Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 26 - Getting Along
When Li Minchun approached Jian Qingtian, he immediately started speaking with the demeanor of a little adult, making it hard to believe he was just a three-year-old child.
“You’re much smarter than them, and I have reasons for saying this. At least, when facing him, you know how to handle yourself gracefully without clinging on like those other women, which would only be off-putting.”
As he spoke, Jian Qingtian deliberately nodded in the direction of Jian Yiqing.
Jian Yiqing, who hadn’t heard the conversation, might have thought his son was talking about him, so he cheerfully waved over.
Li Minchun smiled.
She gently patted her son’s head and said, “You little rascal.”
But Jian Qingtian disdainfully ducked away, saying, “I hate when people touch my head, and that includes you.”
With that, he turned and walked away, full of swagger.
Li Minchun couldn’t help but chuckle as she watched his small figure retreat.
After following him into the zoo, Li Minchun discovered that her son was surprisingly compassionate.
With parents who could be considered ruthless, it was unexpected that this trait had mutated in Jian Qingtian, which was a bit surprising.
“I didn’t realize you had such a compassionate side,” Li Minchun casually praised.
Jian Qingtian, however, looked at her with disdain, as if viewing a peculiar animal, and said, “Aren’t all kids like this? Who’s born cold-blooded, like that little brat?”
He was already thinking of the kid in his class who always acted so cool, even though he wasn’t much younger, it was annoying to see.
“Maybe everyone has different experiences, which shape their personality differently,” Li Minchun said, her voice growing softer.
Li Minchun couldn’t help but recall her own childhood. How could she have had a carefree and innocent childhood back then? From the moment she could remember, she had been living under the strict regime of Madam Li. Every day was filled with relentless and harsh training.
During that time, she rarely smiled and didn’t have much expression at all. Her mind was consumed with various forms of cruel training.
The children who should have been staring at the sky with silly smiles turned into merciless killers, one after another.
Even if people feared them at first sight, what did it matter? There was no chance for happiness anyway.
Thinking about this, Li Minchun felt a deep sadness.
It seemed that Jian Yiqing had a similar childhood to hers. It could be seen from the chip, from his hatred toward the Shangguan Family. That’s why Jian Yiqing now wishes to create a calm and pure environment for his son, to give him a life like that of a normal person.
“You’re really fortunate,” she said. Li Minchun wanted to pat her son’s head again, but remembering that he disliked it, she stopped herself.
After hearing Li Minchun’s words, a trace of resignation crossed Jian Qingtian’s face. Then, he pointed to a spot not far away and said, “Do you think those little monkeys are cute? Are they free?”
Li Minchun looked toward the monkey hill.
The hill was filled with energetic little monkeys, playing and frolicking joyfully together. Some elderly monkeys found shady spots to sit, either grooming themselves or helping their companions find fleas. The entire monkey hill seemed to be the liveliest place around. The bouncing little creatures appeared so lively and adorable.
“They all look so happy and cheerful…”
“But can you really say they are happy?” Jian Qingtian asked coldly.
Li Minchun was slightly taken aback, a bit unclear about the true meaning behind her son’s words.
Jian Qingtian continued, “If you were one of those little monkeys, confined in such a small world and on display for people who bought tickets every day, would you still be joyfully jumping around like them?”
His words left Li Minchun speechless.
Yes, if she were the one confined, even without worries about food or predators, what joy would there be without freedom?
For a moment, she looked at the little guy beside her with newfound respect.
“Alright, stop looking at me with that cheesy expression, let’s head back.”
Jian Qingtian always seemed wiser than many adults. If someone else were with him, he’d probably have already started pulling pranks, leaving them flustered.
In the end, he’d laugh heartily at their misfortune.
But today, when he looked at Li Minchun, he felt a sense of familiarity as if he had known this woman before and shared a good relationship. Yet he couldn’t recall her familiar face, nor did he know if this stranger had ever been part of his memories.
“Strange, seeing you, I always feel a sense of familiarity…”
What he muttered to himself deeply pierced Li Minchun’s heart.
Lost in thought, she couldn’t control her emotions, and the water bottle slipped from her hand, spilling the contents everywhere.
Even Jian Qingtian ended up doused in the drink.
“Are you okay? Did it burn you? I didn’t mean to,” Li Minchun said frantically, like a child who had done something wrong, so nervous that even her voice trembled.
Jian Qingtian frowned, replying helplessly, “It’s cold.”
Li Minchun froze, then realized her overreaction. How concern had clouded her judgment.
If someone saw her like this, they might laugh their heads off. After all, she used to be so smart and alert; since when had she become so flustered?
“What happened?” Jian Yiqing walked over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the bright red juice staining his son’s clothes, he anxiously asked, “Did anything happen? Are you burned?”
Hearing Jian Yiqing’s question, Jian Qingtian was utterly speechless, looking at the two adults as if they were oversized gorillas.
On ordinary days, they seemed quite smart and sharp, but today they seemed even duller than pigs. Even more frustrating was how harmoniously oblivious they were, which was simply exasperating.
“What do you think?” Jian Qingtian retorted, clearly annoyed.
“It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry for ruining your good mood,” Li Minchun apologized quietly.
“Forget it, let’s just head back. We can go out another time,” said Jian Yiqing, slightly exasperated. However, Jian Qingtian replied, “Auntie Chen has been back home for two days. I don’t want to eat your cooking; it’s really terrible.”
Li Minchun was taken aback. How could that be? Her cooking was notoriously bad, whereas Jian Yiqing’s culinary skills were top-notch-definitely not something one would call terrible.
“You’re picky. Fine, let’s go out to eat. Where do you want to go?” Jian Yiqing said, already reaching for his phone to make a reservation.
But Jian Qingtian, unhappy with the idea, complained about the lack of ambiance and refused to go.
As they were discussing, Jian Qingtian focused his gaze on Li Minchun and asked, “You stained my clothes, shouldn’t you make it up to me?”
“Jian Qingtian!” Jian Yiqing scolded loudly. Kids these days were getting more and more unruly.
“It’s okay, after all, it was my doing, and I should apologize for it,” Li Minchun said, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
For her, being able to spend time with her husband and child was the greatest joy. Even though she couldn’t reveal her true identity after so long, she still felt a sense of peace.
“Alright, I’ll owe you one.”
Strangely enough, after being apart for so long, Jian Yiqing seemed much more polite. The once impulsive Jian Yiqing had changed significantly without anyone noticing.
Li Minchun grew more curious about what had happened during her absence.
So, Li Minchun followed Jian Yiqing and Jian Qingtian back to the villa.
Jian Qingtian kept glancing at Li Minchun occasionally. It was curious because his father had never brought any woman back to the villa except for Aunt Zhang. Even when he suggested it, his father never considered such a thing.
But today, it seemed there was an exception for this woman.
Not only was Jian Qingtian curious, but Jian Yiqing also found himself filled with endless questions. He had never met this woman before, yet every time he saw her, especially when he was close to her, there was a strong sense of familiarity. It felt as if they knew each other quite well.
“Have we met before?”
Involuntarily, Jian Yiqing found himself asking her. Li Minchun paused briefly, then smiled and shook her head, saying, “We’ve never met.”
“Oh.”
After hearing her answer, Jian Yiqing was even more bewildered.
Before long, the three of them were back at the villa.
This was the same villa where Li Minchun and Jian Yiqing had once lived together. Back then, they were a couple, she was pregnant, and life was carefree and joyful…
However, now that the three of them were back, the feeling was entirely different.
Walking behind the others, Li Minchun was a bit taken aback when Jian Yiqing handed her a pair of slippers.
After all, she had once said that every owner of this house had their own slippers, while those for guests were identical.
And now, he was handing her the guest slippers.
She glanced at the shoe cabinet. Surprisingly, the pair she once wore was still neatly placed there.
Even though she had been missing for over a year, how could her slippers still be there?
Vaguely, it seemed as if Li Minchun had realized something.
Noticing her gaze, Jian Yiqing commented, “Those belong to the lady of the house. You seem quite interested in them.”
His words pulled Li Minchun back to reality. She nodded with a smile, “No, I just thought they were beautiful. The lady of the house must be a beautiful and tasteful woman.”
