The heavy door was enough to block out the sound. Shen Minyan answered the call and instinctively held his breath.
“Hello.” It was a beautiful female voice.
Shen Minyan’s hand trembled slightly, almost dropping the phone. “…Chu Ying, is… is there something you wanted to call about?”
The woman on the other end sighed, her voice sounding very weak. Shen Minyan hardly dared to breathe, afraid that if he breathed too heavily, he might miss one of her words.
“Cough… I watched the show. I want to discuss something with you about Youyou.”
Shen Minyan didn’t even need to think. He immediately said, “Don’t worry. I can give you custody of Youyou. How have you been lately?”
Inside the study with its dim lighting, moonlight streamed in through the window. Half of Shen Minyan’s face was hidden in shadow. In the moonlight, the half of his face that was visible lacked its usual composure, looking somewhat flustered.
“I’m fine. I wanted to come back with Yanyan… Youyou is with you. I feel very reassured.”
Shen Minyan panicked slightly. He knew Chu Ying’s physical condition best. The day Youyou came back, Chu Ying had called him, saying she would come the next day to see Youyou. Chu Ying didn’t come. Instead, his eldest son came. Only after asking did he find out that when Chu Ying learned her child had been found, she got so emotionally overwhelmed that she fainted.
Chu Ying had given birth at an advanced age. During delivery, she suffered from an amniotic fluid embolism and went into shock. It could be said that the doctors had fought desperately to pull her back from the jaws of death. Then, she heard the devastating news that her child had been stolen. Her body just collapsed from there. Shen Minyan admitted he was not good with words. A thousand things he wanted to say got stuck in his throat, finally turning into the simple question: “Then what did you want to discuss with me?”
“I want to come see Youyou in a couple of days, is that okay?” Chu Ying’s voice was almost pleading.
Shen Minyan’s heart ached. He immediately said, “Of course. You gave birth to Youyou, so of course you have the right to see him. You’re not feeling well. Why don’t I have Shen Yan bring Youyou to see you instead?”
Chu Ying stopped him. “The hospital smells bad. Don’t bring Youyou here.”
The phone call didn’t actually last very long, but its impact was strong. Shen Minyan took several minutes to come back to his senses. What did Chu Ying say? She said she was coming to see Youyou tomorrow. For three years, he had seen Chu Ying only a handful of times, each time in the hospital. Filled with excitement, Chairman Shen quietly went to the children’s room on the second floor.
The little guy hadn’t slept in separate beds since being with Qin Kun and Su Siwen. After returning to Beicheng, the whole family doted on him excessively, taking turns sleeping with him.
Sleeping in separate beds seemed completely unnecessary to Shen Minyan. Being able to sleep with the little guy was something he had previously longed for but couldn’t have. The door opened a crack, and Shen Minyan stood in the doorway.
A very small nightlight was on at the head of the bed. Shen Lin was lying stiffly on the bed, his hands folded over his belly button. Beside him, the little guy was sprawled out carelessly, one small hand resting on Shen Lin’s chest, one small leg draped over him – a child who couldn’t stay still in his sleep. The dim nightlight illuminated Shen Minyan’s slightly upturned lips.
–The next morning, Chu Ying called again, setting a time for her visit to see Youyou. Shen Minyan made an exception today and didn’t make Shen Lin go to school. He told him that his mother was coming. Shen Lin basically visited Chu Ying several times a week. Chu Ying was a bit superstitious and felt it was bad for children to go to hospitals often, so she always told him not to come.
The little devil was the most stubborn. He’d laugh and agree nicely every time, but the next time, he’d still go anyway. He had seen his mother lying in the ICU with a ventilator. He was always particularly worried that something else might happen to her.
“Really? Mom is really coming?” Shen Lin immediately dropped his backpack and grabbed Shen Minyan’s hand.
Shen Minyan was infected by his excitement, the corners of his lips also curving into a smile. “Mm, she said she’s coming to see you guys.”
“Mom is coming! Mom is coming to see me!”
Shen Lin was like an elementary school student. He grabbed his book and ran upstairs to change his clothes, dressing himself up neatly. Meanwhile, the little guy, who had woken up early, was being led by the hand by Brother Xiao Tang for a morning walk. Outside Pei’s flower nursery, Pei Yi was being held by the hand by the pretty aunt the little guy had seen yesterday.
“Brother Qiqi.” The little guy trotted over.
Seeing Youyou approach, Pei Yi quickly pulled his hand out of Hua Zhao’s grasp.
“Youyou.”
The two little friends came together and put their small heads close to talk.
“Brother Qiqi, your aunt-in-law is really pretty.”
Pei Yi pressed his lips together without speaking, tilted his head, and looked behind him. When he saw Hua Zhao standing with her hands in her pockets, smiling at him, his little face turned red. The little guy was a face-con. Whenever he held Brother Qiqi’s hand, he couldn’t help but look back at Brother Qiqi’s pretty aunt-in-law.
He had been raised by his two foster fathers, and neither of them had any female friends. The woman Su Youli was most familiar with was Grandma Yang from Yunshui Street. But now, suddenly having a very pretty aunt around, the little guy felt very curious and couldn’t help sneaking glances at Hua Zhao.
Every time he looked over, Hua Zhao was smiling at him. She was wearing a beautiful dress, and when the wind blew, the hem of her skirt fluttered. The little guy was mesmerized. Half an hour later, the little guy’s morning exercise ended.
“Youyou, it’s time for us to go home.”
As Tang Dou lifted the little guy, his soft, white little hands were even holding onto Hua Zhao.
Tang Dou: “…”
When has the little young master ever been so forward? Is this the power of a beautiful woman? Hua Zhao looked at Su Youli’s delicate, innocent face, and her heart felt soft.
“Youyou, why don’t you go home with Brother Xiao Tang first, okay?”
Su Youli blinked his big eyes and obediently nodded. “Goodbye, Brother Qiqi’s aunt-in-law.”
Hua Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, pinching his cheek. “Just call me Aunt Hua, okay.”
“Goodbye, Aunt Hua.”
The little guy was carried away by Tang Dou. Even as he was taken, he kept sticking his head out to look back at her, looking very reluctant. Tang Dou sighed helplessly and said, “Aunt Hua Zhao lives right across from us. Youyou can see her often from now on.”
The little guy was very happy, then whispered, “How come Youyou doesn’t have an aunt?”
Tang Dou was choked up. For a moment, he didn’t know how to explain. Little children are naturally affectionate towards women. Unfortunately, Youyou had never spent time with a young woman since he was born. Thinking about the little guy’s past, Tang Dou felt a pang of sympathy. Just as he carried the little one to the door, a burst of cheers came from inside.
The little guy looked at Tang Dou. “It’s Second Brother.”
The moment he stepped inside, a blur rushed towards Tang Dou. Then, he felt his arms empty. The little guy who had just been sitting milkily in his arms had already been snatched away by Shen Lin.
Tang Dou: “…”
“Youyou, Second Brother is so happy today! Mom said she’s coming to see us, woo hoo~”
The little guy was tossed into the air by his second brother. His big eyes were dazed, and his small hands clutched helplessly at the air. Tang Dou was so scared his scalp went numb. This second young master is a real handful.
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