Xu Tingyu was in a complete mess right now and didn't even notice the logical fallacy in her thoughts.
All she could think about was that Qi Shifeng might be ill.
Maybe he was afraid that Youyou would become overly dependent on him. If something were to happen to him, the child might not be able to bear it. So he was deliberately trying to reduce that dependence now.
No wonder he had fought so desperately to protect her during the car accident.
The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it felt. Even when she handed the dessert to Qi Shifeng, her eyes were filled with tears.
Qi Shifeng was both amused and annoyed by this mother - son duo. But he had spoiled them, so he couldn't really get angry.
He silently took the dessert and began to eat it without a word.
Xu Tingyu was even more convinced of the rumor that he was ill.
After all, Qi Shifeng used to dislike sweet food, but now he was gobbling up one puff after another?
It was said that a person's taste might change when they were ill.
Could it be that what Youyou heard was true?
She turned her face away, adjusted her emotions, and suddenly said, "To prevent you from using the silent treatment on my son again, I've decided to move in and keep an eye on you."
The father - son duo, who had been enjoying their puffs, were both stunned by this news.
Qi Shifeng was thinking: No way! Did I have an auditory hallucination just from eating a dessert?
And Youyou was thinking: Ah? So soon?
Seeing the two of them staring blankly at her, Xu Tingyu coughed lightly and added, "Of course, Youyou and I will share a room."
Only then did Qi Shifeng confirm that he wasn't hallucinating.
She really was going to move in!
He never thought that despite all his elaborate plans and various requests before, she had always flatly refused.
But this time, she had offered to move in on her own initiative.
"However, I have to make it clear in advance that even if I move in, I won't stay for long."
Xu Tingyu added another sentence.
This was mainly for Qi Shifeng's sake, so that he wouldn't get the wrong idea.
But Qi Shifeng had already started to think too much. A suspicious blush crept up behind his ears, and he quickly said, "Then I'll arrange for the maid to help you prepare your things."
"There's no need for any special preparation. I'll bring my own stuff."
Most of the things at home were still the ones she had used before, which largely overlapped with what she was using now.
So all she needed to bring was her computer and a simple suitcase.
"Okay, I'll do whatever you say."
Qi Shifeng was almost overjoyed. Of course, he would agree to anything she said.
Xu Tingyu glanced at him when she saw that he didn't even ask one more question.
Did this guy really want her to move in so much?
Why was he smiling so happily?
And Youyou just silently ate his puffs and said nothing more.
At dinner, Qi Shifeng announced this news.
Mama Zhang and the others were more happy than surprised. Even though they had been told not to prepare anything special, they still got a lot of things ready.
There were indeed quite a few dishes on the table that Xu Tingyu liked.
For a moment, she felt a bit dazed, as if the time they had been apart had never existed.
"Mom, the teacher said that we need to eat more meat to be strong and grow tall. Mom is too thin, so you should eat more meat."
Youyou picked up his little chopsticks. Before he started eating himself, he picked a lot of meat for Xu Tingyu.
After Xu Tingyu thanked him, she said, "Youyou, pick some for Dad too. Dad has some inconvenience."
Youyou nodded obediently and picked quite a bit for Qi Shifeng.
Xu Tingyu noticed that the dishes he picked for Qi Shifeng were all his favorites.
This child really loved his mom and dad.
She felt a warmth in her heart and was even more determined to get to the bottom of things. She couldn't let the child live in constant panic.
So after dinner, Xu Tingyu took Youyou out for a walk. When they came back, she watched TV with him for a while and then told him to take a bath first.
While he was taking a bath, she went to find Qi Shifeng.
As it turned out, Qi Shifeng was on the phone with Jiang Li, and his face looked very solemn.
"I understand. Go and invite the most authoritative expert in this field and use the best medicine."
After saying this, he didn't say anything else for a while. He just listened silently until the call ended. Then he sat there lost in thought for a long time, with a complex expression on his face.
Xu Tingyu tightened her grip on the milk cup.
But the next second, she pretended nothing was wrong and pushed the door open. "Qi Shifeng, let's have a talk."
Hearing her voice, Qi Shifeng's somewhat gloomy face immediately broke into a smile.
"Sure. Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable? Just tell me, and I'll have them change it."
He looked at her tenderly, with a gentle smile on his lips.
Xu Tingyu tightened her grip on the cup again, then handed the milk over. "I'm not uncomfortable. Have this first."
Drinking some milk before bed was because he had trouble sleeping, but he always forgot and needed someone to remind him.
Qi Shifeng took the cup. Seeing that she had something on her mind, he patted the seat beside him and said, "What do you want to talk to me about? Come and sit here."
If it had been before, Xu Tingyu would definitely have refused and kept her distance from him.
But now, with her complicated emotions, she walked over involuntarily and sat down next to him.
"What did that little rascal Youyou tell you? You look so preoccupied."
He was happy about her closeness but didn't dare to show it too obviously for fear of scaring her away.
Xu Tingyu looked at his face carefully for a while before asking, "I've never asked you this before. Have you had a really hard time these years?"
It seemed that she had always ignored this question.
Managing such a large company alone, he had to be on guard against competitors and always stay alert to the market.
After getting home, he also had to take care of a child who knew nothing and did it so well.
Moreover, there had been so many unexpected events in his life. Having several car accidents in a year, what did that even mean?
So, he must have felt very tired too. Did he ever blame her?
Qi Shifeng didn't expect her to bring this up. He was stunned for a moment and then shook his head. "Not really. After all, Youyou was with me. You're the one who really suffered."
Although his life was filled with work and he had to play the role of both father and mother for Youyou.
But he also enjoyed the generous rewards that his work brought, and many things about Youyou were taken care of by others.
So he couldn't really say he was suffering.
On the contrary, Xu Tingyu had been in a foreign country, with no money, no friends, and no connections. She had to struggle hard just to survive.
That was real suffering.
Xu Tingyu shook her head. "Qi Shifeng, work is important, Youyou is important, and your own health is also important. Do you understand?"
Qi Shifeng stared at her intently. "Then, am I important to you?"
His face was full of nervousness, as if he was asking a life - and - death question.
He thought that Xu Tingyu would weigh her words, be perfunctory, or avoid the question.
But he didn't expect that she nodded firmly almost without any hesitation. "Of course. You're very important to me."
He was her first love, her ex - husband, and the father of her child.
No matter which role he played, he was very important.