Chapter 36: Mother’s Lover in Her Previous Life

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After filming all the scenes, Youguang rushed back to Jin City for the new year.

On the day they returned to Jin City, it was snowing. The snow fluttered and fell, covering the entire city in snow.

Youguang was sitting in the car and looking through the car window. There were passers-by walking along the streets in the snow. On both sides of the road, smoke was wafting from the row of shops looking like boiling cauldrons among the hustle and bustle of the city. Youguang’s eyes were fixated.

This was a completely different world from the mountains in Guangxi.

Beside her, Xia Youqing had just finished a call. She turned around and saw her daughter staring at a hotel outside. A thought came to her.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat somewhere before you go home?”

“Sure,” replied Youguang, turning her head.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Chicken, duck, fish, anything.”

“What’s so good about chicken, duck, and fish…” Xia Youqing retorted reflexively, but she stopped herself. “How bad was the food at your father’s?”

“Not too bad. I just feel like eating meat.”

“Okay, then I’ll take you to a great private restaurant. Their cooking is superb.”

“Okay.”

When they reached the private restaurant, Xia Youqing generously ordered all the restaurant’s signature dishes for her daughter.

Youguang watched as plates of exquisite dishes were served and placed on the table. The dishes smelled wonderful. However, she realized it was lacking the atmosphere of dining when she was with the production team. She did not seem to miss the delicacies in the city as much as she had imagined.

In the end, she just symbolically tasted a little of each dish.

The taste was indeed as good as Xia Youqing had said, but she really couldn’t eat that much anymore.

“I miscalculated.” Biting the end of her chopsticks lightly, Youguang looked at the table of barely touched chicken, duck, and fish in front of her and sighed.

“What is it?” Across from her, Xia Youqing was sipping tea.

Today’s dishes were all soaked in rich oil and dark sauces. She stopped eating after a few bites of vegetables and didn’t touch her chopsticks thereafter.

In terms of the maintenance of her figure and face, she was perfectly suited to be an actress.

“I can’t eat anymore.” Youguang scowled. “I was too ambitious. I had misjudged my appetite.”

“If you can’t eat anymore, then don’t.”

“But I don’t want to waste food.”

“Even if you don’t want to waste the food, you’ll have to. It’s not like there’s anyone else who can help to eat it,” Xia Youqing said nonchalantly.

“We shouldn’t throw away the fruits of other’s labor,” Youguang suggested after a moment. “Let’s pack and feed the animals at the animal shelter.”

“It’s cold out here,” Summer said reluctantly, finding it troublesome.

“Then get someone to pick you up and take you home. I’ll get the driver to bring me to the animal shelter.” Youguang got up, ready to ask the waiter to pack their leftovers.

“Forget it. I’d better go with you.” Xia Youqing put down her teacup and held back her emotions. She was getting a little impatient.

She never had a good temper.

“Then let’s set some rules in advance. Since you promised to accompany me, you’re not allowed to lose your temper on the way there, whether it’s due to traffic issues or problems with finding the shelter. If you cannot agree, then please don’t go with me.”

If anyone else was present, they would definitely think that the roles of Xia Youqing and Ning Youguang were reversed.

The mother was more like a willful daughter and the daughter was more patient and reasonable, like a mother should.

“I know, I know.” Xia Youqing looked at her daughter’s young face and saw that she was negotiating with her gently and calmly. She felt ridiculous.

Feeling a little flustered and embarrassed.

In the end, she could only lower her head and continue drinking to ease her embarrassment.

After being specially instructed by You Guang, the waiter quickly packed the food in a thermal bag.

There were nearly ten dishes. The mother and daughter pair could not carry so many dishes by themselves, so they called the driver to help.

The driver led the way with the bag of leftovers.

Dressed in an overcoat, scarf, and mask, Xia Youqing walked behind in her boots.

Youguang had on her little white boots and a quilted jacket, walking between the two adults.

She was not as covered up as Xia Youqing. Her face was exposed, and snow landed on her curly eyelashes. It looked like there were little stars dancing above her eyes.

When Gu Cheng and his few friends walked into the small courtyard of the private restaurant, they immediately saw the three people walking in their direction.

What attracted his attention was the little girl in the middle. She was dressed in white, and her complexion was also fair. In the snowy night where twilight had just descended upon them, the girl looked exceptionally dazzling and bright.

The group could not help but steal a few more glances at such a good-looking child.

Then, Gu Cheng, who was in the lead, noticed the young woman behind the child. After taking a closer look, the two groups of people crossed paths along the pavement. Gu Cheng stopped and said happily,

“Qing Qing.” His voice was rich and mellow. It was such a gentle and affectionate voice.

“Boss,” Xia Youqing called out after a moment’s hesitation.

When Gu Cheng heard this long-lost greeting, his expression froze. Then, his gaze quietly landed on the little girl who was sizing him up.

“What a coincidence. Are you out to dinner with your family?”

The child looked quite like Xia Youqing. Gu Cheng was wondering about their relationship and thought that the girl might be Xia Youqing’s sister or niece.

“Yes, you must have just arrived. Have you made a reservation?”

“Yes I did. Do you want to join us?”

Gu Cheng wanted to persuade Xia Youqing to stay. Eating was not the main focus.

It was mainly because he missed her a little and wanted to spend more time with her.

“No, take your time. We’re leaving.”

Xia Youqing turned down his offer. After giving a quick nod at Gu Cheng’s friends in greeting, she took her daughter’s hand and walked away in a hurry.

Ning Youguang did not utter a word and followed Xia Youqing. She felt an intense gaze behind her and it lasted for quite a while.

She saw Xia Youqing’s hesitation earlier on and recognized Gu Cheng.

In her previous life, Gu Cheng was her first stepfather and Xia Youqing’s second husband. He was a big shot within the capital city.

Not surprisingly, Xia Youqing was dating him now.

If they hadn’t met Gu Cheng here by coincidence, Ning Youguang would have forgotten about this. She should have connected the events in this life with those that happened within the same timeline in her previous life.

She silently calculated the timeline in her heart. If she had not asked Xia Youqing to divorce Ning Yi immediately after she was reborn—and chose to let her parents continue with the trajectory of their marriage in her previous life—Ning Yi would probably know about the affair between Xia Youqing and Gu Cheng in about six months’ time.

At this time in her previous life, Ning Yi had not started filming his own movie and was still doing odd jobs in the production team. He was working like a dog and suffocating in his job.

He was a young man who was stumbling and figuring his way out along the path to his dreams.

When he found out that his wife had cheated on him, the proud Young Master Ning exploded in anger on the spot and almost wanted to kill Gu Cheng and Xia Youqing.

Of course, even in his anger, he didn’t confront them.

Because he was not so innocent himself.