The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 517 - 520. Xiaoqi, long time no see

"Mama." Upon hearing the childish voice coming from the other end of the phone, Shen Qinglan’s tears instantly fell.

"Anan, where are you?" Shen Qinglan asked huskily, her tone gentle.

"I’m in a very big house, there is a strange uncle here," Anan frowned as he spoke.

The phone was taken away, and a hoarse, unpleasant voice came through. Shen Qinglan was momentarily stunned, never having imagined that the person who took Anan would be him.

"Okay. I understand, I’m coming right now," Shen Qinglan said, hanging up the phone. She looked at Fu Hengyi, who stepped forward and hugged her, "It’s alright, don’t worry now, Anan is fine." From Anan’s voice earlier on the phone, it was clear that he was unharmed.

"Fu Hengyi, let’s go," Shen Qinglan wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, eager to see her son, wanting to see him right now.

**

Meanwhile, at Jingcheng Hospital.

"Why, why is it always like this? Why isn’t it me suffering, Anan is only three years old," Chu Yunrong started crying just after waking up from a coma. Years ago, Shen Qinglan was taken away from her side just like this, and it was ten years before she returned, having endured so much suffering. Now it was Anan, and Chu Yunrong would rather it be herself in trouble.

"Yun Rong, try to stay calm, Hengyi and Qinglan are out there looking right now, you can’t frighten yourself. If something happens to you, who should Qinglan and Hengyi worry about first?" Shen Qian comforted his wife. Chu Yunrong had experienced the disappearance of Shen Qinglan, making her particularly sensitive to such situations. And now, it was her beloved grandson involved, it was already strong of her not to have gone mad.

"How can I stay calm, Anan is gone, my Anan is gone, just like Qinglan, he’s disappeared," Chu Yunrong couldn’t stay calm. Just the thought that Anan might suffer what Shen Qinglan had gone through made her feel like collapsing. If it really came to that, she couldn’t bear to live on.

"Yun Rong, that won’t happen, Anan is a lucky child, he will definitely be found," Shen Qian spoke gently, "Yun Rong, relax a bit, think about Qinglan. You can’t have Qinglan worrying about Anan and you at the same time."

Hearing this, Chu Yunrong nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I can’t make Qinglan worry about me, I need to be strong, I am okay, I want to go home, I want to go find Anan." She said as she tried to get out of bed, unable to stay here any longer, she needed to help Shen Qinglan search for people. Thinking this, Chu Yunrong felt a little stronger.

Shen Qian didn’t stop her, and he helped her with the discharge procedures.

Shen Junyu had not been home these days, he went to various TV stations, spending a lot of money looking for people and verifying the authenticity of the information provided by the caller. Unfortunately, most of it was people after the reward, with almost no real information—the few useful pieces were already known to Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi.

"Jun Yu, you should rest a bit," Wen Xiyao handed him a glass of water. Shen Junyu patted her hand, "I’m fine, but you, be careful. The household is in chaos these days, and you need to take extra care." Chu Yunrong was already in the hospital, and the two elderly patriarchs were also barely holding on. Now the only one who could hold up the household was Wen Xiyao. Such responsibilities shouldn’t have fallen on Wen Xiyao, especially as she was just three months pregnant and should be peacefully nurturing her child, yet such a calamity had struck.

"Don’t worry about me, I’ll take care of myself. And don’t worry about the household matters, leave them to me," Wen Xiyao spoke softly, having already utilized all of her connections in Beijing to find Anan.

"Xi Yao, thank you for your hard work during this time," Shen Junyu apologized, his energy these past few days had almost entirely been on Anan, leaving no room to consider Wen Xiyao’s feelings. Pregnant women are prone to overthinking, if it were someone else, who knows how they might have reacted to him by now.

"Don’t say that, I’m also a member of this family. I’m very worried about Anan too, finding Anan sooner is what really matters, nothing else is important."

**

Three days ago.

After using the bathroom, Anan was just about to come out when he was surrounded by two men. Looking up at them, he said, "Uncle, I want to go out, could you please let me pass?"

One of the men smiled, "Kid, where do you want to go? Uncle will take you."

Anan frowned, he didn’t like the smiles on the faces of the two men; he always felt they weren’t good people. Moreover, his mom had told him not to go off with strangers, so he shook his head, "No need, my teacher is outside."

The two men exchanged a glance, a dark glint flashed in their eyes, "Kid, it’s even better that your teacher is outside, let Uncle take you out." Despite Anan’s refusal, they moved forward to grab him, Anan tried to run but someone covered his mouth from behind, and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When Anan woke up, he found himself in a car, the doors were locked, and there was no one else inside. He wanted to call his mom and dad but didn’t have a cellphone; all he had was his little backpack.

Anan looked out the window, the place was unfamiliar, he had never been here before, fear crept in his tiny heart, his eyes reddened, and tears dribbled down, which he quickly wiped away — his parents had told him that boys shouldn’t cry, they should be strong.

Anan realized he must have encountered bad people. This was the time, his parents said, he had to remain calm. Xiao Pang wiped his eyes, erased the tears, then opened his backpack and took out some biscuits; he was hungry. From time to time, he glanced out of the car window. People were passing by, and he wanted to ask a police officer for help, but after a long watch, no police officer came by.

Anan lay in front of the car window, praying for a police officer to pass by, but instead a stranger came.

"Anan?" The man called his name with some uncertainty.

Anan was startled, "Do you know me?"

Unexpectedly, the man nodded, "Your dad is Fu Hengyi and your mom is Shen Qinglan, right?"

Anan’s eyes lit up, "Uncle, you know my mom and dad?"

The man smiled warmly and nodded, "I know them, I’m good friends with your mom and dad. But why are you here alone, where are your mom and dad?"

Hearing this, Anan felt like crying again, "Uncle, I encountered bad people, they brought me here."

After hearing this, the man’s expression changed slightly as he looked at the car, which clearly wasn’t one Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi would use, he instantly understood, "Anan, don’t be afraid, Uncle will take you out." Anan nodded.

The man returned to his car, took a tool from the trunk, and quickly opened the car door, lifting Anan out. They left the spot swiftly.

"Uncle, are you taking me home now?" In the car, Anan asked curiously.

The man smiled, "First, I’m taking you to my house."

Anan frowned upon hearing this, "Uncle, I want to go home, can you take me home please?"

The man spoke gently, "Anan, be good, Uncle has some things to handle right now, you come with me to my house first, and I’ll call your mom and dad to pick you up, okay?"

"Uncle, I want to call my mom and dad right now." He regretted it now; he didn’t want to go with this man, he wanted to go home.

The man turned a deaf ear to his plea, seeing this Anan’s tears fell again, mom, dad, Anan has encountered bad people again, wuwuwu...

"Stop crying, Uncle will take you home, I really am not a bad person, I just want to invite you to my house as a guest, just for three days, and after three days I will take you home, okay?"

Anan still cried, "I don’t want this, I want to go home now, you are a bad man, I want to go home." He started to sob loudly, and the man was headache by his crying.

"Fu Chenxuan, stop crying," the man said sternly.

Anan’s crying stuck in his throat, and he stared at the man, bewildered, "How do you know my name?"

The man rubbed his forehead, "I told you, I know your parents, when you were even younger, I had even held you, is it strange that I know your name?"

"Are you really not a bad person?"

"Do I look like a bad man?"

Anan nodded, and the man scowled, "You think I look like a bad man, yet you still followed me?"

"You won’t let me go home, so you are a bad man." Anan asserted confidently. Initially, he really thought this uncle was a good person, but since he wouldn’t let him go home, he had to be a bad man.

"The uncle will definitely send you home, but not now." He wanted to take Anan to meet someone.

"Uncle, just let me go home, my daddy and mommy will be worried. What if my mommy cries?" Anan pleaded softly, but no matter how much he begged, the man simply would not take him home.

The car sped along and finally stopped in front of a villa, the man got out, intending to carry Anan out, but Anan bit his hand sharply, "Ouch," the man exclaimed in pain.

"Anan, let go of me," the man said, yet he dared not shake his hand too hard, worried about afflicting Anan’s little teeth.

Anan didn’t let go, glaring fixedly at him, clearly indicating his desire for the man in front of him to take him home. He missed his daddy and mommy.

"Alright, alright, I’ll take you home, now you first come inside with me, and I will immediately call your daddy and mommy to come pick you up, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Anan stared at the man for a while, then finally let go of his hand, "You have to keep your word, otherwise you are a puppy."

The man looked angrily at Anan, this naughty kid, truly a chip off the old blocks of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, just as unendearing as his parents. Holding Anan, he entered the door without any struggle from the boy.

"Uncle Allen, I’m back, see who I brought to visit you," the man shouted into the house.

In the living room, a man sat in a wheelchair, his back to them. Hearing the man’s shout, he turned around, revealing a delicate face that at this moment wore a somewhat gloomy expression, making the man look somewhat terrifying.

"Peter, why did you bring him here?" Allen frowned.

Anan nestled in Peter’s arms, and seeing Allen looking at him, subconsciously shrank back, afraid of this frightening man.

Peter looked innocent, "I didn’t bring him here on purpose, I was saving him." He recounted to Allen how he had encountered Anan.

"Since he was kidnapped by human traffickers, his parents must be very anxious right now, send him back immediately," Allen said sternly, unable to imagine how worried Shen Qinglan must be right now.

At the mention of that, Anan’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Allen with newfound fondness, surprised that this scary-looking uncle was actually quite nice.

"Yes, please take me home quickly. My mommy will be worried about me." Anan batted his big eyes. Allen stared back, dazed. Those eyes were so pure, reminiscent of someone from his memories.

Peter sat down on the couch. "We can’t take him back now." He was specifically brought for Allen, and he had even gotten bitten while bringing the little brat back. As for whether Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were worried, Peter didn’t consider that at all. Honestly, how did Allen feel about Shen Qinglan? He had observed it all along.

Allen, a man with a cold heart, showed no humanity even towards his own biological father. However, he repeatedly made concessions for Shen Qinglan and had even risked his life for her multiple times.

A blast two years ago had caused Allen’s leg injury to relapse, and he would never be able to stand up again in his lifetime. Despite his efforts, there was nothing he could do. Over the past two years, Allen had stayed in Lin City because it was the closest city to Beijing and he could promptly learn everything about Shen Qinglan. He had silently followed her for two years, even frequently sending someone to Eden to inquire about her health. He had done so much behind the scenes, yet he dared not go to Beijing to see Shen Qinglan.

Peter saw all this and felt it was unfair for Allen.

"Three days, let the kid stay with you for three days. After that, we’ll send him back." Peter spoke earnestly, not finding his request excessive at all. Since Shen Qinglan couldn’t reciprocate Allen’s feelings, what was wrong with letting her son stay with Allen for three days? Even if it seemed urgent, how could that compare to what Peter had done for her over the years?

"Send me back now, and don’t make me say it twice," Allen said coldly.

The Allen now was not the Allen of before. Peter wasn’t afraid of him at all, lounging on the couch. "I’m not sending him back." Previously, there was no chance, but now that he had the opportunity, naturally, he wanted Anan to keep Allen company. It was sort of a compensation for his mother, wasn’t it? The saying went, "A son must bear his mother’s debts."

"You liar, you’re just a puppy. You said you would take me back," Anan cried out when he heard Peter was unwilling to take him home, "You just said you would take me back, you big liar."

"Yes, I did promise to take you back. Stay with this uncle for three days, and on the third day, I’ll personally take you home, or let your parents pick you up."

Anan shook his little head vigorously. "I don’t want to, I want to go home. I want to go home now."

"No, you can’t leave now," Peter said sternly, but Anan wasn’t the least bit scared and kept crying.

"I’ll take you back," Allen said.

Anan looked at him but dared not approach. "You’ll take me home?"

Meeting those clear, large eyes, Allen unconsciously softened his expression and slowed his tone, "Yes, I’ll take you home. I’ll call your parents right now." Allen picked up the phone to dial, but Peter immediately pulled out the phone line.

Allen looked coldly at him. "Peter, what are you doing?"

Peter glanced at Anan, leaned toward Allen, and whispered a few words. Allen’s expression was inscrutable as he stared at Anan’s face for a long time before slowly nodding, then turned to Anan, "I’ll let this uncle call your parents. If we can reach them, we’ll take you home. If we can’t, then you’ll stay here with me for three days, and I’ll personally take you home after that. Is that okay?"

Anan was reluctant, whispering, "I want to go home now. I miss mommy and daddy." His face was filled with a pitiful look, and his big eyes brimmed with tears, melting Allen’s heart. He had once seen a little girl look at him with the same gaze, as if it were the clearest spring water in the world.

"There, there. Uncle will call your parents right now." Allen signaled Peter with his eyes.

With no other choice, Peter took out his phone and dialed a number—it was Shen Qinglan’s, but unfortunately, it went unanswered. He looked at Anan, "You see, it’s not that uncle doesn’t want to take you home. We just can’t get in touch with your parents."

Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi couldn’t imagine that within the few short hours Fu Hengyi had forced Shen Qinglan to rest, they would miss such an important phone call.

"Where is Daddy’s phone number? I know it," Anan insisted. Shen Qinglan had taught him from a young age to remember his parents’ phone numbers in case he ever needed to call them in an emergency.

Peter simply pocketed the phone, "The phone is out of battery, can’t make a call."

Anan stared at Peter for a few seconds, then ran over and hugged Allen’s leg, looking up at him, "Uncle, can you take me home? I want to go home." His big eyes welled up with tears, but he forced himself not to let them fall.

Allen’s heart softened. He took Peter’s phone to call Fu Hengyi, but Peter snatched it back.

When Peter looked at Anan again, his expression had darkened, "Fu Chenxuan, I’m not here to negotiate with you, but to inform you. Stay here with us for three days, and after three days, I’ll have your parents personally come pick you up. I promise I’m not lying this time."

Anan hung his head, "My mom will be worried."

Peter pointed at Allen, "Do you know who he is?"

Anan shook his head; he had never seen this man before.

Peter squatted down to Anan’s eye level, and looking into his eyes, he asked, "Do you have a piece of jade?" He gestured the shape of the jade.

Anan recalled something. He fumbled with the collar of his thick clothing and eventually managed to pull out a jade pendant, "Are you talking about this?"

Peter and Allen were surprised that Shen Qinglan had allowed Anan to carry this jade pendant with him. Especially Allen, who thought that given Shen Qinglan’s disdain for him, the pendant would have been discarded somewhere long ago. At that moment, his heart softened; his Xiaoqi was always so kind.

"Yes, this jade pendant was a gift from this uncle when you were born. And his phone is full of your pictures, do you think he’d be a bad man?" Peter said, taking Allen’s phone, which was thrown aside, and flipping through the album, "Look, Uncle isn’t lying to you."

Allen’s phone was filled with photos of Shen Qinglan and Anan, most of which were taken without their knowledge.

Anan naturally recognized his own photos, and he looked up at Allen, "Do you really know my mom?"

Allen nodded, "I do."

"Do you know why this uncle is always sitting and not standing?" Peter asked again.

Anan looked at Uncle Allen, "Uncle, is it because your legs are hurt? My mom said only injured people need to sit in those kinds of chairs."

Allen smiled gently, warmth radiating from his face, which Peter noticed was different from any warmth shown even when Shen Qinglan was mentioned, "Yes, Uncle is injured."

"Uncle, when will your injury heal?" Anan seemed more courageous, knowing Allen wouldn’t hurt him.

Allen’s eyes darkened, "It won’t heal." Peter had once said that it was a miracle his legs could stand at all, but a second injury would render them beyond saving. The explosion hadn’t killed him, but it had severely damaged his legs. After being rescued, his legs were permanently disabled and he would never stand again.

"Do you know why he can’t stand up? Because he was saving your mom," Peter said earnestly.

"Peter. Shut up!" Allen chastised. These were not things to tell a three-year-old, but Peter continued, "This uncle saved your mom but hurt his legs in the process, and now he can’t stand for the rest of his life. As your mom’s son, shouldn’t you look after this uncle for a few days?"

Anan didn’t believe Peter’s words, he turned his head to look at Allen, "Uncle, did your leg get hurt because of my mom?"

Allen reached out to touch Anan’s small face; Anan didn’t shy away. The skin of a child was smooth and delicate, a very pleasant touch and Allen couldn’t resist touching it again, "Don’t listen to his nonsense, Uncle was born this way, it has nothing to do with your parents. But your eyes do look so much like your mom’s, she looked just like you when she was little."

Anan’s eyes widened, "Uncle, you knew my mom when she was little too?"

Allen smiled and nodded, "Yes, I’ve seen what your mom looked like when she was a little girl. She was very cute and beautiful, just like you." He followed the conversation as Anan’s attention shifted elsewhere. Peter watched helplessly from the side, Allen was always too lenient on Shen Qinglan. To his mind, let alone three days, even a week would be fine to let Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan worry a bit.

Indeed, Allen had successfully diverted Anan’s attention, "Uncle, girls are pretty, boys should be handsome, you should say I look handsome."

Allen chuckled, "Yes, you are quite handsome." If you resembled Shen Qinglan a bit more, you would be even handsomer. Allen thought silently to himself.

But eventually, Anan agreed to stay with Allen for three days, "Uncle, I’ll stay with you for three days, but after that, you must take me back to my mom and dad, my mom will really be worried."

Allen nodded, "Okay."

Seeing Anan willingly stay gave Peter a sigh of relief. If Anan continued to cry and make a fuss, Allen would definitely take him back home and his efforts would be wasted. Originally, Peter also hesitated about taking Anan away like this. But just a moment ago, upon seeing the smile on Allen’s face, he suddenly firmed up his resolve; since Shen Qinglan couldn’t be with Allen, let his son keep him company for a few days, even if it’s just for a short three days. Call him selfish or cold-hearted, it didn’t matter to him; all he wanted was for Allen to be a little happier. As for how Shen Qinglan or Allen would blame him afterward, he did not care.

Anan, having been upset all day, was now very hungry, Peter asked someone to prepare something for Anan to eat. When only Peter and Allen remained in the living room, Allen finally turned to Peter, "Call Fu Hengyi now, tell him to come and get his son."

Peter was slightly stunned, "Didn’t Anan agree to stay here three days with you?"

Allen didn’t say anything, just gave Peter a cold look. Peter instantly understood, "Allen, you are ultimately too concerned about Shen Qinglan. Even for such a short three days, you can’t bear to make her worry, but Allen, have you thought about yourself? How have you been living these years?"

Allen’s expression was distant, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes, "That’s none of your business."

"Allen," Peter pressed on, "I’ll leave my words here; if you truly consider me a friend, then let Anan stay here with you for three days. After three days, I’ll personally call Fu Hengyi, I promise. I’ve never asked you for anything before, consider this the first thing I’m asking you for."

Allen was silent; these many years, the only person who had stayed by his side unceasingly was Peter. Now, apart from a pair of disabled legs and a lingering life, he had nothing.

Once, he used money to keep Peter, coercing him to treat his illness, but now, Peter wanted nothing, investing all his efforts to treat him and keep him company. Such deep affection, even the cold-hearted Allen couldn’t remain indifferent.

"Allen, I know you can’t bear to make Shen Qinglan worry, but I just want to fulfill a small wish for you. This past year, you’ve been following everything about Shen Qinglan every day, yet you don’t go see her, not even letting her know about your current situation, all because you worry she’d feel guilty if she saw what you’ve become. You’ve thought of everything for her, live this one time for yourself."

After a long while, Allen finally nodded, "After three days, have someone send him back, don’t let Shen Qinglan know I was here."

"Okay, I understand." Peter also breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Allen agree; persuading Allen was incredibly difficult.

Having settled the matter, Peter wheeled Allen to the dining room, where Anan was sitting in a chair having his meal. Unfamiliar with using chopsticks, he was using a spoon. Probably very hungry, he was eating eagerly, yet the table remained clean, revealing good table manners even at his young age.

"Is it good?" Allen asked softly.

Anan nodded, "Uncle, aren’t you eating?"

"Uncle has already eaten, you go ahead and eat. Just say what you like, and Uncle will have someone make it for you."

Anan looked at Allen, "Uncle, did you call my mom?" Just now, Allen had promised him that he would call Shen Qinglan and then have Shen Qinglan come to pick him up in three days.

Allen’s eyes dimmed slightly, and Peter quickly said, "I did, I did. Your mom said she will come to collect you in three days. Now your mom knows where you are. You can rest easy now."

Anan twisted his little head, not even glancing at Peter. He was holding a grudge because Peter wouldn’t let him go home.

"Hey, holding grudges at such a young age." Peter remarked, which earned him a cold look from Allen.

"Alright, alright, he is your treasure. I won’t say any more." Peter rolled his eyes and said, this man is just so typical, loving everything associated with her.

After Anan finished eating, Allen picked him up onto his lap, "Tell Uncle, how were you kidnapped by the human trafficker?"

Anan told Allen everything just as it had happened. Allen’s first thought matched the guesses made by Shen Qinglan’s family; he was uncertain whether the situation was a coincidence or orchestrated, and he looked at Peter, who instantly understood, "I have already had people looking into it. We will have news soon."

"Uncle, how did you meet my mom? Why do you have so many photos of me and my mom? And why aren’t there any photos of my dad?" Now that Anan was full and knew his mom was aware of his whereabouts, he felt at ease and was in the mood to chat with Allen.

Hearing this, Peter rolled his eyes again. It would be truly odd if there were photos of your dad in Allen’s phone.

Besides his eyes, which were a carbon copy of Shen Qinglan’s, Anan’s facial features were more like Fu Hengyi’s, although you could still vaguely see Shen Qinglan’s shadow in him. Allen stared at Anan’s face, trying to find traces of Shen Qinglan’s past in him.

"I’ve known your mom for many, many years. Uncle himself has forgotten how he got to know your mom," Allen said softly.

"Then, Uncle, your leg is injured. Am I tiring you by sitting on your lap?"

Hearing this, Allen looked at Anan with even more tenderness and shook his head, "Uncle is not tired. Can you tell Uncle about you and your mom? Uncle hasn’t seen your mom in several years."

"Eh, Uncle, aren’t you and my mom friends? Why don’t you go see my mom?" Anan asked, puzzled.

"My leg makes it inconvenient for me to go see your mom."

"Then, Uncle, next time I’ll ask Mom to drive over to pick you up, okay? You can come and visit our house. Our house is really big, as big as yours. I’ll have Granny Zhao make you some delicious food, and Granny Liu, her cakes are so tasty."

Anan chattered away with Allen, who listened patiently and didn’t seem annoyed at all, even finding it quite enjoyable. Every now and then, he would feed Anan a piece of fruit or some water.

Peter, watching this scene unfold, felt a bittersweetness in his heart. He had never seen this side of Allen before.

At night, Allen had originally prepared a separate bedroom for Anan, but Anan asked if he could sleep with him instead. Allen raised an eyebrow slightly, "You want to sleep with me?"

Holding a pillow in his arms, Anan nodded, "Uncle, is that okay?" After spending the afternoon together, Anan felt much more familiar with Allen, who seemed scary at first but turned out to be very nice—definitely nicer than Peter. In an unfamiliar environment, having a somewhat familiar person nearby gave Anan a sense of security.

Allen scooted over, "Come on up."

Delighted, Anan climbed into bed and lay down neatly beside Allen, "Uncle, I sleep well and don’t wet the bed."

Hearing this, Allen chuckled softly, "Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. Uncle has plenty of sheets."

"Uncle, can I call my mom?" Anan asked before falling asleep.

Allen’s expression darkened, "Do you miss your mom?"

Anan nodded. He hadn’t seen his mom for a whole day. He wanted to go home, but he had also promised to stay with Uncle for three days. Mom had said that a man must keep his promises. So, he must stay with Uncle for three days before going home.

"It’s late now, your mom has already gone to bed. How about calling her tomorrow, okay?"

Anan nodded, "Okay, then Uncle, can you tell stories? Mom and Dad always tell me stories before I go to sleep."

Allen was taken aback; he really didn’t know how.

His face showed his embarrassment, and Anan immediately understood, "Uncle, you don’t know how to tell stories, do you? Then I’ll tell you one."

"Okay."

The room filled with Anan’s sweet, tender voice, gradually lowering until it turned into the soft, even breathing of sleep. Allen looked down at the little guy lying beside him, feeling a strange emotion welling up inside.

He had never had this experience before, nor had he ever imagined that one day there would be a child lying next to him—an unrelated child, no less. He should have found his face annoying, but because the child carried Shen Qinglan’s blood, he felt a deep affinity.

He wanted to touch Anan’s face but feared disturbing him. His hand hovered mid-air for a long while before slowly returning it to its original position.

Xiaoqi, forgive me for being selfish this once.

Allen silently thought to himself, knowing that Shen Qinglan would never allow Anan to stay with him if she knew the child was under his care.

The next morning when Anan woke up, he found many new toys, all bought by Allen early in the morning—various kinds. Being only three, Anan quickly immersed himself in a sea of toys, forgetting to call Shen Qinglan.

The three days with Anan’s company were the most relaxed days in Allen’s life but also the shortest. Despite wishing time would slow down, the three days eventually passed.

Once the three days were up, Allen had Peter call Shen Qinglan.

However, when Shen Qinglan appeared at the villa’s door, Allen was furious because Peter had explicitly promised not to let Shen Qinglan know he was here.

Peter secretly begrudged it; he admitted that he did it on purpose. He wanted Shen Qinglan to know what Allen had sacrificed for her and wanted to give Allen a chance to meet Shen Qinglan legitimately.

Allen quickly recovered, smiling at Shen Qinglan, "Xiaoqi, long time no see."