and left the mother and daughter some time alone, so as not to reset the little goodwill she had accumulated from the children.

Ningning curiously stared at Qin Yinong's wheelchair, and after a while, she asked with a hint of worry, "Mom, will you be able to stand up in the future?"

Qin Yinong immediately demonstrated standing up for Ningning.

The child widened her eyes, staring in surprise.

Qin Yinong smiled and ruffled her hair, pulling the startled child into her arms.

Tang Ruoyao had been paying attention to their conversation while reading.

"Mom, if you can stand up, why do you need a wheelchair?"

"Because Mom can't stand for too long."

"Then what were you doing in the hospital?"

"I was thinking about Ningning." Qin Yinong smiled and playfully booped her nose.

The child giggled, her laughter clear and crisp.

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: 'She's good at saying nice things, just not to me.'

Tang Ruoyao imagined a scene where Qin Yinong would say "I miss you" directly to her face, and her heartbeat uncontrollably accelerated.

After spending some time talking with the child, Qin Jianing suddenly lowered her voice, leaned close to Qin Yinong's ear, and whispered, "You've been talking to me for a long time, why don't you spend time with Auntie Tang?"

Qin Yinong implemented the policy of "ignoring Auntie Tang in front of Qin Jianing" to the end and said, "It's okay, let's talk about our own things and ignore her."

Ningning pursed her lips and looked at Qin Yinong with a hesitant expression.

Qin Yinong struggled to hold back her laughter, maintaining a calm demeanor.

Tang Ruoyao noticed the child approaching from the corner of her eye but pretended not to notice until her clothes were tugged by a small hand. She turned her face in surprise and asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Ningning remained silent, holding onto her clothes and leading her towards Qin Yinong.

Taking Tang Ruoyao to Qin Yinong's side, with rosy cheeks, she said, "I'm going to find Auntie Guan Han."

With a stride, she ran off.

Tang Ruoyao smiled and watched the hurried figure of the child, then suddenly said to Qin Yinong, "She's a bit like you in terms of personality."

Qin Yinong asked, "In what way?"

Tang Ruoyao thought to herself: 'She's reserved, just like you.'

But she carefully chose her words and said, "Both don't like to talk much."

Qin Yinong laughed.

Tang Ruoyao bent over and lifted her out of the wheelchair, placing her on the sofa. Qin Yinong could walk, but she enjoyed being held by Tang Ruoyao, and Tang Ruoyao knew her preferences well, so there was no need for unnecessary questions.

Before sitting down, Tang Ruoyao joked in her ear, "Do you want to sit on my lap?"

Qin Yinong blushed deeply.

There were people everywhere in the house, what kind of talk was that?

Tang Ruoyao corrected herself, "Then how about sitting together in the room?"

Qin Yinong looked at her meaningfully, her gaze lingering for more than two seconds.

Tang Ruoyao understood, and she agreed.

Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention to them, Tang Ruoyao kissed Qin Yinong's cheek, earning a playful scolding glance from the woman.

The two of them were not talkative by nature, and during their time in the hospital, they spent more time kissing than talking. Now, sitting side by side, Tang Ruoyao couldn't think of any interesting topics, so she brought up a practical matter.

Tang Ruoyao: "Ningning hasn't been to school for over half a month. Should we change her kindergarten or find a private tutor?"

Qin Yinong was used to discussing things with her, so she asked, "What do you think?"

Tang Ruoyao suggested, "Why don't we ask her opinion?"

Qin Yinong nodded.

......

Qin Jianing was feeling a bit nervous. She was originally sitting on the balcony reading comics with Auntie Guan Han, but suddenly she heard some noise behind her, and Aunt Guan Han got up and left. Then Qin Yinong and Auntie Tang walked towards her together and sat down in front of her.

Qin Jianing: "!!!"

Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao exchanged a glance, and Tang Ruoyao understood her meaning, instantly feeling the pressure. She rubbed her hands together, trying to make her tone sound gentle: "Your mom and I want to ask for your opinion on something."

Ningning unknowingly tensed up her face and said, "Please tell me." She appeared more mature and steady than Tang Ruoyao.

Tang Ruoyao became even more nervous and sought help from Qin Yinong, but Qin Yinong didn't assist her and gave her an encouraging look instead.

Tang Ruoyao collected herself and continued, "Do you want to continue going to kindergarten or should we hire a private tutor for you?" After a pause, she patiently explained, "If you go to kindergarten, it won't be your current school, and you won't see your old teachers and classmates. You'll have new friends. Hiring a private tutor means a teacher will come to our home to teach you how to read and write at a fixed time every day, but there won't be other classmates."

Ningning's expression was a bit strange, and her gaze towards Tang Ruoyao was filled with...

In short, it was an emotion that Tang Ruoyao couldn't understand.

This child's thoughts were even harder to guess than her mother's.

Tang Ruoyao cautiously asked, "Do you understand what I mean?"

Ningning nodded seriously.

Tang Ruoyao said, "Then what do you think?"

Ningning crossed her short legs and said earnestly, "I need to consider it carefully."

Tang Ruoyao could only respond, "...Alright, take your time to consider it, and let me know when you've made up your mind... or tell your mom."

After finishing the conversation with the child, Tang Ruoyao felt a cold sweat on her back.

Qin Yinong was in a rather cheerful mood, with a smile in the corners of her eyes and lips.

Tang Ruoyao turned to look at her and scolded, "You're still laughing."

Qin Yinong placed a hand on her forehead, unable to contain her laughter.

Tang Ruoyao pinched the woman's face and started laughing along with her.

Really, wasn't she just a little kid? Worst case scenario, she would write a couple more research papers to solve the problem.

After she finished laughing, Qin Yinong comforted her, saying, "She seems to have a good impression of you, so you don't have to worry so much." She beckoned Tang Ruoyao and whispered in her ear.

Tang Ruoyao listened eagerly as the woman softly spoke, "When you were away on your shoot, she would video call me and always ask about you."

Tang Ruoyao exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

Qin Yinong smiled and said, "Really."

Tang Ruoyao said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier then?"

"I..." Qin Yinong hesitated for a moment, subtly avoiding eye contact, and said, "I forgot."

Tang Ruoyao looked at her lowered gaze, lost in thought.

But no matter how much she thought about it, Tang Ruoyao couldn't figure out that Qin Yinong was afraid that Ningning would attract too much of her attention and neglect her. Actually, "neglect" wasn't accurate enough. It meant that she couldn't be as infatuated with her as before, couldn't love her and focus all her thoughts on her.

In short, she was jealous.

In the afternoon, Ningning mostly played by herself. She wasn't clingy by nature, so after Qin Yinong played with her for a while, she put on her headphones and listened to stories.

Curious about what she was listening to every day, Tang Ruoyao asked Qin Yinong. Qin Yinong said she listened to a variety of things, storytelling, idiomatic stories, and even some famous works from ancient and modern times, such as "Dream of the Red Chamber," "The Scholars," "Grimms' Fairy Tales," "Camellia Lady," and so on. It could be said that she had a wide range of interests.

Tang Ruoyao glanced over in surprise. Ningning was listening to stories while drawing, as if she was playing background music.

Tang Ruoyao asked softly, "Does she understand what she's listening to?"

Qin Yinong said, "Yes, she understands. After listening twice, she can give a general summary, and she can memorize shorter stories. How else do you think she developed her language skills?"

Her vocabulary was more extensive than that of many elementary school students.

Tang Ruoyao revealed a proud and joyful expression, saying, "She's amazing."

Qin Yinong didn't feel good hearing that.

She was quite dull when she was studying.

Tang Ruoyao was still immersed in the joy and pride of "My daughter is so outstanding" and didn't look at Qin Yinong, naturally unaware of her thoughts. She continued asking, "Have you tested her IQ?"

Qin Yinong shook her head and said, "No."

Tang Ruoyao turned to look at her and said, "Hmm?"

Qin Yinong explained, "I read in a child psychology book that you shouldn't deliberately treat your child as a gifted child to cultivate. The only thing you need to do is to encourage her reading habits and provide her with things she's interested in, fulfilling her requests as much as possible. Usually, these kinds of children have extraordinary concentration and don't need excessive control from adults. If you insist on interfering, it might backfire. Moreover, the label of high IQ might bring invisible pressure to her, and people around her will subconsciously expect her to meet the standards of a genius."

"So I don't know what her IQ is and I won't test it. Whether she's a genius or an ordinary person, she's still my daughter, right?"

Tang Ruoyao couldn't help but think again, raising a sigh. "Raising a child is truly a learning process."

She urgently needed to catch up and her eyes lit up as she asked Qin Yinong, "I remember seeing you reading a book on child psychology on the set before, was it that one?"

Qin Yinong said, "I can't remember." At that time, it was just a cover, she didn't really read it seriously.

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Do you still have those psychology books you were reading?"

Qin Yinong replied, "Yes, they're in the study."

Tang Ruoyao said, "Can I take a look?"

Qin Yinong paused for a moment and said, "I'll go fetch them for you." She was about to get up.

Tang Ruoyao couldn't sense her unusual behavior, which was a waste of her knowledge as a level ten Qin family scholar. She pulled Qin Yinong closer since they were in the living room, not too intimate, and asked, "Are you unhappy?"

The woman moved her lips but didn't speak.

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Why?"

Qin Yinong buried her face in Tang Ruoyao's neck.

Tang Ruoyao's gentle voice came from above, "Because of Ningning?" Even if this answer was unimaginable, they had only talked about this one topic, and there were no other options.

Qin Yinong clenched her teeth and remained silent.

Suddenly, she stood up and walked upstairs.

Tang Ruoyao quickly followed.

Qin Yinong took large strides, walking fast and urgently, and Tang Ruoyao ran after her.

Ningning, who was sitting in front of the French window, raised her eyelashes and blinked in confusion. The light shifted and illuminated the painting in front of her. The painting depicted four people—her grandmother and mother holding her hand, with an Auntie Tang standing beside her mother.

......

"Baby." Tang Ruoyao followed Qin Yinong into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. "What's wrong?"

Qin Yinong stood by the window with her arms crossed, remaining silent.

Tang Ruoyao approached her and noticed a slight redness in her eyes.

Tang Ruoyao almost teared up herself and softly pleaded, "What's really going on? Please tell me, okay?"

Qin Yinong's expression carried a hint of indescribable difficulty.

It was hard to put into words, but she couldn't bear to see Tang Ruoyao upset, so she spoke, "You always mention Ningning, and your eyes are always on her." Since they had come home, she could count on one hand the number of words she had said to herself.

Tang Ruoyao seemed to have not realized it.

Qin Yinong opened her mouth but remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm jealous."

Tang Ruoyao pursed her lips.

Qin Yinong turned away again and muttered, "I know I'm being unreasonable. It'll be fine later, don't worry about me."

A warmth enveloped her from behind as Tang Ruoyao embraced her, her hands wrapped around Qin Yinong's waist. She sighed and said, "How can I not worry about you? You are..." Tang Ruoyao swallowed the word "wife" that almost slipped out and continued, "my girlfriend. Who else should worry about you if not me?"

Qin Yinong fell silent for a moment and said, "I'm childish."

Tang Ruoyao kissed her ear and said, "I like your childishness."

Qin Yinong said, "I'm petty."

Tang Ruoyao kissed her cheek and said, "I like your pettiness."

Qin Yinong said, "I..."

Tang Ruoyao used two fingers to lift her chin and gently kissed her lips, saying affectionately, "I love everything about you."

Qin Yinong couldn't help but smile.

She relaxed into Tang Ruoyao's embrace, and with just a few words, all the lingering clouds in her heart were swept away, leaving only clear skies.

Once everything was settled, Tang Ruoyao wanted to eliminate any future troubles, so she said, "Do you know why I like Ningning?"

Qin Yinong made a sound of agreement and said, "I know." It was probably because of the saying "like mother, like daughter."

Tang Ruoyao didn't know if her understanding was comprehensive enough, and she continued, oblivious to Qin Yinong's thoughts, "Because she looks a lot like you."

"Doesn't talk much?" Qin Yinong remembered her words from earlier.

"Not just that," Tang Ruoyao said, "she looks a lot like you."

Qin Yinong shifted in her embrace, showing a slight hint of dissatisfaction. "I didn't look like this when I was a child."

"I know, you were..." Tang Ruoyao swallowed the word "chubby" just in time and rephrased her sentence, "adorable, much cuter." She then kissed the woman on the lips, making a loud smacking sound.

Qin Yinong knew that what she said might not be entirely true. How could she remember how she looked when she was a child? But she was still delighted by Tang Ruoyao's words, and she tried her best to suppress the corners of her lips that wanted to curl up into a smile.

Tang Ruoyao was afraid that she had been standing for too long, so she moved to the sofa, allowing Qin Yinong to sit on her lap, her hands wrapped around her waist.

"Anyway, I like her solely because of you. I want to show you that I can get along well with her. I want to make you happy, to see you laugh carefree and give you happiness."

"I'm already very happy." Qin Yinong lifted her eyelids and gently stroked the young woman's determined eyebrows with her delicate fingertips. Her heart felt soft and tender.

"Not enough, still not enough," Tang Ruoyao shook her head and said, "There's still a long way to go. I haven't taken you on a trip around the world, haven't watched snow together, haven't climbed mountains together, haven't spent all four seasons together, haven't explored all the beauty of the world."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she spoke, saying, "Baby, I've only done so little. There are still so many things I want to do with you. Don't be so easily satisfied."

It pained her, like a blunt knife cutting into her heart.

She would rather be a bit more greedy, a bit harder to please, even if it meant being unreasonable, like a normal couple, teasing and getting angry with her. She didn't want her to be so obedient and understanding, to swallow her own feelings and digest them whenever something happened.

Qin Yinong looked at her for a long time, her eyes gradually becoming moist.

She knew that Tang Ruoyao loved her deeply, but she didn't know that her love was so profound, so profound.

"Okay." The woman smiled through her tears and softly agreed, "Then I'll wait for you to take me on a trip around the world."

In reality, Qin Yinong had been to many countries, but each time was for work, filming or attending award ceremonies. She had been there, but she had never felt any novelty or longing for any particular country, including life itself. It was just one day after another, approaching death.

But because of Tang Ruoyao, she was filled with new expectations for the future.

She wasn't a blank sheet of paper or stagnant, lifeless water. She had once been colorful, but it was temporarily covered by a dark cloth. Now, Tang Ruoyao was slowly uncovering it.

"Don't always think that you've done too little. Without you, there wouldn't be the me I am now," Qin Yinong cupped Tang Ruoyao's face with both hands, her gaze gentle. "You're already good, very good, very good."

With each "very good," she earnestly nodded her head.

She nodded three times in total.

Tang Ruoyao gazed at her and said, "You're also good, very good, very good."

So when two people who are very good, very good, very good are together, they will definitely be happy.

Qin Yinong patted her head and got up, saying, "I'll go find a book for you. You wanted to read, right?"

Tang Ruoyao pulled her hand back, catching Qin Yinong off guard as she fell back into her embrace, letting out a soft exclamation.

The young woman suddenly clung to her like a big dog, wrapping all her limbs around her tightly, being affectionate.

Qin Yinong chuckled and gently patted her head, saying softly, "What's wrong?"

Tang Ruoyao buried her face in Qin Yinong's shoulder and mumbled, "I like you."

Qin Yinong's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Mm."

Tang Ruoyao lifted her face and said, "So I don't want to read anymore. I just want to look at you."

Qin Yinong: "..."

"Is it okay?" Tang Ruoyao blinked her eyes and hugged her, gently swaying back and forth.

Qin Yinong was completely embraced by her, swaying along with her, unable to help but suppress a smile, feeling a bit intrigued.

Was Tang Ruoyao... being spoiled towards her?

Lately, it had been her secretly being more spoiled towards Tang Ruoyao, but unexpectedly, Qin Yinong couldn't resist it. Even her fingertips were tingling, as if an electric current was coursing through her.

What was even more irresistible was yet to come.

Seeing Qin Yinong's delayed response, Tang Ruoyao softened her voice even more and suddenly said, "Sister..."

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