As Yang Yi was singing, Mo Fei finally finished her two-day out-of-town gig and dragged her weary body home.
The moment she opened the door, Xixi noticed and happily broke free from the nanny's arms, running over with a pitter-patter: "Mommy! Xixi missed you so much!"
The little one was wearing an adorable pair of pajamas, clutching a small bear plushie in her left hand—utterly cute.
"Mommy missed Xixi too." Mo Fei scooped Xixi up, and as her daughter gave her a peck on the cheek, a hint of a smile finally appeared on her cold, elegant face, and some of the fatigue seemed to fade away.
"Did Xixi have dinner? Did you listen to Auntie at home?" Mo Fei asked softly.
Xixi nodded vigorously, her voice sweet as she replied, "Yes! Xixi even took a bath. Mommy, smell—am I fragrant?"
The little one stretched out her little arm, her wrist fair as the moon, skin smooth and delicate.
Mo Fei rarely played along with a mischievous grin, dodging the little arm and burying her face in Xixi's neck, taking a deep breath before saying seriously, "Mm, very fragrant!"
Xixi shrank her head, giggling, "No, no, that tickles..."
"Miss Mo, have you eaten? Should I heat up some food for you?" The nanny watched the mother-daughter pair bond for a while before walking over and asking with concern.
"Auntie Zhu, no need, I ate on the plane." Mo Fei smiled slightly and said, "You go rest now; I'll take care of Xixi."
Auntie Zhu, the nanny, was a woman Mo Xiaojuan had hired from their hometown—someone they knew well, honest and trustworthy, unlikely to leak secrets. Mo Fei felt relatively at ease with her.
But even so, every time Mo Fei went out of town for events, she was restless, always worried about Xixi's safety at home. Especially on these two-day trips, after talking to her daughter on the phone at night, she'd still wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night.
Coming back was certainly joyful, but Mo Fei knew that unless she gave up her singing career, days like this—flying around and rarely being home—would only become more frequent!
That night, Mo Fei changed into a silk nightgown, lounging lazily on the bed, propped up on her left forearm with her cheek resting on her hand, watching Xixi play with her dolls at the headboard.
Clearly, at home, Mo Fei didn't hold back—she was completely bare under the nightgown. From the low-hanging neckline, one could glimpse two full, creamy orbs, squeezed together by her arms into a deep cleavage that could draw a man's gaze in.
The silk nightgown, light and thin as satin, flowed down Mo Fei's waist and curved over her high, rounded hips, unapologetically showcasing the natural allure of her figure.
Most striking were her raised feet, clean as snow and smooth as jade, though sadly lacking bright nail polish—Mo Fei had no leisure time to apply it; otherwise, it would have been an even stronger visual impact.
Of course, no man could appreciate this beauty.
And Mo Fei only let herself go like this when she was alone; normally, she was quite reserved.
Now, Mo Fei's expression was slightly melancholic. Though she watched her daughter play, her mind was elsewhere.
She still had to work; otherwise, she wouldn't have resolved to make a comeback. This meant facing immense competitive pressure!
But what about Xixi? Mo Fei knew she'd only get busier in the future. She couldn't just keep leaving Xixi at home, could she?
"What if I send Xixi to her father's?" The thought had barely crossed her mind when Mo Fei startled herself.
How could she?
She could entrust her daughter to anyone, but not Yang Yi!
After carrying her for ten months and raising her from birth, for four years, Xixi had been a piece of Mo Fei's heart. Handing her over to Yang Yi felt like having that piece ripped out!
On the rare weekends when Xixi went to her dad's, she'd be so happy she didn't want to come back!
If she stayed at her dad's for too long, would the little one even remember she had a mother?
The thought made Mo Fei bitter.
"Let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymore..." Xixi was fiddling with two small dolls—one a girl figure, the other a little pig—humming as she walked them around like she was playing house.
Huh?
Mo Fei had been so busy lately that she rarely paid attention to what her daughter was humming. But this time, she finally caught it: the little one had been humming something in English these days, and the melody was quite nice!
"Xixi, what are you singing?" Mo Fei set aside her earlier thoughts and asked curiously.
"Singing, singing..." Xixi tilted her head, thinking hard, but realized her dad hadn't mentioned the song's name, so she said, "Singing Sister Elsa's song!"
Sister Elsa?
Mo Fei was taken aback, instinctively assuming Elsa was some foreign female singer.
"Where did you learn that?" Mo Fei asked, puzzled.
Even though Xixi had spent time abroad as a toddler, Mo Fei didn't think she could sing an English song on her own, especially since she insisted on Chinese education at home! Yet Xixi was now singing with perfect pronunciation—that wasn't something you could just pick up!
"Daddy taught me!" Xixi said, her face full of admiration. "Daddy told Xixi the story of Anna and Elsa and taught Xixi to sing!"
Mo Fei could believe Yang Yi told their daughter stories—the man did dote on her.
But Yang Yi teaching Xixi to sing in English? Mo Fei felt her understanding was being turned upside down.
What the hell? This guy could speak English?
In Mo Fei's memory, Yang Yi was just a soldier with little education—and that was the truth. Not that she looked down on it, but it was why they'd never found common ground before, their rift growing deeper.
He must have fed her some kind of brainwashing nonsense!
Mo Fei huffed inwardly, displeased.
"Xixi, time to sleep. How about Mommy reads you a story?" Mo Fei sat up at the head of the bed, grabbed a children's storybook from the bedside table, and patted the spot next to her.
She usually told Xixi stories, but only when the little one came running with a book and asked. Today, she was being proactive because she felt unsettled.
Who says only you can tell our daughter stories? Hmph, I can too!
Xixi happily hummed in agreement, wiggled her little bottom, and crawled over, snuggling into her mother's arms, soft and fragrant.
"In the forest, there was a little white rabbit..." With her daughter, Mo Fei's voice lost its coolness, becoming as gentle as water, like Teresa Teng—a side of the ice goddess no one else had ever seen.
Lulled by her mother's tender voice, Xixi gradually drifted off to sleep.
Mo Fei held her daughter, settling her onto her little pillow, then gently brushed her hair aside and kissed her soft cheek.
"Ah..." A long, faint sigh.
Mo Fei turned off the light and lay down, her tired face showing no sign of sleepiness, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
The thought that had surfaced earlier crept back into her mind...