Zhao Zhiping also appeared that night, his face stern as he silently watched Xia An.
After saying goodbye to Aunt Zhao, Xia An chatted with Shiji and Shi Jia for a while. Then she led Lu Qi Chen towards Zhao Zhiping.
She knew that even though Zhao Zhiping didn’t say much, he was the one who cared the most about her, just not very good at showing it.
"Grandfather, I’m going now," Xia An said suddenly, feeling her nose start to ache as she stood before Zhao Zhiping.
"Alright," Zhao Zhiping looked at Xia An and said softly. "Take care of yourself when you go back. Come see us more often."
"I know," Xia An nodded slightly. "Then... you can head back now."
Zhao Zhiping nodded, but he didn’t move. Instead, he turned to Lu Qi Chen standing beside her and said, "I’ll leave Si An in your care; don’t disappoint me."
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her," Lu Qi Chen assured him.
In the end, Xia An left Zhao’s home amidst their gazes. As she watched the concerned look from Grandpa Zhao through the car window, Xia An couldn't hold back and started to cry.
Lu Qi Chen drove in front but found it hard to console Xia An who was holding a child in the back seat. He could only offer some words of comfort.
When they arrived home, Old Lu hadn’t gone to bed yet. He instructed the servants to prepare a late-night snack. As Xia An noticed, Aunt Song had already returned to Jing Yuan during her absence.
"Sima, when did you come back?" Xia An was surprised and asked Aunt Song.
Aunt Song smiled. "When Lord Xiao was away on business, he asked me to move back here. Young Lady, try this dumpling; does it still taste the way you like?"
Xia An felt embarrassed as she addressed Old Lu and Aunt Song. "Grandfather, Sima, let's go back to bed now. You don’t have to stay up with me."
Lu Qi Chen settled Xiao Xiao in his room before coming downstairs to accompany Xia An.
Seeing Lu Qi Chen, Old Lu and Aunt Song went upstairs on their own.
Xia An didn't feel like eating as she had a lot of things on her mind. She didn’t want to eat anything.
Lu Qi Chen held Xia An’s hand and said, "If you don’t feel like it, just skip it."
He led her back to the room where he brought over a prepared towel and pajamas. "Go take a bath first. We can talk about other things after."
Xia An was indeed tired and went into the bathroom for a shower. When she came out, Lu Qi Chen had already prepared a hot glass of milk which he handed to her. "Have some warm milk; it will help you sleep better."
"Qi Chen," Xia An hesitated for a long time but couldn’t find the words to say.
"Si An, if there’s something on your mind, just say it. You don't need to be so hesitant in front of me." Lu Qi Chen said softly.