Li Mai turned around and unexpectedly saw Zhou Songyan.
She thought she was seeing things.
She even raised her hand and rubbed her eyes.
After opening them again, the figure was still there—and was walking straight toward her.
Li Mai was so nervous she felt like she might die.
Oh no, oh no! Her son was going to be discovered!
She quickly pulled Chengcheng behind her, trying to hide him.
Chengcheng saw his dad and became excited, craning his neck to look.
He had seen photos of his mom and dad together on his mother’s phone.
The long-legged uncle walking toward them looked exactly like his dad.
You Huan was busy looking at a used car with the staff and didn’t notice what was happening on this side.
Zhou Songyan soon walked up to them.
Li Mai pressed Chengcheng behind her and greeted Zhou Songyan with an awkward smile.
“President Zhou, what a coincidence! You’re here to buy a car too?”
Zhou Songyan wasn’t wearing a suit today—just jeans and a black shirt, very casual.
Yet his good looks were impossible to hide.
Standing in the crowd, he was the kind of person people noticed at first glance.
Zhou Songyan stared at her for two seconds.
“Why are you so nervous? What guilty thing did you do?”
“I’m not nervous at all. President Zhou, you’re really joking,” Li Mai said.
Zhou Songyan: “…”
This woman was obviously nervous.
Li Mai was extremely tense and wanted to grab Chengcheng and run.
But doing that would only make her look even more suspicious.
Zhou Songyan’s gaze shifted downward and landed on the little head peeking out from behind Li Mai—Li Chengyi, whom he sized up carefully.
“Who is he?”
Li Mai laughed twice.
“Oh, him? He’s my brother’s child.”
Chengcheng: “…”
Why was Mom lying?
Zhou Songyan stared at Chengcheng.
Li Mai had mentioned before that she had an older brother.
Five years had passed—her brother having a child was normal.
“Why is your brother’s child with you?”
Li Mai replied, “My brother and sister-in-law don’t have time to take care of him, so they left him with me.”
“And you have time?” Zhou Songyan asked.
Li Mai: “…”
Indeed—she worked and was raising a child alone. It didn’t really add up.
How was she going to explain this?
At the critical moment, Chengcheng came up with something quickly.
In a clear, childish voice, he said,
“My mom and dad are getting a divorce. Neither of them wants me. My grandma is sick, so I can only stay with my aunt.”
Li Mai: “…”
She secretly gave her son a thumbs-up.
How was he so smart?
He really took after her.
Zhou Songyan thought the child was pitiful and didn’t ask any more questions.
Besides, he felt a strange sense of closeness to the boy and couldn’t help wanting to get closer.
He reached out and gently rubbed the little head.
“How old are you?”
“I’m four.”
“What’s your name?”
“Chengcheng.”
Chengcheng didn’t know why his mom was lying to his dad.
She had said she would find his dad.
His dad was right in front of him, yet he couldn’t call out to him.
His mom seemed unwilling to let his dad know about him.
Compared to his dad, he cared more about his mom.
No matter what, he would always stand on his mom’s side.
So he was willing to help her lie to his dad.
He believed his mom had her reasons.
He would wait for her to explain one day.
Zhou Songyan withdrew his hand.
His gaze fell on Li Mai’s face.
She had lost her baby fat, and her facial features were more defined and beautiful.
Her skin was fair and glowing, her almond eyes clear and bright. Her lips weren’t vividly colored, yet they gave him an irresistible urge to kiss them.
Realizing he was letting his thoughts wander again, Zhou Songyan quickly stopped himself and changed the topic.
“You’re buying a car?”
Li Mai nodded.
“Which one do you like?”
“I’m still looking.”
“Li Mai, who is this?”
You Huan suddenly appeared behind Li Mai, her eyes scanning Zhou Songyan like a machine gun.
Up close, this handsome man was even more impressive.
His gaze was a bit cold, though.
But handsome men were usually a little aloof.
She had been looking at a used car when she suddenly noticed an extremely handsome man standing in front of Li Mai—the kind who stood out from the crowd.
The two were talking.
Excited, she stopped looking at the car and rushed over.
You Huan had only heard of Zhou Songyan by name and had never met him in person.
She didn’t know that the man standing in front of her was Li Mai’s ex-boyfriend—and Chengcheng’s biological father.
Back then…
Li Mai had asked You Huan to look into Zhou Songyan, but she hadn’t given her any photos.
Li Mai didn’t know how to introduce the man in front of them as Zhou Songyan.
You Huan would probably explode.
Instead, Zhou Songyan took the initiative to introduce himself.
“Hello, my name is Zhou Songyan.”
“Zhou Songyan? You’re Zhou Songyan?!”
You Huan was extremely excited, her voice loud enough to draw several pairs of eyes from around them.
Zhou Songyan frowned slightly.
“You know me?”
You Huan stared at him through clenched teeth.
Seeing this, Li Mai quickly grabbed You Huan and dragged her outside the shop.
Chengcheng did not follow them out.
A look of confusion appeared on Zhou Songyan’s face.
Was that woman Li Mai’s friend?
Did she have something against him? Why was she glaring at him so fiercely?
He lowered his head and noticed Chengcheng staring at him intently.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uncle, what… what is your relationship with my aunt?”
Zhou Songyan didn’t expect such a young child to ask a question like that.
“We… you could say we’re friends.”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Zhou Songyan: “…”
How did this kid know everything?
He replied, “A long time ago, we were.”
Chengcheng was now one hundred percent sure this was his dad.
He asked again, “Then why did you break up?”
Mom had always been looking for Dad.
Zhou Songyan felt that the child in front of him was far too mature for his age.
He understood everything.
A kid this small should be crying for toys, not asking questions like these.
Each question was sharper than the last.
Why did they break up?
Should he say: your aunt wanted to marry a rich man and dumped me?
No—better not ruin Li Mai’s image in her little nephew’s heart.
“The reasons are complicated. Even if I explained it, you wouldn’t understand. Kids shouldn’t ask about things like this.”
But Chengcheng wasn’t that easy to brush off.
“Tell me anyway. Maybe I’ll understand.”
Zhou Songyan: “…”
Since the kid was speaking like an adult, he would answer him like one.
“When someone doesn’t want to answer, you shouldn’t dig into it. That’s impolite.”
Chengcheng: “…”
He was silent for a moment.
“Okay, then I’ll ask a different question.”
Zhou Songyan: “…”
Was this kid ever going to stop?
Chengcheng asked, “Are you married?”
Zhou Songyan shook his head.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Do you like my aunt?”
Zhou Songyan: “…”
Without waiting for an answer, Chengcheng turned around and walked away.
After hesitating for a second, he thought to himself—
This man still wasn’t good enough for Mom.