To My Dear Mr. Huo

If she had had it easy, how could she have aged the way that she did? She should be younger than Su Chenghui, but she looked more than ten years older than him.

“Yes,” Huo Jinyao answered.

It was certainly not easy for a woman to make her own way in this world.

Over the past few years, Xiang Caiping really must have suffered. She had considerable wealth for an ordinary person but, for the Huo Family, it was barely anything.

Even so, Huo Jinyao admired her very much. She had not become totally depressed because of the loss of her lover and child like other women might.

Su Qingsang nodded and hugged Huo Jinyao’s arm.

“I feel sorry to see her so wary. Do you think I am too soft?” She said in a light voice.

“No.”

Although Qingsang was quick to relent, Huo Jinyao knew that there should be some mother-daughter bonding.

“Seriously, I don’t feel like she is my mother yet, but I’d like to try to accept her.”

“It’s all right. I don’t think she will mind.”

“Yeah.”

Su Qingsang recalled that yesterday Xiang Caiping had seen them making out, so she could not help but sit upright.

Before long, Xiang Caiping came out to the tea table but did not sit down.

“Sit down, please, Aunt.”

“Oh, yes.” Xiang Caiping sat down, in the same upright posture. Su Qingsang sighed and felt she couldn’t do anything with a person who had such an attitude.

On second thought, she got up and went to the kitchen to get some water and some fruit from the fridge.

When she came out, she put the water and the cut fruit in front of Xiang Caiping. “Aunt, have some fruit.”

“I’ll do it myself, myself.” Xiang Caiping stopped her from helping her with the fruit immediately.

“Aunt.” Su Qingsang knew that if she did not tell her clearly, she would probably go on like this. Other things were okay, but she could not bear to see her being so polite and wary.

“There is one thing, I think, we’d better make clear,” she said.

“Yes, yes.” Xiang Cai put down the water that she had picked up.

Su Qingsang watched her and put the water in her hand. “Aunt, listen to me. It’s no big deal. Well, I haven’t seen you or been with you all these years.”

“It’s my fault. It’s me—” Xiang Caiping was anxious to speak, but Su Qingsang knew what she was going to say, so she cut her off.

“Aunt, I don’t want to blame you. I just want to say, the past belongs to the past. Forget it. It doesn’t matter who was right or wrong, not anymore. In the future, I mean, we will just get along. That matters, don’t you think so?”

Xiang Caiping’s eyes suddenly turned red again. “What do you mean? Do you believe me?”

“Yes. I believe you.”

Su Qingsang had no reason not to believe her, although she still had no daughterly affection for this woman.

“Aunt, don’t blame me. I believe you, but, for now, I cannot call you…”

Xiang Caiping knew what she failed to say. “I understand, I understand. I don’t want you to call me mom. You can call me aunt if you want, or even my name. I don’t mind. I really don’t mind.”

She put the glass down as she spoke, waving her hands quickly.

“Let it be so for now. You’re staying here anyway. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any need. After all, you are the elder.”

“Yes, yes,” Xiang Caiping answered immediately.

Su Qingsang thought about what Huo Jinyao had said in the morning. “Aunt, I heard that you fell in Rong City. How is your waist now?”