If You Could Hear My Heart

Chapter 385: Nie Chenglang’s Mother
The sunshine streamed through the car window onto her face, and she tipped her head back slightly, revealing glistening teardrops rolling in her eyes.

Indeed, by tilting her head back, she could prevent the tears from falling.

“Let’s not talk about him anymore, let’s go,” Xu Chaomu said indifferently.

Chenglang nodded, “Yeah, I’ll take you to the high-rise apartment I bought. You’ll see if you like the interior decoration and arrangement.”

The car continued on, and when they reached the supermarket, Xu Chaomu asked to stop by the roadside, and she and Chenglang got out to buy some fruits and snacks.

As she pushed the shopping cart, Chenglang stayed by her side throughout.

This simple and ordinary life stirred Xu Chaomu’s heart.

Back at the Shen Family, she never needed to go to places like supermarkets. After all, the Shen Family was not the right place for her. She was just an ordinary person, a common girl in the most mundane sense.

What she wanted was simple—a normal life, a happy family, to quietly spend her life in contentment. That would be enough.

“Do you want this chocolate?”

While she was lost in thought, Chenglang took a jar of chocolate that looked delicious from the shelf and shook it in front of her.

“Take that one!” Xu Chaomu laughed and pointed at another box of chocolates.

“Isn’t it the same thing?” Nie Chenglang took a closer look.

“No, look at the boxed one, it’s cheaper!” Xu Chaomu said.

Chenglang saw the boxed chocolate was on promotion and laughed as he switched it out, saying, “Alright, let’s take this one then.”

“Right, the money we save can get us a few more apples.” Xu Chaomu was visibly happy.

“Exactly. Come on, let’s continue to look around, see if there’s anything else to buy.”

In fact, Chenglang was not short on cash, but he found this kind of lifestyle amusing, only this was what living truly meant.

The two wandered around the supermarket for a long time and ended up buying two bags full of various things. There really was a bit of everything. Xu Chaomu took a fancy to a very small bowl and bought it too, thinking it would be just right for her baby to eat from in the future.

After returning from the supermarket, Chenglang took her to his house.

The apartment was on the twentieth floor, not too big or too small, three bedrooms, and two living rooms—perfect for a family of three.

As soon as Xu Chaomu opened the door, she was greeted by pale blue wallpaper reminiscent of the ocean or the sky, filled with tranquility and serenity.

“Here’s the kitchen, here’s the bathroom, here’s the balcony. Here, is the master bedroom,” Chenglang introduced each room one by one.

“Did you design all this?” Xu Chaomu looked around curiously.

“I just designed the overall framework. The details inside, you can decorate them. Perfect, consider it a practice opportunity,” Chenglang said with a smile.

“Great, just you wait, I’ll make sure to design it beautifully.”

“Good, I’m looking forward to it, Designer Xu.”

“Stop joking around, Director Nie. Speaking of which, where’s my steak? I’m hungry…” Xu Chaomu sat on the couch, rubbing her belly as she looked at him.

“I’ll make it for you right now, just sit here and wait for me.”

Worried she might be hungry, Chenglang hurriedly put things away and went to the kitchen to make a tomato sauce steak for her.

Xu Chaomu wandered around the house by herself, thinking how nice it was. The place wasn’t too big or too small, just right for two people to live in. When she saw Chenglang busying himself in the kitchen, she was suddenly reminded of the bowl of noodles he made for her five years ago.

Just like that, five years had passed.

If not for Chenglang, she… might not have been in this world anymore.

Half an hour later, Chenglang’s steak was finally ready. He even cut it up for her and placed it in front of her.

“Try it and see if it tastes the same,” he said.

Back in Paris, he often made her all sorts of delicious things, and of course, his specialty was tomato sauce steak.

“Delicious!” Xu Chaomu couldn’t stop after the first bite.

Chenglang made her some juice and seeing her satisfied made him feel a sense of contentment erupt within.

“Eat slowly, if it’s not enough, I can make more.”

“You’re treating me like a pig,” Xu Chaomu laughed.

“Sure enough, there’s a little piggy in your belly.”

After both of them had finished their steaks and were full, Xu Chaomu lay on the couch watching TV. As she watched, she started to feel drowsy.

It was easy to want to nap in the middle of a summer’s day. She propped up her head, and her eyes began to droop shut.

Chenglang was in the kitchen washing dishes when suddenly the front door was knocked.

“Dong dong,” two knocks, not too loud but loud enough to be heard.

Xu Chaomu woke from her dozing, “Chenglang, is someone knocking at the door?”

“It seems so, go check it out.” Chenglang was still holding a dish and couldn’t open the door.

Xu Chaomu got up and walked toward the door, peeking through the peephole, she saw two women. One seemed to be around fifty years old, and the other in her twenties.

She turned to Chenglang, “I don’t recognize them.”

The people outside were getting impatient and knocked again.

“Open it, it’s fine, I’m here,” Chenglang called from the kitchen.

Reassured by Chenglang’s words, Xu Chaomu twisted the doorknob.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the door cracked open, the woman outside shoved Xu Chaomu to the side!

“What’s with the dawdling to open the door?” the middle-aged woman released all her pent-up anger on Xu Chaomu!

Xu Chaomu was pushed against the wall; wearing little in the summer heat, her back struck hard!

She hurriedly clutched at anything she could to prevent herself from falling.

“Who are you?” Xu Chaomu asked, frowning.

“Who am I? Chenglang, come out here and tell her who I am!”

The woman glared at Xu Chaomu and strode into the living room, settling herself on the couch with a commanding presence.

She crossed her legs with an assertive demeanor.

The younger woman trailing her seemed gentle and fragile, somewhat overwhelmed, quickly stepping forward to rub the woman’s shoulders, “Auntie, please don’t be angry.”

Chenglang hurried out of the kitchen, steadied Xu Chaomu, and looked at the woman with dissatisfaction, “Mom, how did you get here?”

“How can I not come here? Chenglang, do I need to report to you in advance when I visit your house? Tell me, should I write you a request or file a report?” Lu Feili slammed her hand on the table.

The table clattered under her strike, and the younger woman flinched.

Chenglang frowned, “Why are you still so temperamental? I’ll get you some juice.”

“You come here! Don’t move!” Lu Feili called out to Chenglang, “What’s with the apron? And what’s with all the dish soap on your hands?”

“It’s just washing dishes. Is it worth making such a fuss?”

Xu Chaomu, leaning against the wall, sized up the woman realizing this was Chenglang’s mother.