Just then, a little boy in front of Annie shouted happily, "Dad, look! Look! The panda is doing somersaults!"
Because she was short, Annie, who was standing behind him, was peeking forward.
She was trying hard to get a clear look at the panda that was performing.
She anxiously craned her neck and kept standing on tiptoe.
"Where? I don't see it! Where is it?"
If it were before, Jiang Cheng felt that Annie would definitely have pulled his pant leg and asked for a hug.
But she just looked back at Jiang Cheng and then turned her head back with a conflicted expression.
She seemed somewhat hesitant and uneasy.
Jiang Cheng noticed Annie's unusual reaction, and a strange feeling couldn't help but well up in his heart.
He realized that after not seeing them for such a short time...
Not only had An Xin become colder and more aloof,
But even Annie, this child, seemed to have become much more cautious.
Recalling the conversation between An Xin and Supervisor Zhou just now,
Jiang Cheng gradually understood why Annie had become like this.
It was likely because of the conflict in ideologies between An Xin and her father.
The child was caught in the middle and felt conflicted.
He couldn't help but frown and sigh inwardly.
Jiang Cheng could feel that An Xin was truly good to Annie.
Although she wasn't the biological mother, judging from her usual education and companionship,
She had already surpassed many biological parents in reality.
Jiang Cheng took his hand out of his pocket.
Then he leaned down and picked Annie up so she could clearly see the display area.
"Annie, look at the one in the corner eating bamboo..."
Suddenly being picked up by Jiang Cheng,
Annie's eyes widened in surprise, and then a bright smile broke out on her face.
"Mom! Brother Jiang Cheng! Look!" Annie excitedly pointed at the panda rolling on the climbing frame.
Her little face was flushed with joy.
Jiang Cheng's warm hand suddenly let go, and An Xin took the opportunity to take her hand out of Jiang Cheng's pocket.
She touched Annie's face with a doting look.
After watching the pandas, the three of them went to see the giraffes and penguins.
Annie ran around energetically while Jiang Cheng patiently played with her, and An Xin followed silently, busy helping out.
One moment she was holding the bag, the next she was buying food and drinks.
Her gaze always followed the two of them.
A few times, she caught Jiang Cheng's gaze; their eyes met briefly in the air before they both tactfully looked away.
An Xin could feel that they were both secretly testing each other.
Soon, in the evening, Annie was already so tired that she was drowsy on Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
After holding her for a while, An Xin reached out to take Annie: "Let me hold her, she's quite heavy."
"It's fine." Jiang Cheng adjusted his posture to make Annie sleep more comfortably.
Seeing this, a smile couldn't help but appear at the corners of An Xin's mouth.
She whispered: "Today... thank you for accompanying Annie."
"How have you been lately?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Fine," she replied softly. "Work is going smoothly, Annie's studies are good too, and she misses you very much."
"Is it just Annie who misses me?" Jiang Cheng asked back softly.
Hearing this, An Xin's eyes couldn't help but blink.
Her heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to answer.
Just then, Jiang Cheng's phone suddenly rang.
He reached out, took out his phone, and looked at the screen.
He saw it was a video call from Zhou Ying.
Jiang Cheng clicked to connect.
Soon, Zhou Ying's face appeared on the phone screen.
"darling."
As soon as Zhou Ying's pleasant voice came through,
Jiang Cheng glanced at An Xin out of the corner of his eye, thinking she would tease him or freeze up as before.
But clearly, she didn't.
"What's wrong?? darling, I'm holding Annie right now."
After saying that, Jiang Cheng pointed the phone at Annie.
Annie was like a well-behaved little kitten, quietly leaning on Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
Her pink little face was turned to the side, revealing a cute profile.
Her long eyelashes quivered slightly like butterfly wings.
"Annie's asleep! Her profile is so cute." Zhou Ying leaned closer to the screen, her fluffy chestnut curls swaying in front of the camera.
Jiang Cheng's fingers gently patted Annie's back: "She's tired from playing today."
Jiang Cheng's phone angle was very carefully chosen.
While showing Annie to Zhou Ying, he also captured half of An Xin's figure.
This angle was meant to test the waters.
If Zhou Ying saw An Xin,
But chose not to greet her,
Then Jiang Cheng would quickly straighten the video,
Making the camera only point at himself,
To avoid an awkward situation.
However, if Zhou Ying chose to take the initiative to greet An Xin,
Then Jiang Cheng would take another approach.
Perhaps he would turn the camera towards An Xin and let the two of them chat for a bit.
Sometimes being open is easier to handle than being secretive.
Clearly, Zhou Ying didn't choose to ignore An Xin, but instead spoke up to greet her.
Zhou Ying's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and waved: "Sister Xin, hello!"
Seeing Zhou Ying's graceful and unreserved manner,
A rare look of appreciation appeared in An Xin's eyes.
Although their last meeting hadn't been very pleasant for her,
Zhou Ying's natural, unpretentious, and graceful demeanor by Jiang Cheng's side had left a deep impression on her.
Looking at the youthful face on the screen,
An Xin thought of the investigation report in her office drawer.
Zhou Ying, 19 years old, a freshman in the piano department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Father deceased, mother is the financial supervisor of Zhengde Group.
Grew up in a privileged environment, skilled in piano and dance.
Family fortunes declined starting in her second year of high school; she went out for work-study programs every summer.
During the summer, many bosses offered to support her, but she refused them all.
In university, she lived a simple life between the practice room and the dormitory.
Aside from dating Jiang Cheng, she had very few extracurricular activities.
An Xin sighed inwardly; who wouldn't like such a good girl?
Zhou Ying was also the only one among the many women around Jiang Cheng who made her the most wary.
An Xin smiled and replied: "Hello, Zhou Ying."
Seeing the two greet each other, Jiang Cheng then spoke: "Are you leaving? Are you packing your suitcase?"
"I was just about to tell you!" Zhou Ying suddenly leaned close to the camera, her nose almost touching the screen.
She looked like she was reluctant to leave Jiang Cheng.
"The school made a temporary arrangement for me to go to Shanghai early for the qualifiers, so I have to catch a flight in a bit..."
"Now??"
Zhou Ying nodded: "The preliminary round is tomorrow at noon, so I have to leave tonight."
"So urgent? I'll have the private jet take you there."
"No need, I've already bought a ticket."
After Zhou Ying said this, An Xin chimed in: "Is it the Tchaikovsky category competition?"
Hearing this, Zhou Ying turned to An Xin, "Sister Xin, you know about this competition too? The Moscow Conservatory made an exception this year and set up a regional division in China."