Shi Qing didn’t even need much effort to pull Shen Jiyuan into her car. His Maybach was left parked by the roadside for the time being.
After getting in the car, Shen Jiyuan was no longer crying.
The emotional breakdown that had crashed over him like a tide just now had engulfed and overwhelmed him. But after venting in Shi Qing’s arms, that intense emotion receded, and he returned to his usual state.
Though there was still a faint redness at the corner of his eyes, his expression suddenly turned cold again.
Shi Qing helped him buckle his seatbelt; he didn’t respond. She leaned closer and touched his cheek. He immediately turned his head away, still silent.
Turning hostile like that, huh.
Shi Qing withdrew her hand and nonchalantly sat back in the driver’s seat.
Shen Jiyuan’s resilience was extremely strong—far beyond what she expected.
Whether it was their first meeting years ago, or yesterday, or even now, every time she thought he couldn’t bear it anymore, he managed to quickly adjust himself.
Four years ago, when he faced the life-altering surprise of pregnancy, he convinced himself and immediately went abroad to give birth.
Shen Jiyuan’s life does not allow derailment. But when accidents happen, he always brings everything back to normal as fast as possible.
No matter what his true feelings were inside, outwardly he appeared indifferent, detached, and calm.
Shi Qing even found herself somewhat liking Shen Jiyuan.
Strong under pressure, good with kids, emotionally stable, able to self-regulate after something happens, and on top of that, fair-skinned with long legs, and serious in character.
Though he looked cold, aloof, and untouchable, he was even stronger than she imagined—different from other men with a similar aura she had met before.
She didn’t force Shen Jiyuan to talk at this moment. She started the car and headed home.
The ride was quiet.
Shen Jiyuan’s breathing was still a bit choked. He tried to appear unaffected and sat up straight in the passenger seat.
He was actually with Shi Qing again.
Once the emotions faded, Shen Jiyuan realized what he had just done and regretted it so much he wished he could disappear on the spot.
There was a secret Shi Qing hadn’t noticed, and he would never say it aloud. The moment he realized it, it was destined to be buried forever.
He didn’t cry because he heard the news about the child and felt relieved. He cried the moment he saw Shi Qing, overwhelmed by a wave of collapse and grievance inside.
From birth until now, all his shame and breakdowns had been brought on by Shi Qing. She had seen all his messy, terrible sides.
Because of that, when Shi Qing appeared, the fragile spirit he was barely holding together instantly collapsed.
It was like in front of her, his pride and perfection no longer needed to be maintained.
Nothing mattered anymore—it was already that bad.
His tears wet Shi Qing’s collar. Her shirt still showed some wrinkles, yet she hugged him gently and comforted him with soft words.
Thinking of that scene just now made Shen Jiyuan embarrassed.
His high pride made it impossible for him to face his earlier vulnerability and grievance. His shame instantly turned seamlessly into an indescribable self-loathing and inexplicable hatred.
Suddenly, his emotions surged up and down wildly, and his body was still a bit weak.
In the rearview mirror, Shi Qing’s face could be seen. She was looking straight ahead, serious, with smooth facial features, round eyes, and an innocent face that was easy to approach even without smiling.
But Shen Jiyuan knew that was not the real her.
Suddenly, the dark eyes in the rearview mirror shifted, catching him peeking. She glanced at him with a half-smile.
Shen Jiyuan’s back stiffened. His heart skipped a beat and then began pounding fiercely, unwilling to be outdone.
He quickly looked away, staring straight ahead.
At some point, good news and bad news alike always came from Shi Qing. His emotions were like guitar strings, easily plucked by her.
Just realizing this made Shen Jiyuan’s heart sink.
This was no good omen.
Being with Shi Qing was dangerous. She could easily control how events unfolded, always holding the upper hand and the initiative.
He had already lost all pride, principles, and dignity.
He couldn’t resist, only escape—
Just being in the same moving car, alone in such a small, enclosed space, made Shen Jiyuan feel completely uneasy.
But somehow, fate seemed to want him and Shi Qing tangled together.
They had agreed not to see each other again, and Shi Qing had promised, yet the next day they were sitting together again.
Why was Shen Shu staying with Shi Qing?
Had Shi Qing gone to the Shen family villa to look for him? Or had she secretly told Shen Shu something before?
Shen Shu was only a little over three years old and had only met Shi Qing once before. How could he find Shi Qing by himself?
But the child had indeed shown great interest in Shi Qing before.
This thought flashed through Shen Jiyuan’s mind, causing unease that he quickly suppressed with anger.
It must be something Shi Qing did—she had clearly promised not to interfere anymore, yet he had naively believed her.
Shi Qing was like a cat playing with a mouse.
Yet he still foolishly trusted her casual promises.
Shen Jiyuan was angry in his heart but remained silent all the way as they arrived at Shi Qing’s house.
Once home, Shi Qing told the nanny she could leave and opened the door.
At first, the house was quiet. Then, a small head peeked out from the sofa.
When Shen Shu saw them, his eyes lit up and he happily greeted, “Mommy, Daddy, you’re back!”
That sentence added fuel to the fire already burning in Shen Jiyuan’s angry heart.
He said coldly and loudly, “Shen Shu, what did you just call her?”
Shen Shu had never seen Shen Jiyuan so stern and was scared to tears, unable to speak.
Shen Jiyuan raised his voice, “Haven’t I told you, you don’t have a mother?!”
Shi Qing was originally watching the drama unfold, but seeing Shen Jiyuan’s reddened eyes and Shen Shu unable to stop crying, the tension between them nearly broke out. She frowned and stepped between them.
“Shen Jiyuan, calm down.”
But Shen Jiyuan could no longer control his emotions.
“An Qing, this child has nothing to do with you! What right do you have to lecture me?! No matter what I do, it has nothing to do with you!”
His head buzzed, his anger rising sharply.
“What exactly did you trick Shen Shu into? You kept him at your place for an entire afternoon, and now he’s calling you ‘Mommy.’ An Qing! You don’t keep your promises! Your words and actions don’t match! You never cared about me before, and now—”
In his fury, he lost control of his words, his face flushed red.
Shi Qing grabbed his arm tightly and raised her voice slightly.
“Shen Jiyuan, don’t act like this in front of the child!”
The skin on his arm held firmly by her felt like it was being licked inch by inch by a snake.
Shen Jiyuan suddenly shuddered and came back to his senses. Shen Shu was already crying tears streaming down his face.
He had never been this harsh with the child. He tried hard to be a good father, but all his efforts so far were wasted.
Whenever the topic involved Shi Qing, he couldn’t control his emotions and now had lost his temper, taking it out on the child.
Shen Shu stared at him in fear.
Realizing this, Shen Jiyuan could no longer stand.
“You’re upset now. Come inside first.”
Shi Qing forcefully grabbed Shen Jiyuan’s arm and pulled him inside. Shen Jiyuan trembled all over and was pressed down to sit on the sofa.
Shi Qing handed him a cup of hot water, looked deeply at him, then went to comfort Shen Shu.
Shen Shu was crying, and Shen Jiyuan held the warm cup, lost and forlorn, listening to Shi Qing soothe the child. The two closest people felt as far apart as if separated by thousands of miles.
Shi Qing’s tone was very gentle; she was very skilled at comforting children.
Her tone was like that even when coaxing him.
Except for the first time, Shi Qing always spoke to him in a gentle voice, half comforting, half coaxing. Did she speak like this to everyone?
Shen Shu cried himself tired and was carried by Shi Qing into the room.
The living room suddenly became quiet, leaving only Shen Jiyuan alone.
Shen Jiyuan’s heart was full of mixed emotions, yet also as if he was thinking of nothing at all. After a while, there was the sound of a door opening, and Shi Qing came out.
She walked up to him.
“I have already told him not to call me Mommy anymore.”
That was the first thing she said.
Shen Jiyuan looked up at Shi Qing. She lowered her gaze and stared at him, with strands of black hair falling on both sides of her face. In her eyes, there seemed to be a faint trace of pity for him.
A sour feeling welled up in Shen Jiyuan’s heart, and he gripped the cup in his hand tightly.
Only he knew how he felt inside when he heard that sentence.
Shi Qing sat down next to him, very close, their knees almost touching.
“Shen Shu said he came here by himself, walking all the way. It took him a long time, and by the time he got to me, it was already evening.”
She had almost just settled Shen Shu before immediately going to look for Shen Jiyuan.
Shen Jiyuan’s pupils moved slightly, and he lowered his eyelashes.
“He’s too tired today, and so are you. Both of you should calm down and then communicate properly.”
Shen Shu was only about three and a half years old. Finding this place had already exhausted all his energy. When Shi Qing came looking for Shen Jiyuan, he had fallen asleep on the sofa, and now after crying he had fallen asleep again.
“He’s very close to me. I think he misses his mother too much, which is why he acts like this.”
Shen Jiyuan remained silent.
He knew he was wrong too—raising Shen Shu alone, he never allowed the child to bring up the topic of his mother.
It was natural for children to be curious about their mother.
Shen Shu was precocious, but Shen Jiyuan just treated him like a child, evading questions with silence or a simple “You don’t have a mommy.”
This kind of passive response only made Shen Shu more curious.
If he had explained things properly to Shen Shu from the beginning, maybe it wouldn’t have ended up like this.
Shen Shu didn’t know about the tangled fate between Shen Jiyuan and Shi Qing; he only had a natural fondness for Shi Qing. Having only met her once, he had already decided on her.
Could blood ties be so closely binding?
Shen Jiyuan’s fingers tightened and loosened around the cup. Once again, he deeply realized that the child he had was Shi Qing’s.
Shi Qing looked into his eyes.
“You said before you secretly married overseas. Why don’t you live together? If the child had a mother with him, he wouldn’t see everyone and think of his mom.”
“Shen Jiyuan, where is the child’s mother?”
Shen Jiyuan’s face went blank.
“She died long ago.”
Shi Qing looked at him deeply. After a long silence, she suddenly raised her hand and took off his glasses.
The corners of Shen Jiyuan’s eyes and the tip of his nose were reddened, and his eyes shimmered with moisture.
She brushed her fingertips over his cheek.
“Shen Jiyuan, you’re crying.”
Shen Jiyuan’s eyes were red as he stared coldly at her.
“Are you done talking? I’m taking Shen Shu back now.”
Shi Qing glanced at her phone, then suddenly reached out and held Shen Jiyuan’s wrist, gazing into his eyes.
“Wait a little longer. Let’s not leave just yet.”
The place she touched felt like burning, making Shen Jiyuan tremble. Suddenly he realized the danger—this was Shi Qing’s home, they were alone, their knees touching, their distance nearly zero.
Wait a little longer… what did that mean?
It had already been getting dark when they arrived, and now it was night. Her meaning in keeping him was obvious.
Shen Jiyuan trembled all over.
Shi Qing had appeared and taken away his once obedient and sensible son, casually throwing his life into chaos. Now he was on the verge of collapse, and she still thought about these things?
Was he just a toy to her, one she could play with at will, without any respect or dignity, something to trample on as she pleased?
She didn’t care how far she could push him or how much she could destroy him for her amusement, did she?!
Shen Jiyuan’s vision blurred with tears. His spirit was like a stretched string snapping, making a breaking sound.
He suddenly put down the cup, his breathing shaky and urgent, so loud it hurt his ears. He could no longer endure it and roughly grabbed the sleeve of his suit, trying to take off his jacket.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
He didn’t care that Shen Shu was just in the nearby bedroom. He pulled off his tie.
“Do whatever you want!”
The fine cracks in his heart shattered the inviolable mask he wore. He looked at Shi Qing provocatively, full of sarcasm.
“An Qing,” he said slowly and clearly, “don’t force me to hate you.”
Shi Qing silently looked at him. For a moment, even the air seemed to still.
The silence was broken by Shi Qing’s phone vibrating. She looked at it again and pushed Shen Jiyuan back onto the sofa.
Shen Jiyuan didn’t resist, but Shi Qing didn’t touch him again. She turned and walked into the kitchen.
A minute later, a steaming bowl of white porridge was placed in front of him.
Shen Jiyuan’s mind was a mess; it took several seconds for him to realize what it was.
“I heard you’ve been looking for Shen Shu since noon,” Shi Qing said calmly. “I’m sure you haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“Your stomach isn’t good. Eat first, then we’ll leave. I’ll take you both back later.”