Grandmother Qi waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter now. We don’t find any problem with Danchen’s character anyway. You young people’s love relationship. It’s not as though we can interfere when you’re truly in love with each other. That Shen family is nothing. We aren’t afraid of them even if they want to create more troubles for us.”
Ruan Danchen looked at Grandmother Qi in shocked. “Grandma…”
Grandmother Qi let out a sigh, her eyes seemingly gentle as she said, “You’re such a poor child; we don’t have the right to blame you for this. It isn’t something that you can control. What’s more important is that Chenglin loves you. It’s been such a long time yet we’ve never seen him fall in love with someone. It’s a wonder that he thinks a lot about you. Youxuan likes you as well. We’re satisfied as long as you young people can live your lives well.”
Ruan Danchen had readied herself to be rejected by the Qi family. However, she did not expect that Grandmother Qi would accept her well.
Grandfather Qi sipped on his tea next to Grandmother Qi. His lips curled up into a smile as he took a glimpse of Grandmother Qi, not saying a word.
“Nonetheless, you need to be prepared when the Shen family takes this to the public. They must not want to see you well. The damage those rumors can cause should never be underestimated,” warned Grandmother Qi.
Ruan Danchen nodded. “I understand, but if it brings harm to the Qi family…”
“What’s there to be worried about? It’s not as if we haven’t gone through bad rumors before,” Qi Chenglin was the first to respond.
Grandfather Qi emitted an angry cough, glaring at Qi Chenglin petulantly.
“Alright, alright. Since this is over now,” interjected Grandmother Qi, “Wenna, please turn up the volume of the television. Sigh… After the Shen family’s disruption, I’ve missed out Cai Ming’s sketch.”
Ruan Danchen could not believe that things had proceeded so smoothly. She turned around to look at Qi Chenglin.
Qi Chenglin smiled gently at her and whispered, “Didn’t I tell you so? Don’t worry.”
“Dad, can I come out now?” Qi Youxuan shouted as Xia Wenna was turning up the television volume.
Only then did the others remember that Qi Youxuan was still in his room.
“I’ll go and bring him here,” said Ruan Danchen as she stood up from her seat, and Qi Chenglin followed suit wordlessly.
During their absence, Guan Liya could not help but reconfirm, “Dad, Mom, are you sure…”
Grandmother Qi took a sip of the tea and said, “I didn’t stop Chengzhi and Song Yu then, and I won’t stop Chenglin and Danchen now. These are their own affairs. There’s nothing to do with their family background. You didn’t have any problem with Danchen coming from a humble family, so why do your opinions conflict now? Just assume that you’ve gotten a troublesome in-law. Moreover, since Danchen is no longer related to Liu Ronghua and the Shen family, those people shouldn’t have any other ideas even though we’re not afraid of them if they even tried something. Is it right for us to ruin our children’s marriage all because of the ant-like Shen family? You should be more receptive too. Relationships can only be justified by standing in our children’s shoes.”
Guan Liya hesitated until Grandmother Qi continued to advise, “There’s nothing more important than the younger generation’s happiness. Even if you disagree with it now and break them apart, that stubborn Qi Chenglin won’t look for another partner nor will he accept any other outstanding ladies you recommend. Love is based solely on the heart, nothing to do with being remarkable. Do you really want him to stay single forever while raising Youxuan on his own?”
Guan Liya sighed. “I won’t intercept their relationship then. They… I’ll just let them do as they please.”
Grandmother Qi chuckled. “Don’t show them your reluctant expression when they’re back later.”
“I know. It’s Chinese New Year and we have to keep the mood lively.”
As soon as she finished, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin came in with Qi Youxuan between them. The little one was still holding onto Ruan Danchen’s hand.
Ruan Danchen placed Qi Youxuan on her lap, seeming to have more to say.
“Dad, Aunt Ruan, didn’t you say that you have something important to tell everyone?” Qi Youxuan glanced back and forth between Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen in a daze.
When he was sent back to his room earlier, his auntie had turned on the computer for him. He was able to watch the live broadcast online and got the chance to shake the red envelope. However, the live broadcast online was a few minutes slower than the live broadcast on the television. Thus, he could not obtain any red envelope from the event and was left to watch only the broadcast instead.
Ruan Danchen glanced at the little one with a heavy heart. His beautiful little round face was carefree, his large eyes crystal clear. There was no hint of distracting thoughts, merely complete trust in them.
A sharp pang hit Ruan Danchen’s heart. Her courage to speak dissipated slightly.
Qi Chenglin gazed at Ruan Danchen’s hands that were holding Qi Youxuan’s. He placed his large pale hands on top of theirs, enveloping them in his palms.
The others in the Qi family had noticed the change in atmosphere and stared at them curiously.
Qi Chenglin’s sight fell on the file on the table. “There’s another document inside this file. Grandpa, Grandma, please have a look.”
With that, the others made no move to check the document before Grandfather Qi. Qi Zhongliang passed the file to Grandfather Qi.
Grandfather Qi took the documents with a mumble. As Aunt Liu was not around at that moment, he asked Qi Chengji to bring him his presbyopia glasses. Hearing that, Grandmother Qi requested Qi Chengji to bring hers along as well.
After putting on his presbyopia glasses, he took out the document and lowered his head to read its content. His expression darkened and he instantly looked up at Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen’s heart constricted yet she could not escape Grandfather Qi’s intense scrutiny. She thus tightened her arms over Qi Youxuan.
“What’s wrong?” Grandmother Qi asked anxiously next to him.
Grandfather Qi did not know how to describe his current feelings. Without a single word, he handed the document over to Grandmother Qi solemnly.
Grandmother Qi held onto her presbyopia glasses as she scanned the document. Her eyes gaped wide opened before exclaiming, “Aiyo!” Then, she tapped on her chest to smooth her breathing.
“Oh, Zhongxun, Liya. Read this.” Grandmother Qi gave Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya the document.
Qi Zhongxun’s expression turned grim while Guan Liya’s hands were trembling. “This… This…”
Xia Wenna took the document from them curiously. She browsed through the document with Qi Zhongliang and they were both astounded with the content.
Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only ones who knew about that matter, hence they remained composed.
“What is this?” Grandfather Qi fumed as he glowered at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen.
“Shen Zhijing is infertile. For the sake of entering the Shen family, Liu Ronghua had forced Danchen to take Shen Zhijing’s place and she conceived my child. After giving birth to Youxuan, the Shen family tricked me into believing that Youxuan was Shen Zhijing’s son. Moreover, as Youxuan was born prematurely, the Shen family took the opportunity to delude Danchen that her baby had died,” Qi Chenglin explained truthfully.
“What else are you hiding from us?!” Grandfather Qi was seething and almost flipped the table.
Ruan Danchen felt Qi Youxuan’s little body froze in her embrace. He was stiff, not moving an inch.
Suddenly, Qi Youxuan struggled to get out of her embrace and jumped onto the ground before dashing back into his room.
“Youxuan!” Afraid that Youxuan would not forgive her, Ruan Danchen left the others out of her mind and rushed after him.
However, Qi Youxuan did not look at her, not even once. He went into his room and slammed the door shut. Ruan Danchen could hear him locking the door from the inside.
Qi Chenglin frowned and trailed behind them.
Grandmother Qi sighed. “No wonder Chenglin said that Danchen no longer owes Liu Ronghua anything. She has repaid all her debts to her after all.”
Guan Liya glanced at Qi Zhongxun. Who would have known that the stepmother Qi Youxuan was looking for was, in fact, his biological mother? It was not surprising then for the boy to be so affectionate towards Ruan Danchen; they were bound together by blood. Even before the truth was revealed, there was already a natural intimacy between them.
Ruan Danchen knocked on Qi Youxuan’s door frantically. When Qi Chenglin arrived, he saw Ruan Danchen kneeling outside Qi Youxuan’s room pathetically, like a child who had done something wrong.
“Youxuan, please open the door. If you want to blame me or if you’re mad at me, just open the door and tell me in my face. You can say whatever you want. It’s alright to even ignore me. Please don’t hide in the room alone. I’m worried.” Ruan Danchen was concerned that Qi Youxuan would let his imagination run wild and feel miserable all alone in his room.
It was the adults’ fault. She did not want Qi Youxuan to feel bad about it.
Qi Chenglin walked towards her and sat near her on the floor. His long legs were folded to keep Ruan Danchen safe in his embrace.
Ruan Danchen could sit no longer. “Youxuan, I beg you. It’s all my fault. Don’t be like this. I’m really worried. I’m sorry, Youxuan. If you… If you don’t want me as your mom, just let me know. Please don’t keep it to yourself in there. I’m the one at fault. I deserve to not be recognized as your mom…”
‘Click!’
The door opened suddenly and Qi Youxuan appeared in front of them, his little face was drenched in tears.
“Are you really my mom?” he wept.
Ruan Danchen nodded as she sobbed, “I am, I really am.”
“Why didn’t you search for me all this time? Why didn’t you tell me? I called you Aunt Ruan but you’re fine with it. You’ve never asked me to call you mom. You don’t want me anymore, do you?” Qi Youxuan cried.
“How can that be possible?” Ruan Danchen stretched out her arms, wanting to pull him into a hug but the little one evaded her as he wiped away his tears with his little hands.
Ruan Danchen’s arms were left stretched out. She felt a sense of emptiness overwhelming her as though her heart was ripped off her chest.
“You were born prematurely and I gave birth to you through a c-section. They lied to me… They lied to me saying that you were dead, so I had gone back to school. It was many years later that I found out your dad had brought you home. I didn’t know if you were truly my child, so I kept it in my heart but dared not come close to you. I only looked at you from afar yet I couldn’t see you well. It was only during your aunt’s wedding that I met you in person. I was still unsure then until I came across your birthday. At that moment, I knew for sure that you’re my child. Youxuan, I’m sorry, I wasn’t by your side all these years. I’m sorry… You can blame me for that… I deserve it. I failed to perform my duty as your mother…”
“After that… After that, I was afraid that I’d frighten you. I didn’t dare reveal my identity to you. I was worried that you’d feel miserable about it. I’ll be happy as long as you grow up without worries, even if you treat me as your stepmother.”
Qi Youxuan lowered his arms from his eyes and wailed, “Then, will you stay by my side always? Will you leave me again?”
“I won’t!” Ruan Danchen vowed. “No matter what, I’ll never let you go ever again. I’ll stay by your side forever. I’ll remain by your side even if you’re still mad at me, don’t want to recognize me as your mom, or call me Aunt Ruan.”
“Waa…” Qi Youxuan yowled and pounced into Ruan Danchen’s embrace.
His chubby short arms wrapped around Ruan Danchen’s as he cried incoherently, “I don’t want to, I don’t want you to leave. Don’t leave me anymore. Boohoo… I’ve got a mother now… I’ve got a mother now… You cannot leave me anymore… Don’t leave me anymore… Boohoo… Mom… Mom… Waa…”
Ruan Danchen’s heart broke at Qi Youxuan’s cry. She quickly hugged him tightly saying, “I won’t leave, I won’t leave. I’m sorry… Youxuan, I’m sorry… for being useless…”
Qi Youxuan cried for a very long time. Fortunately, Ruan Danchen was sitting on the floor. Although her bottom was hurt slightly from the marble ground, it was still warm and not too painful. Besides, Qi Chenglin was supporting them at the side.
The little one sniffled, “Dad said that you were forced by that fake Grandma to give birth to me…”
Qi Youxuan was not simply watching the live broadcast in the room earlier. He had left the door opened slightly. When Liu Ronghua shrieked in the living room, he could hear her clearly.
Since Liu Ronghua had said that Ruan Danchen was adopted, Liu Ronghua was deemed as a fake Grandma by Qi Youxuan.
“Did you not want me at that time as well?” Qi Youxuan asked pitifully. His arms were clasped tightly around Ruan Danchen’s neck, refusing to let her go in fear she would not want him anymore. His question hurt Ruan Danchen’s heart.
“No!” Ruan Danchen explained instantly, “I’ve missed you so since conceiving you. If I knew that you were well alive and saw them took you away from me with my own eyes, I would’ve cried myself to death.”
“Waa…” Qi Youxuan wailed louder.
Qi Chenglin looked helplessly at the mother and son. Would they ever stop crying? He could only pull them into his embrace to coax them.
His left and right hands were each patting the back of their heads. He consoled them gently, “Alright now. It’s Chinese New Year. don’t cry your eyes out. Don’t you always want your Mom? Now she is here and will never leave you. She’ll marry me and we’ll become a real family.”
“Really? You’re getting married?” Qi Youxuan finally looked up at them. Ruan Danchen felt anguished at the sight of his teary face.
Ruan Danchen could not think much about being romantic and proposing; as long as she would marry Qi Chenglin and could live a good life with him. Furthermore, they already had a son, thus there was no point in getting too fancy about it.
Perhaps she would have a little regret but those were nothing comparatively.
Seeing that Ruan Danchen had nodded her head in agreement, Qi Youxuan was finally relieved.
“Let’s get up. Great-grandpa and the others were concerned about you,” Qi Chenglin ushered.
Qi Youxuan pulled back from Ruan Danchen’s embrace and Qi Chenglin supported her as she stood up. Before she could lower her head to search for Qi Youxuan, she felt a little hand pressing into her palm.
She glanced at Qi Youxuan, his little hand in her palm and his small head hung down slightly. He seemed very shy, his teary little face flushed brightly.
Ruan Danchen’s heart warmed up at the sight. She squeezed his little hand, kneeled down instinctively and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Youxuan, I’m blessed to have you.”
Qi Youxuan was dumbfounded. Although he had been kissed by Ruan Danchen before, it was different back then. His face reddened even more as tears had once again rolled down his cheeks.
Ruan Danchen wiped off his tears in panic. She felt bad for making him cry.
Qi Youxuan hugged her neck once more. Indeed, it was always Ruan Danchen who kissed him. He had never given her a kiss. When he was still unaware that she was his mother, kissing her seemed as though overstepping his bounds despite really liking her.
Now, without any restraint, he turned to place a kiss on Ruan Danchen’s cheek.
It was Ruan Danchen’s turn to be stunned. When she felt a soft wet touch on her cheek, her heart became a puddle. She could not control her tear glands momentarily.
Resigned, Qi Chenglin looked at both of them. They were both made of water that night. He could only caress their hair, saying, “There’s still a long time to go.”
Ruan Danchen sniffled and smiled. Standing up, they brought Qi Youxuan back to the living room.
Many things had happened that night. Ruan Danchen was ashamed to face the elders as she sat uncomfortably on the sofa.
Qi Youxuan tugged on her sleeve, his large watery eyes stared at her legs, expressing his desire to sit on her lap.
The little one rarely acted so spoiled but he could not stop himself once he knew Ruan Danchen was her biological mother. Ruan Danchen smiled contently as she put Qi Youxuan on her lap. Her contentment made her seemed as if she had the world in her hand.
Grandmother Qi and the others observed their exchange and sighed. Both of them used to be close to each other. Now, they had literally become inseparable.
Grandmother Qi glanced at Guan Liya without a word. Her sight was blatantly saying, ‘Youxuan has finally reunited with his mother. This alone suffices to not break Chenglin and Danchen apart.’
“There’s a lot to take in tonight, coming one after another. I’m feeling unwell from the excessive input.” Grandmother Qi sipped her tea to calm her nerves. “Chenglin, do you still have anything left unsaid? You can tell us everything now.”
“There’s none. Only these,” replied Qi Chenglin lightly.
“Are you sure?” Qi Zhongxun was a little wary.
“There’s really none left. I didn’t intend to say so much initially. However, since Danchen and Liu Ronghua’s relationship was exposed, I felt it was right to explain her relationship with Youxuan to you altogether so we don’t need to do it twice.” Qi Chenglin explained sincerely.
Everyone remained silent.
Striking them with such a huge blow because he found it troublesome to do it twice, was that really good?
No, they could not put it that way as well.
The elders were at a loss on how to feel.
“Alright. Then, let’s live our lives well.” Grandmother Qi looked at the time and exclaimed, “Oh, it’s almost time to cook the dumplings.”
Grandmother Qi’s sudden change of topic made the earlier events seem as if they had not happened. The mood was still joyous.
Ruan Danchen shifted Qi Youxuan onto Qi Chenglin’s lap and said, “I’ll go and cook the dumplings.”
“I’ll help you,” Song Yu said standing up.
Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes cheekily and climbed down Qi Chenglin’s lap. He raced towards Ruan Danchen, calling her happily, “Mom!”
Ruan Danchen stopped in her tracks. She turned around to find Qi Youxuan running towards her. His two little arms hugged her arm tightly. They were so small that he could not cover her entire arm in his. “Mom, let me help you.”
Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya wiped their tears off stealthily at the side.
