"You're still so indiscreet with your words at your age," An Jing said, tapping her daughter's forehead.
He Mingqi shrugged it off and turned to Rui Rui. "From now on, if you ever need anything, just tell me. If you make a mistake, I'll take the blame. Besides, we have our third uncle, he spoils us the most."
"I know. He brings me Rubik's cubes and plays chess with me."
Faced with the clever and lively He Mingqi, Rui Rui's usually tense little face finally relaxed.
The He family members present finally breathed a sigh of relief.
...
In the evening, the lights in the He family living room were on. Old Master He looked at He Zinian opposite him with a frosty expression.
"Our family has suffered misfortune! She wasn't a good woman to begin with, and I never imagined she was so cunning. Now she's turned the family upside down, and even Qingqing..." Mother He sighed in anger.
Her son, in his thirties, was still so foolish. It was truly hopeless.
Father He asked, "Where is that woman now?"
He Zinian replied, "I've locked her up at home. I haven't decided what to do with her yet."
Any man who discovered he had been played for a fool by a woman for seven or eight years would want to skin her alive. He Zinian was no exception.
But faced with Zhu Shasha's explanations and desperate pleas, and remembering her past kindness, he couldn't bring himself to act.
Old Master He closed his eyes, suppressing the urge to slap him. Then, he slowly opened them again.
"Don't interfere with this matter. I'll have Ziyu handle it."
"Dad?" If Ziyu handled it, Zhu Shasha's fate would be far from pleasant.
"Shasha, she actually..."
"Shut up!" Old Master He could no longer restrain himself. He grabbed a teacup from the coffee table and flung it towards He Zinian's face.
The force was immense, showing no mercy.
He Zinian dared not dodge. The teacup hit his forehead and then fell, shattering. A bruise instantly formed on his forehead.
"You've completely disgraced our He family! Look at you, all these years, you've only grown older, not wiser. You're indecisive, you can't tell right from wrong, you have ambitions but lack the courage. One woman has played you for a fool, and you haven't even gone to see your own son since he was found. Do you deserve to be a father?"
He Zinian stammered, "Dad, I..."
"Get out! Get out and think clearly about what you need to do, how to shoulder your responsibility as a father. That child is being discharged tomorrow. It's up to you whether you go or not."
At the hospital, Chen Lishu looked at the dejected Rui Rui and asked, "Does the wound hurt again?"
Rui Rui looked up. "Mom, I want to go home."
Chen Lishu replied, "Soon. Tomorrow, after the doctor checks you and changes your dressing, we can go home."
"I miss my younger siblings, Grandma, and Auntie Xiaoyue." Although he had met the He family, he felt too unfamiliar with them. He didn't want to stay here.
Especially after experiencing a car accident right after arriving, he had no good impressions of the capital.
Chen Lishu reached out and stroked his head. "Mom misses them too."
Especially the two little ones, she wondered how they were, if they had been listening and eating and sleeping obediently.
Gu Xingdong glanced in the direction of the mother and son, straightening his posture. "Xiao Cheng and Xiao Bai are too young to have come, but since you're here, you, as their older brother, should see more for them. Then you can tell them about it when you meet."
Rui Rui's eyes lit up.
Gu Xingdong's words implied that he would be returning. Finally hearing the answer he wanted, Rui Rui couldn't help but curve his lips.
After the child fell asleep, Chen Lishu chatted with Gu Xingdong.
"What did you mean by what you said to Rui Rui?"
Gu Xingdong took her hand resting by the bed and smiled. "Whether Rui Rui takes the surname He or Gu, our greatest wish as parents is for him to be happy and joyful, right?"
Chen Lishu nodded.
"But this incident has already caused the child distress. He's now repulsed and afraid. The people who can give him enough security are us, his parents. He's not an object to be moved around. He has his own thoughts. Don't worry, I'll handle the communication with the He family. Since Rui Rui calls me Dad, I can't let him be wronged, nor can I let the child down."
The child's desire to stay was from his heart, not because they had forcefully pushed him into someone else's hands. No one could force his son.
The next morning, Father He and Mother He arrived at the hospital early. They brought three insulated lunch boxes, and Old Master He carried two bags.
"If Ziyu hadn't stopped me from staying overnight, I would have found a bed here yesterday. Not seeing the child, I just felt uneasy," Mother He said as she unpacked the breakfast she brought.
There were wontons, dumplings, sesame cakes, fried dough sticks, porridge, soy milk, and about seven or eight other items.
"I didn't know what you all liked to eat, so I just prepared a bit of everything. Please don't be polite. If it's not enough, I'll have Ziyu buy more."
He Ziyu remarked, "Ms. Luan, you call this just preparing a bit? It looks like you've moved the whole house here. Fortunately, Dong Ge and Rui Rui aren't seriously injured and can be discharged this morning. If they stayed a few more days, you'd wear my legs down to stubs."
Old Master He glared at his son. "Don't be disrespectful. How can you talk to your mother like that?"
Chen Lishu smiled. "Auntie, you're too kind. We can't possibly finish all this food."
Mother He replied, "It doesn't matter. Eat slowly. The rest is for Ziyu."
He Ziyu thought, I seriously doubt she's my biological mother.
He Zinian, standing not far away, looked at Rui Rui with a complicated gaze.
He was naturally happy to have his son back, but seeing the face that so closely resembled his ex-wife made him feel like his past years had been a joke.
"Rui Rui," He Zinian said with a smile, reaching out to pat Rui Rui's head. But before his hand could touch him, Rui Rui frowned and dodged.
He Zinian awkwardly withdrew his hand, which was still in mid-air, and forced a smile. "Rui Rui, I'm your father. Don't you remember?"
Rui Rui pursed his lips and turned his gaze to Gu Xingdong.
The meaning was clear: that was his father.
Mother He, seeing this, quickly said, "The child is still young and doesn't remember past events. He needs time to adapt. Don't rush him, take it slow."
She was already very content that Rui Rui had been found. As long as the child was safe, she didn't want to force him to do anything he disliked.
Not long after, the doctor came to check on them. Thanks to He Ziyu's connections, the examination was very thorough. Once it was confirmed that there were no serious issues, both the adults and the child could be discharged.
"I've already prepared your room. Please stay here and make yourselves at home."
Upon arriving home, Mother He first took Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong to see their room.
Chen Lishu said, "Sorry to trouble you, Auntie."
"Oh, child, I told you to treat this as your own home. Don't be so formal."