24
Did She Give Birth to a Child?
Lin Yuxi worked overtime to finish a week’s worth of tasks, freeing up an evening to pack her luggage.
The early autumn temperature was still quite chilly, and since this was a swimsuit photoshoot, she stuffed plenty of warm clothes into her bag to prevent Haohao from catching a cold.
The next morning, Lin Yuxi headed downstairs with a sandwich in one hand and her luggage in the other, planning to drive her little white car to the southern suburbs.
By the roadside, a gunmetal-gray Audi caught the attention of both mother and son.
“That looks like Uncle Shen’s car.”
Lin Yuxi confirmed Haohao’s guess, “It is Uncle Shen’s car.”
They crossed the street to check the license plate, but before they could get close, Shen Mochen stepped out of the car and greeted them warmly, “Yuxi, Haohao.”
Lin Yuxi asked curiously, “Brother Mochen, what are you doing here?”
Shen Mochen, dressed in formal attire, replied, “I happen to be heading to the southern suburbs for this year’s Technology Summit. I heard from Xiaoxiao a few days ago that Haohao has a photoshoot there. If you don’t mind, you can ride with me.”
The annual Technology Summit was always held at the largest convention center in the southern suburbs, inviting only top experts in the industry. Since Lin Yuxi had just been promoted to director, it was normal she hadn’t received an invitation.
She felt a little excited, “Brother Mochen, are you giving a speech?”
“Yes, I’m representing Shen Medical this time. There are many overlapping areas between artificial intelligence and the medical industry’s intelligence, with broad research prospects.”
Lin Yuxi had been dreaming of attending the Technology Summit for years and didn’t want to miss this opportunity, “Can you bring me along?”
Each special guest at the Technology Summit was allowed to bring acquaintances—a long-standing perk.
“Of course,” Shen Mochen said, then instructed the driver to load the luggage into the trunk.
Lin Yuxi couldn’t contain her excitement, “Thank you so much! Brother Mochen, you’re my savior!”
Shen Mochen chuckled at the exaggerated praise, “This is just the beginning.”
Lin Chenghao looked up at his mother, inevitably infected by her enthusiasm—whenever technology was discussed, her eyes sparkled like stars.
…
Two hours later, mother and son got out of the Audi, carrying their bags as they hurried to the agreed-upon photoshoot location.
Unexpectedly, Shen Mochen followed them out and said, “There’s still some time before the Technology Summit starts. If you don’t mind, I’d like to come in and take a look too?”
Lin Chenghao had no objections, “Sure, Uncle Shen, make yourself at home.”
The area was vast. Lin Yuxi picked up a map, studied the route, and quickly spotted the figure of their agent, Bai Shuang.
“Haohao!” Bai Shuang waved, “You’re quite early this time.”
Shen Mochen’s driver had over twenty years of experience, so his driving skills were undoubtedly superior to Lin Yuxi’s.
“We caught a ride today,” Lin Yuxi explained.
Bai Shuang followed her gaze and found the man somewhat familiar, as if she’d seen him somewhere before, “And this is?”
“Shen Mochen,” he extended his hand, “Thank you for taking care of Haohao.”
Bai Shuang shook his hand, “You’re too kind.”
The name was far from ordinary—over half of the hospitals in Jing City were under the Shen family’s umbrella, and among the younger generation of the Shen family, he was the only male heir.
As Haohao’s child model agent, Bai Shuang had never met Haohao’s biological father and assumed this must be him.
Although Shen Mochen’s publicly listed marital status was unmarried, it was understandable—the Shen family was of high social standing, and it was only natural for them to have high standards for their daughter-in-law.
Lin Chenghao took his bag and went into the restroom, emerging just a few minutes later wearing a red-and-blue Superman swimsuit.
This was the first time Lin Yuxi had seen Haohao dressed in such a childlike and playful manner. She raised her hand to cover the corners of her mouth, unable to suppress a smile.
Lin Chenghao looked resigned. “Mommy, I know it’s embarrassing. If you want to laugh, just laugh.”
“It’s not embarrassing at all. You look adorable,” Lin Yuxi said, unable to resist taking out her camera. She snapped a photo and saved it.
Shen Mochen, with his arms crossed, chimed in, “He really is adorable.”
Lin Chenghao had no interest in joining the adults’ conversation. He walked stiffly toward the set, not wanting to be seen as a cute little kid in the slightest.
The photographer was already waiting nearby, and the brand representative had arrived early as well. The group had been waiting for a full half-hour, but the other child model still hadn’t shown up.
By then, it was already twenty minutes past the scheduled shoot time.
Worried that Haohao might catch a chill, Lin Yuxi took out a thick coat and draped it over him. She then turned to Bai Shuang to ask, “Who is the other child model?”
The brand representative had been waiting all this time without voicing any complaints, which clearly indicated the other party’s significant influence.
Bai Shuang leaned in close to Lin Yuxi’s ear and whispered, “I heard they didn’t even ask for payment. They’re just doing this to indulge their child’s hobby. They’re truly wealthy and powerful.”
Lin Yuxi’s first thought was, Are there really people this foolish in the world?
At the very least, they should have asked for some payment—unless their child was completely unsuitable for modeling, particularly in terms of looks.
As the chilly autumn wind blew, the group waited for another half-hour.
If Duoduo hadn’t been overseas, Shen Mochen would have gladly asked her to step in. His cousin’s daughter was undeniably beautiful, especially since her mother was an A-list celebrity.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a Rolls-Royce slowly drove into the water park and pulled up directly at the shooting location.
It was clear they were wealthy and influential—they had even managed to arrange special access with the park.
The driver stepped out first, walked around to the other side, and opened the rear door.
Lin Yuxi had a sinking feeling. The driver looked strikingly similar to Uncle Zhang—no, it was Uncle Zhang.
A few seconds later, a pair of sharply creased trousers came into view, followed by a lean waist, broad shoulders, and a man holding a little girl in his arms.
When Lin Yuxi saw the girl’s face, her eyes widened in shock. It was the same little girl who had been crying at the kindergarten gate—Fu Xinyue.
Her gaze shifted to the man’s face, and her eyes widened again, this time as if struck by a magnitude-10 earthquake… It was Fu Tingchuan.
The atmosphere on set instantly grew tense, with some areas feeling sunny and cheerful while others seemed stormy and heavy.
The tension was broken by a familiar female voice: “Tingchuan, Yueyue only had a small bun for breakfast. She’s probably still hungry. Let her eat a bit more.”
Qin Ruoshi stepped out of the car behind him, holding a sandwich.
When she saw Lin Yuxi, her expression twisted for a split second before quickly returning to normal. She feigned surprise and asked, “Yuxi, what are you doing here?”
Lin Yuxi replied calmly, “A relative’s child is shooting here.”
Qin Ruoshi forced a strained smile. “What a coincidence.”
Though Lin Yuxi’s expression remained neutral, inwardly, her emotions were as tumultuous as the peaks of Mount Tai.
Fu Xinyue, Fu Tingchuan—both sharing the surname Fu, and with Qin Ruoshi in the picture, the heartbreaking truth was almost undeniable.
Had Fu Tingchuan been with Qin Ruoshi seven years ago and even had a child with her?
“Yuxi, are you okay?” Shen Mochen steadied her trembling figure and opened a bottle of mineral water. “Have some water.”
After taking a sip, the dizziness in her head eased considerably. Lin Yuxi slowly made her way to a bench in the distance. “I’m fine.”
The brand representative clapped their hands. “Now that both child models are here, let’s begin the shoot.”