Shang Xi first took her son to the vegetable market to buy vegetables before going back home.
Her new apartment was in Man Ting residential area on the 6th floor. It had 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, was about 100 square meters large, and had fine furnishings.
After parking her car in the underground garage, she and her son took the elevator up, carrying bags of vegetables.
Since Shang Xi would come back here periodically, the apartment was kept very clean.
She was last here a week ago. After putting down the groceries in the kitchen, she rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning up first.
As she was sweeping the floors, Baby Shang was wiping the tables. His little hands couldn't reach very far so he just walked around the table waving his towel like a little tail.
As Shang Xi was mopping the floors, Baby Shang peeled mandarin oranges to feed his mom.
"Mama, here."
Shang Xi lowered her head and took the orange slice between her teeth. "Mm so sweet, thank you baby."
Baby Shang pointed at some empty pots and containers out on the balcony. "Mama, those are the flower pots from your shop."
"That's right. Mama wants to grow some flowers here in the future too."
That would be three months from now.
Thinking of this, her mopping slowed. Looking at her son peeling oranges with his fair little hands, she moved her lips, "Baby...Mama hasn't told you yet that in a few months, we'll be moving back to this new home."
She was a little apprehensive.
Baby Shang looked up at her with his big wet eyes, holding a big orange slice. "Wherever mama goes, I'll go too."
A hint of gentle doting passed through Shang Xi's eyes. "Okay."
Hearing her son's decisive words filled her heart with warmth.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Baby Shang twitched his nose. "Big auntie and little auntie are here. I'll go open the door." He instinctively hid his tail and ears and trotted to the door.
Sister Dao and Zhou Ziyou were at the door.
Each held a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a box in the other.
Baby Shang held open the door, eyes curving into crescents. "Big auntie, little auntie, hello."
"Oh my darling baby, come let big auntie hug you!" Sister Dao put down her box as she entered and immediately swept up the baby cub, spinning him around.
"Happy birthday," Zhou Ziyou smiled at Shang Xi and handed her the flowers. "I hope I can be here for every one of your birthdays from now on."
Sister Dao added, "Count me in too. I won't be going abroad anymore."
"Okay." Shang Xi's smile reached her eyes.
The adults went to the kitchen, chatting and laughing as they cooked dinner. It was like a gathering of old friends as they talked about interesting things that happened over the years, the weird people they met, and shocking gossip they heard,
Laughing when it was funny, cursing when it called for it, gaping in shock at the outrageous parts.
When it was almost time to eat, the cake Sister Dao ordered arrived as well.
"Mama, come with me." Baby Shang led his mom out to the balcony by the hand.
On the balcony was a cute little round table. On the table was a small white box, wrapped in a circle of paper cranes folded out of red 100 yuan bills.
There were 26 cranes total, worth 2,600 yuan.
It was unknown who gave him the cash and taught him to fold the paper cranes.
There was a little card on top of the gift box.
Shang Xi picked it up.
The handwriting was a little crooked, like the writer was trying his best. It read: [Dear Mama, happy birthday! And, baby loves you the most! Find a boyfriend soon!]
She started reading it with a smile but paused at the last line: "Baby...why do you want Mama to find a boyfriend?"
Baby Shang twisted his little fingers. "That way there'll be one more person to love Mama."
Shang Xi was stunned.
For a moment her mind went blank. She really didn't expect her son to say something like this.
"I think the little darling makes a good point," Sister Dao chimed in, leaning against the balcony doorway.
Zhou Ziyou agreed, "I actually think it's about time you found someone too. You're only 26. Young and beautiful, what more could you ask for?"
Sister Dao crossed her arms, looking serious. "I know a few decent ones. Want me to arrange a blind date for you?"
Shang Xi laughed helplessly. "Are you two sure you single dogs should keep talking?"
Blind dates...she hadn't even considered them.
Sister Dao stared at Shang Xi for a while before speaking up again. "You know it's not like before anymore. Don't be so hard on yourself, there's no need to struggle so much."
Shang Xi smiled and murmured in agreement after a moment of silence, "I know."
Sister Dao patted her on the back. "Let me know if you ever want to go on those blind dates."
Baby Shang's gift to his mother was a necklace inside that little box, a little wolf cub pendant.
He found it when he was disassembling a toy. It was a tiny engraving of a wolf pup, just like him.
And by chance, there were two letters on it: SS
His name was Shang Shu, with both words starting with S.
Shang Xi's eyes lit up with delight. She immediately had her son put the necklace on for her. "Thank you baby, Mama loves it very much."
Afterwards, they ate and chatted happily over the meal, singing cheerful birthday songs.
Shang Xi's 26th birthday passed ordinarily yet blissfully, like any other day.
Outside the residential complex entrance.
A black Maybach was parked at the roadside.
Dai Chen glanced back at the silent man in the backseat. "Mr. Gu, do you want me to call Ms. Shang?"
"No need."
Gu Wen looked out at the high rises in the residential area. Through a window on the 6th floor, he could vaguely make out someone walking by.
Finally, he spoke, "Let's go."
She would be going back to South Breeze Court.
His presence right now would be too abrupt. He didn't want to disturb her, on her birthday where he wasn't invited and had no right to impose. Not just now, but for many years to come, his place would be far in the distance.
He had to get used to it.
Feeling the pain in his heart gradually numb, the corners of Gu Wen's lips downturned slightly more.
When night fell.
Shang Xi's car finally pulled into South Breeze Court.
As she got out of the car with her son, after barely a few steps, she saw a tall, handsome figure.
"It's Papa."
Baby Shang hadn't seen his dad all day. His eyes widened a bit, furry ears perking up as he trotted over to Gu Wen.
Gu Wen also stepped forward and picked up the cub, ruffling his soft black hair. "Did you have fun with Mama today?"
Baby Shang nodded vigorously. "Lots of fun!"
Gu Wen's lips quirked up. "Good boy. Go inside first, I need to talk to Mama."
Baby Shang glanced back at his approaching mother.
"Go on, Mama will be right there," Shang Xi said.
Gu Wen set the cub down. Little Shang waved and headed inside, tail swaying behind him.
With the child gone.
Shang Xi's gaze settled coolly on Gu Wen. "Mr. Gu, what can I do for you?"
Gu Wen hadn't slept in over 24 hours. The red veins in his eyes were prominent. At the moment, he gazed at her silently, like a long lost friend, eyes peaceful yet heavy, affection restrained but about to spill over.
"Happy birthday," he said in his low attractive voice.
"Thanks."
"Did you have fun?"
Shang Xi pressed her lips. "Quite fun."
"I'm glad then."
As he looked at the woman's gorgeous fair face, images of her pale, frail, haggard complexion flashed through Gu Wen's mind instead.
He silently tugged his lips. Head lowered, he murmured, "Shang Xi, I'm sorry."
Shang Xi blinked, confused.
Pain lanced through Gu Wen's heart but he held her gaze steady, forcing out the words one by one. "Five years ago that night, my pre-heat came early, three days early. While I was waiting for assistance in the hotel room, you came in..."
"You touched me all over, said you liked me the most..."
First Shang Xi froze, then her face grew somewhat uncomfortable and flushed.
What was he doing...suddenly bringing this up here? But Gu Wen's expression told her to calm down. He seemed pained, like he was confessing something difficult.
“When I regained consciousness, we were already entangled together. I don't like pure humans, I swore since I was little that my partner would not be a pure human. But we had a relationship.”
Gu Wen seemed to want to pull his lips into a faint smile to lighten the atmosphere, but as soon as he pulled his lips, there was a thud in his heart. At some point, he felt that he had reached the extreme of sadness.
"In our werewolf clan, there is only one mate for life, I can only be with you, and I have decided to be with you. But when I woke up again I was already in the cold pool on the snowy mountain.
The tribesmen said you had already run away. I am prejudiced against pure humans, and I am not surprised, but still let the tribesmen go find you."
Shang Xi's pupils shrank slightly. Gu Wen had...come to find her back then?
"They found you by the river and talked about me," Gu Wen felt this was the most ironic moment.
He was almost out of control, with huge wolf ears popping out of his head. "What you said when you were hysterical, the tribesmen misunderstood, and so did I.
I missed you and our cub for so many years."
This was what he found most unacceptable.
His deep-rooted prejudice against pure humans had made him blind and lame, preventing him from looking for her personally again.
"I thought you ran away after sleeping with me. I thought you were a bad woman..." His big ears drooped low, and his jet black eyes turned red as he stared at her.
Shang Xi opened her mouth slightly, and lowered her eyes slowly, "I'm sorry..."
"You don't need to apologize," Gu Wen stretched out his hand subconsciously wanting to stroke her head, but his hand stopped halfway and slowly retracted it back, and said bitterly, "You were in so much pain back then, if I had investigated more clearly... At least I could have shielded you from the cold wind by the river when you were crying."
Shang Xi clenched her hand tightly. At that moment, her heart beat violently once.
"I can't go back to the past," Gu Wen's voice was very low and light. "I have no right to pursue you as my mate,"
Gu Wen stared at her, his eyes full of surging love that he was trying to restrain himself from hugging her, "From now on, whatever kind of life you want to lead, whoever you like and want to be with, I..." He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and said with great difficulty, "I will help you, I will always help you."
He wanted to personally escort her onto the path of happiness and stability. He would cut through all the thorny thorns and kill all the beasts that attacked her.
"I will always, always protect you. So go ahead without worries,"
Gu Wen took out the prepared gift contract and said, "I don't want to see you living a wandering life anymore. Money is very important in the human world, isn't it?"
"Shang Xi, happy 26th birthday, just sign it."
Shang Xi unconsciously took a step back, staring at the word "shares" with wide eyes, "You...why? I don't..."
Why would he give her shares of the Gu Group? She wasn't from the Gu family.
Did Gu Wen know how much money was behind these shares?
He must be crazy! What made him do this?
Or was it because of guilt, the guilt of her raising their child alone, so?
Even as child support, he wouldn't give shares of the Gu Group, would he...
Was he overdoing his sense of responsibility?
Shang Xi felt he was a bit silly. Or were all werewolves like this?
To be realistic, what he gave last time was enough...
Gu Wen suddenly spoke up, "Our child is still young, what do you think?"
Shang Xi was stunned.
Sister Dao's words suddenly rang loudly in her mind.
The Gu family would not only have Baby Shang, when the time comes anyone would be eligible for a share, who knows how much her precious child would get!
She wouldn't need that much money, but her son was still young. She had heard that werewolves had very long lifespans.
Shang Xi had lived through hard times, so she knew how important money was.
In a hundred years, she would leave this world.
But her son would still be young.
Now that Gu Wen was willing to give, wouldn't she be too stupid not to accept? Under heaven, what mother would think they left too much for their child?
Shang Xi immediately raised her eyes, her beautiful eyes sharper by a few degrees. She stretched out her hand, "Where's the pen?"
Gu Wen looked at her, as he looked at her, he suddenly hooked his lips, his eyes revealing a trace of gentle indulgence.
He took out a black fountain pen from his chest pocket: "Here you go."
I'll give it all to you.
If you're willing, I'd give you everything, including myself.
Shang Xi took the pen and listened to the man's voice which was appealingly low. He was looking at her indulgently.
She pursed her lips slightly and averted her gaze, inexplicably feeling a little uncomfortable.
She had seen this lone wolf's unfriendly and annoying side before, but rarely saw him like this.
The car door next to her automatically opened, and she got into the car and signed the partition inside.
The last two property contracts made her pause.
Lotus Community, 7th Floor No. 2.
Shang Xi's eyes fell on these words and lingered there. She gripped the pen tightly, her lips trembling slightly.
When she was 10 years old, Grandma had brought her to Lotus Community.
That apartment contained all the memories between her and Grandma. That apartment didn't belong to her, but that was her home.
She slowly turned her head back and looked at Gu Wen, "I remember... the Zhu family didn't intend to sell this apartment."
Gu Wen: "I added some money."
Some?
"You..." Shang Xi felt a little confused in her mind. She didn't understand, "If this was for child support you've given enough, if this was...guilt, you've also given enough. If you're pursuing me now, my answer is still no."
"You're a businessman, do you know, you're doing a complete loss-making business now."
To be realistic, when a normal man pursues a woman, the favors and gifts he gives to the woman are meant to get something in return, this is normal, no one wants to be a complete fool.
Spending time and energy on an unattainable woman, many people don't want to do this, and they would even be scolded by relatives and friends for being an idiot or a sycophant.
Gu Wen wouldn't get anything back from her.
Didn't he realize this yet?
"Business?" Gu Wen's long eyes lowered, and he pulled his lips into a smile, "I didn't intend to get anything from you, nor was I exchanging anything with you."
"I just want to help you."
He just...felt heartache, that's all.
His voice was very light, "When you have time, take our child back there to have a look."
Shang Xi's face revealed a momentary confusion about how to respond. She habitually lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes covering them so no one could see her emotions.
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