Fang Shiqing frowned. "When did this happen?" "He just called to notify me!" While brushing her teeth, Su Banxia said, "Can you take Guoguo and Su Hao to school for me later?" Fang Shiqing nodded, a bit puzzled. "Why the sudden notice to go to Thailand? No advance warning either." Su Banxia shook her head. "Who knows. Pei Shaoze talked to the person in charge of the Thailand branch a couple of days ago. The gist was that something went wrong over there, but they didn't say he needed to go in person. Today's notice means something must have come up." Fang Shiqing nodded, wiped her face, and left the bathroom to wake the two kids in Guoguo and Su Hao's room.
Su Hao was already up, but Guoguo was still sprawled on the bed, struggling to get up. "Godmother, is Mom up yet?" "She's up. Guoguo, hurry and get up, or you'll be late for school!" After saying that, Fang Shiqing turned to Su Hao. "Xiao Hao, remember to help your sister get ready. We're leaving for school in half an hour." Su Hao nodded, then paused. "Is Godmother taking us to school today too?" Fang Shiqing nodded. "Yeah, your mom's busy and doesn't have time." With that, she went straight back to her room to change clothes.
Guoguo lay on the bed, still groggy, and grumbled, "Brother, Mom's been so busy lately. Why does she have so much to do since we came back?" Su Hao hummed in response, stood up, and said, "You need to get up now." He then left the bedroom. In the living room, Su Banxia was just coming out of the bathroom. Mother and son bumped into each other. Meeting Su Hao's serious little face, Su Banxia smiled. "Xiao Hao, is Guoguo up yet?" Su Hao answered off-topic. "When will Mom be done being busy?" Su Banxia was momentarily taken aback. "Soon. Once I finish this busy period, I'll definitely spend more time with you and Guoguo." Su Hao just nodded at her words and muttered to himself, "Mom's been busy for a long time." With that, the little guy went into the bathroom.
Knowing she'd been run ragged by Pei Shaoze lately, she hadn't been able to take good care of the two kids, to the point where her son seemed a bit disappointed in her. For a moment, Su Banxia didn't know what to say. Time was tight, so she didn't dwell on it. She went straight to her room, changed clothes, and did a quick makeup touch-up.
Not long after, Pei Shaoze called. Answering the phone, the man's voice came through. "Ready?" Su Banxia hummed in affirmation. "Ready." "I'm downstairs at your apartment." He hung up after that.
Su Banxia wanted to ask how many days they'd be gone, but the call was already ended. She could only grab the essentials. Everything else would have to be bought in Thailand for now.
She hurried out of the bedroom. Guoguo had just finished getting ready but still looked half-asleep. Seeing Su Banxia, she threw herself into her arms and said in a babyish voice, "Mom, are you taking me and brother to school?" Su Banxia hugged her, then crouched down. "Sweetie, Mom doesn't have time. Let Auntie Fang take you and your brother, okay?" Guoguo nodded obediently. "Okay, but Mom, you and—" "Guoguo, come wash your face!" Fang Shiqing called from the bathroom. It was almost time for the kids to leave for school. Su Banxia kissed her. "Sweetie, go wash your face. Mom's leaving now!" With that, she rushed out the door.
In the bathroom, Guoguo stood beside Fang Shiqing washing her face and said, "Godmother, is Mom abandoning me and brother?" Fang Shiqing was startled. "How could that be? Your mom loves you and your brother so much. She'd never abandon you!" Guoguo hung her head, thoughtful. "But Mom keeps saying she's busy lately. You and Mom work at the same company. You have time to take care of us, but she's always busy!" Fang Shiqing thought to herself that it was a good thing Su Banxia was only staying at Dingsheng temporarily, or these kids would be miserable. After a moment, she said, "Your mom and I are at the same company, but we're in different departments with different jobs. So I have time, and she doesn't. She just joined the company and has a lot to handle, so she's very busy. Sweetie, don't overthink it."
Su Banxia hurried downstairs. Pei Shaoze's car was parked at the bottom. She walked over, knocked on the window, and tried to open the door. The door didn't budge. Looking inside, she realized the car was empty. Frowning, she wondered where he'd gone. She lowered her gaze and pulled out her phone to call Pei Shaoze. A pleasant ringtone came from behind her. She paused, turned around, and saw Pei Shaoze not far away. The man was tall and lean, with a cold, handsome face. In his hand, he was carrying what looked like... breakfast.
As he walked toward her, Su Banxia spoke up. "Good morning, President Pei." Pei Shaoze hummed in response and handed her the breakfast. "Eat." Su Banxia was taken aback. "I don't need—" "Eat it." He gave a direct order.
After saying that, he got into the car. Su Banxia followed him in, a bit slow on the uptake, and looked at him. "President Pei, why the sudden trip to Thailand?" "Urgent business." He started the car, expressionless. Maybe because it was too early, his face remained blank.
But just as he pulled away, after a few meters, Su Banxia saw him inexplicably stop the car. Curious, she looked at him and saw him staring at the rearview mirror. Wondering what was behind the car, she followed his gaze. Her face went pale with fright.
It was Guoguo and Su Hao. Fang Shiqing was leading them to the car to take them to school.
"Are those two kids yours?" Pei Shaoze suddenly turned to her and asked. Su Banxia's nerves tensed up. She wanted to lie and say no, but he seemed to know Fang Shiqing didn't have kids, so seeing her with two children out of nowhere was bound to raise questions. She hummed in confirmation, then glanced at the time. "President Pei, it's getting late. We have a plane to catch."
Pei Shaoze had only seen them through the rearview mirror, so he hadn't gotten a clear look at the children's faces. But they seemed well-behaved and sensible. He'd just asked casually. Noticing how tense she seemed about the kids, Pei Shaoze furrowed his brow slightly but didn't say much. He simply started the car again.
At the airport, after a series of procedures—checking in, boarding—they sat down on the plane. Su Banxia stared out the window at the scenery. There wasn't much to talk about between her and Pei Shaoze. On top of that, flight attendants kept coming by to ask Pei Shaoze if he needed anything. The frequency far exceeded a single attendant's service scope.
Understandable, really. Pei Shaoze was handsome, with an outstanding aura. When he didn't speak, he exuded a kind of refined elegance. His clothes were from understated brands, but all expensive ones that ordinary people couldn't afford. Good-looking and wealthy—anyone would want to strike up a conversation. Every time a flight attendant asked if he needed anything, Pei Shaoze coldly refused. Still, the number of attendants only grew.
After who knows how many times, another flight attendant came up. "Sir, is there anything I can do for you?" Pei Shaoze frowned, eyes on the book in his hands, ready to give his standard reply: "No, thanks." But this time, before he could speak, Su Banxia beside him said to the pretty attendant, "A glass of red wine for my husband, and a juice for me. Thank you."
The attendant froze, a hint of awkwardness flashing across her face. She stared at Su Banxia, mouth slightly open, clearly taken aback.