Chapter 1112: Suspicion

Chapter 1112: Suspicion

Xu Sheng had originally intended to go wet the rag, but the moment he heard Gu Zi’s comment, he came scampering back, dry cloth in hand, and immediately began scrubbing down the refrigerator with unprecedented enthusiasm.

It was, in fact, the very first time in his life that Xu Sheng had ever helped out with household chores, and he threw himself into it with the energy of a man discovering a new calling.

Meanwhile, Su Li, sweeping the floor diligently, couldn’t help but steal glances at Xu Sheng out of the corner of his eye. His mind whirred suspiciously: was Xu Sheng working this hard just to get their mother’s attention? Was he angling for praise?

This wouldn’t do — if Xu Sheng was stepping up his game, then Su Li would simply have to work twice as hard. After all, Gu Zi was his mother. Xu Sheng could only call her “Auntie.”

Xu Sheng, for his part, had noticed Su Li’s sidelong glances. It seemed that once Su Li saw how hard he was working, he had redoubled his own efforts too.

Xu Sheng’s competitive spirit flared — he couldn’t possibly let Su Li outshine him! When he got home, he decided, he would even ask his grandmother to hire a martial arts teacher for him. He would train seriously.

And so, without a single word exchanged, the two boys launched into a silent but ferocious competition of who could outwork the other.

The result? The refrigerator gleamed so brightly it could have been mistaken for a mirror, and the floors were spotless, without even a trace of dust.

Gu Zi, who had originally just meant to give them a bit of busywork for fun, was completely flabbergasted. How had it turned into a full-on professional-grade cleaning job?

What good boys, she thought admiringly.

Feeling generous, she rewarded each of them with a foreign-language comic book she had bought for Lele. She had found the stories inside quite charming — perfect for children around seven or eight years old.

Xu Sheng, thrilled with his prize, immediately opened the book and began reading. Thanks to his early exposure to foreign languages, these children’s comics were a breeze for him.

Su Li, however, wasn’t so lucky. He stared at the pages in dismay. Despite his deep admiration for his mother’s fluent foreign-language skills — and his own secret dream of someday speaking as smoothly as she did — the reality was that those unfamiliar letters and words still gave him a splitting headache.

Still, this was a gift from his mother. Meeting her expectant gaze, Su Li clenched his fists and made a solemn vow. “Mom, will you read it with me tonight? I’ll definitely understand the story if you help me,” he declared earnestly.

Gu Zi smiled warmly and gave him an encouraging “no problem” gesture.

Later that afternoon, Gu Zi had lesson plans to review, so she entrusted the three boys with looking after Su Le out in the courtyard. The children, fortunately, were incredibly well-behaved and didn’t bother her at all. They were entertaining themselves contentedly until late afternoon, when the Xu family’s car arrived to pick up Xu Sheng.

Gu Zi came out to see him off, and as Xu Sheng climbed into the car, he turned back to say, “Auntie Gu Zi, I have an extracurricular class tomorrow, so I won’t be able to come over. But on Monday, can I go to school together with Su Bing and the others? After I get in the car, my family’s driver can swing by here and pick them up too, and we can go together.”

Gu Zi laughed, touched by his thoughtfulness. “Of course you can go to school together — as long as you can convince your driver to take the extra detour!”

That evening, Gu Zi gathered the three children together to open the presents that the Madam of the Xu family had sent over.

The moment they unwrapped the package, they realized there weren’t just simple toys inside — there were also children’s snacks, brand-new clothes, and shiny new shoes tucked away beneath the toys. No wonder the driver had complained it was so heavy; Gu Zi had wondered at the time what kind of toy could possibly weigh that much.

Still, gifts were gifts, and children were always delighted by them.

Su Li and Su Le immediately immersed themselves in their new treasures. Su Li received a flashing toy sword that lit up magnificently, while Su Le was given the latest plush doll from abroad, so soft and adorable it was practically irresistible.

Only Su Bing remained rather detached. He stared thoughtfully at the miniature science lab kit in his box before glancing up and asking, “Mom, how does Xu Sheng’s grandmother know so precisely what the three of us like?”

Gu Zi was momentarily at a loss for words. She knew very well that Xu Sheng’s grandmother was the children’s grandmother too. But this… this wasn’t something she could reveal herself.

Instead, she said lightly, “She probably asked Xu Sheng for advice before buying the gifts. Don’t overthink it. Someone gives you a present — if you find it useful, just enjoy it.”

Su Bing nodded and carefully put away the toy, though the suspicion in his eyes didn’t completely fade.

He felt that ever since Xu Sheng’s father had appeared, there had been a secret — something important — that both their parents were hiding from them. Still, if his mom didn’t want to talk about it now, he wouldn’t push. No matter what the secret was, it wasn’t more important than his mother. That alone was enough.

Monday morning arrived faster than expected.

Gu Zi, busy with the usual rush of preparing the kids for school, had completely forgotten Xu Sheng’s request. She was just about to open the door to leave when — to her great surprise — the Xu family’s sleek black car was already parked at the entrance, the driver waiting politely.

Xu Sheng spotted them emerging and immediately jumped out of the car with infectious enthusiasm, inviting the three siblings to join him for the ride to school.

Gu Zi didn’t worry about Su Bing and Su Li — back in Guangcheng, they had often ridden together in the Gao family’s car, and were well used to it.

But little Su Le was another matter.

Normally, it was either Gu Zi herself or Su Shen who personally escorted her to school, and today the tiny girl was still half-asleep, clutching at her mother like a sleepy kitten, refusing to let go.

In the end, Gu Zi simply gave in. She climbed into the Xu family’s car with Su Le still clinging tightly to her, and off they went, all together.

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