Chapter 963 - 960:

Chapter 963: Chapter 960:

In the study, Lu Jinxuan and Le Zhengsheng were discussing serious matters.

"How is the Ling Family?" Lu Jinxuan held a cup of cocoa milk, having been banned from drinking coffee for the past two years.

Because Dr. MARK had advised that coffee stimulates the nerves... it should be consumed less.

However, by the time it reached Yu Sangwan, it turned into a total prohibition.

Le Zhengsheng glanced sideways and said calmly, "I’ve met once, but there hasn’t been any substantial progress. Ling Yu has just inherited the Ling Family, lacking experience and authority, yet he is cautious and hard to deal with."

"Hmm." Lu Jinxuan nodded slightly, "Is there any breakthrough?"

Le Zhengsheng thought of Cui Ruoya and sighed, "Perhaps we can only take the side route."

...

After the birthday party, Ling Yu gave Gu Xiaoning a two-day break.

These two days, Ling Yu needed to be out of town.

Gu Xiaoning left Lingyun Manor and immediately headed to the early childhood center where Jiujiu was attending.

She hadn’t seen her daughter for several days, missing her terribly.

"Miss."

Unexpectedly, she was stopped by staff at the gate.

Gu Xiaoning was slightly taken aback, "Can’t I go in to see her?"

"I’m sorry." The person smiled, "If you want to learn more, please wait for our public open day! Today we don’t have teachers available to attend to you... all the teachers are in class now, so it’s not convenient."

"I..." Gu Xiaoning was a bit anxious, "Can’t I just take a look myself?"

"No, you can’t." The person shook their head with a smile, "That’s against the rules, you can’t go in without someone accompanying you... unless you’re the child’s parent, then I can let you in. Do you have any proof?"

Gu Xiaoning was at a loss; she didn’t have any.

With no choice, Gu Xiaoning had to leave.

Not far from the parking lane, Le Zhengsheng saw Gu Xiaoning’s departing figure through the rearview mirror.

A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips...

She came to see Jiujiu? Does that mean she really can’t let go?

Is this a good sign? Could it mean she realizes she was wrong back then? Now she understands, so she misses her daughter?

At the thought of the past, Le Zhengsheng still felt a pang in his fingertips.

Lu Jinxuan’s words lingered in his mind... Can he really forgive Gu Xiaoning? A woman who once abandoned her husband and daughter!

Le Zhengsheng tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, lost in thought.

Then, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number, "Hello, Auntie, it’s me... Ah Sheng."

...

Gu Xiaoning left the early childhood center and went straight to her mother’s place.

"Ningning is here." Aunt Gu happened to be home and opened the door for Gu Xiaoning.

"Mom." Gu Xiaoning went straight to the point, "I... I miss Jiujiu."

Aunt Gu nodded, "Yes, that’s natural... what mother doesn’t miss her child?"

"Mom," Gu Xiaoning was too ashamed to ask, "Can you do what you did last time..."

Aunt Gu sighed, "You don’t need to leave today, Ah Sheng will bring Jiujiu over."

"Really?" Gu Xiaoning couldn’t hide her happiness. "Great, I’ll wait here!"

The thought of seeing Jiujiu lifted Gu Xiaoning’s spirits entirely.

At noon, the doorbell rang... Just as promised, Le Zhengsheng arrived with Jiujiu.

"Here they are." Aunt Gu excitedly went to open the door, and Jiujiu jumped down from her father’s shoulders, still waddling as she walked.

"There you go."

"Aww." Aunt Gu picked up her little granddaughter, "Jiujiu is so good..."

She looked up at Le Zhengsheng, "Ah Sheng, you go ahead and get busy! Come pick her up later."

"...Okay." Without even stepping inside, Le Zhengsheng rubbed Jiujiu’s head and turned to leave.

As soon as he left, Gu Xiaoning came down from upstairs.

"Jiujiu!" Gu Xiaoning rushed over and hugged her daughter, "Sweetheart, sweetheart."

Jiujiu, like a ball of chubby cuteness, just holding her melted her heart completely.

Aunt Gu watched, tears welling up, "Take good care of Jiujiu, I have work in the afternoon... Ah Sheng usually comes around eight or nine to pick her up, by which time I’ll be back as well."

"Yeah." Gu Xiaoning nodded repeatedly, "Mom, don’t worry!"

Aunt Gu nodded silently; what is there to worry about? Handing a child over to their own mother is the most reassuring thing in the world.

Aunt Gu reminded Gu Xiaoning, "Knowing you’d come, I’ve simmered some soup on the stove... remember to drink it, don’t just give it all to Jiujiu, have some yourself too."

"Yes, got it."

Gu Xiaoning casually agreed, her eyes now only on Jiujiu.

Aunt Gu left, and Gu Xiaoning looked after Jiujiu, fed her, and played with her for a while until Jiujiu felt sleepy, and Gu Xiaoning lulled her to sleep.

She took her upstairs to her room, then came back down to tidy up.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Hmm?" Gu Xiaoning found it odd, was it something her mother forgot? But why ring the bell?

"Mom..." Gu Xiaoning walked over to open the door, and as she looked up, there stood Le Zhengsheng, tall and imposing.

"Ah..." Gu Xiaoning was startled, stepping back repeatedly, her face changing color, "I, I..."

She hadn’t forgotten his warning, he had said she wasn’t allowed to come near him and Jiujiu again.

"Tch." Le Zhengsheng curled his lips into a faint smile, appearing fully aware, "I guessed right, you really... are up to your old tricks again."

"..." Gu Xiaoning swallowed nervously, "I..."

"What do you take this as?" Le Zhengsheng raised his thick eyebrows, his voice stern, "Do you think of Jiujiu as a pet? To visit and tease whenever you have time?"

Gu Xiaoning hurried to deny it, "I don’t! She’s my daughter, how could I see her as a pet?"

"Daughter?" Le Zhengsheng’s tall figure leaned in, "So what you mean now is, you are fulfilling your duties and responsibilities as a mother?"

Gu Xiaoning’s palms went cold, realizing how wrong she’d been... missing so much of Jiujiu’s time.

She tightened her fists, "Ah Sheng, I know you hate me, know you resent me, know you don’t want to see me, but... my request isn’t high, I know you have a girlfriend now, I know you’ll have your own family, I just ask to occasionally see Jiujiu, that’s all! I won’t cling to you, I’m not that shameless!"

She knows?

Le Zhengsheng curled his lips, suppressing a smile.

That sarcasm emanating from his very bones!

She keeps saying she knows, but does she really know?

Does she know how he’s managed these past two years? Does she know how much he’s missed her? How much he’s longed for her to turn back?

She made him live like an ascetic monk for two years, and here she is saying she ’knows’?

Le Zhengsheng moved forward, closing in step by step on Gu Xiaoning.

"..." Gu Xiaoning didn’t understand why, retreating over and over again.

Suddenly, he reached out and gripped her chin.

"Ugh..." Gu Xiaoning winced from the pain, frowning in discomfort.

Le Zhengsheng was jolted by the sensation at his fingertips, her skin... damnably smooth. At 22, a woman’s best years. And Gu Xiaoning was different, she had given birth. She possessed a girl’s innocence and a woman’s allure...

These two auras mixed together, exuding a deadly attraction!