After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 316: That Wicked Woman

Chapter 316: Chapter 316: That Wicked Woman

"Yanci, Xiao Bao’s birthday is coming soon..."

The woman standing in front of the car wore a white Chanel suit, her chestnut-colored long hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, and she held an H-brand platinum handbag.

Her demeanor and outfit displayed her refined elegance and poise.

Her gaze toward Fu Yanci was tender and soft.

Fu Yanci’s face darkened, his cold and stern tone carried obvious anger, "Lin Kerou, what does Xiao Bao have to do with you? Who gave you the audacity to come back on your own? I’ll give you 24 hours to leave the Imperial City, or else..."

"Yanci!"

Lin Kerou’s eyes welled up with tears, "I know, everything that happened back then was my fault. But I explained it to you in an email later, didn’t I? Why don’t you believe me?"

Her gaze slid toward Ye Li, who was sitting in the passenger seat, staring at her but refusing to leave the car.

Lin Kerou asked softly, "Is it because of her?"

Fu Yanci frowned, "If you’re sick, could you please go home and take your medicine on time?"

After saying that, as if even one extra glance at her was irritating, Fu Yanci walked from the rear of the car to the passenger side and opened the car door, "Ah Li, let’s go home!"

"Okay."

A second ago, Ye Li had thought this was another of Fu Yanci’s romantic entanglements.

But the mention of Xiao Bao clarified everything for Ye Li.

She was Xiao Bao’s mother.

Looking again at Lin Kerou, who appeared gracefully gentle and elegant, Ye Li felt no semblance of affection.

Just based on what she had done to Xiao Bao.

And her actions of giving birth but not raising her child, equivalent to abandonment.

Ye Li’s first impression of Lin Kerou was already a negative score.

Not wanting anything to do with her, Ye Li held onto Fu Yanci’s arm, and the two walked straight past Lin Kerou into the mansion.

From the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see Lin Kerou getting into her car, but the car remained parked in front of the mansion for a long time, refusing to leave.

"Why are you looking at her?"

The annoyance in the man’s voice was palpable. Ye Li turned away and couldn’t help but sigh, "The day after tomorrow is Xiao Bao’s birthday, so she really might have come back for him, right?"

Fu Yanci’s expression remained cold, "As long as I don’t agree, even if she turns into a statue standing at the old mansion’s gate, I won’t let her see Xiao Bao."

"Then... won’t she resort to something extreme?"

Ye Li asked with a hint of concern.

Fu Yanci paused.

Though he had made an agreement with Lin Kerou back then that after giving birth the child would have nothing to do with her, she’d receive the compensation from the Fu Family and was free to live wherever she wanted—even in the Imperial City—and the Fu Family wouldn’t trouble her.

But after giving birth, whether it stemmed from a softer maternal instinct upon seeing the baby, or something else entirely, Lin Kerou had left her name on Xiao Bao’s birth certificate.

If Lin Kerou decided to fight in court, she could leverage that birth certificate to significant effect.

Uncle Fu had influence and power, and naturally could suppress the matter with astonishing efficiency.

But if even the slightest detail leaked, the consequences would be unpredictable.

She had once been cruel enough to harm her own child. If Lin Kerou truly went mad, what other crazed acts might she commit?

He instructed Xiang Yang to arrange surveillance on Lin Kerou, ensuring she couldn’t step one foot near the old mansion.

Then he called Old Mrs. Fu to explain the situation.

From beginning to end, Fu Yanci never intended for Xiao Bao to meet Lin Kerou.

Bathing.

Sleeping.

Usually, the girl who, when lucid, wanted to curl herself into a corner of the bed, suddenly behaved exceptionally obediently tonight, even hugging him tightly.

Little by little, Fu Yanci’s foul mood dissipated, "Ah Li, are you pitying me?"

Rather than saying Fu Yanci was protecting Xiao Bao,

it was more accurate to say he was also protecting the young boy inside himself.

After all, those who had never experienced parental love were not just Xiao Bao, but Fu Yanci too.

Ye Li refused to admit it, even though her thoughts had been seen through.

"Where would such a thing come from?"

Not realizing that her guilty conscience made her voice inadvertently louder, Ye Li held onto Fu Yanci tightly, "I just want to hug you. I’m hugging my own husband, is that a problem?"

"No problem."

Fu Yanci’s voice carried a hint of amusement.

He reached out and drew Ye Li into his embrace, letting out a sigh, "In the first few days after Xiao Bao was brought home, he clung to me like a koala bear, didn’t get off of me for two whole days. I had to hold him while eating and even when using the bathroom..."

Before Fu Yanci appeared, Xiao Bao had been locked in that cage for who knew how many days.

The little fellow was so skinny you could see his bones, his unusually large eyes standing out.

When Fu Yanci took him out of that cage, like a fledgling, Xiao Bao latched onto him as if recognizing only him.

Old Mrs. Fu showed kindness.

The servants in the house were gentle.

But Xiao Bao seemed distrustful of everyone, screaming loudly when he couldn’t see Fu Yanci and banging his head against the wall.

Listening to Fu Yanci recounting these details, Ye Li’s tears spilled over, "So, what happened after that?"

"Fortunately, it was just after the new year, and work at the company was minimal, so I worked from the old mansion..."

Fu Yanci explained in a deep voice, "During meetings, he’d sit next to the desk building blocks, without fuss, without a sound. If I poured him water, he’d take a sip; if I didn’t pour, he’d go thirsty the entire day—same with his meals."

As if recalling those days, Fu Yanci lowered his head and kissed Ye Li’s forehead, "Grandmother always said that children are the most innocent yet perceptive—they can tell who truly cares for them and who doesn’t. Ah Li, over these years, you’re the only person who truly entered his heart."

Fu Yanci admitted he didn’t have much patience with children.

As a result, all the children in the Fu Family—whether they were noisy and mischievous outside—acted like mice before a cat in front of him, addressing him as "older brother" or "uncle" before quickly scampering away.

With Xiao Bao, he considered himself diligent.

But Xiao Bao’s feelings for him only amounted to trust and reliance.

As for surprises like the one Xiao Bao had planned for Ye Li recently, Fu Yanci hadn’t received such treatment over the past three years.

Although the surprise hadn’t succeeded, everyone in the Fu Family knew that Ye Li was special to Xiao Bao.

Not just his grandmother, even Fu Yanci hoped Xiao Bao could speak soon, like a normal child.

If anyone in this world could achieve that, it had to be Ye Li.

But fearing he might heighten the girl’s pressure, Fu Yanci ultimately chose not to voice his unspoken hopes.

"Fu Yanci, are you busy tomorrow?"

Although they had been discussing Xiao Bao, her question shifted the topic to his work out of the blue.

Uncertain about her intentions, Fu Yanci shook his head, "Not busy. Why do you ask?"

"Then let’s take Xiao Bao on a spontaneous trip and celebrate a creative birthday for him."

Ye Li’s eyes sparkled, "This way, no need for bodyguards to be on high alert 24/7, Grandmother and the head steward won’t have to constantly worry about watching him either."

"As for that wicked woman..."

For the first time, openly disliking someone, Ye Li wrinkled her nose, "Whether she came with schemes or with genuine openness, she’ll leave empty-handed, an utter waste!"

Ever since the moment he saw Lin Kerou, Fu Yanci’s bad mood had been lingering. But Ye Li’s shimmering eyes and her sudden plan swept all his anger away completely.

Fu Yanci nodded, "Alright!"

As decided, they turned off the lights and went to bed.

As the first light of dawn appeared, the Maybach drove out of Lishan Mansion, out of the old mansion’s street, and out of Imperial City, heading toward the bright horizon.

In the rearview mirror, Fu Yanci watched as Xiao Bao, disheveled with bedhead, blinked more and more awake, his eyes widening in surprise until he jumped up and smacked his forehead on the roof before falling back onto the seat.

As his gaze shifted to Ye Li’s bright, grinning expression, the shadows in Fu Yanci’s heart faded.