Chapter 188: Chapter 185: This Aunt Has the Same Face as You
Ever since that time in the hospital, after Rong Mochen had visited Jin Jumo there, things between her and Ying Jingyao hadn’t been as natural as before. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between them, one they both acknowledged but neither attempted to break.
Ying Jingyao glanced at the magazine, his eyes flickered profoundly, his gaze softly locking onto Jin Jumo, his tone as gentle and warm as ever, "In a few days, it’ll be Xixi and Hanhan’s fourth birthday. I’m planning to host a small birthday party for the little ones. What do you think?"
Jin Jumo’s brow twitched, "A birthday party? Xixi and Hanhan are only four, it’s just a birthday, there’s no need for it to be so grand, right?"
Ying Jingyao stared at Jin Jumo, "I’ve already informed my parents to attend the birthday party." He paused, "Also, many Ying family employees and renowned figures from various circles will be attending."
"..." Jin Jumo’s face slightly stiffened, looking into Ying Jingyao’s eyes filled with confusion, "Jingyao, what, what do you want to do?"
Ying Jingyao looked at Jin Jumo’s unconsciously clenched hand, his eyes lightly flickered, he reached out and held her hand firmly, "You are now my girlfriend, and in the future, my wife. Your children are my children. It’s time to introduce you and the children to my parents and everyone else."
Jin Jumo’s pupils dilated, she forcefully pulled her hand free from Ying Jingyao’s grasp, "Jingyao, I’m sorry, I disagree."
"Why?" Ying Jingyao, despite Jin Jumo’s vehement opposition, seemed not surprised, calmly looked at her and asked.
Jin Jumo lightly frowned, "I don’t want to expose Xixi and Hanhan to everyone. Also, it’s too early."
"You and I will eventually reach that stage, and Xixi and Hanhan will also someday be introduced publicly. Additionally, Xixi and Hanhan’s household registration isn’t settled yet, they also need a legitimate identity. For all this, I think handling it now is already considered late," Ying Jingyao said in a mild tone.
"Jingyao, it’s not that I haven’t considered what you’ve said. I’ll find a way to solve Xixi and Hanhan’s household registration issue. As for the birthday party, I really think it’s unnecessary," Jin Jumo insisted, her delicate face determined.
Ying Jingyao clenched his fist, quickly released, a gentle curve formed on his lips, looking at Jin Jumo calmly, "I was only seeking your opinion, since you disagree, let’s pretend I never mentioned it."
"Jingyao..." Jin Jumo looked at his graceful face, her heart inexplicably blocked with discomfort, her voice slightly hoarse, "I’m sorry."
Ying Jingyao hid his gaze, smiled slightly, "Xiao Xiao, you don’t need to apologize to me, just remember, no matter what I do, it’s because, I love you."
That "I love you" left his mouth, yet it felt like a thousand-pound weight pressing on Jin Jumo’s heart.
Back at Yu Yang Apartment, Jian Liangtong was making heart-shaped cookies for the kids. Seeing the faint melancholy in Jin Jumo’s eyes, Jian Liangtong frowned, "Weren’t you on a date with Ying Jingyao? Why do you look so gloomy coming back? Did you have a fight with him?"
Jin Jumo took off her coat, hung it on the rack, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and came out to make cookies with her, "He’s so good-tempered, how could he argue with me?"
"Then why are you unhappy?" Jian Liangtong asked in confusion.
"I’m not unhappy, I just..." Jin Jumo paused her actions, looked at Jian Liangtong, "I don’t know how to face it."
"Face who? Ying Jingyao?"
"Yeah." Jin Jumo nodded.
Jian Liangtong put a box of cookies into the oven, turned to look at Jin Jumo, "What did Ying Jingyao say to you today?"
Jin Jumo lowered her lashes, after a while, she said, "It’s soon Xixi and Hanhan’s fourth birthday, he said he wanted to host a birthday party."
"Host a birthday party?" Jian Liangtong was slightly surprised, walked over, stood across the table in front of Jin Jumo, "Xixi and Hanhan are only four, what birthday party?" Pressed her lips, "If it’s just to invite a few close friends to celebrate the kids’ birthday, there’s nothing wrong with that."
"If that were the case, I wouldn’t say anything," Jin Jumo said softly.
Jian Liangtong was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Jin Jumo stopped her actions, looked up at Jian Liangtong, her clear eyes lined with a trace of heaviness, "He wants to use Xixi and Hanhan’s birthday to invite his parents and those from the business world..."
Jian Liangtong’s eyes lightly flickered, "So he plans to introduce you all to everyone... in fact, he wants to confirm your identities, letting everyone know that you’re his."
Jin Jumo said nothing.
Jian Liangtong stared at her, "Ju Zi, you and Ying Jingyao, what do you think?"
"Hmm?" Jin Jumo was confused.
"I mean, are you two just in a simple boyfriend-girlfriend relationship without involving marriage, or are you dating with marriage as a premise?" Jian Liangtong said.
Jin Jumo was stunned, frowned, "Dating is dating, do we really need to categorize it?"
Jin Jumo had no experience in romance. In her view, the transition from dating to marriage was natural. When interacting with someone, she wouldn’t consider whether they had a future beforehand, just let it be.
Jian Liangtong sighed, glanced sideways at Jin Jumo, "Ju Zi, do you want to know what I think?"
Jin Jumo twitched her mouth, "Just say it."
Jian Liangtong licked her lower lip, "If I really like someone, and he proposes to introduce me to his parents, his circle, I would be very happy. Moreover, Xixi and Hanhan are not Ying Jingyao’s flesh and blood, yet he proposed to invite everyone for Xixi and Hanhan’s fourth birthday.
I don’t know if others would think the same as me, but if I attend Xixi and Hanhan’s birthday dinner and Ying Jingyao introduces you to everyone there, I would guess that Xixi and Hanhan are his children. I think this is Ying Jingyao’s intention."
Seeing Jin Jumo’s brow furrow more tightly, Jian Liangtong continued, "Over these years, I don’t need to say much about how Ying Jingyao has treated you and Xixi Hanhan. Based on this alone, Ying Jingyao is indeed a man worth entrusting one’s life to. Moreover, it’s clear that he sincerely treats Xixi and Hanhan as his own children. I feel that if you truly like him and intend to have a long-term relationship with him, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with his proposal."
Jin Jumo’s eyes deepened as she listened to Jian Liangtong’s words. After a brief silence, she glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "It’s almost five o’clock, we should go pick up the little ones from kindergarten."
Jian Liangtong stared at Jin Jumo, unable to ignore her avoidance, but not wanting to expose her. She took off her apron from her neck and said, "Let’s go, pick up the kids."
Jin Jumo and Jian Liangtong went to the kindergarten to pick up the three little ones.
Jian Chenghao was almost four months younger than Xixi and Hanhan, about the same height as Hanhan, while Xixi was one or two centimeters shorter than the two boys.
When they came out of the kindergarten gate, Xixi was holding hands with Hanhan and Hao Hao on each side, walking out between them.
Since birth until the age of two, Hao Hao was not very healthy, often sickly, so he was slimmer than Xixi and Hanhan.
Jin Jumo’s back seat only had two car seats, so Xixi occupied Jin Jumo’s lap, while Hanhan and Hao Hao sat in the car seats at the back.
"Hanhan, in a few days, it will be your and Xixi’s fourth birthday. What gift would you like? Aunt Jian will buy it for you," Jian Liangtong said confidently while driving.
"No need, Aunt Jian," Hanhan said sensibly.
Jian Liangtong raised an eyebrow, "That won’t do. Ever since you and Xixi were born, Aunt Jian has bought gifts for your birthdays every year, and this year is no exception."
As she spoke, Jian Liangtong looked at Xixi, "Xixi, what gift would you like?"
Ye Xixi thought for a moment, her innocent big eyes suddenly sparkled, and she stared at Jian Liangtong, "Can I really have anything I want?"
"Of course." Jian Liangtong thought that Xixi, this little foodie, would ask for something to eat, which wasn’t difficult, so she agreed readily.
But did not expect...
"I want a dad," Xixi suddenly raised her soft, crisp little voice and said, looking at Jian Liangtong.
"..." Jian Liangtong’s expression suddenly stiffened, she pursed her lips, slowly looking at Jin Jumo.
Jin Jumo’s expression was also stunned, her lips pale from being pursed tightly. Looking at the hopeful eyes of Xixi staring at Jian Liangtong, it felt as if a fine needle had pierced straight into her heart, bringing nothing but a fine, dense pain, and she couldn’t feel anything else.
Ye Yihan heard his sister’s answer, and his bright black eyes were stunned as well. Then his fair little face tightened, and he stared at Xixi and said, "Ye Xixi, don’t be mischievous!"
"..." Ye Xixi’s beautiful eyes shrank tightly in fear at Hanhan’s sudden scolding, looking at Ye Yihan in surprise.
Ye Yihan sternly stared at Xixi.
Xixi’s eyes welled up with clear tears, she looked up at Jin Jumo, then held her lips tight, silently bowed her head, and didn’t speak again.
Jian Liangtong looked at Xixi, feeling a pang of sympathy, just about to say something comforting, but felt a focused stare from her side.
Jian Liangtong’s heart trembled, she slowly lifted her eyelashes, glanced at the rearview mirror at the back seat, and saw Jian Chenghao silently staring at her with his big dark eyes.
Overwhelming suffocation and pain quickly spread from her heart to her limbs, Jian Liangtong’s eyes reddened, almost unable to hold the steering wheel.
Jin Jumo’s breath tightened, only hearing those four words "I want a dad" from Xixi echoing in her ears.
She couldn’t describe in specific words the emotional impact this statement had on her heart.
All along, she worked hard, doing her best to provide them with the best. Outside of work hours, she spent as much time as possible with them...
She wholeheartedly believed that Xixi and Hanhan, having all of her love, wouldn’t mind not having a father.
But the reality was otherwise.
From the kindergarten to Yu Yang Apartment, the kids were unusually quiet, and both Jin Jumo and Jian Liangtong were lost in their own thoughts, also remaining silent.
Back at Yu Yang Apartment, Jian Liangtong took out the baked cookies, put them into a beautifully decorated cookie box for the little ones to munch on, while she went into the kitchen with Jin Jumo to prepare dinner for the family of five.
Xixi sat on the sofa, eagerly watching Jian Liangtong and Jin Jumo walk into the kitchen. Her pink lips pursed lightly, looking at Ye Yihan who was sitting across a galaxy from her.