Diva Alpha Meets Her Biological Daughter on a Parenting Variety Show - Chapter 50

Even with a swollen face, Qiao Jing couldn’t hide the flush of humiliation and anger blooming across her cheeks.

Who in their right mind sees someone in a predicament and intentionally swoops in to make it worse? Qiao Jing mused that she and Ning Xueqing had known each other for years and had coexisted peacefully—aside from the time they were “shipped” as a couple to promote The Water-Dropping Goddess of Mercy, where their agencies released a few competitive press releases. She didn’t have a personal vendetta against Ning Xueqing; was it really necessary to humiliate her like this?

She never imagined that the woman branded as the “pure and innocent goddess” would possess such a dark, mischievous side.

But why be polite to someone who lacked self-awareness? Qiao Jing brushed Ning Xueqing aside with her arm. “It’s nothing. I just accidentally bumped into something while filming.”

“Oh?” Ning Xueqing let out a meaningful hum, crossing her arms and smiling at her. “What new project is it? I haven’t filmed in a while; I’d love to go and observe your craft.”

Qiao Jing had spent the entire year focusing on how to get engaged to Leng Ling; she hadn’t taken on any new roles at all. There was nothing for Ning Xueqing to observe.

Unable to maintain the pretense any longer—and with Leng Ling watching from behind—Qiao Jing hurriedly bid Ning Xueqing farewell. “Xueqing, I have things to do. Let’s chat next time.”

Qiao Jing walked quickly toward the elevator. Leng Ling followed, glancing at Ning Xueqing with a cold snort before pulling two masks out of her bag and putting them on for herself and Qiao Jing.

Facing Leng Ling’s contempt, Ning Xueqing remained poised and unbothered. She raised her voice to offer a kind reminder: “Be sure to ice those swollen cheeks when you get home!”

Realizing she’d left something out, Ning Xueqing quickly added: “The face you bumped during filming needs icing, too!”

The corners of Qiao Jing’s mouth twitched, but she and Leng Ling were already inside the elevator, out of Ning Xueqing’s sight.

“Weren’t you two shipped as a couple before? It seems your relationship isn’t great,” Leng Ling asked sourly, checking her cheek in a hand mirror.

“I told you, that was just ‘shipping’—a commercial move by the agencies. You know me; I don’t like people from the industry.” Qiao Jing reached out to put her arm around Leng Ling’s shoulder, coaxing her in a low voice. “Besides, Ning Xueqing isn’t half as smart or beautiful as you. She just flaunts her looks; our Manager Leng is the one with both talent and beauty.”

Leng Ling arched an eyebrow, stroking the back of the hand Qiao Jing had placed on her shoulder. “Is this how you used to coax your ex-girlfriend, too?”

Qiao Jing turned her face, presenting her uninjured profile, and pressed a light kiss to Leng Ling’s temple. “No. You are special.”

The elevator descended, and the inpatient corridor returned to silence.

Ning Xueqing looked left and right, gripped the handle to close the door, and walked back into the room. Ming Nuo had already coaxed Mengmeng to sleep.

Ming Nuo had heard Ning Xueqing greeting someone but didn’t know what was said. She asked, “Did you run into someone you know?”

Ning Xueqing sat on the edge of the hospital bed. “Hardly ‘know’ them.”

“Someone from the crew?”

“No. You’d never guess who it was.”

Ming Nuo exhaled softly. “Then I definitely won’t figure it out. But Xixue is quite remote; it’s a small miracle to run into an acquaintance at a hospital here.”

“It’s not luck; everything has a cause and effect,” Ning Xueqing replied. “I just didn’t have a good impression of this person before, but now I realize she’s truly loathsome. Some entertainment gossip isn’t just rumors.”

Ning Xueqing rarely gossiped, so Ming Nuo became interested in someone she explicitly hated. “Who is it?”

“Qiao Jing.”

Ming Nuo: “…”

Ming Nuo rarely paid attention to stars in the acting world, but Ning Xueqing was the exception, and Qiao Jing was another. This was because Qiao Jing and Ning Xueqing had shared kiss scenes and bed scenes. Qiao Jing had also exploited Ning Xueqing for “couple” hype, aggressively buying trending searches, only to follow it up by “stepping” on her—establishing herself as a misunderstood, solitary “white moonlight” and guiding her fans to flame Ning Xueqing’s social media, calling her shameless for trying to ride Qiao Jing’s coattails.

Ming Nuo didn’t have the heart to say it, but she had hated Qiao Jing for a long time.

Ning Xueqing turned to Ming Nuo. “She’s with Chi Shu’s benefactor now. They came together, and Ji Lang slapped both of them right across the face.”

Ming Nuo’s eyes widened in shock. “Qiao Jing is with Chi Shu’s benefactor? And Ji Lang slapped them?”

Why would Qiao Jing come to the hospital with Chi Shu’s benefactor? Why would Ji Lang slap them? If the benefactor was there and there was a conflict, shouldn’t Chi Shu be the one doing the slapping…?

It was a mess.

As soon as Ming Nuo tried to use her brain, her head throbbed. Although her injuries didn’t look severe on the outside, the internal trauma was still significant. She hissed, touching the back of her head. Ning Xueqing caught her hand and said, “The doctor said not to touch the wound.”

“Oh,” Ming Nuo replied obediently.

Ning Xueqing helped her lie down, avoiding the injury on the back of her head and letting her rest on her side. “Mengmeng is asleep. You should sleep, too.”

“I’ve slept the whole day.” Ming Nuo had been in bed ever since she woke up.

Ning Xueqing sat in the chair by the bed and tucked her in. “You still need rest. Close your eyes and calm your mind.”

Ming Nuo closed her eyes, but her thoughts drifted. One moment she was back at the dangerous scene of the flash flood, the next she was seeing Ning Xueqing’s tearful eyes outside the operating room. What made her most nervous was when the doctor said the child needed blood. She had rushed forward to offer her own, but Ning Xueqing had yanked her back with such force.

That split-second reaction was so resolute—it was as if Ning Xueqing was unwilling to let her give blood to Mengmeng.

Ming Nuo called out softly with her eyes closed, “Xueqing?”

A response came quickly: “What is it? Does your head hurt?”

“No. I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Were you… unwilling to let me give blood to Mengmeng?”

Ning Xueqing, who had just laid down on the small guest bed, paused. “Yes,” she murmured. “I was unwilling.”

Ming Nuo opened her eyes, looking at the silhouette of Ning Xueqing in the faint night light. “Why?”

Ning Xueqing: “Because you were injured. You were hurt protecting Mengmeng. I didn’t want you to harm your body further because of her.”

Ming Nuo: “?”

But Mengmeng was Ning Xueqing’s own flesh and blood. The way Ning Xueqing said it made it sound as if Ming Nuo was more important than her own daughter.

Ning Xueqing also realized the statement sounded a bit irrational and explained: “What I mean is, I felt very guilty.”

“Ming Nuo, the flood was an accident. It had nothing to do with you. You did everything in your power to protect the children. Mengmeng is my daughter; protecting her health and safety is my duty. As a mother, the responsibility lies with me. Yet you were hurt because of my child, so I felt immense guilt.”

“Mengmeng doesn’t have a rare blood type. The blood bank usually has matching bags for her, and it’s easy to find donors. I couldn’t let you give blood while you were already injured.”

This time, Ming Nuo fully understood Ning Xueqing’s meaning and her perspective. Stripping away her own feelings and looking at it as an outsider, Ning Xueqing’s logic was indeed correct. If Ming Nuo had a child and a friend got hurt saving them, she wouldn’t want that friend to donate blood if other sources were easily available.

Ming Nuo suddenly realized something—so Chi Shu’s benefactor was there because she was concerned about Little Pea’s injuries? Bringing her new lover along to handle family matters… it seemed this benefactor was serious about Qiao Jing.

After three days in the hospital, during which Ming Nuo had her dressings changed several times and underwent a systematic full-body checkup, she was cleared for discharge. Mengmeng and Ming Nuo were discharged at the same time, though Little Pea’s condition was more serious, requiring her to stay a few days longer.

Because of the guests’ injuries, the filming schedule was delayed. The director changed the original itinerary, leaving the Yao Chi Pasture early. To make up for the missing footage, the crew selected a tourist spot on the return route for two days of filming.

As June began, the Kurto Valley was filled with the unique fragrance of lavender; the hills and fields were covered in a purple mist of flowers. The crew arrived at the lavender valley and boarded a sightseeing shuttle, driving slowly along a river lined with blooms.

“This is the Kurto Lavender Plantation, the final stop of our Xixue Plateau journey.”

“Do you see the windmills and hot air balloons ahead? We will stay in an inn amidst the sea of flowers for two days and one night, feeling the healing power of this purple ocean.”

During the day, the crew arranged for the guests to pick flowers and ride in hot air balloons. In the evening, there was a lavender essential oil spa. For the spa, the Alphas and Omegas were separated, and the four children were in a separate group.

Ming Nuo was next to Chi Shu. After the massage, she whispered, “Have you been okay these past few days?”

Chi Shu was nearly asleep on the spa table. The dark circles under her eyes were severe, and her voice was exhausted. “Huh? I… guess.”

“Guess?”

Chi Shu sighed. “I’m still alive.”

Still alive counts as okay. Classic Chi Shu.

Ming Nuo patted her back to encourage her. “How is Little Pea’s recovery?”

Chi Shu replied weakly, “Pretty good. Ji Lang bought her a lot of children’s health products—both for eating and for use.”

“Ji Lang is very good to you.”

Chi Shu’s eyes snapped open. “Her? She’s good to Dou-dou.”

“She’s good to Dou-dou, and she slapped those people for you?”

Chi Shu’s eyes widened. She whispered, “You heard that night?”

Ming Nuo hadn’t heard, but she couldn’t say it was Ning Xueqing who told her. “My room was right by the fire escape.”

Chi Shu ran a hand through her hair. “Sigh. It wasn’t for me, and it wasn’t for Dou-dou… anyway, she was just dispensing justice.”

She couldn’t say that Qiao Jing was Ji Lang’s ex-girlfriend. After all, Ji Lang and Qiao Jing had kept their relationship a secret; if Ji Lang hadn’t refused to go public, Qiao Jing might not have cheated with Leng Ling.

Little Pea had been so seriously injured, yet her biological mother hadn’t even come to take a look. In this regard, she and Mengmeng shared a similar plight. Chi Shu had watched Leng Ling get pregnant; she had donated blood to Leng Ling during her difficult labor and accompanied Little Pea through her birth and growth. Yet, she didn’t know who Little Pea’s other parent was. As an Alpha kept by Leng Ling, her job was to keep her mouth shut and do her work for the money.

Over with the children, after their aromatherapy massage, they were guided by a therapist to make dried flower sachets. Mengmeng loved crafts and made a soothing sachet each for her Mommy, her Grandma, and her Nuo Nuo Mammy.

Seeing that her friends were still on their first sachet and there were plenty of materials left, she thought for a bit and made a fourth one.

The eight guests gathered to join the children. One by one, the kids gave their finished sachets to their mammies and mamas. Nora and Pineapple Cake each made two, one for each parent. Little Pea made two as well, giving one to Ji Lang.

Chi Shu picked up the remaining one. “Thank you, baby.”

Little Pea took it back. “This one is for Mommy!”

Chi Shu froze, her eyes dimming. “Okay. For Mommy.”

On the day she came to the hospital, Leng Ling had scolded Chi Shu mercilessly but never once stepped into the ward. It was actually Qiao Jing who had looked in on the child from outside the door and brought some nutritional products.

Ji Lang saw Chi Shu’s expression. She stuffed the sachet into Chi Shu’s hand and said to Little Pea, “Dou-dou, Mammy is the person who loves you most. You should give the sachet to her.”

Little Pea blinked, pouting. “But Mammy isn’t as good to me as Mommy and you are.”

Ji Lang knelt down and asked, “How is Mammy not good?”

Little Pea thought hard but couldn’t really say why. “Anyway, she’s just not as good as Mommy and you.”

Ji Lang held her small hand. “But every time you’re scared or sad, the first person you want to find is Mammy, isn’t it?”

Little Pea nodded.

Ji Lang: “So Dou-dou, you feel that Mommy and I are good to you because Mammy has provided you with total protection. The person who is best to you is always the one who gives you safety and warmth, not the one who just gives you toys and snacks. Give this sachet to Mammy, okay?”

“Mm…” Little Pea stole a glance at Chi Shu. It was unclear if she actually understood Ji Lang’s words or not.

Chi Shu’s lips moved. “Never mind, she’s still small…”

“Take it!” Ji Lang glared at her, and Chi Shu obediently gripped the sachet tight.

On the other side, Mengmeng proudly displayed her sachets. She had made the most, and they were the prettiest. “This is for Mommy, this is for Nuo Nuo Mammy, and this one is going home for Grandma!”

Ning Xueqing smiled and rubbed the top of Mengmeng’s head, pointing to the last one on the table. “And that one?”

Mengmeng looked at the sachet, a hint of loss in her young eyes. “This one was for Mammy.”

Ming Nuo looked up. Her heart felt as if a blade of grass had caught in it—not painful, but uncomfortable and lingering.

“But it’s not needed!” Mengmeng picked up the sachet, walked to Ming Nuo, and held it up high with both hands. “This is for Nuo Nuo Mammy, too!”

Pop.

It felt as if a colorful cloud had exploded before Ming Nuo’s eyes. Her mood felt like a sunny day after a rain—fresh and bright. “Thank you, baby.” Ming Nuo bent down to pick Mengmeng up, pressing her cheek against the girl’s.

Before leaving, Mengmeng asked the therapist if she could pack up the remaining materials to take home. As they were tidying up, the receptionist at the spa adjusted the TV, switching from music mode to the main menu. A smart menu was playing a “Trending News” push.

“Melon-Eating Brigade, Front Lines of Gossip! Welcome to Entertainment News… Latest leaks report that the ‘Miraculous Journey’ crew suffered an accident at Yao Chi Pasture. Music industry superstar Ming Nuo took children into the mountains on a stormy day and was hit by a flash flood. Strangely, Ming Nuo, an adult, was unharmed, while both children ended up in surgery—could the rumors that a certain famous singer sacrifices children for career luck be true?!”

The TV was immediately switched off.

Ming Nuo instinctively looked at Ning Xueqing beside her.