Diva Alpha Meets Her Biological Daughter on a Parenting Variety Show - Chapter 34

“Nuo Nuo Mammy!”

Mengmeng burst through the door, and Ming Nuo quickly caught her, giving a soft “shh.”

The door to the small bedroom was closed, so Mengmeng apologetically covered her mouth. “I know, Mommy is sleeping.”

Ming Nuo nodded and led her to sit in the living area. The program crew had already delivered lunch. The guide said that since everyone had worked hard climbing the mountain early and it had rained in the morning, they would have the afternoon to rest and engage in free activities before gathering for games in the evening.

There were two set meals and one children’s meal, all still warm. Ming Nuo opened the food containers and, just as Ning Xueqing usually cared for the child, put a small apron on Mengmeng and gave her her special cartoon spoon.

When traveling, Ning Xueqing often brought her own utensils in a portable disinfection box, saying it was to prevent H. pylori infection; she was even more meticulous and careful with the child’s utensils.

“Mengmeng.”

“Awoo.” Mengmeng was wearing her hair in a bun today, with two small strawberry decorations hanging below the hair tie. She took a bite of a shrimp ball, puffing out one cheek, her eyes blinking.

So cute.

Ming Nuo felt her heart grow sweet and soft as she watched, and she couldn’t help but pat the little bun on Mengmeng’s head. “Was it fun over at Nora’s?”

When she had dropped Mengmeng off earlier, Nora was bickering with Xing Cai. She had hesitated about letting Mengmeng go play with Pineapple Cake, but Du Heng had welcomed Mengmeng into the room. The “parent-child suites” for the three-person families were different from the single-parent suites; Ming Nuo hadn’t gone inside to see the layout.

“Fun!” Mengmeng said in a milky voice, holding a small fork in one hand and a small spoon in the other. “Nora’s place is a sailing ship, and there’s a swing.”

“A sailing ship?” Did she mean the theme of the parent-child room?

Mengmeng used her hands to show her. “Nora’s bed is a little boat, this big, and there’s a spinning wheel at the front!”

“A spinning wheel? That should be called a ship’s wheel.”

“What’s a ship’s wheel?”

“It’s like a car’s steering wheel—a tool to control the ship’s direction.”

Mengmeng let out an “oh,” her expression looking a bit dazed, but she was trying hard to understand.

Ming Nuo watched her finish her meal quickly and handed her the apple juice. “Chew slowly and swallow carefully; don’t choke.”

Mengmeng hugged her baby cup and nodded as she swallowed. Her movements slowed down significantly while drinking the juice.

“Nuo Nuo Mammy, is Auntie Du really Nora’s Mammy?” the child suddenly asked, a small grain of rice still hanging from the corner of her mouth.

Ming Nuo was surprised she would ask such a question. “Yes, did Nora say something to you?”

Mengmeng giggled. “No, but I think Auntie Du doesn’t seem like a Mammy; she seems like a Grandma.”

Ming Nuo became even more curious. “Why?”

Mengmeng pouted and put her hands on her hips. “Auntie Xing said she wanted to eat spicy strips, but Auntie Du wouldn’t let her, saying they aren’t nutritious or hygienic. Auntie Xing was unhappy and told Auntie Du to leave her alone.”

Ming Nuo fell silent. That conversation… No wonder Mengmeng said Du Heng seemed like a Grandma. Xing Cai was an adult, yet Du Heng was so strict about her eating snacks.

Mengmeng tilted her small head. “That’s exactly how Grandma controls Mommy.”

Ming Nuo said, “That’s because Grandma cares about your mommy, just as Auntie Du cares about Auntie Xing.”

Mengmeng grunted. “Then in the future, I want to find a wife who doesn’t control me. I want to eat spicy strips whenever I want and ice cream whenever I want. Controlled by Mommy as a kid and by a wife as a grown-up—there’s no joy in life at all.”

“Mengmeng, how old are you? Already thinking about finding a wife?”

“Hehe.” Mengmeng shook her head and asked Ming Nuo, “Nuo Nuo Mammy, what kind of wife do you want to find?”

“Me? I haven’t thought about it. Being alone is great; I can eat spicy strips and ice cream whenever I want.”

This kid is so precocious. Ming Nuo didn’t dare say too much. If Mengmeng ended up like Little Pea, learning a bunch of relationship gossip at such a young age, Ning Xueqing would never let her hear the end of it.

Mengmeng actually knitted her brows. “But if you eat too many snacks and get a tummy ache, it’s very piteous if no one helps you buy medicine.”

Ming Nuo was shocked. Did Little Pea teach her this? Has a five-year-old already thought of this level?!

“Before, when we were abroad, there were a few times Grandma wasn’t around and I helped Mommy make cold medicine. But I couldn’t understand the instructions. If Mommy had a wife to take care of her, she would get better faster.”

“…” Ming Nuo’s lips moved, and after turning her words over several times, she whispered, “Mengmeng, all these years, besides Grandma, has it always just been you and Mommy together?”

Even though she knew Ning Xueqing had no contact with Mengmeng’s biological Mammy, she still wanted to hear it from the child herself.

Mengmeng’s expression became a bit listless—not exactly unhappy, but lacking her previous energy. “Yes, Mommy says I’m a treasure given to her by the Heavens.”

“Yes, you are the most precious treasure.” Ming Nuo curled her lips in comfort and stroked the top of Mengmeng’s head.

Who is Mengmeng’s biological Mammy? Perhaps in this entire world, only Ning Xueqing knows.

“Nuo Nuo Mammy, I think Mommy is the best woman in the whole world. Would you like a wife like her?”

“…Children shouldn’t talk too much about the topic of wives.”

Mengmeng shyly grabbed her hair bun. “Oh!”

Ming Nuo tidied the meal boxes and walked into the pantry, letting out a sigh of relief.

Like, yes. But could “liking” lead to being a “wife”?

Last Day of the Mount Guan-yun Trip

The weather forecast predicted a clear, sunny day. Ming Nuo noticed that when the director introduced the “Golden Crow Leaping the Sea,” Ning Xueqing was very interested. So, even though she knew Ning Xueqing was prone to fatigue these two days, she still asked for her opinion, woke her up before dawn, and went to the hotel rooftop to watch the sunrise together.

Although the view wasn’t as good as the Cloud-Viewing Terrace at the summit, the moment the morning sun leaped out from the sea of clouds, the thousands of golden rays were stirring.

Ning Xueqing wore a thin coat, spreading her arms toward the rising sun. The golden wind moved her long hair, and a layer of serene light shone on her cheeks. Ming Nuo felt happy seeing her happy.

“You asked me to come see such a beautiful sunrise alone?”

“Mengmeng couldn’t wake up.”

“I wasn’t talking about Mengmeng.”

Ming Nuo looked up. Ning Xueqing gazed at the horizon. “Xing Cai specifically bought a camera to see the Golden Crow Leaping the Sea; aren’t you going to ask her to take a look?”

Ming Nuo said, “Professor Du should be the one taking Xing Cai.”

Ning Xueqing laughed softly, leaning her head toward Ming Nuo’s front. “Sleepy. Let me borrow this.”

The hotel had blocked off the floor and activity area, and there were no people around at this hour. However, since they were in a public area, Ming Nuo simply supported her arm. “Eat something before you sleep.”

“Not hungry.”

“Your stomach will be uncomfortable if it’s empty.”

Ning Xueqing thought about it. “Alright then.”

“Mengmeng told me last night that you don’t want to find a wife.”

Ming Nuo’s movement to press the elevator button paused. “Did she tell you she wants to find a wife who won’t control her snack-eating when she grows up?”

Ning Xueqing burst out laughing. “No.”

Ming Nuo: “I just told Mengmeng that being alone is freer—you can eat whatever you want.”

Ning Xueqing: “True.”

“I can’t have a serious discussion about this with Mengmeng.”

“So that’s it. I was thinking I was bothering you.”

“No, no. This is this, and that is that.”

Ning Xueqing smiled. “Which is which?”

Ming Nuo thought for a while and said, “You are different. Every question regarding you has to be discussed separately.”

“Separately?”

“Other questions follow general principles, but regarding matters about you, the principles are set based on you… that’s roughly what I want to express. Is it hard to understand?”

Ning Xueqing looked at her, the smile in her eyes overflowing. “Understanding or not… it’s enough that you’re willing to think of me.”

The elevator arrived. Ming Nuo reached out to block the sensor, letting Ning Xueqing enter first. “Of course I think of you. If you hadn’t given me a hand back then, I don’t know which small workshop I’d be exploited in right now.”

“That wouldn’t happen. You are a piece of gold; you were just covered in dust for a moment. Once the wind blows it clean, you will shine.”

“I used to think Sister spoke with such poise; I only knew the reason after seeing the books by your bedside.”

“You read my books?” Her tone was a bit hurried, yet didn’t sound truly urgent. It was more like she had deliberately placed them there for someone to see.

“I read a little bit. Mostly, I looked at your drawings.” Yet she didn’t mention a single word about the poems.

“Fine, I know you’re going to mock me.”

“I won’t. It’s your style.”

No matter how childish the action, when it came to Ning Xueqing, it was always adorable and lively. At least, that’s what Ming Nuo felt. She liked everything about Ning Xueqing that others couldn’t understand. She liked her immensely.

It was like sowing a handful of starlight seeds in her heart; when the breeze blew, they turned into fluffy dandelions that filled the air, flying from the height of summer to every place where Ning Xueqing was.

The week of recording came to a close. The guide took a group photo of all the guests at the monument on the summit of Mount Guan-yun.

As they were about to head down, the “little photographer” Mengmeng finally remembered the mission she’d promised at the foot of the mountain and took many beautiful Instax photos of her mommy and Nuo Nuo Mammy.

On the way back, Ming Nuo and Ning Xueqing each chose one, held it in their hand to take a picture with their phone, and posted it on Weibo.

[Thank you, Mengmeng’s Mama. Having you along the way makes me very happy.]

[Thank you, Nuo Nuo Mammy. Having you along the way makes me feel very at ease.]

Ming Nuo anticipated that after the second episode aired, there would surely be many voices discussing them online. Regardless of how many misunderstandings or negative attacks the outside world had, Ming Nuo had to state her stance publicly in advance.

—To Ning Xueqing, I am willing and joyful.

Let those who couldn’t stand them say what they wanted; this was her position. Since she couldn’t brew a cup of medicine for Ning Xueqing, who was far away and had a cold, she would shield her from some of the wind and rain within her capabilities.

Mengmeng was right: Ning Xueqing is the best woman in the world. To be worthy of the best woman in one’s heart, one must display their everything—right and wrong, good and bad—for her to decide.

What Ming Nuo wanted wasn’t “I like you, you see it, now come and like me.” What she wanted was: “This is who I am. You feel it, and you walk into my world.”

“We’re home, Mengmeng. Say goodbye to Nuo Nuo Mammy.”

“Nuo Nuo Mammy, see you next week! Mommy, we can see each other this week too; last time Nuo Nuo Mammy came to our house to play!”

“If Mengmeng misses me, you can video call me. You’re welcome to come to my house to play.”

“Okay! I’ll call Nuo Nuo Mammy every day after I finish my homework!”

Ming Nuo sat in the car, reluctantly saying goodbye to Ning Xueqing and her daughter. As the silhouette of the car outside moved away, Ming Nuo said to her personal assistant, “Xiao Zhu, let’s go.”

“Teacher Nuo, your bracelet is glowing.”

Ming Nuo raised her hand. The stars on the family bracelet were twinkling. On the electronic screen, a string of pixel characters appeared.

Every second of being late will extend into a long future.

So will longing.