Chapter 95: Ch 95: Jiejie Lessons and Bench Conversations

"Is this how you do it, Aunt Wanyan?" Shen Guoxing asked, carefully supporting Mo Yan’s head with one hand and her bottom with the other. She glanced up at Su Wanyan, who stood nearby with a soft, approving smile.

"Yeah. Now just gently rest her head on your shoulder," Su Wanyan guided, her hands hovering ready in case anything went wrong.

Shen Guoxing pressed her lips together and slowly followed the instructions. She lifted Mo Yan’s head with careful care and settled it against her shoulder, then instinctively leaned back so the baby’s entire weight rested comfortably against her. Su Wanyan nodded, clearly pleased.

"Now straighten up a little," she advised, her voice patient and gentle. Shen Guoxing adjusted her posture and looked at Su Wanyan again, eyes asking what came next. Su Wanyan laughed quietly and reached out to ruffle the girl’s hair. "You’re doing great," she said, the sincere praise warming Shen Guoxing’s chest.

Shen Guoxing straightened fully, holding Mo Yan firmly in place. The baby remained completely relaxed, content to let her older sister handle everything, a thin trail of drool already dampening the shoulder of Shen Guoxing’s shirt.

If anyone could have seen Mo Yan’s expression, they would have said there was not a single thought passing through that little head.

"Terrific. Now pat her back gently," Su Wanyan instructed, stepping closer to adjust Shen Guoxing’s arms so both children would be more comfortable. Once the posture felt right, Shen Guoxing carefully slid her right hand from Mo Yan’s head to her back. She waited a second to make sure the baby would not slip, then let out a quiet breath and began patting in soft, steady rhythm, still glancing at Su Wanyan for confirmation.

Su Wanyan only smiled and stepped back to stand beside Mo Xingxue, who had been recording the entire "jiejie lesson" from the start and showed no sign of stopping. Su Wanyan’s gaze stayed on the two children. Shen Guoxing was trying hard to look calm, yet the anxiety in her eyes was easy to see.

"Aunt..." Shen Guoxing called, a small whine creeping into her voice.

Su Wanyan laughed and shook her head. "You’re doing great, sweetie!" The louder laugh earned her a mock glare from the girl.

Mo Xingxue, watching everything, shook her head with a fond smile. "You shouldn’t tease Xing’er so much, Yanyan," she said, a trace of helplessness in her tone at her alpha’s playful streak.

Su Wanyan only laughed again. "I’m not teasing her," she drawled, stretching the last word in a deliberately cute way to dodge any scolding. "I’m just teaching her how to be a better jiejie~" She looked down at Mo Xingxue with a bright, mischievous grin.

Mo Xingxue met that grin and felt her heart give a sudden, hard thud. Heat rose to her cheeks. "Right," she answered, the word carrying clear resignation.

Su Wanyan laughed once more and gently hugged Mo Xingxue’s head from behind. Mo Xingxue stiffened as the warmth spread from her cheeks down her neck. Su Wanyan, still watching the children, did not notice the effect she was having.

"She’s doing great," Su Wanyan murmured, so softly that Mo Xingxue only caught it because every bit of her attention was already fixed on the woman behind her. Su Wanyan’s eyes stayed on the two little ones, a quiet sadness flickering through them.

She had always been so busy with work. There had never been a full week spent solely with Shen Guoxing before a research call or an operation pulled her away. She had tried to be present, yet she knew she had fallen short as a guardian. Her gaze shifted to Mo Yan. She had not been there for Mo Xingxue during the pregnancy either, nor when the baby first entered the world. Pride and leftover guilt had kept her at a distance. If only I had reached out sooner, she thought, shaking her head.

Then the thought stopped her. Huh? She was a transmigrator. Even if she had wanted to, she could never have been present during those earlier years. The idea was ridiculous. Prolonged late nights must simply be taking a toll on her mind, she decided, choosing the logical explanation over the stranger truth of her situation.

A sudden excited shout pulled her back. "I did it!" Shen Guoxing exclaimed, having successfully coaxed a solid burp from her meimei.

Mo Xingxue recovered her composure and smiled. "Congratulations, Xing’er. You did it!" Pride shone clearly in her voice. She looked up from Su Wanyan’s arms and grinned. "Look, Yanyan. Shen Guoxing did it."

"Oh.. yeah," Su Wanyan answered after a short pause. She shook her head, returning to her usual gentle yet playful expression. "Good job, Xing’er," she said with genuine warmth.

Shen Guoxing answered with an adorable "hehe," and the four of them settled once more into their peaceful little circle. This time, however, Su Wanyan could feel that something inside her had shifted.

But that was still a story for much, much later.

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While the family of four continued their quiet moment under the umbrella in the resting area, Zhao Yichen and Qin Yuran sat side by side on a wooden bench near the convenience store entrance. The morning air was still mild, carrying the faint scent of packaged snacks and the distant hum of cars on the highway. Through the large glass windows they could clearly see their omegas inside, moving from shelf to shelf with unhurried interest.

Zhao Yichen leaned back against the bench, elbows resting on the wooden rail behind him, eyes fixed on Han Jiho. Inside the store, Han Jiho stood in front of the freezer, one hand on his hip as he compared two different ice-cream packages, laughing at something Song Meiyu had just said. The sunlight caught the curve of his smile, and Zhao Yichen’s expression softened without him realizing it.

Qin Yuran glanced at her friend, followed the direction of his gaze, and smirked. "Why’d you join this love variety show?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Ah?" Zhao Yichen answered blankly, still distracted by the way Han Jiho’s laughter lit up the store aisle.

Qin Yuran’s smirk deepened. My, he’s down bad, she thought, not yet noticing that she herself looked at Song Meiyu with the exact same soft intensity. "I said," she repeated, elbowing him lightly in the side, "why’d you join this love variety show?"

"Oh." Zhao Yichen finally tore his eyes away for half a second. "Because of him," he answered, voice quiet and tender.

Qin Yuran’s grin turned teasing. "Oh? Is there some sort of background story here?"

Zhao Yichen answered with a sharp elbow to her stomach. "Ow!" Qin Yuran clutched her side, more annoyed than hurt. "What was that for?!"

Zhao Yichen ignored the complaint and kept his eyes on Han Jiho, who was now carefully choosing between two flavors. "Well," he began, a note of nostalgia coloring his tone, "we were both students of Teacher Zhu."

Qin Yuran straightened, interest replacing the earlier annoyance. "The legendary actress Teacher Zhu?"

Zhao Yichen chuckled and nodded. "Yeah." He fell quiet for a moment, memories clearly rising. "Han Jiho was always the remarkable one. Impeccable acting skills, the kind of presence that made every scene feel alive. Teachers constantly used him as the example the rest of us should follow." His gaze stayed on Han Jiho, who was now laughing again while holding up an ice-cream bar for Song Meiyu’s opinion. Zhao Yichen’s lips curved fondly. "Because of his personality and talent.... it wasn’t long before I fell in love." He scratched the back of his neck, a little awkward even after all these years.

"But just as I was about to confess," he continued, voice quieter, "Teacher Zhu told us Han Jiho had moved to Korea to sign a contract. I was depressed, but I told myself it was better for him. So I made a resolution to become a successful actor here in China, someone who could one day stand beside him as an equal." He laughed softly at the naïve determination of his younger self.

"After I debuted, though....." Zhao Yichen’s expression grew more serious. "His name never spread the way everyone expected. Not because he lacked talent. He signed with a bad company." The weight of old frustration and pity settled in his chest for a moment.

The two alphas fell into silence. Outside the store, a light breeze rustled the leaves of a nearby tree. Inside, Han Jiho finally made his choice and moved toward the register with Song Meiyu.

After a while Zhao Yichen exhaled. "I thought I’d never see him again. I never expected him to be on this show. The moment I found out, I signed up immediately. Work was just the excuse so I could talk to him again." He finished with an awkward little chuckle, the confident, laid-back smile returning to his face.

Qin Yuran leaned back against the bench as well, a genuine smile on her lips. "You’re tough for that."

Zhao Yichen finally turned fully toward her. "What about you?"

Qin Yuran’s smirk returned, softer this time. "I just wanted to love somebody."

Zhao Yichen stared at her, clearly dumbfounded. "That’s it?"

"That’s it," she confirmed with a small nod.

The two of them continued bantering lightly after that, trading easy jabs while their omegas finished paying inside. The gentle morning light spilled across the bench, warming their shoulders as they waited.

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Hey, y’all! So, I hope y’all are having a terrific day. Uh, just a lil heads up, I won’t be replying to y’all comments for now. Because need to sleep, I have a class tomorrow LMAO! BUT, I WILL SURELY READ IT TOMORROW LMAO! HOPE Y’ALL ARE HAVING A FANTASTIC DAY!