Xu Xiaoshu went to the bathroom to take a bath and obediently went to bed. Qiao Xia asked, "Sister Xiao Ai, raising Xiaoshu by yourself all these years must have been very hard, right?"
"Hard? Once you have children of your own, you'll understand that no matter how hard it is, it's all happiness." Mentioning Xu Xiaoshu brought a happy twinkle to Xu Ai's eyes.
"Anyway, it's all in the past. Sister Xiao Ai's life is good now, and Xiaoshu is healthy and cute—that's a blessing from the heavens." Meng Qian raised her glass, "Here's to our lives getting better and better."
The women chatted until late. They didn't drink much wine, just sipped lightly, so driving wasn't a problem.
When Qiao Xia returned home, Gu Xixi was sitting alone in the living room. The room was dimly lit with a single lamp, and she sat there like a ghostly figure, alone in the vast space.
Auntie Pan came over, "Young Madam, would you like something to eat?"
