Han Siyang didn’t ask any more questions.
Fan Xue, on the other hand, was staring at Yaya, completely smitten. “Zhiqiu, do you have any solo photos of your daughter? Can you give me one when we get back?”
Ye Zhiqiu was confused, and Han Siyang was equally puzzled. “Why do you want a solo photo of Zhiqiu’s daughter?”
“When I get back, I’m going to put it by my bedside and look at it every single day from now on. They say that if you look at beautiful children a lot during pregnancy, your own baby will turn out beautiful too.”
“I want to have a daughter as gorgeous as Zhiqiu’s someday, so I’m starting my ‘viewing sessions’ right now.”
Han Siyang couldn’t help teasing Fan Xue, “You haven’t even bought the flour or the meat yet, and here you are already preparing the vinegar.”
Fan Xue protested, “Han Siyang, I really underestimated you! Your tongue is even sharper than mine.”
“I’m just stating the facts.”
Han Siyang nudged Ye Zhiqiu’s arm. “Zhiqiu, don’t you agree with me?”
“Zhiqiu, if you give one to Fan Xue, then give me one too.”
Fan Xue finally seized her chance. “See? You’re doing the exact same thing!”
“No, I’m getting it for my sister-in-law. She’s pretty, but my brother is seriously homely.”
“My sister-in-law works at the same unit as my brother, and they’re together all the time—like a pot that never leaves its lid. I’m terrified their kid will turn out to be my brother’s spitting image.”
Ye Zhiqiu and Fan Xue both burst out laughing at Han Siyang’s logic. Fan Xue hooked her arm around Han Siyang’s shoulder. “Are you sure that’s your real brother? Aren’t you afraid he’ll beat you up if he hears you talking about him like that?”
Han Siyang lifted his chin, completely confident. “Relax, he wouldn’t dare. Besides, he knows he’s ugly.”
“Actually, it was his idea. He told me to go ask around our regiment for photos from people who already have kids.”
“And Zhiqiu’s right here—plus, I don’t think any of those kids in our regiment are as cute as Zhiqiu’s daughter.”
“This little one is almost too adorable.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Fan Xue nodded vigorously, grabbing Ye Zhiqiu’s arm. “Come on, tell us—what did you eat when you were pregnant? Did you also look at those pretty baby posters?”
Ye Zhiqiu thought for a moment. “I didn’t eat anything special—just the usual. And no, I didn’t look at posters either.”
“I just imagined which features my child would inherit from me and which from my husband.”
Because she had lost a baby before, she treasured Yaya all the more.
Whenever she had a quiet moment, she would talk to the baby in her belly and picture what the child would look like.
She didn’t really think about having a son—she just felt like the baby would be a daughter.
If it was a daughter, she’d want her eyes and brows to be like hers, and her face shape too.
For the nose, she wanted it to be like Yue Mingyuan’s—she absolutely adored his nose.
As for the mouth, she’d be happy if it resembled either of them.
And in the end, Yaya really did get her eyes, brows, and face shape, her nose from Yue Mingyuan, and her mouth—which took after neither of them, but instead Wan Jiayin.
Wan Jiayin’s lips were especially beautiful, like little water chestnuts, with the corners curving upward, making her look exceptionally warm and friendly.
Fan Xue twirled her braid around her finger. “I don’t even know what kind of man I’ll end up with yet. But honestly, since the kid would come out of me, I think it’s better if they look like me—I’m pretty good-looking after all.”
“If I marry someone ugly and the kid takes after him, I’m doomed.”
Han Siyang raised an eyebrow, catching on immediately. “Fan Xue, do you already have someone in mind? Hmm?”
Fan Xue sighed. “Yeah, I do. But he’s probably only ever going to be a dream.”
Han Siyang blinked. “What do you mean? Are you in unrequited love?”
“Yep!”
Fan Xue wasn’t embarrassed at all. She pulled up a chair and sat down. “He’s my childhood sweetheart—we grew up together. I decided I was going to marry him when I was little, but he’s always just seen me as a little sister.”
“I heard there’s been another woman around him lately. That’s actually why I came to this training program.”
The slot had originally been assigned to her, but she hadn’t wanted to come.
She’d never had big ambitions—her only wish, really, was him.
Of course, back then it was just childish talk, but as they grew up together, those words slowly became real.
“You can’t force feelings, especially as a woman. You should find someone who loves you—not someone you love. Otherwise, it’ll be painful.”
Han Siyang tried to comfort her. “If he really doesn’t feel the same way, I think you should let go. It’ll save you—and him—from getting hurt.”
“I do like him, but I’m not shameless about it. I still have my pride.”
Fan Xue rested her head on the table. “It’s just that chasing after him has become a habit. I’ll have to unlearn it slowly.”
When it comes to matters of the heart, no one else’s advice really helps—you have to figure it out for yourself.
Han Siyang and Ye Zhiqiu felt helpless when it came to Fan Xue’s situation.
Luckily, Fan Xue was naturally easygoing—one moment she’d be moping over her heartbreak, and the next she’d be laughing out loud again.
Hearing Fan Xue’s laughter from next door, Jiang Miao said sourly to Han Shengnan, “Look at Fan Xue—she’s spending more and more time in that other dorm. She might as well just move over there already.”
“That Ye Zhiqiu is a real fox—not only can she lure men, but she’s also got women wrapped around her finger.”
Han Shengnan gently patted Jiang Miao. “Miaomiao, you shouldn’t say things like that. What if someone overhears—especially Fan Xue?”
“She’s close to Ye Zhiqiu now. She might tell her everything you’ve said.”
“And if she goes and tattles to Mingyuan, that’ll be trouble.”
Han Shengnan let out a soft sigh. “She really is lucky—she actually got to marry Mingyuan.”
Jiang Miao said insincerely, “Shengnan, you’re so much better than her. Yue Mingyuan just has no taste.”
“What good does that do? I’m not as good at playing the game as she is.” Han Shengnan shook her head. “Never mind. I’m not going to think about anything anymore. I’ll just train hard and dance well.”
“Shengnan, are you giving up?”
Jiang Miao tried to persuade her. “Shengnan, you can’t give up! You met Yue Mingyuan way before she did—he even saved you once!”
“I refuse to believe he married Ye Zhiqiu because he actually likes her. What’s so great about her anyway? Forget the fact that she used to date Chen Can—what about that incident? Two men did that to her. She’s basically a pair of worn-out shoes. How could she ever deserve Yue Mingyuan?”
These words came out through gritted teeth. Jiang Miao had nothing but contempt for Ye Zhiqiu.
If she had lost to Fan Xue, she could have accepted it—after all, Fan Xue came from a good family.
Losing to Han Shengnan would’ve been more bearable too, since Shengnan was prettier than her.
But what did Ye Zhiqiu have? Her family background wasn’t as good as hers, and she was just a temptress.
“Oh, and did you know? She had her own father thrown in jail—and got him sentenced to death.”
“Really?” Han Shengnan was shocked.
“Absolutely!”
Jiang Miao curled her lip. “I studied dance alongside her sister Shen Liya and her back then. She never really trained properly—she’d just watch while we practiced.”
“She was basically her sister’s sidekick.”
“Who would’ve thought she’d end up getting into the Red Star Song and Dance Troupe later on?”
