Qi Shifeng really had no idea about this. When she said so, his eyes widened slightly in shock.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I really didn't," he said.
He wasn't a stingy man. After they got married back then, he hadn't provided her with much financially because he knew the Qi family would.
At that time, he thought she was on the side of Old Master Qi. The Qi family would regularly send her new clothes, shoes, bags, and jewelry.
There were even dedicated staff to take care of all aspects of her daily life.
But he didn't know that she had signed an agreement.
Even after marriage, she had to support herself.
No wonder she had sold those paintings to raise funds after the Xu family's accident.
At that time, he thought she was just playing the victim, but he never expected that she was really out of money.
His face instantly turned pale, and he didn't even dare to look at Xu Tingyu.
Guilt, regret, and sadness welled up in his heart. He sat on the edge of the bed, hanging his head down.
His muffled apology made Xu Tingyu stop in her tracks.
"Qi Shifeng, I believe you didn't know. But it also shows that you really didn't love me back then," she said.
She should have stopped caring long ago. After all, it was something she had known for a long time.
But for some reason, when she said these words, her heart still ached.
It was because of his lack of love that he had ignored her so completely.
Hearing her words, Qi Shifeng didn't refute or defend himself. He just sat there motionless, his sadness palpable.
Xu Tingyu then remembered what Qian Luo had said. She walked to the door, hesitated for a moment, and then turned back.
"Qi Shifeng, forget it. Those things are all in the past. Now we're Youyou's mom and dad. Let's just be friends," she said.
She was a huge contradiction herself. She would tell herself to be ruthless on one hand, but on the other hand, she just couldn't let go completely.
Qi Shifeng suddenly looked up. "Is that okay? To be friends?"
If it were in the past, he would definitely have said, "Be friends? No way. He only wanted to be her husband."
But now he didn't dare.
Because there was a high chance that he might not even be able to be her friend.
"Sure. Qi Shifeng, hurry up. I need to change clothes. I'll borrow this necklace from you for now and return it to you when we get back," Xu Tingyu said with a smile.
There were many things that had no answers, especially for those involved. So for now, just stop thinking and move forward.
Time would give the answers.
A glint of hope flashed in Qi Shifeng's eyes. He quickly stood up. "Okay."
Whatever she said now, he would say okay.
As long as she didn't push him away.
The two of them walked out of the room, and Youyou came back with some water.
Then the family of three went to the dressing room together.
Xu Tingyu wanted to support her son that evening, so she naturally had to dress up carefully.
She tried on both outfits and finally chose the cheongsam.
She was tall, with a slender waist and long legs. The cheongsam brought out her elegant and ladylike qualities to the fullest.
"The shoes were bought by Youyou," Qi Shifeng said as he knelt down in front of her, holding her ankle gently and putting on the shoes she had chosen for her.
When Xu Tingyu looked down at him, she was suddenly reminded of the time when she was pregnant. This man would also help her put on shoes back then.
Youyou was still in her belly at that time.
Now, Youyou was already able to buy shoes for his mom.
Qi Shifeng put on her shoes and carefully fastened the straps.
Then he stood up and reached out his hand to her. "Stand up and take a look."
In front of Youyou, she took Qi Shifeng's hand. After standing up, he led her in front of the full-length mirror.
She was wearing an off-white cheongsam. The style was simple yet elegant. The necklace was dazzling but didn't overshadow her beauty.
Coupled with her flawless face, especially her big, black, and clear eyes, one look at her was enough to make people sink into them.
Her beauty had always been like this. It wasn't empty or showy but real and heart-stirring.
Qi Shifeng stood beside her. He stared at her for a moment, then reached out his hand and pinned up her hair.
At first, Xu Tingyu thought he was just tidying it up, but she never expected that he could actually do a proper hairpinning.
"When did you learn this?" she asked in surprise as she watched him finish pinning up her hair and insert a hairpin.
It had to be said that the hairstyle looked really good. It didn't seem like it was done casually.
Qi Shifeng smiled. "I specifically learned a few styles. Since most of your performances are in Chinese-style costumes, I thought that one day, maybe I could help you do your hair too."
In the past four years, his greatest way to relax was to hide in the study alone and watch videos of her performances.
He might not have been able to attend her tours in person, but he would always get the videos as soon as they were available.
On camera, she was so lively and dazzling. Every gesture of hers was engraved in his heart.
Later, when he missed her so much, he asked someone to teach him how to do hair and even makeup, just to get closer to her, to be a part of her world.
Xu Tingyu was really shocked.
She couldn't help but look at his hands in the mirror.
His long, fair fingers were moving through her black hair. There was an indescribable harmony between them.
Xu Tingyu's heart skipped a beat. "So, you learned this for me?"
"Yes, it was for you," Qi Shifeng admitted without hesitation. He finally tidied up the stray hairs and looked back at the mirror.
The hairstyle was beautiful and suited Xu Tingyu perfectly. It was just right.
Xu Tingyu looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. "Mr. Qi, you're really dexterous. Even if you go bankrupt, you still have a skill."
Bankrupt?
Qi Shifeng also smiled. "Well, even if I go bankrupt, I can still support my wife and child."
The way he said "wife" was so tender and lingering. It was obvious who he was referring to.
But Xu Tingyu wasn't fooled. She fiddled with the earrings that matched the necklace and said, "But don't you think I'm dressing too formally?"
She looked like she was going to walk on the red carpet.
But it was just a dinner gathering among friends that evening.
She could dress up nicely, but this seemed a bit over the top.
"Not at all. You can dress however you like. Don't care about what others think," Qi Shifeng told her seriously.
Since they got married, he had never pressured Xu Tingyu in this regard.
He had always given her the greatest freedom in terms of work, hobbies, and dressing.
Maybe they were just too immature back then and couldn't see their own hearts clearly.
Xu Tingyu didn't say a word. She just turned to Youyou. "Do I look good, Youyou?"
"You look good, Mom. You're the most beautiful girl. You're so pretty," Youyou said. He had been waiting patiently by the side without showing any signs of impatience.
Although he had always told Qi Shifeng that they should respect Mom and that it was okay if Mom liked other handsome guys, in fact, he really liked seeing his parents interact with each other.
This feeling of a family of three together made him feel extremely at ease.
Xu Tingyu bent down and kissed him. "You have such a sweet mouth, Youyou. Come, let Mom kiss you."
After kissing Youyou, Qi Shifeng leaned in too. "I have a sweet mouth too. I want a kiss too."
But Xu Tingyu ignored him. She stood up, took Youyou's hand, and walked outside. "Let's go. Don't be late."
Qi Shifeng straightened up and watched the backs of the mother and son.
There was a strange feeling in his heart. It was a mix of sourness and fullness.
He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but he knew that just watching her like this was already good enough.