Startled for a moment, Xi Xiaye looked down in deep thought. Shen Wenna was already back to work by the time she lifted her head.

After a moment of hesitation, she went over and stopped right behind Shen Wenna, watching her being busy with work for some time before saying, "Nothing... I'm just taking a look."

Shen Wenna stared at her as her eyes darkened slightly. She did not say anything and went back to tending the flowers.

"Come by earlier on the fifteenth. We'll head to the beauty salon first. I want to get my hair done." Shen Wenna's voice reached her again after some time. "Are you doing alright with Chen Er? I can see that he's pretty caring towards you. Your grandpa is very satisfied with him as well."

Shen Wenna's gaze landed on Xi Xiaye's face, a loving tone hidden in her voice.

Xi Xiaye glanced at her in the eyes as she gave it some thought before nodding. "We're doing okay. He's really good and caring towards me."

"Xiaye, I really hope that you've met the right person this time. You don't have to act tough on your own anymore in the future. When you reach my age, you'll start to realize that things you once thought were important will become insignificant. The most important thing is that he's good to you."

Shen Wenna suddenly felt sentimental. A sense of loss flashed through her eyes for a split second, and then they returned to clarity.

"Mother... How did Father treat you?" Xi Xiaye clenched her fists slightly and looked at her mother as she asked carefully. Her voice was filled with obvious pain.

As if she had foreseen Xi Xiaye's question, Shen Wenna did not seem surprised at all. Her cold face looked calm as ever while she looked down at a freshly sprouted plant and let out a sigh before looking at Xi Xiaye peacefully.

"I know you've been longing to know what happened between your father and me... Well, you have the right to ask anyway..."

Shen Wenna suddenly put the watering can down and put the pot back to its original position. Then, she grabbed a clean towel and wiped her hands before standing back up, appearing a little sad when she saw the scattered flower petals on the staircase.

"You don't have to doubt his feelings for me. He's really good to me... Actually, he has never given me an explanation about Yue Lingsi and her daughter. I'm the one who suggested a divorce back then because I couldn't stand it. Being betrayed by my own husband and good friend isn't a proud thing to announce, so I don't really want to talk about it."

Shen Wenna let out another sigh. "I just feel sorry for you. If I had insisted just like the typical character in those television drama series, and treated Yue Lingsi harshly and forbade them to enter the Xi family, maybe you might not have needed to suffer this much, but I can't forget about your father. To me, he should be a prideful existence. He'd never be stopped by such trivial matters of feelings.

"So, I'm willing to grant his wish. Xiaye, every man has his own pride. Had I insisted back then, your father's career might've been ruined. I can already foresee how life would be afterward. I chose to back off, but I've grabbed onto his heart forever. There might be a lot of ways to keep a man's feelings for you, but nothing works better than guilt... I'm not willing to tell you this because I don't want you to become like me. Xiaye, your mother has a dark side of hers. She's not as perfect as you see on the surface..."

A cold wind blew through, turning the air around chilly. As Xi Xiaye was looking at her mother, she saw a tint of sadness and fragile on her usual cold expression. She felt irritated and distressed.

"Xiaye, forgive my prideful self for not giving you an enjoyable childhood..." Shen Wenna said as she watched a petal slowly fall onto her toe.

Xi Xiaye looked at her and waited, yet she did not seem to continue.

Xi Xiaye's mind started to wander as the scent of the plum blossom wafted all around as well as the pink rain of petals caused by the gust of wind.

Suddenly, Shen Wenna looked at the plum blossom Xi Xiaye was focusing on and smiled. "The first time I met your father was under the peach blossom garden in the school... Back then, we..."

She stopped halfway and remained silent for a moment before turning around and heading back into the hallway. Xi Xiaye then slowly followed behind her too. It made Xi Xiaye feel sour on the inside when she saw her gaunt figure walking under the breeze mixed with flower petals.

After walking for some time, she suddenly sighed, "Your father and I must be a failure to you, but if I had a choice again, I would definitely still have married your father and given birth to you whether or not things still end up the same today."

Xi Xiaye was shocked at her words. Her face turned pale and she tried to think but could not come up with a reply.

The mother-daughter pair just kept quiet as they walked through the corridor. The cold wind kept delivering the fragrance of the flowers to them while some remains of pink petals danced around. Xi Xiaye's long hair rose up slightly as her clothes fluttered around her. It seemed unreal...

It was already 2 p.m. when they arrived back in the living room.

After an hour of chatting with Shen Yue, Mu Yuchen was short on time to leave. He got ready to go when he saw Xi Xiaye return, and Shen Yue sent them off with a big smile.

Outside the Shen Residence, the chauffeur Li Si had arranged was already waiting outside.

Xi Xiaye handed the briefcase to him as her voice brushed against his ears. "Come home earlier after you're done. I'll go back with Grandmother after shopping."

He nodded and ran his fingers through her slightly messy hair before walking towards the car.