Chapter 26: Three Years Older

Chapter 26: Three Years Older

Song Xiaoqin saw the three of them out of the residential complex, pinched Xianxian's delicate little cheeks to say goodbye, exchanged a few words with Lu Anzhi, and then turned back.

Seeing that Zhang Suxin’s expression was a bit strange and unnatural, Lu Anzhi asked casually, "What were you two talking about?"

"N-nothing! It was nothing!" Zhang Suxin quickly shook her head.

How could she possibly tell Lu Anzhi what Song Xiaoqin had said? However, she couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him. Lu Anzhi was indeed quite handsome and looked very young. He had the perfect qualities to be a "toy boy." She had heard of and seen plenty of wealthy female executives and stars keeping younger men, and the father of her child didn't look any worse than them. Plus, he was so talented...

*Wait, what am I thinking?!*

Zhang Suxin quickly averted her eyes, looking straight ahead as she walked side-by-side with Lu Anzhi and Xianxian.

There was a taxi stand on the roadside outside the complex. She and Lu Anzhi each offered a finger for Xianxian to hold, and they walked toward the station. There was a bench under the shelter, and when Xianxian saw it, her eyes lit up. She tried to pull on their hands to jump up onto the seat.

Zhang Suxin quickly stopped her. "Xianxian, you can't jump on the bench. It’s for sitting."

Xianxian nodded, looking at the bench. "This is for sitting, not for jumping."

"That's right," Zhang Suxin said. "If you jump on it, you'll make it dirty, and then other people won't be able to sit down."

"Okay," Xianxian said obediently. Then, finding a new game, she began to circle around the bench.

Lu Anzhi noticed that Zhang Suxin always took the time to educate Xianxian on these minor details; it was no wonder she had raised such a sensible child—except when they were at home, of course. He and Zhang Suxin stood on either side, watching Xianxian to make sure she wouldn't suddenly wander into the road.

"How... how old are you?" Zhang Suxin suddenly asked. She had held Lu Anzhi's ID card before to take a photo, but she had been so focused on the music copyrights that she hadn't paid attention to his age.

Lu Anzhi replied, "Twenty-five. Why do you ask?"

Zhang Suxin’s face turned bright red. "N-nothing. I just haven't asked before, and I was suddenly curious." She didn't know why she had asked; it was as if something had taken hold of her tongue.

She had already pushed aside what Song Xiaoqin said, but this question had only served to bring all those messy thoughts rushing back. Lu Anzhi glanced at her and saw her flushed face, a hint of charm and shyness surfacing before she quickly masked it.

*Why is she suddenly so shy?*

Over the past few days, this former rising star of the music scene had always been forthright and confident; she didn't seem like the type to get embarrassed over nothing. Could it be something Song Xiaoqin said?

"And you? How old are you?" he asked, trying to guess.

Zhang Suxin had shown him Xianxian's birth certificate, which included her ID number and birth date, but he had only looked at Xianxian’s information at the time.

Zhang Suxin looked a bit uncomfortable, but she answered, "Twenty-eight."

Lu Anzhi nodded. "Three years older than me... but you look so young, you can't even tell."

Zhang Suxin offered a faint, strained smile. She thought to herself, *Thank goodness Song Xiaoqin isn't here. Otherwise, she surely would have blurted out something about how 'a woman three years older is like holding a golden brick.'* At that thought, her face turned even redder.

Seeing that her cheeks remained flushed, Lu Anzhi became even more certain of his suspicion. Song Xiaoqin must have said something to her.

"Your friend is quite nice, very warm-hearted. Lending us the studio and even treating us to lunch," Lu Anzhi said, changing the subject.

Zhang Suxin felt a bit more at ease, and her expression relaxed. "Yes, she is. She’s so kind that I sometimes feel ashamed. For instance, when I use her studio, I try to pay, but she refuses to take a cent. I felt so bad about coming here that she had to come find me and insist I keep using it, only asking for a song in exchange."

Lu Anzhi laughed. "That’s not a bad deal for her. You’re a star, after all; a song of yours must be worth a lot, right?"

Zhang Suxin shook her head. "It’s not like that. She doesn't really have a use for my songs. She likes playing with instruments and having a studio, but it’s just a hobby. As for her singing... well, it’s hard to describe. I wrote a song for her before, but she turned it down, saying it was too good and she couldn't sing it. I’m still struggling to figure out what kind of song to give her."

"It sounds like she truly cares about you," Lu Anzhi said. "Cherish that."

"I do," Zhang Suxin replied.

Lu Anzhi didn't pursue his original thought of prying into what Song Xiaoqin had said. It wasn't right to dig into the private conversations between friends. With the topic shifted, Zhang Suxin finally stopped letting her mind wander.

After circling the bench for a while, Xianxian came up with a new idea. She ran over to Zhang Suxin, hugged her legs, and looked up, calling, "Mommy!" After Zhang Suxin answered, she ran to Lu Anzhi, hugged his legs, and called, "Daddy!"

Lu Anzhi hummed in response and patted her little head. Xianxian laughed sweetly and went back to repeat the process.

Lu Anzhi and Zhang Suxin both focused their attention on the child. Xianxian’s running, her affectionate actions, and her calls acted like an iron, smoothing out the awkwardness between them. A quiet, harmonious warmth flowed naturally, drawing glances from passersby.

"That little girl is so pretty!"
"She really is, so sweet and cute!"

They heard the low comments, which made them happy. Sometimes, random comments about adults can be uncomfortable, but hearing someone praise a child is something everyone enjoys. Both Lu Anzhi and Zhang Suxin couldn't help but smile. Who doesn't like hearing their child called beautiful?

"Did you hear that, Xianxian? The lady and gentleman said you're pretty," Lu Anzhi said, looking down at her as she hugged his leg again.

Xianxian giggled and looked up at him. "Daddy is pretty too."

Lu Anzhi was just about to explain that the word "pretty" isn't usually used for men, but Xianxian had already scampered off. She ran to Zhang Suxin, hugged her legs, and added, "Mommy is pretty too!"

Zhang Suxin and Lu Anzhi exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh together.