C32 Then Who Do You like More?

"Dear Sui is just too adorable, so... I couldn't resist," Soong Ruanruan admitted, under the man's displeased gaze.

Fu Jingchuan took his son's hand with a stern look, "There won't be a next time."

Ji Yu, attempting to defuse the tension, skillfully shifted the conversation, "An An, didn't you mention wanting to go to the natatorium?"

"Yes, yes! Mommy, I promised to go today to watch brother learn to swim!" An An said, turning to address her uncle, "Can I join you? I'll be good and won't get in the way of brother's practice."

With the children's plans already set, Soong Ruanruan had no objections. The only thing left was to gauge Fu Jingchuan's reaction.

Confronted with the little girl's sparkling eyes, so reminiscent of someone he knew, Fu Jingchuan found himself unable to refuse.

With a succinct "Mhm," Fu Jingchuan led his son to the car.

A flicker of hope began to grow in Soong Ruanruan's heart, realizing that he always seemed particularly amenable when it came to their daughter. On reflection, she couldn't recall him ever saying no to An An.

...

Today, the natatorium was bustling and hadn't been booked for a private event.

Clearly, the Fu family had taken some of her advice as a professional psychologist to heart.

Watching Fu Jingchuan's retreating figure, Soong Ruanruan's emotions were mixed.

When it came to Dear Sui, this man truly did care.

In truth, she wasn't in a position to criticize him, was she? After all, she hadn't been the most competent mother to Dear Sui either.

Ji Yu stood beside her, his gaze following Fu Jingchuan's silhouette, tinged with a touch of sadness.

Why, even after four years, did her eyes still linger on that man?

"Mommy, big brother swims so fast!" An An, seated on the poolside bench, clapped her hands in excitement, snapping the adults out of their reverie.

"Yes, Brother has only been learning for a short while, and he's already so impressive," Soong Ruanruan agreed.

Ji Yu crouched down, "An An, would you like to learn?"

"Can I?" An An's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

She often longed to play and be active like other kids, but she knew that doing so would worry her mommy.

In the past, she had suffered from sudden illnesses during certain activities, frightening her mom numerous times. She didn't want to go through that again.

A twinge of pain crossed Soong Ruanruan's heart. The agony of her daughter's illness had made her sensitive, and she was deeply concerned that An An might lose confidence because of her health issues in the future.

Ji Yu's eyes also reflected his concern as he gently patted the little girl's head and reassured her, "Of course you can. Uncle will take good care of An An."

Soong Ruanruan suppressed a smile and playfully asked, "Mr. Yu, you don't know how to swim, do you?"

Caught off guard, Ji Yu almost forgot about that detail and sheepishly grinned, "I can learn, and then I can teach An An. Would you be willing to wait for Uncle to learn?"

"Absolutely!"

It was a rare sight to see Ji Yu flustered, and Soong Ruanruan couldn't help but chuckle.

To an onlooker, they might appear to be a happy family, but to Fu Jingchuan, the scene was somehow irritating.

"There's no need to wait. An An can start learning now."

A chilly voice suddenly cut through the air. Soong Ruanruan turned to see Fu Jingchuan, who had been standing a distance away, now close by.

Before Soong Ruanruan could politely decline, her daughter's voice rang out, full of anticipation, "Can I really start now?"

Fu Jingchuan softened his tone and calmly affirmed, "Yes."

Seeing her daughter's delighted expression, Soong Ruanruan decided to approach the situation differently, "Then I'll go sign up right now."

As she finished speaking, the natatorium's manager quickly approached and offered, "Ms Soong, there's no need for formal registration. We can offer your daughter swimming lessons for free, and you're welcome to switch instructors at any time."

Soong Ruanruan's face fell slightly, "No, thank you. We prefer to follow the standard procedures."

The manager, taken aback, glanced uncertainly at Fu Jingchuan.

"Why not?" Fu Jingchuan asked, his tone seemingly indifferent.

Soong Ruanruan wished for Fu Jingchuan to be kinder to her daughter, but not in a way that felt arrogant or like charity, especially...

She wasn't sure if it was just her impression, but it seemed there might be an underlying jab at Ji Yu.

"If Mr. Fu sets such a precedent at the venue, I fear many will follow suit in the future," Soong Ruanruan answered with measured words.

Unexpectedly, the manager interjected with an obsequious tone, "Not at all, we only make exceptions for Director Fu."

Soong Ruanruan was at a loss for words.

"Mam, mam, there's a little girl talking to a boy!" An An's attention was on the natatorium when she suddenly spotted an amusing scene.

Upon hearing this, they looked toward the center of the pool and saw a girl, about ten years old, boldly greeting Fu Sui. Fu Sui responded briefly and then fell silent.

Coach Chen Li clarified, "Little Young Master, it's okay. She's my daughter."

With that, he signaled to his daughter, "Niannian, go play over there and don't interrupt Daddy's work."

Chen Niannian looked at Fu Sui with curiosity. Such a pretty little boy who didn't talk much; she wanted to be his friend.

On the shore, Soong Ruanruan's eyes brightened.

Dear Sui was willing to interact with a stranger. It seemed that external influences had little effect on him. The most significant issues were still the deep-seated family dynamics.

With the conversation thus derailed, the previous topic was dropped.

Soong Ruanruan didn't want to stand around engaging in awkward small talk. She also wanted to update Fu Jingchuan on her son's recent therapy progress, so she walked with the man to another area.

An An was left standing there while Ji Yu felt a sense of relief.

"An An, do you... like Mr. Fu?" Ji Yu asked softly as the little girl's gaze wandered.

An An replied with childlike innocence, "I like him!"

"And who do you like more, Mr. Fu or me?" Ji Yu asked, then suddenly felt petty for asking such a juvenile question.

The young girl, not fully grasping the question, exclaimed, "I like both!"

Ji Yu paused, then smiled, feeling at ease.

...

"So that's the update on Dear Sui's recent status. By the way, how has his sleep been at night?"

As Soong Ruanruan finished her inquiry, she suddenly heard a faint, intermittent cry.

Did she mishear? Or...

"Help... help me..."

Soong Ruanruan was startled; someone was indeed calling out!

She scanned the area and realized it was a deep section rarely frequented by swimmers. The din from the children's section was muffled here.

"Mr. Fu, can you tell where the sound is coming from?" Soong Ruanruan asked, her brow furrowed. She could hear the cries but couldn't pinpoint their origin.

She was aware, however, of Fu Jingchuan's exceptional hearing and trusted he could determine the source.

The man directed his gaze toward the left side of the deep water.

Soong Ruanruan hurried over to investigate. The calls for help grew louder. Approaching, she spotted a little girl flailing in the center of the pool, her pleas emanating from her as she was on the verge of sinking!

"Help, help me!"

Fu Jingchuan activated the emergency alarm. Simultaneously, with a decisive splash, Soong Ruanruan dove into the pool to assist!