Chapter 4 Childhood Sweethearts

Shen Qingyi was taken aback for a moment, then she heard him say, “I promised the professor that I would take good care of you!”

Shen Qingyi let out a self-mocking smile. She had always known it would be like this, yet just now, she’d actually harbored a sliver of hope. Lowering her eyes, she spoke in a calm tone, “I can take care of myself and An’an. There are no feelings between us, so there’s no need for you to put yourself through this.”

Lu Yan’s gaze dimmed, his hand on his knee rubbing slightly. “I’m not putting myself through anything. If you really don’t want us to be together anymore, then let’s talk about it again when you find someone suitable.”

“Alright!” Shen Qingyi didn’t want to drag things out either; whether or not she found someone suitable was her own business. She agreed readily, “If you have some free time one day, just bring over the necessary documents so I can register An’an’s household.”

Lu Yan nodded, gave An’an another glance, set his teacup back on the table, and walked over to squat in front of An’an, about to speak. But before he could, An’an glared at him and hid behind Shen Qingyi.

So he was the father—the bad man who had left him and his mother for four years without a word. And to think he’d even liked him for a moment just now.

Lu Yan was momentarily stunned. After a while, he stood up and said to An’an, “Daddy will come see you next time.”

An’an hesitated, cast a glance at Shen Qingyi, but didn’t reply.

Lu Yan sighed softly, and finally, as if giving an account to Shen Qingyi, said, “I’m starting my new job tomorrow. I only had time to come by this afternoon.”

“Mm.”

Lu Yan fished a small robot out of his pocket, walked to An’an, and said, “Daddy got you a toy. Do you want to come see it?”

An’an’s dark eyes flickered, but he clung to Shen Qingyi’s hand without moving or speaking.

Lu Yan wasn’t annoyed. He placed the toy on the table and said again, “Daddy will come see you tomorrow.”

After Lu Yan left, An’an finally released Shen Qingyi’s hand and said to her carefully, “I just want to look, I won’t play with it!”

Shen Qingyi patted her son’s head. “If you want to play, go ahead.”

Lu Yan returned home to the staff quarters, feeling dejected.

As soon as he reached the doorway, he heard bursts of laughter from inside.

When Lu Yan entered, all eyes turned to him.

He saw Chen Haixia sitting in the middle, surrounded by his family. He gave her a slight nod in greeting.

Qian Guihua, seeing Lu Yan acting like a fool with no expression, pulled him to sit beside her. “Where did you go so early in the morning? Haixia’s been waiting for ages. Come, sit down.”

Chen Haixia laughed and said, “Auntie, I came especially to visit you. Who says I’m waiting for him?”

Qian Guihua frowned. “I’m old, nothing much to see. But you and Lu Yan both made it out of the same village, and though you didn’t get into the same university, you ended up in the same workplace and now have been transferred back together. Isn’t that fate?”

Lu Yan, though not sensitive to matters between men and women—perhaps even a little slow—still knew his mother’s words were out of line. He replied seriously, “Mom, you shouldn’t say things like that. If you damage Haixia’s reputation, it won’t be good.”

Chen Haixia quickly tried to smooth things over. “Lu Yan, Auntie Qian is only joking. I don’t mind.”

Lu Yan fell silent and was about to go to his room when Qian Guihua grabbed him again. “You finally come home, can’t you sit with your mom and chat for a bit? You’re so thoughtless.”

Lu Yan randomly found a chair and sat down, his face solemn. “What do you want to talk about?”

He was not in a good mood.

“You were out first thing this morning. Did you find that girl?”

At these words, Chen Haixia straightened up, ready to listen.

“I found her,” Lu Yan replied indifferently.

Qian Guihua pressed further, “How did your talk go?”

“An’an is my child. Once I’ve filled out An’an’s paperwork and registered his household, I’ll bring mother and son over.”

This statement fell like a thunderclap on everyone present.

Especially Chen Haixia. Wasn’t he supposed to go talk about a divorce? How did it turn out like this? She looked incredulously at Qian Guihua.

Qian Guihua panicked too. “Lu Yan, have you read yourself stupid? I know Professor Shen has done a lot for you, but you’ve already repaid your debt. If you throw yourself in as well, it’s just not worth it.”

No wonder people called bookish types blockheads. He really was.

“What debt have I repaid?” Lu Yan suddenly demanded, his voice deep. The thought that his mother had driven away his wife when he wasn’t home made him want to tell them to pack up and leave right away, if not for the guests.

Qian Guihua was stunned for a moment before saying, “If it weren’t for your reputation, how could she have done so well in this area?”

Seeing that his mother had not the slightest remorse toward Shen Qingyi, Lu Yan’s face flashed with disappointment. Without another word, he entered his room, leaving Chen Haixia embarrassed and unable to recover for a long time.

Lu Yan’s attitude—could it mean something for Shen Qingyi?

But she quickly dismissed the thought. She’d grown up with him, gone to school with him—she knew his temperament inside out.

He was the type who only buried his head in books, utterly clueless when it came to romance.

She remembered that back in high school, girls would often try to catch his attention, which he found terribly annoying. She’d given him the idea to tell people he already had someone, a childhood sweetheart, and even volunteered to be his shield. Lu Yan had actually taken her up on it.

He’d found it effective and even thanked her specially.

Chen Haixia was never silly enough to think Lu Yan liked her. If she ever tried to bother him, he’d be just as annoyed with her as with anyone else.

She’d worried that going to university might change things, but he kept using the same excuse.

One day, she couldn’t help but hint to Lu Yan, “What kind of person do you think you’ll marry?”

Lu Yan’s answer was something she’d never forget: “As long as everything’s normal, that’s enough.”

“Have you ever thought about when you’ll get married?”

Back then, Lu Yan had just joined the Party. After a pause, he said, “I’ll do it when the organization requires it.”

With a man like that, she’d always felt confident. After all, of all the girls who’d interacted with him, he’d spoken the most to her.

No one could have predicted that not long after graduation, Shen Qingyi would swoop in and marry him.

It had hurt, but her only consolation was that Lu Yan hadn’t married for love.

But today, for the first time, she saw Lu Yan stand up for a woman. She felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

At this thought, embarrassment crept onto her face. She quickly got up and said, “Auntie, I just remembered something I have to take care of at home, so I’ll be going.”

“Alright, take care. Come again soon.”

As soon as Chen Haixia left, Qian Guihua began to tally up the things she’d brought: a jar of malted milk, a bag of red dates. Seeing these, the displeasure Lu Yan had stirred up just now dissipated entirely.

Once outside, Chen Haixia’s face fell, her mood turning sour. She decided to go to the department store to lift her spirits.

Lately, she’d been fond of a few new arrivals in the second-floor clothing section. She planned to try them on first and buy them once she got her paycheck.

Just as she reached the second floor, she caught sight of a familiar figure.

“Miss Shen, you really have good taste! These three outfits you just tried are the most popular this year—many ladies have tried them on,” the shop assistant said enthusiastically.

Looking at what she was wearing, it was clear at a glance that she was a regular customer here.