Xiang An
Su didn't even bring a driver; he drove An Chi to the amusement park in the south of the city himself.
She didn't lead Su Anchi through the main gate, but instead went in through the staff entrance on the side, where people were already bowing and scraping to greet them.
"Mr. Su, how would you like to have fun today?" The manager of the amusement park had heard that Su was coming over early in the morning, so he immediately summoned the heads of all the parks. Usually, he only needed to send his subordinates to work, but today they were all gathered together. Even when Su Wenxie came, he didn't receive such treatment.
Su Yao, however, thought it was normal. She was used to being surrounded by people like this, but she keenly sensed Su Anchi's mindset.
“You don’t need to stand here. Just do what you’re doing and give me a VIP pass,” Su said, glancing sideways.
After everyone dispersed, the manager went to process Su's documents.
Su joked with those around her, "You still want a title after all this? Those people will just trap you at the banquet and leave you with nothing."
“No.” An Chi looked at the person walking in front of him. He wasn’t nervous or afraid, but a sudden wave of inferiority made him silent.
Upon hearing this, she ignored it. Nowadays, even children care about their image, let alone boys. Tsk tsk, she made subjective assumptions as she walked away.
In Su Yao's view, some men are so concerned about their image and arrogant, always thinking that they can stand out from the crowd. In fact, they pale in comparison even among men, let alone among women.
In fact, she had seen too many outstanding men and too many vulgar men. It was indeed not good to generalize, but unfortunately, Su Wenxie was in her family, and the impression he left was too deep. Children are all the same.
She ran her hand over his thin wrist and arm. "Alright, I brought you out to play." She felt his bone structure and meridians. He was too thin, really too thin. He hadn't gained any weight even after staying here for several months. Did this child really need to eat properly? Amid her doubts, she looked at An Chi's angular face.
His face was clean; most teenagers get acne, but he didn't have a single mark. His bone structure was prominent, with a full forehead and a high nose bridge. His eyes always had a misty look on them, as if he had been bullied. His eyes drooped slightly at the corners, and he was meek and obedient. Glancing at his thin earlobe, a mole immediately caught her eye. It wasn't a true black, but a light brownish color. Further down, his lips weren't thin, and his lower lip was slightly thicker than his upper lip. It was said that people with thin lips were cold-hearted, but this kid didn't seem to be like that. Su smiled and teased him as if it were a habit, "You're quite handsome, kid."
Those downcast eyes suddenly lifted their upper eyelids, revealing a smile on the speaker's lips, before lowering their eyes again. "Thank you."
He no longer wanted to dwell on whether the statement was a joke or the truth, nor did he want to ask Su to stop joking and to stop having too many feelings for her, since An Lan hadn't had surgery yet.
Once inside the amusement park, amidst the bustling crowds, An Chi observed Su Yao's scrutinizing manner and secretly wondered, "Did you own this place?"
Her heart tightened, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, and Su was about to let go of the hand she was holding. "What?"
"Nothing much, I'm just curious why I can have VIP access without buying a ticket." An Chi noticed the change in temperature on his wrist. Looking down, he saw that slender hand had already gone into his pocket and probably wouldn't come back.
Su felt relieved, but then realized she had been too sensitive. How could a child who still didn't know how to utilize resources suddenly have ideas now? "Yes, I invested in building this amusement park."
"What should we play first?" An Chi quickly caught up and naturally grabbed Su Yao's sleeve.
Sensing the movement beside her, Su reached out her hand. "Grab this. Whatever you want to play, just take me with you."
A sharp pain shot through his eye; that hand was even thinner than his own. He thought he needed to make sure she ate more. But Su's outstretched hand moved so smoothly that he was momentarily dazed. Seeing her indifference to these details, he guessed she treated him like a child. He grabbed her wrist and pointed with his other hand at the amusement park ride ahead, "Let's go to the Ferris wheel."
Su Yao, who originally came to accompany her child to play, didn't care about the purpose of the trip. She had already personally experienced all of these facilities when they were built. If this amusement park in the south of the city wasn't smaller and less crowded, allowing An Chi to play more, she probably wouldn't have chosen this one.
For example, right now, as VIPs, the two of them couldn't see any other members in the VIP lane and smoothly boarded the Ferris wheel.
Once inside the Ferris wheel, Su Anchi let go of Su's hand, and Su Yao sat on one side of him as if they were strangers, without saying a word.
She turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window. The Ferris wheel in this amusement park could be seen from A Middle School, which was the high school she graduated from. She thought that if she had the chance, she could take him to see it. She turned her head and saw that the person opposite her was not looking at the scenery at all, but staring at her. She suppressed her doubts and pretended not to know anything, pointing in the direction of the high school, "That's A Middle School. I graduated from there. If you have the chance, I'll take you to see your alma mater."
“Yes, there’s a chance,” he agreed.
Suddenly, a jolt caused the Ferris wheel to stop. Su grabbed the handrail next to her and waited for it to stabilize. Su Anchi didn't need her to say anything; he did the same.
Without anger or regret, Su Yao simply took out her phone and called Tang Pai after feeling a sense of stability.
Tang Pai was the one who contacted the amusement park, and she thought she didn't need to have anything to do with the leaders of such a small place, but she didn't expect to encounter this today.
"Tang Pai, the Ferris wheel at the South City Amusement Park has malfunctioned for some unknown reason. An Chi and I are now stuck on it. I need an explanation from the manager."
"Okay, Mr. Su."
The call wasn't ended. It's not surprising that Tang Pai, as a versatile assistant, has multiple mobile phones. When Su is in danger, keeping the call connected allows for faster communication.
There was a rustling sound over there, and then Tang Pai began to report, "It can be repaired within ten minutes."
Su Yao's consistent approach is to focus solely on results, disregarding the process.
"Go to the finance department to calculate your overtime pay."
Su Anchi saw everything, but apart from the hand that was making the phone call, her other hand was tightly gripping the handrail. She was more afraid than anyone else, but she was still able to handle the situation calmly, just like the impression she had given him before.
“You’re very scared,” Su Anchi pointed out.
Startled, Su Yao hadn't expected him to say she was scared at a time like this. His casual tone didn't reflect her true feelings. "Aren't you scared? This is terrible!"
"You should be scared." To be honest, he was quite calm inside, even calmer than when he felt Su Wenxie's disgust. However, he was mindful of Su Yao's feelings. He looked at the person opposite him with uncertain eyes, his fingers digging tightly into his palm, and his breathing gradually quickening. He even felt weak when he gripped the armrest.
"I value my life very much." Su Yao still had the mood to joke, but it was hard to tell if he was telling the truth.
Su Anchi scrutinized her, trying to discern the truthfulness of her words. But before long, the Ferris wheel started moving again. Anchi silently lowered his hand, but Su Yao held on tightly until the doors opened.
The Ferris wheel doors opened, and An Chi stepped off first. Su Yao, whether her legs were numb or weak, glanced at him and said, "Wait for me for a bit, I'll get off on the next one."
It wasn't that Su Yao was unwilling to get down, but rather that she was genuinely frightened. To say that the twenty-eight-year-old Su Yao was fearless was an understatement; she was terrified of death.
An Chi took a step and touched that slightly trembling hand, saying softly, "Let go of my hand and lean on me to get down."
She knew how to use Su Yao's strength, and as soon as she stepped down, she lost her balance and began to tremble. Her short skirt suddenly felt unusually cold.
"Let's go back, I don't want to play anymore." Before Su could even speak, Su Anchi helped her walk out.
The moment they left the Ferris wheel area, they were surrounded by a crowd of the same leaders who had entered the park.
"Mr. Su, are you injured?"
Upon seeing this group of people, Su Yao seemed to be injected with adrenaline. The weight that had been pressing against An Chi disappeared, and although she tried to separate her hands, An Chi held them tightly.
He spoke first, before she could, saying, "We have something to do, we'll be going now."
After saying that, he tried to pull her away.
But Su stopped. Although she wasn't as tall as the manager, her tone was condescending, intimidating everyone with fear. "I hope we won't see today's losses and mistakes again. Submit me the recent maintenance and inspection report for the park tomorrow. If there's even the slightest falsehood, you can step down and make way for someone more capable."
She left looking carefree, but once in the car, Su Yao leaned against the window, lost in thought.
There were only two of them. Su Yao wasn't in the mood to drive, so Su Anchi tentatively asked, "Should I hire a designated driver?"
"The driver will be here soon. Tang Pai has made all the arrangements."
He realized once again that the woman sitting next to him was no ordinary person, and that every change in her would have a huge impact.
He remained forever shrouded in the damp mud, and even if he managed to climb onto the road, he would never encounter her at the summit. Perhaps what he should be most grateful for was that she gave him the spring water from the bottom, freeing him from the mud. He had no other thoughts besides that.
An Chi spoke even less than when she arrived. Su needed to understand people's hearts; the park had a responsibility today, but so did she.
She put her hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "Next week, I'll throw you a family reunion banquet."
With her eyelashes drooping slightly, Su Anchi hummed in agreement. Did she think she was lamenting that there were no rides to play on?
Despite not being overly frightened, Su Yao still fell asleep. Her sleeping posture was very proper, with her head slightly tilted to the side, her arms crossed over her chest, and her legs crossed, like a glass sculpture that would shatter at the slightest touch.
The driver arrived just in time. If An Chi hadn't wanted to ask Su where she wanted to go, he wouldn't have noticed that she was already asleep. He pursed his lips and gestured for the driver to go to the apartment in the city center.
He gently gathered her loose hair and carefully moved further inside.
Just so I can lean my face on your shoulder.
His pathetic and pitiful selfishness.
But Su Yao had no such intention at all; she didn't bend her neck too low, and she wouldn't lean it against her shoulder no matter what.
With a "tsk" sound, he gently lowered Su Yao's head with his hand. Just as he leaned in and withdrew his hand, Su Yao opened his eyes and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Go home."
She knew which "home" he was referring to.
She acquiesced, gently savoring the small area of warmth left on her cheek, like hot water left to sit for a while, which felt comfortable.
After raising her head, Su stared at him openly. She couldn't figure out what kind of feelings this man had for her. She didn't mind finding another pawn, it was just troublesome.
The faint scent of shampoo lingered on her hands. When An Chi rubbed his nose with his hand, he sniffed it. The scent was somewhat sweet, and he could smell the sweetness even through his nose. He wanted to lick it, but he couldn't.
He remained calm and composed under her gaze, as if his earlier actions were merely out of concern that she wasn't sleeping well. After all, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. Just as he was about to lose his composure, Su looked away.
She didn't intend to make things difficult for him. Su could take it as him being well-intentioned, and if he didn't make any major moves in the future, she could continue to use this tool.
He raised his hand and rested it on the car window, supporting his chin. His expression remained unchanged, but the tips of his ears were unusually red. Be careful, at least for the next few months... the next few weeks... the next few days. Don't do anything big.
Outside the car, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the tall buildings, and the busy figures were reflected on the black and white lines.
After sending An Chi home, Su Yao didn't even go upstairs. She simply said goodbye and returned to Yuhai Bay. She could joke around freely, or she could put away her playful and mischievous demeanor. Of course, all of this stemmed from her guard and suspicion.
"Ge Jin, have you contacted the doctor over there? Can you arrange surgery for An Lan?" Su Yao directly called out Ge Jin, who was abroad, at the overseas conference. He was needed in China, and the country shouldn't neglect its duties just to find a doctor.
Ge Jin replied, "The appointment has been made, and the surgery can be scheduled in China next month."
“Then you…” Su Yao didn’t finish her sentence.
"I've already booked a plane ticket for the morning after tomorrow, and I should arrive in China around 7 p.m.
Aside from business trips with her, Ge Jin had been contacting doctors abroad to perform surgery on An Lan. Although such surgery could be performed in China, Su Yao always kept her promise; since she had made the promise, she would provide the best possible outcome.
"After returning to China, I'll contact a hotel first. I want to hold a family reunion banquet." She had already made arrangements in her mind, so she simply confirmed the details with Ge Jin. Ge Jin was the one who was originally in charge of handling the adoption procedures, so he was more suitable for this task.
And it's not that Tang Pai can't do it. She's just a young girl who graduated a few years ago. These past few days, she's been dealing with all sorts of troubles. People aren't machines; they get tired eventually.
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