Love's Ambition

Chapter 3

The next day, Xu Yan finished recording her show at five in the afternoon and rushed to buy desserts. The bakery, recently featured in several fashion magazines, had come from Paris. She always agonized over what gift to bring to Shen Haoming's house.

Delicate cupcakes lined the glass display case, adorned with sugar-crafted high heels and flower wreaths, resembling luxurious jewels. The prices were, of course, exorbitant, but she decided to buy four. Just then, Qiao Lin called, asking when she'd be back. Xu Yan replied, "There's a takeout menu on the fridge. Why don't you order something to eat?" Qiao Lin said, "I'm not hungry. How do I unlock your door? I can't breathe in here and want to go for a walk." Xu Yan gave her the door code. Qiao Lin repeated it and asked, "If I forget later, can I call you again?"

After hanging up, Xu Yan scanned the display case once more. Her gaze landed on a cupcake with a dancing figurine. The little figure stood on one foot, arms raised, as if ready to leap off the ground. "I'll take this one," she told the girl behind the counter.

Xu Yan heard Qiao Lin calling her name from behind. She caught up and handed Xu Yan a cloth bag, saying, "I borrowed the dress for you. The neckline's a bit big, but you can fix it with a couple of pins." Xu Yan said, "I don't want to host anymore." Qiao Lin replied, "If you don't host, I won't dance either. We'll both skip the party." Xu Yan asked, "Why go to such lengths to help me?" Qiao Lin smiled, "Big Qiao, Little Qiao - we should shine together." By then, many at school knew they were sisters and called them Big Qiao and Little Qiao.

The housekeeper opened the door, offering to take Xu Yan's things. Xu Yan, cradling the cake box, said, "I'll take it to the living room myself." Three women sat drinking champagne on the living room sofa. A short-haired woman smiled at her, telling the others, "Haoming likes these tall, slim girls." The woman wearing a shawl added, "All young men prefer this body type nowadays."

An eight or nine-year-old boy ran out - Shen Haoming's younger brother, Shen Haochen. He was leading a short-legged dachshund wearing a blue down vest with a hood that kept falling over its face when it ran. Shen Haochen brought the dog to the sofa, introducing it: "This is Bailey. He has a bit of a cold." The woman with thin, arched eyebrows asked, "What about your previous dog?" Shen Haochen replied, "We gave it away. Mom got tired of it always rummaging through the trash."

The short-haired woman said, "But your mom adored it at first." The boy shrugged, "My mom is a very unpredictable woman." The three women laughed. The woman with the shawl said, "Haochen, come here and let Auntie give you a hug." The boy reluctantly took two steps forward, turning his head away. "Auntie, I have a cold too." The woman stroked the back of his head, saying, "You've grown so big. You'll be tall in no time." The woman with thin eyebrows set down her champagne glass and said, "Do you regret it now? We all told you to go with Yu Lan back then. You could have had twins."

"Who's talking about me? I heard that," a short, plump woman entered, wearing a dark blue silk qipao with a white lotus at the waist. It was Shen Haoming's mother, Yu Lan. "Your son," the short-haired woman said. "He says you're an unpredictable woman." Yu Lan laughed, telling the boy, "Darling, didn't you say yesterday that you knew what I was going to say before I even opened my mouth?" The boy replied, "I know what you're going to say, but I don't know what you're thinking." The thin-eyebrowed woman remarked, "Your son is quite the philosopher."

The boy looked up at Yu Lan and asked, "Can I have Sister Xu Yan play with me?" Yu Lan agreed. She walked over to Xu Yan with a smile, saying, "I didn't even see you come in." Xu Yan smiled back, "I brought some desserts for after dinner." "Wonderful," Yu Lan said, "Then I won't have to ask Old Li to buy any." Xu Yan quickly calculated in her head: four cupcakes, not eating one herself, would be just enough for the four women to have one each.