Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Dad, Mom."

Feng Qin, a beat behind Ding Zhuo, walked up to Feng Tan and Guo Lan. Right in front of the cameras, Feng Tan and Guo Lan started acting.

"Feng Qin, my poor son, you’ve lost so much weight!"

"Did they treat you badly in there?"

The couple acted with such over-the-top crying that it could make anyone cry.

Lin Tingyue didn’t understand.

"What hardships could there possibly be in a detention center?"

Ding Chuan stared at Feng Qin in disbelief, his voice shaking with emotion. "Lan, is Feng Qin your son?"

Guo Lan sensed trouble and shot back anxiously, "Whether he’s my son or not has nothing to do with you!"

"Lan, how can it not matter? He—"

Guo Lan burst out, "Ding Chuan, enough!"

Ding Chuan was stunned by her outburst, but after a moment, his resolve only hardened. "No, Lan. You can’t stop me from speaking this time. It was being a coward back then that led you and Xiao Qin to... I’m not the same person I used to be!"

He grabbed Feng Qin’s hand, tears welling in his eyes. "Xiao Qin, my real son... you’ve suffered all these years."

"Wait, so Ding Zhuo isn’t your real son?"

"Holy crap, this just gets wilder."

Feng Qin looked totally lost. "Uncle Ding, what are you talking about? My dad is right here."

"Coming out of detention with an extra dad—talk about a plot twist!"

Lin Tingyue was loving her sarcastic remarks, but those who could hear her thoughts were struggling not to laugh while glued to the drama, nearly splitting their personalities in half!

Feng Tan stepped forward aggressively, knocking Ding Chuan’s hand off Feng Qin. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Ding Chuan’s voice shook. "Feng Qin is my son. You’ve had him call you 'Dad' for over twenty years—haven’t you had enough?"

"What kind of insane nonsense is this?"

Feng Tan slapped Ding Chuan across the face. "What kind of BS are you spewing?"

"Insane nonsense?" Ding Chuan pushed Ding Zhuo aside, who had rushed to support him. "Xiao Qin, your birthday is in May, isn’t it?"

Feng Qin, in shock, nodded. "Yes."

"That proves it! Both you and Ding Zhuo were born in May. If you’re not my son, then whose could you be?"

"Wait, wait, wait—how does that make sense?"

"And how could two brothers be born in the same month? Even if you broke up and married someone else, there wouldn’t be enough time. Unless... Ding Chuan knocked up two women at once?"

Everyone leaned in.

"No way, that’s it! Back then, Ding Chuan was dating two women simultaneously, and both got pregnant at the same time! After thinking it over, he decided to break up with Guo Lan. She married Feng Tan while pregnant, and over twenty years later, Ding Zhuo’s mother passed away. Ding Chuan and Ding Zhuo never got along, so Ding Chuan, worried about having no one to care for him in old age, tried to replace her."

"Now everything’s settled. He bumped into Guo Lan by chance and thought he'd gotten a son and a wife in one go."

Even Ding Zhuo, who couldn’t read minds, had figured it out by now. Clenching his fist, he punched Ding Chuan in the face, knocking one of his teeth out. He snarled through clenched teeth, "How could I have such a disgusting father? You don’t deserve to be with my mom!"

Meanwhile, Feng Tan simply walked away. Who would have thought he’d been being a cuckold all these years, slaving away for another man’s son?

"Dad, where are you going? Dad?"

Feng Qin, still dazed by the bombshell revelation, instinctively trailed after Feng Tan as he left.

"The one who got his tooth knocked out by his real son is your father, not me," Feng Tan yanked his sleeve away coldly.

"Lao Feng, Lao Feng, you can’t leave!"

"Why can’t I leave? Twenty damn years raising another man’s kid wasn’t enough? Guo Lan, how could you do this to me?"

Feng Tan’s resolute demeanor cut Guo Lan to the core. Twenty years of marriage, severed just like that. Guo Lan, past the point of caring, snapped, "How have I wronged you? Back then, if it weren’t for your parents begging on their knees, I would never have married you! Do you know why you had to raise another man’s son? Because you’re sterile."

Feng Tan stood frozen, as if he’d been hit by a thunderbolt.

"My god, this is a total clusterf***."

After the chaos outside Xiang Company settled, Bai Yaxin prepared to take Lin Tingyue out for a meal.

Lin Tingyue asked, "Mom, what are we eating today?"

Bai Yaxin instinctively replied, "Porridge hotpot."

Lin Tingyue: "..."

Lin Tingyue and Bai Yaxin ordered a plain porridge base and a selection of seafood, all prepared to order.

While waiting for the seafood to arrive, Bai Yaxin received a call from Wu Qianyun.

Wu Qianyun had initially offered to treat Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue to a meal, but Bai Yaxin could tell her friend was too worried about Tao Tao to stay, so she urged them to go back and keep Tao Tao company.

Now, the call likely meant everything had been settled.

Wu Qianyun said over the phone that they owed it all to Lin Tingyue this time. Bai Yaxin glanced at Lin Tingyue, who was stirring the porridge with a spoon. Sensing her mother’s gaze, Lin Tingyue immediately looked up and flashed a bright, adorable smile.

Heart warmed by her cuteness, Bai Yaxin said, "As long as Tao Tao is okay."

After hanging up, Bai Yaxin patted Lin Tingyue’s head and said, "Aunt Wu got you a present. It’s already at our place. She wants you to check it out."

"Why would Aunt Wu suddenly get me a present?"

Of course, it’s because your mind-reading helped Tao Tao escape that scumbag.

Bai Yaxin said earnestly, "Must be your irresistible charm."

Lin Tingyue: "!"

"Mom, you’ll make me blush."

Bai Yaxin really did see Lin Tingyue blush slightly. Smiling, she quickly added, "That was so damn satisfying."

Lin Tingyue agreed, "Yeah."

"Hey, isn’t that Bai Yaxin?"

"Ugh, that voice is so grating!"

Lin Tingyue and Bai Yaxin turned their heads at the same time toward a person standing not far away.

At the sight of that person, Bai Yaxin's expression soured. She put on a half-hearted smile and was about to turn away, pretending they weren’t there.

"What’s wrong?" The woman plopped down right in the seat opposite Bai Yaxin. Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue were seated together, and the seat facing Bai Yaxin was free.

The woman toyed with her hair. "Now that the Lin family is thriving and the Bai family is at its peak, too good for old friends now? Won’t even say hi?"

"Even though I know she's being sarcastic, why does this lowkey feel good?"

Right?

Bai Yaxin's expression softened slightly as she held out her hand, smiling. "Long time no see, Liyuan."

Zhang Liyuan, however, brushed right past her hand. "Long time no see."

Before Bai Yaxin could feel awkward, her hand was grasped by Lin Tingyue, who smiled sweetly at her.

"I’m holding Mom’s hand!"

Bai Yaxin couldn't help but chuckle.

Zhang Liyuan, however, lit up like she’d struck gold. "Oh, is this your adopted daughter?"

Bai Yaxin's face darkened.

"No offense, but she’s not your own flesh and blood. What’s it gonna get you?"

"Huh???"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"What’s wrong with Mom being good to me?!"

"Whether it’s useful or not, I know best. My daughter is none of your concern."

"Pfft, I was just looking out for you, and now you’re upset. Don’t end up like Zhao Ru..."

Bai Yaxin sharply cut her off. "What about A Ru? She’s way better off now—her daughter is filial, she has money and leisure, much better than with Yun Yongchang."

"You tell her, Mom! I support you!"

Lin Tingyue secretly reached behind Bai Yaxin and squeezed her shoulder.

Zhang Liyuan, interrupted, looked awkward. "That may be true, but Zhao Ru and Zhao Qi are both women. How’re they supposed to get by without a man? Take me, for example—with my husband taking care of me, that’s just how it should be."

Finally, Bai Yaxin remembered why she and Zhang Liyuan had never gotten along.

They used to be tight in high school. But after Zhang Liyuan got married, she couldn’t shut up about her husband, every other sentence about her kids.

She also talked down to Bai Yaxin, convinced that Bai Yaxin’s life couldn’t compare to hers.

The final straw was no better. Zhang Liyuan invited Bai Yaxin out, and Bai Yaxin went happily—only for Zhang Liyuan to immediately call her outfit frumpy, questioning how Lin Rusong could possibly like such a style.

Bai Yaxin had had enough and ended their friendship that day—and damn, it felt good.

Later, Bai Yaxin and Zhang Liyuan met again at a class reunion. After so many years, any lingering resentment had faded, but their relationship only recovered to the point of having each other's contact information.

Bai Yaxin never expected to run into Zhang Liyuan just while having a porridge hotpot meal.

Thinking Bai Yaxin’s silence meant agreement, Zhang Liyuan kept talking, "My husband and I have been married for decades. Whenever I step out, he sticks to me like glue."

Then Lin Tingyue piped up: "So where is your husband now?"

Zhang Liyuan’s smile froze. "We’ve been meaning to try this place forever. It’s really special—"

But Lin Tingyue was persistent. "Where is your husband?"

Zhang Liyuan: "..."

She shot back, "What’s wrong with you? He did come out with me, but work called him back."

Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue clearly remembered what happened the last time someone claimed to have "company business," and they exchanged a look.

"Could he be another jerk like Feng Qin?"

"Oh no, it’s true—he rushed off not because of work but because his secretary summoned him."

Bai Yaxin scoffed. "Call him. Right now."

Zhang Liyuan dismissed it. "Why would I call him? I don’t keep tabs on him."

"The two of them went into the company’s conference room together and left the cameras rolling, too… If you’re gonna cheat, go all out*… AHHHHHH—"

Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue said in unison, "Seriously, just call him."