Diva Alpha Meets Her Biological Daughter on a Parenting Variety Show - Chapter 20.2

In that rain-soaked bamboo forest, on a night when the moon swayed, it was like a fleeting dream. The dream ended, and the place was left empty. Then, during that same period, Ning Xueqing became intimate with some Alpha and gave birth to Mengmeng.

That was when the child was conceived.

Who is Mengmeng’s biological Mammy?

Ming Nuo closed her eyes tightly, her eyes moist. She couldn’t imagine what kind of Alpha could attract Ning Xueqing and conceive the crystallization of their love with her.

It was so sad. Once Ming Nuo differentiated into an Alpha, Ning Xueqing distanced herself. Yet Ning Xueqing actually had such an adorable daughter with that Alpha.

Ming Nuo’s mind was in a mess. On one hand, she was heartbroken by Ning Xueqing’s distance over the years; on the other hand, she liked Mengmeng, cherished the days of becoming closer to Ning Xueqing, and was full of yearning for their future.

The more she yearned, the more Ming Nuo wanted to know with whom Ning Xueqing had the child, why she had separated from that person, and whether they would still see each other in the future. Through their time together recently, Ming Nuo discovered that Mengmeng knew nothing about her biological Mammy’s information; she hadn’t seen her since she could remember. Ning Xueqing never mentioned her either, and even Ning Zhixuan said nothing.

Logically, a mother who loved her daughter as much as Ning Zhixuan would surely criticize an irresponsible daughter-in-law, yet she didn’t—it was as if she had no idea who her daughter had been with.

Connecting this to Ning Xueqing’s repulsion of Alphas, Ming Nuo thought of a terrifying possibility… Ning Xueqing might have been mistreated by some Alpha.

Ming Nuo didn’t dare think further. Just thinking of Ning Xueqing’s aggrieved expression made her want to grab a weapon and go clear out the scum.

Ning Xueqing’s silence on the matter of Mengmeng’s Mammy might be due to a failed relationship, psychological and physical trauma, or a lack of trust in others… Whatever the reason, Ning Xueqing certainly had her reasons. Now that she and Mengmeng were living well, she shouldn’t let past unhappiness disturb the mother and daughter.

Things are fine as they are now.

Ming Nuo gradually relaxed her body and took deep breaths. Let the past be the past. The present Ning Xueqing was no longer distant; she would go to hear Ming Nuo’s concerts, she would stay up at night to fan her, she would wrap her arms around her neck and ask if she liked Teacher Xue.

She would even say, “If I were being silly for you.”

Ming Nuo hugged the blanket and let out a low hum; suddenly, the stifling feeling in her chest vanished. She wanted to hear the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

When will Sister have a chance to finish it for her?

As dawn broke, Ming Nuo’s biological clock woke her up. In her daze, she thought she was in her own home; she instinctively reached for the electronic calendar on the bedside but hit nothing, and only then remembered she was at Ning Xueqing’s house.

Ning Xueqing!

Ming Nuo suddenly sat up in bed, quickly washed, and dressed; she couldn’t waste a single minute of being with Ning Xueqing. She gently opened the door; the lights in the second-floor hallway and the living room downstairs were on. The door to Ning Xueqing’s room next door was open, with the window open for ventilation.

Soft light music was playing in the living room. Ning Zhixuan was practicing yoga facing the floor-to-ceiling windows of the garden.

“Ming Nuo, you’re up. Good morning.”

“Good morning, Auntie Ning.”

Ning Zhixuan lowered her raised leg, paused the music, and walked smilingly to the top of the stairs. “Xueqing went to the park for a morning workout. Mengmeng is still sleeping. What do you usually eat for breakfast? Pretzels and milk, or buns and soy milk? The kitchen is ready.”

Ming Nuo walked downstairs. “Oh, either is fine. Thank you, Auntie.”

Ning Zhixuan pulled out a chair for her. “Don’t mention it. Sit.”

“By the way, Ming Nuo, what do your parents do?”

“My mother passed away when I was seventeen; she was a preschool teacher. My ‘Mammy’ used to work in admissions for an educational institution, then she did some business. She reached retirement age two years ago and is now resting at home.”

“Both in education—that’s wonderful. I’ve prepared some small gifts and put them in the foyer for you to take back. The red gift bag is for your mother; inside are Song brocade, Jun porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, as well as some skincare products and health supplements. I hope your mother will like them.”

Ming Nuo put down her chopsticks and said quickly, “Auntie, they’re too precious. Look, I’ve stayed and eaten, and now I’m taking things—it’s not right.”

“They’re just things I usually keep. I bought them because they looked pleasing. It’s just a small token of my appreciation. Xueqing and Mengmeng will still need you to take care of them for a while, so I must show my gratitude. Oh, there’s also a white gift bag for you—a gift Xueqing chose. I don’t know what’s inside.”

“This… thank you truly.”

“You’re too polite. In my heart, I want you to be my goddaughter.”

Ming Nuo lowered her gaze; her smile looked a bit bashful to Ning Zhixuan. Ming Nuo repeated the title “goddaughter” in her mind; if she rounded it up, it was basically equal to “daughter-in-law.” Ming Nuo wondered when she could call her “Godmother.” Once she called her Godmother, it would be perfectly legitimate to follow Ning Xueqing around calling her “Sister” every day.

Mengmeng hadn’t entered kindergarten yet since returning to the country; Ning Xueqing had hired a tutor for preschool education at home, planning to send her to primary school in the second half of the year. Since they would be filming for the next two or three months, Mengmeng had classes almost every day during their breaks at home. The tutor was arriving at 9 AM, and Ning Xueqing had to accompany the child in her studies. Ming Nuo didn’t want to disturb them and, finding no reason to stay longer at the Ning house, took her leave after Mengmeng’s class started.

Near noon, the housekeeper returned from buying groceries and asked Ning Zhixuan whether the squab should be simmered or roasted. Ning Zhixuan discussed the dishes with her, then turned to see a box of snow clam and fleeceflower root on the island. She let out a cry of “Oh, no! I forgot to pack these in.”

Ning Xueqing came to the kitchen to get some baby food and asked, “What did you forget?”

Ning Zhixuan passed the gift box over. “Supplements for the head of the Ming family.”

Ning Xueqing drank some water and glanced at the snow clam and fleeceflower root. “Ming Nuo’s house isn’t lacking in these.”

“You’re not going to die of stupidity, are you?”

Ning Xueqing: “?”

Ning Zhixuan stuffed the handles of the gift box into her hand. “Mengmeng’s class this afternoon is three hours long; your presence there would just be a distraction for the teacher. Take the gifts to Ming Nuo this afternoon.” After saying this, Ning Zhixuan went to the garden to prune the hydrangeas.

Ning Xueqing looked at the gift box in her hand and belatedly set down her glass. Oh~ She lowered her head with a smile. She really wasn’t going to die of stupidity. It had to be her mom. As expected of Ms. Ning Zhixuan, who dazzled half the Alphas in Shenjiang back in the day.

It was an overcast day. There had been a bit of sun in the morning, but after noon the clouds grew thicker and thicker. There was no wind, and everywhere felt as sweltering as a sauna.

Ming Nuo had cleared out the fridge before joining the show. Since she was on a break anyway, she wasn’t in a hurry to return to an empty villa. She had lunch at the Tide-Watching Pavilion in Shenjiang and then drove back leisurely. She didn’t particularly like living in a villa; a person living alone didn’t need that much space. She bought this house for professional privacy reasons, as the security measures in the villa area were better.

The house wasn’t much decorated; aside from Ming Nuo’s bedroom, the rest was the developer’s original renovation. Scarcely any furniture had been placed. When lightning struck during thunderstorms, it would light up here and flash there, always making it feel like something was hidden in a corner. Whenever Ming Nuo finished a period of work or had things to store, she would go home and sleep for two days straight, then find interesting spots at home or abroad to stay in hotels. For one, she could feel the hustle and bustle of life; for another, it saved Ming Yan from bringing seven aunts and eight grandmothers to “visit” her every few days.

Ming Nuo liked the natural wind. There were few people on the riverside road in the afternoon, so she didn’t turn on the air conditioning and drove home with the car windows open. She took the elevator up from the basement; just as she reached the entrance garden, she heard the loud sound of a TV from the living room. Ming Nuo gave a start.

“Mommy?”

There was no response, only the insults of a noble consort punishing the protagonist in a palace drama.

Ming Nuo carried the two bags of gifts inside. Ming Yan was sitting on the sofa feigning sleep. Hearing the movement at the door, her eyes moved beneath her lids but didn’t open. Ming Nuo put the white bag in the wall cabinet and handed the red gift bag for Ming Yan to her. “Mommy, this is a gift for you from a friend’s house.”

“Staying out all night—where were you all day and night yesterday?”

“A friend invited me over.”

“A friend.” Ming Yan opened her eyes, her gaze piercing. “Which friend of yours lets you stay the night at their house? Xing Cai? She has a wife and child. Cen Hong? She has a family. Who else are you close enough with to stay the night? Huh?”

“…”

“Ming Nuo, have you been messing around outside?”

Ming Nuo: “?”

“Mommy, how can you say I’m ‘messing around’?”

“I asked you to come home and you didn’t. You sent that long string of disrespectful words that hurt your Mommy, and you went to sleep in some unknown person’s house. Aren’t you afraid that person isn’t clean and you’ll catch some disease?”

An inexplicable anger rose in Ming Nuo. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ming Yan’s words also carried heat: “Ming Nuo, you are my own flesh and blood. Your mother is gone; I am now your only closest relative. One day when I am gone, you’ll see who else will worry about you so wholeheartedly.” Ming Yan threw a package onto the coffee table. The packaging was transparent, containing several large paper-wrapped classical prescriptions.

“In Brisbane, didn’t you say your throat was uncomfortable and you wanted the throat-soothing prescription from when you were little? I heard the old traditional Chinese medicine doctor who treated you before has returned from his travels. I caught a bus back to our hometown to get the medicine, waiting in line before dawn. I finally got it, but I couldn’t get you to come home.”

Ming Nuo looked at the medicine packages in silence, then picked them up. “I’m sorry, Mommy. Thank you. I truly had something to do yesterday. You could have just had Xiao Zhu bring these to me.”

“Oh, Xiao Zhu brings them to you—do you know how to brew the medicine? The liquid in bags isn’t effective at all; classical prescriptions must be freshly decocted. What am I supposed to do if I don’t teach you personally?”

“You can message me; I’ll know how after seeing it.”

“Fine, I know you don’t like seeing me. I don’t know what’s wrong with young people today, they don’t care about family at all—not like in our day, when we loved being with family the most. When you get to my age, you’ll know that only family is the best.” Ming Yan flipped open the notebook on the coffee table. “I wrote it all down for you in case you forget.”

She saw the red gift bag nearby, opened it, and saw two bolts of silk, a set of bowlware, several scrolls of paper, and some boxes with foreign writing she couldn’t understand. “What is all this? A mess.” Ming Yan pinched the top of the bag shut and pushed it away. “There’s truly no sincerity in the gift-giving. Do they know who you are? And you too, taking anything home—it’s not like you’re doing recycling.”

Ming Nuo’s tone was helpless: “It’s from a friend’s house; it’s plenty sincere. Those two bolts of Song brocade alone are very rare, and Jun porcelain bowls of this quality can’t be bought on the market at all.”

Ming Yan’s gaze softened slightly. “Is that so? I don’t care about those things, I just think the styles are too old-fashioned.”

Ming Nuo took the medicine into the kitchen, wanting to decoct it quickly so Ming Yan could leave; she wanted to see what gift Ning Xueqing had chosen for her. Ming Yan looked at the gifts in the red bag again, checked something on her phone, smiled quietly to herself, and walked to the kitchen door. “Nuo, you stayed at someone else’s house and received gifts, you should thank them, do you understand?”

“I know, don’t worry, Mommy.”

Ming Yan touched the gemstone necklace around her neck and cleared her throat. “Have I met this friend of yours? Is she an Omega?”

“A Level 1 Omega.”

Ming Yan was stunned, a look of joy appearing. “Level 1?! When did you meet her? She seems well-bred, a sensible child. How about inviting her for dinner tomorrow or the day after? I’ll cook personally.”

Ming Nuo didn’t respond. Ming Yan felt her silence was a bit strange; her gaze followed her daughter, and she frowned, sensing something was wrong. Level 1 Omegas were incredibly rare; ordinary people basically never see one in their lifetime, and even in upper-class circles, they were hard to encounter—they were almost all top-tier clans within the scope of confidentiality. But the most famous Level 1 Omegas in society were those few in the entertainment industry.

As luck would have it, Ming Nuo was recently partnering with one of them on a variety show.

Ming Yan walked up angrily and grabbed Ming Nuo’s arm. “Did you stay at ‘Lemon Snow’s’ house?!”

Ming Nuo had just opened the medicine package; being pulled by Ming Yan, the herbs spilled onto the counter and floor.

“Mommy, I just went for a visit. Her child asked me to stay and play. We still have the show to film, and Auntie Ning was also at home. Also, her name is Ning Xueqing; don’t always call her that strange nickname, it’s disrespectful.”

Ming Yan tilted her head back and took a deep breath, the tendons in her neck tightening, her face turning red. “Ming Nuo! You are an Alpha, and she is an Omega! You are still single—how could you go to a ‘living widow’s’ house! Those who are celebrities know to cherish their reputation—how can you let yourself sink so low and not listen to Mommy’s advice?!”

Ming Nuo frowned deeply, gripping Ming Yan’s upper arms and saying seriously, “Mommy, you can’t talk about her like that. What ‘living widow’? That’s too malicious!”

“Reproduction is an Omega’s right, and a woman’s right. I am also a woman. The chance of a female Alpha conceiving is small, but it’s not zero. Suppose one day I have a child and raise it alone—would you also say I am scandalous and a living widow?”

Ming Yan was frozen by her angry shout; the way she looked at her daughter became strange, and her eyes slowly turned red. “Ming Nuo, how can you talk to Mommy like that? Ask yourself, which family would be willing to have their Alpha child—who has never been in a relationship—involved with an Omega raising a child alone? And that Omega won’t even say how the child came to be! How do you know Ning Xueqing isn’t still involved with the child’s Mammy? Could the old flame be rekindled?”

“And ask yourself: if you had an adorable daughter and raised her with all your heart, and she differentiated into a beautiful Alpha, and many excellent single Omegas admired her and she had many choices—but at that moment she said she fell in love with an Omega who had a child and wanted to be a stepmother to a stranger’s child—would you be willing?!”

“Ming Nuo! You are my daughter, the treasure of me and your mother! How can you expect me to watch you become a stepmother and help someone else raise their child!”

Ming Nuo stood there, her heart pounding violently in her chest, her breath held in her chest. her head was hot and painful, and she was almost unable to breathe.

“Mommy, you’re worrying too much.”

Countless words passed through Ming Nuo’s mind—refuting, explaining, proving—but in the end, they were like sand stirred up from a riverbed, circling in the ripples and then slowly falling back to where they came from. Ming Nuo turned her back on Ming Yan and picked up the scattered herbs one by one, her hand holding the bowl trembling slightly.

“No Omega is ‘involved’ with your daughter. No one wants your daughter to be a stepmother to their child.”

“It is your daughter who doesn’t dare to step into the light, hiding in a corner and crushing on someone.”

“Ning Xueqing has never said she likes me or wants anything with me. Including this variety show—it was because I heard she was participating that I went.”

“Mommy, it is I who cannot have what I desire. Don’t poke my heart with knives anymore.”

Ming Nuo put the herbs into the bowl one by one. Ming Yan was dumbfounded, her mouth open for two seconds before she could speak. “You really do like her, don’t you. Before, when you said you loved watching her movies and I asked if you had a crush, you wouldn’t admit it.”

Ming Nuo kept her head down and said nothing. Ming Yan felt a rush of blood to her head and was a bit dizzy; she steadied herself on the storage rack nearby for a while, then said coldly, “I see that Ning Xueqing is good, but you are bad!”

Ming Yan poked Ming Nuo’s head hard with her finger, pushing it askew. “Ming Nuo, wake up!”

“I think participating in this variety show is good—get yourself rejected clearly and as soon as possible, so you’ll give up on this!”

Ming Nuo was choked up; this was truly her own Mommy—if she wasn’t stabbing her in one side of her heart, she was stabbing her in the other. Every blow was lethal.

Ming Yan turned away with a flick of her sleeve. “What throat medicine? Next time I’ll just get you some medicine for your brain.”

“Mommy, are you leaving?”

“If I don’t leave, I’ll be driven to death by your anger. The delivery of the new house didn’t meet standards, so I’m organizing an owners’ committee in the group to go and negotiate with the developer. Do you think I’m so bored every day that I want to manage you? Isn’t it all—”

“—Isn’t it all for my own good,” Ming Nuo finished for her.

Ming Yan pointed at her. “As long as you know.”

Ming Nuo walked Ming Yan to the door. Ming Yan was about to put on her shoes when she remembered the gift on the coffee table. She went back and took the red bag, muttering as she walked out, “Actually looking down on my daughter—what kind of taste is that?”

Ming Nuo: “Huh?”

Ming Yan: “Nothing. Remember if your throat is uncomfortable, don’t sing. Pears and loquats should be cooked before eating. Take your medicine on time every day. Lastly, don’t be too stubborn about everything. If things don’t go well, just let nature take its course. Don’t let your heart get blocked up. We’re all born of mothers; we’re all raised by someone’s love—why should you have to go through that?”

Ming Nuo opened the door for her. “Yes, yes, yes. My Mommy is right.”

“Mommy, your earring is caught in your hair.”

“None of your business! It makes me angry just seeing you. Go back and take your medicine!”

Ming Yan waved her hand. The driver pulled the car over, and she got in. A moment later, she was out of Ming Nuo’s sight. Ming Nuo watched her go, leaned against the door for a while, then closed it and walked back inside.

She took the white bag out of the wall cabinet, handled it gently, and specifically found a small ceramic knife to open it. It was a large gift bag with a large box inside, which when opened revealed a smaller box, then a box within a box… Ming Nuo was confused. Ning Zhixuan had said this was a gift Ning Xueqing had chosen for her. A box within a box?

At the very end was a velvet box the size of a palm. Ming Nuo took it to the window where there was light and gently flicked the metal clasp with her index finger. She opened the lid. Inside was a piece of sorghum taffy with yellowed wrapper. She turned the candy over; on the other side of the wrapper, a smiley face had been drawn in ballpoint pen.

—“It’s very expensive, and they can’t even get more in stock.”

—“Then you’re giving it to me for free?”

—“Watching you eat it is sweeter, Teacher Xue. I like you.”

This piece of sorghum taffy was a prop from their second scene. The prop team had bought a large bag of old-fashioned sorghum taffy and distributed it to the crew after the scene was filmed. Ming Nuo remembered casually leaving the only piece of candy used in the scene on the counter. She hadn’t expected Ning Xueqing to take it and keep it until now.

Would expired candy still be sweet? Yes. And it had been sweet for six years since its production date.

Ming Nuo found a sealed jar to put the taffy in and then placed the jar in the most prominent spot in the storage cabinet. She opened her phone, found Ning Xueqing, and clicked to type “Thank you for the gift.” Before she could send it, a message from Ning Xueqing refreshed in the dialog box.

Ning Xueqing: I’m sorry, I missed packing two gifts for Auntie Ming.

Ning Xueqing: I’ve brought them over.

Ning Xueqing: [Photo of a house]

Ning Xueqing: Is it this one? I’m at the garden gate.

Ming Nuo immediately got up to open the door.

Ning Xueqing: Your garden is bald.

Ning Xueqing: Why don’t you take care of the baby flowers and baby grass?

Ning Xueqing: You said in Brisbane that you could grow flowers.

Ning Xueqing had parked her car in the public area outside the garden and was standing under a jacaranda tree, typing with one hand. She typed: Could it be that you actually only grow the little jars that held the honey milk?

She hadn’t clicked send yet.

“Xueqing.”

Ning Xueqing looked up, deleted the text, exited WeChat, and raised her arm to wave. Ming Nuo ran over. Before her were the fresh flowers of midsummer; behind her was a yard full of weeds. A few trees—who knew what kind—were half-dead with drooping yellow leaves.

The villa housekeeper was supposed to take care of the garden for the owners, but Ming Nuo said she was rarely home and didn’t need the greenery managed. She also didn’t want to give the key to the housekeeper.

Ming Nuo took the items from Ning Xueqing’s hand. “You came all this way personally.”

Ning Xueqing’s eyes curved. “It was on the way. I haven’t been here before.”

“You actually remember my address.” Ming Nuo smiled like a large peony in a green belt—the pink-red petals were large and fluffy, looking festive.

Come to think of it, Ming Nuo had bought this house seven or eight years ago. At the time, she had even borrowed money from Xing Cai and Cen Hong, and held a housewarming party with a few close friends—unluckily, Ning Xueqing couldn’t come because of filming.

“I have a backup of my SIM card; my contacts have always been saved. And you haven’t changed places in all these years.”

“That’s true.”

“Did you see the gift?”

“You actually kept that candy.”

“It’s very expensive, and they can’t even get more in stock.”

“Then you’re giving it to me for free.”

The candy from the scene six years ago was the only one; naturally, more could not be gotten in stock. Ning Xueqing turned, her features bright and her pretty peach-blossom eyes looking at Ming Nuo. Her bright gaze fell on Ming Nuo’s face, and Ming Nuo’s pupils were filled with her image. Her breathing gradually slowed.

“Watching you smile is sweeter, Teacher Nuo.”

They smiled at each other and walked quietly into the foyer. But neither of them had forgotten the second half of the line.

I like you.