Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back!
Chapter 379: The Third Year of Secret Marriage, Winter

Chapter 379: Chapter 379: The Third Year of Secret Marriage, Winter

"Pleasure working with you."

Xining’s fingertips barely brushed his hand as she stood up and walked to the door.

As she moved, Shang Lvxing proactively stepped into the blind spot of the door’s line of sight, avoiding being noticed in her room.

"Who is it?"

Xining didn’t immediately open the door. Through the peephole, she looked out into the hallway and saw a cabin crew member in a work uniform.

"Hello, honored guest. Someone has sent you a gift box that requires your signature."

A gift box delivered to her at this time?

The more perilous the situation, the more composed Xining became.

Typical people might refuse the item outright, but the fact that the sender knew she was here, even her specific room number, clearly meant they’d been observing her from the shadows. This reminded Xining of that fleetingly familiar gaze she had sensed before.

She opened the door and said, "Hand it over."

The crew member was quite tall, requiring her to tilt her head to meet his eyes.

He wore the cruise’s standard male work attire, equipped with a Bluetooth headset, and donned white gloves. Being selected as service staff for the Royal Cruise meant that his appearance couldn’t possibly be subpar.

The crew member respectfully handed her the item. "Please hold it securely."

Xining: "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Her gaze lingered on his face; his features felt vaguely familiar.

"It’s no trouble at all. Serving our esteemed guests is our honor. The delivery’s complete, so I’ll take my leave now."

Feeling her piercing stare, the crew member grew nervous. Once he confirmed Xining had a firm grasp on the item, he turned hastily and strode towards the elevator.

Xining watched his retreating figure in thought; he still looked somewhat familiar.

Yet she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.

At the elevator door, the crew member let out a deep breath.

Turning his head slightly, he shielded his mouth with his hand to avoid the hallway surveillance catching his lip movements, and nervously whispered into his headset, "Brother Ma! That was close! I almost thought she’d figured me out."

Ma Sai had specifically chosen someone unacquainted with Xining, thinking this would avoid exposing his identity. But this young man’s personality was simply too flighty!

Perhaps it was his first mission.

Ever since boarding the ship, he had been reporting updates every ten minutes, his voice brimming with excitement.

"The item’s delivered to Sister Lu’s room. Didn’t see anyone else inside. Got it. Understood. I’ll keep monitoring Sister Lu’s movements."

Xining didn’t immediately open the gift box, nor did she close the door. She turned around and met Shang Lvxing’s gaze.

Her actions clearly signaled she was asking him to leave.

As Shang Lvxing passed by her, he heard her say, "Let Haozi contact his family and let them know he’s safe."

Family...

He paused mid-step, then turned to glance at the woman leaning against the wall. Her features were exquisite, her demeanor icy—a presence capable of dazzling amidst even the most beautiful crowd.

He understood that by "family," she meant Fu Junhang and Jing Zheng.

Shang Lvxing nodded solemnly, "Alright."

"Xining, I’m deeply grateful for how you’ve treated him like family. The blame in this matter lies entirely with me. He truly sees you all as his family and friends. Please... don’t fault him."

She adjusted her breathing, her beautiful face appearing calm, as she responded, "Alright."

Everyone carries secrets.

She had hers, Fu Junhang and Jing Zheng had theirs, and Haozi naturally could have his.

The secrets buried deep in one’s heart, never to be spoken, were often the most agonizing sources of inner struggle.

When she first discovered Haozi’s disappearance was part of a deliberate plot to lure her into a trap, she had felt a pang of sorrow and frustration in the darkness. But after much deliberation, she ultimately chose to enter the fray.

Haozi had helped her countless times.

If concealing his identity was his decision, she would respect it. At the same time, she was determined to uncover the motives of those who operated hidden in the shadows.

Shang Lvxing’s dark pupils amassed an ever-deepening intrigue toward her.

He still wondered how she had deduced the connection between Haozi and him, but recalling her earlier remarks, he chose not to probe further.

After nodding at her, Shang Lvxing returned to his suite opposite hers.

The two doors faced each other directly, like mirror images, their room layouts symmetrically designed.

Xining and Shang Lvxing stood separated by the hallway.

Their eyes met briefly, and they both closed their doors.

She carried the gift box to the living room and opened the white box in her hands.

The box wasn’t heavy, but upon seeing its contents, Xining felt as if it carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

She suddenly realized why the crew member had seemed familiar.

Memories swept her away...

To the third winter of her secret marriage to Ji Muye.

She recalled it was Christmas, marked by Jingzhou’s first snowfall of the season.

The twins had been taken to the Ji family’s estate by Old Sir Ji for a two-day visit.

Ji Muye was away on another business trip.

Alone at home and growing bored, she decided to venture out for a stroll.

Passing through a certain alley, she heard the pitiful cries of an injured kitten. Amidst the biting cold, Xining, worried the kitten wouldn’t survive, was just about to investigate when a young boy grabbed her hand and ran with her down the street.

He let go of her hand, panting as he explained, "S-Sister, you can’t go in there. Someone’s luring kind-hearted people with that kitten!"

"The alley’s surveillance cameras are broken. The kitten is bait used by some old men and women to trick and extort kind-hearted people. If you try to rescue the kitten, they’ll demand money. They’ve already fooled several people."

Jingzhou’s temperature had plummeted below freezing.

Xining, bundled in a thick down jacket, noticed the boy was wearing an unseasonably light outfit. His cheeks were already a pale shade of blue, and he shivered uncontrollably as he spoke. But his eyes were strikingly pure and clear—reminding her of Ji Chao and Ji Ze.

"Thank you," she said to the boy.

Embarrassed, he rubbed his head and muttered that it was nothing, then turned to leave.

"Wait." Xining grabbed the boy’s arm.

Wanting to buy the boy some warm clothes as a gesture of goodwill, she was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a black Maybach pulling over to the curb.

The rear window rolled down, revealing a man’s sharply defined and handsome face.

Ji Muye took one glance at her holding the boy’s hand, his expression unreadable as he said coldly, "Get in."

"Can you wait a moment? I’d like to take him to buy some clothes."

But the man shot her a frosty glance and raised the rear window without a word.

Ma Sai stepped out from the front passenger seat, informing her that Ji Muye insisted she get in the car.

Back then, Xining didn’t dare defy Ji Muye’s decisions. With no cash on her, she handed Ji Muye’s supplementary card to Ma Sai, asking him to take the boy to buy some clothes.

As she handed over the card, she distinctly felt the weight of a sharp gaze lingering on her, though she didn’t dwell on it.

Yet upon returning home, Ji Muye reacted as though he’d been utterly irate after taking the wrong medicine...

Thinking back, Xining wished she could slap her former self awake for being so blind to the situation at the time!

Her attention returned to the contents in the gift box: a piece of candy Nuonuo loved dearly.

And a finely crafted, compact self-defense weapon.

Setting the box down on the table before her, Xining’s thoughts drifted to the face of the crew member from earlier—she hadn’t expected that the boy they crossed paths with so briefly years ago had been working under Ma Sai all this time.

The purity lingering in his gaze indicated his days had not been overly harsh.

Which begged the question—was it Ji Muye who had him follow Ma Sai all these years?