“What task? What new names?” Zong Yanxi asked, overhearing the end of the conversation as she placed the milk carton onto the dining table. She blinked and inquired, “What secret did you guys share when I was gone?”
Qin Ya pinched her cheeks. “Little girl, why are you so curious about everything?”
“Ouch! It hurts!” The girl widened her mouth, showing her pearly teeth in protest as she creased her brows. It did not hurt, as Qin Ya barely pinched her, but the girl was a good actress.
Qin Ya laughed, “You can be an actress on the television if you keep this up.”
“I’m pretty, so I’ll be popular, right?” Zong Yanxi looked stumped. “What if many people fall in love with me?”
Qin Ya stared at her in silence.
Then, she shifted her gaze to look at the ceiling. Who did this girl take after? Why is she so narcissistic?
“All right, let’s eat. You’ll need to go to school later.” Qin Ya served their breakfasts and opened the milk cartons for them before sliding them over. She urged, “Hurry and finish it. I’ll send you there later.”
Zong Yanchen shook his head. “We’ll go there ourselves. It’s quite close. Also, did my Mommy sleep late last night again?”
His school was in the neighborhood, so he did not need to leave the area. He was familiar with the route as it had been nearly a month since he started studying there.
Qin Ya nodded. “Yes. Your mommy’s trying to be a superwoman.”
“I’ll need to talk to her after school tonight. How can she not rest? Even if she doesn’t take care of herself, she has to take care of the baby. I can’t let my younger sibling disappear before I get to see him or her.”
Zong Yanxi mumbled nearly incoherently as he was still chewing on his food. However, Qin Ya heard his words clearly. She could not help but sigh. She knew about Lin Xinyan’s matter because the two had a long talk after she came back.
Her identity stunned her, and Qin Ya sighed at how fate worked. Once upon a time, she used to be jealous of Lin Xinyan and Zong Jinghao’s relationship. It was difficult for them to get together, but now…
She lowered her eyes, not wanting to show her emotions when the children were still around.
“What about Yanyan?” Zong Yanchen abruptly asked.
Both Qin Ya and Zong Yanxi froze before turning to look at him, confused.
Zong Yanchen sighed and shook his head, thinking, Adults are getting less and less reliable. He muttered, “Aunt Qin Ya, have you forgotten about asking me to come up with a name for you?”
Zong Yanxi widened her eyes. “Aunt Qin Ya, you’re asking Yanchen to give you a name? Are you serious? He only knows how to eat!”
Qin Ya laughed at the girl’s words as she patted the latter’s head. “Let’s not doubt him first. Let’s listen to his reason for picking this name. If you can’t tell me why, I won’t use it.”
“Okay.” Zong Yanxi nodded. She was jealous. Her teachers liked her brother better than her, and now Qin Ya was asking him to name her. Thus, she felt rather upset.
“It’s from ‘Nine Changes’ in the poetry collection, The Song of Chu. The line I took the word from was describing the lotus on the surface of the water, beautiful and gentle. That means the bearer of this name is someone like the lotus—to grow out of the mud, unsullied. It’s fitting for someone elegant and sacred. To me, you’re someone like that.”
He knew Aunt Qin Ya had sustained very serious injuries in the past, and that incident had been the reason for her change in appearance. Although she stayed strong in front of him and his sister, he knew she could not have escaped unscathed. It was impossible for someone to not care about their appearance.
Furthermore, she was a woman. Although she was still pretty, she was no longer as lively and friendly as she used to be. Those were things that were permanently taken from her.
After hearing that, Zong Yanxi fell silent and focused on her food instead.
She could not deny that Zong Yanchen was liked for a reason.
I shouldn’t be jealous. Yes. I’ll stick right by Yanchen’s side from now on. He knows too many things.
Qin Ya’s eyes were wide, and so was her mouth. She did not expect the boy to give her such a profound reason. This boy is a gifted child. Are children this age supposed to be like this now? Do they learn poetry in school?
“Y-Yanchen, is that what your teacher has been teaching you?”
Zong Yanchen shook his head. “My teacher won’t teach us things like that. They’re only teaching us one plus one. They’re treating us like fools. I don’t want Mommy to worry. That’s why I still go to the classes but it’s really a waste of my time.”
Qin Ya was even more bewildered by his answer. Does he mean he learned this himself?
That’s shocking.
“We’ll call you Aunt Yanyan, okay?” Zong Yanchen stared at Qin Ya with bright eyes and a serious expression as he anticipated Qin Ya’s response.
Qin Ya had already accepted the new name, sensing the sincerity of the boy. However, she was curious as to how he had thought of the name.
“Can you tell me where you’ve seen the ‘Nine Changes’?”
“In Mommy’s room. She has a lot of books, and I saw this one day. I don’t think Mommy knows what it means because I saw a website about the poem on her tablet. That’s why I know what it means.”
Qin Ya nearly sighed in relief. Now that’s normal. He’s already gifted in mathematics at this age. If he’s gifted in poetry comprehension too, then he’s no normal kid.
God must have poured an extra dose of intelligence into his brain.
After the children were done with their breakfast, Qin Ya sent them to school. When she returned, she realized Lin Xinyan was awake. Shrugging off the thin jacket she had worn when she went out, she muttered, “You should be hungry. I’ll make you something to eat.”
“No need. I’ll do it myself.” Lin Xinyan scooped some rice to cook herself porridge. While Qin Ya was cleaning up the table, she said, “Ms. Lin, I’ve changed my name.”
Lin Xinyan glanced at her, baffled. Changed her name?
“What’s wrong with your current one?”
“Your son said I’m basically reincarnated. Even my face and voice have changed, so I should change my name too.”
“What nonsense is that boy talking about?”
“Listen to me, Ms. Lin,” Qin Ya interrupted in a solemn tone and serious expression. “I think Yanchen’s right. New times, new me. I like the name he’s given to me.”
Lin Xinyan creased her brows to the point they nearly knitted themselves. He’s just a boy. What names can he come up with?
If he ends up calling her something like Goldie or Butter… ”Qin Ya…”
“Does Yanyan sound nice?” Qin Ya interrupted again, knowing what the other woman was about to say. She knew Lin Xinyan was going to say that Zong Yanchen was just a child with no naming sense.
“It sounds good, right? Aren’t you surprised that your son can come up with a name like this?” Qin Ya could see Lin Xinyan stunned for a moment before she collected herself.
“I’ve promised your son, so you have to call me Yanyan from now on.” It was rare for Qin Ya to smile like this. Lin Xinyan hugged her. As long as Qin Ya was happy, Lin Xinyan would let her do anything she wanted.
After all, it was just a name change.
After breakfast, the two changed before leaving the house to head to the embroidery studio. Shao Yun had gotten her an Alphard, one of the best multi-purpose vehicles available on the market, regardless of its appearance or interior. Initially, she wanted to reject it, wanting to purchase one of her own to bring her children out conveniently; she was looking for a spacious car as she had to take her children into consideration.
However, Shao Yun threatened to stop helping her if she rejected his offer.
With no other options, Lin Xinyan accepted it. She still needed Shao Yun’s help and ask for favors from him since she had yet to familiarize herself here.
Shao Yun was also the one to look for the embroiderers. If not for him, she would have wasted plenty of time trying to look for skilled embroiderers like the ones she had now.
Qin Ya drove as Lin Xinyan sat at the back by the window. The sun was not as bright as it would be in the afternoon, and the windows were tinted. Hence, she did not need to squint as she stared at the scenery outside. They had been on this route many times, and she was familiar with each passing tree. Leaning on the chair, her hands hovered on her slightly swollen stomach.
When the lights turned red, she watched the people crossing the road. Right then, her eyes flitted past the tallest building, and the news displayed on the large LED screen caught her attention. More accurately, the words “Wanyue Group” were the ones that caught her attention.
