Chapter 34 Is this child his?

When they arrived at Su Nian's house, Si Yan carefully helped her and settled her on the sofa.

He sat down beside her, his eyes swept across Su Nian's slightly pale cheeks, then turned to Su Hong beside him. After pondering for a moment, he spoke in a somewhat serious tone: "Auntie, can I discuss something with you?"

"Go ahead." Su Hong responded, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the armrest of the sofa.

Si Yan took a deep breath and looked up at Su Hong with a sincere look: "Next, let's have a meeting between our two families to settle the matter between me and Su Nian. You are too busy on weekdays, so let me take care of her from now on." His eyes fell on the strands of hair at Su Hong's temples, and his tone was full of respect for a junior.

"Okay." Su Hong's voice was as light as a feather, and had almost no weight in the air.

Si Yan felt relieved and struck while the iron was hot, saying, "How about this Saturday? I'll choose the place and pick you up then." There was a subtle expectation hidden in his last tone.

"Okay," Su Hong agreed, but something seemed to be blocking her heart. She had promised to take good care of her daughter, but she was always tripped up by work, not even able to take care of her three meals a day.

A strong sense of self-blame came over me, making my nose feel sore and tight.

What made her even more sad was that the meeting of the two families meant that her daughter was going to completely start her own life and fly away from this home.

She looked out the window, her eyes reddened unconsciously.

Si Yan noticed her sudden drop in mood and quickly bowed, his tone becoming more earnest: "Auntie, don't overthink it. After Nian Nian and I got together, you didn't lose a daughter, but gained a son. I will go home with her often to visit you and be filial to you."

"Mom! I won't leave you!" Su Nian threw herself into her mother's arms, her voice filled with tears and her shoulders trembling slightly.

Si Yan's heart tightened—what was going on? Why did he feel like the villain who had separated them? He hurriedly tried to make amends: "Auntie, if you feel it's too hasty, how about we postpone the meeting?"

"No need." Su Hong took a deep breath and patted her daughter's back. The moisture in her eyes gradually dissipated. "Just do as you say. It's a good thing that Nian Nian has someone to care for her."

Chen Ran, who had just sent Su Nian to the hospital, was walking out of the hospital with a somewhat shaky step.

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the sycamore leaves onto the ground, making it difficult for him to open his eyes, and the rising heat made him feel like he couldn't breathe.

He climbed into the car, his hand suddenly stopped as he started the engine. The past, like rising tide, instantly washed over him, bringing a salty chill, seeping through his limbs and bones, enveloping him tightly.

Even though he was in his forties, his back was still as straight as a pine tree, unlike those greasy, potbellied uncles. This agility was the result of years of strict self-discipline—never skipping morning runs and always eating in moderation. He only hoped that when he saw her again, he would be recognized by her in this state.

Twenty-two years have passed. Back then, Su Hong left the South without a word. He chased her to the station and watched the train take away his beloved. The heartbreaking pain of that moment still seems to linger in his chest.

Just now at the hospital entrance, he glanced at the medical card and saw the child's date of birth: May 17, 2002.

Chen Ran's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. After all the calculations—Su Nian's age was just right, and crucially, the child would have taken their mother's surname, Su...

Could it be that... this child... is his?

His heart suddenly sank, and his back tightened in shock. But the next second, an unfamiliar heat rushed up, burning his eyes sore.

Yes, it must be his child!

After returning from abroad, he devoted all his energy to his career and founded Chen's Clothing Company.

The company has been developing better and better in recent years, and a branch has been opened from the south to Jiangcheng. However, as he gets older, the loneliness he feels still wraps around him like a vine, making it hard for him to breathe.

A while ago, he went to Su Hong's hometown again and asked around, asking everyone he met about the girl named Su Hong who had pigtails back then.

After much trouble, I finally got a clue. After three months of searching, I finally found this tailor shop hidden on the corner of the street.

It turned out that over the years, his bloodline had already taken root elsewhere and grew into a graceful young lady.

How much suffering and heartache must these mother and daughter have endured...

Even after suffering so much, Su Hong twenty-two years later was still the same as he had imagined.

Chen Ran looked at the street scene slowly receding outside the car window. His own shadow was blurry in the rearview mirror. The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, then suddenly pursed them. His Adam's apple rolled twice, swallowing back the sob that was rising in his throat.

Si Yan stayed at Su Hong's house to accompany Su Nian.

When Su Nian fell asleep in the afternoon, he sat at her desk, his eyes scanning every corner of the room.

Several design drawings were framed on the wall, with dates marked in the corners; the oldest was three years old. On the bookshelf were trophies and certificates, winners of various design competitions from city to national levels, as well as campus awards.

There are manuscript papers scattered on the desk, some of which are just a few casual lines, while others are so detailed that they mark the fabric composition and stitch density.

This is clearly an artist's boudoir.

Su Nian is still a junior student, but he is already so outstanding in a field he has never been involved in.

Si Yan's fingertips brushed across a sketch of a wedding dress, and the traces of the pen tip carried the tenderness of a girl.

He suddenly thought that if there had not been the accident that night and if there had not been this sudden child, their meeting might have been at a design exhibition, and he would have been attracted by her talent and then got to know her in a romantic way.

Instead of starting in a panic like now. However, since fate has brought them together in this way, there is nothing wrong with it. He will use his own way to give her a happy future.

Si Yan was lost in thought when Su Nian slowly woke up. She rubbed her eyes and saw Si Yan sitting at the desk, her face flushed.

"What are you looking at?" she asked softly, her voice still lazily like someone who had just woken up.

Si Yan stood up and walked to the bedside, sat beside her, and said gently: "I'm looking at your talent, Nian Nian, you are really outstanding."

Su Nian's cheeks turned even redder. She lowered her head and fiddled with the corner of her clothes. "No way."

Si Yan gently held her hand and said, "From now on, I will always support you in realizing your design dream."

Su Nian raised her head, her eyes full of emotion. Their eyes met, and the room was filled with a sweet atmosphere.

We had dinner at Su Nian's house.

Su Nian drank half a bowl of vegetable porridge for dinner, and her complexion improved, and her stomachache was significantly relieved. After dinner, Si Yan helped to clear the dishes. Looking at Su Hong's back as she washed dishes under the lamp, he suddenly felt that this scene had a bit of the warmth of home.