"You..." Lin Wanqiu opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her throat was blocked and she couldn't say a word.
Nian'an looked at Shen Tingzhou, his little face full of questions. He tugged at Lin Wanqiu's sleeve and asked, "Mommy, who is he?"
Shen Tingzhou squatted down, looked at Nian'an tenderly, and said in a hoarse voice, "An'an, I'm your father."
Nian'an was stunned. He looked at Shen Tingzhou, then at Lin Wanqiu, and suddenly burst into tears: "Daddy! Don't you want me and Mommy anymore? Where did you go?"
Shen Tingzhou felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if pricked by needles. He reached out, wanting to hug his son, but hesitated. He knew he owed them, mother and son, too much, and now was not the time to acknowledge them.
"An'an, I'm sorry, Daddy didn't mean to leave you." Shen Tingzhou's voice was choked with emotion. "I'll come back to be with you and Mommy after I've sorted things out, okay?"
Nian'an nodded through her tears and hugged Shen Tingzhou's neck tightly.
Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but shed tears as she watched the scene before her. She knew that Shen Tingzhou had his reasons, and she was willing to wait for him to come back, for the day their family would be reunited.
Shen Tingzhou held Nian'an in his arms, gently patting his back, and looked at Lin Wanqiu with firm eyes: "Wanqiu, don't worry, I won't let you and your son suffer any more. I will handle Zhao Jianjun and Old Lady Shen. You and An'an just need to live a good life."
Lin Wanqiu nodded, her voice choked with emotion, and said, "I'll wait for you."
Shen Tingzhou held Nian'an in his arms, said a few more words of concern, and then reluctantly put him down. He glanced at Lin Wanqiu, turned and walked into the woods, quickly disappearing from sight.
Lin Wanqiu, holding Nian'an's hand, stood there, looking in the direction where Shen Tingzhou had disappeared, her heart filled with hope. She knew that as long as Shen Tingzhou was there, their lives would definitely get better and better, and those who had bullied them would surely receive their due punishment.
Back home, Lin Wanqiu made Nian'an a cup of honey water with the honey Shen Tingzhou had given her, then cleaned the pheasant and stewed a pot of chicken soup. Watching Nian'an drink the chicken soup with a satisfied smile on her face, Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart.
She knew this was just the beginning, and many difficulties awaited them in the future, but she was no longer afraid because she knew that Shen Tingzhou had been protecting them in secret all along. One day, he would return to their side and, together with them, protect their little family and welcome the happy life that belonged to them.
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