Cheng Zhiwen picked up Cheng Xi and rushed out.
Shen Qing also took Cheng An with her.
They went to a nearby Western hospital, where Cheng Xi had blisters on both legs from the burns.
The doctor cleaned and applied medicine to Cheng Xi's wound, and Cheng Xi broke down in tears.
Cheng Zhiwen held Cheng An in her arms and watched from the side, her eyes reddening with heartache.
The wounds were finally treated. Cheng Xi's legs were wrapped in thick gauze. Cheng Zhiwen handed Cheng An over to Shen Qing and carried Cheng Xi to the ward.
Cheng Xi was still sobbing softly, and Cheng Zhiwen pulled up her pillow so she could lie down comfortably.
"With Father here, Cheng Xi, don't cry."
Cheng Xi paused for a moment and looked at Cheng Zhiwen.
Shen Qing noticed it too and looked at her son in alarm.
Cheng An appeared normal, but his eyes were focused on his sister's injuries.
It seems they didn't notice Cheng Zhiwen's words, "Dad is here."
Shen Qing felt a little relieved.
Cheng Zhiwen brought Shen Qing and her two children home.
The children were all asleep when Shen Qing went to the living room.
Cheng Zhiwen sat on the sofa looking at the blueprints.
The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the strong veins in his forearms.
Shen Qing sat down opposite him, covered her face, and rubbed her cheeks up and down with her palms a few times to try to look more alert.
"Thank you for getting Cheng Xi to the hospital in time. I was really... too weak to carry her. If you hadn't come back in time, I don't know what I would have done..."
Cheng Zhiwen didn't look up and calmly said, "Cheng Xi is my daughter. This is what I should do. You shouldn't thank me."
“Cheng Xi heard you say you were the father in front of the children just now.”
Cheng Zhiwen looked up at her, remaining silent.
She bit her lip and said again, "I hope you'll be more careful in the future, and not let the children do that again..."
Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Zhiwen slammed the blueprints on the table and roared, "I am their father! Why can't I call myself father in front of them?"
Shen Qing choked for a long time, then said angrily, "You've never raised them for a single day, what right do you have to ask them to recognize you as their father?"
Is it that I'm unwilling to raise them?
Shen Qing's eyes reddened, she turned her face away, and said stubbornly, "Anyway, you can't call yourself their father in front of the children anymore! Otherwise, you'll have to leave!"
Cheng Zhiwen sneered: "Not only will I not leave, I will stay with the children forever! You can't take care of them all by yourself!"
Shen Qing stood up in astonishment, looking at him in shock: "What makes you say that? In the years you were gone, didn't I take care of them myself?"
"This is America! We are just Asian immigrants seeking a chance to survive in America! Do you think you're still the Governor's wife or the wealthy Mr. Shen?! Can't you wake up?!"
Shen Qing was speechless, unable to utter a word, and could only watch as Cheng Zhiwen stood up angrily, confronting him.
"Before I came along, you tried to take care of them on your own. Did you succeed? I only went to Germany, and you immediately ruined your health again! Not only that, you also caused your daughter to get injured! You even want to drive me away? If I really leave, have you even thought about whether you can survive? If you die, what will happen to your son and daughter?"
For over ten years, he had never spoken to Shen Qing in such a harsh tone, and Shen Qing was so aggrieved that tears streamed down her face.
Cheng Zhiwen continued to berate her: "In your eyes, those vague and intangible things are always the most important! Your own health, the safety of your son and daughter, are not as important as your principles!"
Shen Qing knew he resented her for not letting him reunite with the children. She only hoped that when the time was right, she could return him to his family, but he said that her principles were unrealistic.
Her grievances, like a taut string, were snapped by him at that moment.
She stood up, glaring at him hatefully, and accused him, "You're a man with a wife and family, how am I supposed to explain to the children that you're their father? I said, what if the children want to live with their father? Can you do that? Can you leave your wife in Southeast Asia, leave your family? Even if you can, I won't allow myself and the children to become bad women who destroy other people's families!"
Cheng Zhiwen looked at her in astonishment: "I don't have a wife from Southeast Asia."
"When you were using the alias He Danqing, the woman in the red nightgown in your room! You told me yourself that she was your wife?"
Cheng Zhiwen sighed and said, "She is the real wife of He Danqing, but she was just playing a part in my act. Back then, I pretended to be He Danqing and contacted people in Southeast Asia in the concession to raise funds, also to escape the Qing government's pursuit. I have nothing to do with her."
Shen Qing stopped crying and asked in a daze, "Then do you have other women?"
He shook his head, stepped forward, and embraced her: "No, I have never been with any other woman besides you."
He smiled helplessly and looked down at her: "So you rejected me and chased me away several times because you mistakenly thought I had a wife and family?"
"That's only one of the reasons..."
Cheng Zhiwen understood and said helplessly, "It's also because Zhenheng passed away not long ago. If you're with me, you'll feel burdened and like you're letting him down."
Shen Qing remained silent.
Cheng Zhiwen gently patted her back: "I understand. I'm willing to wait until the day you're willing, but on the condition that you let me stay with you and the children. This place is not like the mainland; there are too many unknown dangers. If we're not careful, the children and you will be hurt. I don't want that to happen again."
Shen Qing finally nodded through her tears.
That night, they truly reconciled.
Without the concern of "affecting his family," Shen Qing felt at ease letting him live in her home.
They work together on both work and raising their children, leading a busy yet fulfilling life.
But Shen Qing kept her distance from him and avoided physical contact.
She didn't want to do anything with Cheng Zhiwen so soon after Qi Zhenheng's death; she felt that Qi Zhenheng wouldn't want to see such a thing happen.
Qi Zhenheng had spent most of his life for her and the children, and she didn't want him to have any peace in the afterlife.
A few days before summer vacation, the teacher suddenly came to visit our home.
Seeing Cheng Zhiwen open the door, the teacher was quite surprised and tentatively asked, "Mr. Cheng, are you Anil's uncle?"
Cheng Zhiwen nodded.
The teacher then asked, "Where is Anil's mother?"
Cheng Zhiwen called out to the kitchen, "Qing'er, the children's teacher is here."
Shen Qing quickly put down the dinner she was making and came out.
She invited the teacher into the house.
The teacher sat down in the living room and saw the men's shirts and underwear drying on the side, and the women's bras. Seeing that there were no other adults in the house, she immediately understood that Shen Qing and Cheng Zhiwen were boyfriend and girlfriend.
The teacher didn't say anything, but she saw it all.
She explained the purpose of the home visit.
Cheng Zhiwen went to the bathroom to call Cheng Xi, who had just finished showering, to come out.
Cheng Xi's burns on her calves have almost healed, but the newly grown skin is a bit tight, causing her to walk slowly. At this moment, the bathroom is full of water, and Cheng Zhiwen is afraid that she will fall, so she carries her out.
He held Cheng Xi, who was only wearing a tank top and shorts, and sat her down in front of the teacher, letting her sit on his lap. He then affectionately kissed Cheng Xi's fluffy hair.
Cheng Xi's hair wasn't as black as that of most Asians because Shen Qing hadn't received enough nutrition during her pregnancy; Cheng Xi's hair was yellowish and soft.
Cheng Zhiwen knew that her hair color was due to malnutrition, so she felt especially sorry for her. Every time she hugged her, she couldn't help but kiss her fluffy yellow hair.
After washing her hands, Shen came over and sat down next to Cheng Zhiwen.
"Teacher, what is the topic of this home visit?"
The teacher snapped out of her reverie, but the smile had vanished from her face: "I just came to check on the environment where the children are spending their summer vacation, to see if there are any safety hazards."
Shen Qing understood and politely said, "Okay, then I'll show you around this house, teacher."
The teacher got up and followed her, looking around the room and offering some suggestions.
Shen Qing said that the repairs would be done the next day. The teacher nodded and left, ending the home visit.
Shen Qing continued preparing the unfinished dinner, while Cheng Zhiwen helped the children with their homework.
"Dinner's ready! Time to eat!" Shen Qing called out from the dining room.
The children rushed over happily: "Mom, I'm starving!"
They each took their seats.
Cheng Zhiwen checked the children's homework one last time. After confirming there were no problems, she went to wash her hands and prepare for dinner.
I had just sat down when there was another knock on the door.
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