The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 458 - 460. The heart-wrenching Haohao

Chapter 458: 460. The heart-wrenching Haohao

"Anan is growing more and more like your Mr. Fu." Jin Enxi said softly as she watched the little figure playing on the grass.

"Yes, time flies so fast. Anan has grown so much already."

"It’s really nice, An. Seeing you so happy now, it’s truly wonderful." Jin Enxi spoke enviously, but it was more a blessing, as at least someone among their group of friends was happy.

The next day, Shen Qinglan went to find Daniel. Daniel was surprised to see Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, why have you come suddenly? Aren’t you preparing for your art exhibition?"

Although he was no longer Shen Qinglan’s agent, Daniel had always been following Shen Qinglan’s affairs, even occasionally calling Xu Xiangqian to inquire about the art exhibition’s preparations.

"I haven’t seen you for a long time, and I had some free time, so I came to see you." Shen Qinglan said with a smile. "Daniel, how have you been recently?"

"What could be wrong with me? I am the third Young Master of the Crimer family. You’re not worried that someone is bullying me, are you?" Daniel joked.

"Daniel, you know what I mean."

Daniel was silent, then he forced a smile, "Qinglan, I’m fine. I’ve been waiting for her to come back, and I believe she will definitely come back to find me."

"Daniel, what if, just if..."

"Qinglan, there’s no such possibility. I believe she will definitely come back to find me." Daniel spoke with conviction. Shen Qinglan suddenly smiled. She knew this would be his answer, and her expression became serious, "Daniel, if Enxi doesn’t come back, or if the Enxi who comes back isn’t the one you knew, what will you do?"

Daniel’s eyes changed, "Qinglan, do you know something?" Shen Qinglan’s previous remark was too meaningful.

"Daniel, answer me first."

Daniel gave a faint smile, "Qinglan, you know how I feel. No matter what Enxi has become, she is still my Enxi." He looked at Shen Qinglan, his eyes brimming with deep emotion and tears, "Qinglan, please tell her for me that I am waiting. Whether it’s a month, a year, five years, ten years, twenty years, I’ll be right here waiting for her to come back."

Shen Qinglan laughed, "Okay."

A simple word affirmed Daniel’s guess, bringing tears to his eyes. The heart that had been kept tense for months finally began to slowly return to place. He wouldn’t ask where she was or if she was well at the moment. Just knowing she was alive was the best news for him. If she didn’t want to see him, then he would wait until the day she was willing.

"Daniel, two years," Shen Qinglan gave him a deadline.

Daniel’s hands resting on his legs trembled slightly with excitement, but his face wore a smile, "Okay."

Shen Qinglan stayed in Country Y for half a month, making sure Jin Enxi’s emotional state had completely stabilized before returning. During that half month, Anan was taken by Andre to tour most of Country Y, playing joyfully without thoughts of home, and when leaving Country Y, she kept looking back at Andre reluctantly.

"Andre, if you have time, come find me in Beijing." Shen Qinglan said.

Andre pinched Anan’s little hand, "Sure, once Cissily wakes up, we’ll come visit you together, with Enxi."

Cissily’s recent medical condition had finally started to improve. Eden said that if this continued, Cissily would be able to wake up. This truly was good news for Shen Qinglan.

Everything was developing for the better, and Shen Qinglan’s mood also improved considerably, even the smile on her face seemed more frequent.

Fu Hengyi could clearly feel her good mood when talking to Shen Qinglan over the phone.

"These are all good news." Fu Hengyi was also happy about it. Whether it was Cissily or Jin Enxi, they were very important friends to Shen Qinglan, and only if they were doing well could Shen Qinglan live happily.

"Yes, Fu Hengyi, I hope everyone can be well and find their own happiness, not just me alone."

"They will," Fu Hengyi said confidently. "I know a specialist who has done extensive research on burns and scalds. This expert had been working on a medical project and was out of contact for a while, but I managed to get in touch with him recently. You should talk to him about Jin Enxi’s condition when you have time; it might be helpful."

"Alright."

Fu Hengyi had been in contact with this person since learning of Jin Enxi’s condition, but he had no personal relationship with this doctor. It was quite difficult to meet this specialist, who had a very eccentric temperament and acted solely on his whims. Moreover, he was often elusive, and it took Fu Hengyi a long time to persuade him to agree to treat Jin Enxi.

After Shen Qinglan met with the expert, she contacted Eden, and the two immediately began discussing Jin Enxi’s medical condition. The rest was beyond Shen Qinglan’s aid, so she did not participate further.

At this time, Shen Qinglan was beginning to prepare for her art exhibition. The exhibition was on a large scale, displaying not only Shen Qinglan’s recent works but also her previous award-winning pieces.

And the guest speakers at the opening ceremony of the exhibition were several esteemed figures in the calligraphy and painting community, all personally invited by Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan’s art exhibition was scheduled to open on October 1st. However, half a month before the exhibition opened, something unexpected happened to Shen Qinglan.

Let’s go back to mid-September.

After talking with Pei Yinong, Cui Zeyu always felt that Pei Yinong’s son was Duan Ling’s, but he was frustrated by the lack of evidence. Then he thought of a paternity test.

Duan Ling was now staying at his house, so collecting his sample wasn’t difficult. The problem was he didn’t know who Pei Yinong’s son was.

Pei Yinong had kept her son well-protected, and the outside world only knew she had a son, but his appearance had never been exposed.

Cui Zeyu had someone look into the appearance of Pei Yinong’s son and eventually found out about the kindergarten Haohao attended.

Haohao was an extremely intelligent child. Although he attended kindergarten, his knowledge was already at the third-grade level of elementary school. If not for Pei Yinong wanting her son to have the life of an ordinary child and holding him back from skipping grades, Haohao could already be in the third grade.

When Pei Yinong was at work, it was Chu Yunjin who picked up Haohao. That day, Chu Yunjin had just left when she realized she had forgotten to take the snacks for Haohao, so she was a bit later than usual.

Haohao knew from his teacher that his grandmother would be a little late to pick him up, so he sat obediently in the classroom waiting for Chu Yunjin’s arrival. Seeing him sitting alone, deeply engrossed in a fairy tale book, the teacher left.

"Little friend, do you know Pei Hao?" A deep male voice came from the entrance. Haohao looked up from his book to see a man, an uncle.

"I am Pei Hao. Uncle, are you looking for me for something?" Haohao asked politely.

Cui Zeyu had already seen a photo of Haohao and naturally recognized him; he had purposely spoken like that.

"So you are Pei Hao, hello, I am your mommy’s colleague, my name is Cui Zeyu, you can call me Uncle Cui," Cui Zeyu said with a friendly smile.

Haohao looked at him, "Uncle Cui, what do you want with me?"

"It’s like this, your mommy is busy today and asked me to take you home."

"But my grandmother will be here soon." Haohao wasn’t fooled; his mommy had taught him not to go with strangers.

Cui Zeyu continued with a smile, "Yes, but today your grandmother also has an urgent matter and can’t come to pick you up, so she asked me to come for you."

Haohao looked at Cui Zeyu with a skeptical face, "Then Uncle Cui, call my mommy, so I can talk to her."

Cui Zeyu’s expression stiffened; he hadn’t expected a five-year-old to be so hard to deceive. Are kids so clever nowadays? His own seven-year-old child would follow someone for a lollipop.

Cui Zeyu looked at the little fellow in front of him, and Haohao also stared back with big curious eyes. According to the information he had investigated, Haohao also attended several extracurricular classes in his spare time, best at the piano, already at an intermediate level. He was also decent at calligraphy and painting.

Cui Zeyu felt a pang of regret thinking about this, comparing Haohao to his own dopey son.

If Haohao really was Duan Ling’s son, Cui Zeyu thought he would die of jealousy.

"Well, Haohao, your mommy is in a meeting right now, and we can’t disturb her. You can go with Uncle first, I will take you to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken, and then I’ll take you home, okay?"

Haohao shook his head, "Uncle, my mom said I can’t go with anyone unless I know the person coming to pick me up. If I go, my mom will be sad when she can’t find me."

Seeing Haohao’s sensible nature, Cui Zeyu’s heart ached again for his good friend, regretting on his behalf. If Duan Ling knew he had such a well-behaved child, he would surely regret his choices from back then.

"Haha, such a good kid. Actually, Uncle isn’t here to pick you up because your mom told me to, but I really am your mom’s colleague. I always hear your mom talking about you, praising how smart you are, and I wanted to see if you really are that smart. So Uncle was just playing a little joke with you earlier. You’re not mad at Uncle, are you?"

Haohao frowned, but soon relaxed, patting his shoulder like a little adult, "Alright then, I’ll forgive you this time."

Cui Zeyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, "Then Uncle will wait with you here for your grandma to come pick you up, okay?" Cui Zeyu knew Haohao wasn’t an easy kid to fool, so he changed his strategy.

Haohao thought for a while – as long as he didn’t leave the classroom, it should be fine – so he nodded.

Cui Zeyu sat next to Haohao and then noticed that Haohao was reading a storybook with text. He couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Can you understand the words in this book?"

Haohao looked at him strangely, "There’s pinyin on it, and my mom taught me. Why wouldn’t I understand?"

Cui Zeyu felt struck once more. His own kid had just started first grade and was still learning pinyin, but Haohao here could already read characters with pinyin. Without comparison, there would be no harm felt – Cui Zeyu deeply understood this saying for the first time.

"Haohao is really impressive!" Cui Zeyu patted Haohao’s head. Haohao frowned but didn’t say anything. Suddenly, Haohao cried out, holding his head and looking at Cui Zeyu with a wronged expression, "Uncle, what are you doing?"

Cui Zeyu appeared innocent. "Uncle saw some dirt on your hair just now and wanted to help you take it off. Who knew I accidentally pulled your hair and it hurt you? Sorry about that, my bad."

While he apologized, he slipped a few strands of hair into his pocket.

Haohao wasn’t happy, but since the man had apologized, he wouldn’t hold a grudge. He was always a magnanimous child, "It’s okay, Uncle. Mom says that acknowledging and correcting mistakes is what makes a good child."

"I always hear you mention your mom; what about your dad?" Cui Zeyu probed.

A hint of dimness clouded Haohao’s eyes, "I don’t have a dad. Mom says that daddy has gone to a faraway place and doesn’t know when he will return."

"Have you never seen your dad?"

Haohao shook his head, "No."

Cui Zeyu felt more certain about his guess. Just as he was about to speak, a young woman at the door called in, "Haohao, your grandma has come to pick you up."

Haohao turned to look, immediately grabbed his little backpack, took a few steps, then stopped, "Uncle, aren’t you coming with me?"

Cui Zeyu smiled and waved his hand, "Uncle has to go home in a moment. I’ll come to visit you at your house next time."

The class teacher looked at Cui Zeyu oddly, "Sir, may I ask who you are, and how did you get in here?"

Cui Zeyu smiled gently, very calmly, "I am Haohao’s mom’s colleague. My name is Cui Zeyu. She asked me to come and keep him company until his grandma could pick him up."

Although the class teacher found this explanation strange, she didn’t say anything and left with Haohao. Chu Yunjin was still waiting by the kindergarten gate.

In the evening, back at home, Haohao told Pei Yinong about the strange uncle he met.

"What’s the uncle’s name, and what does he look like?" Pei Yinong asked.

"He said his name is Cui Zeyu, tall and handsome," Haohao answered honestly. "He also lied to me, saying you sent him to pick me up, but I didn’t fall for it," Haohao added, slightly proud of himself.

Pei Yinong’s heart sank, her face growing even more gentle, "Haohao is really great; you must always be like this and not go with strangers, got it? Did he say anything else to you?"

Haohao recounted his conversation with Cui Zeyu to Pei Yinong, word for word. He had a good memory and hadn’t forgotten a single phrase.

Pei Yinong’s gaze was heavy; she had already understood Cui Zeyu’s intentions, and she was very dissatisfied with the ever-present Cui Zeyu, "Haohao, if this uncle comes to find you again, you must tell Mommy, okay?"

To facilitate Haohao’s contact with her, the next day Pei Yinong went to buy a phone watch and saved a few frequently used contacts, "You can make calls with this. If something happens, call Mommy or Aunt, understand?"

"Does it have Uncle Jiang’s number?"

"Yes, button number 2 is Uncle Jiang’s number, the number 1 is Mommy’s, number 3 is your aunt’s, and number 4 is grandma’s. Remember?"

"Got it." Haohao was very interested in this new toy, and pressed button number 2 to talk to Jiang Chenxi. Pei Yinong watched as Haohao happily chatted with Jiang Chenxi, but in her heart, she suppressed a surge of anger.

Cui Zeyu wasn’t surprised that Pei Yinong came to look for him. He waved his hand to dismiss his secretary and smiled at Pei Yinong, "Miss Pei, do you have some business with me today?"

Pei Yinong kept a stern face, "Mr. Cui, why play dumb?"

Cui Zeyu put on an innocent face, "I don’t understand the meaning of your words, Miss Pei."

"I hope you will stop disturbing my son’s life in the future. My son’s father is not the person you speculate," Pei Yinong got straight to the point.

"Miss Pei, it’s not up to you alone to decide. If Duan Ling really is Haohao’s father, then you have no right to deprive them of the opportunity to recognize each other. Duan Ling doesn’t have children, and Haohao doesn’t have a father. Wouldn’t it be best for them to recognize each other?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yinong let out a cold laugh, "Mr. Cui, where do you get such presumptuous ideas? Why should my son recognize Duan Ling as a father if he has no father? Duan Ling has his own family and will have his own children in the future. Even if my son doesn’t have a father, he doesn’t need such a father. I won’t let my son become a bastard."

Cui Zeyu knew that the ring on Duan Ling’s hand would lead to misunderstandings. Look, there was a misunderstanding indeed, "No, listen to me, Duan Ling he actually..."

"Don’t say anymore, Mr. Cui. I hope you will not seek out my son in the future. I also hope you won’t bring up the joke again that my son should be considered Duan’s son. If you continue like this, I will have to take legal action to protect our rights. I assume you wouldn’t want to receive a summons from the court."

Cui Zeyu was left stunned by Pei Yinong’s words, still unable to process them even after she had left. How did he end up as the defendant?

However, Pei Yinong’s strong reaction could very well mean something. Whether it was true or not, the results would come out soon. Cui Zeyu had already sent the hair samples of Haohao and Duan Ling for a paternity test; they would know in a few days.

Three days later, Cui Zeyu looked at the results with a complex expression. He didn’t wait until the end of work and drove home early. Duan Ling wasn’t at home, so Cui Zeyu called him and found out he was having dinner with a friend, so he arranged to meet him at the bar in the evening.

Charming Color Bar.

By the time Duan Ling arrived, Cui Zeyu hadn’t come yet. He found a corner to sit down, ordered a drink, and quietly waited for Cui Zeyu.

Cui Zeyu arrived belatedly, "You asked me out for drinks, and now you’re the one who’s late?" Duan Ling raised an eyebrow.

Cui Zeyu picked up the glass in front of Duan Ling and downed the drink, "Is it not all for you?"

Duan Ling looked at him, puzzled. Cui Zeyu had the waiter serve up another drink and once again downed it in one gulp. Duan Ling stopped his hand from grabbing the glass, "Is that the way to drink?" If he kept drinking like this, it wouldn’t be long before he’d have to take a drunkard home.

Cui Zeyu looked at Duan Ling, suddenly unsure how to tell him about Haohao. Judging by Duan Ling’s demeanor, he probably didn’t even know he had a five-year-old child.

"Duan Ling, I’m both envious and want to slap you right now."

Duan Ling glared, "Cui Zeyu, what madness is this?"

Cui Zeyu stared hard at Duan Ling, "Why did you break up with Pei Yinong in the first place? Didn’t you treasure that girlfriend of yours? You wouldn’t even let me have a glance at her." If they hadn’t broken up, those two would have been married by now, a happy family. Pei Yinong wouldn’t have been hurt by rumors for all these years. Even as an outsider, Cui Zeyu felt it was unfair for Pei Yinong.

Duan Ling pressed his lips together, "Zeyu, let’s not talk about those past matters anymore. I wronged Pei Yinong back then, but now there’s someone who loves her by her side. The best thing I can do is not disturb her, to let her have happiness."

"Heh." Cui Zeyu chuckled coldly, "Over? How is it over, Duan Ling? As a man, I look down on you, you know?" Abandoning his own woman and child to marry someone else, was this the Duan Ling he knew, the one who valued responsibility above everything else?

Duan Ling’s face darkened completely. Seeing Cui Zeyu reaching for the drink again, he snatched the glass, "I took what you said earlier as drunken babble and didn’t hold it against you, now stop drinking and go home."

"I’m not drunk." Cui Zeyu’s eyes were clear; his mind was very sober at the moment. He tossed a document in front of Duan Ling, "Take a look at the great deed you’ve done for yourself."

Duan Ling picked up the document, baffled. Although the lighting in the bar was dim, he managed to read the text clearly. Struck as if by lightning, he looked at Cui Zeyu incredulously, "Where did you get this document from?"

"I took the DNA samples of you and Pei Yinong’s son for a paternity test," Cui Zeyu said, dejectedly.

Duan Ling’s expression turned blank, "Yinong actually has a child?"

Cui Zeyu looked at him with a cold eye, "You didn’t know? Pei Yinong not only has a child, but that child is already five years old this year. For the sake of giving birth to this child, she was almost spat upon by the entire Beijing."

Duan Ling didn’t know how he managed to leave the bar; by the time he came to his senses, he was already standing outside the gates of the Pei Family’s mansion. He stared blankly at the tall walls of the Pei estate; the gates were tightly shut, leaving the interior hidden from view.

He took out his phone and dialed Pei Yinong’s number. Pei Yinong was accompanying her son in practicing calligraphy; seeing the number on the phone, she hung up without hesitation.

Duan Ling kept calling.

"Daddy, why aren’t you answering the phone?" Haohao asked, looking curiously at his mother.

Pei Yinong pressed her lips together, touched her son’s head, "Mommy will answer a call, you keep writing on your own, okay?"

"Okay."

Pei Yinong took the phone and walked out of the room, "Duan Ling, what do you want?"

"Yinong, I want to meet you; I am outside your house right now, come out and we can talk."

"There’s nothing to talk about between us; it’s late and I’m going to sleep, you should go back,"

"Yinong, don’t hang up in a hurry; I know I shouldn’t have disturbed you like this, but about Haohao, don’t you really have anything you want to tell me?" Duan Ling spoke urgently.

Pei Yinong’s hand gripping the phone suddenly stiffened, and the phone nearly dropped to the ground, "You..."

"Yinong, I already know. Haohao is my son, isn’t he?"

Pei Yinong glanced back into the house; Haohao was standing at his special little desk, writing very seriously, "I’ll come out now."

Duan Ling stood outside the gates of the Pei Family mansion, and as soon as Pei Yinong came out, he saw her. She looked coldly at Duan Ling, "What on earth do you want?"

Duan Ling gazed steadily at Pei Yinong, "Yinong, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant back then?"

Pei Yinong’s eyes were filled with irony; was it her who didn’t speak, or was it that the man before her never gave her a chance?

"My son has nothing to do with you; he is the child of another man and me," Pei Yinong said coldly.

"Yinong, you still want to deceive me." Duan Ling took out the paternity test document, "It clearly states here that he is my son; why are you denying it?"

Pei Yinong’s complexion changed; she snatched the document from Duan Ling’s hands, "How could you do this without my permission, taking those samples for this test? I could sue you."

"Yinong, don’t get so worked up; I didn’t come to take the child from you." Duan Ling hastened to say as Pei Yinong’s emotions surged.

Pei Yinong didn’t calm down; after hearing Duan Ling’s words, she scoffed coldly, "Take the child, do you even qualify? This is the child I carried for ten months and raised single-handedly. You didn’t even know he existed; what right do you have to take him away from me?"

"Yinong, I know it was my fault back then; I shouldn’t have left without a word. Now that I know the truth, please give me a chance to make it up to you and your son, okay?"

"Not okay." Pei Yinong became somewhat hysterical, "I don’t need your damn compensation; all I need is for you to get out of here, stay far away from my life. Haohao is my child alone, he was in the past, he is now, and he will be in the future; you not disturbing us is the best compensation you could give."

"Yining, don’t do this," Duan Ling’s expression was one of agony.

"Get lost, just get lost," Pei Yining pointed towards the gate of the community, "leave right now."

"Yining, I truly want to make it up to you."

Pei Yining didn’t want to listen to him; she was unwilling to see this person right now. Seeing that he was reluctant to leave, she went up to push him, "Go away. If you don’t leave now, I’m going to call for help."

"Alright, alright, I’m leaving right now. Don’t get agitated, Yining," Duan Ling consoled her repeatedly.

Pei Yining coldly watched him until Duan Ling vanished from her sight before she helplessly squatted down on the ground. From when she first learned about Haohao’s background from Cui Zeyu, she knew that this day would come, but now that it had actually arrived, she still felt panicked and confused. What should she do?

After a long time, Pei Yining finally stood up from the ground and slowly made her way back home.

"Mummy, look at the characters I’ve written. Do they look good?" Haohao’s eyes sparkled as he saw his mother.

Pei Yining smiled and walked over to her son, "Hmm, Haohao writes very well, even better than mummy."

"Mummy, are you unhappy?" Haohao put down his pen and asked caringly. He was a very sensitive child who could clearly feel the emotional changes in others.

Pei Yining smiled and stroked her son’s head, "Mummy’s not unhappy. Seeing how capable you are makes mummy very happy. How about mummy sends you to stay with your little aunt for a few days tomorrow?"

Haohao became even more curious, "Mummy, I have school tomorrow."

"I’ve taken leave for you. Little brother An’an missed you, and you can stay with him for a few days, okay?"

"Okay," as soon as Haohao heard that his little brother missed him, he immediately agreed.

When Pei Yining came back, she had already spoken with Shen Qinglan over the phone, telling her about sending Haohao to stay with her for a few days, and Shen Qinglan agreed without asking for details.

The next day, Duan Ling did indeed appear at the entrance of Haohao’s kindergarten. "Is Pei Hao here?" Duan Ling asked Haohao’s teacher politely.

The teacher had never seen this man before, "Haohao’s mother took leave for him today."

Duan Ling felt disappointed; he thought he could see Haohao today. Ever since he found out he had a son, Duan Ling had been eager to meet him. He had waited until dawn only to find that Pei Yining hadn’t brought Haohao to school.

"Do you know why Haohao took leave?" Duan Ling inquired.

"May I ask who you are?" The teacher was somewhat defensive, having never met Duan Ling before, and remembered that after Cui Zeyu came looking for Haohao, she received a call from Pei Yining.

"I am Haohao’s... uncle." The word "father" went around Duan Ling’s tongue but, ultimately, he didn’t have the face to say it out loud.

"Oh, then please call Haohao’s mother; she has asked for several days’ leave for him," the teacher said.

Duan Ling left the kindergarten disappointed. He wanted to find Pei Yining but her agitated state from the previous night made him afraid to provoke her further, especially after Cui Zeyu had spoken to him in detail about the grievances Pei Yining had suffered because of him over the years.

"Did you see him?" Cui Zeyu asked his friend.

Duan Ling shook his head, "Yining took leave for him; he didn’t go to school."

"I guess so. She probably hates you to death right now; it would be odd if she was willing to let you see the child," Cui Zeyu stabbed at his friend’s heart without any mercy.

"Have you seen the kid? What does he look like?" Duan Ling ignored his friend’s mocking words and asked.

"He’s a clever child, clearly well-raised. His mother has done a good job teaching him," Cui Zeyu didn’t continue with the harsh words, and spoke seriously, "The last time I went to the kindergarten to see him..." Cui Zeyu detailed the scene of his meeting with Haohao.

Duan Ling listened very carefully, afraid of missing even the smallest detail. After listening, his eyes were filled with smile, "That’s great."

"Indeed, it’s very good. You would definitely like him if you met."

"But Yining won’t forgive me," Duan Ling said in a low voice. He hadn’t seen any pictures of Haohao and naturally didn’t know that he had actually met Haohao before, more than once.

"If she could forgive you, that would be a miracle," Cui Zeyu snorted with laughter. Although he wasn’t a woman, if he were Pei Yinong, he would have beaten Duan Ling up the first time he saw him.

"Have you explained to Pei Yinong why you left in the first place?"

"No, she won’t give me the chance to speak," Duan Ling shook his head.

"That’s normal. You left without a word, leaving her pregnant and alone waiting for your return. And you, you didn’t contact her for so many years. Now, just when she has finally found someone she wants to be with, you suddenly show up. How do you expect her to forgive you?"

Duan Ling looked anguished, "Then what should I do now?"

Cui Zeyu rolled his eyes, "Boss, this is your son, your woman; you’re asking me what you should do? Aren’t you asking the wrong person?"

"I want to seek Yining’s forgiveness. If possible, I want to do everything I can to make up for it."

"And then? If Pei Yinong forgives you, how do you plan to compensate her, with marriage or a large sum of money?"

"If she’s willing, I’ll give her a home."

"Duan Ling, I don’t mean to discourage you, but you might as well give up this idea now. According to Pei Yinong’s personality, she will definitely not agree. She wouldn’t agree for Haohao’s sake either." Although he had only interacted with Pei Yinong a few times, Cui Zeyu could tell that Pei Yinong was an especially strong-willed woman who meant what she said and was decisive. For Duan Ling to get her forgiveness, in his opinion, was extremely difficult.

Duan Ling seemed disheartened, "I don’t know what to do now, my mind is in chaos."

"Duan Ling, as your friend, I should support you, not bring you down. If you truly want to get Pei Yinong’s forgiveness, you have to tell her the truth about why you left without a word five years ago. Your silence isn’t for her benefit; it will only make her hate you even more."

Duan Ling was silent, the events from five years ago weren’t something he could explain in just a few words, "I will consider this matter carefully."

Cui Zeyu sighed and said no more.

**

To prevent Duan Ling from finding out where Haohao was, Pei Yinong hadn’t visited her son at the Fu Family home in the past few days. If she really missed Haohao, she’d just call him.

"Mummy, when are you coming to take me home?" Haohao had been staying at the Fu Family for three days and wanted to go home.

Pei Yinong said with a tender smile, "Mummy has to go on a business trip these next few days. You stay at your auntie’s house for a while, and when Mummy comes back, I’ll pick you up, okay?"

"Okay," Haohao sounded a bit down, which Pei Yinong noticed, "Haohao, why are you unhappy?"

"Mummy, I miss you," Haohao said softly.

Pei Yinong’s heart ached, "Mummy misses you too. I will be back in a few days. What have you been doing at your auntie’s house?"

In order to steer the conversation away from his gloominess, Pei Yinong decisively changed the subject. Speaking of this perked Haohao up quite a bit, "Auntie took me and my little brother to learn swimming, Mummy, swimming is really fun. Auntie also took me to see a movie, but this time my little brother didn’t go. Auntie said he is too young, and we can ALL go when he grows up."

"Oh? What movie did auntie take you to see?"

"’Coco’. Mummy, the movie was really good. Will you take me to see it again when you come back?"

"Sure. When Mummy comes back, I’ll take you to see it."

Pei Yinong talked with her son for nearly half an hour before she hung up. Only then did she call Shen Qinglan.

"Dear cousin, is everything resolved now?"

Pei Yinong was silent, "Qinglan, did you find out?"

"I guessed it," Shen Qinglan said. After Haohao arrived, she had asked Haohao about what had happened in the past few days. Judging from the bits and pieces Haohao had told her along with Pei Yinong’s behavior, it was not difficult to guess.

"Cousin, do you plan to keep this from Haohao for the rest of your life?"

"I don’t know, I only know that I don’t want to tell Haohao about it now. Qinglan, do you think I’m being too selfish?" Pei Yinong said quietly, as she had been hesitating these past few days.

"Cousin, whatever decision you make, I can understand." Any woman would find it hard to easily forgive.

Pei Yinong remained silent, in fact, she also felt clueless, "Qinglan, what do you think I should do?"

"Cousin, do you still love Haohao’s dad?"

"No, I’ve let go a long time ago." Pei Yinong was unequivocal, uncertain of other things but certain of this one, "Qinglan, I won’t hide it from you, I never thought of continuing with him."

"Cousin, actually I’ve met that man before, his name is Duan Ling, right?"

"When did you run into him?" Pei Yinong was surprised.

"It was when I accompanied my brother to a banquet last time, he seemed to be married already. I was worried just now, worried that you were upset because you still had feelings for him, but now that I know you’ve completely let go of him, I feel relieved."

Pei Yinong sighed, "I’m just not reconciled. Back then, he left without leaving a single word, leaving me alone. I’ve been through so much alone, faced so many rumors, and raised Haohao on my own. What right does he have to come back and appear in our lives as Haohao’s father? What has he ever done for Haohao?"

Shen Qinglan frowned, having never experienced such a thing herself, she didn’t know how to judge, "Cousin, but he is indeed Haohao’s biological father." This objective fact couldn’t be denied no matter what, especially now that the man also knew about it.

"I know, if it were up to me, I’d wish he would never see Haohao in this lifetime, and I don’t want Haohao to know that his father once left him to be with another woman. But if I don’t tell Haohao, I’m afraid that when Haohao grows up, he’ll resent me." Pei Yinong revealed the true turmoil in her heart.

"Cousin, Haohao is a sensible child, even if you don’t tell him now, he will understand you in the future and definitely won’t blame you." Shen Qinglan was very sure of this.

"That’s exactly why I’m even more worried, the more sensible Haohao is, the more I feel I owe him." Pei Yinong spoke softly, "Qinglan, let Haohao stay with you for a few days. I want to be alone to clear my head and think things through."

"Alright, cousin, Haohao can stay here as long as he wants."

After hanging up, Shen Qinglan turned around only to see Haohao standing at the door, quietly looking at her. Shen Qinglan was startled, not knowing when he had come to stand there, nor had she any idea how much of her conversation he had heard.

"Haohao." She spoke for the first time and felt her throat gripped with emotion.

Haohao lowered his head, not saying a word. Shen Qinglan walked over to his side and crouched down, looking intently at him, "Haohao, what’s wrong?"

"Auntie, I heard everything just now, the things you said to mom. My mom asked me to stay here because my dad’s back, right?" His voice was low, soft.

Shen Qinglan sighed softly, realizing he had heard, "Haohao."

"Auntie, are you going to tell me a lie?" Haohao looked up directly into her eyes, leaving the words Shen Qinglan wanted to say stuck in her throat, "Haohao, can I tell you the truth, do you want to hear it?" She had always known Haohao was a mature child, which was why she never treated him like an ordinary child.

"I want to hear." Haohao was serious.

Shen Qinglan took Haohao onto her lap, "Haohao, you’re five years old now, a big boy, and Auntie knows you are a sensible child. Indeed, your mom let you come and stay at your auntie’s because your dad has come back."