Ye stared intently at Li Zheng, awaiting his reply.

After a long pause, Li Zheng nodded: "Yes, I knew that all along."

"Then why are you still so concerned about Xiao Ran?" Ye's face showed anger.

"I thought everything you did was for Gu Qian, but I didn't realize it was all for him." Shu'er was so angry that she left.

Ye's voice was very soft, but He Lin still heard it.

He admired Gu Qian.

Li Zheng: "It wasn't for him, it was for..."

Ye: "For whom?"

"For Shu'er," He Lin replied on Li Zheng's behalf.

"What does this have to do with Shu'er?" Madam Ye thought to herself. Although Shu'er was Xiao Ran's legal mother, she still felt uneasy about it.

Li Zheng: "..."

After a moment of contemplation, Ye looked at Li Zheng:

"Since Xiaoran and Gu Qian have no relation, it's better to leave the child in the care of his biological father. Perhaps, right now, his mother is missing Xiaoran just like we miss Shu'er."

After all, He Lin is the child's biological father.

Inside the room, Gu Xiaoran cried and cried.

I'm not crying anymore.

It turns out, the housewife really didn't like him.

The last shred of hope in his heart had vanished.

My mother said, "A real man sheds blood, not tears."

Crying won't solve the problem.

The heartwarming image of Li Wenshu holding Gu Xiaoran flashed through He Lin's mind, adding to his sense of desolation.

He curved his lips into a forced smile: "My mother-in-law is absolutely right."

“No, if we hand the child over to him, we won’t be able to explain it to Qian’er.” Li Zheng shook his head firmly, his eyes full of hostility as he looked at He Lin.

Zhu Juan listened to the conversation outside. Although she couldn't understand everything, she could get the gist of it.

She found out that the man outside was Gu Xiaoran's biological father.

She hugged Gu Xiaoran's small body and patted his back.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here. No matter where you go, Aunt Zhu will always stay by your side."

"Can you come with me to find my mother?" Gu Xiaoran looked at Zhu Juan expectantly.

"Mm." Zhu Juan nodded, unable to refuse Xiao Ran's gaze.

"As long as the young master is happy, that's all that matters." The master certainly wouldn't want the young master to leave.

In her heart, the young master's background was full of twists and turns.

She guessed that the young master's biological mother probably didn't love him, otherwise, why wouldn't she come to see him?

Ye's expression softened.

“Brother Li, I know you’re stubborn, and Shu’er is just like you. But the child is still young and doesn’t understand, so we can’t let him cause trouble.”

Tomorrow, we'll go to Shangjin with His Majesty to see our daughter. With you looking after her, Xiaoran will be much more obedient on the journey."

"No, Qiuyun, we can't go to Shangjin!" Li Zheng refused outright, which infuriated Ye Shi.

He Lin's head was buzzing, and he didn't know how to respond.

"Why can't you go? You always do this. You clearly miss your daughter so much, why can't you go!"

Previously, whenever she suggested visiting her daughter in Shangjin, Li Zheng politely declined.

They said their family was too poor and they had no money for the journey.

Later, it was because she became pregnant.

Now that He Lin is here, it's perfect for them to go together.

Li Zheng: "Wenqing and Wenhan are too young and need constant care."

He glanced at Gu Xiaoran inside the room again and found that she had stopped crying and making a fuss.

Wenqing and Wenhan? He Lin was shocked. Following Li Zheng's gaze, he saw two women holding a pair of toddlers in front of the stream outside the courtyard, helping them learn to walk.

The two children walked unsteadily, babbling and giggling incessantly.