"Yan Shu, I mentioned to you before that I planned to officially announce your identity to the public during your mother's birthday party,"
"So, do you want to take this opportunity to officially change your surname back to Zhou?"
Changing his surname? Xu Yanshu frowned in resistance, his tone becoming stiff as he replied, "Sorry, I have no intention of changing my surname!"
His adoptive father never married in order to raise him, and he only had him as his son.
His decision to return to the Zhou family was not only driven by personal motives, but also by his being moved by Shen Wei's love for her son and not wanting to leave himself with the regret of wanting to care for his parents but finding them gone.
But he also had his own bottom line. While thinking, Xu Yanshu remembered something else: his father's death anniversary seemed to be approaching soon.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the person explained softly, "Yan Shu, don't misunderstand, I just want to avoid the possibility of you being criticized by others."
“I know you mean well, but if someone really wants to slander you, it’s not something that can be changed simply by changing your surname.”
"And I also have my own bottom line, so please respect that!"
He had deeply understood the saying "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease" long ago, after marrying Xie Huanyu.
No matter how much he achieves or how much effort he puts into the Xie Group, in the eyes of outsiders, Xu Yanshu is still a complete gigolo, simply because of the huge disparity in his background and status with Xie Huanyu.
Xu Yanshu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, thinking that the situation he would face after returning to the Zhou family would probably be similar.
Even producing a paternity test report can prevent malicious rumors from spreading by those with ulterior motives. And if the surname was indeed changed before the handover, it would likely provide even more ammunition for gossip.
Shen Wei had been listening the whole time, and seeing that things were getting out of hand, she quickly took the phone from her husband.
"Yan Shu, please don't mind us. We're just having this idea right now."
"If you're not willing, we won't bring this up again. We absolutely won't force you."
Compared to Zhou Shengyu, who held traditional views, Shen Wei was not as fixated on or concerned about the issue of surnames.
The kindness of raising children is greater than heaven. He is grateful to the Xu family from the bottom of his heart and will not use the so-called blood relationship to force Xu Yanshu and the Xu family to completely break away from each other.
He was simply stating his position and opinion; he didn't mean to be angry.
This explanation left Xu Yanshu feeling both amused and helpless, but overall he didn't dislike the experience. Before this, no one had ever taken such good care of his feelings and emotions.
"Okay, I understand," Xu Yanshu replied gently, a tender emotion lingering in his eyes. After a pause, he subconsciously added, "You've just been discharged from the hospital, so you still need to rest well. You can call me anytime if you need anything!"
"Okay, okay, Yan Shu, I understand!"
After hanging up the phone, Shen Wei couldn't help but nod with relief; her son was now taking the initiative to care about her.
Seeing his lover like this, Zhou Shengyu couldn't help but feel a little puzzled and asked curiously,
"You seem so happy, what did Yan Shu say to you?"
"My son told me to take good care of myself and to call him immediately if I need anything," Shen Wei said with a smile, her eyes sparkling. "I have to say, our Yan Shu is really a good boy!"
Haven't I been reminding her like this every day?
Zhou Shengyu's eye twitched involuntarily. He was both amused and exasperated, but he didn't see the other person showing any emotion. On the contrary, the other person had complained about him becoming more and more talkative yesterday.
However, he was still gratified that Yan Shu had this intention.
“Since Yan Shu is unwilling, then let’s not bring this up again,” Shen Wei said solemnly as she looked up at Zhou Shengyu. “If this makes the child unhappy, then it will be a loss!”
"Don't worry, I won't force him!"
His reason for this idea was that he feared that if his name was not legitimate, his words would be criticized because of his surname.
However, what Yan Shu said earlier made sense. Zhou Shengyu nodded thoughtfully. After all, with his father around, even if he was incompetent, he would not allow others to slander and hurt his child.
This statement put Shen Wei at ease, as she was afraid that this person would be stubborn and cause further conflict between father and son.
——
"Yan Shu, are you really going back to the Zhou family? The Zhou family is not an ordinary family. If you go back, you will likely be targeted and envied by many people!"
"What does it matter to you whether I go back or not?" Xu Yanshu retorted impatiently. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked up and stared intently at the woman in front of him. "You wouldn't happen to be here to test my intentions on behalf of Zhou Zehao, would you?"
Xie Huanyu was momentarily speechless, then a hint of grievance appeared on her exquisitely made-up face. "Yan Shu, how could you think of me like that? I would never help someone else scheme against you!"
It is said that Madam Zhou invited most of Chengdu's high society to her birthday party. If Yan Shu really attends, then the Zhou family probably wants to take this opportunity to announce Yan Shu's identity to the public.
He was genuinely worried about Yan Shu's situation at that time. In addition, he also had a selfish motive: if Xu Yan Shu really returned to the Zhou family, the possibility of them remarrying would be even smaller.
Is that so?
Upon hearing this, Xu Yanshu gave a cold laugh, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Hadn't he schemed against him enough already?
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