C25 Why Did You Say Sorry?

Despite Lo Qing's many words, Fu Jingchuan's face betrayed no emotion.

"Go back first," the man commanded in a deep voice, brooking no argument.

Lo Qing felt resentful, having to leave Soong Ling behind in the house while she was sent away like an outcast—a true humiliation!

But at that moment, she had no other option. The man was not one to repeat himself.

"Then I'll be off. I'll visit Sui next time," Lo Qing said, releasing her grip and mustering a polite smile. As she turned away, her expression darkened.

Soong Ruanruan met her gaze head-on.

"Mammy, I want to go up and see Little Brother," An An requested in a gentle voice.

Soong Ruanruan set her daughter down and looked to Fu Jingchuan, "Mr. Fu, could you please allow An An to go up for a visit? We adults will stay out of the way for now."

Children have a way of communicating that can often bridge gaps that adults cannot. Even if she tried to connect with him now, it might only push Dear Sui away.

Fu Jingchuan glanced down, meeting the hopeful gaze of the little girl, who was looking up at him unblinkingly.

"Go ahead."

With his consent, An An beamed a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Uncle!"

She trotted up the stairs and at the door, called out in a tender voice, "Brother, what are you doing in there?"

Silence followed. An An blinked and inquired, "Brother, may An An come in?"

After a pause with no reply, An An pouted, glancing down at her mother with a wounded look, and asked, "Mammy, does big brother not like me?"

Before Soong Ruanruan could respond, a faint voice emerged from the room, "No."

The little girl's face brightened. "Then come out and play with me, big brother! I brought so many toys today, even a little car! The nurse said boys like cars, but An An doesn't have many..."

Listening to her daughter chatter away, Soong Ruanruan sensed the time was right. She ascended the stairs and gently tapped on the bedroom door.

"Dear Sui, Auntie and An An are here to visit. Are you feeling a bit upset?"

Just when she thought she was in for another stretch of silence, the door quietly cracked open a bit.

Soong Ruanruan breathed a sigh of relief and gently pushed the door open, whispering, "Dear Sui, is this your way of welcoming Auntie? Well then, we're coming in."

Behind her, Fu Jingchuan observed the scene with a quiet sense of astonishment.

In the past, when Fu Sui's symptoms flared up, even he struggled to manage.

Yet this mother and daughter had effortlessly coaxed their son into opening the door?

Soong Ruanruan entered the bedroom, which was spacious and simply decorated, hardly resembling a child's room.

Fu Sui was huddled in the corner of the bed, his head buried in his knees.

"Brother, what's wrong?" An An approached him first, her lips pursed in concern.

Fu Sui slowly looked up, his earlier agitation gone, leaving only a look of gloom and despondency in his eyes.

Hearing no response from her son, Soong Ruanruan's heart ached. "Dear Sui, if something's bothering you, you can tell Auntie."

The little girl nodded in agreement. "Brother, you can tell me too."

After a silent few seconds, Fu Sui finally spoke, "You guys... hate me."

Soong Ruanruan was taken aback, quickly realizing what the child was thinking, and she nearly teared up.

If she had been by her son's side all these years, would Dear Sui have grown to be so sensitive and helpless?

"We don't hate you!" An An shook her head emphatically. "I could never hate you, Brother!"

After a moment's thought, she pulled out a toy car and a plush rabbit from her backpack. "I heard Brother's gift got broken, so let me give you two gifts instead. Please, don't be sad anymore, okay?"

Soong Ruanruan felt a surge of warmth at her daughter's gesture, surprised that she had taken the butler and Lo Qing's conversation to heart.

Considering that the rabbit toy was her daughter's new favorite, the fact that she was willing to part with it showed just how much she cared for her brother.

Fu Sui remained silent, his gaze fixed on the toys in the little girl's hands.

Just when An An was about to put the item back in her bag, thinking the other party wouldn't accept it, Fu Sui suddenly spoke up, "Sorry."

"Huh?" The little girl blinked in confusion. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I... wasn't on time," Fu Sui said, lowering his gaze.

Soong Ruanruan chuckled. "It's okay. Look, your dad did pick us up on time, didn't he?"

Fu Jingchuan remained silent.

This woman, she certainly knew how to tease him.

Previously, he would never have allowed Soong Ling to cross the threshold of the Fu family home, but now...

Every disguised prey eventually shows their true colors, don't they?

Listening to the mother and daughter exchange warm words, the defensiveness and gloom in Fu Sui's eyes slowly faded. Still, the thought of not being able to give his sister a gift weighed heavily on him.

An An wasn't concerned about gifts. Seeing his mood lift slightly, she asked with a beaming smile, "Brother, where are we going to play?"

No sooner had she spoken than her stomach growled in protest.

The little girl's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

That's when Soong Ruanruan remembered the doctor's advice to eat smaller, more frequent meals. She had only given her daughter a light breakfast, and after so much time, she was bound to be hungry.

"Mr. Fu, could you perhaps take Dear Sui out for lunch today?"

Fu Jingchuan caught the subtle anticipation in his son's eyes and responded coolly, "We'll eat here."

Soong Ruanruan paused, taken aback. Had she heard that right? To dine at the Fu family's home?

This was an honor she hadn't experienced even four years ago.

"Are you sure? It seems like it might be inconvenient."

She was more than willing to spend time with Dear Sui, but as for this man, she preferred to minimize their interactions.

At the entrance, the butler, who was about to serve tea to Soong Ruanruan and her daughter, overheard Fu Jingchuan and promptly said, "Lunch is already prepared, please enjoy it without concern."

Soong Ruanruan hesitated. It seemed improper to decline again.

Ten minutes later, Soong Ruanruan and her daughter were seated at the dining table.

"It's so yummy!" An An's cheeks puffed out rhythmically as she chewed, her appetite so infectious that it could stir hunger in anyone watching.

Fu Sui watched his sister's small face, his usually lackluster appetite now tinged with a hint of craving.

The children were enjoying themselves immensely, yet Soong Ruanruan felt somewhat on edge.

Whether by design or coincidence, the deep and detached glances from the man across the table occasionally swept over her, leaving her feeling uncomfortable.

Had she not spent years studying psychology and deliberately honing her ability to maintain a composed demeanor, Fu Jingchuan might have easily read her like an open book.

Hold on, why should she care about this despicable man's gaze?

Soong Ruanruan inhaled deeply, using psychological techniques to gradually relax.

The Soong Ruanruan of the past had perished in the delivery room. The woman she was now should not be swayed by his emotions!

"Mommy, this is super sweet!"

The little girl beside her was blissfully unaware of the adults' hidden agendas. She was about to place a piece of Cloud Jujube Cake into her mother's bowl when she hesitated, as if remembering something, and her small hand froze.

"Oops... I forgot Mommy doesn't eat sweets anymore."

With that, she placed the Cloud Jujube Cake onto her own plate.

"An An, you enjoy it," Soong Ruanruan said, her heart melting as she offered a tender smile to her child.

The little girl's words were naive, yet something seemed off.

Not eating now... did that mean she used to enjoy it?

Fu Jingchuan glanced up nonchalantly, but the woman's sallow and plain face betrayed no emotion.