The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 489 - 492. Agree to the Marriage (4 updates)

After waiting for so many years, Mr. and Mrs. Duan naturally wanted to dote on the precious grandson that finally came into their lives. Just after finishing dinner, Mr. Duan took out a small box from the room and opened it to reveal a variety of toys—all of which he had bought in the mall in recent days.

Mr. Duan was usually very frugal, unwilling even to spend money on a nice piece of clothing for himself, but he was very generous when it came to buying toys for Haohao.

Haohao already had plenty of toys, but he would not refuse the kindness of an elderly person. He gave Mr. Duan a big kiss, which made Mr. Duan’s face bloom into a happy chrysanthemum smile. He couldn’t have been more delighted.

The three generations played in the living room for a long time, completely forgetting Duan Ling in the corner.

In the evening, after Haohao had fallen asleep, Mr. Duan went into Duan Ling’s room. "Son, what’s the matter?"

"Has Haohao gone to bed yet?" Mr. Duan asked.

Duan Ling nodded, "Yes, he’s asleep. He ate too much at dinner and felt a bit overstuffed, so I just gave him a digestive pill. His stomach felt better and then he fell asleep."

Mr. Duan glanced at his peacefully sleeping grandson, his eyes filled with tender love, and spoke in a low voice, "Come out with me, let’s have a talk."

Duan Ling could guess what his father wanted to talk about. After tucking Haohao in, he followed Mr. Duan out of the room, and the father and son went to the study.

"When did you find out that Yining had given birth to Haohao?"

"Two years ago," Duan Ling answered truthfully. He had told his parents about Haohao just a month before.

Mr. Duan contemplated carefully and then began gently, "After you left, Yining came looking for you. But by then, we didn’t know where you were. She even asked your classmates about your whereabouts, but no one knew where you were. She even stayed at our house for one day. How come your mother and I didn’t realize she was pregnant at the time?" If they had known then that Pei Yinong was pregnant, they wouldn’t have been separated from Haohao for so many years, and they surely would have taken good care of Pei Yinong and the child.

Duan Ling’s expression darkened when the past was brought up, "Dad, let’s not talk about the past. I was the one who wronged Yining."

"Of course, you wronged her. Now that you’ve come back, and Haohao has grown so much, what do you plan to do about Yining?" According to him, the best outcome would be for the two to marry and provide Haohao with a complete family. If Yining was willing to forgive Duan Ling, his parents were willing to do anything.

"Dad, Yining already has a boyfriend, and I reckon they’ll get married soon. There’s no chance for me and Yining anymore." To prevent his parents from rashly disturbing Pei Yinong, Duan Ling decided to tell his father the whole truth.

Hearing his son’s words, Mr. Duan let out a deep sigh, "Ah, it’s all karma. What were you even doing back then? You abandoned your girlfriend and unborn child to marry some unknown woman, and then disappeared for so many years without a single word. Your mother and I even thought you were dead."

"Dad, I’m sorry."

"Alright, alright, don’t say sorry to me anymore. The person you owe an apology to isn’t me. Since Yining has found a boyfriend, don’t disturb them. After how much you hurt her, it is very kind of her to let you see your son."

Mr. Duan, though he wished that Pei Yinong would be with his son, was also a reasonable person. Knowing that Pei Yinong had found her own happiness, he let go of the thought.

"I know. I came back this time just wanting to watch Haohao grow up. I want to occasionally spend time with Haohao like now and have no intentions of disturbing Yining. I once thought about trying to win back Yining, but it only made her dislike me more. So now, I have come to terms with it. Yining has found someone better than me, and the only thing I can do now is silently wish her happiness."

"Ah, it’s best that you think that way. Duan Ling, a person can take the wrong path and make mistakes many times, but not every mistake can be mended or remedied. Your fate with Yining, after all, was not deep enough. Let it be. By the way, you just said Yining is getting married soon; what will happen to Haohao?"

"Dad, Haohao will undoubtedly stay with Yining. Besides, Haohao has a very good relationship with him, and Haohao likes him too. I believe that even after marriage, he will treat Haohao well."

Mr. Duan also knew that Haohao would most likely stay with Pei Yinong. He still hoped to fight for his grandson’s custody, "Is there any chance Yining would let you take custody of Haohao?" Mr. Duan asked tentatively. As a man, he could understand some men’s thoughts; no man would willingly raise another person’s child. If Haohao stayed with them, they would undoubtedly treat him well, and Pei Yinong would also have a better life, wouldn’t she?

Duan Ling shook his head, "Dad, let’s not even talk about whether Yining would agree—Haohao wouldn’t be willing either. He has a deep bond with his mother." Mr. Duan could foresee this, as Pei Yinong had raised Haohao from infancy. How could the bond not be strong?

"Let’s just drop it. We can’t start fighting over custody just because Yining is getting married." But, if Pei Yinong treated the child poorly in the future, or if his stepfather did, that would be a different matter altogether.

"When you have time, bring Haohao to see me and your mother more often. If we’re able, we’ll also go to Beijing to see you. Yining shouldn’t object to me and your mother visiting Haohao, right?"

"Yining will definitely not mind. About that, you and Mom can rest assured," Duan Ling assured him.

Suddenly, a little grandson popped up in the Duan family, which was bound to arouse curiosity. Mr. Duan’s public explanation was that Duan Ling had married right after college, and the child was born at that time. But the child had been living with his parents in different places, and only now was he brought back home to meet his grandparents.

Mr. Duan and Mrs. Duan had moved here later on, and the local residents only knew that the Duan family had a son who lived abroad and rarely returned. With this kind of explanation from Mr. Duan, no one really had anything to say.

Haohao had stayed with the Duan family for three days. During these days, Haohao made Mr. and Mrs. Duan exceptionally joyful. When it was time for Haohao to leave, especially Mrs. Duan, she held onto Haohao and wouldn’t let go, her eyes brimming with reluctance, "Haohao, can’t you stay a few more days with Grandma and Grandpa?"

Haohao hugged Mrs. Duan, "Grandma, I need to go to school and can’t stay here any longer, or Mom will worry. When summer vacation comes, I’ll visit you again, okay?"

Mrs. Duan nodded repeatedly, "Good, that would be wonderful. When Grandma has time, I will come visit you. You must eat well at home and listen to your mom. If you miss Grandma, just call me. Did you remember Grandma’s phone number?"

Haohao nodded, "I’ve memorized it already, Grandma. I’ll miss you, and I’ll wait for you to visit me in Beijing. There are lots of delicious food and fun things in Beijing. When you come, I’ll take you there."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Duan’s heart clung even more to her sensible grandson. Holding Haohao tight, she kept calling him her darling, her treasure, and could not bring herself to let go until the airplane was almost ready to take off.

The plane landed at Beijing Airport, and Pei Yinong came to pick up her son, "Yining, you didn’t need to come pick him up; I was going to take Haohao to the Pei Family." Duan Ling was somewhat surprised to see Pei Yinong at the airport as they had agreed that he would take Haohao home.

"My boyfriend had some free time today, so he drove here to pick us up," said Pei Yinong casually, glancing in Jiang Chenxi’s direction.

Duan Ling followed her gaze to see Jiang Chenxi waving to them from the car, and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes, "Then Haohao is in your care now. Goodbye, Haohao."

Haohao waved to Duan Ling, "Goodbye, Uncle."

"Uncle Jiang, I missed you so much." As soon as Duan Ling left, Haohao ran to find Jiang Chenxi and clung to his legs, coquettishly hugging them. Jiang Chenxi picked him up, "Really missed your uncle, huh? Then why didn’t you call? I thought you were having so much fun that you forgot about us."

Haohao wrapped his arms around Jiang Chenxi’s neck, "Although I didn’t call Uncle Jiang, I really did miss you."

Jiang Chenxi didn’t call him out on it; clearly, the little guy went wild playing at his grandparents’ house. Apart from the call he and Pei Yinong received on the first day, Haohao didn’t remember to call at all for the next two days.

Once Haohao returned from his grandparents’ house, Jiang Chenxi formally proposed to his parents the idea of marrying Pei Yinong at the end of the year.

"Dad, Mom, the two-year period is almost up, and neither Yining nor I are getting any younger. I would like to marry Yining at the end of the year. What do you think?"

What could Mrs. Jiang think? If it were up to her, she would still disagree, but would Jiang Chenxi listen to her? Besides, over the past two years, Pei Yinong had been very good to her and her husband; she would visit them frequently and always asked how they were with concern. Everyone has feelings, and Mrs. Jiang wasn’t completely untouched. It was just that the two-year term was originally a stalling tactic, not that the issue of Pei Yinong having a child out of wedlock would disappear after two years. Every time she thought about it, Mrs. Jiang still felt uneasy.

"Chenxi, maybe we shouldn’t rush this decision. Marriage is a major undertaking, and you and Yining really need to think it through carefully."

Mrs. Jiang also found it a bit strange. Their relationship seemed really stable, even after two years, not even a single argument. If they were a regular couple, Mrs. Jiang would definitely be happy for them, but the original idea was for them to grow tired of each other and break up. Now, seeing how things turned out, Mrs. Jiang didn’t know what to feel.

Mr. Jiang glanced at Mrs. Jiang, see the predicament you’ve gotten us into? You should have never set those terms to begin with.

Mrs. Jiang glared back at her husband, well aware of what he meant; you agreed with this idea at the time, now you’re blaming me?

Jiang Chenxi’s face darkened slightly as he looked at his parents, "Dad, Mom, you aren’t considering going back on your word, are you?"

Could Mrs. Jiang admit she indeed wanted to renege? But facing Jiang Chenxi’s gaze, she shook her head, "Chenxi, it was Mom who suggested this, so naturally, I won’t back down. Ask your father; if he agrees, then Mom certainly won’t object."

Mrs. Jiang passed the buck to her husband, who shot a hidden glare at her.

Jiang Chenxi looked at his father, "Dad, what do you think?"

"If I oppose, will you not marry Yining?" Mr. Jiang asked his son first, only to see Jiang Chenxi shake his head, "No, I will choose to marry Yining. Dad, Mom, I chose to compromise two years ago because you are my parents, to whom I owe my life. I didn’t want to upset you too much, but the two-year agreement was your proposal, and Yining has waited two years for me. You’ve seen for yourselves what kind of person she is over these years. I don’t think you can still use Haohao as an excuse, can you?"

Mr. Jiang gazed steadily at his son, seeing the resolution in his eyes, and ultimately couldn’t bring himself to object, waving his hand, "If you’ve really decided to marry Pei Yinong, then go ahead." Let it be, let it be, can parents ever really argue with their children?

Jiang Chenxi’s eyes brightened upon hearing this. Regardless of how his father agreed, the important thing was that he had agreed – and so swiftly, too, which was beyond Jiang Chenxi’s expectations. He thought he would have to spend much more time persuading his parents.

Jiang Chenxi was happy, but Mrs. Jiang had a worried expression on her face. Once Jiang Chenxi had left, Mrs. Jiang looked at her husband, "How could you have agreed to this?"

Mr. Jiang snorted coldly, "Wasn’t it you who agreed to it in the first place? Now you’re having second thoughts, what does that make us look like to Chenxi? How are we supposed to face the Pei Family, let alone outsiders?" Although he was stubborn and conservative, his word had always been his bond.

Mrs. Jiang sighed, "Ah, you saw what happened at the birthday banquet. Everyone is waiting to see our family’s drama unfold. If we really let Yining join our family, how will we face our relatives and friends?" Their family would become the laughingstock of Beijing. Even if they weren’t the joke of all Beijing, they’d at least be the joke among their family and friends.

Mr. Jiang was no stranger to that prospect, but he couldn’t think of a better solution, "Let it be, the arrangement was initially proposed by us, and they’ve abided by the agreement all these years. Chenxi and her have had a good relationship; we can’t possibly ask them to break up now. If those relatives and friends want a spectacle, we’ll just have to see less of them in the future." In reality, Mr. Jiang had consented because he had seen for himself what Pei Yinong was like. If it had been two years earlier, even if he were beaten to death, he wouldn’t have agreed.

Even though he had agreed now, it didn’t mean he was particularly fond of Pei Yinong or overjoyed by the situation.

Mrs. Jiang sighed again and fell silent. Apart from the issue of having a child out of wedlock, Pei Yinong was indeed beyond reproach in other aspects. Despite her affluent background, she didn’t have the slightest bit of a spoiled heiress’ temper, and they had nothing to complain about concerning her treatment of them.

Not to mention anything else, she had not needed to buy any skincare products for the past two years. Before they had even run out, Pei Yinong would already have purchased new ones.

Pei Yinong, having learned from Jiang Chenxi that Mr. and Mrs. Jiang had agreed to their marriage, couldn’t hide her joy, "Chenxi, are you serious? Uncle and Auntie really agreed to our marriage?"

Jiang Chenxi nodded with a smile, "How could I dare make a joke about this? It’s true, my parents have really agreed. Let’s set the wedding for the end of this year. We’ll settle on the exact date once both our parents have met officially."

Pei Yinong hugged Jiang Chenxi tightly, "That’s wonderful, I can finally marry you, Chenxi, I’m so happy." Her voice quivered with emotion as she spoke.

Jiang Chenxi, holding Pei Yinong, "Yining, I’m very happy too."

******

Gu Jiajia came to look for Duan Ling when he was with his son. Today was the weekend, the day he got to see Haohao. Pei Yinong had agreed that he could see his son once every two weeks, and Haohao was also allowed to go out with him.

It was the first time Gu Jiajia saw Duan Ling’s son with Pei Yinong. She observed the little boy before her and discovered that he didn’t resemble Duan Ling in the slightest; instead, he looked just like his mother. A dislike for Haohao began to rise in Gu Jiajia’s heart.

"Brother-in-law, is this your son?" Gu Jiajia asked with a smile, hiding her distaste well.

Duan Ling, oblivious to Gu Jiajia’s displeasure, nodded with a smile, "Yes, Haohao, say hello."

Haohao looked at Gu Jiajia steadily, sensing something, and lowered his gaze slightly, "Hello, Auntie."

Gu Jiajia forced a smile, "Hello."

Duan Ling was surprised by his son’s cool demeanor towards Gu Jiajia. He was a sweet and polite child, always very enthusiastic with others. This indifference was rare, but he didn’t take it to heart, simply thinking that Haohao was likely unhappy knowing that Gu Jiajia was Gu Jiamin’s sister. A little bit of moodiness in a child was normal.

He turned to Gu Jiajia, "Jiajia, is there something you came to see me about today?"

Gu Jiajia pursed her lips slightly, "Brother-in-law, have you really forgotten what day it is today?" Displeasure flickered in her eyes.

Duan Ling was full of confusion; what was special about today? He thought for a moment but couldn’t remember.

Seeing that he truly had forgotten, Gu Jiajia said sadly, "Brother-in-law, today is my sister’s death anniversary."

Duan Ling slapped his forehead, then remembered that indeed today was Gu Jiamin’s death anniversary. He had been so focused on this being the day Pei Yinong allowed him to see Haohao that he had completely forgotten.

Gu Jiajia was somewhat disappointed. In past years, Duan Ling would never have forgotten any day related to Gu Jiamin. But now, he had even forgotten her death anniversary. It was often said that men were fickle creatures, and it seemed to be true.

"Brother-in-law, you used to be the one who cared most about these anniversaries related to my sister," said Gu Jiajia, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Hearing this, Duan Ling felt awkward, "I’ve been a bit busy with work lately and forgot."

Gu Jiajia glanced at Haohao with a meaningful look, "Brother-in-law, you are indeed very busy." Busy accompanying his son, busy figuring out how to win back Pei Yinong’s heart; naturally, he had no time to think of her sister, a deceased person. How could a dead woman compare to the living?

But this was good, the more heartless Duan Ling was toward her sister, the better chance she had to be with Duan Ling. Gu Jiajia had never imagined that Pei Yinong would give up Jiang Chenxi to be with Duan Ling. After all, they were so sweet together, how could they just break up and throw themselves into Duan Ling’s arms?

"Brother-in-law, are you going to visit my sister today?" Gu Jiajia asked. This year, when Duan Ling returned to the country, he had also relocated Gu Jiamin’s grave back.

"I have some things to do today, so I won’t go. I’ll visit your sister another day," Duan Ling ultimately chose to accompany his son.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jiajia’s complexion changed slightly. Looking at Haohao, she said sorrowfully, "Brother-in-law, you’ve never been like this before. Weren’t you the one who loved my sister the most? Today is her death anniversary, and you aren’t going to see her?"

Haohao had been keeping his head down the whole time. He was quite happy earlier, but now he had no mood to stay any longer, pulling on Duan Ling’s clothes, "Uncle, I want to go home."

Duan Ling looked down at him, "What’s the matter? Weren’t we going to watch a movie together later?"

"I don’t want to go anymore. I want to go home."

"Brother-in-law, since he wants to go home, you should take him home first," Gu Jiajia interjected.

Duan Ling glanced at Gu Jiajia, "Jiajia, if you want to visit your sister, you can go ahead. I need to take Haohao home later."

"Brother-in-law, let me go with you to drop him off at home," Gu Jiajia wanted to accompany Duan Ling.

"No need, I can take him myself." Duan Ling said as he squatted down to pack Haohao’s things. He hardly had a chance to spend the day with his son, and now Gu Jiajia had spoiled it, making him quite unhappy.

Seeing Duan Ling’s sudden change of attitude, Gu Jiajia stiffened, but Duan Ling paid her no more attention and walked away directly holding Haohao’s hand, "Remember to lock the door if you leave."

In the car, Duan Ling looked at his son who was playing with a Rubik’s cube, "Haohao, do you really not want to go to the movies with uncle?"

Haohao didn’t even lift his head, "Uncle, please take me home. I miss mommy."

Duan Ling wanted to explain, but Haohao was clearly not in the mood for communication. Duan Ling had no choice but to take Haohao back to the Pei Family.

Pei Yinong was at home discussing with her parents about arranging a meeting between both families when the maid informed her that Haohao had returned. Pei Yinong found it strange that Haohao had come back a little early today.

Duan Ling only brought Haohao to the door before leaving; he did not go inside. The Pei Family did not welcome him. He remembered when Pei Zhen had found out that he was Haohao’s biological father, how on his first visit to pick up Haohao, he had nearly been beaten to death by Pei Zhen.

Pei Zhen had declared that he was not to step foot in the Pei Family again, or he would break his legs.

"Haohao, why did you come home so early today?" Pei Yinong asked in surprise.

"Uncle had some matters to attend to, so I came back first. Mommy, I’m hungry," Haohao diverted the subject, not wanting to mention that it was seeing Gu Jiajia that had made him unhappy.

Pei Yinong didn’t take it seriously, thinking that Duan Ling truly had something to do, "Alright, what would you like to eat? Mommy will make it for you."

"I want to eat small wontons. Mommy, after we eat, can I go to auntie’s house? I miss my little brother."

"Sure, after you eat, mommy will take you there." Pei Yinong walked towards the kitchen while speaking, and Haohao followed behind, "Mommy, I want the shrimp-filled ones."

"Got it, mommy will make them for you. Go wait outside, and I’ll bring them to you when they’re ready."

Haohao was unwilling to leave her side; he just wanted to stick with Pei Yinong. She had no choice but to give in.