Chapter 19
** She Still Hasn’t Come Back?**
Just then, Jiang Zhe happened to arrive at the pantry. Hearing this, he froze.
He and Cheng Yuan had always felt that Rong Ci couldn’t really bear to leave the company.
They also firmly believed that she would definitely find a way to stay.
Yesterday, when Xu Xuena, who was taking over her position, started work, they had thought Rong Ci would do something.
After all, Xu Xuena was striking and beautiful.
How could Rong Ci feel comfortable leaving such a woman by Feng Tingshen’s side?
But over the past two days, Rong Ci had not only accepted Xu Xuena but had also gotten along well with her. Now, she was even willing to teach Xu Xuena her coffee-brewing skills?
This…
What was going on?
Rong Ci didn’t know what Jiang Zhe was thinking.
She conscientiously completed her work, declined Xu Xuena’s invitation to dinner, and when the time came, planned to go home, eat, and continue her research on AI-related content.
As soon as she left the company, her phone rang.
It was Feng Jingxin calling.
“Mommy, are you done with work?”
Rong Ci got into her car and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I want to eat crispy pork and water chestnut pork soup. Mommy, come back and make it for me, okay?”
Rong Ci paused.
She and Feng Tingshen weren’t officially divorced yet, and Feng Tingshen hadn’t called to ask her to move out.
She believed Feng Tingshen probably wouldn’t object to her going back to cook dinner for her daughter.
But—
She was tired now, and she had her own plans.
Feng Jingxin was her responsibility, yes, but she also had her own life. She would no longer sacrifice her own time unconditionally for her daughter.
She said, “Mommy has things to do today. Another time.”
In the past, Rong Ci had always prioritized Feng Tingshen and Feng Jingxin in all her arrangements.
Rong Ci almost never said no to them.
But today, she had heard Rong Ci refuse twice.
Although Feng Jingxin hadn’t noticed this pattern and simply assumed Rong Ci was genuinely busy, she was used to being put first by Rong Ci and rarely experienced such refusal.
She felt wronged: “Mommy, why do you have so many things to do lately? I don’t care. I want to eat crispy pork, and I want to drink water chestnut soup!”
“Xinxin…”
Rong Ci had a headache.
Feng Jingxin grunted and hung up in a huff.
Rong Ci sat in the car, her eyes reddening. She covered her eyes and remained silent for a long time before driving away.
When she got home, she casually ate a bowl of noodles. Just as she opened her computer, Yu Moxun called.
“There’s a banquet in a few days. Will you accompany me? I want to introduce a few people to you.”
“Okay.”
Yu Moxun asked again, “When can you complete the handover on your end?”
“Soon. Probably in the next few days.”
“That’s good.”
On the other side.
After hanging up, Feng Jingxin had expected Rong Ci to rush home immediately to soothe her and cook for her.
But she waited and waited.
More than an hour passed, and it was nearly 8 PM, but Rong Ci still hadn’t come back.
The butler, worried she might go hungry, tried to persuade her: “Since Madam is busy, why don’t you eat a little something to tide you over, young miss? When Madam comes back, she can cook for you…”
“I don’t want to!” Feng Jingxin pouted. Seeing that Rong Ci still hadn’t returned after so long and hadn’t even called, she truly felt wronged this time. When the butler mentioned it, she burst into tears: “I just want to eat Mommy’s cooking—”
“But—”
The butler assumed Rong Ci was genuinely tied up and couldn’t come back. With no other option, he thought it over and called Feng Tingshen.
Feng Tingshen answered after a moment.
“What is it?”
The butler explained the situation in detail.
Feng Tingshen: “Put her on the phone.”
Feng Jingxin took the phone, sobbing: “Daddy…”
“Eat first.”
Feng Jingxin wiped her tears, stubborn and silent.
Feng Tingshen didn’t speak either.
Feng Jingxin cried even harder.
Feng Tingshen’s tone was calm: “I’ll take you out this weekend. You pick the place.”
The sobbing stopped. “Really?”
“Yes. Eat first.”
“Have you eaten, Daddy?”
“I’m at a social engagement.”
“Oh…”
“Go eat.”
“Okay…”
Feng Jingxin pouted, but her mood improved. She hung up and obediently went downstairs to eat.
After hanging up, Feng Tingshen returned to the private room. Someone teased, “President Feng always gets so many calls.”
Feng Tingshen took a sip of wine: “My daughter was throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat. I just said a few words to soothe her.”
Hearing this, the others had mixed reactions.
In recent years, some people said Feng Tingshen had been married for several years, but no one knew who his wife was.
Others said he hadn’t married at all.
No one knew the truth, and no one dared to ask.
Now, hearing Feng Tingshen voluntarily mention having a daughter, many were quite surprised.
But beyond that, they didn’t dare ask more.
…
After dinner, Feng Jingxin kept waiting for Rong Ci.
Waiting for her to come home.
But it was past 9 PM, and she had already taken a bath, yet Rong Ci still hadn’t returned.
She kept listening for sounds outside.
Around 10 PM, hearing the sound of a car outside, her eyes lit up. She pattered downstairs: “Mommy—”
Before she could finish, when she saw that the person stepping through the door was Feng Tingshen, her cheerful voice stopped abruptly.
“Daddy?”
Feng Tingshen handed his coat to the butler and didn’t miss the disappointment on her face: “What’s wrong?”
“I thought Mommy was back…”
Feng Tingshen wasn’t the type to feel jealous that “the child only has Mommy in her heart and not Daddy.” He paused: “She still hasn’t come back?”
“No…”
He didn’t care much. He said, “She’s probably busy with something. Didn’t she promise to take you to school tomorrow morning? Go to sleep early, and you’ll see her when you wake up.”
Hearing this, Feng Jingxin finally brightened a little: “Okay.”
After going upstairs, Feng Tingshen went to the study to handle some matters. By the time he finished, it was nearly midnight.
He thought Rong Ci would have returned during the time he was busy.
But when he went back to the bedroom, he found that Rong Ci wasn’t there.
She hadn’t come back.
It seemed something really had happened at the Rong household.
Thinking this, Feng Tingshen calmly entered the bathroom.
The next day.
Since she needed to take Feng Jingxin to school, Rong Ci woke up early.
She ate a simple breakfast and drove out of the neighborhood.
As her car entered the familiar villa area, Rong Ci felt a momentary daze.
She had lived here for nearly seven years. Now, after being away for only about twenty days, it felt as if she hadn’t returned in half a lifetime.
In fact, nothing here had changed.
But Rong Ci had already begun to feel a sense of unfamiliarity.
The butler saw her and came out to greet her: “Madam, you’re back.”
Rong Ci paused at the butler’s address but ultimately didn’t correct it. She acknowledged him and asked, “Where’s Xinxin?”
“She’s probably still asleep.”
It was actually getting late. If Feng Jingxin didn’t go downstairs for breakfast soon, she’d be late.
However, Rong Ci had no intention of going upstairs. She simply asked Auntie Liu to go up and urge her along.
The butler asked, “Madam, have you had breakfast? It’s already prepared. Would you like—”
Rong Ci smiled faintly and shook her head: “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.”
“I see. Alright…”
Just then, Feng Tingshen came downstairs.
Rong Ci looked at him, didn’t speak, and simply gave a slight nod as a greeting.
Feng Tingshen paused in his steps. Before he could say anything, Feng Jingxin came running downstairs and threw herself into Rong Ci’s arms.
Rong Ci hugged her, gently tousled her hair, and smiled: “It’s getting late. Hurry up and eat breakfast.”
“Yes!”
Sure enough, she had seen Mommy as soon as she woke up!
She nuzzled against Rong Ci’s embrace, smelling the familiar scent of her mother. Feeling content, Feng Jingxin happily pulled Rong Ci to accompany her: “Mommy, eat with me.”
Rong Ci didn’t get up: “Mommy has already eaten. You go ahead.”
Feng Jingxin whined, “Then just sit and talk with me, Mommy.”
While mother and daughter were talking, Feng Tingshen had already sat down in the dining room.
Unable to refuse her daughter, Rong Ci went to the dining room with Feng Jingxin and sat down across from Feng Tingshen.
The butler poured Rong Ci a glass of water. Rong Ci sipped her water while quietly listening to Feng Jingxin enthusiastically tell her about what had happened at school yesterday.
As for Feng Tingshen, she simply ignored him.
Feng Tingshen naturally noticed the change in Rong Ci’s attitude toward him.
The last time they were at the old residence, Rong Ci had been like this too.
Thinking of this, Feng Tingshen frowned and paused in his eating.
