Zheng Tianming carried Xu Lu into the ward. Xu Mengyu was a little worried, but she still obediently sat on the bench and waited for the father and son to come out.

Xu Lu sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs nervously.

Zheng Tianming squatted down in front of him, holding up his phone and showing it to Xu Lu: "Think about it, have you ever seen this person before?"

Xu Lu's gaze shifted to his phone. His eyelids twitched rapidly, and soon his head began to throb as if it were about to split open.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Zheng Tianming said, raising his hand to rub Xu Lu's head: "If you're really feeling unwell, don't think about it."

Xu Lu was trembling all over. The scene from his dream reappeared. His lips moved slightly, and he whispered, "He, he is..."

Seeing how frightened he was, Zheng Tianming picked him up from the hospital bed, subconsciously trying not to think about what had happened.

Xu Lu wrapped her arms around Zheng Tianming's neck, her voice soft and gentle, a thin layer of sweat forming on her back: "He is, the grandfather from across the street."

“Yes, he’s the grandpa who lives across the street. He invited me to his house for a visit, and after I went in, I don’t remember anything else.” Xu Lu finished speaking and hugged Zheng Tianming with all her might.

Zheng Tianming gently stroked Xu Lu's back: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, no one will hurt you."

“He could, he could stand up. He was carrying me on his back. I wanted to shout, but, but, I couldn’t.” Xu Lu finished speaking as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Zheng Tianming began to follow the events of that day. If it was the "old man" living across the street, then everything would make sense.

He didn't use any tricks; he just carried Xu Lu out of the residential area on his back. The security guard was one of their men.

Later, it was learned that Xu Lu had been abducted by human traffickers. The main target of the investigation was the elderly man living across the street, who was hunched over and had difficulty moving around.

They had also checked the videos from before that, and there was indeed such a person who had stayed at home since childhood due to illness, and would occasionally go out to throw out the trash.

After his parents passed away, he was frequently complained about by homeowners because he ordered takeout every day at home, and the smell was so bad that he could smell it whenever he passed by.

He'd seen it a few times before, so when he was dragging around a large garbage bag, he didn't think much of it.

"Dad is a security guard, a security guard!" Xu Lu suddenly remembered that he had vaguely seen his face before he was put into the bag.

Upon hearing Xu Lu's words, Zheng Tianming quickly took out his phone, realizing that it wasn't a solo act, but rather an accomplice.

When he went to the school, he saw a very familiar face in the security booth. It seemed that he had previously served as the security captain at another school.

At the time, my father-in-law also analyzed that it was probably only someone from the vicinity of the school who could have observed the clothes and shoes Xu Lu was wearing.

Later, due to an emergency mission, the subsequent dismantling of an overseas organization, and the emergence of the orphanage incident domestically, a complete chain of evidence was formed, and the case was closed.

Unexpectedly, there were still some who slipped through the net, and their target was Xu Lu.

Not all the people who attended the original gathering have shown up, and the ringleader remains at large. They are even offering higher prices to try and kidnap Xu Lu.

Zheng Tianming felt his blood run cold; as long as human traffickers existed, this supply chain would not break.

Xu Lu looked at Zheng Tianming and saw that his face was frighteningly dark. He buried his face in the crook of Zheng's neck and said, "Dad, when I grow up, I will help you catch bad guys."

Zheng Tianming patted Xu Lu on the back of the head.

When Xu Mengyu learned that someone was still eyeing her precious son, she instantly became furious: "Is this never going to end?!"

"Mom, don't be angry, it's not worth it." Xu Lu said, closing his eyes. His head still hurt, and he really wanted to sleep.

Zheng Tianming hugged Xu Lu and kissed Xu Mengyu on the lips: "This concerns our son, so perhaps I could..."

"Don't talk to me. No matter what, your profession is still there, isn't it?" Xu Mengyu said, crossing her arms and walking towards the elevator.

Xu Lu looked at Zheng Tianming: "Dad, you're having a tough time."

Zheng Tianming sighed. Xu Mengyu wasn't being unreasonable; she was just angry, and he shouldn't have brought it up at that moment.

He followed Xu Mengyu into the elevator, holding Xu Lu in one arm and wrapping his other arm around her waist: "I will handle this matter, don't be angry."

After getting in the car, Zheng Tianming leaned close to Xu Mengyu and said, "Then I'll listen to you. Do whatever you want."

Xu Luwo fell asleep in Zheng Tianming's arms; otherwise, his image as a great hero father would have been completely ruined.

Xu Mengyu retorted to Zheng Tianming: "Shut up."

Zheng Tianming lowered his head and sucked on Xu Mengyu's earlobe. He shut his mouth. Was she satisfied?

“...”

When she got home, the elders in the family had already returned. They seemed to be packing things, but they all stopped when they saw her come in.

"What are you doing?" Xu Mengyu asked, puzzled. Why did you turn the clothes upside down like this?

Li Mirui leaned back on the sofa: "It's the change of seasons, let's tidy up a bit and sell the things we don't need to make some money."

Ye Yuncheng simply lay down on the sofa. Forget it, she wouldn't talk nonsense, so she wouldn't get involved.

Zheng Tianming glanced at it: "Mom, isn't this a new dress? I was wearing it and looking in the mirror last night, and you've already changed it today?"

Why are they still tidying up together?

Zheng Lin slowly asked, "How is Lu Lu?" As he spoke, he walked over.

Xu Meng recounted the whole story in a huff: "They still have their eyes on Lu Lu. They can't live in constant fear for the rest of their lives, can they?"

“The children are all developing psychological problems,” Xu Mengyu said, sitting down on the sofa.

Zheng Tianming looked at his father. The topic had changed so well that there was nothing wrong with it.

Zheng Lin took Xu Lu from Zheng Tianming's arms. Xu Lu was covered in sweat from sleeping. Now that they were home, he opened his eyes and looked around, saying, "Grandpa..."

Xu Sichen sat in the chair: "We should indeed be on edge, but it's definitely not us." After saying that, he took out his phone: "You don't need to worry about it."

Xu Lu was escorted back to her bedroom by Zheng Lin.

Zheng Tianming sat in his chair, his phone ringing incessantly. He took it out and glanced at it. It turned out that the security guard he had arrested earlier that day was denying it. All they knew was that he had worked as a security guard at two different schools, but they couldn't find any evidence that he had directly abducted children.

Xu Mengyu glanced at it and said in a calm voice, "I am a very selfish person. I will absolutely not let Lulu make any corrections until Lulu's health improves."

"Shall we have a proper talk?" Zheng Tianming said, putting his phone away.

Xu Mengyu knew Zheng Tianming would react this way. She took a deep breath and said, "We can't talk about it. Xu Lu has already developed psychological problems. As his mother, I have to prioritize his health."

“You can criticize me from any angle, I accept it.” Xu Mengyu said, then turned and walked towards the bedroom.

Zheng Tianming followed behind Xu Mengyu, but was stopped by Zheng Lin, who was watching from the side. Does this kid have no brains at all?

"Putting aside our father-son relationship, I feel I have the right to say a few words to you." Zheng Lin gestured with his chin as he spoke: "Let's talk on the balcony."

Xu Sichen was holding his phone; he had overheard Xu Mengyu and Zheng Tianming's conversation...

Putting others first before oneself is the height of a saint; one must first extinguish one's humanity.

Zheng Lin's expression was very serious: "First of all, you have never raised Xu Lu for more than a few days, and you have never been a real father for more than a few days. Now you want to use other people's money to complete what you call righteousness. I strongly disagree with that."

"I know," Zheng Tianming said, lowering his head. "Now that the man is caught and the evidence is right in front of us, all we're missing is a witness. If we release him..."

“Then go find solid evidence. If he were just a sick child, would you still insist on making him testify?” Zheng Lin said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “He’s your son, but ask yourself honestly, are you a good father?”

Xu Sichen leaned back in his chair. Even this fisherman had moments of lucidity; it was rare...

“If you want to continue your career, then don’t hold Mengyu back. Nobody is begging you to stay, and it’s not like she can’t find someone better if she leaves you.” Zheng Lin became more and more angry as he spoke.

He wasn't this confused when he was young.

Zheng Tianming doesn't even know his own place now; sooner or later, something big will happen to him.

“If you want a family, since you’ve made this choice, then put your family first. Nobody’s going to flatter you or praise you to the skies; you’re the one who’s holding onto that high and refusing to come down.” Zheng Lin said, taking out his phone and showing it to Zheng Tianming.

Zheng Tianming felt as if he had been slapped, which completely woke him up.

Zheng Lin looked at Zheng Tianming, realizing that some things were not suitable for others to say, and could only be said by him, the father.

Zheng Tianming took out Xu Mengyu's spare hair clip from his pocket and opened the bedroom door.

Xu Mengyu was comforting Xu Lu in her own way when she saw Zheng Tianming come in, and her expression changed.

If he asks, Xu Lu will definitely not refuse, but that also means she will not accept such a person continuing to be the father of her child.

If he's willing to risk everything for Xu Lu, sooner or later he'll be willing to risk everything for others, including himself and everyone else.

She admitted that she was selfish and narrow-minded. She was just an ordinary person. If there was anything special about her, it was that she grew up with the help of her father and earned more money than others, but she didn't have three heads and six arms or the heart of a saint.

Zheng Tianming sat down next to Xu Mengyu, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek: "Are you still angry?"

"What's next? What are you planning to do?" Xu Mengyu lowered her voice and gently patted Xu Lu's shoulder.

Zheng Tianming propped himself up on the bed with his elbows and placed his other hand on Xu Mengyu: "Hand over what I know, and then protect our son so that he doesn't suffer any further harm."

Xu Mengyu retorted to Zheng Tianming: "Just talk, stop touching me like that."

“I was indeed a bit out of my mind. I always felt that once I took this case, I had to do something. I remember every face of those kids who had explosive devices planted on their bodies. Now that the person has been caught, I really want to convict him, but I neglected the feelings of you and your daughter.”

"I'm not trying to defend myself, but the incidents all revolve around us. It's not the neighbors next door, it's not across the street, it's us. That's why I often get stuck and crash when I switch between them," Zheng Tianming said, glancing at Xu Lu.

Actually, it has nothing to do with whether Xu Lu is his son or not. If it were any other child, he would ask, and if it was possible, that would be great; if not, then forget it and think of other ways.

He has a long history of child trafficking cases on his hands, and he might even have killed someone. Now that he's finally been caught, how can he not be anxious?

“I chose this profession, and there’s no going back. I don’t regret it. I’ll be more clear-headed in the future and won’t let you and the child suffer.” Zheng Tianming said, then simply lay down next to Xu Mengyu.

Xu Mengyu turned to look at Zheng Tianming: "You promised me you wouldn't take any more risks."

“I definitely won’t take any risks. My master won’t give me any dangerous missions. It’s just helping out and doing odd jobs. I won’t get a formal position or a salary, and I’ll still have to rely on you to support me.” Zheng Tianming finished speaking and kissed Xu Mengyu.

Xu Mengyu retorted to Zheng Tianming again: "Stay away from me."

"Look how angry you've made my young lady! I have nothing I want, so I can only offer myself..."

Xu Mengyu pinched Zheng Tianming through his pants: "Stop talking nonsense?"

“My dad just scolded me.” Zheng Tianming rested his chin on Xu Mengyu’s shoulder after saying that. “He should have slapped me twice, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to understand this.”

Xu Mengyu: "..." She should record it so he can hear what he said later.

Xu Lu's eyelashes twitched slightly, but she quickly turned over and fell asleep again.

"Let's put that aside for now. Don't you think my dad and the others are plotting something?" Xu Mengyu said, tucking Xu Lu in with a blanket.

Zheng Tianming simply lay flat on the bed: "Anyway, they won't cheat us, so why bother?"

Xu Mengyu thought about it and agreed...

"Aren't you going to punish me a little?" Zheng Tianming said, moving closer. "You could pinch me a couple of times, it would feel better than this."

"You..." Xu Mengyu didn't expect that when she was trying to talk to him about serious matters, he would start rambling again.

Zheng Tianming buried his face in Xu Mengyu's body. He had already disagreed before, and after this incident, he was even less likely to agree.

It was no use him being dishonest; Xu Mengyu fell asleep in Xu Lu's arms after a short while, completely ignoring him.

Zheng Tianming was extremely anxious, and finally kissed Xu Mengyu's neck several times before getting up and leaving.

The family was gathered together, whispering about something, but as soon as he came out, they all went about their own business.

"Isn't this too superficial? They're not even pretending anymore?" Zheng Tianming wasn't willing to study it carefully; he wasn't stupid.

These people are definitely going out to have fun and aren't planning to bring the kids along.

It's obvious at a glance.

Feng Xi turned to Zheng Tianming: "Is it that obvious?"

Zheng Tianming nodded.

"It's not too much to go out and have fun for a few days, is it?" Feng Xi said, standing up and using clips to secure her loose hair behind her head.

Ye Yuncheng fell asleep. She had originally intended to hide on the sofa for a while, but she couldn't resist the temptation of sleep...

Zheng Tianming shrugged: "Not unreasonable." He couldn't be happier if they weren't home.

However, he didn't know what he would face next, otherwise he would never have agreed so readily.

"Don't tell Mengyu and the others." After saying that, Feng Xi made a zipping motion over her mouth.

Zheng Tianming gave an "OK" sign. "Is it really necessary to go out for a few days?"