CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 364: BLESSING

When female guests came to the house, of course, it wasn’t possible for Qin Guanglin to accompany them, so He Fang would cook.

When male friends visited, Qin Guanglin wouldn’t cook either; instead, He Fang would keep them company.

Thus, Qin Guanglin rolled up his sleeves, dived into the kitchen, and told the two ladies to wait as he began chopping vegetables to prepare lunch.

"It seems like this is my first visit here."

He Fang poured a cup of tea for Gu Xiaoqing and pushed it toward her. Seeing her gaze fixated on a painting on the wall, He Fang smiled and said, "He spent several days painting that."

"Brother Qin is an artist too," remarked Gu Xiaoqing in amazement, as the oil painting of He Fang at the seaside hanging on the wall was exceedingly eye-catching, even more so than their wedding photo.

"Yes, he used to be," He Fang nodded, following her gaze, "But after he finished this painting, he said he would never paint again... Now, he only draws comics. The art phase is behind him."

"Ah... Every time I see you, it makes me want to find someone to fall in love with."

Gu Xiaoqing sighed, fiddling with her own hat. "But I need to be calm; not everyone is like you two."

"More or less, someone like you wouldn’t find it hard to be happy."

He Fang laughed, "We’re of the same kind, go ahead and date boldly. You’ll see good results."

"What kind?"

"Smart people."

"Ha ha ha... Sister He, isn’t that a bit narcissistic?"

"No, I’m serious," asserted He Fang, tapping her head with her finger, "You have that attribute."

"Thanks, Sister He!"

Gu Xiaoqing was unbothered, she looked around and was attracted by a green plant that resembled chives next to the TV, "Ah, is that..."

"Yes."

"I’ve also got one like that. I’ll take a photo when it blooms to show you," she said, touching the leaves and turning around to smile.

While the two women chatted leisurely, the chubby Qin Guanglin, wearing an apron like a homemaker, skillfully tossed the stir-fry and set it on the table, then returned to the kitchen to keep busy.

The aroma of the cooked dishes quickly filled the air, and Gu Xiaoqing took a deep breath, suddenly turning her head toward the baby in the stroller.

This child would certainly be very happy in the future.

"Come, try my cooking. I often saw you commenting under the comics. That nickname ’Is it Xiaoqing’ must be you, right?"

"Wow, you read the comments too, Brother Qin? I thought you guys just uploaded your work and ignored everything else."

Gu Xiaoqing looked at them both in surprise, "Sister He, do you read them too?"

"I do occasionally. Since my novel is being adapted, I definitely want to check them out."

"Then eat up, and afterwards, show me around your work area—Is it full of paper everywhere, with each of you sitting at one side of the table, getting stuck and then..."

She imagined the two of them, each at one corner of a table, one drawing, one writing, with piles of discarded drafts on the floor, playfully distracting each other and getting inspired by scenes from their books...

"No, we rarely work at the same time," He Fang couldn’t help but laugh, "Eat up."

"Mmm... Delicious!"

Gu Xiaoqing’s eyes almost sparkled, as if she had tasted Little Chef’s glowing egg fried rice, her eyes shining bright as she looked at Fatty Qin, almost making him think that she had fallen for him.

After the meal.

They toured the study, and Gu Xiaoqing was thoroughly pleased to see Qin Guanglin’s unreleased drafts—she even wanted to ensure she wouldn’t spoil anything outside, but then thought, since it’s adapted from a novel, it wouldn’t matter much to give some spoilers or not.

"Xiaoqing."

"Yes?"

He Fang called her over and sat on the couch, gently rocking her daughter. Seeing Gu Xiaoqing looking over, she pondered for a moment before looking down at her daughter’s small face, "Would you... like to be her godmother?"

Gu Xiaoqing was taken aback, standing still and tilting her head, her gaze moving to the baby in the cradle.

"Me, her godmother?... Can I?" asked Gu Xiaoqing, her eyes gradually lighting up.

"If you agree, then of course you can."

"That... Brother Qin..." Gu Xiaoqing turned her head towards the studio.

"He’s fine over there."

"Ah, let me catch my breath."

Gu Xiaoqing closed her eyes and walked over to look down at Anya, meeting her dark eyes, a gentle expression slowly emerging on her face.

"Am I going to be her godmother?"

"Do you want to?"

"Of course, I do!"

...

Being godparents was a significant matter. Gu Xiaoqing was no longer the little girl she had once been. She was only a year younger than He Fang and was approaching middle age. The two of them seriously discussed it and decided to host a celebration when Anya turned one year old and take care of this matter then.

In the half year ahead, Gu Xiaoqing could think it over well, and if her thoughts changed by then, they could act as if nothing had happened.

At dusk, He Fang finally saw Gu Xiaoqing off, waving goodbye before coming back and discussing the matter with Qin Guanglin.

"Godmother?" Qin Guanglin was surprised for a moment; Xiao Yu had once wanted to be his daughter’s godfather.

"Yep, the serious kind," said He Fang earnestly, indicating that it was not just a casual remark.

"Well, I guess having another mom isn’t a bad thing."

Qin Guanglin shrugged his shoulders; it was merely an additional relative, and since He Fang was usually a homebody, having a very good friend wasn’t bad at all.

He held his daughter and went to the balcony to enjoy the evening sun, gently patting her back as he gazed into the distance, his eyes settling on the busy road visible through the lush tree leaves.

Sounds from the kitchen of pans and dishes clattered as He Fang prepared dinner. Qin Guanglin frowned and freed one hand to pull out his phone, searching the term "godmother." After a long time, he put away his phone and sighed towards the sky.

"Let’s leave it to her."

Night fell, and the stars twinkled above. After dinner, both of them went for a walk with the baby stroller, and He Fang brought up Gu Xiaoqing’s situation.

"Always single? Just like my boss," he remarked, seemingly unsurprised.

"Do you think they’ll regret it later?" He Fang asked, hands behind her back as she looked at the night sky.

"Nothing to regret, I guess. They made their own choices. It would really be regrettable if they had listened to someone else."

"Yeah, Xiaoqing used to say that too."

He Fang smiled. "Having my daughter recognize a godparent is also my way of helping her avoid some regrets—if she really intends to remain single forever."

Everyone’s lifestyle is valid; there’s no need for mutual understanding, just respect.

"Is that really so?" Qin Guanglin turned his head as he asked.

"What else could it be?"

"Nothing."

...

Moonlight spilled over a corner of the window.

Inside the room, lit by a desk lamp, Gu Xiaoqing leaned over the small desk, her pen slightly trembling as she wrote down segments of text in her journal.

—I used to think stories were just artistic embellishments, mere stories.

It wasn’t until today that I realized stories do exist in reality. There truly is such a home, two people, the room simply arranged, photographs of the couple on the wall, paintings, caricature sketches, flowers they grew together, and their daughter’s little room.

The male host had become a chubby man, wearing an apron busy in the greasy kitchen. His study had unfinished canvases, and the desk held a parenting book, clearly well-thumbed, showing frayed edges; the female host hasn’t changed much, perhaps because of the child, she seemed gentler than before, although she didn’t show much in conversation, her eyes always smiled when she looked at him.

I envy that life—simple, warm, making one’s heart yearn to find someone they love and spend the rest of their life with them.

Maybe... being influenced by them might change my longstanding thoughts.

No matter how the future unfolds, blessings to you, Sister He.

Closing her notebook, Gu Xiaoqing stretched lazily, resting her chin on her hands, gazing out the window at the cold moon, lost in thought.