Chapter 24: As Xiao Chu’s Parents, Building Affection…

Chapter 24: Cultivating a Relationship as Xiao Chu’s Parents

The snow wasn't deep enough for a snowman, but Song Chuqing wasn't sad. Her parents were both there, and it was their first New Year together as a family.

"Mom, do you want to play a puzzle with us?"

Song Tan still felt a bit unwell. "You play with Dad."

"Okay then." Thoughtfully, Song Chuqing poured a cup of hot water and brought it over. "Mom, you rest. Dad and I will play."

Song Tan held the warm cup, a faint smile gracing her lips. "Alright."

The little girl scurried back to her toy area, pulling out a puzzle box. "Dad, today we're putting together Sheriff Labrador!"

The man, unfamiliar with this, asked, "Sheriff Labrador?"

"Yeah! Sheriff Labrador is my second favorite cartoon. He's so smart and brave!"

Starting from scratch, the task wasn't too difficult, as the children's puzzle pieces were large.

At first, the man, unaccustomed to playing games with a child, felt a bit awkward and took some time to adjust.

But playing puzzles with Song Chuqing required little effort. The four-year-old was experienced and clear-headed, so Ji Fuxi mostly just followed her instructions—finding a blue piece one moment, then Sheriff Labrador’s hat the next—while listening to her excitedly recount the cartoon’s stories. After finishing, she even added very seriously, "But I'm a big kid now, so I can't watch Sheriff Labrador anymore."

Ji Fuxi pondered for a moment before earnestly asking, "What other cartoons do you like?"

Song Chuqing then set the puzzle aside and began counting on her fingers. "Paw Patrol, Safety Sheriff Labrador, Octonauts, The Wonderful World..." By the end, her little face scrunched up in distress. "Dad, there are so many, I can't remember them all!"

Ji Fuxi chuckled. "Alright, let's continue."

Father and daughter were completely engrossed in their game. The man was meticulous and focused, showing no impatience, his gaze fixed on the four-year-old. His phone remained untouched on the table the entire time.

Song Tan watched quietly from the side, occasionally replying to messages. It was the first year her studio colleagues had known each other, and they were sharing hometown customs in the group chat.

The snow fell softly outside—the colder it grew beyond the walls, the warmer it felt inside.

It was so warm, in fact, that the air grew a bit dry. Song Tan watered the houseplants and then poured a cup of warm water for Song Chuqing. "Sweetie, drink some water."

Song Chuqing immediately put down the puzzle, ran over, drank most of it from her mother’s hands, then dashed back.

Song Tan glanced at Ji Fuxi, who was sitting on the carpet, and casually poured him a cup as well, placing it on the small coffee table within his reach.

The man lifted his eyes and murmured, "Thanks."

Song Tan returned to the sofa and checked her temperature again—37.3°C.

Suddenly, there didn’t seem to be much left to do. All messages had been replied to, and she didn’t feel like reading scripts or thinking too hard. After a brief pause, she picked up her tablet and played the latest movie to unwind.

She didn’t have many hobbies. Before college, she had enjoyed photography, but after Song Zongbo’s bankruptcy, it became a costly hobby with little payoff, which she had to abandon.

By accident, she became an actress. Without formal training, she had no choice but to constantly watch films. Over time, however, she grew to love it—rainy days, snowy days, or sunny days, she could lose herself in a movie’s world, letting her mind wander along with the plot. It was wonderfully relaxing.

Romance, action, suspense—anything was fine, except tearjerkers. Life was hard enough; seeking resonance in fictional sorrows, dredging up painful memories again and again, just wasn’t worth it.

Song Tan pulled up this year’s highest-grossing film. As soon as it started, after the ads, she realized it required payment.

She paused for three seconds before scanning a QR code to pay for it.

About half an hour in, the little girl came over and climbed onto her mother’s lap, saying she was tired.

Song Tan stroked her head gently. "Then how about a snack before napping?"

"Not hungry, not hungry. I want to watch with Mom."

"Alright." Song Tan picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket, and snuggled her close.

This year’s Spring Festival was different—there was another adult in the house. Song Tan looked up at him, her voice soft. "Have lunch before you leave. We didn’t eat the dishes from yesterday—I’ll heat them up." Then she added, "If Mr. Ji doesn’t mind, that is."

"Sure." Ji Fuxi glanced around before asking, "Do you have a computer? I need to get some work done."

"Yes, in the study."

"Thanks."

As he took a few steps, Song Tan called out, "The password is 1124—Xiao Chu’s birthday."

"Okay."

Song Chuqing watched the movie with her for a while, but perhaps it was too boring, because she soon started falling asleep.

Song Tan turned off the tablet and cradled her, humming.

"Mom... I’m not sleepy..."

"Okay, you’re not sleepy. Then how about chatting with Mom?"

"Mhm."

"What kind of person does my baby think Dad is?"

"Hmm... a good person."

Song Tan was surprised. "A good person?"

"Yeah! Even though Dad can be a little clumsy sometimes, he’s a good person. He picks me up from school, reads me bedtime stories, takes me out to play, and even does puzzles with me."

There was one more thing, but she couldn’t tell Mom—Dad didn’t like eating greens, just like her! That made them best friends!

Song Tan gazed at her daughter’s genuine smile, momentarily lost in thought.

Song Chuqing really liked him.

After a pause, she asked, "Does Xiao Chu like Dad a lot?"

"I do!"

Song Chuqing lifted her face, eyes sparkling. "But I love Mom the most!"

Song Tan smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Mom knows." Then she asked, "What does ‘Dad’ mean to you, baby?"

Only after speaking did she realize the question might be too abstract for a four-year-old. But Song Chuqing had already answered, "Dad is just Dad! Every kid has a dad, and now I have one too!"

It wasn’t the answer Song Tan expected, but it made her heart ache. She caressed her daughter’s face. "Yes, Xiao Chu has a dad now."

A few more exchanges later, Song Chuqing got excited. "Mom, I’m hungry!"

"Then go call Dad, and Mom will warm up the food."

"Okay!"

I’d originally planned to have a proper reunion dinner with Song Chuqing yesterday. Song Tan specially got up to wrap dumplings, along with stewed peanut pork trotters and poached large shrimp. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to eat any of it. Now, we’ll just quickly boil some dumplings and reheat the stew in the pot—it’ll be enough.

When the two of them came out, the dumplings had just been dropped into the pot. Song Tan turned around, not daring to order around CEO Ji, so she could only ask the little one. "Xiao Chu, set the table. It’ll be ready soon."

"Coming!"

Ten minutes later, the belated New Year’s Eve dinner was finally served. Song Chuqing ate with gusto, polishing off three large shrimp, six dumplings, and a tender stewed pork knuckle all by herself.

Shortly after finishing, she said she was tired and went upstairs to bed on her own.

Ji Fuxi took the initiative to help clean up, though there wasn’t much to do. The fastidious father and daughter ate neatly, so the dishes could simply go into the dishwasher, and the table was so clean it barely needed wiping.

Song Tan stood behind him as he figured out the dishwasher. Perhaps the buttons were too complicated—after turning on the power, he fell silent for nearly ten seconds before turning back with a slightly confused look. "What’s next?"

Song Tan gave a soft laugh. "Let me handle it."

She stepped forward, selected "China" and "Normal Cycle," then washed her hands, dried them on a paper towel, and turned to face him. "Do you have time? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about."

The woman’s gaze was resolute. Ji Fuxi nodded. "I do."

...

The snow was coming down harder. By the time Song Chuqing woke up, there would probably be enough to build a snowman.

Song Tan sat on the sofa, pouring herself some warm water but not drinking it. Once he was seated, she spoke. "I’m sorry about yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t myself."

"I know. It’s fine."

"You must have thought it was ridiculous. That was my dad, my mom, and Xue Wanwan—you’ve met her before. She’s my mom’s stepdaughter. My parents divorced when I was seven and both remarried. I didn’t live with either of them, so my relationship with them isn’t great."

In that brief summary, she conveyed so much. Ji Fuxi didn’t know how to respond, so he just murmured, "Mm."

"Sometimes I think my childhood was imperfect—parents divorcing and remarrying, having to live with my grandparents. But I was also very lucky. I never faced illness or hardship, and at least before adulthood, I never had to worry about money."

Perhaps the fever had cleared her mind overnight. Song Tan spoke slowly. "Xiao Chu is the greatest gift of my life. After having her, my life became brighter. She’s always full of energy, always lifting my spirits. She made me rediscover the meaning of living, and the love she’s brought me is immeasurable."

"So I really want to give her everything perfect—education, financial security, safety, and a mother and father's complete love." The woman lifted her head, smiling faintly, her eyes tinged with apology. "Looking at it this way, I seem like a very selfish person—having Xiao Chu, then using her to bind you. I’m sorry."

Ji Fuxi paused again, shaking his head. "Don’t apologize. You haven’t wronged me."

"Before yesterday, I was actually very happy because Xiao Chu’s smiles kept growing, and she became livelier and livelier. There's no denying your role in that, so I also wanted to sincerely thank you."

Ji Fuxi gradually furrowed his brows, unsure what she was getting at. "Song Tan..."

Her voice dropped, strained. "But now I’m a little afraid. Like I said yesterday, you’ll eventually marry and have children. What will happen to Xiao Chu then?"

The room went quiet. Aqi wandered in from somewhere, paced around twice, then went upstairs.

Song Tan looked up, meeting his gaze earnestly. "Ji Fuxi, I truly don’t know what to do. I thought I’d made the right decision before, but now I regret it. Yet the arrow's already left the bow—there’s no going back to the starting point."

"So today, I thought about it. Maybe meeting six times a month is too much—it might be a burden for you." She pressed her lips together. "Let’s gradually reduce the frequency, okay? Next month, we’ll make it three times."

As she finished speaking, her eyes reddened. She felt immensely guilty, as if she’d let Xiao Chu down—having her but unable to give her a complete family, giving her a father only to take him away again.

This problem seemed like a knot that couldn't be untied.

Song Tan hugged her knees, fighting back tears as she whispered, "I’m sorry..."

Her eyes were red, her voice shaky with emotion, her long lashes fluttering faintly.

Ji Fuxi suddenly recalled the term and phrase Ji Jiarui had mentioned: "delicate and pitiable" and "never pity a woman..."

The air grew heavy, neither speaking.

At some point, Ji Fuxi stood up. "I’m going out for a smoke."

By the time she looked up, the man’s long legs had already carried him out of the living room.

He hadn’t brought a cigarette, so he had to get one from his car. After searching two compartments, he finally found one, then spent a while recalling where he’d left his lighter—his normally sharp mind felt foggy.

Once he found it, he shut the car door and leaned against it, shielding the cigarette as he lit it.

Snowflakes whipped around, stinging his face, but he paid no mind. The smoke from his lips mingled with the snow, indistinguishable.

Making a decision wasn’t hard—what was hard was whether he could bear its consequences.

The wind was strong, making the cigarette burn faster, but it was enough time to analyze those consequences.

Ji Fuxi stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the yard’s trash bin.

When he returned, Song Tan had composed herself. He sat back down, his voice gentle. "Song Tan, don’t discount all you’ve done. Over these five years, your efforts far surpass mine. I believe Xiao Chu is lucky to have you as her mother."

The woman lifted her head, their eyes meeting. He asked, "You said you want to give Xiao Chu everything perfect. How do you define ‘perfect’?"

"Safe, healthy, carefree."

"But you don’t trust me."

Song Tan bit her lip, struggling to explain. "That’s not what I meant. This isn’t about trust—I just want to think ahead, to spare her future pain that might come her way."

Ji Fuxi’s expression remained calm, his dark eyes fixed on her. "Song Tan, thank you for discussing this with me instead of making the decision alone and avoiding the issue."

"From the day I learned of Xiao Chu’s existence, she hasn’t just been your daughter. As her father, I have a responsibility to raise and care for her. During this time, I’ve also been trying to bond with her. Xiao Chu is adorable and well-behaved—I like her very much."

"I understand your concerns, and I know how it feels to lose a father, to watch him hold another child in his arms."

"But reducing the frequency won’t solve this." His deep gaze held hers. "So, would you be willing to try with me?"

From yesterday until now, everything had felt chaotic—meeting at the restaurant, testing Ji Gaozheng, staying here overnight. But in this moment, the confusion finally cleared.

He’d never planned to marry or have children in this lifetime. Her and Xiao Chu’s appearance had been entirely unexpected.

Pity? Perhaps. She had strong morals and principles, was a dedicated actress with ambition and drive, and as a mother, she gave her all. Song Chuqing had been raised well—sensible, sweet, always brimming with sincerity and warmth.

More importantly, she was the mother of his daughter. He didn’t want Xiao Chu calling someone else "Dad" in the future, nor did he want her to grow distant from him. In that sense, their stances aligned.

So, if he had to marry eventually, Song Tan was the first choice.

The optimal solution.

The woman across from him was stunned, doubting her ears, her still-red eyes wide with disbelief. "What did you say?"

"As Xiao Chu’s parents, let’s try to build a relationship—see if we can walk this path together."

Not just a two-year agreement.