Not only was Xia Qingtian stunned by Aunt Liu's words, but Xia Qingyu's eyes also widened in astonishment.
Aunt Liu had never mentioned these matters to her. She only had a vague impression of her father, knowing only that he had left them and that his departure had been a great blow to Aunt Liu.
In her memory, Aunt Liu often cried in the middle of the night. She had always thought it was because Aunt Liu missed their father, or because she was distressed by their destitution, which made her cry secretly at night behind her back.
Back then, she knew she was a burden and dared not make a sound or move, nor did she dare to trouble Aunt Liu further.
She no longer had a father, and she was terrified that if she wasn't good or sensible, one day she might wake up to find her mother gone too.
That thought was too dreadful, making her timid and hesitant throughout her growth.
She was afraid of troubling Aunt Liu, and even when bullied, she only dared to endure in silence.
It turned out that Aunt Liu's crying in the middle of the night was most likely due to the fear that struck her when she woke from nightmares.
She, someone who had almost died.
If she hadn't been so timid then, if she could have given Aunt Liu a hug, would Aunt Liu have had an easier time over the years?
Xia Qingyu was filled with regret and heartache.
Xia Qingtian reached out and gave Aunt Liu a hug.
She, who had been burned alive by the one she loved most.
She understood how desperate and painful Aunt Liu must have felt at that time.
Aunt Liu dared not speak of this matter, even fearing it to the point of changing her name and surname, hiding all her past feelings. Xia Qingtian understood it all.
If she had known about such an event, if she had known she would encounter Xiang Xueyuan here, Xia Qingtian would never have brought Aunt Liu to Finland.
Alas, there are no such things as "if only."
"You've seen a joke..." Aunt Liu felt much relieved after speaking the secret that had been bottled up in her heart for years. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, her eyes red, and looked at Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu, smiling a little sheepishly, "It's all in the past."
"Mom..." Xia Qingyu proactively took Aunt Liu's hand, "I'm sorry. For so many years, I haven't been able to share even a bit of your burden..."
"Silly child, I never wanted you to be involved in this." Aunt Liu took a deep breath and said, "He is your father, and that's something no one can change. Mom didn't want you to grow up filled with hatred, nor did she want you to feel unloved."
Compared to the man who had almost burned them to death, Aunt Liu cared more about Xia Qingyu.
This was her own daughter, born after ten months of pregnancy.
Xia Qingyu pursed her lips and smiled, wanting to comfort Aunt Liu a little. However, tears welled up in her eyes, making her smile appear particularly forced and making people feel even more heartbroken.
"That scumbag, let him go to hell!" Xia Qingtian placed her arms around Aunt Liu and Xia Qingyu's shoulders, humming lightly, "You two are already rid of him. He can never bully you again!"
Listening to Xia Qingtian's words, Aunt Liu and Xia Qingyu were deeply touched. The three of them cried and laughed for a while, and after more than half an hour, their emotions subsided.
Afterward, Xia Qingtian had the three evening gowns delivered.
Xiang Xueyuan's actions today were intended to inform Xia Qingtian that they had to attend the Hongmen banquet on the 20th, whether they wanted to or not.
Since he had pushed them to this point, he should not regret it!
"Let him know then how blind he is!" Xia Qingtian snorted. She also contacted Madame Camille, hoping she could help arrange for the best stylist to do Aunt Liu and Xia Qingyu's hair and makeup for the 20th.
Xia Qingtian wanted them to be the most beautiful and radiant that day.
Aunt Liu was not yet ready to face Xiang Xueyuan, but she also knew how terrifying that man was.
They were still in Finland, and Aunt Liu could not risk the children's safety.
At night, a strong wind began to blow. The not-so-tightly closed window was suddenly blown open by the wind, and the white gauze curtains fluttered. Xia Qingtian, standing by the window, gazed out, her hair also being blown by the wind.
"The wind fills the tower before the rain arrives," she murmured, squinting slightly.
Three days later, there would be a tough battle.
Since things couldn't get any messier, it was time to stir things up completely.
Even a rabbit would bite when cornered. It was time to teach Mr. Xiang a lesson on how to behave.
...
In just one night, Xia Qingtian realized she had spoken too soon.
Looking at Xia Honglang, who suddenly appeared in the living room, dusty and weary, but with eyes still bright, Xia Qingtian realized: there's always someone better, and one wave is stronger than the next...
She thought the situation couldn't get any messier, but fate slammed its fist on the table: "Who are you looking down on? I can make it messier for you! Didn't expect that, did you?"
"Surprise!" Xia Honglang spread his arms and smiled at Xia Qingtian, "Didn't expect this, did you?"
"Indeed... I didn't expect it..." Xia Qingtian's lips twitched, and she forced a dry laugh.
"What's with your expression? You don't welcome me?" Xia Honglang lowered his arms, looking somewhat surprised.
He had seen the photos sent by Aunt Liu and felt extremely envious. So, he had rushed to finish his work and squeezed out time to accompany his wife and children for two or three days.
"Welcome, of course, I welcome you." Xia Qingtian's scalp felt a little tight. It was so early in the morning, and she couldn't handle this shock. "Dad, why didn't you say anything in advance about your visit?"
"If I had said it in advance, would it still be called a surprise?" Xia Honglang chuckled. "I discussed this with Miao Tong and we deliberately kept it from you. Miao Tong is reliable; she picked me up at the airport early this morning. Thank you."
"It's nothing." Miao Tong gave Xia Qingtian a peace sign, her face beaming with a smile, as if she had "praise me" written all over her face.
"You... you're really something..." Xia Qingtian gave Miao Tong a thumbs-up, smiling with a hidden meaning.
Miao Tong also hesitated. Was this a compliment?
Before Miao Tong could think further, Xia Qingyu and Aunt Liu came downstairs. Seeing Xia Honglang, their expressions were exactly the same as Xia Qingtian's earlier.
"Surprise!" Xia Honglang spread his arms and smiled at Aunt Liu and Xia Qingyu, "Didn't expect this, did you?"
"Indeed... I didn't expect it..." Xia Qingyu's lips twitched.
"Qingyu... I feel a bit dizzy, help me..." Aunt Liu weakly reached out her hand to Xia Qingyu.
Xia Qingyu immediately steadied Aunt Liu.
The reactions of the mother and daughter left Xia Honglang confused. Did they like this surprise or not?
Didn't people say that young people liked surprises the most?
What happened?
Have the preferences of young people changed again?
Immediately after, when Gu Yaoyang came downstairs, his expression upon seeing Xia Honglang was no longer one of surprise or bewilderment. Instead, it was as if a massive piece of gossip had fallen from the sky, too much to swallow at once, and yet impolite not to partake.
This was a disaster.
Now, things had truly become chaotic.