This answer made Su Xiaomeng fall silent immediately.
"Difficult labor."
Xiao Yan added, his gaze fixed steadily on Su Xiaomeng.
Su Xiaomeng hadn’t wanted to ask any more, but her curiosity pushed her; she felt that if she didn’t speak now, it would be hard to find another chance later to untie the knot in her heart.
"Four years ago my husband was badly injured, and it was Dean An He who treated him. Back then I saw photos of you and Xiao Ang on Xiao Anhe’s desk. Do you remember we met at the airport?"
"Did we?" Xiao Yan raised his brows, pretending he had no impression.
"We did, but that was even earlier. Counting back, it must be five years ago... I remember you and little Xiao Ang, who was still a baby then, very clearly. You were buying baby products for him in the infant duty‑free shop at the airport. Even now, Doctor Xiao, you still look very young, let alone five years ago... Heh, such a young, handsome teenager carrying a baby and shopping in a baby store—everyone thought you were brothers, but you said you were father and son. That scene really sticks in people’s minds."
"I honestly don’t remember..." Xiao Yan said blandly.
"Xiao Yan, at twenty... you already had a child. Which means you didn’t get married—at least legally, you’ve never been married."
"Right."
Xiao Yan answered crisply and directly, without a trace of hesitation, so upfront that Su Xiaomeng was left speechless.
She gave a dry little laugh, and what showed on her face was disapproval of the things Xiao Yan had done when he was young.
She didn’t say anything, but Xiao Yan already saw it... and he didn’t continue down that topic.
About the girl he’d once loved, the one who was nominally Xiao Ang’s birth mother.
And Xiao Meng didn’t press him either; she didn’t tell Xiao Yan that the reason Xiao Xiaoang had left such a deep impression on her wasn’t just because Xiao Yan was young, but because she, too, had had a child—a child who died at birth. On her forehead there was a flower‑shaped birthmark similar to the one on Xiao Ang’s.
At that moment, Xiao Xiaoang was already back, holding his little box of fried silkworm pupae, grinning slyly at Su Xiaomeng as he sidled up to Xiao Meng...
"Su Xiaomeng, try one, come on. So many people are eating them—what are you afraid of?"
Su Xiaomeng turned her head away. "Be good, you eat them yourself. Auntie really doesn’t like them much."
Seeing that Su Xiaomeng might really not like them, Xiao Xiaoang pouted, and his gaze floated straight over to Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, you want to try one?"
Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head, and then watched as Xiao Xiaoang happily ate away at this fried silkworm pupae snack that most people couldn’t accept.
Xiao Ang had honestly eaten quite a lot that night; it felt like he’d tried almost everything on the whole street. The more he ate, the more worried Xiao Meng became...
"Is it okay for him to eat this much? People say the food on Gui Street is safe and hygienic, but it’s still street food, and he’s mixing so many different things. Won’t he end up with a bad stomach later?"
Xiao Meng asked Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan shrugged. "I’ve already told him. But... his appetite usually isn’t that good. Today it’s rare for him to have such a good appetite and be able to eat so much... I kind of selfishly want to let him eat his fill."
Xiao Xiaoang tilted his head up to look at Xiao Meng.
"Don’t worry, my tummy isn’t full yet!"
Su Xiaomeng’s brows knit slightly as she looked at the little guy in disbelief. She reached out and touched his belly, which was already obviously sticking out...
It was this round already, and he was still saying he wasn’t full?
Xiao Xiaoang looked toward Xiao Yan, quickly darting him a look. "Xiao Yan, you’re not full either, are you?"
Xiao Yan really wasn’t that interested in street food. He’d always had pretty regular eating habits, and suddenly being faced with such a messy dinner, he wasn’t used to it; he actually hadn’t eaten his fill.
Watching this father and son, Su Xiaomeng couldn’t help shaking her head and teased,
"I’m really impressed with you two. Since you’re not full, then let’s keep eating!"
As Xiao Meng spoke, she continued walking deeper into Gui Street with Xiao Ang and Xiao Yan.
Only, although she was accompanying Xiao Ang as he kept wandering and collecting the foods he liked, Xiao Meng’s mind was a bit scattered. After nine, it was already late.
And driving back home would take close to an hour.
At this point she was basically gritting her teeth to stay and keep Xiao Xiaoang company.
What Xiao Meng didn’t realize was that Xiao Xiaoang actually was already full, even stuffed; it was just that with his sensitive little heart, he had long since guessed that once he was full, their night‑market trip to Gui Street would be over.
Su Xiaomeng would go home, to be with her children, her family...
So even though he was stuffed, Xiao Xiaoang still wanted to eat something more... that way Xiao Meng could delay a bit longer, stay a bit longer.
A five‑year‑old shouldn’t understand what parting is, but Xiao Ang did, because right after he was born he was separated from his mother, and that separation was forever.
He only knew that when people left, they didn’t come back; it had never occurred to him that someone who left might return.
Xiao Meng’s phone vibrated in her backpack. The vibration was originally buried in the noise of the busy street, hardly noticeable, but Xiao Xiaoang’s ears were like a dog’s. As Xiao Meng noticed the vibration and was about to take out her phone, she ran into Xiao Ang’s upturned face, staring at her.
In that instant, Xiao Meng understood...
He didn’t want her to leave. The whole way he’d been afraid she would go home early...
She didn’t understand why this child trusted her and depended on her so much, just as she didn’t understand how she’d ended up caring so much, doting so much, on someone else’s child.
Xiao Meng still took the phone out of her bag. Sure enough, it was a call from Yin Shixiu. Xiao Meng didn’t answer; she simply sent Yin Shixiu a text, then stuffed the phone back into her bag. They walked into a pavilion hung with red lanterns.
Xiao Meng squatted down in front of Xiao Ang and clearly saw the anxiety flickering in the child’s big eyes.
She asked,
"Xiao Ang... are you really not full?"
Xiao Xiaoang quickly swallowed, his eyes staring straight at Su Xiaomeng, but he actually couldn’t quite get the words out...
He... didn’t want to lie to Xiao Meng.
"Or are you afraid I’ll leave too soon, so you said you weren’t full?"
As soon as Xiao Meng said that, even Xiao Yan was stunned; he really hadn’t thought of that possibility...
Xiao Xiaoang gazed at Xiao Meng. "Will you hate me like everyone else does?"
"No."
Su Xiaomeng answered firmly, "Auntie won’t hate you. Auntie really likes you. You’re different from other children—you’re very independent, very brave, and very kind. Auntie likes kids like you the most."
"Really?" Xiao Xiaoang asked seriously.
That seriousness truly made Xiao Meng’s heart ache. How many times had he been labeled as annoying?
"Of course it’s true. Auntie never lies."
"Okay..."
"It’s already very late now. You should go home and sleep, and Auntie should go home and rest too. We’ll come again next time, okay?"