Later, Chu Ying accidentally became pregnant with her third child, which almost made Chu Lan die of anger. At that time, President Chu had just finished a high-level meeting. When she got the call and her sister said she wanted to keep the child, it felt like she had been hit on the back of the head with a club. How could the Chu family produce such a lovesick fool?
“Chu Ying, do you think you’re still young? You’re forty years old. Do you know what an advanced maternal age is? If not, please go Baidu it, okay?”
Chu Ying’s tone was innocent: “Sis, I’ve already checked online. Lots of people have children in their forties and fifties. Medicine is so advanced now. It’ll be fine.”
Chu Lan gritted her teeth. “Those people are willing to take the risk of giving birth at an advanced age because it’s their first child. You’ve already had two. Is this one absolutely necessary?”
Chu Lan even wanted to say, if you like having children so much, you might as well be reincarnated as a pig. Actually, Shen Minyan hadn’t been in favor of keeping the child at first. Chu Ying’s constitution wasn’t very good. After she had Shen Lin, it had taken a long time to nurse her back to health. He didn’t want anything to happen to Chu Ying. But Chu Ying insisted on keeping the child. Her selfish wish was for a daughter — a soft, adorable, beautiful daughter.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the scene before her. In front of the exquisite, luxurious villa stood the three Shen men, who were all over 1.8 meters tall, one who was just over 80 centimeters, and even the butler and the nanny aunties were all neatly lined up at the door, craning their necks in anticipation. Seeing the license plate from afar, Shen Lin jumped up excitedly, showing off his jumping ability to his mom.
From a distance, Chu Ying spotted her two eldest sons, and then her gaze immediately fell on Su Youli, who was obediently holding someone’s hand off to the side. Before coming, Chu Ying had done a lot of mental preparation. This was her child, who had once shared a heart with her. No matter what had happened in the past, her youngest son was safe and sound now.
The little guy was being held by the hand by his father. Driven by curiosity about his mother, he stretched his neck and stood on his tiptoes, trying very, very hard to catch a glimpse of her. Facing their expectant expressions, the closer the car got, the more Chu Ying felt a strange reluctance to approach. The car slowed down, and Chu Lan stepped on the brake and brought the car to a smooth stop.
She turned her head and saw that Chu Ying, who had been in a good mood the whole way, now had red-rimmed eyes, and her hands resting on her knees were trembling slightly. A warm palm covered the back of her thin hand. Chu Lan ultimately couldn’t bear to see her sister suffer. She took the initiative to lower her head and ease the atmosphere: “I promise I won’t curse out Shen Minyan later.”
Chu Ying laughed through her tears and glanced sideways at her sister. Straightening her clothes, Chu Ying and her older sister opened the car doors and got out. Shen Lin and Shen Yan walked up to her and greeted her obediently. Chu Lan genuinely liked her two nephews. She took turns ruffling their hair. The moment his mother entered his line of sight, the little guy was completely stunned.
Mom looked a bit different from her photos. He almost didn’t recognize her. She wore a white knitted hat that covered her ears, a dress, and a thick coat that reached her calves. She looked very, very thin. The three-year-old couldn’t quite articulate what was different about the feeling his mother gave him; he just felt like crying, his heart aching.
“Dad.” The little guy looked up, his eyes filled with tears.
Shen Minyan picked him up and patted his back a few times. “Youyou, that’s Mom.”
The little guy gave a muffled “Mm.”
It was Mom. It was the mom he had seen in the photos, but she looked like she was sick. Not far away, Chu Ying had finished greeting her two sons, but now she hesitated to take another step forward. Her youngest son was more vivid and radiant than she had seen on her phone — a soft, sticky little mochi ball. But at this moment, her mind was uncontrollably flooded with countless images.
A newborn baby, stolen, whereabouts unknown. Such a cold day, and he was so, so small. What would he experience? The child thief was ruthless and cruel. Would he have frozen to death already? He hadn’t even had a chance to experience the world. How had such a tiny infant survived in that kind of weather? His little hands and feet would have turned blue and purple from the cold…
She closed her eyes. The frail cry of a baby, like a kitten’s mew. Or maybe he wouldn’t even have the strength to cry. Her child. She hadn’t even seen her child. He had no name. He hadn’t even had a single sip of milk. Why? Why did her child have to suffer like this? She had never done anything wrong in her life. Why was this happening to her and her child?
For three years, these imaginary scenarios had gradually eaten away at her mental world. Chu Ying pinched her palm, telling herself she must not scare Youyou. Chu Ying, you have prepared adequately before coming to see Youyou. Youyou is doing very well. He can run and jump. He’s very cute and very well-behaved…
Every night for three years, Chu Ying spent half the time tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and the other half having nightmares. Many times, she even thought, if she couldn’t even protect her own child, what kind of mother was she? She had also dreamed of a blurry white figure, asking her in a weak, childish voice:
“Mom, you brought me into this world. Why don’t you love me properly?”
“Mom, if you don’t love me, I don’t want you to be my mom anymore.”
“Mom, I’m in pain. I’m so cold. I’m so hungry. Can I have something good to eat?”
“Mom, why am I not wearing any clothes? Other babies are wearing warm, soft clothes. Pretty little clothes. I want them too.”
“Mom, you seem to have forgotten to give me a name. A child without a name is a child nobody wants.”
“Mom, don’t you want me anymore?”
“Mom, I’m so cold. I want you to hold me.”
“Mom, I’m leaving.”
No face, no limbs, just a blurry white nothingness. It appeared in her dreams every day. Chu Ying’s suicidal thoughts had been stopped by Shen Minyan. The tall man knelt before her, his eyes bloodshot, each word dripping with blood: “I will find our child, Chu Ying. Our child will be fine.”
He didn’t know if he was lying to her or to himself. Chu Ying once asked herself, Did she hate Shen Minyan? The answer was yes, she had hated him. Clearly, this was their child. Clearly, he had already made so much money, had so much power. Why couldn’t he spend a little more energy on his family?
If Shen Minyan had been more careful, the child might not have been lost at all. After that, every time Shen Minyan appeared, it felt like she was being tortured again for losing the child. She had filed for divorce one month after the child was stolen, and she was discharged from the ICU.
“Let’s get a divorce, Shen Minyan.”
Shen Minyan stumbled, unable to steady himself. His wife had been reduced to skin and bones. Dragging her half-dead body, she looked at him with eyes close to despair and numbness. After a long time, a tear fell from the corner of Shen Minyan’s eye. He slowly nodded and said, “Okay.”
Author’s note: They will not remarry. Neither the biological father nor the biological mother is a perfect character. (Because truly, not many people are perfect.)
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