After hanging up the phone, Shen Xingyi’s peripheral vision caught a faint green on the seat.
It was the small blade of grass that Xu Zhirang had been holding onto all this time.
He picked it up and examined it carefully. After a long moment, he slowly closed his fingers around it, holding it in his palm.
“Drive,” he said in a low voice.
At this time, the residential area was even quieter.
Although the internet was buzzing with news about the incident, life in the neighborhood remained unchanged.
Most of the residents here were elderly and rarely paid attention to online trends.
As Xu Xiu was taking Xu Zhirang upstairs, she unexpectedly ran into the young man she had seen the other day with Grandma Chen—the grandson who had been constantly worried about by her about marriage.
She didn’t recognize him at first and was about to walk past when he called out to her.
“Xu Xiu?”
She stopped and looked over in confusion.
The man smiled slightly.
“Hello, I’m Jiang Sinian, Grandma Chen Lan’s grandson.”
Xu Xiu nodded faintly. Xu Zhirang also greeted him politely:
“Hello, Uncle Jiang.”
Jiang Sinian smiled in response.
Noticing that Xu Xiu seemed somewhat distant and unwilling to chat, he went straight to the point.
“I saw the news online.”
Xu Xiu suddenly understood.
Right—young people would definitely know about it.
But why did he stop her? Was he planning to confront her in person?
She looked at him with mild curiosity.
Jiang Sinian, unaware of her thoughts, simply continued speaking.
“Your address has been exposed. There may be reporters or self-media bloggers outside the gate. I suggest you don’t leave the neighborhood for now.”
Xu Xiu was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected him to stop her just to warn her.
Under the streetlight, she studied him more carefully for the first time.
He looked very young, not at all like someone approaching thirty.
He had a strong scholarly aura—refined and gentle, unmistakably intellectual.
His speech was calm and unhurried, his voice pleasant and steady.
He wore a long black coat, with a university emblem on it—likely a faculty uniform.
His understated attire couldn’t hide his elegant and distinguished presence.
Xu Xiu nodded at his reminder.
However, she still trusted this neighborhood. That was one of the reasons she had chosen to live here.
The gate security staff were former chemical factory workers and extremely responsible; outsiders could hardly get in.
“Thank you for the reminder,” she said.
Just as she was about to leave, he added:
“If you need any help, I can connect you with the media to clarify things, or with a lawyer.”
Seeing her surprise, he smiled and explained:
“My grandmother often talks about you. Because of you and Xiao Ran, her life has become much livelier. She always says I should treat you like a younger sister and help where I can.”
Xu Xiu blinked.
The way he framed the relationships suddenly felt a little strange.
She called Grandma Chen “Aunt Chen.” Grandma Chen was Jiang Sinian’s grandmother. Xu Zhirang called her “Grandma Chen’s grandmother,” while he called Jiang Sinian “Uncle,” and Jiang Sinian, in turn, treated her like a younger sister…
Everything was getting tangled.
Her head hurt slightly. She decided to abandon proper hierarchy altogether.
“Thank you, but I don’t need help for now.”
“If my grandmother knew, she wouldn’t allow me to stand by and do nothing.”
Without further explanation, Jiang Sinian took out a business card and handed it to her.
She accepted it helplessly.
“Then thank you. I’ll reach out if I need anything.”
The card was simple—white background with black text, just his name and contact information.
Jiang Sinian.
A young man who wasn’t even thirty, yet already an associate professor at Yanjing University—he really was impressive.
After a brief thought, she put the card away.
Back home, she settled Xu Zhirang for bed and continued organizing her materials.
The online situation also needed a conclusion.
Early the next morning, there was a knock at the door.
Still fresh from washing up, Xu Xiu opened it—only to find Shen Xingyi standing outside.
Hearing the noise, Xu Zhirang sleepily came out of the room, still holding a strangely shaped stuffed toy.
“I…”
Before Shen Xingyi could finish, footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Reacting quickly, Xu Xiu grabbed him and pulled him inside, closing the door immediately.
If neighbors saw a strange man at her door early in the morning, the entire building would be talking within an hour.
Suddenly dragged inside, Shen Xingyi froze for a few seconds. Seeing her calm expression, he silently sat down on the sofa.
The room was small but warm.
He spoke first.
“I’ve received the results.”
No surprise—the child was indeed his son.
Xu Xiu sat across from him, waiting for what came next, while casually instructing the sleepy child still standing by the bedroom door:
“Go wash up.”
The little boy rubbed his eyes and obediently went to the sink.
Now only the two of them remained.
Shen Xingyi looked directly at her.
“I think we need to have a proper talk.”
Xu Xiu nodded.
Go ahead.
Perhaps because she hadn’t followed the original plot of publicly revealing the child’s identity through a livestream, Shen Xingyi also hadn’t used the harsh, decisive methods described in the novel.
But—
Xu Xiu rubbed her stomach.
“If this is going to take a while, can we talk while eating?”
It was supposed to be breakfast time for her and her son.
For the first time, Shen Xingyi’s expression twitched slightly.
Half an hour later, his assistant delivered a lavish breakfast.
Xu Xiu brought her son’s portion into the bedroom.
“No coming out, and no eavesdropping. If you can do that, Mom will reward you by drawing a big tiger on your face.”
Xu Zhirang had long been dreaming of having a fierce tiger painted on his face and parading around proudly for a whole day, but she had never allowed it.
Now finally given a chance, he agreed enthusiastically.
Before closing the door, she added:
“And you must keep your word. Lying children will have their noses grow longer.”
The boy’s serious face flickered with hesitation before he said:
“Mom, that’s from fairy tales. There’s no Pinocchio in the real world.”
The corner of her mouth twitched.
“Mom was just joking.”
Right—this wasn’t an ordinary child.
After closing the door, she sat at the dining table and began eating the pan-fried dumplings in front of her.
They were her favorite from the stall at the neighborhood entrance.
Crispy on the outside, juicy inside—perfect texture in every bite.
After finishing one with satisfaction, she finally noticed the silent man across from her.
“You said you wanted to talk. Go ahead—I’m listening.”
Shen Xingyi’s gaze shifted from the dumplings to her face.
Her ease was obvious, as if whatever he was about to say didn’t matter to her at all.
Not even as much as the breakfast in front of her.
That realization made him overturn his earlier assumptions and sink once again into confusion.
If all of this were an act, then her scheming would be almost terrifying.
He suppressed those thoughts for now and stated the main purpose of his visit.