226: Chapter 226 An Rui is Missing 226: Chapter 226 An Rui is Missing The sky gradually darkened, and the city lights began to twinkle.
An Mansion.
An Xueyin had just returned from the company.
Barely had she parked and stepped out of the car when she encountered Lin Yue, who had just come back from the An Residence.
“Mom.”
She called out to her.
But Lin Yue didn’t respond.
Instead, she walked inside with a hollow look, seemingly in a daze.
An Xueyin watched her, perplexed and slightly furrowing her brows.
What had happened?
She had never seen her mother so soulless.
A few minutes later.
A cry of alarm came from the living room: “Uncle An wants to divorce you?
Why?”
An Xueyin was utterly confused.
Although she had always known that the relationship between her mother and Uncle An was strained, years had passed—why suddenly bring up divorce?
Could it be that Uncle An had discovered that secret?
Lin Yue’s feelings were exceptionally complex at this moment; she couldn’t find the words to describe them.
Seeing that her mother was silent, An Xueyin voiced her own suspicion: “Mom, did Uncle An find out about An Mi and An Rui’s affair?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Yue abruptly looked up at her, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.
“How did you know?”
“I overheard a conversation between you and Grandma by accident.”
Lin Yue’s brow furrowed, her complexion pale and her gaze dark: “Who else have you told about this?”
On her way back from the An Residence, she had been thinking—where had the problem occurred?
She had hidden it so well that, aside from that old woman who later became aware, hardly anyone knew about it.
An Xueyin shook her head, “Of course not, I’m not stupid.
Why would I tell others carelessly?”
Hearing this, Lin Yue wondered, if it wasn’t her, then who could it be?
Could it be Ms.
Qiu, again?
But Ms.
Qiu couldn’t possibly have any evidence of this matter.
Thinking it over, she couldn’t come up with an explanation.
Even if she could figure it out, what then?
The deed had been done, and An Chengyuan never had feelings for her to begin with.
Now that he had brought up divorce, it was a done deal.
–
Two days later, Chen Shurong and An Xiao’s crimes were confirmed.
This was an outcome Su He had anticipated.
After all, the evidence was substantial.
Su He had only shared this news with Su Tianyi and the others, without informing the elderly Su Family.
She did not want them to add to their worries and guilt.
On Saturday, Su He went back to Beijing alone; she wanted to visit her mother.
In the past, she would only come on the anniversary of Su Wanqiu’s death.
Upon arriving at the cemetery, she unexpectedly encountered An Chengyuan.
They had not seen each other since they left the An Residence that day.
Su He did not expect to see him there.
She pursed her lips but said nothing.
She passed him and went to her mother’s tombstone, placing the fresh flowers she had brought beside it.
Next to it, there was another bouquet of white bellflowers, identical to the ones she brought.
Looking at the photo on the tombstone, she said with a smile, “Mom, now you can rest in peace.
I have punished those who hurt you.
I know you always disliked the manipulative ways of life and didn’t want to witness scenes of blood and violence.
So, I chose the most primitive way to punish them.
That must be the way you’d prefer too.”
Her mother, in her eyes, was a gentle and kind person, but her kindness did not lack sharpness—it was just directed outward, never towards her family.
It was precisely because of her mother’s overly restrained edge that Chen Shurong and An Xiao had their opportunity.
But it was the path her mother chose, and she had no right to question or interfere with her choices of the past.
After speaking a few words to her mother, Su He decided to leave.
She had no intention of staying long.
An Chengyuan had been standing silently aside the whole time.
Seeing her about to leave, he spoke: “Hehe, can Dad have a word with you?”
His voice was gentle, his face sporting a kindly look as he watched her, with a hint of caution and pleading in his eyes.
Su He pressed her lips tightly together, silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
Father and daughter stood beneath the branches of a nearby tree.
An Chengyuan looked at her with a deep gaze, his emotions complex.
And Su He looked out at the continuous mountain peaks in the distance.
A gust of cold wind blew, and the dense, crowded leaves overhead rustled.
Accompanied by the somewhat hoarse voice of An Chengyuan: “Hehe, I’m sorry, but Daddy doesn’t regret sending you away back then.”
His words reached Su He’s ears, and she turned her head, looking at him with calm eyes.
She noticed the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and realized that, indeed, a lot of time had passed because his face now bore folds.
These were the traces left by the years, and the young, handsome father of her memory was no longer there.
“Why?” she asked.
Although she probably had already guessed the reason, she still wanted him to say it out loud.
An Chengyuan said, “Staying in the An Family, you were bound by too many restrictions.
I was incapable and worried that I couldn’t take good care of you, that it would make you suffer or get hurt.
I have already lost your mother, I didn’t want to lose you as well.
Therefore, the best choice back then was to send you to your grandfather’s house, at the Su Family, it was better than at the An Family.”
Su He took a deep breath and said, “You’re not wrong in saying that.
My current abilities are all thanks to the careful nurturing of my grandparents.
I might not have achieved what I have now if I had grown up in the An Family.”
This point, Su He had to admit.
If she had grown up in the An Family, maybe she would have had a different kind of life.
During this time, she gained a lot, but lost the most important thing.
She spoke very indifferently, showing no hint of emotional fluctuation.
She closed her eyes and then said, “However, I lost the most important thing, something that cannot be measured in money and cannot be replaced.”
Upon hearing this, An Chengyuan’s brows furrowed tightly.
Right after that, she said, “Actually, I don’t want any glory or wealth; I just wanted a father’s love, a father’s company.
But these things, which come so easily to other children, became the most distant luxury for me.”
In the Su Family, she was indeed cherished like a princess, everyone at the Su Family treated her well, giving her a lot of love, but these could not make up for the paternal love she longed for in her heart.
She went from hope, to disappointment, then to numbness and getting used to days without her father’s company.
As time went by, she gradually stopped expecting.
Her words were like a sharp knife, piercing into An Chengyuan’s heart.
He, already filled with guilt, felt even heavier at this moment.
“I used to hate you, but now, I don’t hate you anymore,” said Su He.
Yes, she had come to terms with it.
Or perhaps she had never truly hated him; she was just resentful and didn’t understand.
Now she understood.
“I know you had your concerns back then, but some things, once lost, are lost forever, missed is missed.
No matter how you try to fill that void, it’s futile.
So, you don’t need to dwell on the past or feel guilty.
I’ve forgiven your previous choice, but I can’t interact with you in the same way I did as a child.”
An Chengyuan looked at his daughter before him, young in age, but her words and actions were always more insightful and determined than his, a man over fifty.
Similarly, it also pained him.
But he also knew that this was the consequence of his own actions, and that he had to bear all consequences.
Su He did not dwell too much on the matter, she shifted the conversation, “How do you plan to tell An Mi and An Rui about their heritage?”
An Chengyuan pondered for a moment, then said, “I’ll find the right opportunity to tell them.”
“I have already gone through divorce proceedings with Lin Yue.”
Su He stated indifferently, “That’s between you and her, there’s no need to tell me.”
An Chengyuan seeing her so indifferent and direct, didn’t know how to respond.
“If there’s nothing else, then I should be going.” Su He said, “An Mi and An Rui are not little kids anymore, they understand what they should.”
After saying this, she turned and left.
As Su He descended from the hill of the cemetery, she saw a familiar figure.
The man was wearing a gray coat, his tall figure slightly bent, leaning against the hood of her car, his profile handsome and ethereal, his straight nose resembling a beautiful man stepping out of a comic.
Jiang Yan, hearing footsteps, raised his eyes to look at her.
“When did you come?”
Su He stood in front of him, meeting his gaze.
The man noticed her ears were slightly red, probably from the cold.
He stood up and took a step forward.
Raising both hands, he covered her ears.
Su He immediately felt a warmth at her ears, she slightly tilted her head up, following the line of his attractive Adam’s apple, her gaze settling on his sharply defined jaw, her eyelashes flickering.
“Why didn’t you wear a scarf?”
The man lowered his head slightly, looking into her eyes.
“I forgot to bring it when I went out.” she said.
Jiang Yan helplessly said, “How could you forget yourself, too?”
Su He pulled at the corner of her mouth, then asked again, “You still haven’t told me when you came.”
“I’ve been here for a while, and the little guy came too,” said Jiang Yan.
At this point, Su He noticed a not-so-far-away Aston Martin with the car window rolled down, and the little guy’s head peeking out, waving his little hand at her.
She had not noticed this car before, thinking it belonged to someone else.
“Why did you change cars?” she asked.
He usually drives his exclusive car, so she didn’t realize it for a moment.
“That one was sent for a regular maintenance check.”
At this moment, An Chengyuan also came down.
Jiang Yan was somewhat surprised that he was here, but he still took the lead in nodding at him as a greeting.
And An Chengyuan also noticed the presence of Su Yimo.
The little guy was not wearing any disguise at the moment, his adorable little face was completely exposed.
An Chengyuan was slightly stunned for a moment, this face is exactly cast from the same mold as Jiang Yan.
He looked at Jiang Yan and Su He and asked, “Who is that child?”
Su He didn’t plan to keep it a secret from him any longer, she straightforwardly said, “My son.”
“What?”
An Chengyuan was completely stunned all of a sudden.
He looked back and forth at the two of them in shock, “When did you two have a child?”
“Four years ago,” Su He said.
After hearing this, An Chengyuan dared not ask any further, because to keep asking would be to humiliate himself.
But deep down he was very happy, he hadn’t expected to become a grandfather so soon.
Su He watched the subtle expressions that flashed across his face, pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but just couldn’t.
Jiang Yan quietly took in the emotion at the bottom of her eyes.
“Dad, I’ll let Xixi come down and greet you.”
This sudden call of “Dad” from Jiang Yan not only stunned An Chengyuan, but also stunned Su He.
Both of them turned their gaze toward him.
Jiang Yan didn’t think there was anything wrong, he let go of her and walked towards the little guy, soon carrying him over.
It was the first time Su Yimo saw An Chengyuan in reality, because he had seen pictures of An Chengyuan at Mommy’s before.
At that time, Mommy told him, one in the picture was Grandma, the other was Grandpa.
Mommy also told him that for some reasons, they couldn’t live with Grandpa.
The little guy had a sweet mouth, upon seeing him, he crisply called out, “Grandpa, hello, nice to meet you, I’m Su Yimo, you can call me baby, or you can call me Xixi.”
An Chengyuan was completely unprepared to reply, he looked at the cute, chubby little child in front of him, his eyes sparkling with undisguised joy and excitement.
Su He stood silently by the side.
An Chengyuan took a while before regaining his composure, joyfully responding, “Ah, good child, can I hug you?”
Although he was asking Su Yimo, his gaze was towards Su He, as if seeking her consent as well.
Su He moved her gaze away, choosing to remain silent.
Su Yimo knew his mommy the best, he immediately nodded his little head, saying, “Sure, Mommy doesn’t mind.”
After saying that, he let go of Jiang Yan’s neck, stretching his arms towards him.
An Chengyuan was somewhat overwhelmed.
When he was holding the little guy, his eyes went a bit sore, but he still held it in, with kind and benevolent eyes, full of smiling faces.
“…”
In the car.
After getting into the car, Su He had been silent all along, not speaking.
The father and son exchanged looks.
The little guy said soundlessly, “Daddy, Mommy is angry, you have to coax her.”
Jiang Yan: “…”
The driver, Jiang Feng, clearly also felt that there was a different atmosphere in the back seat.
But the matters of the masters were not for him to worry about, he just needed to concentrate on driving well.
“Angry?”
Jiang Yan held her hand and asked.
Su He’s gaze was always fixed on the window, until his deep and magnetic voice sounded, she then turned around, looking at the father and son.
Su Yimo blinked his round and innocent eyes, saying in a milky voice, “Mommy, if you don’t want baby to call him Grandpa, then baby won’t call him that anymore, baby doesn’t want to see Mommy unhappy.”
Compared to Jiang Yan’s three dry words just asked, Su Yimo’s words were clearly meant to please Su He.
And it also had a somewhat “sycophantic” feeling.
Su He also obviously quite liked the little guy’s approach.
Su He helplessly smiled and stretched out her hand to pinch his fair little cheek, “What’s the matter, weren’t you happily calling him that just a moment ago?”
The next second, Su Yimo didn’t hesitate to sell someone out.
“That was because Daddy told baby to call him that, Daddy said if I called him that, Mommy would be happy, but now it seems, Daddy seems to have guessed wrong.”
Jiang Yan: “…”
He really is his father’s good son.
Su He looked up at Jiang Yan and let out a chuckle.
Jiang Yan couldn’t tell right away what her laugh was implying.
Then he heard her say, “The way you call him ‘Dad’ is quite fluent.
Have you been practicing behind my back?”
Su He’s tone was relaxed, with a slightly teasing air.
“…”
The family of three was not in a hurry to return to Yue City, but went back to the Su Family home.
It had been a while since the old Mr.
and Mrs.
Su had seen their great-grandson, and they were thrilled to see Su Yimo.
So they decided to stay there for the night.
That night, Su Zhimian also came back.
After dinner, Su Zhimian called Su He out to the open-air balcony on the second floor, just the two of them.
Seeing his melancholic look, Su He asked with concern, “Is something on your mind?”
Su Zhimian was not someone with a strong addiction to smoking, which Su He understood very well.
Moreover, even if he needed to smoke, he wouldn’t do it in front of her, as she hated the smell of smoke.
But tonight, he actually smoked two cigarettes in front of her.
When unusual behavior like this happens, there must be a serious issue.
After he finished his cigarettes, he finally said slowly, “Sang Luo is pregnant, did you know?”
Su He was stunned for a moment, then nodded, “I know.
What about it?”
Su Zhimian squinted his eyes at her, “Did you know about it a long time ago?”
Su He replied, “Yeah.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me before?”
“You never asked me about it, how could I tell you?”
“…”
After taking a deep breath, Su Zhimian said, “If you had told me earlier that she had a child, then I wouldn’t have gone to disturb her.”
Hearing this, Su He was full of questions.
“Do you look down on her for having a child?” Su He asked.
Su Zhimian answered without hesitation, “No.”
Su He asked again, “Then why?”
Su Zhimian replied, “After all, I’m not that child’s biological father.
What if the child resents me being with Sang Luo?”
And most importantly, Sang Luo’s attitude left him unsure of what to do.
Su He was momentarily speechless; her brother’s intelligence paired with this train of thought was quite absurd…
But that shouldn’t be the case, right?
Moreover, from what he said, she knew that he hadn’t met Xuanxuan, the little girl; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so distressed.
She asked, “Have you met that child or spent time with her?”
Su Zhimian: “I haven’t.”
He had been dumbfounded when he learned the news and had no desire to meet any child.
Originally, when he found her, he didn’t investigate her past few years, maybe out of trust.
Besides, she was single now, so he saw even less reason to probe.
Su He sighed, “Since you haven’t even met her, how do you know that the child doesn’t like you?”
“Brother, I’m not trying to criticize, but if you really want to marry Sang Luo, you don’t need to worry about all this.
If you think it’s hard to approach Sang Luo, then win over the child first, and you’ll succeed.
Trust me, you’ll like that child, and she’ll like you as her stepfather.”
She was almost ready to spill the beans.
But she still kept her promise and didn’t reveal the truth.
When Su Zhimian heard the words “stepfather,” the corners of his mouth twitched.
–
In the blink of an eye, it was Tuesday.
Right after Su He had finished checking a house and returned to her office, she got a call from An Mi.
An anxious voice came through the phone, “Sis, An Rui is missing.”
Su He’s hand holding the water cup froze: “Don’t panic.
Tell me, when did he disappear?
Where did it happen?”
“It happened at school.
I had arranged to meet him and go back home this morning, but I’ve been waiting under his dormitory building for almost an hour, and he hasn’t shown up.
I sent him messages, tried calling, but no one responds.
I asked his dorm mates, and they said An Rui left after receiving a call last night and never returned.
I spoke to the security guard, and they checked the monitor; he left the school gates at 8:30 last night and hasn’t come back since.”
“Okay, I’ve got it.
Wait for me at school.” Right after Su He finished speaking, something suddenly occurred to her, and she added, “Stay in your dorm and wait for me.
Don’t trust any phone calls unless I call you myself, got it?”
An Mi didn’t know what had happened, but all she could do was agree, “Alright, I understand.”
After hanging up, Su He immediately changed her clothes, then called Fei Xu.
“Hello, Young Madam, is there a problem?”
“Fei Xu, I need you to help me investigate something…”