Become a mother in a night

Chapter 27

Michelle truly wanted to wander around, window shop, and perhaps make a few purchases. However, the prospect of doing so with Eleanor made her reconsider.
It wasn't just the apparent generational gap between them; the mere fact that Eleanor was Alex's biological mother gave Michelle chills. Michelle had once lived with the Ye family and, although her understanding of Eleanor was rather superficial, she knew that Eleanor was a homebody. The older woman rarely stepped out, preferring to have her needs delivered to her doorstep, leading what Michelle deemed a rather dull life.
Yet, for such a woman who seldom left her comfort zone, Michelle felt nothing good would come from their sudden rendezvous. Detecting Michelle's reluctance, Eleanor looked at her, the curve of her lips painting a perfect smile, yet her eyes betrayed little warmth.
Michelle hesitated, but eventually yielded. There was something about Eleanor's almost mocking smile that intimidated her. She always had this lingering sense that Eleanor was a formidable woman. A mere smirk from her was enough to make Michelle's skin crawl.
*Oh well,* Michelle thought, *it's just shopping, I can manage that.*
Eleanor, on her part, never saw herself as menacing. Her younger years in the entertainment industry had exposed her to various personalities, teaching her a myriad of social nuances. She always considered herself approachable and easy-going. Why would she torment Michelle? Her son, Alex, was a different story, however.
Recently, little Lizzy had been staying mostly with Michelle or sometimes with Alex. The child seldom visited the Ye residence, making Eleanor miss her sweet, delicate granddaughter. The longer Eleanor stayed away from Lizzy, the more she found Michelle, who bore a striking resemblance to the child, endearing. That sentiment was genuinely heartfelt.
Eleanor had genuinely intended to shop for some new jewelry pieces that day. In the end, she did purchase several new designs from a reputed jeweler. On impulse, she bought two sets for Michelle and some hairpins for Lizzy. Although Michelle wasn't particularly interested in jewelry, she accepted Eleanor's gifts, knowing it would be impolite to decline.
Age had caught up with Eleanor, and after a short while, she began to tire. Noticing Michelle's waning interest, she decided to treat them both to a spa visit.
Throughout their time together, Eleanor tried subtly to probe Michelle about her plans for the day and with whom she was meeting. Although Eleanor knew she could get this information from others by evening, first-hand knowledge always felt different and often more reliable.
Being in the loop, especially if the gossip might involve a potential scandal about her own son, felt exhilarating to Eleanor. The idea of such a juicy tidbit made the day all the more intriguing.
Michelle wasn't naive; she soon understood why she had "coincidentally" bumped into Eleanor today.
Considering that she could share such matters with Alex or even Eleanor, she briefly mentioned her situation. "I'm job-hunting currently and had an interview today," Michelle explained.
Eleanor responded nonchalantly, "Oh?" Hearing that Michelle wasn't out on a date with another man, she felt a sense of relief. But that also meant there was no juicy gossip to feed on. Eleanor's demeanor shifted slightly, revealing a hint of annoyance.
With a mild frown, Eleanor looked at Michelle and inquired, "Hasn't Alex been giving you any pocket money? He's making you work?" She was evidently displeased. "That boy is so unreasonable!"
Before Michelle could further explain, Eleanor, in her usual assertive manner, took out a card from her bag and handed it over. "The pin is XXXXXX. Use this for now. I'll give Alex a piece of my mind when I see him."
Michelle tried to clarify, "No, it's not like that..." But Eleanor, growing more agitated at the perceived slight on Alex's part, declared, "He really is, not understanding a word anyone says!"
As they left the spa, Eleanor, not in the mood to head home for dinner, proposed a visit to a Japanese restaurant. However, Michelle thought of Lizzy, the sticky little child back at home. She used the child's likely reaction as an excuse to decline Eleanor's invitation, saying hesitantly, "If Lizzy comes home and doesn't find me, she might throw a tantrum and refuse to eat."
Eleanor, picturing the troublesome young Lizzy and recalling how Alex used to be just like her, finally understood Michelle's predicament. "Alright," Eleanor conceded, a touch begrudgingly. "We'll do it another time."
Michelle sighed inwardly with relief, grateful for the reprieve.
Upon returning home, a young child with a face full of sorrow rushed over, clinging to Michelle's legs.
With a pout and a quivering voice, the little one whimpered, "I want big sister's hug~"
Sighing softly, Michelle exerted some effort to lift the child. Nuzzling her nose against the child's face, she teased, "Why is Lizzy so needy? Are you the queen of attention?"
The child only responded by pouting further, tacitly accepting her title as the attention-seeking champion.
From across the room, as Alex glanced up, his gaze just happened to fall on Michelle lifting the child. The sight of Michelle's slender waist made his eyebrows knit slightly. Considering the weight of a three-and-a-half-year-old, he grew concerned that Michelle might strain her back.
He contemplated advising the child not to be so clingy, but just then, he saw Michelle set the child on a dining chair, indicating that while she could lift the child, she could only do so for a short while. Clearly, Michelle knew her limits.
Tonight, Michelle had returned home rather late. The nanny had already prepared dinner, and it was awaiting her arrival. Sitting down at the dining table, Michelle remembered the card Eleanor had insistently given her earlier in the day. She took it out and handed it to Alex, saying, "I ran into your mother today, and she insisted I take this."
Remembering the puzzling call he'd received from Eleanor earlier, and realizing that Michelle had been with her at the time, things began to make sense. Alex studied Michelle, noting her apparent reluctance to accept the money. He shifted his gaze and remarked, "Our finances are separate. If you see her again, you can return it to her."
Michelle, taken aback, inquired, "You keep your finances that distinct from each other?"
Alex nodded earnestly, indicating he had no intention of taking the card back. While Michelle found this surprising, she also considered it quite reasonable.
In Alex's presence, Michelle handed the card over to Lizzy.
Michelle chuckled softly, trying to pacify Lizzy. "Lizzy, this is a gift from your grandmother for you. Make sure to keep it safe, alright?"
Lizzy turned her gaze from Michelle's gentle smile to Alex's rather emotionless expression. She was caught in a dilemma, evident from her round, cherubic face.
In the end, Lizzy chose to obediently heed Michelle's advice and carefully accepted the card. In her little mind, she thought, "Even if I don't understand what this is, listening to Mommy is always the right choice."
Witnessing the events unfolding before him, Alex wasn't surprised. In fact, he found it perfectly reasonable. Still, there was a subtle undercurrent of emotion within him. Women like Michelle, he mused, weren't swayed by money. Pursuing someone like her was truly challenging.
After dinner, Michelle hinted that it was time for Alex to leave. Recalling what Eleanor had mentioned earlier, Michelle softly warned, "Mr. Ye, Eleanor might be seeking you out tonight."
Upon hearing this, Alex responded with a simple, "Hmm," indicating he was aware.
Not long after he returned home, just as he settled into his study and before he could even turn on his computer, a call from Eleanor came through. With an unwavering demeanor, Alex answered the call and proceeded to open his computer, intending to address the emails he hadn't yet gotten to.
For an entire half-hour, he listened to Eleanor without displaying any noticeable change in emotion. By the time Eleanor finished her monologue, he'd managed to clear all his pending emails.
When the conversation finally paused, Alex commented calmly, "Yes, and right after that, Michelle gave your card to Lizzy."
There was a brief silence on Eleanor's end before she laughed, "That's so like her. She's truly intriguing."
With a sigh of resignation, Eleanor voiced her concerns, "Women like Michelle, who aren't moved by money, are so hard to win over. Especially when my son only has work on his mind. How could he possibly win Michelle's heart?"
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Michelle sent Alex on his way, as per their usual routine, and then proceeded to help the children with her bath and settling down to watch some cartoons.
She took out the hairpin Eleanor had bought and presented it to the little ones. Her eyes sparkled with delight at the sight, and soon enough, Lizzy, tilting her small head upward, gazed at Michelle with wide, expectant eyes.
This is a gift from Grandma for Lizzy. What about the gift from Sissy?"
Michelle could easily interpret the intent in the child's gaze, and for a brief moment, she faltered because she hadn't actually bought a gift for her. Nevertheless, Michelle quickly regained her composure, her calm demeanor unfazed.
Gently tousling Lizzy's hair, Michelle cooed with a smile, "Are you happy with today's gift from Grandma, Lizzy?"
Lizzy grinned radiantly, nodding with sheer joy.
Michelle continued, her voice soft and comforting, "And if you get a gift from Sissy tomorrow, will you be even happier?"
It took Lizzy a couple of seconds to grasp the meaning of Michelle's words. "A gift from Grandma today, and one from big sister tomorrow. I'm happy today, so I'll be happier tomorrow!" Realizing this, the smart little girl nodded enthusiastically, already anticipating tomorrow's present.
Relieved to see that she had managed to placate Lizzy for the time being, Michelle heaved a sigh. Yet, at the back of her mind, she made a mental note: she absolutely had to buy a gift for Lizzy tomorrow.
After moving closer to the kindergarten, Lizzy could afford a few extra minutes of sleep in the mornings, but she still maintained her routine of going to bed by nine in the evening. Once Michelle had finished reading Lizzy her bedtime fairy tale, ensuring the little one was fast asleep, she considered spending some time gaming.
She was about to check her gaming group for any available tasks when she noticed a message from Leonard from an hour earlier.
BaldButNotStronger: Miss Xia, we've discussed and decided that if you'd like to sign a service contract, it's completely fine.
BaldButNotStronger: Here's the revised service contract we've prepared. Please take a look and let us know if there are any issues.
Caught off guard, Michelle blinked, a sense of unexpected joy washing over her.