Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me
Chapter 117 : The Benefit Of The Doubt

Chapter 117: Chapter 117 : The Benefit Of The Doubt

"Mom..."

Shen Dou Dou had also began to cry.

Shen Jingwei passed both women some napkins to wipe their tears with.

Mother Shen dabbed tears off the ends of her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Jingwei, your father was a stubborn, stubborn man who refused to see you again and again. But you should know that he loved you, and toward the end of his life, he... I think he did change his mind about you and Little Yan."

It was all nice to hear, but Shen Jingwei remained skeptical.

Even until now, he still recalled the time his father kicked him out of the house.

"You are not my son," his father had said that time with eyes bulging from fury and voice breaking from utter disappointment. "I do not have a son."

Even the sting of his father’s slap across his cheek still stung until now.

That stubborn father of his, he would never change his mind.

Never.

Seeing the skepticism in her son’s eyes, Mother Shen took Shen Jingwei’s hand and clasped it in hers.

"Jingwei, your father and I are by no means perfect. Our beliefs are rooted in traditional values. Values that may or may not survive in the ever-changing society. But you should know that we always pray for your happiness.

So if you and Little Yan still have deep feelings for each other..."

"Mom."

That was too much.

Shen Jingwei squeezed at his mother’s hand. He shook his head with determination.

"Not now."

It was the latest thing on his mind.

The flood of information entering his brain just now was overwhelming enough. It was both hard to digest and painful.

"It’s alright." Mother Shen nodded in understanding. "Mom knows."

Shen Jingwei rubbed at the aching spot between his brows.

Mother Shen took a sip from her tea.

Yan Renzhong remained as quiet as a statue.

Unable to withstand the tension without stuffing herself, Shen Dou Dou began stealing cake from her brother’s plate.

"Well then," Shen Jingwei slowly said after removing his hand from his brows. "So what’s the deal with Song Zhuguan, who called himself your father?"

Everyone stared at Yan Renzhong, eager to know the answer.

"You told me that your father passed away many years ago," Shen Jingwei remarked.

"Correct," Yan Renzhong confirmed. "Song Zhuguan was my mother’s second husband."

"Let me guess, he does not happen to share the same surname with Song Xiaoling and Song Yaya through pure coincidence."

The names of two new people had just entered the pool of information.

Mother Shen and Shen Dou Dou regarded Shen Jingwei with a puzzled expression, but their curiosity was not sufficiently strong to warrant an interruption.

"Song Xiaoling is the daughter Song Zhuguan brought when he married my mother," Yan Renzhong explained. "She is my stepsister."

Shen Jingwei arched his brow at Yan Renzhong and clicked with his tongue in mock astonishment.

"And the two of you ended up dating each other and giving birth to a cute little daughter five years ago. How romantic."

At this juncture, both women’s curiosity reached a boiling point, spilling over like a pot of boiling milk.

While Mother Shen still had some self-restraint left within her, Shen Dou Dou shot to her feet like a bullet out of a gun.

"Big Brother, do I have a little stepniece I know nothing about? How come you didn’t tell me any of this before?"

"..."

Shen Jingwei glared at Shen Dou Dou.

What stepniece?

When did he and Yan Renzhong get married?

Heck, they were not even dating!

They were ex-es! Ex-es!

Yan Renzhong’s face hardened like stone, his lips forming a grim line as he assumed a defensive stance.

Shen Jingwei knew this attitude of his very well. Yan Renzhong always put on such a reluctant expression when being forced to do something he did not want to do.

For example that time when Shen Jingwei wanted him to taste spicy stir-fried snails, a delicacy of his hometown.

Shen Jingwei tapped at his cheek in contemplation, wondering about the reason for this behavior.

He did not have any reservation speaking about his misdeeds three years ago in front of Lang Yuxuan and Feng Jietang. Why not do the same in front of Shen Jingwei’s mother and sister?

Mother Shen cleared her throat.

"Dou Dou, clear the table," she instructed, upon which Shen Dou Dou, sensible as she was, gaped at her in utter bewilderment.

"But Mom!" She wailed. "I want to listen... Oh..."

When the realization dawned on her, Shen Dou Dou bit into her lower lip. She quietly gathered dirty cups and plates before marching off to the kitchen.

"Jingwei, Little Yan, there must be a lot to talk about between the two of you. Auntie needs to go buy some groceries anyway. Take your time."

Yan Renzhong responded with a slight nod.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Jingwei made a pitiful face at his mother, who squeezed his shoulder and said, "Little Yan must be tired after a long trip from the city. Jingwei, be nice and show him our guest room later, hm?"

The following reaction was huge.

"But Mom...!"

"Auntie, there is no need," Yan Renzhong quickly interrupted. "I will go back with my stepfather today...!"

"Nonsense," Mother Shen dismissed the young men’s objections with a casual hand wave. "You are our guest. Don’t expect to leave tonight."

"..."

For some reason, that sounded more like a threat than a friendly invitation to spend the night.

Mother Shen left the house after a while, dragging her unwilling daughter away with her.

Shen Jingwei and Yan Renzhong were left alone to address their differences and resolve any misunderstandings, if any.

"There are only the two of us here," Shen Jingwei muttered. "No camera, no Feng Jietang, no Lang Yuxuan. Didn’t you promise to tell me the details from three years ago? Had Feng Jietang not discovered Song Yaya and Song Xiaoling’s existence beforehand, would you have spun a different story?"

Yan Renzhong chuckled.

"What’s the point of telling you now? Would you even believe me?"

Shen Jingwei crossed one of his legs above the other, leaned back in his seat, and folded his hands across his lap.

He pinned the man opposite him with a piercing stare.

"If you promise to open up, I promise to give you the benefit of the doubt."

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Author’s note :

Author : What about a plot twist? Maybe Shen Shen gave birth to Song Yaya but forgot all about it due to the online scandal?

Shen Jingwei : I. Cannot. Give. Birth.

Author : Oh. Right. My mistake

Shen Jingwei : (⁠ノ⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

Thanks to my loyal readers’ support, this novel won the third prize in CQ contest!!

As promised, five bonus Chapters will be delivered on 1st October (⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠).