Mr.CEO, Please Sign the Divorce Agreement
Chapter 635: Mom

Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Mom

Qin Nianwan didn’t reply to Fu Shinian’s message not because she didn’t see it, but because she didn’t want to reply. She never planned to bring Qiqi over; in fact, she never intended for this child to live.

After reading Fu Shinian’s message, Qin Nianwan took the SIM card out of her phone and threw it directly into the fireplace, watching a wisp of black smoke rise and then dissipate. She was dazed for a long time, only snapping back when Han Lu walked in.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes." Han Lu responded, casually tossing a remote control to her: "Once you press this, even a dinosaur would be blown to smithereens."

Qin Nianwan took the remote control without speaking further.

Han Lu squatted by the fireplace, warming her hands, and reminded Qin Nianwan:

"We agreed beforehand, the money is mine, and by then it’s just between you and Fu Shinian. I kidnapped this child for money, not to take a life."

"You talk too much."

Han Lu looked at her, stayed silent for a few seconds:

"Are you taking this child over the day after tomorrow?"

"What for?"

"Then what are you going to do with this child?"

Qin Nianwan said nothing. Two days ago, she lost control of her temper again and abused Qiqi; it seemed to be the most serious incident, causing Qiqi to develop a fever and remain unconscious, with a wound on her head from being violently thrown against a wall.

After regaining her senses, Qin Nianwan treated the wound and gave medication, but it didn’t seem effective. If it continued, the child probably wouldn’t survive.

Originally, Qin Nianwan didn’t intend for her to survive, planning to kill Qiqi before leaving. But now, it seemed it might not require her effort.

"Won’t survive whether I do it or not."

Han Lu chuckled:

"You are truly ruthless."

"Ruthless?" Qin Nianwan looked at Han Lu: "More ruthless than you? Were you not ruthless when you sent Xuanxuan to the orphanage? You can sympathize with this child with no blood relation, but what about Xuanxuan? She was your blood relative."

Han Lu looked at Qin Nianwan:

"Don’t talk to me about that. You know my situation back then. If I had kept Xuanxuan with me, she might have died even quicker. You think I’m ruthless? I won’t deny it. But you shouldn’t deny it either; you’re truly the most ruthless person I’ve ever met. I might have abandoned Xuanxuan, but I didn’t hit or scold her. Look at this child in front of you, unrecognizable. Haven’t you thought of Xuanxuan when you see her? What if she were your child..."

"Shut up!" Qin Nianwan stood up from the chair, glaring at Han Lu through gritted teeth: "It’s because I miss Xuanxuan so much that I hate this child. Why did she get to grow up happily, while mine had to die prematurely."

"It’s all because of Su Mu. If Su Mu hadn’t interfered, I would have married Fu Shinian, and we would have been happy together. Xuanxuan would have been our child, and if everything had gone that way, Xuanxuan wouldn’t have died. All the love this child received should have been Xuanxuan’s."

This reasoning left Han Lu slightly astonished but knowing that Qin Nianwan’s mental state wasn’t quite normal, she didn’t say anything further, just smiled slightly.

Han Lu left the next morning. Although everything was prepared over at Deep Harbor, someone still needed to keep watch. Even though it was an abandoned dock, that didn’t mean nobody went there. If someone accidentally stumbled upon it, they might be able to flee early.

After Han Lu left, Qin Nianwan tidied up the stone cave, burning anything that could serve as evidence in the fireplace. She had found this place by chance, overhearing local villagers mention a cellar dug by a group of people stranded by a snowstorm years ago.

Having been abandoned for years, the entrance was almost sealed. Qin Nianwan found it after a long search, as such a hidden place was perfect for them to hide.

After handling everything, Qin Nianwan turned her attention to Qiqi. She was still asleep, her tiny face furrowed with unease. She sat quietly at the bedside for a few seconds before stepping over, feeling pity for Qiqi.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Xuanxuan, in her last sick days, was laying alone in bed like Qiqi, unnoticed.

But the pity didn’t last long. Whenever she thought of this child as Su Mu and Fu Shinian’s, the hatred surged again. She went to the wooden table, picked up a fruit knife, and walked back. She did tell Han Lu that Qiqi might die without her intervention.

But that was just a possibility. It felt more satisfying and straightforward to do it herself, leaving no room for remnant feelings.

From the very beginning, she never intended for this child to return alive. Whether it was revenge or venting anger, this child was not meant to live in her eyes and had to die. So, as she raised the fruit knife, there was no hesitation.

She already had many lives on her hands and didn’t mind adding Qiqi to the count.

However, before the knife could come down, the groggy Qiqi moved slightly. She wasn’t awake, just restless in sleep, her wounds hurting, and chased by monsters in her dreams. She desperately wanted to wake but couldn’t open her eyes. Feeling someone beside her, perhaps too desperate or genuinely out of consciousness, she almost forgot her dire situation.

Qiqi reached out instinctively, grabbing Qin Nianwan’s sleeve, murmuring:

"Mom..."

Qin Nianwan froze.

While she was doubting what she heard, Qiqi murmured again, saying, "Mom..."

How long had it been?

Since she last heard such a call? The child who clung to her, calling her ’mom,’ had long turned to dust. She had almost forgotten her identity as a mother. Yet now, from an enemy’s child, she heard this title again.

Though Qiqi wasn’t calling her, she was grabbing her sleeve tightly. At that moment, in Qiqi’s mind, she was her mother. Otherwise, she wouldn’t cling to her like a lifeline.

Qin Nianwan couldn’t help but soften.

Even knowing this wasn’t Xuanxuan, not her child, that single word ’mom’ awakened the scant warmth and kindness in her heart.

No one is born evil; if Qin Nianwan’s life had been smoother, maybe she’d live as cleanly as Su Mu. But she went through too much, needing to mask herself with cruelty and malice to survive. Without it, she might have been erased from this world long ago, forgotten by everyone.

The fruit knife still hung in the air in Qin Nianwan’s hand, but she knew she couldn’t bring it down now. Qiqi kept murmuring ’mom...’ and as Qin Nianwan listened, she lowered the knife, stared at Qiqi for a while, smiled slightly:

"Perhaps your fate is truly meant to survive."

She gently caressed Qiqi’s face, whispering:

"I won’t kill you, but I won’t spare you either. Live or die, it’s your fate to decide..."

——

Fu Shinian woke up early today. Su Mu was still asleep when he got up, not completely peacefully, but her breathing was steady. He watched her for a while, then went to the study, used another phone he’d prepared to send a message to Su Mu’s number, repeating Qin Nianwan’s previous message word for word.

With a day’s delay, the message introduced a time discrepancy. Qin Nianwan’s designated time was tomorrow, but when Su Mu received the message, she thought it was the day after.

A day was enough.

Just as Fu Shinian finished putting away the phone, Su Mu opened the study door, looking panicked yet calm. Fu Shinian walked over, standing in front of her:

"Any news?"

Su Mu seemed to just regain her composure, nodded, and showed her phone to Fu Shinian:

"I just got a message, telling me to go to Deep Harbor dock the day after tomorrow."

Fu Shinian took the phone, glanced at it without speaking, yet the silence unsettled Su Mu. She almost immediately grabbed his sleeve, nearly pleading:

"Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind and won’t let me go, Shinian; you can’t do this. I can’t wait any longer; I’ll go insane. I’ve tried so hard to stay calm, to get better, just for this day, to bring Qiqi back, you can’t..."

"I won’t." Fu Shinian interrupted her panic: "I can’t deny you, knowing how cruel it would be for you if I did. So, I won’t."

Su Mu smiled:

"That’s good, I’ll be very careful, don’t worry."

Fu Shinian nodded:

"I trust you, even for Qiqi’s sake."

Mentioning Qiqi, thinking of seeing the child missing from her life for over a month made Su Mu smile as if Qiqi were right before her. Fu Shinian watched her for a few seconds, then smiled, leading her from the study to the main bedroom.

Su Mu thought of something, softly reminding Fu Shinian:

"I’ll go myself, but when I leave, have Qiao Yu come over. Although Xiaobei can handle things, it’s not convenient since she’s pregnant. Qiqi’s wounds need attention; have Qiao Yu wait at home to check Qiqi when I bring her back."

Fu Shinian said: "Okay."

Jiang Bei mentioned that Su Mu seemed particularly tense today; Fu Shinian just smiled, saying nothing.

She wasn’t tense—perhaps she was—but more so eager and expectant to see Qiqi the day after tomorrow. She seemed to subconsciously ignore any potential tragedies, having idealistic thoughts.

Though unrealistic, Fu Shinian saw no harm in it, allowing her optimism, for the one going to Deep Harbor wasn’t Su Mu.

In this last day, letting Su Mu be a bit happier wasn’t a bad thing.

That day, Fu Shinian stayed home with Su Mu, cooking her meals, napping with her in the afternoon, and walking with her outside the villa after waking. Although Su Mu’s mind wasn’t fully engaged, she cooperated, slowly realizing that not everything might go as she hoped.

At night, Su Mu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When Fu Shinian came out of the shower, he saw her restless, silently watching her for a while before sitting by her side.

"What’s wrong?"

Su Mu stopped moving, lying flat, looking up at Fu Shinian without blinking, staying silent for a long time, while Fu Shinian patiently held her hand, softly stroking it.

Later, Su Mu sat up, embracing Fu Shinian’s neck, her breath on his neck tickling him, whispering:

"Shinian, I’m scared."

Fu Shinian gently patted her back, comforting her like a child:

"Scared of what?"

"Scared of the day after tomorrow."

"Haven’t you prepared for it?"

Su Mu nodded against his shoulder: "I have, but I’m still scared—scared I won’t bring Qiqi back, that I won’t return, that you couldn’t bear losing me. I’m also worried..."

Before Su Mu could finish, Fu Shinian stopped patting her back and instead hugged her tightly, silencing her:

"Don’t talk nonsense."

"I don’t want to say this." Su Mu left his embrace: "But nothing is absolute. What if what I fear becomes reality? So, I want to hold you now, talk to you..."

Fu Shinian watched her, then sighed after a few seconds:

"Susu, I admit what you said is possible, but I don’t think I’ll be that unlucky. Fate let me meet you, lose you, and now in my arms is a regained treasure—Heaven’s grace won’t let me lose you again, it’s not idle enough to keep adding drama."

Su Mu smiled slightly:

"Is this to comfort me?"

"No, just stating a fact. We’ve endured so much; even Heaven might be tired of us. This is the last ordeal; you will return, Qiqi will return, and we’ll be reunited. Don’t forget, our marriage certificate still awaits us."