CH 87

He Xuanwei had known Tian Jing longer than Shan Yue had; they had met in high school, which is why the sense of crisis felt so severe. Yet Tian Jing was incredibly slow to pick up on these things. If He Xuanwei were to confess her feelings, this foolish woman might not even be able to refuse, given how kind she was to both her and her daughter, staying by her side all these years…

What was she even thinking?

She couldn’t possibly allow He Xuanwei to seize the opportunity. The other woman had both family background and looks, so why would she stick around a woman with a child? Why couldn’t Tian Jing see that?

Shan Yue felt like she was about to explode, angered by her own thoughts. If it weren’t for her own stubbornness back then, she would now be basking in her wife’s gentle embrace.

Shan Yue’s expression grew darker, and she even stopped eating.

Tian Jing noticed the change in her expression and lightly kicked her leg under the table, whispering, “If you’re going to act crazy, go outside. Don’t scare Tiantian.”

Shan Yue’s eyes lit up with joy. Was Tian Jing worried about her leaving a bad impression in front of their daughter?

She suddenly smiled, hooked her leg around Tian Jing’s, and winked at her.

Tian Jing frowned and kicked her harder.

“Ouch…” Shan Yue winced, but her smile only grew sweeter, as if she had just tasted honey.

He Xuanwei, who had been observing everything, felt a pang of bitterness. Forcing a stiff smile, she asked, “Where have you been working these past few years, Ah-Yue?”

“At Sacred Heart Hospital,” Shan Yue replied absentmindedly, her eyes still on Tian Jing.

He Xuanwei exclaimed in sudden realization, “Oh, my office is near there. I wonder why I’ve never run into you.”

Shan Yue finally gave her a glance. “Even in the same hospital, you might not run into each other.”

He Xuanwei’s eyes flickered, and she smiled. “You’re right.”

“Let’s eat,” Tian Jing said sternly, giving Shan Yue a displeased look before placing a piece of white-cut chicken on He Xuanwei’s plate. “Senior, don’t mind her.”

“Eat~” Tiantian echoed her mother.

Unhappy with Tian Jing’s actions, Shan Yue pursed her lips but turned to serve her daughter some food instead.

“Thank you, Auntie~” Tiantian said sweetly, looking up.

Shan Yue felt a bit healed by her daughter’s gratitude. She gently wiped the rice grains off Tiantian’s face and said affectionately, “You’re getting food all over your face.”

Tian Jing’s expression softened. She took another piece of chicken, tore it into small pieces, and fed them to her daughter bit by bit.

Unaware of the adults’ tensions, Tiantian happily wiggled in her seat, nodding eagerly. “More~”

Tian Jing couldn’t help but laugh, her shallow dimples deepening and her eyes turning into crescent moons. Shan Yue was momentarily mesmerized.

It had been a long time since she had seen Tian Jing smile so happily.

Shan Yue’s gaze softened, her lips curling into a slight smile as she stared intently at Tian Jing, unwilling to look away.

Tian Jing found it hard to ignore such a heated gaze. She looked up and glared at Shan Yue, who responded with a smile.

Dinner ended in a somewhat tense atmosphere. Tian Jing began to clear the table while Shan Yue removed the bib from their daughter and carried her back to the sofa. Shan Yue then rubbed her hands together, ready to help her wife, but He Xuanwei moved faster.

Shan Yue held back her frustration, quickly stepping forward to snatch the bowl from He Xuanwei’s hands. With a smile that barely masked her hostility, she said, “How can I let Xuanwei do this? I’ll handle it. But could you please help take care of my daughter for a moment?”

The meaning behind Shan Yue’s childish words was clear: the daughter was hers, and so was Tian Jing. He Xuanwei, as an outsider, shouldn’t meddle.

He Xuanwei laughed in exasperation. What right did someone who had disappeared for nearly four years during Tian Jing’s time of need have to say such things? She had been the one by Tian Jing’s side all this time, not Shan Yue.

“It’s alright. Xiao Jing doesn’t consider me an outsider, and I’ll take good care of Tiantian,” He Xuanwei retorted.

Shan Yue gritted her teeth, staring at her fiercely, unwilling to back down.

Tian Jing, unable to bear it any longer, said: “Senior, please sit down and let her clean up.” 

With that, she pulled He Xuanwei away.

Shan Yue: …

Losing her patience, Shan Yue grabbed Tian Jing as she tried to leave.

Caught off guard, Tian Jing fell into Shan Yue’s arms. She quickly tried to pull away, but Shan Yue sensed it and tightened her grip around her waist, savoring the long-missed touch.

“What are you doing? Let go,” Tian Jing scolded coldly.

Instead of letting go, Shan Yue held her even tighter, burying her face in Tian Jing’s hair and kissing her earlobe. “Make her leave, and I’ll let go,” she murmured.

Tian Jing shuddered at the sensation, furious. “You’re shameless!”

“Yes, call me shameless,” Shan Yue agreed.

Tian Jing took deep breaths to avoid screaming. After a while, she had no choice but to compromise. Turning to He Xuanwei, she said, “Senior, could you please take care of Tiantian for a while?”

He Xuanwei’s face was unreadable. She gave Shan Yue a long look before nodding. “Alright, I’ll handle it. You two need to sort things out.”

Tian Jing swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly.

Once He Xuanwei was out of sight, Tian Jing’s face immediately turned stern. “Let go.”

Reluctantly, Shan Yue released her and turned her around to face her. “We really need to talk.”

Tian Jing took a deep breath and said: “Alright, what do you want to talk about?”

Shan Yue replied: “Let’s talk about us and our daughter. You need to send the person with the surname He home.”

“Her name is He Xuanwei. Mind your words. Can you at least show some basic respect?” 

These past few years, her senior had helped her a lot, and she disliked Shan Yue’s attitude, which made her feel quite annoyed.

“I was wrong. I apologize.”

Feeling a bit wronged by Tian Jing’s scolding tone for He Xuanwei, Shan Yue knew that if she didn’t admit her mistake, the conversation couldn’t continue.

“Could you ask her to leave, please?” Shan Yue softened her tone.

Tian Jing pondered for a moment before nodding, “I’ll ask her to leave in a while.”

Before Shan Yue could get excited, Tian Jing added, “You clean up here, and I’ll go over there.”

Watching her wife’s retreating figure and the mess before her, Shan Yue felt utterly despondent. Other than a scalpel, she had never handled housework. However, since she had volunteered, she gritted her teeth and got to work.

Apart from the mess around their daughter, the rest of the place was quite clean. Shan Yue quickly tidied up.

She had just put the dishes in the sink when she heard Tian Jing’s voice from outside, “You might as well wash the dishes too.”

Shan Yue sighed and turned back to start washing the dishes.

This was probably the most memorable birthday she had ever had.

But to her relief, when she finally went out, He Xuanwei had already left at some point, leaving only Tiantian engrossed in cartoons and Tian Jing lost in thought.

Shan Yue checked the time: it was ten o’clock.

She walked over and sat next to her daughter, speaking softly: “Tiantian, it’s time for bed.”

Tiantian wiggled her little bottom in dissatisfaction. “No…no sleep!”

Shan Yue: …

Compared to Shan Yue’s gentle persuasion, Tian Jing directly picked up her daughter and carried her to the bedroom.

“Wu~ don’t want to sleep, want to watch the fairy~”

“You have to go to kindergarten tomorrow. You can’t be naughty.” Tian Jing placed her on the children’s bed, squatting by the edge with a serious expression. “What did Mommy teach you? No being naughty.”

For some reason, her daughter was especially energetic today, too excited to sleep even now. Perhaps it was because of Shan Yue; blood relations are always a strange thing.

The little one pouted, her eyes red as if she was about to cry, but surprisingly, she nodded and wiggled her way to the head of the bed, softly saying, “Tiantian will be good.”

Shan Yue leaned against the door, quietly watching everything. Her heart suddenly ached, and her eyes felt a bit dry.

Tian Jing gently kissed her daughter’s forehead, softly coaxing her to sleep.

In five or six minutes, Tiantian was sound asleep.

When Tian Jing turned around, Shan Yue straightened up, reaching out to hold her, but Tian Jing did not accept and walked straight out.

Shan Yue sighed again, gently closed the door, and followed Tian Jing to the balcony.

“Speak,” Tian Jing said, crossing her arms, looking as if she was all ears.

Shan Yue wanted to hug her, but Tian Jing’s gaze stopped her. She leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window. “I only recently found out that Wen Wenxue joined Sacred Heart Hospital.”

As soon as she spoke, Tian Jing’s expression changed, which Shan Yue noticed. It was clear that Tian Jing cared about Wen Wenxue’s presence. Shan Yue continued, “We’re not in the same department. I assure you we haven’t had any contact privately. We haven’t had any contact at all during the time we were apart. Nothing has happened between us.”

Tian Jing listened expressionlessly. “Mm, continue.”

Shan Yue moved a little closer and went on, “I don’t know where she heard that I’d be celebrating my birthday at home…”

“This is my home,” Tian Jing corrected her.

Shan Yue was momentarily taken aback but didn’t change her words. “At home. She even followed me here. I found out only then. As for the rumors about us dating, such an obvious lie, someone as smart as you should be able to see through it.”

“If I were smart, I shouldn’t have fallen for you in the first place.”

Shan Yue moved a little closer and hugged Tian Jing before she could react, inhaling her scent with longing. “Saying that makes me really sad. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have disappeared, leaving you unable to find me. I didn’t know you were pregnant. I know I haven’t been a good partner or a good mother. So, can you give me a chance to make it up to you both?”

Tian Jing was silent for a moment before she slowly replied, “It’s too late.”

If Shan Yue had answered her calls back then and discussed the matter of the child with her, she wouldn’t have felt so helpless. Now, she no longer needed her. Shan Yue’s sudden desire to make up for it all just seemed laughable to her.

They were no longer at an age where they could act recklessly and immaturely.

Shan Yue tightened her hold. “It’s not too late. From now on, I’ll make it up to you both tenfold, no, a hundredfold. I’ll never let you or our daughter suffer…”

“Instead of telling me these unrealistic sweet words, you should first deal with your little girlfriend. And I don’t need it now. Tiantian and I won’t get better because of you joining us, nor will we get worse because of you leaving,” Tian Jing said with a stern face, angrily. “Let go.”

“I won’t let go,” Shan Yue said, pressing Tian Jing against the wall. “I really have nothing to do with Wen Wenxue. If it bothers you, from today on, I promise I won’t say a single word to her. I know it’s hard for you to accept this all at once. You don’t have to give me an answer right away. I’ll prove it to you slowly.”

Tian Jing remained silent, neither rejecting nor agreeing.

Shan Yue didn’t force her. She buried her face in Tian Jing’s neck. “It’s my birthday. Won’t you say ‘Happy Birthday’ to me?”

Tian Jing was silent for a long time, so long that Shan Yue felt uncertain. Just when she was about to give up, Tian Jing finally spoke.

“Happy Birthday.”