"Your leg isn't healed yet, don't move around," Xing Zheng helped Ruan Yufei onto the sofa. He didn't comment on her unusually intimate actions just now. His indifferent attitude made Ruan Yufei a little more sober. When she realized what she had done, she became annoyed. If Xing Zheng became distant because of this...
"I-I'm sorry, I'm so useless." Ruan Yufei lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Her lips were pursed nervously, and she didn't even dare to look up at Xing Zheng.
"What time does Yangshuo get out of school?" Xing Zheng didn't mention what happened earlier, so Ruan Yufei also let it go. "Today, it's five o'clock."
Xing Zheng grunted, "I'll pick him up."
A flicker of surprise flashed in Ruan Yufei's eyes. "Yangshuo will be so happy to see you!"
Xing Zheng arrived at the international school before five to pick up Yangshuo. He swiped the parent pass Ruan Yufei gave him to enter the campus and waited for Yangshuo to come out of the teaching building.
Soon, the first graders were dismissed. Yangshuo came out with his backpack and immediately saw Xing Zheng.
Yangshuo's eyes lit up. He ran to Xing Zheng, grabbed his arm, and shouted excitedly, "Dad!"
His excitement was evident in his voice. Xing Zheng smiled at Yangshuo, "Happy birthday."
Yangshuo asked expectantly, "What gift did Dad buy me?"
In Yangshuo's memory, his father always gave him gifts on his birthday. He didn't have many toys, and his mother rarely bought him any. He only received really cool toys on his birthday.
"You said you wanted a LEGO car model last time, so I bought it for you," Xing Zheng said. "Six sets in total, take your time assembling them."
"Dad, you're the best!" Yangshuo's voice rose with excitement. Xing Zheng was infected by Yangshuo's laughter and laughed along with him.
The two of them looked alike, attracting the attention of many classmates. Someone rushed up to Yangshuo and said, "Yangshuo, your dad is so handsome!"
This was Xing Zheng's first time picking up Yangshuo from school, but Yangshuo had often talked about Xing Zheng with his classmates. His close friends all knew that he had a very capable father.
Yangshuo was extremely proud after being praised by his classmates. He puffed out his chest and said, "My dad is not only handsome, but also very capable!"
Xing Zheng walked out of the campus with Yangshuo. Not far away, an employee from Nanjiang Bank saw this scene, his mouth agape, his jaw almost dropping.
Xing Zheng... actually had a child?
Xing Zheng picked up Yangshuo and returned home. When the father and son entered, Xu Shang and Xie Junyao had already arrived, and Xie Qinjia came with them. Xie Qinjia's attitude towards Xing Zheng was as usual, but considering it was Yangshuo's birthday, she wasn't as sharp with him as she normally was.
"Great-grandpa, Great-grandma, welcome." Yangshuo had been taught to be polite by Ruan Yufei. Upon seeing his elders, he went to greet them one by one. "Old Aunt, you're here too."
Xie Qinjia liked Yangshuo very much. She took Yangshuo's hand, gave him a thick red envelope, and said gently, "Happy seventh birthday to our Yangshuo. Take this money to buy toys you like."
Ruan Yufei saw the red envelope and felt very embarrassed. She bit her lip, "Little Aunt, you don't have to..."
"Why not? It's deserved," Xie Qinjia also felt very sorry for Ruan Yufei. "It's not easy for you to raise Yangshuo alone. You don't have much money, so take it."
After Xie Qinjia gave the red envelope, Xu Shang and Xie Junyao also gave theirs. Ruan Yufei could only accept the elders' kindness.
It had been a long time since so many people had visited their home. Yangshuo was very excited. During dinner, he chatted with the elders and occasionally uttered some witty remarks that made everyone at the table burst into laughter.
Xie Qinjia doted on Yangshuo, treating him like her own grandson. Xing Zheng watched Xie Qinjia constantly put food on Yangshuo's plate, her gaze fixed on his movements. His eyes darkened, and memories surged like a tide.
Many years ago, it was the same scene. That year, he and Xing Yan had just returned to their home in Nanjiang City.
The family of four finally had the chance to sit at the same table to eat after many years. He eagerly sat down, but Xie Qinjia didn't give him an extra glance the entire time.
She placed the stir-fried green beans and pork ribs in front of Xing Yan, urging him to eat more so he could grow taller.
Even though they were both sons, she never remembered that these were his favorite dishes too. That meal, he could only sit quietly, watching her repeatedly serve Xing Yan, listening to her inquire about Xing Yan's studies and exam results.
The scene from his memory overlapped with the current one. Xing Zheng felt a tightness in his throat. He drank the ice water in his glass, but the feeling didn't subside.
He felt something in his chest about to break free. His adrenaline surged. He took out his phone from his pocket, found the familiar avatar in his WeChat list, and sent a message.
"Meet me in the hospital garage at nine-thirty."
After dinner, Lin Mei noticed that the internal WeChat group was very lively. This group was created by a colleague from the office area. They didn't talk much about work; they usually ordered takeout and shared gossip.
Tonight, there seemed to be some explosive news, as it had already amassed hundreds of messages. Lin Mei, having nothing else to do, started scrolling through the chat history.
Then, Lin Mei saw photos of Xing Zheng and Yangshuo. Through the chat history, Lin Mei learned that a colleague from the bank had gone to pick up a relative's child from school and happened to run into Xing Zheng, so they came to the group to gossip.
She had taken photos. The child looked extremely similar to Xing Zheng. Everyone assumed the child was Xing Zheng's illegitimate son. The conversation then revolved around the child's mother and Xing Zheng becoming a father at nineteen, with many unverified and hearsay rumors in between.
Lin Mei finished reading, feeling nothing. However, a few young colleagues who had recently joined the company seemed very disappointed.
Lin Mei then realized that many people in the bank considered Xing Zheng their perfect dream lover. She couldn't help but want to laugh.
Just as Lin Mei was about to exit, someone in the group suddenly @ed her: "@Lin Mei, Manager Lin, you often go to Shuangmu. Have you heard any gossip about the child's mother?"
Lin Mei replied with a "no" and stopped looking at the group. Then, she saw Xing Zheng's message from fifteen minutes ago, asking her to wait for him in the underground garage.
What he wanted her for, she could guess without even thinking.
Lin Mei frowned. Wasn't he spending his son's birthday with him? Why was he looking for her again?
At nine-thirty, Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue had already gone to bed. Lin Mei sat on the sofa outside with a glass of water. Just as she took a sip, her phone vibrated. Looking down, she saw it was Xing Zheng's call.
Lin Mei answered, and a hoarse, deep voice came through the phone, like a phantom in the silent night, "Come down."
Lin Mei tiptoed out of the ward. She didn't go straight down but first went to the convenience store on the first floor of the inpatient building to buy two boxes of condoms. She held them in her palm and walked towards the underground garage.