In the reception room, Lin Yunxin was holding a fruit platter brought by a servant, intending to feed little Chiyu.
The fruits on the platter were cut into small pieces, clearly prepared specifically for the three-year-old Chiyu.
“Auntie Xinxin, where’s my dad?” The three-year-old boy spoke with an aloof tone, resembling a little adult.
Lin Yunxin smiled gently and replied, “Chiyu is in such a hurry? Aren’t you afraid to see your dad?”
“Afraid of what? I already knew who he was a long time ago, it’s just…”
As the boy spoke, he suddenly stopped, looked up at Lin Yunxin, his expression serious.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Yunxin asked curiously, patting his little head.
The boy shook his head and pointed toward the curved staircase: “My dad.”
Lin Yunxin was taken aback for a moment and followed his gaze.
Duan Yanxing’s tall figure was descending the stairs.
“It really is him…”
The maturity that didn’t match his age seemed so natural on little Chiyu.
Immediately afterward, the small figure walked toward Duan Yanxing.
“I kept my promise and only came to settle the score with you today.” The little boy spoke with utmost seriousness.
Duan Yanxing glanced at him, his expression indifferent.
The boy looked very much like himself as a child, stirring some emotion in Duan Yanxing’s heart, but that was all.
Their conversation clearly shocked Lin Yunxin, who stood nearby. She widened her eyes in disbelief, her face filled with astonishment.
What… promise?
“You… you’ve already met Chiyu? When did that happen? Does Wanwan know?” Lin Yunxin couldn’t hide her shock as she pressed for answers.
She hadn’t expected this man to plan so meticulously—not only using threats to force her into helping but also meeting Chiyu in advance…
Now, Wanwan was practically trapped in his grasp, with no way to escape.
“You don’t need to know the answer to that question.” Duan Yanxing lowered his head to look at the son who resembled him so much and spoke.
“And Wanwan… how is she now?” Lin Yunxin nervously swallowed. “Will everything really get better once she wakes up?”
Duan Yanxing replied calmly, “Yes.”
Lin Yunxin froze for a second, then her mind went blank.
She didn’t know whether her choice to help Duan Yanxing hide the truth from Wanwan was right or wrong. But if doing so could help Wanwan completely forget her painful past, live a good life, and allow Chiyu to have a father, she was willing to take the risk.
After all, Wanwan’s past had been too difficult. She deserved to live a life where she was cherished and protected.
In Country M, being favored by Duan Yanxing was practically reaching the pinnacle of success. Who would dare bully her in the future?
As long as Duan Yanxing truly treated her well, she also hoped Wanwan would find happiness.
However—
She wasn’t entirely sure whether her choice was right or wrong. After all, a man like Duan Yanxing was truly dangerous. What if he changed his mind again…
Lin Yunxin stared at Duan Yanxing with worry, unconsciously tightening her grip on the water glass in her hand.
This man was ruthless and cunning, impossible to predict with ordinary logic!
Thinking of this, she decided to muster her courage.
“In that case, I… Lin Yunxin, will make this clear today. If I ever find out that you’ve hurt Wanwan again or deceived her once more, I will absolutely not let you off!”
“And, even if you try to silence me by then, I will still tell Wanwan the truth.”Upon hearing this, Duan Yanxing chuckled softly, “You don’t actually think… you have a second choice, do you?”
“You…”
Just as she was about to retort with something, a panicked cry echoed from the staircase.
“Master Duan, Master Duan, it’s terrible! Madam, she… after waking up, she fainted… collapsed.” A black-clad subordinate rushed over in a fluster.
While reporting, the man was so terrified that he knelt on the ground, visibly trembling.
Duan Yanxing frowned and stood up, his cold gaze fixed on the subordinate before he strode away with an icy demeanor.
“Auntie Yun Xin… did my mom faint?” The boy nervously clutched Lin Yunxin’s skirt, looking up to ask.
“Shh, you can’t go in. It’s dangerous.”
Lin Yunxin quickly covered the little one’s mouth, signaling him to stay quiet.
The Duan Family Gang was fraught with danger, and no one was allowed to enter without permission—not even Duan Yanxing’s own son.
Perhaps only Wanwan was his exception.
…
On the top floor, within the private quarters.
A group of servants and black-clad subordinates knelt on the ground, bowing their heads and trembling in fear.
Duan Yanxing approached them with a cold expression, the air around him seeming to carry a sharp, icy menace that struck terror into their hearts.
He passed the row of kneeling subordinates and walked straight into the bedroom at the far end.
At the doorway, the black-clad subordinate tasked with guarding Chi Mu lowered his head and hurriedly opened the door for him. “Master Duan, I’m sorry, it’s—”
“Bang!”
Before the subordinate could finish speaking, Duan Yanxing kicked him. His movements were swift, decisive, and utterly ruthless.
The subordinate grunted in pain, clutching his chest before sliding to the floor. Blood from the back of his head stained the wall.
“Did I permit you to speak?” Duan Yanxing roared in fury.
Hearing this, the subordinate ignored his pain and scrambled to kneel. “Yes, yes, I overstepped. Please punish me, Master Duan.”
“Stay kneeling!”
After saying this, Duan Yanxing took a deep breath, suppressing his overwhelming rage, and gently pushed open the bedroom door.
On the bed, Chi Mu lay unconscious, her eyes tightly shut. Her pale face bore a sickly flush, and strands of disheveled hair fell across her forehead.
“Wanwan…” he called out, his voice so gentle it was unrecognizable from the fierce, violent man of moments before.
Kneeling beside the bed, Duan Yanxing reached out to stroke the delicate cheek of the girl lying there.
Her fainting had filled him with unease; he feared something might have gone wrong with the chip inside her.
Originally, everything could have started anew once she woke up, but now she had suddenly collapsed.
“Wanwan, I’ll stay here and wait for you to wake up, alright?”
The man’s slender fingers gently brushed her lips, his eyes filled with deep longing and affection.
But the next moment, as if trapped in a nightmare, Chi Mu abruptly opened her eyes.
Her body trembled slightly as she stared blankly at the handsome face so close to hers, her heart suddenly racing.
Suddenly, as if frightened by something, she pouted pitifully and shrank back in fear. “Wh-who are you? What are you doing…”
Hearing her words, Duan Yanxing felt a sharp pang in his chest, his eyes flickering with surprise.
“Wanwan, don’t you remember your husband?”
His voice was hoarse, low, and tinged with a hint of grievance.
He thought perhaps new memories had replaced the past ones, causing her such fright.Chi Mu stared at the man before her, her pupils slowly narrowing into slits.
She struggled to recall something, but her mind remained a complete blank.