The city of Jiangcheng was vast in area, administratively divided into five districts and eight counties. Among them, the Wuhu District where Yang Yi lived was an old urban area, where redevelopment faced significant resistance, allowing "slums" like urban villages to survive.
In contrast, the newly developed Binhai District, leveraging its favorable proximity to the international metropolis of Shanghai and the city's support for the cultural and entertainment industry, had grown rapidly. Naturally, housing prices there were nearly double those of Wuhu, making it Jiangcheng's true富人区 (wealthy district)!
Murphy lived in Binhai District, but she had been very busy lately, spending most of her time in the company's recording studio. Today, she had been recording until late at night, past ten o'clock, before finally packing up to go home.
"Sis, have some hot water. I put some throat-soothing herbs in it." Mo Xiaojuan handed over the thermos with concern.
Murphy's cold, beautiful face was etched with exhaustion, but she shook her head and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Juan, give me my phone. I need to call Xixi."
Mo Xiaojuan reluctantly rummaged through her bag, muttering, "She's having so much fun at her dad's place she's forgotten all about you. Why bother calling?"
Murphy shot her a dismissive glare, too tired to bother scolding her.
"Beep... beep..." Murphy called Yang Yi's phone—the one she had bought for him. Thinking about it still annoyed her; that stubborn, mule-headed man had refused to take it at first!
Mo Xiaojuan had always complained it was "a pearl cast before swine," because Murphy had bought Yang Yi the best camera phone on the market, one Mo Xiaojuan couldn't even bring herself to buy! Yet Yang Yi barely used it, leaving it at home when he went to work, making it impossible to reach him sometimes.
The phone rang for a while before finally connecting. Xixi's clear, cheerful voice came through: "Mommy!"
Murphy breathed a sigh of relief, a gentle smile spreading across her face—a rare sight. Murphy had once been called the "Ice Queen of Song" because of her cold exterior and hidden emotions; even her fans found her smiles uncommon.
"Xixi, why aren't you asleep yet?" Murphy asked softly.
"Daddy and I just got back from the amusement park. Then Xixi took a bath, and Daddy's taking a shower now." Xixi reported like a little spy.
"Oh? The amusement park." Murphy paused, frowning slightly. "Did your daddy take you to the amusement park today?"
So that's where Xixi's accent came from—she learned it from her mother!
"Yeah! It was so much fun!" Xixi happily reported. "Daddy and I rode the Ferris wheel, and I saw a big airplane..."
Murphy listened absentmindedly, occasionally murmuring in agreement.
She wasn't bothered by Yang Yi taking Xixi to the amusement park; what troubled her was a different question: Where did Yang Yi get the money?
After all, a ticket to the amusement park cost two hundred yuan, and with Xixi's half-price ticket, that added up to three hundred! Murphy didn't care about such a small amount, but she didn't think Yang Yi could afford it.
If Yang Yi had money, he wouldn't be living on plain broth, struggling to even buy a decent piece of clothing!
What was even more ridiculous was how stubborn Yang Yi was—he refused any help from Murphy.
"Daddy said he's going to build me a big amusement park!" Xixi couldn't wait to boast to her mother on her father's behalf. "A really, really big one!"
Mo Xiaojuan, waiting nearby, heard this and sneered disdainfully, muttering, "What a smooth talker, fooling the kid with sweet words!"
Murphy's thoughts differed from Mo Xiaojuan's. She knew Yang Yi well, and for some reason, she felt he seemed a bit different lately! But she couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed.
Murphy sighed inwardly, her emotions tangled. She shook her head, snapped back to reality, and said to Xixi, "So, did Xixi have fun with Daddy today?"
"Fun!" Xixi remembered something and pouted, sounding a bit down. "But, but today Xixi woke up too late, and I didn't get to play enough!"
Murphy pretended to be disappointed and asked, "Doesn't Xixi miss Mommy? Mommy's sad now!"
Xixi giggled and sweetly replied, "I miss Mommy too! It would be even better if Mommy could come along!"
Those words warmed Murphy's heart. The little one seemed quite sensible! Maybe it's because children from single-parent families grow up faster?
Just then, Yang Yi came out of the shower, drying his hair with a towel as he called out from a distance, "Xixi, who are you talking to?"
"I'm talking to Mommy on the phone!" Xixi stood on the bed with her bare, playful feet, holding up the phone with both hands and shouting back, "Daddy, do you want to talk to Mommy?"
Yang Yi frowned, feeling an involuntary flutter of panic. He didn't know how to face Murphy. It seemed partly due to his own concerns and partly influenced by the original Yang Yi's emotional imprint!
In the original Yang Yi's memories, his feelings for Murphy were complicated. On one hand, he cared deeply about her because she was the only woman he had ever slept with, and she was the mother of his daughter!
On the other hand, Yang Yi instinctively rejected Murphy, feeling that their social statuses were too far apart and that they weren't a good match. He also believed Murphy looked down on him!
These tangled emotions somewhat affected the current Yang Yi's judgment. He had never met Murphy, and the rift had already formed.
"Forget it, Daddy still has laundry to do. You two keep talking!" Yang Yi said to Xixi.
Because the house was cramped, Yang Yi's voice faintly reached Murphy's ears through the phone.
To be fair, Murphy hadn't wanted to talk to Yang Yi either, okay? Their personalities had always clashed like fire and water! She had just been debating whether to go along with Xixi's request and exchange a few words with him!
And then Yang Yi went and refused first!
I hadn't even said no—what right did he have to refuse? Murphy was almost furious with Yang Yi!
"Okay, Daddy's busy. Don't be mad, Mommy!" Xixi's soft, childish voice came through, and Murphy's anger mostly dissipated.
She shook her head with a faint, bitter smile, pushed Yang Yi out of her mind, and continued chatting with her daughter.
Xixi chattered on like a little lark, recounting every detail of her day to Murphy, even telling her that Daddy could tell great stories.
These little details only deepened Murphy's sense of strangeness.
Was this still the same dull, clumsy Yang Yi from before?
On the way back in the chauffeured car.
"Sis! Sis!" Mo Xiaojuan called several times before Murphy snapped out of it.
"Hmm?" Murphy shifted her gaze from the window.
"Sis, what are you spacing out about?" Mo Xiaojuan complained. "I was trying to go over tomorrow's schedule with you!"
As if not hearing Mo Xiaojuan's complaint, Murphy suddenly made a decision: "Xiaojuan, postpone my meeting with Teacher Liu tomorrow afternoon for now."
Mo Xiaojuan was stunned. "Why? It wasn't easy to get an appointment with Teacher Liu!"
Murphy said firmly, "No reason. I'm going to pick up Xixi."