13. Your daughter??!!
More than an hour later, Jiang Zhi returned to the Flower Language Coffee Shop.
She had spent a bit too long at home.
Mainly because Qian Qian, that little girl, was unwilling to let her leave no matter what.
She tightly clutched the hem of her dress, her eyes full of reluctance, and kept chanting “bad mommy, bad mommy.”
Jiang Zhi had zero resistance to her daughter’s coquettishness.
In the end, she patiently persuaded her for a long time, promising this and that before managing to break free.
As for whether she would fulfill those promises…
Jiang Zhi felt that as an adult, it was necessary for children to experience the harshness of the world.
After noon, the sun was not as scorching as before.
Today was much cooler compared to the past, although it was still hot, it wasn’t to the point of sweating profusely.
Jiang Zhi stood at the door, straightening her clothes, and just as she was about to push the door open, it swung open automatically.
She was slightly taken aback, suddenly meeting a pair of dark, deep eyes that appeared calm like an ancient well.
Was this the man from before?
The man had seemingly just visited the coffee shop and waved at Jiang Ruyan inside.
“I’m leaving, don’t think about me.”
He nodded slightly at Jiang Zhi, with just the right amount of politeness and distance, then walked away.
“Who would think about you, you idiot!” Jiang Ruyan’s voice rang out from inside the shop.
Jiang Zhi walked into the coffee shop, tying on an apron while curiously asking:
“Jiang Jie, do you know that person?”
“Who would know that nouveau riche? I don’t know him!”
Jiang Ruyan said angrily, then suddenly softened her tone: “Did you finish handling things at home?”
“Mm.”
Jiang Zhi nodded gently, she felt a bit embarrassed bringing it up.
After all, she had said she would be back soon, but it had already been over two hours!
Although she guessed Jiang Jie wouldn’t mind…
Jiang Zhi leaned toward Jiang Ruyan with her head down, fiddling with her fingers, her expression uncharacteristically shy.
“Jiang Jie, I…”
“Need something from me?”
Jiang Ruyan chuckled a bit: “If you need something, just say it. Am I that unkind of a person?”
This child, even when asking for a favor, was quite adorable…
“Then, then I’ll just say it directly.” Since Jiang Jie said so, Jiang Zhi stopped being coy.
“Can I bring my child to our shop?”
Fearing Jiang Ruyan would refuse, Jiang Zhi’s face turned a bit red, and she hurriedly added:
“Just occasionally, a few times would be fine!”
She had thought a lot about it at home and still felt uneasy about leaving Qian Qian all alone at home.
Worrying was one thing, but doing this wasn’t good for the child’s growth.
A six-year-old needed their parents’ companionship the most, and she also wanted to try her best to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.
At least… she couldn’t be like that woman…
“Child?”
Jiang Ruyan’s mind hadn’t caught up yet: “Do you have a kitten? Sure, I don’t mind.”
“No, no.”
Jiang Zhi quickly waved her hands: “It’s my daughter.”
“Your daughter?”
“Mm, mm!”
Jiang Zhi nodded seriously.
Jiang Ruyan blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Daughter? How old are you? You really know how to joke, hahaha…..”
The next day.
Jiang Ruyan couldn’t laugh anymore.
She looked at the petite little girl in front of her, then at Jiang Zhi beside her.
Her heart immediately dropped.
Jiang Ruyan pointed at Qian Qian, stuttering: “This, this, this is……”
“My daughter.”
Fearing Jiang Jie wouldn’t believe her, Jiang Zhi calmly added: “My biological daughter.”
Except it was just the biological child of her future self…
Jiang Ruyan gasped.
Her eyes almost popped out: “I know it’s your biological one, but how old are you?!”
“22……”
“How old is this little girl?”
Jiang Zhi looked down at the adorable Qian Qian: “Six years old.”
“Six years? You had a child six years ago? You were only sixteen, sis!”
Jiang Ruyan was going a bit crazy.
It wasn’t her fault for reacting so intensely; this was just too explosive. What was even happening?
Did she think her new young employee was that cute and naive?
She was a mom!
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi felt a bit guilty and didn’t know what to say in response.
She had guessed that Jiang Ruyan would react this way.
So, she spent an afternoon the day before giving Jiang Jie a heads-up, but the woman was just refusing to believe it!
But thinking from Jiang Jie’s perspective…
If a college student suddenly said she had been a mom for six years, her reaction might be even more explosive than Jiang Ruyan’s.
Jiang Zhi patted Qian Qian’s little head.
“What are you standing there for? Say hello.”
Before coming, she had worried Qian Qian might say something offensive, so she had taught her all the necessary phrases to say.
Su Ziqian tilted her head, her clear big eyes curiously staring at Jiang Ruyan.
After a while, her little face broke into a sweet smile, and she said in a baby voice:
“Jiang Jie, you look beautiful again!”
Jiang Zhi: ?
What’s going on? I didn’t teach her that!
“Uh, hello, hello…..”
Jiang Ruyan couldn’t help but smile a little, but she soon managed to reestablish a serious expression.
“小 Zhi, we need to talk.”
Jiang Zhi sighed and said to Qian Qian: “I have something to discuss with Jiang Jie; you go watch TV for now.”
On the far east wall of the coffee shop hung a television.
Normally, the TV was always on, playing current trending dramas or variety shows.
“Okay.”
Qian Qian softly replied.
She behaved very well outside—actually, she was well-behaved at home too.
Small children don’t hide things; after three days of interacting, Jiang Zhi could see through Qian Qian’s heart.
She was a very obedient child, but particularly stubborn in some ways.
So Jiang Zhi often felt like she was looking in a mirror, and the reflection was her youthful self.
Thinking this way…
Her genetic traits were quite strong; how come she hadn’t seen what Su Yan inherited?
“Mommy.”
At this moment, Qian Qian tugged at Jiang Zhi’s sleeve: “Why is Jiang Jie’s hair black?”
Huh?
What other color could hair be if not black?
Green?
Jiang Zhi was stunned by this question and didn’t have time to pursue it further before Qian Qian had already run off to watch TV.
Jiang Ruyan walked up to her.
Her face wore an unprecedented seriousness, completely different from the carefree woman before.
Jiang Zhi took the lead and said: “Jiang Jie, just ask whatever you want.”
Ask whatever she wanted; she’d definitely answer honestly since she didn’t know more than anyone else.
“Have you… always been raising a child alone?”
“Mm.”
Jiang Zhi’s expression was calm. Though it had only been three days so far, she would surely be the one to take care of it moving forward.
“So, what about the child’s… father?”
Jiang Ruyan hesitated but eventually asked this question she was most curious about.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Zhi’s lips.
“I’m the child’s father.”
If it weren’t for Qian Qian’s reluctance, she would have definitely let her call her daddy!
Even now, she still didn’t consider herself a mother; the mental barrier of gender identity was quite hard to cross.
She didn’t wish to cross it either.
A male mom is still a mom; if Qian Qian wants to call her mommy, let her. She just needed to stay true to herself.
So she thought saying this was perfectly fine.
However, Jiang Ruyan completely misunderstood her intention and added a bit of her own imagination.
In her view, Jiang Zhi’s story must be like this—
Fell in love with the wrong person in high school, the child’s father was a scumbag, abandoning the two of them.
Jiang Zhi then bore the child while enduring external pressures and weird looks, balancing school and raising the child.
Her voice was a bit choked: “You’ve had it tough all these years.”
No wonder she had said her monthly salary was 5000, and Jiang Zhi immediately agreed.
Raising a child surely requires a lot of money!
A sixteen-year-old girl raising a child until they were six—what kind of effort must that have taken?!
“Ah?”
Jiang Zhi was stunned; why was she suddenly crying?
Jiang Ruyan gritted her teeth and cursed: “He deserves a miserable end!”
Jiang Zhi was again at a loss.
Who is he? Why does he deserve a miserable end?
Jiang Jie, what wild assumptions have you concocted?
Ultimately, Jiang Ruyan still cried out loud: “Wah, sister, you’re so unfortunate, wah wah wah!”
“Raise your salary; you must raise your salary! Six thousand a month!”
“Don’t worry, as long as your Jiang Jie doesn’t starve, you’ll always have a meal for life, wah wah!”
Jiang Zhi: Σヽ(ﾟД ﾟ; )ﾉ
It seems… it might not be impossible…?
