Shen Qi knew immediately that it belonged to Ye Moxuan since Song An mentioned that it dropped out of his suit jacket. Hence, she accepted the small box from Song An and was ready to place it back into the jacket’s pocket.
Song An cocked a brow at her when she saw how obedient Shen Qi was. “Aren’t you curious what it is? Don’t you want to open the box and have a look?”
Shen Qi paused when she heard that before looking up to meet Song An’s gaze.
‘Open the box and have a look’?
“The box seems small and intricate, and even if it belongs to Moxuan, I’m sure that he bought it as a present for someone. Maybe it’s a gift for you. Why don’t you open it to have a peek?”
“Th-That doesn’t seem right,” Shen Qi answered with an embarrassed smile. After all, it isn’t right to touch Ye Moxuan’s belongings without his permission. Besides, Ye Moxuan would never buy me a gift.
Maybe he bought this gift for someone else.
Song An reached out and took the box away. “I’ll open it if you are not going to. I am very curious to see what Moxuan bought.”
With that, Song An opened the box straightaway, leaving no time for Shen Qi to stop her at all.
Shen Qi saw a pair of sparkly stud earrings with pink diamonds the moment Song An opened the box. Both of them were startled by the shiny and stunning pinkish hue of the earrings. “See, I told you he bought this gift for you,” Song An shouted in pleasant surprise.
Shen Qi stopped breathing at that moment, staring at the cute and round stud earrings, and she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her.
This pair of stud earrings…
It’s the same pair of stud earrings Yan picked for me when we were out shopping previously. At that time, I tried them on too, but the stud earrings cost a bomb, so I finally didn’t purchase them. Ye Moxuan wanted to buy them for me, but I rejected him in the end.
I left the shop right after that. Who would have thought Ye Moxuan had actually bought them?
But when did he buy them? Why didn’t he give them to me after making the purchase?
Shen Qi recalled Ye Moxuan’s steely gaze, and the serious, stern expression he wore on a daily basis. She remembered vividly how intimidating and suffocating it felt when he remained silent, but he had a sharp tongue when he started speaking. Hence, she couldn’t imagine him purchasing these stud earrings and pocketing them in his suit jacket.
“Something doesn’t seem right, judging from your expression. What’s wrong?” Song An asked out of curiosity because she realized Shen Qi was staring at the pink stud earrings in a daze.
Shen Qi came to her senses when she heard Song An. “Nothing,” she answered with a shake of her head.
Shen Qi looked away, but she was still confused. Why would Ye Moxuan buy this pair of stud earrings for me? He hates me after all.
“You have such fair skin, and these stud earrings match your skin tone perfectly,” Song An added with a smile before placing the box into Shen Qi’s hands. “I’ve never seen Moxuan buying anything for a girl before.”
“Aunty, I think you might have misunderstood. This might not be for me.” Shen Qi suddenly felt as though the little box in her hands weighed a ton. Shen Qi tightened her grip around the box before closing the box carefully as if the item in the box was something precious.
Song An smiled in silence, and she seemed to understand something suddenly. Since she is so shy, I shouldn’t make her feel uncomfortable.
Soon, Song An left to prepare a meal, and the two of them enjoyed a simple dinner together with several dishes. Song An was a good cook, and Shen Qi finished a whole bowl of rice. Song An commented since Shen Qi seemed to have worked up an appetite, “You should eat more since you are so thin. It’s detrimental to your child.”
With that, Song An stood up to pour a bowl of chicken soup for Shen Qi. “You look as if you are malnourished, and people might think that Moxuan is torturing you. You should eat more in the future. If you think that their food doesn’t suit you, come visit me, and I’ll cook a meal.”
“Thank you, Aunty, but I can’t bother you on a daily basis.”
“It’s fine,” Song An answered with a faint smile. “After all, I am Moxuan’s only family member left in this world.”
Shen Qi was rather curious at the mention of Ye Moxuan’s life because from what she gathered through Ye Linhan, Ye Moxuan never lived in the Ye residence when he was young. He was brought back to live there afterward, so it gave people the false impression that he was an illegitimate son.
“Are outsiders spreading rumors claiming that Moxuan is the Ye family’s illegitimate son?” Song An asked suddenly after pondering for a moment.
Shen Qi snapped back to reality and met Song An’s gaze in shock.
How did she know what I was thinking?
“To be honest, that is not the truth,” Song An answered while putting down her chopsticks. Then, she picked up a paper towel to wipe her lips gracefully before speaking slowly. “Ye Moxuan’s father cheated on Moxuan’s mother who happens to also be my older sister.”
“My older sister’s name is Song Xin, and Moxuan’s father put in a lot of effort to win her heart all those years ago. My older sister had always been softhearted, and she ended up with Ye Moxuan’s father after he pestered her persistently. Later on, the two of them developed feelings for each other, and everything else happened naturally. However, not long after they got married, Moxuan’s father had an affair.”
Song An paused when she got to that point before continuing in a quiet voice. “Although my sister is softhearted, she was a very strong woman. How could a strong woman possibly accept her husband cheating on her? She wouldn’t even be able to stomach emotional cheating, let alone physical cheating. Song Xin was not one to compromise, and that was why…”
“That was why she didn’t give Ye Moxuan’s father a chance, and she left straightaway?” Shen Qi asked promptly.
Song An glanced at Shen Qi with admiration when she heard that while nodding. “That’s right.”
“Song Xin is a strong woman, but that man moved her with his sweet nothings. Who would have expected him to have a change of heart in a blink of an eye? That was why Song Xin left without any hesitation and without sparing a backward glance. Although he begged her later on, she didn’t return to him and didn’t shed a tear for him as well. However, not long after that, that so-called loyal man brought the mistress back to the Ye residence.”
“What?” Shen Qi cried out in shock and had eyes wide like saucers. “How could he possibly bring home the mistress? That’s…”
“Shocking, right? However, more often than not, men are fickle creatures. They may profess their love for you, but the next thing you know, he could be falling in love for someone else.”
“But, of course…” Song An changed the topic abruptly. “Moxuan is not that sort of man. After all, his mother has always taught him to be a loyal person, and he is very similar to my sister in nature. Hence, you don’t have to worry about the possibility of him falling for another woman.”
Shen Qi’s hand trembled when she heard that. Is Ye Moxuan as strong as his mother?
“But, as a person who is headstrong, wouldn’t he be opposed to this type of marriage more than anyone else?”
“That’s true! It is one thing to be opposed to the idea of it. However, you can’t control your own heart because falling in love is a whole other matter. Don’t you agree?”
“Perhaps he resisted the idea initially, but you should know better based on everything he had done later on. Am I right? What has he been doing during the past few times I’ve met with you? As his aunt, I’ve been observing the two of you.”
“Shen Qi… I’ll call you Qi instead. I know that you are a decent child, but Moxuan is a very sensitive person, and he might put up a defiant holdout against you. Hence, I am asking you this—are you confident?”
