"What did you say? Abandonment?" Even Lu Minghai, who had always appeared calm and composed, couldn't hold back and showed a shocked expression.
The crucial information was completely absent from the documents he received regarding Ruanbei.
When he first sent someone to investigate Ruan Bei, he didn't really care much. He just thought the child looked somewhat like him and his wife, so he decided to investigate to put his mind at ease.
The subordinates were ordered to investigate Ruan Bei, but they could only investigate Ruan Bei's general experiences over the years. The younger he was and the further back in time the investigation took, the more difficult it was to find out.
Children don't have that many details to keep track of, so they only did a rough investigation and focused on what happened after Ruan Bei grew up.
The secretary didn't dare to utter a sound. Lu Siyuan asked incredulously, "It wasn't a mix-up? Then... then where's Sibai?"
Ruan Bei was taken in, but what about Si Bai?
Mr. Ruan said calmly, "Are you saying that the child in your family isn't your biological child? I don't know. My biological child died at birth. I... I watched my child stop breathing, and then I found Xiao Bei, who had been abandoned, at the hospital and adopted him as my own child."
He stared intently at Lu Minghai: "I don't know the specifics of your family's situation, but Xiao Bei was abandoned. More than one doctor and nurse witnessed it and can testify. I can even contact the police officers involved. He is my son now, a child of the Ruan family. I'm telling you this: whoever tries to take my son, I'll fight them to the death! Xiao Bei doesn't want to go with you, so leave now and don't try anything with him. Otherwise, I'll sue you for abandonment, and we'll see each other at the police station."
“Yes, Xiao Bei is my son, I won’t give him to you.” Ruan’s mother held her son’s hand, feeling upset at the thought of what he had said, and she disliked Lu Minghai and his son very much.
Lu Minghai was stunned by the sudden news. The person who sent the identification report behind the scenes had not yet been found. He dared not let Ruan Bei out there. He thought he should first identify the person and seize the opportunity. Other things, including why the children were switched at birth, could be investigated slowly later.
To my utter surprise, Si Bai wasn't from the Ruan family either!
Whose son is he?
Was he involved in what happened back then? After all, judging from the current situation, he was the beneficiary of the whole incident.
His biological son was abandoned, but he carefully raised a child of unknown origin.
Lu Minghai felt as if he had been slapped in the face. He had never been fooled like this in all his years of life!
He closed his eyes, suppressing his surging anger, and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Could you two please give me a few strands of hair?"
Whether it is or not, let's verify it first.
Although they hoped Lu Sibai would be firmly tied to the Lu family, they knew he was no good, and Ruan's parents didn't want people to think he was their child, so they cooperated by plucking two strands of hair for Lu Minghai.
The secretary carefully put it away, moving so quietly that it was almost inaudible, afraid that his furious boss would notice him.
Lu Minghai looked at Ruan Bei: "What happened in the past still needs to be investigated, but I can assure you that your mother and I did not abandon you. You are a child of the Lu family. Come home with me."
Ruan Bei shook his head firmly: "No, I am a child of the Ruan family. I have my own father and mother, not you. Anyway, you don't need another son, so leave me alone. I will not go back with you."
He paused, then continued, "Don't worry, I will never tell anyone else that I have any relationship with you, nor will I mention your names. You can pretend I don't exist, or even pretend I'm dead, just don't come looking for me..."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Qin Gu rebuked lightly.
Mr. Ruan was also unhappy and said, "Children shouldn't talk about death like that."
Ruan Bei shook Qin Gu's hand, gave him a flattering smile, and then hugged her father's arm affectionately, saying, "I was just expressing my determination, Dad, don't be angry."
Mr. Ruan was pleased that his son was close to him. He glanced at Lu Minghai, whose face was not looking good, and patted Ruan Bei on the back: "How old are you? Still acting like a child."
Ruan Bei pouted and muttered, "You just said I was a little kid, and now you're saying I'm all grown up. But in front of Mom and Dad, aren't I always a child?"
Despite his cold demeanor, Mr. Ruan's eyes and brows were full of smiles. The father and son were very affectionate, and it was clear at a glance that they had an extremely good relationship.
Lu Minghai, the biological father, sat opposite him and saw everything clearly, causing him great distress and a heart attack.
This is his son, his own son, hugging another man and calling him "Dad."
That man has neither his ability nor his status, and he's just a cook covered in cooking fumes. His son, a perfectly good young master, refuses to leave this shabby little house.
Lu Minghai gritted his teeth, extremely annoyed: "You really won't come home with me?"
“No.” Ruan Bei refused outright, her tone even impatient: “Can’t you understand me? I’ve already said I’m not going with you. This is my home, and I’m not going anywhere.”
He was utterly fed up with Lu Minghai's family and didn't want to be polite anymore. He preferred to dislike and hate him and never talk to him again.
Lu Minghai was so angry he nearly fell over, his face turning dark. Even his most favored eldest son wouldn't dare speak to him like that.
But he couldn't do anything to Ruan Bei, nor could he scold or punish him like he scolded Lu Siyuan and Lu Sibai. Ruan Bei didn't want to go with him in the first place, and if he dared to say anything, these few covetous young men might kick him out, which would be a huge embarrassment.
He was reluctant to speak up, but someone else spoke for him.
Lu Siyuan's mind was in a mess, but he couldn't stand Ruan Bei's disrespect for his father.
"Is that how you talk to your elders?" Lu Siyuan scolded, "Where is your manners?"
Ruan Beichao was annoyed with him, but Ruan's father stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Mr. Lu, Xiao Bei is just a child with a temper. I spoiled him. Please don't take it to heart."
He then patted Ruan Bei's arm and said, "Don't talk to people like that anymore, understand?"
He didn't even ask Ruan Bei to apologize, blatantly protecting his own.
It would have been better if they hadn't explained. The more they talked about it, the angrier the Lu family father and son became. Did they think that the Lu family were the outsiders and the ones who were the driving force behind their father-son relationship?
"Okay, Dad."
Ruan Bei readily agreed, her smile bright and innocent, but her words struck Lu Minghai like a dagger: "Mr. Lu, please don't be angry with me. My father has already lectured me. You see, even your son looks down on me. That's perfect. I don't want to go to other people's houses and be pointed at and gossiped about. Let's each go back to our own homes and find our own mothers. We won't have any contact with each other or bother each other anymore. Isn't that great!"
Good my ass!
Lu Minghai's temple throbbed with a vein. How could he just abandon his grown son like that?
He affectionately calls others "Dad," but he's just "Mr. Lu," even referring to other people's families. This difference in closeness is so obvious!
If Lu Sibai really wasn't the Ruan family's biological son, then he couldn't continue to pretend he knew nothing and raise the child of the criminal suspect who abandoned his son.
If you tell the outside world that the babies were switched at birth, people might just sigh and say something.
Besides, Ruan Bei is just like him—smart, a top scorer in the college entrance exam, and a high-achieving student at Jin University. Having such an outstanding biological son is not shameful; it's something to be proud of and someone who will be praised wherever he is.
But if people knew that Lu Minghai couldn't even protect his own child, that his biological son was abandoned, and that he raised a child of unknown origin, what would they think of him? He would lose all face!
He stared intently at Ruan Bei for a while. Ruan Bei squeezed between his parents, holding his father's left arm and his mother's right arm. His older brother and sister stood behind him, looking at him with the same wary eyes as a puppy about to be kidnapped by a bad guy.
Lu Minghai sighed and stood up: "Let's go."
Lu Siyuan was unwilling: "Dad, are we just going to let it go like this?"
Weren't they here to take Ruan Bei home?
Actually, he was quite unwilling when he first set off, and even very resistant to today's mission, and did not want to bring Ruan Bei home.
But Ruan Bei's unexpected behavior made him rebellious. He was clearly his younger brother, but he treated him so badly. He was so affectionate and playful with the other two boys, which made Ruan Bei's eyes hurt.
He refused to leave, but Lu Siyuan changed his mind.
This is his younger brother, his own brother. He should be surnamed Lu, call him "brother," hold his hand, and act cute and silly, instead of rejecting him like he does now.
Lu Minghai glared at him, too tired to say anything.
What can we do if we don't leave?
The Ruan family was unyielding; they wouldn't accept money, but when pressured, they couldn't explain why Ruan Bei had been abandoned.
If the babies were truly switched at birth, it's possible to reason with them and get the children back. But if they were adopted, things become much more complicated.
What's even more difficult is Ruan Bei's attitude. Before coming here, Lu Minghai and Lu Siyuan never considered the possibility that Ruan Bei would not want to go with them.
No matter how you compare them, the Ruan family and the Lu family are not on the same level. Who would give up a good life and be willing to suffer?
But Ruan Bei did just that, his attitude so resolute that it's impossible to argue that he was playing hard to get.
He expressed his meaning very firmly and affirmatively—he didn't want them, he only wanted his adoptive parents, even if they were so poor that they couldn't even afford a decent house.
On the one hand, they were angry at the attitude of the Nguyen family, especially Nguyen Bac. On the other hand, their impression of Nguyen Bac improved considerably.
They can call Ruan Bei foolish, stupid, or short-sighted, but they can't say that this child is unfeeling or unfilial—even though they aren't the ones being filial.
As a father, Lu Minghai felt this particularly deeply.
Of course, there was also more sadness and resentment. His own son was going to be filial to another man. Just thinking about it made him angry.
Afraid of being driven mad by anger, Lu Minghai turned and left with a cold face.
The secretary quickly and quietly followed, not daring to say anything more.
The Ruan family happily stood up to see their guests off; they were finally relieved that their child was safe!
Lu Siyuan glanced at Ruan Bei one last time, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Ruan Bei turned his head away and buried his face in Qin Gu's neck, clearly not wanting to look at him.
Lu Siyuan was so angry she almost rushed back to argue with him. Was he really that offensive? She didn't even want to look at him!
He had just taken a step forward when Ruan Xi, Ruan Nan, Yin Zhuo, and the others immediately blocked Ruan Bei's way, looking as if they were afraid he would do something to Ruan Bei.
Lu Siyuan's head throbbed with pain. He suddenly thought of the time his father fainted from anger. Was this the same feeling he was experiencing now? He felt choked up, unable to release his anger, making it hard to breathe, and his whole head started to ache.
Even worse, there was nothing he could do.
Lu Siyuan propped his head up and fled the Ruan family home as if he were escaping; he was about to faint from anger if he didn't leave soon.
He had just stepped out the door, and before his last foot had even landed properly, the door behind him slammed shut with a bang, nearly hitting his heel. This clearly demonstrated the host's eagerness to see them off and their unwelcoming attitude towards them.
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