C5 Chapter 5

Fortunately, Xia Yanyou didn’t have any complaints about the apartment. Having just moved back, everything felt new and exciting to him, and he was practically buzzing with energy.

“Wow, Mom, look! There are people everywhere who look like us!”

“Wow, Mom, what kind of flower is that? I never saw anything like it in London!”

“Wow! Wow, wow, wow! It’s so lively here—just as busy as Fifth Avenue!”

“...”

From the moment they got off the plane, Xia Yanyou hadn’t stopped talking. At first, Xia Bing patiently explained the local culture and surroundings to him, but eventually she gave up and focused on unpacking instead. Every time he gasped in amazement, something else would catch his attention a second later anyway.

Dinner was simple—she picked up a few prepared items from the grocery store downstairs in the apartment building, then heated everything up once they got back. Xia Yanyou wasn’t picky. Whatever his mom made, he ate.

At the dinner table, Xia Bing said, “I already contacted a preschool for you. I’m taking you tomorrow to get you enrolled.”

“Huh? That fast?” Xia Yanyou’s little face scrunched up. “Shouldn’t we go explore first? I don’t even know this place yet.”

“Mom signed up for the National Fashion Competition, so I’m going to be busy with that for a while.”

“Huh?” Xia Yanyou looked even more deflated.

“Once I’ve made a name for myself and opened my own studio, I’ll take you out to have fun. Amusement parks, the aquarium, the zoo—you can pick whatever you want.”

Xia Yanyou’s eyes lit up. “Yay!”

“But you have to behave at preschool, okay? A lot of the rules here are different from the ones in London, so don’t go causing trouble.”

“Mhm, I know.” Xia Yanyou nodded obediently.

Early the next morning, clouds rolled across the sky as the rising sun scattered soft light over the earth on the gentle morning breeze.

As promised, Xia Bing arrived with Xia Yanyou at the nearest preschool.

“Oh my goodness! This child is just too adorable!”

The preschool principal let out an astonished cry the moment she saw Xia Yanyou.

His round eyes were as glossy and dark as obsidian, framed by naturally curled lashes that were thick and long. His little face was soft and round, tapering to a delicate chin, and his features were small and exquisitely formed—flawless in every way.

She had taught kindergarten for decades and had never seen such an adorable child. Her heart practically melted on the spot.

Xia Bing smiled, lowered her head to gently pat Xia Yanyou’s hair, then looked up at the principal. “It’s his first time back here, so if he has any trouble adjusting, I’d really appreciate it if you could look out for him.”

“No problem!” the principal replied readily. Her slightly clouded eyes stayed fixed on Xia Yanyou, as if she simply couldn’t get enough of looking at him.

The enrollment process went quickly. After sweetly saying goodbye to his mother, Xia Yanyou turned around and immediately blended in with the other kids in class.

At noon, under the blazing sun, inside Rongxin Building, Qin Chao handed a stack of documents to Saang Shijuan. “This is Miss Xia’s home address. Sunshine Kindergarten is the preschool her son attends. He was enrolled there this morning.”

Saang Shijuan gave a faint nod, his expression unreadable. “Leave it.”

Qin Chao inclined his head, set the documents down, and turned to leave.

Saang Shijuan picked up the file and glanced through it briefly. Then, without a trace of expression, he fed it into the shredder.

As the sun sank in the west, broad swaths of sunset clouds spilled across the sky like a shattered painter’s palette.

At the silent Xishan Villa, the moment Saang Shijuan stepped inside, he saw Saang Yuxin in the living room, head lowered as he quietly drew.

The little boy’s face was cool and reserved, his features delicate and refined. As he bent over his drawing, his curled lashes trembled lightly, thick and long like butterfly wings.

Hearing the door open, Saang Yuxin didn’t react. He remained absorbed in his drawing.

In the vast, chilly villa, the silence was so complete that the only sound was the faint scratch of brush against paper.