After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 324 This is Your Retribution

Chapter 324: Chapter 324 This is Your Retribution

The new semester officially began, and Ye Li found herself busier than ever.

During the day, she attended classes, and during her free hours, she visited the library to gather materials.

After early afternoon classes, she went straight to the studio to meet Wan Mingyi.

Many times, her stomach would growl before realizing that the skies outside had already turned dark.

Exchanging glances, sharing a knowing smile, the two would tidy up their work, head downstairs to grab a bite together, before one returned to the dorm while the other headed home.

There were less than two weeks left before the start of the "Shining with You" competition.

Up in the Fu Family’s top-floor office, Fu Yanci was in high spirits.

Even though it was just a single line in the WeChat chat box, he could vividly picture the girl’s coquettish and playful demeanor, her eyes curving with mischief. Looking at the sunset outside the window again, Fu Yanci thought it gleamed more brilliantly than it had in recent days.

The phone rang, and Fu Yanci answered it casually.

On the other end was Xiao Bao’s kindergarten homeroom teacher, Teacher Tingting. "Hello, Mr. Fu. A woman claiming to be Mu Zhi’s mother has requested to pick him up."

"Did you let her?"

His smile disappeared completely, and Fu Yanci asked coldly.

"No, no..."

As if frightened by the icy tone emanating from the phone, Teacher Tingting hurriedly explained, "The kindergarten has a strict record of designated pickup personnel, and this woman is not on the list. We would never allow her to take Mu Zhi away. I’m just reporting the issue to you."

Fu Yanci breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you! I’m on my way now!"

Borui International Kindergarten was the best private kindergarten in the eastern part of the city. Besides top-notch facilities and services, it boasted the most advanced security system. Many celebrities living in the Imperial City sent their children there.

By the time Fu Yanci arrived, Xiao Bao had already been picked up by the old butler and the driver and returned home.

In the meeting room, the kindergarten principal and teachers responsible for Xiao Bao were all present.

Teacher Tingting pulled up the surveillance footage and pointed at the woman on the screen. "That’s her. She’s been here several times already. The first two times, security checked the pickup list and found she wasn’t on it, so she was directly refused. Today she came again, and security reported it to the principal."

Lin Kerou.

Upon confirming his suspicion, Fu Yanci stood up and left, only instructing the kindergarten staff that no one other than the old butler or himself could take Xiao Bao away.

Walking out of the kindergarten and into the car, Fu Yanci dialed Lin Kerou’s number, his face dark and stormy.

"Yanci..."

The phone connected after just one ring. Lin Kerou’s voice was hoarse and sorrowful, as though she’d been crying for a long time. "Yanci, I know you’d only stop hating me if I died. But, Yanci, I’m Xiao Bao’s mother. Please, I’m begging you, just let me see him once. Is that okay?"

"You’re wrong! Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me! When you took Xiao Bao away all those years ago, I warned you that you’d pay for what you did. Today, this is your karma!"

"But I’m still his mother!!!"

Lin Kerou became agitated. "The diagnosis report, the emails—I sent them to you! When I was pregnant, Fu Mingzhen died. After I gave birth, every single one of you wanted to take him away from me. Fu Yanci, you’re a man—you could never understand the madness that consumes a woman suffering from postpartum depression..."

"Fu Yanci!"

Lin Kerou took a deep breath. "Ten months of pregnancy, one moment of childbirth—you can never fathom the complex emotions of a mother who clings to the hope of a new life amidst boundless grief. You’re not a woman—you don’t understand! But back then, what did I even do wrong? He is flesh of my flesh. Even if I made mistakes, Fu Yanci, did you sentence me to death on his behalf, denying me even a chance to make amends?"

"Yanci, just give me one chance—a chance to make it up to Xiao Bao. Is that okay?"

Lin Kerou’s voice sounded drained.

Raising his eyes to the horizon, the last blush of orange sank below the skyline, and the world seemed to plunge into instant darkness.

Fu Yanci was silent for a moment before hanging up the phone directly.

The Maybach pulled into the old estate, and as Fu Yanci entered through the courtyard gate, crisp voices and gleeful laughter floated his way from the distant living room.

Stopping in his tracks, the gloom on Fu Yanci’s face began to fade bit by bit.

He lifted the curtain to enter, catching sight of Old Mrs. Fu sitting on the sofa, her smiling eyes nearly squinting shut, flanked by Ye Li and Xiao Bao on either side.

Grandmother held a booklet in her hands, wearing her reading glasses.

Ye Li was narrating animatedly, while Xiao Bao grinned brightly, his eyes curved like crescent moons.

Hearing the sound, the three of them looked up.

Old Mrs. Fu smiled, "Dinner time, dinner time..."

Ye Li also grinned. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Fu!"

Xiao Bao pressed his lips together and snapped the booklet shut with a clap, hiding it behind him as if it were a secret shared among the three.

The last bit of anger in Fu Yanci dissipated entirely.

In this vast world, the people he cared about were right in front of him.

After dinner.

He took a walk with his grandmother.

And also helped Xiao Bao complete a kindergarten craft project.

After saying goodnight, as Fu Yanci was about to leave, the little boy came running out of the bathroom with tiny footsteps. He pulled a picture book off the bookshelf, stuffed it into Fu Yanci’s arms, and ran off without looking back.

His actions seemed to carry a hint of embarrassment.

Turning back, he met Ye Li’s gaze—a mixture of anticipation and curiosity—and her gentle smile.

"Goodnight!"

He called out aloud, then closed the door behind him, leading Ye Li to sit on the long bench beneath the veranda.

The picture book from the kindergarten.

Despite attending just one week of classes, flipping through the book revealed everything Xiao Bao had learned that week.

As soon as he opened the book, Fu Yanci’s brows furrowed deeply.

Wobbly English letters ABC.

And scribbled math equations like 3+5=8.

Flipping further, the furrow between his brows gradually relaxed.

Xiao Bao could recite the multiplication table and understand the English version of Peppa Pig. These basic English letters and single-digit arithmetic were practically child’s play for him.

Still, whether it was because he wanted to fit in or avoid standing out, the letters and numbers he had put down on paper reflected the expected abilities of a five-year-old.

"He said he sneakily glanced at that little girl next to him and copied it. Amazing, isn’t he? Tsk tsk tsk... So young and already copying homework! Truly a genius!"

Ye Li complimented him with a face full of admiration.

"..."

Fu Yanci chuckled, "Ah Li, isn’t your filter a bit too thick?"

"Of course! It’s our own child—born with the family filter naturally attached, isn’t he?"

Ye Li replied without hesitation, nudging his arm as she urged him, "Keep flipping; the exciting stuff is at the back."

Flipping further revealed several drawings.

There were blue skies, white clouds, and flowers.

As well as Ultraman.

The last was seemingly based on a prompt from the teacher.

A happy family.

A Ferris wheel, carousel, a man and woman holding his hand.

Anyone who saw this would believe it depicted a family of three.

But in an instant, Fu Yanci recognized that Xiao Bao had drawn him and Ye Li, with the little figure in the middle being himself.

He stared at the drawing for a long time, before turning his gaze to Ye Li, who was always watching him with warm, smiling eyes. After a moment of silence, a decision seemed to crystallize within him.

"Yanci..."

He made a phone call, and when the voice on the other side answered, Fu Yanci spoke gravely, "Didn’t you say you wanted me to give you a chance? Fine, I’ll give you that chance."

"Tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, the private room on the second floor of the teahouse at the alley entrance."