Fan Xue reminded Ye Zhiqiu, “I’ve got this feeling that Wen Shengnan is going to try something.”
“Oh, and Siyang, you too.” Fan Xue turned her attention to Han Siyang.
Han Siyang patted Fan Xue on the shoulder. “Honestly, I think you’re the one who should be most careful. After all, your scores are the closest to hers.”
Fan Xue shook her head. “You don’t know Han Siyang. She wouldn’t come after me. She’s always been the type to go straight for the top spot. The most likely target is Zhiqiu, especially since she’s got a thing for Yue Mingyuan. She’s definitely holding a grudge.”
Ye Zhiqiu didn’t like to think the worst of people, but she still needed to stay on guard.
“I’m going to call my second cousin.”
Han Siyang looked at Ye Zhiqiu and Fan Xue. “You two want to come?”
Ye Zhiqiu stood up. “I’ll call home too.”
“I’m coming with you. I want to hear what you both say.”
Fan Xue linked her arm through Ye Zhiqiu’s. “Mostly, I just want to hear our daughter’s voice.”
The three of them walked to the phone booth together. Han Siyang went first and got straight to the point with her second cousin about setting him up. “Let me tell you, this girl is amazing. If you miss out on her, it’ll be the regret of a lifetime. Make sure you request time off in advance, got it?”
The phone booth wasn’t soundproof, so even though Fan Xue and Ye Zhiqiu were waiting outside, they could hear every word Han Siyang said. Fan Xue actually felt a little shy for once. “I didn’t realize Siyang thought so highly of me.”
“You are a wonderful girl. Anyone who misses out on you would definitely be losing out for life.”
Ye Zhiqiu couldn’t exactly say she’d disliked Fan Xue at first, but she had definitely thought their personalities might clash.
Especially since Fan Xue could be a little too enthusiastic at times—it could feel a bit overwhelming.
But after spending time together, her impression of Fan Xue had completely changed. She really was a great girl—warm, cheerful, like a little ray of sunshine.
“Zhiqiu, don’t say that.”
Fan Xue covered her face, but the corners of her mouth were already threatening to stretch all the way to her ears. They were making her sound way too good.
Han Siyang came out and nodded toward Ye Zhiqiu. Ye Zhiqiu stepped into the booth and called home.
Yaya happened to be right next to the phone. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind—this call is from Mommy—and she immediately grabbed the receiver. “Hello? Who are you looking for?”
“Yaya!” Ye Zhiqiu’s voice was full of surprise and joy.
This was the first time she’d called and had Yaya pick up directly.
“Mommy!” Yaya scrambled up and knelt on the sofa. “Mommy, I knew it was you.”
“Mommy, is it cold where you are? It’s so cold here—it snowed again today, really heavy snow. When it stops, I’m going to go out with Jiusi and build a snowman—a big, big one.”
Hearing Yaya rattle off such a long stretch of words so smoothly made Ye Zhiqiu incredibly happy.
Every time she called, she could feel Yaya growing up.
But at the same time, it stung a little—she wasn’t there beside her through all of it. She was missing her daughter’s childhood.
“Yaya, it’s not too bad here. It’s not as cold as it is back home.”
Over in Jiangning, once spring arrived, the weather would start warming up. These days, a cashmere coat was enough to go outside. Back in Guojing, though, you’d still need a military-style overcoat with thick knitted wool sweaters and pants underneath.
“Mommy, it’s almost New Year. When are you coming home?”
As Yaya chatted with Ye Zhiqiu like a little grown-up, Huo Jiusi came downstairs with his camera and snapped several photos of her in a row.
Yaya had tons of photos—Yue Minghui took some whenever she visited, and Ye Zhiqiu had taken quite a few before too. But the one who took the most was Huo Jiusi.
Sometimes he’d go through an entire roll of film in a single day. He thought every moment of Yaya’s was beautiful and worth preserving.
Yaya noticed Huo Jiusi taking pictures of her and even struck a few poses in between.
Wan Jiayin and Meng Fang watched from the side, laughing so hard they could barely contain themselves.
Meng Fang was now over eight months along, her belly huge—she couldn’t even see her own feet when she looked down.
The compound was quite far from the People’s Hospital, and with all the recent snow making the roads slippery, she’d taken early maternity leave for the sake of her and the baby’s safety.
Every day, it was pretty much eat, sleep, eat some more. When the weather was nice, Wan Jiayin and Yaya would take a walk with her around the compound.
Back on the phone, Ye Zhiqiu had been talking with Yaya for quite a while. When she noticed Fan Xue outside pointing repeatedly at herself, she waved her over, signaling her to come in.
“Yaya, Mommy has two good friends here with me. Do you want to say hi to them?”
Ye Zhiqiu held the receiver in the middle, and Han Siyang and Fan Xue could hear a sweet little voice on the other end: “Hello, pretty aunties.”
“Yaya, hi! I’m your Auntie Fan Xue.” Fan Xue clutched her chest and greeted her.
“Hello, Auntie Xue’er.”
Han Siyang quickly added, “Yaya, I’m your Auntie Han Siyang.”
“Hello, Auntie Little Sun.”
“Mommy, when you come home, bring the aunties with you, okay? I’ll share my cookies with them—Jiusi bought me lots and lots of yummy cookies.”
Yaya was always happy to share with people she liked, but when it came to people she didn’t, she was super protective of her stuff.
For example, when Tan Nan and Tan Bei came over to play, she’d always bring out her toys and snacks to treat them.
But last time, when she and Huo Jiusi were out in the compound, a chubby little boy came up and asked her for food—and she wouldn’t give him any.
“Yaya, when Auntie comes to see you, I’ll buy you a beautiful doll, okay?”
Fan Xue figured that since she and Ye Zhiqiu were both in Guojing, she’d definitely make a trip to see Yaya once they got back.
Whether Ye Zhiqiu agreed or not, she’d already decided in her heart that Yaya was her honorary goddaughter.
If she could have a daughter as cute as Yaya someday, that’d be great. But if she ended up having a son, then Yaya would be her daughter.
Either way, Yaya was her girl, and that was final!
“Auntie Xue’er, you don’t have to give me a pretty doll. I already have a whole room full of them.”
Yaya wasn’t exaggerating. She really did have an entire room full of dolls—all kinds of styles, all kinds of skin tones. And her dolls had loads of furniture, clothes, shoes, and accessories too.
Every time Lu Shuangshuang visited, she’d bring Yaya a doll. And when Huo Jiusi saw how much Yaya loved them, he ordered her a complete set of Barbie dolls from abroad.
By “complete set,” he meant every Barbie doll available at the time—including plenty of limited editions.
“Then Yaya, what do you like? Auntie Xue’er will get it for you.”
“Just come visit, Auntie. You coming is the best gift of all.”
“Oh my goodness, this little one’s mouth is just too sweet!”
Both Fan Xue and Han Siyang wore adoring “auntie smiles.” Han Siyang chatted with Yaya for a little while longer before reluctantly hanging up.
“Zhiqiu, because of Yaya, I’m definitely making a trip to Guojing after the New Year.”
Han Siyang threw her arm around Ye Zhiqiu’s shoulder. “After this training ends, I’m going to buy Yaya a gift—and you can’t stop me!”
