Chapter 414 Let it be
A younger female police officer walked up to Mu Nanyan, her tone official yet polite:
"Ms. Mu, please come back to the police station with us to assist in the investigation and make a detailed record."
Mu Nanyan looked at the direction where the police car drove away. She felt no joy in her heart, only a silence as if the dust had settled.
She retracted her gaze and nodded calmly to the policewoman:
"OK."
She knew that what she would face next was to recount those painful past events and use legal language to establish evidence of Song Yajun's guilt.
This is a road that must be completed.
Mu Nanyan followed the police car to the police station.
This old case from more than 20 years ago was extremely difficult to investigate due to its age and difficulty in finding evidence.
However, there is solid evidence that Song Yajun personally admitted to planning the car accident and intending to murder Mu Nanyan.
Mu Nanyan calmly submitted the recorded evidence of her previous confrontation with Song Yajun to the police, and recounted the entire incident clearly and in detail.
After securing all the evidence and testimonies and completing the necessary legal procedures, Mu Nanyan felt a deep fatigue, but more of a sense of exhaustion after having unloaded a heavy burden.
She walked out of the police station building with slightly heavy steps.
The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, and she subconsciously raised her hand to block it.
At this moment, a small figure rushed over from the side like a cannonball and hugged her legs tightly!
Mu Nanyan looked down, and a flash of surprise and surprise flashed in her eyes:
"Chenchen? Why are you here?"
Chenchen raised his little face, smiling as brightly as the sun, and answered loudly:
"Of course I'm waiting for you!"
As soon as the words fell, Mu Nanyan saw Lu Yiran walking quickly from a distance and stopped in front of her. His deep eyes were filled with unspoken worry and concern. He asked softly:
"Are you okay?"
Looking at the two most important people in her life, one big and one small, all the haze in Mu Nanyan's heart seemed to be dispelled in an instant.
She reached out her hand, holding Chenchen with one hand, and the other hand was naturally held by Lu Yiran, with a truly relieved and relaxed smile on her face:
"Yeah, it's good."
At this moment, she felt more relaxed than ever before.
The mystery and hatred that had plagued her mother's life and troubled her for a long time finally came to an end.
The truth was revealed, the culprit was brought to justice, and the huge rock that was weighing on my heart was completely removed.
At this moment, Chenchen shook her hand, tilted his little face up, and urged in a baby voice:
"Mommy, let's go eat. I'm so hungry!"
Mu Nanyan was shocked and looked at her wrist. It was almost one o'clock in the afternoon.
She looked at Lu Yiran with surprise and distress:
"Didn't I tell you on the phone that you guys should eat first and don't have to wait for me?"
Without waiting for Lu Yiran to explain, Chenchen immediately rushed to speak, with a little pride on his face:
"It was my idea! Daddy was going to take me out to dinner, but I wanted to wait for Mommy! We want to eat together as a family!"
The little guy's words were like a warm current that instantly flowed through Mu Nanyan's body.
She squatted down and hugged her son's soft little body tightly.
Yes, so what if she never enjoyed complete fatherly love since childhood?
She has Chenchen, the little angel given to her by God, who warms her with his purest love.
And now, she has Lu Yiran, a solid harbor where she can entrust her life to.
The shortcomings of the past will eventually be made up by the perfection of the present and the future.
She stood up, her smile warm and resolute:
"Okay, Mommy will take Chenchen to eat, and we'll be together as a family."
Lu Yiran drove Mu Nanyan and Chenchen to an elegant restaurant.
After ordering, while Chenchen was playing in the children's area, Lu Yiran looked at Mu Nanyan beside him. In a gentle tone but with a hint of subtle caution, he asked the question that was on his mind:
"Regarding Mr. Shangguan...what are your plans for the future?"
He paused and asked more specifically:
"Are you...ready to recognize him?"
Mu Nanyan paused slightly while holding the water cup, looked at the bustling street outside the window, and pondered for a moment.
Then, she turned her head and met Lu Yiran's concerned eyes, her lips curled into a calm and transparent arc:
"Let it be."
She gently swirled the water in the cup and said in a calm voice:
"In the final analysis, he is also a victim in this whole thing. He has been deceived for more than 20 years and lived in an elaborate lie."
"There's no emotional connection between him and my mother. Perhaps we even had no connection. Therefore, I never considered taking the initiative to claim our relationship, much less using it to curry favor with him and become Miss Shangguan."
Her eyes were clear and firm:
"I saved his life. In a sense, I've repaid him for giving me life. We're even now."
She retracted her gaze and fell on Lu Yiran's face, with a sense of relief after going through hardships:
"As for what will happen in the future...it all depends on fate. There's no need to deliberately get close, nor to deliberately distance yourself. Just take it one step at a time and let nature take its course."
For her, the most important things have been accomplished: solving the mystery of her life, clearing her mother's name, and bringing the criminal to justice.
She chose to face the faint and complicated blood relationship between her and Shangguan He with an attitude of neither servility nor arrogance, and to treat it with indifference.
Don't ask for anything, don't rely on anything, and don't resent anything.
The future of the relationship will be determined by time and the true wishes of each other.
Lu Yiran understood what she meant, reached out, and gently placed his hand on the back of her hand, giving silent support and approval.
Whatever choice she makes, he will be there for her.
After the three of them finished their lunch, they went shopping in the mall together.
Mu Nanyan had already agreed with her grandparents that she would go back to the military compound for dinner tonight.
She was worried that the two elders would feel disappointed, so she bought some gifts as a small "bribe" to make the atmosphere more harmonious.
In the evening, they arrived at the military compound on time.
As the New Year approaches, many people have already posted new Spring Festival couplets and hung up big red lanterns on their doors. At a glance, the air is filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
This was Lu Yiran's first time coming to the Shen family.
Under Mu Nanyan's guidance, he parked the car steadily at the gate of the Shen family courtyard.
As soon as the car was turned off, the door of the Shen family opened from the inside.
When Mu Nanyan saw the person standing at the door, a look of surprise appeared on her face:
"Cousin? When did you come back?"
"Just arrived yesterday."
Shen Changfeng had a gentle smile on his face as he glanced at the three of them.
"uncle!"
Chenchen was extremely excited when he saw Shen Changfeng. He couldn't wait to open the car door and pounced over like a happy little bird.
Seeing this, Shen Changfeng smiled, bent down, and easily picked up the little guy with one hand and held him in his arms:
"After not seeing you for a few months, our Chenchen has grown a lot taller."
Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran also got out of the car.
Lu Yiran looked calm and followed Chenchen politely:
"Brother-in-law."
Only then did Shen Changfeng officially turn his gaze to Lu Yiran.
He had heard his father mention a few days ago that Nan Yan had reconciled with him, so he was not surprised by the "brother-in-law", but his attitude remained somewhat distant and polite. He just nodded lightly in response and said nothing more.
Then, he turned to Mu Nanyan, his tone much softer:
"Come inside first, the food is almost ready."
"Okay, cousin, take Chenchen in first. We'll be right back after we get the things."
As Mu Nanyan said this, she and Lu Yiran turned around and went to the trunk to get the prepared gifts.
Shen Changfeng looked at them without saying much. He picked up Chenchen, who was still chattering, and turned around and walked into the house first.
Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran walked into the living room carrying gifts. The warmth and laughter that came to their faces instantly dispelled the chill of the winter night.
She glanced around and realized that there was a strange young woman sitting on the sofa.
The woman had a cool temperament, sat upright, and wore a simple off-white sweater. Her expression carried a quiet aloofness, which was slightly different from the lively atmosphere of the Shen family, yet strangely integrated.
Chenchen was sharp-eyed. He immediately tilted his head and stared at the woman again and again. Then he pulled Shen Changfeng's trouser leg and said loudly in a childish voice:
"Uncle, this aunt looks so familiar! I think I've seen her somewhere!"
He frowned and tried hard to recall. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he clapped his hands as if he had suddenly realized something.
"Oh! I remember now! Isn't this the aunt in your previous phone album?"
Children's words are innocent, but they are like a small stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
After Chenchen reminded her, Mu Nanyan immediately remembered.
During a family gathering before, Chenchen did find a photo of a pretty girl when he was playing with Shen Changfeng's mobile phone. When the little guy asked about it out of curiosity, Shen Changfeng only vaguely said that it was "a comrade-in-arms' sister."
Unexpectedly, not long after that, he actually took the person home for dinner without saying a word!
She smiled suddenly, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes. She nudged Shen Changfeng, who seemed calm but had red ears, with her elbow and jokingly said in a low voice:
"Alright, cousin! You're pretty quick! Last time you said she was your comrade's sister, and now she's your girlfriend, and you even brought her home for inspection? You've done a pretty good job of keeping it a secret!"
Shen Changfeng glared at her unhappily, but the corners of his mouth could not help but rise, and he whispered:
"You're the only one who talks too much."
Then, he turned to the woman beside him, his tone becoming formal and gentle as he introduced her to his family:
"This is Xia Ran, my girlfriend."
Then he said to Xia Ran:
"Xia Ran, this is the cousin I often mentioned to you, Nan Yan. This is her son, my nephew Chenchen. This is Lu Yiran."
Lu Yiran, whose detailed introduction was skipped, said: "..."
Isn't this discrepancy a bit too obvious? Is he, the future brother-in-law, really that unpresentable?
The few of them greeted each other briefly.
At this moment, my aunt Xu Wenxin came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of steaming dishes. When she saw Mu Nanyan, her face was immediately filled with a warm smile:
"Yanyan is back! Come sit down, don't stand!"
Her eyes then fell on the gift bags in Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran's hands. Her brows immediately frowned, and her tone was filled with anger:
"Oh! I've told you so many times, why are you bringing anything back home? You're always so polite! If you do this again next time, your aunt will be really angry and won't recognize you as her daughter anymore!"
Mu Nanyan hurried forward, took her aunt's arm affectionately, and explained with a smile:
"Okay, okay, I'll definitely come empty-handed next time! This isn't Yiran's first official visit, he always feels embarrassed to come empty-handed, so he has to show his appreciation."
After hearing what she said, Xu Wenxin's expression turned from gloomy to bright, and she smiled again, greeting Lu Yiran warmly:
"Yiran, don't be shy. Sit down for a while and treat it like your own home! The food will be ready soon. They're all home-cooked dishes, so don't be disgusted!"
After saying that, he turned around in a hurry and went back to the kitchen to work.
Not long after, there were heavy footsteps on the wooden stairs, mixed with the old couple's quarreling, neither of them willing to give in.
I saw Mr. Shen walking down carefully holding the handrail, his neck stiffened, and muttering to his wife behind him in dissatisfaction:
"Do you think Commander Li has lost his temper? It was clearly his fault for commanding an entire company trapped in the valley! How can he justify this? I think you're biased because of his good looks!"
When Mrs. Shen, who was following behind him, heard this, she immediately became unhappy. She quickly took two steps to catch up with him and retorted in a low voice, but every word was clear:
"Shen Guozhong! Stop your nonsense! The plot clearly states that the communication was interrupted and the intelligence was wrong! Commander Li also took the initiative to take responsibility afterwards! Do you think everyone is like you, stubborn as a bull, and how many people you offended when you were stubborn in the army?"
"I'm sticking to my principles! What do you know?"
The old man raised his voice a little, with a rather aggressive tone.
"That TV show is just a bunch of nonsense! How could a real commander be like him? I think the screenwriter has never served in the military!"
"You're the only one who understands! You can figure out the strategies and tactics from a TV drama? That's just artistic processing! Why are you taking it so seriously?" The old lady refused to give in.
The two of them argued back and forth, moving from the plot to history, and then from history back to their personal styles. They argued until their faces were red and they almost had a "military debate" on the stairs.
However, just as Mr. Shen stepped into the living room, his eyes swept over Mu Nanyan, Lu Yiran, and Chenchen who was being held by Shen Changfeng sitting on the sofa——
A miracle happened!
The stubborn old man who had just stuck his neck out and wanted to fight the screenwriter for three hundred rounds, the "indignation" on his face was instantly wiped out as if by an eraser, and disappeared without a trace.
His wrinkles were smoothed out, his eyebrows were curved, and the corners of his mouth were grinning in an extremely kind and even a little "honest" smile, as if the person who had just quarreled with his wife was not him at all.
He immediately shook off the old lady who was still trying to reason with him, quickened his pace, and his loud voice, filled with joy, instantly resounded throughout the living room:
"Hey! My precious granddaughter is back! Chenchen is here too!"
The expression changed so quickly and the tone of voice so naturally that Shen Changfeng, who was standing by, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Old Madam Shen followed behind, rolled her eyes at her old man, and cursed in a low voice:
"Old kid!"
But she immediately put on a loving smile and greeted the children.
The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became more lively and warm with the appearance of these two lively old men.
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