The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 429 - 431. Anan can call mom now

Chapter 429: 431. Anan can call mom now

"Grandpa Shen, I’ve already started dealing with those news stories, they won’t affect Xiao Xuan’s and my marital relationship," said Hengyi.

"Mm, as long as you’re aware," replied Old Sir Shen.

"I say, Old Man Shen, when did you become such a nag? Han Yi is already a grown man, does he really need your constant reminders?" Old Sir Fu glared. "Focus on the game."

Han Yi chuckled, "Grandpa Fu, Grandpa Shen is just concerned about me, I understand."

"Old Man Shen is just becoming more meddlesome with age, not realizing that children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Let the young people figure things out on their own."

Old Sir Shen snorted coldly, "You’re only good at running your mouth. If Hengyi really encountered some trouble, I’d like to see if you wouldn’t care."

Old Sir Fu immediately closed his mouth. If something happened to his own grandson, he really wouldn’t be able to remain indifferent. His earlier words had been just a joke. Not to mention Fu Hengyi, even if Han Yi encountered problems, he couldn’t sit back and ignore them.

Han Yi watched the two old gentlemen play chess with a smile. The old masters often bickered as they played, a dynamic Han Yi had grown accustomed to and even yearned for in life.

Naturally, Yu Xiaoxuan and Han Yi stayed for dinner. After the meal, Han Yi took Yu Xiaoxuan back home.

Within two days, the top paparazzi in the entertainment circle exposed Tang Mina’s scandal, claiming multiple directors had taken advantage of her, with photos and videos as evidence, painting a vivid picture.

Since Xiao Xuan was involved, Shen Qinglan had been paying attention to the news these days, and naturally, she was the first to know. Checking the time, she called Yu Xiaoxuan.

Xiao Xuan was lying in bed like a corpse, "Qinglan."

"Xiao Xuan, did you supply those smoking guns against Tang Mina to someone online?" Shen Qinglan asked bluntly.

Xiao Xuan was taken aback for a moment before sitting up, "Qinglan, how do you know everything?"

"Is it hard to guess?" Shen Qinglan thought to herself. Xiao Xuan had told her a few days ago that she planned to strike back at Tang Mina, and now that such news broke out about Tang Mina, it couldn’t be anyone else but Xiao Xuan.

"Hehe, Qinglan, you’re so clever, indeed it was my doing. But I didn’t fabricate anything, what I gave out is all real. I spent a lot of money to buy these high-definition photos and videos from others. Before uploading them, I had someone photoshop them," Xiao Xuan confessed.

Shen Qinglan frowned, "Do they know you’re the buyer?"

"Of course not, I’m not that foolish. I went through a very roundabout way to purchase them, and the person who handled the transactions wasn’t me." From the time the news broke, she had been searching for this material. It was only yesterday that she managed to gather it all. However, what she didn’t expect was that Tang Mina had accumulated so much scandal in just two short years; even if she were dunked into bleach, she doubted the stains would come out.

Shen Qinglan, knowing that Xiao Xuan had covered her tracks, felt relieved, "That’s good, if you run into any trouble, tell me."

"Qinglan, why do you always treat me like the young Xiao Xuan?" Xiao Xuan pouted, a touch of sorrow flickering in the depth of her eyes. "Qinglan, I’m no longer that naive Xiao Xuan from before."

Despite Han Yi’s protection, his shield wasn’t all-encompassing, and Xiao Xuan had faced some issues over the past two years. She had dealt with them herself, making sure Han Yi wasn’t informed.

"I know, just remember to come to me if there are problems you can’t solve on your own," Shen Qinglan reminded.

"Mm, Qinglan, it’s so nice to have you," said Xiao Xuan, feeling emotional.

The corners of Shen Qinglan’s mouth lifted slightly, "Anan has woken up, I’ll go check on him. If you’re bored at home, have Han Yi bring you over."

"Don’t bother him to send, I’ll have the family driver take me, and you go check on my godson right away. I think I heard him crying."

Shen Qinglan heard it too but walked over unhurriedly. Indeed, Anan’s face didn’t have a single tear. He sat in his crib, clinging to the railing, and crying out loud without tears.

Seeing Shen Qinglan come over, he stopped crying immediately and grinned at Shen Qinglan, showing off his three tiny teeth.

Shen Qinglan watched him quietly without reaching out to hold him. Anan looked at his mommy and stretched out his arms. Shen Qinglan eventually caved under her son’s gaze and picked him up, "What can you do besides acting cute?"

"Ma!" Anan suddenly spoke, and Shen Qinglan was startled. She turned to her son, "Anan, what did you just say? Say it again."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes glistened as she watched her son intently.

But Anan didn’t understand his mother’s words, looking at Shen Qinglan, not quite grasping why she was looking at him like that.

"Anan, be good, repeat what you just said," Shen Qinglan coaxed her son gently.

After waiting a while, Anan didn’t seem to intend to speak, and Shen Qinglan was disappointed and was about to leave when "Mommy" echoed in the quiet room. Shen Qinglan was shaken; she was sure she hadn’t misheard; Anan had indeed called her mommy.

Perhaps the pronunciation wasn’t quite accurate, but it was unmistakably "mommy."

Tears streamed down unexpectedly. Not even at Anan’s birth had Shen Qinglan been so overcome with emotion, but now, hearing her son say "mommy" for the first time, she felt as if she had gained the whole world.

She held Anan tight, burying her head in his tiny body and inhaling the milky scent, her trembling heart suddenly finding peace.

"Anan, mommy’s good boy, mommy loves you, mommy loves you so very much," Shen Qinglan said softly, her voice carrying a barely detectable choke.

Perhaps Shen Qinglan was holding him too tightly, as Anan seemed uncomfortable, fussing a bit. Shen Qinglan quickly loosened her hold, and sure enough, Anan’s little brow was furrowed. Shen Qinglan kissed his little face.

Anan laughed again, imitating Shen Qinglan and planting a wet kiss on Shen Qinglan’s face, leaving it covered with drool.

Everyone noticed that Shen Qinglan was in a particularly good mood today, her lips upturned.

"Qinglan, did something good happen today?" Chu Yunrong asked curiously.

"Nothing," Shen Qinglan said with a smile, her eyes, however, were on Anan, who had already begun playing on the carpet.

Chu Yunrong glanced at Shen Qinglan and shook her head, smiling, "Later, mommy is going to the mall to buy toys for Anan, do you want to come along?"

Shen Qinglan intended to decline, but then she thought of Qin Yan, who had yet to appear, and nodded, "Mm, I’ll come with you."

Shen Qinglan got Anan’s things ready, handed them to Chu Yunrong, and the three of them left the house. Anan was always happy to go out, and this time was no exception; he wriggled with excitement in his child seat as Chu Yunrong watched him closely.

Upon arriving at the mall, Chu Yunrong lifted Anan up, waiting for Shen Qinglan to park the car. While waiting, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, but looking around, she spotted nothing unusual. She shook her head. Perhaps she was overthinking.

Shen Qinglan parked the car and took Anan. They hadn’t walked far when her gaze suddenly sharpened; she glanced toward nine o’clock but saw nothing amiss. Still, she had definitely sensed a flash. Anan was wearing a hat, and Shen Qinglan lowered it a bit more to keep people from seeing Anan’s face.

From Anan’s birth until now, Shen Qinglan had protected his appearance very well. Although she would occasionally post updates on Weibo, she never shared a full-frontal photo of Anan, not even a profile.

The hat obscured Anan’s view, so he reached up to push it away, but Shen Qinglan grasped his hand, "Be good, Anan, keep your hat on."

Wanting to reach for the hat again, Anan found his arm caught by Shen Qinglan. His little arm was no match for her strength. After two attempts, Anan wisely gave up. Shen Qinglan adjusted his hat for him, making sure he could see before she carried him inside.

Before entering the mall, Shen Qinglan glanced in a certain direction as if on autopilot. Not detecting anything unusual, she allowed herself to relax.

She wasn’t worried about paparazzi taking hidden shots. It was Qin Yan’s people she was concerned about. A week had passed since the incident, and even the deadline set by Qin Yan had been exceeded by three or four days. However, Qin Yan’s person had not yet appeared, and such a bomb hidden in the shadows always made Shen Qinglan feel uneasy.

Chu Yunrong had already walked ahead. Not seeing Shen Qinglan beside her, she looked back, and there indeed was Shen Qinglan, not yet caught up. Stopping in her tracks, she called out to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, hurry up."

Shen Qinglan quickened her pace to catch up with Chu Yunrong and headed to the maternity and baby store.

Anan, upon seeing all the colorful toys, instantly became excited and once again opened his "golden mouth," calling out "mommy."

Chu Yunrong was stunned, "Did Anan just call for mommy just now?"

Shen Qinglan nodded with a smile, "Yes, he can say mommy now." The corners of her eyes and brows were filled with a smile.

"Is this what you’re happy about today?" Chu Yunrong immediately understood.

Shen Qinglan nodded.

"Every mother is the same. I still remember how excited I was for days when your brother first spoke. But your brother was earlier than Anan; he called ’mommy’ at six months."

Anan was now eight months old, which was later than other children in terms of speaking. Shen Qinglan was initially worried whether there might be a problem with Anan’s health, especially since her pregnancy had not been smooth. After medical checkups, the doctor assured her that Anan was fine and that his late talking was a normal reaction.

Now that she had heard Anan call mommy, Shen Qinglan’s heart completely settled.

Anan’s eyes wandered over heaps of toys, and Shen Qinglan knew he liked them all, but he had not shown preference for any in particular. Anan looked at Shen Qinglan with hopeful eyes, but Shen Qinglan just smiled.

After watching for a while and realizing that Shen Qinglan genuinely had no intention of picking a toy for him, Anan turned to seek out Chu Yunrong. Since he couldn’t call her grandma yet, he simply made some sounds at Chu Yunrong.

Chu Yunrong was selecting educational cards suitable for child development. Seeing Anan looking for her, she immediately came over. Anan reached out to be held, and Chu Yunrong picked him up.

Anan’s eyes once again turned towards the toys. Chu Yunrong instantly understood and picked one for the clever little fellow.

While Anan held the toy, his gaze remained on the others. Chu Yunrong didn’t continue to give him more but said, "You can only take one at a time, don’t be greedy."

She knew Anan couldn’t understand her yet and patiently repeated herself before continuing to select cards with Anan in her arms.

**

In Y country, a woman’s scream once again filled the basement. Eden watched the woman writhing on the floor with an expressionless face, not a flicker of emotion in his eyes. He was holding a syringe in his hand.

Jin Enxi leaned against the wall, listening to Qin Yan scratch desperately at herself, turning her own flesh into a bloody mess, and clicked her tongue, "Look at yourself, what have you become, Qin Yan? Are you still that Mrs. Jin who could turn the world upside down? Now you’re pitiable, even more so than a beggar."

Having been tormented by the virus in her body for days, Qin Yan was exhausted and couldn’t listen to Jin Enxi’s words. All she wanted was to expel the excruciating sensation, as if thousands of insects were gnawing at her, from her body.

"Hit me, hit me," Qin Yan shouted at Jin Enxi and Eden. "Don’t you hate me? Then hit me."

"You want me to help you ease the pain, huh? You think such beautiful thoughts, but I won’t oblige. Hitting you would be a waste of my energy, your skin is so thick. To actually make you feel pain, that would take a lot of effort," Jin Enxi said slowly, with a face that looked like she was enjoying a good show.

Qin Yan glared at her with venomous eyes. Jin Enxi exaggeratedly shivered her arms, "Oh, I’m so scared." But her face showed not a hint of fear.

After Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi returned to Beijing, Eden quickly brought Qin Yan, whose tendons were severed, back to the Estate in Country Y.

Tormenting Qin Yan was a must for Jin Enxi and Cissily, so Jin Enxi also followed back to Country Y.

It was just that Allen had already injected a virus into Qin Yan’s body, and she was deeply suffering from the pain the virus brought, there was no need for their hands-on involvement.

"Qin Yan, do you think you’re a cockroach or what? Why won’t you die no matter what’s done to you? Look how much pain you’re in, why don’t you just kill yourself? You won’t suffer anymore if you’re dead," Jin Enxi squatted on the ground, looking at Qin Yan with a smile.

Qin Yan narrowed her eyes, "Suicide is for cowards." The word ’suicide’ would never be found in Qin Yan’s dictionary.

Jin Enxi clapped, "Well said. Then, you can only live and be tortured. No one is coming to save you this time."

Qin Yan didn’t speak, only listened to Jin Enxi continuing, "Are you still thinking Yamamoto will come to rescue you? Stop dreaming, he probably hates you to death by now and won’t come to save you again."

"What have you done?"

"You’re so clever, why don’t you guess?"

Qin Yan glared at Jin Enxi, and Jin Enxi smiled back at her.

Eden crouched down and withdrew a tube of blood from Qin Yan’s body, this was for his research. Meanwhile, in the other two rooms, her two subordinates were detained, now unconscious.

Qin Yan watched Eden coldly; it wasn’t that she didn’t want to resist, but she simply had no strength to. These past days, Eden had been experimenting with various drugs on her body, which was already ravaged by the virus, and was now full of holes. Even if they hadn’t severed her tendons, she was as good as disabled.

"I’m leaving now, are you coming?" Eden asked Jin Enxi.

Jin Enxi waved her hand, "You go ahead. I want to take a longer look at our beautiful Mrs. Jin. It would be such a waste not to revel in this rare opportunity."

Eden didn’t bother with her and left. Soon after his departure, Cissily entered, "Oh, Eden is not here?"

"He’s gone to do his research. Cissily, you came just at the right time. Help me think of how to entertain Mrs. Jin."

Hearing this, Cissily’s eyes lit up. She looked down on Mrs. Jin with a mix of disappointment, shaking her head, "The way she is now, I guess no man would touch her."

"I obviously know that, just look at her, she’s like an old hag. We can try other methods," said Jin Enxi.

"Eden still wants to use her for experiments, let’s not for now. I’m afraid we might accidentally kill her." Qin Yan was already close to death, and it was indeed easy to accidentally finish her off. She hadn’t atoned for her crimes yet; how could she be allowed to die so easily?

Jin Enxi sighed, "Alright then, such a fragile woman."

With nothing else to entertain them, Jin Enxi left with Cissily.

Qin Yan lay on the ground, hardly paying attention to their conversation behind her; her thoughts were all about the news of Yamamoto that Jin Enxi had mentioned earlier.

She didn’t know what had happened on Yamamoto’s end, but from what Jin Enxi had said, it was very likely that her alliance with Yamamoto had been disrupted by Shen Qinglan and the others. At that thought, Qin Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Since Yamamoto wanted to know Mei’s whereabouts, he wouldn’t ignore her situation, unless... unless Shen Qinglan came forward herself to admit her identity, which was obviously impossible.

But did Shen Qinglan think it was all over? When Chu Yunrong learned the truth about the past, Qin Yan really wanted to see if Shen Qinglan could still be as calm as she was now. With this thought, her eyes filled with a smile.

**

Shen Qinglan and Chu Yunrong left the mother and baby store. "Qinglan, wait here for me; I need to use the restroom."

"Okay," nodded Shen Qinglan.

Just as Chu Yun had stepped out of the restroom, she caught a pair of scrutinizing eyes. Looking over, she saw a woman staring at her. Chu Yunrong found it strange as she didn’t recognize the woman.

The woman gave a slight smile and spoke up, "You are Shen Qinglan’s mother, aren’t you?"

Chu Yunrong subconsciously nodded, "I am. What can I do for you?"

The woman smiled, "Actually, I have something I would like to show you."

Chu Yunrong frowned, "Sorry, I don’t know you, and I have things to do, so I must be going."

The woman blocked Chu Yunrong’s way, "Don’t you want to know what kind of life your daughter lived before she returned to the Shen Family?"

Chu Yunrong was taken aback and stared at the woman, "Who exactly are you?"

"It’s not important who I am; what’s important is that I know about your daughter’s past life. Even I, a stranger, find it heart-wrenching. As a mother, you will only feel more pain. Don’t you want to know?"

Chu Yunrong locked eyes with the woman; the woman smiled faintly, radiating a calm and composed aura. Chu Yunrong looked away and said coldly, "I don’t want to know."

If she really wanted to know her daughter’s past, she could simply ask Shen Qinglan herself. And this woman, who was a complete stranger, spouted nonsensical words. Who knew what her intentions were? Plus, could her words even be trusted?

Chu Yunrong made to walk past the woman when the woman did not stop her but spoke softly, "Do you know why your daughter was abducted by human traffickers in the first place? It was no accident."

Chu Yunrong paused in her step as the woman’s mouth turned up slightly, continuing, "You might want to think about it. What kind of family is the Shen Family? Back then, you exerted so much effort to find someone, yet you found no signs. If it were just ordinary human traffickers, would they leave without a trace? And after all these years, you’ve never given up on searching, yet it was like throwing a stone into the sea. Why then, after eleven years, did this child suddenly reappear? Don’t you want to know why?"

Chu Yunrong turned around, her gaze shifting, "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much about my family’s affairs?"

The woman smiled, "Someone who can tell you the truth. So, what do you say, can we talk now?"

Chu Yunrong watched the woman intently; after a long while, without saying a word, she turned and left. The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise and called out to Chu Yunrong’s retreating figure, "If you want to know, come to Fantasy Cafe on Jiangnan Road at one o’clock in the afternoon, three days from now. I’ll wait for you."

Chu Yunrong quickened her pace.

When Shen Qinglan saw Chu Yunrong, she noticed her mother’s complexion was not very good; her eyes flickered, "Mom, what’s wrong?"

Chu Yunrong shook her head, "It’s nothing, I just saw a lunatic in the restroom and got a bit scared. Let’s hurry up and leave, Anan is also sleepy."

Shen Qinglan looked in the direction from which Chu Yunrong had come, but saw no one. After a moment of thought, she nodded, "Okay, let’s leave first."

On the way back, Chu Yunrong was clearly distracted, frequently lost in thought. By the time they arrived home, however, she had returned to her usual self, which only made Shen Qinglan more curious about what had actually happened in the mall.

"Mom, if you encounter any strange people, you must tell me," Shen Qinglan said softly before Chu Yunrong got out of the car.

Chu Yunrong was taken aback and paused in her action of opening the door, looking at Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, how did you know Mom met a strange person?"

A look of ’I knew it’ flickered in Shen Qinglan’s eyes; she had only been guessing before but now she could be sure, "Mom, who did you meet?"

Chu Yunrong told Shen Qinglan about her encounter with a woman, including what she had said. Shen Qinglan’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Mom, that person’s words can’t be trusted."

Chu Yunrong nodded, "Mom knows, so I left without listening to her. As for the meeting she mentioned three days later, I’m not planning to go." During the trip back, Chu Yunrong had thought it through. Shen Qinglan was her daughter and already with her, living well. It no longer mattered what her past was like or why she chose to return to the Shen Family. What was important now was the future and how she as a mother could compensate for the years of maternal love her daughter had missed.

"Mom, did you say that person arranged to meet you in three days?" Shen Qinglan caught the important point.

"Yes, she arranged to meet me at 1 PM three days later, at the Fantasy Café on Jiangnan Road, claiming she would tell me the truth, which is quite bizarre."

"Do you remember what that person looked like?" Shen Qinglan inquired.

Chu Yunrong was slightly stunned, "Qinglan, do you want to meet her?"

The corners of Shen Qinglan’s mouth curled slightly, "I too want to know what my past was like."

"It’s probably a scammer, trying to get money. Why bother with her?" Chu Yunrong didn’t want to meet the woman. Seeing her made her feel an unsettling anxiety, as if an unpredictable danger was approaching, and this feeling disturbed her.

"You’re right, Mom, let’s not bother with her. Maybe, as you said, this person is just here to scam money. There’s no need to pay any attention. If we ignore her, she’ll quiet down by herself. Let’s go," said Shen Qinglan, picking up on the unease in Chu Yunrong’s eyes without pressing further.

Once back at home, Chu Yunrong seemed to have truly forgotten the incident, busying herself with making and feeding puree to Anan.

Three days later, Shen Qinglan made up an excuse to leave the house and went to the Fantasy Café on Jiangnan Road. The cafe wasn’t busy, and even at lunchtime, only a few customers were present.

Shen Qinglan arrived half an hour earlier than the time given by the woman; it was now 12:30 PM. She found a spot in the corner to sit down, a perfect location from where she could see the entrance but where someone coming in from the entrance would hardly notice her spot.

Shen Qinglan ordered a coffee and, supporting her chin with her hand, pretended to watch the people on the street while her eyes kept discreetly watching the entrance.

Time slipped away inch by inch, and the appointed time drew closer. Apart from two men and a couple who had entered, no other customers came into the café. By 1:30 PM, the woman had still not appeared.

Shen Qinglan stood up and left the café, realizing that if the woman hadn’t shown up by now, she likely wasn’t planning to come at all. The woman was clearly very cautious and, not seeing Chu Yunrong, had decided not to show herself.

What Shen Qinglan didn’t know was that just after she left, a waitress dressed in the café’s uniform came to clear her cup, the corners of her mouth lifting high in a smile that also reached her eyes.

Neither Shen Qinglan nor Chu Yunrong would have expected that this woman was actually a waitress at the café. The moment Shen Qinglan appeared at the entrance, she had been seen, which meant that this meeting was doomed to be unfulfilled.

The trip yielded nothing, and a sense of dissatisfaction lingered in Shen Qinglan’s mind. She called Eden and asked about Qin Yan’s condition, "She’s not dead yet."

Shen Qinglan’s lips curved slightly, "Did she say? Who did she arrange?"

Eden shook his head, "No, Qin Yan is tight-lipped, and so are her two henchmen."

Shen Qinglan was not surprised; this person was Qin Yan’s trump card, and she certainly wouldn’t reveal it easily, "Tell Qin Yan I can tell her where Carl’s ashes are, but she must tell me where this person is."

"An, will she believe it?"

"She will." Whether she would tell was another matter.

When Qin Yan heard what Eden said, she sneered, "Isn’t Shen Qinglan very capable? She should investigate it herself." As expected, she didn’t tell Eden about that woman.

When Shen Qinglan learned of Qin Yan’s decision through Eden, she touched her chin, pondering her next plan when she felt someone tugging at her trouser leg. Looking down, sure enough, Anan had crawled over and was looking up at her.

Shen Qinglan picked up her son from the ground, and Anan snuggled against her chest, wanting to nurse. Shen Qinglan shook her head; in the past two days, she had already started reducing the number of times she breastfed Anan, increasing the amount of complementary foods. Once Anan got used to it, it would be time to start weaning him.

Originally, Shen Qinglan planned to wean Anan when he turned one, but a certain man would nag her about it every time he called home.

Just as Shen Qinglan thought of Fu Hengyi, his call came in. She answered, and Fu Hengyi’s deep and magnetic voice came through from the other end.

"Qinglan."

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, about to speak, when she saw Anan reaching for the phone. Shen Qinglan moved the phone a bit farther, "Anan, Mommy is talking to Daddy on the phone, be a good boy."

"Mommy," Anan called out.

Fu Hengyi on the other end of the phone heard his son’s milky voice, especially the word "mommy," and his expression instantly froze.

"Fu Hengyi, are you still listening?" Shen Qinglan soothed her son and spoke.

Fu Hengyi’s gaze was profound, "I’m here."

"Anan can say ’mommy’ now, did you hear?" A trace of pride twinkled in her eyes; her son knew to call her.

"I heard," Fu Hengyi’s voice was tender.

"He still can’t say ’daddy,’ but I’m teaching him. He should be able to learn by the time you get back."

Fu Hengyi’s eyes softened, listening attentively as Shen Qinglan spoke about Anan’s recent progress, and from time to time through the receiver, came Anan’s voice calling for his mommy.

Chu Yunrong saw Shen Qinglan on the phone, so she took Anan away. Fu Hengyi heard the noise and asked, "Qinglan, did Mommy take Anan away?"

"Mhmm, he’s hungry. Mommy is taking him to eat."

"Is it convenient to talk now?" Fu Hengyi asked.

Shen Qinglan immediately understood his meaning and walked to the garden with her phone, "We can talk now."

"Has the person arranged by Qin Yan not shown up yet?" Fu Hengyi had been worrying about this matter for the past few days, and this was the third time he had asked.

"Yes, they appeared yesterday. My mom and I went to the mall, and when mom went to the bathroom, she ran into the other person. She arranged to meet my mom today, but I went instead and didn’t see anyone." Shen Qinglan briefly recounted the events, and upon hearing this, Fu Hengyi’s brows furrowed slightly. "They didn’t show up?"

"Mhm, they never showed up. I waited there for an hour."

"Could this be a test?" Fu Hengyi speculated.

"The possibility can’t be ruled out." Qin Yan was now in Eden’s hands; a fact the other party definitely didn’t know. Since they hadn’t received any new instructions, then this person would surely continue, whether or not they know it. The target is always Chu Yunrong, so all they need to do is watch and wait.

What Shen Qinglan wanted to know more was what evidence the other party had to prove the truthfulness of their words. To expect Chu Yunrong to fully believe them based on their bare words seemed like a pipe dream.

"What if the other party’s goal is just to plant a seed of doubt in mom’s heart?" Fu Hengyi put forward a hypothesis. If it was just to plant a seed of doubt in Chu Yunrong’s heart and then let her seek out the truth from the past on her own, while they would just reveal some clues at the right time, the outcome might be more believable than directly telling Chu Yunrong the truth, although it would be more trouble.

And if Chu Yunrong found out the truth, based on her current psychological state, she absolutely could not withstand such a blow. Then their goal would be achieved.

A hint of coldness flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. She hadn’t thought of this hypothesis before. "Fu Hengyi, what do you think I should do now?"

Fu Hengyi pondered for a while before speaking. "Since the other side wants to hide in the shadows, and we have no clues, it’s impossible to find them. Perhaps we could lure them into a trap." He shared his plan with Shen Qinglan.

After hearing the plan, Shen Qinglan hesitated. "That would mean putting my mom at risk, what if..."

"Qinglan, if the other side is truly determined, they will find a way to let mom know. Instead of living in constant fear, it’s better to take the risk and possibly solve the problem once and for all. Besides, we’ve overlooked something; mom may not be as fragile as we think she is. It’s better to be transparent rather than continue to conceal the truth with such caution." Fu Hengyi believed in quick and decisive action. A time bomb lurking in the dark always made him uneasy.

Shen Qinglan naturally knew that what Fu Hengyi said made sense. "Okay, I understand. I’ll handle this. I’ll get Jin Enxi back tomorrow."

Fu Hengyi had just taken leave, and while it wasn’t impossible to ask for more, it wouldn’t be good for him. Shen Qinglan didn’t want to affect him.

Fu Hengyi trusted Jin Enxi and the others’ abilities; it was just one person they were dealing with, so he had nothing to worry about.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan stood in the garden for a while, seriously considering Fu Hengyi’s words, before calling Jin Enxi.

"Okay, I’ll buy a ticket now. An, wait for me." Jin Enxi readily agreed; after all, Qin Yan was now half-disabled from Eden’s experiments and torturing her would just lessen her pain—something Jin Enxi had no interest in. She would rather go help Shen Qinglan in Beijing. Of course, Jin Enxi also wouldn’t deny that she missed Daniel a little.

After saying goodbye to Eden, Jin Enxi left in high spirits. Cissily wanted to go with her; she hadn’t seen Shen Qinglan’s child for a long time, but her agent notified her of a show that required her presence, so she regretfully watched Jin Enxi leave.

Shen Qinglan planned to go pick her up, but Daniel got there first. Knowing someone had picked her up, Shen Qinglan didn’t compete.

Chu Yunrong hadn’t left the house these past few days, helping Shen Qinglan take care of the children. Now Anan was starting to crawl, and his lively personality became even more apparent. Just place him on the floor, and if no one watched him, there’s no telling where he might crawl off to. Once, during the time it took Shen Qinglan to prepare his egg custard in the kitchen, the little guy had already crawled to the doorway.

Chu Yunrong was preoccupied with her grandson, having no spare thoughts for anything else. After observing for two days and seeing that Chu Yunrong seemed to have truly forgotten what the woman had said, Shen Qinglan hesitated even more about taking up Fu Hengyi’s suggestion.

"Qinglan, watch Anan for a bit. He just wet himself; I’ll go wash his diaper." Chu Yunrong called Shen Qinglan over. Coming back to reality, Shen Qinglan said, "Mom, give me the diaper. I’ll wash it."

With that, she took the diaper from Chu Yunrong and went into the bathroom.

Chu Yunrong was with Anan in the living room when the doorbell rang. Aunt Zhao was about to get up to answer it, but Chu Yunrong got up first and opened the door. It was the security guard at the door, holding a package with Chu Yunrong’s name on it.