Chapter 32 (Combined with Chapter 32)
Thirty-two:
It felt like an eternity.
Qin Luan looked at him, her eyes full of surprise.
She had fantasized that Mu Zheng liked her. During that winter vacation, she kept thinking about it. When he kissed her that night, she was also thinking about it. Even later, when her brother said that Mu Zheng had agreed to the marriage, Qin Luan's fantasies almost reached their peak.
But none of them were true.
It was all just her fantasy.
But now, Mu Zheng says he likes her.
He has always liked her.
Qin Luan's emotions collapsed at that moment.
If he has always liked her, if they have always liked each other, then what have all these years of Qin Cheng's love meant?!
Qin Luan couldn't hold back her tears.
Her child is seven years old; six years without a father.
If Mu Zheng had come to him then, she wouldn't have lied; she would have admitted that it was her that night.
If she had discovered she was pregnant back then, she wouldn't have been so selfish as to give birth to the child alone. Instead, she would have gone to Mu Zheng and told him about it.
Then, Qin Cheng wouldn't be the way he is now.
He will have parents from birth, and like other children, he will have a father and a complete and happy family.
This was the first time Qin Luan had ever hated herself so much.
I hate my selfishness, I hate my cowardice.
Seeing her tearful face, Mu Zheng reached out and pulled her into his arms.
He wiped away her tears and said to her, "It's all in the past."
"But Xiao Cheng... Xiao Cheng, he..."
“It’s not entirely your fault,” Mu Zheng said gently. “I’m also at fault. We’re both at fault.”
Mistakes are never caused by one party alone.
If he hadn't been so arrogant in his youth, if he hadn't gotten drunk on the day he graduated from university, if he had talked a little more with the owner of the farmhouse that day, if he had told Qin Luan that it was because he liked her when she asked him why he agreed to marry her brother.
if……
If he had done even one of those "ifs," things wouldn't have turned out this way.
Even if he hadn't been so proud after marriage, and had been willing to face the fact that Qin Luan liked someone else, and had been willing to confront that person and investigate them, he wouldn't have only found out today that Qin Cheng was his child.
Mu Zheng recalled what Qin Yuan had said to him after the wedding that day.
He said, "Now that you are married, I hope you will treat my sister and her child well."
What did he say back then?
He said, "Of course."
Before today, Mu Zheng truly felt that he had not treated Qin Cheng unfairly, and he had a clear conscience.
But now, he is filled with guilt.
He certainly didn't mistreat Qin Cheng; perhaps he even treated him well. However, he didn't give him his complete and unconditional love.
Every child in the Mu family is born into love.
They were all born into a life of luxury, pampered by their parents, and were all young masters and ladies. Therefore, they lived proud and arrogant lives, never caring about what others thought of them. They were not lacking in love, nor did they need others to love or not love them.
But Qin Cheng...
Qin Cheng, however, did not receive enough, wholehearted love from him.
He was not a good father.
He is not worthy to be Qin Cheng's father.
At this moment, Mu Zheng felt both self-reproach and guilt.
He wished he could turn back time, back to his high school days, back to that night, back to the moment he first heard that Qin Luan was pregnant, back to the day he first met Qin Cheng, back to the day they got married.
Either one is fine; at least he can make up for some of Qin Cheng's shortcomings.
Unlike the somber atmosphere surrounding Mu Zheng and Qin Luan, Qin Cheng was relaxed, sitting with Ye Qingxi in the private room reserved by Mu Shaowu, enjoying their meal.
Let's rewind twenty minutes.
Ye Qingxi saw Mu Shaowu standing at the school gate and quickly ran towards him.
He looked left and right but couldn't see Qin Luan. He asked, "Isn't Aunt coming today?"
“She probably won’t be able to come.” Mu Shaowu picked him up. “She’s probably having a heart-to-heart talk with your uncle right now.”
"You told my uncle?" Ye Qingxi asked excitedly.
Mu Shaowu nodded, "You have no idea what your uncle looked like back then. It was the first time I had ever seen him with that expression."
Ye Qingxi hooked her arm around his neck, "Didn't you take any pictures of me?"
Mu Shaowu: ? ? ?
Mu Shaowu almost burst out laughing. "What are you thinking? If I took out my phone and started snapping pictures of him in that situation, it would ruin the atmosphere so much."
Ye Qingxi smiled and said, "I didn't even know what my uncle looked like back then, but if you had taken a picture, I would have known."
Mu Shaowu raised his hand and ruffled his hair. "You're such a clever little devil."
"But now that's good. Xiao Cheng is your uncle's biological son, so your uncle's family is now a real family of three."
"Yes." Ye Qingxi nodded firmly.
As the two were talking, Qin Cheng came out.
Mu Shaowu quickly called out to him, "Xiao Cheng, over here."
He put Ye Qingxi down and pulled her towards Qin Cheng.
Qin Cheng asked in confusion, "Where is my mother?"
"Your mother is busy at noon today and can't get away, so she asked me to pick you up for lunch," Mu Shaowu said.
When he parted ways with Mu Zheng earlier, it was already quite late. Mu Zheng was worried that he and Qin Luan wouldn't be able to finish talking in a short time, so he asked him to look after Qin Cheng if he and Qin Luan didn't show up by the time school ended.
Mu Shaowu readily agreed.
He had a good relationship with Mu Zheng since childhood. Even when Qin Cheng was not Mu Zheng's biological son, but only Mu Zheng's son in name, he was still willing to treat her well.
Now that Qin Cheng is Mu Zheng's biological son, and they have been separated for a long time, Mu Shaowu can imagine how guilty his brother must feel, so he naturally cares even more about his little nephew.
He took Qin Cheng's hand and said, "Come on, Uncle will take you to eat."
Mu Shaowu drove them to a nearby hotel.
He ordered some dishes, and then had his two children order some more before asking the waiter to take the menu away.
After dinner, Mu Shaowu escorted the two children back to their dormitory.
Ye Qingxi took Qin Cheng's hand and went up the stairs with him.
As they walked, Qin Cheng suddenly said to him, "Xiao Xi, my dad came to see me this morning."
"Oh?" Ye Qingxi tilted his head; Mu Shaowu hadn't told him about this.
"Why did you suddenly come to see me?"
Qin Cheng reached into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out the ornament. "Give me this."
Ye Qingxi glanced at it and thought it was quite cute.
His uncle traveled a long way just to give his son a decorative item.
Ye Qingxi felt that this was unlikely; most likely, he was too excited after learning the truth, so he came to see his son.
The ornaments aren't the point; Qin Cheng is.
"So cute!" Ye Qingxi exclaimed.
Qin Cheng also found it cute.
He kept looking at the cat figurine during breaks afterward, and sometimes he couldn't help but peek at it during class.
He had originally planned to show this to his mother when she came to visit him at noon, so she could tell her that his father had come to see him that morning.
However, his mother was busy and did not come.
Qin Cheng really wanted to share this happy news, so he couldn't help but tell Ye Qingxi.
Sure enough, his younger brother also thought the kitten was cute.
"I think it's cute too," Qin Cheng said softly.
Looking at his adorable expression, clearly immersed in his father's love, Ye Qingxi found him quite endearing.
He teased him deliberately, saying, "Brother, you're cute too~"
Qin Cheng: !!!
Qin Cheng suddenly felt a little shy.
"No...no, I didn't."
He thought to himself, "My younger brother is clearly cuter."
"Xiao Xi, you're so cute."
"What's cute about me?" Ye Qingxi teased him again.
Qin Cheng didn't expect him to ask that question.
He blinked, finding the question rather odd.
“Everywhere is lovely,” he said.
Ye Qingxi couldn't help but laugh. It's true what they say, kids are adorable; they even answer such questions with such seriousness.
He stopped teasing Qin Cheng, shook the hand he was holding with Qin Cheng, and walked happily towards their dormitory.
After changing into his pajamas and lying in bed, Qin Cheng picked up the jade pendant hanging around his neck, gently pinched it with his small hands, and looked at it carefully.
Even now, this jade pendant is still very beautiful.
Qin Cheng liked it very much; he liked it from the moment he received it.
Later, Ye Qingxi told him the meaning behind the jade pendant, and Qin Cheng liked it even more.
He put the jade pendant back and closed his eyes.
He finally stopped wondering whether his father liked him or not.
He already knows.
His father likes him.
There's nothing I don't like.
He likes him.
When school ended in the afternoon, Ye Qingxi met Mu Shaowu, Mu Zheng, and Qin Luan at the school gate.
"Is this the end of the discussion?" Ye Qingxi wondered. "That's why we came to pick up the children together."
Good, good, good. Ye Qingxi is very satisfied. Ye Qingxi is very happy.
Now his uncle no longer has to be a stranger to his son, and Qin Cheng can finally have a complete family.
A stepson and a biological son are quite different.
Ye Qingxi walked happily toward Mu Shaowu, but before she reached him, Mu Shaowu grabbed her hand and picked her up.
"Your uncle and aunt have come to pick up your brother," Mu Shaowu whispered to him, reporting the progress.
Ye Qingxi: "...I saw it."
Mu Shaowu was clearly very happy, and smiled as he rubbed his forehead against his, "This is all thanks to you, you're such a lucky star."
Without Ye Qingxi, given his sister-in-law's personality, who knows when they would find out?
"Baby, baby, how will your uncle's family survive without you!" Mu Shaowu immediately put on an act.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi really wanted to facepalm. If your acting is so bad, don't try to teach others.
That really hurt his eyes!
Ye Qingxi raised her small hand and squeezed Mu Shaowu's face.
Mu Shaowu: ? ? ?
Ye Qingxi chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll make sure my uncle's family lives a good life."
Mu Shaowu thought he was replying to his previous comment and just thought his son was incredibly cute.
He nuzzled Ye Qingxi's forehead again before carrying him to Mu Zheng.
"Uncle, Aunt," Ye Qingxi greeted them sweetly.
Mu Zheng and Qin Luan looked at him with tenderness in their eyes.
Before coming, Qin Luan had already asked around and learned that the reason she and Mu Zheng were able to break the ice was actually because of Ye Qingxi.
This child is bold, meticulous, and proactive; compared to him, we adults are not as good.
Therefore, both Mu Zheng and Qin Luan were filled with gratitude towards Ye Qingxi.
"Your uncle will treat you to dinner the day after tomorrow afternoon," Mu Zheng said to Ye Qingxi.
"This is to thank him," Ye Qingxi readily accepted. He nodded and agreed, "Okay."
Mu Shaowu retorted, "Why not tomorrow?"
"I'll go back to the old house for dinner tomorrow night."
Mu Shaowu understood this, and his brother would go back and tell his father about it tomorrow.
Mu Shaowu: ...
Mu Shaowu looked at his handsome older brother and silently lit a candle for him.
Wish him luck.
Knowing his father as he does, after such a big incident, he would have been scolded more than once. It's only because his brother is now grown up, married, and has children that he's worried his father would resort to corporal punishment!
Mu Shaowu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Hold on, brother!"
When Qin Cheng came out of school, he saw that his parents were there.
He paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran towards his parents.
Mu Zheng walked up to him first and picked up Qin Cheng in the same way that Mu Shaowu picked up Ye Qingxi.
Qin Cheng: !!!
Qin Cheng was even more surprised.
His dad hugged him again?
That's so strange.
Qin Cheng thought, "My dad is really acting strange today."
When Mu Shaowu saw Qin Cheng come out, he prepared to leave the space to the family of three.
"Xiao Xi, say goodbye to your uncle and the others," he said to Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi waved, "Goodbye, Uncle, Aunt, and Brother."
"goodbye."
Mu Shaowu, holding Ye Qingxi, turned and walked towards his car.
Mu Zheng then carried Qin Cheng and walked towards his car.
Qin Luan walked beside them.
Qin Cheng looked at his father on the left and his mother on the right.
The more I look at it, the happier I become.
"Mom and Dad, why did you come together?"
"Is it not allowed?" Mu Zheng asked him.
"Sure, but before only one of you two would come."
Mu Zheng: ...
Mu Zheng felt a surge of guilt and heartache once again.
"That's because your dad is busy with work," Qin Luan said.
"So Dad isn't busy today?"
"Yes." Mu Zheng choked up, "From now on, Dad will come to pick you up whenever he's not busy."
"real?"
"Mm." Mu Zheng looked at him and smiled gently.
Qin Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
He still felt that his father was acting strange today, but strange fathers are also good.
Ye Qingxi sat in the car, watching the family of three get in through the glass.
He rested his chin on his hands, thinking to himself, "This is wonderful."
It would be wonderful if the bad ending could be changed into a happy ending!
“Dad,” Ye Qingxi turned to look at Mu Shaowu, “Let’s go to that shopping mall we went to last time.”
"what?"
"Go buy a set of family clothes for your brother too," Ye Qingxi said.
Although he previously thought that the short-sleeved shirt was indeed overly cute and not suitable for his mental age, when they went shopping together that day, wearing that shirt, others could tell at a glance that they were a family.
Therefore, he felt that Qin Cheng also needed one.
He was originally part of their family.
Mu Shaowu: ...
Mu Shaowu was in despair. Who still remembered that those were originally matching outfits for him and his beloved son!
Mu Shaoting! You deserve to die for proposing the concept of home wear!
Do you think you're Cangjie?
So annoying!
Mu Shaowu angrily started the car and drove angrily to the mall, where he angrily bought the short-sleeved shirt with the sales assistant.
Of course, he didn't buy one item; he bought three.
After all, Qin Cheng is not only a member of the Mu family, but also the child of his parents. If he, as the father, has one, then his brother and sister-in-law, as the parents, should also have one.
Whether they wear them or not is not something Mu Shaowu can consider.
He's only responsible for making his son happy.
"Should we buy one for Grandpa too?" Ye Qingxi asked hesitantly.
Mu Shaowu: ? ? ?
His dad? A sixty-year-old man? Wearing a kitten-patterned short-sleeved shirt?!
Mu Shaowu squatted down and said to his beloved son, "When have you ever seen your grandfather wear short sleeves, especially printed ones?"
Ye Qingxi: ...Ah, it seems there really isn't one.
"Forget it," Mu Shaowu advised. "Look, the principal doesn't wear a school uniform, and the teachers don't wear class uniforms, so it's reasonable for your grandfather not to wear family clothes, right?"
That's true.
Isn't Grandpa Mu their headmaster, their great teacher, their patriarch?
Ye Qingxi nodded.
Mu Shaowu quickly carried him away from the stage, afraid that his son might suddenly change his mind and insist that his sixty-year-old father wear cat-ear short sleeves.
The scene was absolutely breathtaking!
Qin Cheng returned home, changed into his pajamas, and prepared to do his homework.
He was writing when Mu Zheng knocked on the door and came in.
Qin Cheng looked at him with a puzzled expression, asking if there was something wrong.
Mu Zheng walked to his side and looked at the exercises he had already started working on. "Is there anything you don't understand?"
That strange feeling came back again.
Qin Cheng thought that his father was really, really strange today; he would never have acted like this before.
Qin Cheng shook his head.
Third-grade math was very easy for Qin Cheng; there was nothing he couldn't do, and he had even started learning the later material ahead of time.
Mu Zheng ruffled his hair. "If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask your dad."
Qin Cheng nodded.
Mu Zheng wanted to keep him company, so she said, "You write, Dad will look at your book."
Qin Cheng: ? ? ?
Qin Cheng felt even stranger.
He handed the books he didn't need to Mu Zheng.
Mu Zheng opened it and looked at it quietly.
Qin Cheng's book is very clean.
There were no drawings done while slacking off in class, no formulas or numbers to verify, and hardly any notes at all.
He has everything stored in his head; he doesn't need to write it down.
He was an overly intelligent child.
Like him.
He looks a lot like him.
Mu Zheng felt upset again.
His child was right in front of him, but he didn't recognize him.
How could he not recognize him?
How could he not recognize him?
He is completely unfit to be a father.
Qin Cheng looked up and saw Mu Zheng with his head down, his brows furrowed, looking guilty and remorseful.
He asked with concern, "Dad, what's wrong?"
"No," Mu Zheng said, looking at him. "It's nothing."
“You look…unhappy,” Qin Cheng said softly.
Mu Zheng remained silent.
He just looked at him, quietly looking at him.
Finally, she reached out and hugged him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Xiao Cheng, Dad is sorry."
Qin Cheng quickly shook his head.
He didn't understand. He had apologized to him when he came to see him in the morning, and now he was saying it again.
But what had he done to wrong him?
He has always been very good to him.
This is what Qin Luan saw when she pushed open the door.
Qin Luan's eyes instantly reddened. She was turned around, wiped away her tears, and then smiled and said, "Dinner's ready."
The three of them sat in the restaurant.
Qin Cheng looked at the sumptuous dishes in front of him, as well as the cake in front of him.
Is anyone having a birthday today?
No, I don't think so.
Qin Cheng thought that neither he, his mother, nor his father had their birthdays today.
What happened?
He looked at Qin Luan and then at Mu Zheng with a puzzled expression.
"Xiao Cheng, come and cut the cake." Qin Luan smiled at him and handed him the cake knife.
Qin Cheng was puzzled. "Today is not my birthday."
“Mom knows,” Qin Luan said gently, “but today is a special day.”
What day is it?
"Today, today..." Qin Luan said, tears streaming down her face, "Today is the day you and your father reunite."
Qin Cheng was shocked.
He didn't understand.
What does it mean to reunite with his father?
"Mom, I don't understand."
Qin Luan hugged him, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Xiao Cheng, I'm so sorry."
"It was Mom's fault. Mom was too cowardly and too selfish. That's why Mom never told you that your father is your biological father."
“Xiao Cheng, you have been living with your biological father since last year. Your Uncle Mu is your biological father.”
Qin Cheng turned his head and looked at Mu Zheng in disbelief.
Mu Zheng's eyes were also red.
He touched his face, his eyes tender.
He called him, "Xiao Cheng".
He said, "You are my child, and I am your biological father."
Qin Cheng looked at him; Mu Zheng was his biological father.
He wasn't his nominal father after he married his mother.
Instead, it was his biological father.
Mu Zheng is his biological father.
He is Mu Zheng's child.
It wasn't anyone else's child with his mother.
It's not someone else's child.
Qin Cheng suddenly became very happy.
His father was none other than Mu Zheng.
That's the father he likes now.
"Dad," Qin Cheng said softly.
Mu Zheng nodded and hugged him tightly.
"Dad," Qin Cheng called out again.
The voice was soft and full of dependence.
It's like unwrapping a gift and finding your favorite toy train inside.
It's like something he likes even more than a toy train.
He has a father now.
His father is the father he wanted.
very nice.
Qin Cheng raised his hand and hugged his father.
He felt very lucky, even too lucky.
What he wanted was actually what truly belonged to him.
"Dad, are you really my dad?" Qin Cheng couldn't believe it.
Mu Zheng nodded quickly.
"Then why weren't you here before?" Qin Cheng asked, puzzled. "You didn't recognize me when we met, and you didn't recognize me when you married Mom? Don't you recognize me?"
Mu Zheng shook his head, his hand touching the back of Qin Cheng's head. He said, "It was Dad's fault, Dad was bad, Dad is sorry."
Qin Cheng turned to Qin Luan and asked, "Mom, didn't you recognize Dad either?"
Qin Luan wept uncontrollably.
Qin Cheng thought, "How stupid."
He said, "Dad, Mom, and I, the three of us are so stupid, we didn't recognize each other."
"I'm sorry, Xiao Cheng."
"It's alright." Qin Cheng generously forgave his parents.
There are so many children and so many adults in the world.
His father doesn't live with them, so it's understandable that he didn't recognize them.
He looked at Mu Zheng and said, "Then Dad, you can't keep disappearing from me."
"Otherwise, when we meet again, you won't recognize me and Mom."
Mu Zheng nodded and hugged him.
His tears fell onto Qin Cheng's pajamas.
He said, "Dad will never disappear. Dad will always be with you, forever and ever."
Qin Cheng nodded and hugged him.
He didn't ask Mu Zheng why he hadn't been by his side before.
He didn't ask Mu Zheng why he left him and his mother.
He didn't ask anything.
Because none of that matters anymore.
The important thing is that he's by his side now.
He will be by his side from now on.
They will never be apart again.
We will never be apart.
Qin Cheng hugged Mu Zheng tightly. He thought he wanted to sleep with his parents tonight.
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