Chapter 74 "Why did they say those things about you?"
Chapter 74
Yu Pan quickly put the little incident of being followed out of his mind, and spent the weekend preparing for his final exams.
For Yu Pan, the happiest thing about going to university was not having to study math anymore. The remaining courses were mostly ones he liked. Apart from having to spend time memorizing English vocabulary, he wasn't too worried about anything else.
Halfway through Yu Pan's final exams, Wu Zewen sat in Shen Yanzhou's office once again, this time to finalize the specific date for his reunion with Yu Pan.
“Mr. Shen,” Wu Zewen said, “when do you plan to talk to Chongyuan about this? So we can prepare in advance.”
Shen Yanzhou's gaze remained fixed on the computer screen, his tone flat: "I'll contact you then."
Wu Zewen paused, then couldn't help but say, "We agreed last time that it would be after the exams..."
“It’s after the exam.” Shen Yanzhou finally looked up at him, his expression indifferent. “But before that, I need to lay some groundwork for him. Yu Pan isn’t a three-year-old anymore. His parents, who have been missing for over a decade, suddenly reappear. Do you think this is something that can be easily resolved with a cup of tea? Have you thought about whether he can accept it?”
Wu Zewen felt a little unhappy when he heard what he said. They were Chongyuan's biological parents. Their reunion should have been a joyous occasion. What was there to be unhappy about?
But though he thought this to himself, he didn't dare to show it to Shen Yanzhou in person. He just agreed, "Mr. Shen is very thoughtful. We'll wait for your news."
That's what he said, but as soon as he got home and closed the door, he said to Su Wenjun, "As soon as Chongyuan finishes his exams, we'll go straight to him. We can't wait for Shen Yanzhou to make arrangements any longer!"
Su Wenjun looked worried and felt something was wrong: "Zewen, is this okay? Mr. Shen got really angry last time..."
She still remembered the scolding she received from Shen Yanzhou when she secretly went to see her son last time. That man was too domineering, and she was afraid that if she angered him, he would really not let her see her son.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Wu Zewen said dismissively. "Once we meet him this time and get Chongyuan's contact information, we can just contact him directly if we miss our son. Why would we need to put up with Shen Yanzhou's attitude?"
"Besides, although our Wu family is not what it used to be, we still have connections. In the future, Shen Yanzhou will need our help in business. If we help him out then, it will be a way of repaying the kindness of his family in raising Chongyuan."
Su Wenjun still hesitated: "Then...should we tell Chongzhi first?"
“It’s an adult matter, what are kids getting involved in?” Wu Zewen clicked his tongue. “Once they’re recognized, the two brothers will naturally get to know each other; after all, they’re family.”
Su Wenjun remained silent for a long time. In the end, her desire to see her son overcame her anxiety, and she nodded in agreement.
-
After the last exam, it's almost time for summer vacation to officially begin.
Even the earliest person to leave the dormitory wouldn't leave until Sunday, so everyone agreed to go out to a restaurant off-campus that evening for a good meal.
Although Yu Pan doesn't usually live in the dormitory, he has a good relationship with his roommates and they usually go to class and eat together. As soon as the suggestion came out, he immediately agreed.
The exam finished at 4 PM, and we were supposed to meet at the school gate at 6 PM. Since it was still early, Yu Pan planned to go home first to put down her pencil case and other things before going to meet them.
As he approached his building, he habitually glanced at the spot where Shen Yanzhou usually parked, only to see a white sedan parked there.
There aren't many cars in the community, and there are enough parking spaces. Everyone is used to parking in their usual spots and doesn't bother each other. The security guards also know exactly where the cars are and will direct new cars to the available spaces.
Upon seeing the white car, Yu Pan initially thought it was Shen Yanzhou returning, but he immediately remembered that Shen Yanzhou had said that morning that he was going to a construction site in the suburbs and would be back later.
Feeling completely relaxed after the exam, Yu Pan skipped home, mentally planning where to go for summer vacation. Back to Lanzhou? Back to Qingyu? Or perhaps explore the area around Beijing?
Oh! What a sweet trouble!
But as soon as he reached the entrance of the building, he stopped in his tracks. There were two people standing in front of the building entrance who looked very familiar.
Before he could even react, the two men, their eyes red and swollen, rushed towards him.
"Chongyuan!" Su Wenjun's voice trembled with tears as she reached out to grab his arm. "I'm your mother..."
Wu Zewen followed closely behind, his voice trembling: "Chongyuan, we are your biological parents..."
Yu Pan's face turned pale instantly. Seeing the outstretched hand, he instinctively took two steps back to avoid it: "You...you've mistaken me for someone else, haven't you?"
“No mistake! Absolutely no mistake!” Wu Zewen said excitedly, “You have a small crescent-shaped scar on your lower back, right? That’s from when you fell down when you were three years old!”
Yu Pan froze. He did indeed have a small crescent-shaped scar on his lower back. It was Shen Yanzhou who told him about it. Shen Yanzhou always liked to kiss that spot during intimate moments.
Seeing his reaction, Wu Zewen finally found an outlet for the pent-up frustration he had been suppressing for days. He said, "I even did a paternity test with you later. Did Shen Yanzhou never tell you about us?"
Yu Pan was stunned, and opened her mouth: "...What is it?"
"I knew it!" Wu Zewen's voice trembled with anger and indignation. "Not long after the Youth Day performance, we found you. It was Shen Yanzhou. He blocked us, threatened us, and wouldn't let us come to acknowledge you! Chongyuan, my child, we've searched for you so hard..."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but reach out again, wanting to touch Yu Pan's face.
Yu Pan's mind was in complete turmoil. Of all the things the middle-aged man in front of her had said, the only thing she could take in was about Shen Yanzhou.
Seeing the outstretched hand, he wanted to dodge, but his body felt like it was nailed to the spot; he wanted to move but couldn't.
Just as that hand was about to touch him, a force pulled him back sharply. Yu Pan turned his head and saw that it was Shen Yanzhou!
Shen Yanzhou was breathing unevenly, and a few strands of hair on his forehead were soaked with sweat. He rushed back immediately after receiving the news at the construction site, but he was still a step too late. He looked at Yu Pan's pale face, and his eyes instantly darkened.
He shielded the somewhat dazed Yu Pan behind him, saying, "I told you, after the exams, I will gradually and properly arrange for you to recognize each other. Can't you even wait a few more days?"
"Mr. Shen! If you hadn't gone too far, why would we have done this? You forced us to!" Wu Zewen was both anxious and angry. "You've never been a parent, how could you understand how much we miss our child? After searching for so many years, our child is right beside us. Tell me, what parent in the world could bear to see that?!"
Shen Yanzhou looked at him coldly: "You keep saying that you've been searching for him for more than ten years and it's been very hard. Then let me ask you, who gave up on him first? Who sent him away like a superfluous object?"
"You're all so eager to acknowledge him, but have you considered how tired he is after finishing his exams? Can he handle such a huge shock?"
"You think that throwing the truth at him regardless of everything is for his own good? Is this the only gift you've waited over a decade to give him?"
Shen Yanzhou asked, word by word, "Or do you think that because of the 'biological parents' label, he should be grateful and accept whatever they do?"
Wu Zewen was speechless when asked the question. He stared blankly at Yu Pan, who was being protected behind Shen Yanzhou and had been watching him silently. A chill ran through him.
This is his own son, yet he only sees him as a stranger and distant from his father.
Shen Yanzhou stopped looking at them, turned around and put his arm around Yu Pan's shoulder, "Panpan, let's go home."
Just as she was about to turn around, Su Wenjun suddenly rushed up and grabbed Yu Pan's hand tightly.
"Xiao Yuan! Xiao Yuan!" she cried, her voice trembling with grief. "I'm your mother... Look at your mother..."
Yu Pan looked down at the hand that was holding her and remained silent for several seconds.
Then he raised his other hand and pried her fingers apart one by one.
"I'm going home," Yu Pan said.
-
Even after walking up to the third floor, Su Wenjun's suppressed sobs could still be faintly heard from downstairs. It wasn't until she entered her home and the heavy wooden door was closed that the sound was completely shut out.
"Brother..." Yu Pan hugged Shen Yanzhou's waist as soon as she entered the room, burying her face deep in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled, "What... what happened..."
His mind was still a mess. How did a pair of biological parents suddenly appear, saying they had been looking for him for many years?
Shen Yanzhou embraced him and led him to the sofa to sit down. Then, he half-squatted in front of him, held his hand, and tried to calmly recount the events from when Wu Zewen first came to him after Youth Day to when they secretly conducted a paternity test.
As for the specific details of how Yu Pan was repeatedly given away for adoption and eventually lost, Shen Yanzhou only briefly mentioned it.
Yu Pan sat on the sofa, his eyes filled with confusion. He had almost no memory of what Shen Yanzhou had said about his childhood. After listening for a while, he hesitated and asked, "Is all of this true?"
"I'm sorry, Panpan." Shen Yanzhou looked at him with apologetic eyes. "It's true. I originally wanted to wait until you finished your exams and were more relaxed before telling you..."
“Brother, you don’t need to apologize.” Yu Pan shook her head and raised her hand to stroke Shen Yanzhou’s cheek. “I know you’re doing this for my own good.”
He felt a tightness in his chest and needed some time to process it, so Yu Pan called his roommate and canceled the dinner party that evening.
Perhaps it was because Shen Yanzhou didn't take him to Qingyu last time that he threw a tantrum, but now whenever Yu Pan encounters something troublesome, he likes to curl up in the corner of the small bed in the study and quietly space out.
This time was no different; he curled up in the corner, hugging his knees, and sat there until dusk fell outside the window. Shen Yanzhou didn't disturb him during this time, but simply cooked dinner on time and brought it into the study.
Tonight's dinner consisted of finely shredded carrots and cucumbers, mixed with eggs, flour, and a little milk to make a batter, which was then pan-fried into soft pancakes. This was served with a thick, not-too-sweet multigrain porridge.
Yu Pan really enjoys eating these on summer nights; they're refreshing and cooling.
Shen Yanzhou only served him a small bowl of porridge and a plate of pancakes. He sat by the bed and fed him bite by bite, and Yu Pan quietly finished eating.
Just as Shen Yanzhou picked up the empty bowls and plates to leave, Yu Pan reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes.
Shen Yanzhou put the things back on the desk, sat down on the bed, and Yu Pan skillfully snuggled into his arms and hugged him tightly.
After a long while, Yu Pan's muffled voice came from her arms: "Brother, actually I'm a little angry."
"Hmm?" Shen Yanzhou patted his back. "Is it Sheng-ge's anger?"
Yu Pan raised her hand and lightly punched his shoulder: "No! I'm angry... at those two people, my... biological parents."
"Why are you angry?" Shen Yanzhou asked, following his words. "Are you angry that they gave you up for adoption?"
“No,” Yu Pan shook her head and explained, “What makes me angry is that when they were talking to me, they were saying bad things about you.”
Yu Pan's voice was filled with anger, "Since they already knew who I was and had talked to you, they should understand that for me now, you are the most important and closest person to me."
"Why did they say those things about you?" Yu Pan became more and more agitated as he spoke. He sat on Shen Yanzhou's lap, his eyes dark and bright as he looked at him. "That's why I'm angry. It turns out my biological parents are such people..."
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Author's Note: Panpan [Cat Head]: I'm a spoiled brat! [Angry][Angry][Angry]
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