Shen Wansong had just finished work when his secretary told him that the nanny at home had called his phone. He was about to call her back when his current wife, Fang Xuelian, rang.
“Lian’er?”
“Husband, Nanny Wang just called to tell me that a woman named Shen Yuetao came to our house. She says she’s your daughter with Shen Xi. What’s going on? Wasn’t that child dead?”
Shen Wansong stopped in his tracks. At the sound of Shen Xi’s name, his whole body stiffened, and his memories instantly carried him back twenty-three years.
It had been winter.
Shen Xi had just given birth to their daughter…
“Husband, Nanny Wang was about to call the police, but I stopped her. Are you at the office now? Let’s hurry home and see what’s going on.”
“Mm!”
In a VIP room at a private hospital in Kyoto,
the little boy on the bed slowly opened his eyes.
“Daddy? Daddy, don’t leave Shang Yinheng behind. Shang Yinheng will be good~”
The little boy’s weak, soft voice rang out. The man beside the bed, holding a wooden slingshot, saw him wake and asked, “Where does it hurt?”
“Daddy?”
“Mm.”
“Daddy, I’m hungry. Can I give Shang Yinheng a little food? And Xiaohua, too. We’ll only eat a little.”
The little boy’s words pierced Shang Zhan’s heart.
What kind of life had that woman made him live all these years? He couldn’t even get enough to eat, and seemed afraid to eat much.
Shang Zhan immediately imagined a heartbreaking scene: an unmarried mother living under someone else’s roof, enduring attacks from gossip and slander.
“Mr. Shang, the nanny brought some food. Let’s have the Young Master eat something first.”
Assistant Lin brought Nanny Liu in. After washing and disinfecting her hands, Nanny Liu served the little boy a bowl of yam and lean pork porridge.
Nanny Liu was about to feed him when the man took the bowl from her.
After one bite of the porridge Daddy had fed him, the little boy’s eyes lit up.
“Daddy, it’s so good! I haven’t eaten anything this delicious in so long.”
Shang Zhan’s heart tightened again.
What kind of life had they been living?
“Daddy, I can eat by myself. Mommy never feeds me. She says boys should do things for themselves.”
Shang Zhan took a deep breath, then brought another spoonful of porridge to the little boy’s mouth.
“Don’t listen to your mom. You’re still little, and you’re sick and weak. You can eat by yourself once you’re better.”
“Thank you, Daddy. You’re so nice.”
The man’s lips curved into a smile. That woman might be unreliable and full of lies, but there was no denying she had raised their son well. Their son.
“Daddy, where’s Xiaohua? Xiaohua’s been hungry for a long time, too. Give him some food.”
Xiaohua, his mouth full of meat porridge, scurried over from the side and gazed up at his little master with his little flower-patterned face.
“Woof~”
“Xiaohua, you’ve had something to eat, too? That’s great! Shang Yinheng’s daddy is so nice. He gives me food and you food, too. We’re so happy!”
Shang Zhan’s mouth twitched. Was his son really so easily satisfied?
“Shang Yinheng? Your mom’s letter said your name was Shen Goudan?”
“Goudan is the nickname Mommy gave me. She says it’s cute.”
Shang Zhan: …
He couldn’t see what was cute about it. Even the dog had a better name.
“Then what’s your full name?”
“Shen Yinheng. Daddy, do you have a pen? Shang Yinheng will write it for you.”
“You can write?”
Shang Zhan was a little surprised.
“Mm. Shang Yinheng is really good at writing.”
The little boy took the fountain pen Assistant Tang handed him and wrote his name in a notebook.
It was his first time using a fountain pen, so he wasn’t quite used to it.
When the first character appeared on the page, Shang Zhan was stunned.
“Shang Yinheng, when did you start learning to write?”
“When I was one, I think. Shang Yinheng doesn’t really remember.”
“You were writing at one? Your mom taught you?”
The little boy nodded. “Mommy says that as a man, I have to know how to read and write, play music, play chess, do calligraphy and painting, and know lots and lots of things.”
Shang Zhan’s brow furrowed into a knot.
“What does she want you to learn all that for?” To perform for money?
“Because boys are money-losers. If I can’t do lots of things, I can’t earn money to support Mommy, my little sister, and the grandpas. I won’t be able to get married, either, and I won’t…”
“Shang Yinheng, what did you say? Little sister? You have a little sister?”
The little boy swallowed the porridge on his spoon and nodded. “Mm-hmm. Mommy gave birth to my little sister and me. Mommy says I’m a bonus. She only wanted my little sister.”
Shang Zhan felt as if the world had turned upside down.
Four years ago, she had suddenly disappeared—and not only had she given birth to his son, she had also given birth to a daughter! She’d taken the two children and lived such a hard life without coming to him!
What had the three of them been through?
“Where is your mom now?”
“In Moon Valley.”
Moon Valley?
What kind of place was that? He had never heard of it. He looked at Lin Fei.
Lin Fei shook his head, too, indicating he didn’t know.
“Shang Yinheng, have you always lived in Moon Valley with your mom and little sister?”
Shang Yinheng nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
Assistant Lin searched on his phone for quite a while but couldn’t find the place.
“Young Master, how did you get to Kyoto?”
Shang Yinheng thought for a moment. “I rode a donkey, then a cow, then a big goose, and then I flew here on an eagle. Xiaohua smelled Daddy, so he found you.”
Shang Zhan: …
Lin Fei: …
Nanny Liu, waiting to one side: …
They couldn’t even imagine it.
Never mind. He was only three, still at the age when his imagination ran wild. What more could they expect to get out of him?
“Where is your little sister?”
“In Moon Valley.”
“So she’s with your mom?”
The little boy nodded.
“Then what’s your mom’s phone number?”
Hengheng blinked. “What’s a phone?”
Shang Zhan: …
“All right. Get some rest.”
His son had found him, so it wouldn’t be long before that woman came looking for them, too. Maybe she’d show up tomorrow—or no, given her impatient nature, she’d probably come tonight.
No! Any minute now.
Shang Yinheng couldn’t have come to him by himself. That woman must have brought him here, which meant she was keeping an eye on everything the two of them did.
“Daddy, can I have another bowl? My tummy’s still flat.”
“Mm. You can have one more bowl, but don’t eat too much. Later, Nanny Liu will make you something tasty.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
The little boy was rosy-cheeked and lovely, sweet and well-behaved—just like her when he’d first met her.
But later…
“Assistant Lin, check all the surveillance footage around where he was found. See if anyone suspicious showed up nearby!”
“Yes, Mr. Shang.”
Shen Family Villa.
After Yuetao and Niannian had eaten their fill, they gave the beef and ribs left on the table to Tuanzi and her cub.
Liu Sufen was still pinned down by Tuanzi’s paw.
Seeing Liu Sufen trembling all over in fear pleased Yuetao. Her masters had said that Liu Sufen had come up with quite a few of the schemes Shen Wansong and Fang Xuelian had carried out.
“Nanny Wang! Show us the bedrooms.”