At this moment, Chen Chen was crying.
Standing in front of him was a woman, Lin Minglan, arguing with a man. The man had shifty eyes and a sinister appearance.
He was also sharp-tongued and vulgar, "Who do you think you are? Mind your own business!"
With that, he pushed Lin Minglan aside to grab Chen Chen. But with Lin Minglan blocking him, the man found her to be a nuisance. Without a second thought, he slapped her.
Lin Minglan reacted quickly, turning her head. The slap missed her face but hit her shoulder.
It sent her staggering.
She grabbed the back of a nearby seat to steady herself. Her palm was accidentally cut, and she turned to see the human trafficker picking up Chen Chen. She rushed to stop him, but how could her strength match the man's? She only scared Chen Chen into crying harder.
Just as the man was about to succeed, the child in his arms was suddenly snatched away!
The man didn't even have time to react. He felt a gust of wind and his arms were empty. He instinctively looked and saw a tall, stern man looking down at him with cold eyes.
The man immediately cursed, "Who the hell are you to steal my child!"
Fu Jingshu took off Chen Chen's hat, revealing the little face covered in tears, like a little kitten. Seeing him, the child cried even harder.
"Daddy..."
He clung to Fu Jingshu's neck dependently, his voice filled with grievance.
The man's expression changed.
Lin Minglan scolded, "See? This is the child's daddy! Who are you? Why don't you pee and see what you look like? Could you even give birth to such a cute child?"
Everyone looked at Chen Chen, then at the sharp-featured, thin-faced man, and fell into a moment of silence.
After the silence came angry shouts.
"He really is a human trafficker!"
"So shameless, snatching a child in broad daylight!"
"Lawless! Call the police quickly, arrest him, and execute him!"
Human traffickers were always the most hated people. Amidst the curses, the man finally panicked and tried to escape timidly, but was held down by kind-hearted bystanders.
Lin Minglan immediately called the police. The officers arrived in less than ten minutes.
The man was taken away.
The crowd dispersed. Fu Jingshu comforted Chen Chen, then looked at Lin Minglan's hand, where there was a bit of fresh red. "I'll take you to the hospital."
He also wanted to check on his son to make sure he wasn't too traumatized.
The child had been silent until now.
Lin Minglan naturally wouldn't refuse this opportunity to spend time with him. At the hospital, she was arranged to be bandaged in the emergency room, while Fu Jingshu waited with Chen Chen.
During this time, he kept talking to Chen Chen in a low, gentle voice.
Even though it wasn't directed at her, she was still captivated.
"Thank you... today."
Fu Jingshu looked up at her.
Lin Minglan did not hide the admiration in her eyes. "You don't need to be so polite. Even if it wasn't your child today, I would have intervened."
She glanced at Chen Chen, a hint of pity in her eyes.
"Children are innocent."
Fu Jingshu looked at her with a hint of surprise. "Regardless, thank you."
Lin Minglan smiled charmingly. "If you really want to thank me, why don't you stay and keep me company? At least let me get my wound dressed before you leave."
She could tell that Fu Jingshu intended to leave.
Fu Jingshu was silent for a moment. "Okay."
Lin Minglan immediately smiled, her eyes shining with an unusual light. "Jingshu, perhaps you don't like me, but we are still friends. I hope you won't be so cold to me."
Fu Jingshu remained silent.
But at least, he didn't turn and leave. For Lin Minglan, this was already a good sign.
Soon, a psychiatrist arrived. He examined Chen Chen, asked a few simple questions, and then said, "Don't worry. The child is just a little scared, but he'll be fine with some rest."
Fu Jingshu stroked Chen Chen's head. "Thank you."
Meanwhile, Lin Minglan's injury was more serious. Not only was her hand hurt, but her shoulder was also bruised. The color on her fair skin was shocking.
She had been pampered since she was young and had never suffered such hardship. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Later, she said she felt dizzy, so the doctor asked her to stay for observation. Fu Jingshu, of course, couldn't leave. He took Chen Chen and accompanied the doctor to her room.
Lin Minglan lay on the hospital bed, looking at him. "Thank you, Jingshu."
Fu Jingshu said lightly, "It should be me thanking you."
After all, she had saved Chen Chen. If she hadn't argued with that human trafficker for a while, by the time he found out, the child might have already been taken away.
He pondered for a moment and said, "If you have any requests, you can make them, and I will try my best to fulfill them."
Disappointment flashed in Lin Minglan's eyes. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who seeks rewards for favors?"
Fu Jingshu neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Don't worry, I did this out of my own will, without any ulterior motives." Lin Minglan lay on the hospital bed, her face pale and her voice weak, only her face peeking out from under the quilt. "If you think I'm expecting you to repay me, then you think too little of me."
Fu Jingshu's expression was unreadable.
It wasn't that he intentionally misunderstood her, but her past actions made it difficult not to think too much.
At the same time.
Shen Qingqing returned to the villa. After asking the servants, she learned that the children had not left their rooms. She went to their rooms to find them.
As soon as she entered, she saw Shen Jinxi and Xing Yao.
One was telling a story, the other was listening. They looked warm and harmonious. She smiled and her gaze swept around the room.
"Xixi."
Shen Jinxi looked up. "Mommy!"
As he stood up, he also pulled Xing Yao up, and they walked towards her. Shen Qingqing hugged both children and kissed each of their cheeks.
"Did you miss Mommy?"
"Missed you!"
The two children answered in unison.
Shen Qingqing's heart felt sweet. She smiled and asked, "Where is your brother?"
"Brother is in the study." Shen Jinxi sounded a little puzzled. "That's right, Brother hasn't come out all day. I wonder what's so fun in the study."
Shen Qingqing took them to find Chen Chen, but as they were about to go out, a servant carrying a kettle rushed over.
"Miss Shen, something's wrong! There's a rope hanging down from the second-floor window..."
Shen Qingqing's expression changed slightly. She immediately strode towards the study. When she saw the empty study, the open window, and the rope made from half a curtain, her face darkened.
"What happened?" King walked in leisurely.
"Chen Chen is missing."
King's expression changed. He looked down from the window and said sternly, "The child must have run out on his own. He's still a child, he can't have gone far. Don't worry, I'll have people look for him."