She's heard such words many times before, and she's long since become immune to them.
Nan Wan nodded, "It seems like he misunderstood. You should explain it to him. If you keep being at each other's throats like this, the rift will only deepen. After all... there's not much time left until the high school entrance exams."
Meeting again after a long separation feels like a lifetime ago.
Three years, not a long time, but enough for a girl to grow up.
His gaze met those clear eyes, and Sheng Jingzhen was slightly lost, his voice low and deep, "They don't know how truly wonderful you are. How dare they put those words on you?"
Nan Wan was startled for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, curling her lips into a smile, "Brother Sheng, I have something to do, so I won't see you off."
The words 'Brother Sheng' were a long-awaited joy.
"Wanwan, I'll be staying in Qing City for a long time, so..." Sheng Jingzhen paused, and then a gentle smile spread across his face, "If there's anything, you can come find me."
Nan Wan took the business card he handed her, looked at it, and then put it in the pocket of her white coat. She looked up and smiled, "Okay."
————
After work, Nan Wan drove in the direction of the kindergarten.
She promised Jiashu, the little one, yesterday that she would pick him up today. She didn't have anything else to do, and having dinner with two people is much better than eating alone, even if the other person is a three-year-old who understands nothing.
Moreover, her sister-in-law, Shen Zhimei, was completely focused on Nan Ze, and was already quite tired. Taking care of her son as well meant that even the greatest energy would eventually collapse.
Luckily, Jiashu was very well-behaved, so taking care of him by herself wasn't too much of a problem.
Nan Wan waited for about ten minutes at the kindergarten gate before seeing Jiashu, with his head drooping, being led out by the teacher.
When he got closer, Nan Wan crouched down, tapped his nose, and asked with a low laugh, "What's wrong, don't you feel happy to see your aunt?"
The little one's face remained expressionless. He shook his head but didn't speak.
Nan Wan raised her hand, buttoning his coat one button at a time, her eyes gentle, "Auntie will make you your favorite chicken wings tonight, but first, we have to say goodbye to the teacher, okay?"
Jiashu was very obedient, turned to face the female teacher who had brought him out, and said in a soft voice, "Goodbye, teacher."
After the teacher left, Nan Wan touched Jiashu's cheek, "Now that no one else is here, can you tell Auntie?"
Suddenly, she felt a bit afraid, afraid that Jiashu would slowly become like her, without the childhood he should have had, never speaking out when he encountered problems, and never crying out when being bullied.
"Auntie," Jiashu raised his head, tears glistening in his eyes, yet he fiercely held back from crying, "Some kids said... said that dad didn't go on a business trip, but that he died."
Nan Wan's heart skipped a beat, stunned in place, forgetting how to react, as if she had been suddenly punched hard, leaving her gasping for breath.
After Nan Ze's accident, many people in Qing City knew about it, and many onlookers treated others' pain as gossip to chat about.
Although children speak innocently, they wouldn't make things up out of thin air. Whatever they heard from adults is naturally what they say.