Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen’s reddened cheeks and curled his lips into a smile. In a swift move, he leaned closer to her and allowed his breaths to heat her cheeks.
“I was asking you something. What were you thinking about just now?” Qi Chenglin asked softly. Voice no longer stern, it was instead a muddled mess of sexiness.
Just by listening to his voice alone, Ruan Danchen’s body felt hot and her mouth became dry.
Ruan Danchen felt that something was amiss so she looked up. In that split second, she was startled to feel his lips rubbing against her forehead and the bridge of her nose.
She was not hallucinating any of it when she saw him lower his head slightly. He was inching closer to her lips, and the slightest movement from her would cause both their lips to come in contact.
Ruan Danchen instinctively took a step back. She did not notice that one of his legs was hooking her from behind, and as a result, she stumbled backward.
Qi Chenglin, however, stretched out his long arms and caught her. His masculine arm gripped her waist and pressed her firmly onto himself.
Ruan Danchen was forced to tiptoe, and her lower abdomen was feeling hot because it was pressed against him. She tensed up subconsciously.
He then turned her around and leaned her against the counter, trapping her in his embrace.
Feeling incredibly flustered, she gulped and asked, “Young Master Lin, did you misunderstand anything? I said it very clearly that I wasn’t using Qi Youxuan to get close to you.”
“Did I say that today?” Qi Chenglin curled his lips tauntingly and asked softly.
“You didn’t, but…”
“Or it is because you don’t like me at all?” he asked, still smiling.
Ruan Danchen pursed her lips tightly, then explained, “Young Master Lin, I’m not a casual woman. You misunderstood my intentions when I invited you into my house so easily. I just wanted to cook a meal for Youxuan. I’m not the kind of girl who plays around, and I don’t want to play around, let alone seduce you or anything like that.”
“I’m not that kind of man either. I don’t just simply play around with women,” Qi Chenglin exclaimed poetically. Those dark eyes of his were undeniably stern, making Ruan Danchen feel increasingly numb. “You didn’t seduce me, or rather, you didn’t intend to seduce me, but I can’t control myself when you look at me with those helpless eyes. It’s already seductive enough when you keep blushing in front of me.”
“I didn’t…” Ruan Danchen was well aware that her face was probably blushing at the time.
“I know, you didn’t do it on purpose. But I did. I’m seducing you on purpose right now. I’ve been seducing you from the kindergarten entrance up until now. Can’t you feel it?”
Ruan Danchen inhaled sharply and recalled all the things he did throughout the day.
She had earlier doubted whether he was trying to flirt with her. Whenever that thought crossed her mind, her doubts would soon be dispelled when she saw his composed expression.
She scarcely expected that he was actually acting indecently to her!
Ruan Danchen’s lips twitched due to her anxiousness and she said, “Young Master Lin, I’m just a normal girl. Please don’t joke around. It’s not like I’m from a good family and a good background. I just find Youxuan adorable and I wanted to treat him well. I don’t have any other intention when it comes to you.”
“Why is that?” Qi Chenglin asked, looking cynically at Ruan Danchen.
She stared back at him in confusion and blinked a couple of times.
Still pressed tightly onto him, his lips would lightly touch the corner of her lips whenever he spoke. At times they came in contact, but at times they did not. She could not guard herself against him, all while her breathing became heavier and her mind became dizzier.
“Why would you treat him so good? Why would you like him that much?” Qi Chenglin asked softly, his rich voice reverberating through her skin.
Ruan Danchen trembled vigorously. The areas caressed by his voice and his breaths were numbingly hot.
She looked down, afraid to gaze directly into his eyes, and hurriedly replied, “No particular reason. I just like him.”
Qi Chenglin gazed at her, his long thick lashes in close proximity to her.
The corner of his lips twitched slightly as if to mock her, then he took a half-step back and released her.
Ruan Danchen exhaled as though she was going to collapse. Qi Chenglin sat at one of the chairs behind him and took out his phone to scroll on it.
“…” Ruan Danchen felt no less pressure with him sitting there. “Young Master Lin, you should sit outside. Otherwise, you’ll be smelling all that soot.”
Qi Chenglin looked up ever so slightly and gave her a cold glance. “I’ll keep watch here to prevent any accidents from happening to you.”
Ruan Danchen was speechless. “What kind of accident would happen?”
“If it wasn’t for my fast reflexes just now, you would’ve cut your finger,” Qi Chenglin said calmly. His voice was rich but his tone was annoyingly calm.
Ruan Danchen failed to conjure a reply.
‘I feel more pressured with you here, don’t I?’
Qi Chenglin looked at the dazed Ruan Danchen and cocked a brow. “You’re not gonna cook? Youxuan is hungry.”
“…” Ruan Danchen felt unbearably choked, but since she could not do anything about him, she could only begin cooking.
Her extra-cramped kitchen only enhanced Qi Chenglin’s presence.
As she began cooking, she could sense that Qi Chenglin was looking on curiously at what she did. However, she did not dare to actually turn back and look at him so obviously.
Whenever she moved about in the small kitchen to take some seasonings or ingredients, she would unwittingly bump into Qi Chenglin’s thighs. Ruan Danchen felt that she would soon lose her sanity if he continued to remain in the kitchen.
At some point, Qi Chenglin stopped looking at his phone. It was still in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on Ruan Danchen’s slender and beautiful legs.
His pupils dilated with every bump she made. His fire was raging because of her occasional contact, yet Ruan Danchen was being oblivious and did not do it on purpose.
Qi Chenglin’s face became gloomy. His sole desire was to haul her over, spread her legs, and insert himself into her.
Ruan Danchen’s back was facing him and her buttocks were swaying gently. Qi Chenglin’s rod began stiffening. Pulling a long face, he got up from his seat and left the kitchen without saying a single word.
She found it rather odd that his temperament was so fleeting.
It was at that point though that she finally calmed herself down, but she still could not erase the memory of Qi Chenglin trapping her in his embrace. The scene floated in her mind constantly, causing her to feel shy and ashamed.
…
…
Preparing the ingredients to be cooked was more laborious than the actual cooking. Ruan Danchen finished cooking soon after Qi Chenglin left.
Plates after plates of food were served on the dining table. Qi Chenglin was not in the living room and no one knew where he went.
“Youxuan, time to wash your hands and eat dinner,” Ruan Danchen said to the little boy who was watching cartoons on the sofa.
The kid was very well-behaved. After returning from the supermarket, he really did refrain from eating junk food and saved his tummy to eat the food she cooked.
Calling him like that, Ruan Danchen felt a warmth in her heart, as though she was at home calling her own child for dinner.
The little one then got up obediently from the sofa and jogged to the toilet. He knocked on the door and asked, “Dad, are you done yet?”
After some time, Qi Chenglin came out. He stared groggily at Qi Youxuan.
Qi Youxuan stood at the door and leaned in to smell. “You didn’t poop, Dad. What were you doing inside for so long?”
“Go and wash your hands now,” Qi Chenglin glanced at him unhappily and came out, ignoring him.
Qi Youxuan went in and muttered, “Dad’s getting weirder and weirder.”
The little boy washed his hands speedily. Having learned from his past experiences, he knew that his dad would finish up all the goodies with the slightest delay.
He ran back in a hurry and got up on the chair with Ruan Danchen’s help.
Ruan Danchen knew that the boy loved eating chicken drumsticks. When they were at the supermarket earlier, she specifically bought a free-range chicken and chopped off both the drumsticks. She braised one and deep-fried the other for Qi Youxuan. As for the chicken breast, she cut them into cubes and made a chili-chicken stir-fry.
Most importantly, the free-range chicken she bought gave her more peace-of-mind than those frozen drumsticks and chicken breasts. Meat-based food was unhealthy if eaten too much.
The remaining parts of the chicken were used to boil soup. She cooked some vegetables, a plate of pineapple sweet-and-sour pork, and some fragrant pan-fried baby back ribs.
Fortunately, the boy was not picky and had an appetite for just about anything. Sweet and sour stuff, in particular, whetted his appetite tremendously.
“Aunt Ruan, your cooking is really delicious.” Qi Youxuan ate like a hungry wolf, gobbling the deep-fried drumstick and stuffing his cheeks to the brim. “If only I can eat your cooking every day.”
Ruan Danchen looked at the boy’s oily lips and hands. He was enjoying his food thoroughly, and he most certainly looked satisfied.
“If you like it, then you can come anytime. I’ll cook for you,” Ruan Danchen said immediately. She wanted nothing more than to see him every single day.
“Dad, did you hear that? We’re going to visit great-grandpa and great-grandma tomorrow and have dinner there, so how about we come here again the day after?” Qi Youxuan pleaded.
Ruan Danchen glanced at Qi Chenglin—she wanted Qi Youxuan to come and visit but was not too enthusiastic about Qi Chenglin doing the same.
Qi Chenglin seemed to have read her mind, so he did not reply to Qi Youxuan and merely twitched his lip tauntingly at Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen was left speechless.
…
…
After dinner, Ruan Danchen washed all the plates and came back to see Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan sitting on the living room floor.
Qi Chenglin had undone his necktie and so were a few of his shirt buttons. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing his muscular arms. He was joining Lego blocks with Qi Youxuan. Qi Chenglin must have gone down and taken them back up when Ruan Danchen was busy in the kitchen.
Ruan Danchen placed the sliced fruits on the coffee table. Both boys then stopped playing and sat back down on the sofa to eat some fruits.
Feeling cramped, Ruan Danchen went to get a chair and sat opposite to them.
“Ugh, Aunt Ruan. There’re too many toys on the floor. Don’t squish them. Come and sit here. There’s a lot of space beside me.” The boy patted the empty area beside him.
Ruan Danchen decided that it was not a problem to sit there since Qi Youxuan was separating her from Qi Chenglin. The episode inside the kitchen made her unable to look Qi Chenglin in the eye.
She took her seat beside Qi Youxuan. Since dinner was too delicious for him and he gorged himself thoroughly, he could not stuff himself with fruit anymore and felt sleepy instead.
He rubbed his eyes using his tubby and fair-skinned hands, then leaned his head on Ruan Danchen’s arm. She wrapped her hands around him immediately.
“Are you sleepy?” Ruan Danchen asked softly.
The little kid yawned and struggled to keep his head up. “Aunt Ruan, can you hug me to sleep?”
Ruan Danchen carried him at once. She was heartbroken to imagine that he did not have a mother’s touch since he was young. Her soft hands patted his back gently to coax him into sleeping.
Qi Youxuan fell asleep immediately in Ruan Danchen’s arms, and there was no more distance between her and Qi Chenglin.
Ruan Danchen looked at the clock awkwardly. Qi Chenglin proceeded to stand up and say calmly, “Since Youxuan’s tired, I should bring him back home.”
The man was just too composed as if the entire ordeal in the kitchen had never happened before. It was as if he was not the same man who admitted to seducing her.
Ruan Danchen stood up but was reluctant to let go of Qi Youxuan because she did not have enough of hugging him. She looked down at his little head resting against her shoulder. He was sleeping so soundly, and his slumbering face made her heart melt.
Qi Chenglin stretched out his hands to carry him but wondered if the boy was really sleeping or just faking it. After all, both of the little kid’s arms were wrapped tightly around Ruan Danchen’s neck. Qi Chenglin failed to pry the boy away so he could not carry him.
“Young Master Lin, maybe it’s best that Youxuan sleeps here tonight,’ Ruan Danchen suggested. She looked at the child lovingly and said, “I’ll treat him well for sure.”
She looked apprehensively at Qi Chenglin because she felt that he would probably not agree to it.
No one would be so willing to leave their child in someone else’s home, especially not when the child was the Qi family little master.
To her amazement, Qi Chenglin nodded and said, “I’ll pick him up tomorrow morning. Apologies for troubling you tonight.”
Ruan Danchen was astonished. She felt overwhelmed by it and was so happy that she nearly shed tears of joy.
Once Qi Chenglin finished speaking, Ruan Danchen could feel the boy’s grip loosen—as it turned out, he was just pretending to be asleep.
Ruan Danchen smiled and brought Qi Youxuan to her bed. His feigned sleepy face was something she could not look away from. She ran her gentle fingers over his hair and cheek, but after realizing that Qi Chenglin was still there, she stood up and went out reluctantly.
She was startled to bump into Qi Chenglin when she turned around.
Ruan Danchen did not dare make a single peep. She retreated instantly and nearly fell down, but Qi Chenglin managed to catch her waist in time. The places that he touched felt incredibly hot.
Before she could even protest, he came closer to her. Ruan Danchen attempted to take a step back, but the smallness of her room meant that she was soon cornered to the wall. Once again, she was trapped in his embrace.
Ruan Danchen looked anxiously at Qi Youxuan. The boy was sleeping with his back toward them. She uttered softly, “Young Master Lin, please be mindful that Youxuan’s here.”
Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and snickered softly. He then took a few steps back and asked, “Aren’t you sending me off?”
“…: Ruan Danchen stood in front of him and just stared blankly. His body language suggested that he was not going to leave if she did not see him out. He was clearly behaving as though he had no shame, yet he maintained his solemnity to make him appear as though he was a two-faced man.
Ruan Danchen walked past him silently and headed to the door.
He smiled and followed suit.
Once they reached the door to her home, Ruan Danchen opened it to let Qi Chenglin out. He took one step forward and immediately dragged Ruan Danchen out with him. All she heard was the bang of the closing door, following which Qi Chenglin pressed her onto the door.
“Young Master Lin?” Ruan Danchen exclaimed in surprise.
Qi Chenglin’s face was magnified in front of her eyes. He was very close to her and his lips were soon going to stick on him.
Just when Ruan Danchen scrambled to react, his rich voice resonated from beside her lips. “Have you done a lab test?”
“What?” Her flush began draining from her face. She felt guilty when she recalled her actions of doing the maternity test.
Then again, she told herself that her fears were unfounded, that Qi Chenglin could not possibly be referring to that.
“The maternity test. You’ve done it, yes? Has the result come out yet?” Qi Chenglin said it so casually in his rich and sexy voice. However, they were like the sound of rumbling thunder to Ruan Danchen’s ears.
Blood drained from her face and her lips trembled. For quite some time, she could not spit out any words. She simply felt her blood run cold, her body leaning weakly against the door.
“You… What did you say… You… I…” Ruan Danchen’s mouth twisted into knots—she was neither able to form complete sentences nor find an appropriate answer.
‘How did Qi Chenglin know?’
He took a half step back and maintained his tranquil expression. “Go on inside.”
“Wait!” Ruan Danchen did not give a damn anymore and grabbed his shirt sleeve. “Why did you ask that question?”
“As a responsible father, I have to be more cautious when a woman treats my son well for apparently no reason,” Qi Chenglin said solemnly.
Ruan Danchen knew that she could not hide it any longer. Feigning ignorance was no longer an option.
She was not angry in the slightest and had no right to be angry in the first place. On the contrary, she was happy that Qi Chenglin took such precautions.
“Then tell me, Youxuan…is he…is he my son?” Ruan Danchen asked with reddened eyes. She saw Qi Chenglin’s unemotive face and hurriedly offered an explanation to prevent a misunderstanding. “I’m not using her or anything. I just want to know if he is…I know he is, but I want to be certain. I won’t say it out loud and I won’t use this to get into the Qi family. I just want to be assured that my child…is happy and healthy. I just wanted to make sure…I won’t say anything to him either. He’s too young and I don’t want to give him so much pressure. As long as he can live without any worries, I’m willing to do anything.”
“Didn’t you already do the test? Wait for the results then. It’s more conclusive than anything else,” Qi Chenglin remarked gravely.
Ruan Danchen released her grip. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”
She did not elucidate what was it she was sorry for, but Qi Chenglin lifted his hand and wiped away his tears, saying, “I just wanted to tell you that I know about this, and that there’s no need to hide it from me. There’s no other meaning.”
It surprised her that Qi Chenglin did not denounce her or be confrontational with her.
Confused, she asked, “Then in the future…can I still meet him? I won’t say anything about it. I just want to meet him.”
“Even if the report says that he’s not your son?” asked Qi Chenglin as he cocked a brow.
Ruan Danchen went into a stupor. In truth, she had never really doubted it when she found out about everything. The report was merely to augment her confirmation of it.
Still, she nodded. “Even if he’s not my son.”
Even if Youxuan really was not Ruan Danchen’s son, she still found him to be an adorable boy. If her son was really dead, but—for argument’s sake—survived, he would be of the same age as Youxuan. Ruan Danchen would happily treat Youxuan as her own son.
– – – – – – – – – –
Bonus scene:
“Dad, why were you in the toilet so long just now?” asked Qi Youxuan.
“Maybe he has urinary incontinence,” replied Yan Beicheng.
Qi Youxuan asked, “What’s that?”
Chu Zhaoyang simply replied, “A prostate problem.”
Qi Chenglin was at a loss of words.
“Aunt Ruan,” Qi Youxuan called out, “Uncle Chu says Dad has a prostate problem.”
Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.
Qi Chenglin whispered to Ruan Danchen, “I actually went in to rub one off.”
“Shameless!” Ruan Danchen cried out.
Old Man: “Bonus scenes were made primarily due to cartoons and animes. Most of them specially put a bonus scene at the end, and everyone eagerly anticipates it after the main scenes end. I wanted to try too, but I forgot that cartoons air once every week. I’m doing it once every day! Puts a strain on the mind!”
Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen’s reddened cheeks and curled his lips into a smile. In a swift move, he leaned closer to her and allowed his breaths to heat her cheeks.
“I was asking you something. What were you thinking about just now?” Qi Chenglin asked softly. Voice no longer stern, it was instead a muddled mess of sexiness.
Just by listening to his voice alone, Ruan Danchen’s body felt hot and her mouth became dry.
Ruan Danchen felt that something was amiss so she looked up. In that split second, she was startled to feel his lips rubbing against her forehead and the bridge of her nose.
She was not hallucinating any of it when she saw him lower his head slightly. He was inching closer to her lips, and the slightest movement from her would cause both their lips to come in contact.
Ruan Danchen instinctively took a step back. She did not notice that one of his legs was hooking her from behind, and as a result, she stumbled backward.
Qi Chenglin, however, stretched out his long arms and caught her. His masculine arm gripped her waist and pressed her firmly onto himself.
Ruan Danchen was forced to tiptoe, and her lower abdomen was feeling hot because it was pressed against him. She tensed up subconsciously.
He then turned her around and leaned her against the counter, trapping her in his embrace.
Feeling incredibly flustered, she gulped and asked, “Young Master Lin, did you misunderstand anything? I said it very clearly that I wasn’t using Qi Youxuan to get close to you.”
“Did I say that today?” Qi Chenglin curled his lips tauntingly and asked softly.
“You didn’t, but…”
“Or it is because you don’t like me at all?” he asked, still smiling.
Ruan Danchen pursed her lips tightly, then explained, “Young Master Lin, I’m not a casual woman. You misunderstood my intentions when I invited you into my house so easily. I just wanted to cook a meal for Youxuan. I’m not the kind of girl who plays around, and I don’t want to play around, let alone seduce you or anything like that.”
“I’m not that kind of man either. I don’t just simply play around with women,” Qi Chenglin exclaimed poetically. Those dark eyes of his were undeniably stern, making Ruan Danchen feel increasingly numb. “You didn’t seduce me, or rather, you didn’t intend to seduce me, but I can’t control myself when you look at me with those helpless eyes. It’s already seductive enough when you keep blushing in front of me.”
“I didn’t…” Ruan Danchen was well aware that her face was probably blushing at the time.
“I know, you didn’t do it on purpose. But I did. I’m seducing you on purpose right now. I’ve been seducing you from the kindergarten entrance up until now. Can’t you feel it?”
Ruan Danchen inhaled sharply and recalled all the things he did throughout the day.
She had earlier doubted whether he was trying to flirt with her. Whenever that thought crossed her mind, her doubts would soon be dispelled when she saw his composed expression.
She scarcely expected that he was actually acting indecently to her!
Ruan Danchen’s lips twitched due to her anxiousness and she said, “Young Master Lin, I’m just a normal girl. Please don’t joke around. It’s not like I’m from a good family and a good background. I just find Youxuan adorable and I wanted to treat him well. I don’t have any other intention when it comes to you.”
“Why is that?” Qi Chenglin asked, looking cynically at Ruan Danchen.
She stared back at him in confusion and blinked a couple of times.
Still pressed tightly onto him, his lips would lightly touch the corner of her lips whenever he spoke. At times they came in contact, but at times they did not. She could not guard herself against him, all while her breathing became heavier and her mind became dizzier.
“Why would you treat him so good? Why would you like him that much?” Qi Chenglin asked softly, his rich voice reverberating through her skin.
Ruan Danchen trembled vigorously. The areas caressed by his voice and his breaths were numbingly hot.
She looked down, afraid to gaze directly into his eyes, and hurriedly replied, “No particular reason. I just like him.”
Qi Chenglin gazed at her, his long thick lashes in close proximity to her.
The corner of his lips twitched slightly as if to mock her, then he took a half-step back and released her.
Ruan Danchen exhaled as though she was going to collapse. Qi Chenglin sat at one of the chairs behind him and took out his phone to scroll on it.
“…” Ruan Danchen felt no less pressure with him sitting there. “Young Master Lin, you should sit outside. Otherwise, you’ll be smelling all that soot.”
Qi Chenglin looked up ever so slightly and gave her a cold glance. “I’ll keep watch here to prevent any accidents from happening to you.”
Ruan Danchen was speechless. “What kind of accident would happen?”
“If it wasn’t for my fast reflexes just now, you would’ve cut your finger,” Qi Chenglin said calmly. His voice was rich but his tone was annoyingly calm.
Ruan Danchen failed to conjure a reply.
‘I feel more pressured with you here, don’t I?’
Qi Chenglin looked at the dazed Ruan Danchen and cocked a brow. “You’re not gonna cook? Youxuan is hungry.”
“…” Ruan Danchen felt unbearably choked, but since she could not do anything about him, she could only begin cooking.
Her extra-cramped kitchen only enhanced Qi Chenglin’s presence.
As she began cooking, she could sense that Qi Chenglin was looking on curiously at what she did. However, she did not dare to actually turn back and look at him so obviously.
Whenever she moved about in the small kitchen to take some seasonings or ingredients, she would unwittingly bump into Qi Chenglin’s thighs. Ruan Danchen felt that she would soon lose her sanity if he continued to remain in the kitchen.
At some point, Qi Chenglin stopped looking at his phone. It was still in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on Ruan Danchen’s slender and beautiful legs.
His pupils dilated with every bump she made. His fire was raging because of her occasional contact, yet Ruan Danchen was being oblivious and did not do it on purpose.
Qi Chenglin’s face became gloomy. His sole desire was to haul her over, spread her legs, and insert himself into her.
Ruan Danchen’s back was facing him and her buttocks were swaying gently. Qi Chenglin’s rod began stiffening. Pulling a long face, he got up from his seat and left the kitchen without saying a single word.
She found it rather odd that his temperament was so fleeting.
It was at that point though that she finally calmed herself down, but she still could not erase the memory of Qi Chenglin trapping her in his embrace. The scene floated in her mind constantly, causing her to feel shy and ashamed.
…
…
Preparing the ingredients to be cooked was more laborious than the actual cooking. Ruan Danchen finished cooking soon after Qi Chenglin left.
Plates after plates of food were served on the dining table. Qi Chenglin was not in the living room and no one knew where he went.
“Youxuan, time to wash your hands and eat dinner,” Ruan Danchen said to the little boy who was watching cartoons on the sofa.
The kid was very well-behaved. After returning from the supermarket, he really did refrain from eating junk food and saved his tummy to eat the food she cooked.
Calling him like that, Ruan Danchen felt a warmth in her heart, as though she was at home calling her own child for dinner.
The little one then got up obediently from the sofa and jogged to the toilet. He knocked on the door and asked, “Dad, are you done yet?”
After some time, Qi Chenglin came out. He stared groggily at Qi Youxuan.
Qi Youxuan stood at the door and leaned in to smell. “You didn’t poop, Dad. What were you doing inside for so long?”
“Go and wash your hands now,” Qi Chenglin glanced at him unhappily and came out, ignoring him.
Qi Youxuan went in and muttered, “Dad’s getting weirder and weirder.”
The little boy washed his hands speedily. Having learned from his past experiences, he knew that his dad would finish up all the goodies with the slightest delay.
He ran back in a hurry and got up on the chair with Ruan Danchen’s help.
Ruan Danchen knew that the boy loved eating chicken drumsticks. When they were at the supermarket earlier, she specifically bought a free-range chicken and chopped off both the drumsticks. She braised one and deep-fried the other for Qi Youxuan. As for the chicken breast, she cut them into cubes and made a chili-chicken stir-fry.
Most importantly, the free-range chicken she bought gave her more peace-of-mind than those frozen drumsticks and chicken breasts. Meat-based food was unhealthy if eaten too much.
The remaining parts of the chicken were used to boil soup. She cooked some vegetables, a plate of pineapple sweet-and-sour pork, and some fragrant pan-fried baby back ribs.
Fortunately, the boy was not picky and had an appetite for just about anything. Sweet and sour stuff, in particular, whetted his appetite tremendously.
“Aunt Ruan, your cooking is really delicious.” Qi Youxuan ate like a hungry wolf, gobbling the deep-fried drumstick and stuffing his cheeks to the brim. “If only I can eat your cooking every day.”
Ruan Danchen looked at the boy’s oily lips and hands. He was enjoying his food thoroughly, and he most certainly looked satisfied.
“If you like it, then you can come anytime. I’ll cook for you,” Ruan Danchen said immediately. She wanted nothing more than to see him every single day.
“Dad, did you hear that? We’re going to visit great-grandpa and great-grandma tomorrow and have dinner there, so how about we come here again the day after?” Qi Youxuan pleaded.
Ruan Danchen glanced at Qi Chenglin—she wanted Qi Youxuan to come and visit but was not too enthusiastic about Qi Chenglin doing the same.
Qi Chenglin seemed to have read her mind, so he did not reply to Qi Youxuan and merely twitched his lip tauntingly at Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen was left speechless.
…
…
After dinner, Ruan Danchen washed all the plates and came back to see Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan sitting on the living room floor.
Qi Chenglin had undone his necktie and so were a few of his shirt buttons. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing his muscular arms. He was joining Lego blocks with Qi Youxuan. Qi Chenglin must have gone down and taken them back up when Ruan Danchen was busy in the kitchen.
Ruan Danchen placed the sliced fruits on the coffee table. Both boys then stopped playing and sat back down on the sofa to eat some fruits.
Feeling cramped, Ruan Danchen went to get a chair and sat opposite to them.
“Ugh, Aunt Ruan. There’re too many toys on the floor. Don’t squish them. Come and sit here. There’s a lot of space beside me.” The boy patted the empty area beside him.
Ruan Danchen decided that it was not a problem to sit there since Qi Youxuan was separating her from Qi Chenglin. The episode inside the kitchen made her unable to look Qi Chenglin in the eye.
She took her seat beside Qi Youxuan. Since dinner was too delicious for him and he gorged himself thoroughly, he could not stuff himself with fruit anymore and felt sleepy instead.
He rubbed his eyes using his tubby and fair-skinned hands, then leaned his head on Ruan Danchen’s arm. She wrapped her hands around him immediately.
“Are you sleepy?” Ruan Danchen asked softly.
The little kid yawned and struggled to keep his head up. “Aunt Ruan, can you hug me to sleep?”
Ruan Danchen carried him at once. She was heartbroken to imagine that he did not have a mother’s touch since he was young. Her soft hands patted his back gently to coax him into sleeping.
Qi Youxuan fell asleep immediately in Ruan Danchen’s arms, and there was no more distance between her and Qi Chenglin.
Ruan Danchen looked at the clock awkwardly. Qi Chenglin proceeded to stand up and say calmly, “Since Youxuan’s tired, I should bring him back home.”
The man was just too composed as if the entire ordeal in the kitchen had never happened before. It was as if he was not the same man who admitted to seducing her.
Ruan Danchen stood up but was reluctant to let go of Qi Youxuan because she did not have enough of hugging him. She looked down at his little head resting against her shoulder. He was sleeping so soundly, and his slumbering face made her heart melt.
Qi Chenglin stretched out his hands to carry him but wondered if the boy was really sleeping or just faking it. After all, both of the little kid’s arms were wrapped tightly around Ruan Danchen’s neck. Qi Chenglin failed to pry the boy away so he could not carry him.
“Young Master Lin, maybe it’s best that Youxuan sleeps here tonight,’ Ruan Danchen suggested. She looked at the child lovingly and said, “I’ll treat him well for sure.”
She looked apprehensively at Qi Chenglin because she felt that he would probably not agree to it.
No one would be so willing to leave their child in someone else’s home, especially not when the child was the Qi family little master.
To her amazement, Qi Chenglin nodded and said, “I’ll pick him up tomorrow morning. Apologies for troubling you tonight.”
Ruan Danchen was astonished. She felt overwhelmed by it and was so happy that she nearly shed tears of joy.
Once Qi Chenglin finished speaking, Ruan Danchen could feel the boy’s grip loosen—as it turned out, he was just pretending to be asleep.
Ruan Danchen smiled and brought Qi Youxuan to her bed. His feigned sleepy face was something she could not look away from. She ran her gentle fingers over his hair and cheek, but after realizing that Qi Chenglin was still there, she stood up and went out reluctantly.
She was startled to bump into Qi Chenglin when she turned around.
Ruan Danchen did not dare make a single peep. She retreated instantly and nearly fell down, but Qi Chenglin managed to catch her waist in time. The places that he touched felt incredibly hot.
Before she could even protest, he came closer to her. Ruan Danchen attempted to take a step back, but the smallness of her room meant that she was soon cornered to the wall. Once again, she was trapped in his embrace.
Ruan Danchen looked anxiously at Qi Youxuan. The boy was sleeping with his back toward them. She uttered softly, “Young Master Lin, please be mindful that Youxuan’s here.”
Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and snickered softly. He then took a few steps back and asked, “Aren’t you sending me off?”
“…: Ruan Danchen stood in front of him and just stared blankly. His body language suggested that he was not going to leave if she did not see him out. He was clearly behaving as though he had no shame, yet he maintained his solemnity to make him appear as though he was a two-faced man.
Ruan Danchen walked past him silently and headed to the door.
He smiled and followed suit.
Once they reached the door to her home, Ruan Danchen opened it to let Qi Chenglin out. He took one step forward and immediately dragged Ruan Danchen out with him. All she heard was the bang of the closing door, following which Qi Chenglin pressed her onto the door.
“Young Master Lin?” Ruan Danchen exclaimed in surprise.
Qi Chenglin’s face was magnified in front of her eyes. He was very close to her and his lips were soon going to stick on him.
Just when Ruan Danchen scrambled to react, his rich voice resonated from beside her lips. “Have you done a lab test?”
“What?” Her flush began draining from her face. She felt guilty when she recalled her actions of doing the maternity test.
Then again, she told herself that her fears were unfounded, that Qi Chenglin could not possibly be referring to that.
“The maternity test. You’ve done it, yes? Has the result come out yet?” Qi Chenglin said it so casually in his rich and sexy voice. However, they were like the sound of rumbling thunder to Ruan Danchen’s ears.
Blood drained from her face and her lips trembled. For quite some time, she could not spit out any words. She simply felt her blood run cold, her body leaning weakly against the door.
“You… What did you say… You… I…” Ruan Danchen’s mouth twisted into knots—she was neither able to form complete sentences nor find an appropriate answer.
‘How did Qi Chenglin know?’
He took a half step back and maintained his tranquil expression. “Go on inside.”
“Wait!” Ruan Danchen did not give a damn anymore and grabbed his shirt sleeve. “Why did you ask that question?”
“As a responsible father, I have to be more cautious when a woman treats my son well for apparently no reason,” Qi Chenglin said solemnly.
Ruan Danchen knew that she could not hide it any longer. Feigning ignorance was no longer an option.
She was not angry in the slightest and had no right to be angry in the first place. On the contrary, she was happy that Qi Chenglin took such precautions.
“Then tell me, Youxuan…is he…is he my son?” Ruan Danchen asked with reddened eyes. She saw Qi Chenglin’s unemotive face and hurriedly offered an explanation to prevent a misunderstanding. “I’m not using her or anything. I just want to know if he is…I know he is, but I want to be certain. I won’t say it out loud and I won’t use this to get into the Qi family. I just want to be assured that my child…is happy and healthy. I just wanted to make sure…I won’t say anything to him either. He’s too young and I don’t want to give him so much pressure. As long as he can live without any worries, I’m willing to do anything.”
“Didn’t you already do the test? Wait for the results then. It’s more conclusive than anything else,” Qi Chenglin remarked gravely.
Ruan Danchen released her grip. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”
She did not elucidate what was it she was sorry for, but Qi Chenglin lifted his hand and wiped away his tears, saying, “I just wanted to tell you that I know about this, and that there’s no need to hide it from me. There’s no other meaning.”
It surprised her that Qi Chenglin did not denounce her or be confrontational with her.
Confused, she asked, “Then in the future…can I still meet him? I won’t say anything about it. I just want to meet him.”
“Even if the report says that he’s not your son?” asked Qi Chenglin as he cocked a brow.
Ruan Danchen went into a stupor. In truth, she had never really doubted it when she found out about everything. The report was merely to augment her confirmation of it.
Still, she nodded. “Even if he’s not my son.”
Even if Youxuan really was not Ruan Danchen’s son, she still found him to be an adorable boy. If her son was really dead, but—for argument’s sake—survived, he would be of the same age as Youxuan. Ruan Danchen would happily treat Youxuan as her own son.
– – – – – – – – – –
Bonus scene:
“Dad, why were you in the toilet so long just now?” asked Qi Youxuan.
“Maybe he has urinary incontinence,” replied Yan Beicheng.
Qi Youxuan asked, “What’s that?”
Chu Zhaoyang simply replied, “A prostate problem.”
Qi Chenglin was at a loss of words.
“Aunt Ruan,” Qi Youxuan called out, “Uncle Chu says Dad has a prostate problem.”
Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.
Qi Chenglin whispered to Ruan Danchen, “I actually went in to rub one off.”
“Shameless!” Ruan Danchen cried out.
Old Man: “Bonus scenes were made primarily due to cartoons and animes. Most of them specially put a bonus scene at the end, and everyone eagerly anticipates it after the main scenes end. I wanted to try too, but I forgot that cartoons air once every week. I’m doing it once every day! Puts a strain on the mind!”
