The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 442 - 441 Yan Yi Visits

"Dad..."

Yan Su and Zhong Qing almost spoke out at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance, and finally, Zhong Qing explained, "This time, it’s my fault. A close friend of mine was kidnapped, and this matter has some connection with the Zhong Family. I was too anxious and begged Yan Yi to help me find someone."

Yan’s father watched Zhong Qing for a moment, "Did you find the person?"

"We did."

Yan’s father then looked at Yan Yi, "Don’t let this set a precedent."

Zhong Qing nodded with a smile, "Understood, we’ll be careful."

Upon leaving the Yan Mansion, Zhong Qing and Yan Yi walked shoulder to shoulder toward the garage.

She spoke apologetically to Yan Yi beside her, "Thank you for today. I got you criticized by Uncle, so I owe you a favor."

"It is I who should thank you. If something really had happened to her, I would never have peace in this lifetime."

"Indeed, Mingzhu is a friend I care about, but she is also someone you care about. We both hope for her well-being."

Yan Yi made no comment.

Zhong Qing glanced at him and couldn’t help but chuckle, "Sometimes I’m really curious, if Mingzhu hadn’t married, would you have done everything in your power to keep her by your side? After all, you’re not a person to act on impulse."

"I would."

Without a hint of hesitation or pause.

Perhaps in the past, he would have considered many things, the possibilities between the two of them, their family backgrounds, the disparities.

He also thought that as time went by, his feelings for her would fade.

But the reality proved otherwise.

Upon learning that she was in danger, his nearly three decades of composure and rationality crumbled in an instant, and his mind was consumed with the desire to find her as fast as possible.

Just in the few short seconds it took to walk her toward the helicopter, only he knew how intensely his heart was beating.

Even as she ran to her husband, he was thinking that if only she would look back, even for 0.1 second, he would whisk her away without a second thought.

For the first time in his life, he wanted to be impulsive and disregard the consequences.

But she did not look back.

Her choices had always been resolute.

And perhaps that was one of the reasons he admired her.

Who wouldn’t like a woman who is faithful in love?

...

"Okay."

Pei Yang capped the ointment and said to Shen Mingzhu, "You rest at home for the next couple of days. I’ll keep an eye on the factory."

Shen Mingzhu picked up a mirror and looked at herself. The ointment’s effect made the stinging almost imperceptible, but the marks were more noticeable than they had been during the day, an intermingling of purples and blues, looking rather pitiful.

However, she hadn’t suffered for nothing, as she had given Sun Feifei a nasty knock on the forehead with a crystal ornament.

"Mom."

Pei Ziheng entered the room at some point, but didn’t dare to come close. He stood at a distance as if he had done something wrong and was about to burst into tears the next second.

Shen Mingzhu smiled and extended her hand, "Come here."

Only then did Pei Ziheng approach, placing his delicate little hand in her palm.

Pei Yang ruffled his son’s fluffy hair, stood up, and left the room, giving some space to mother and son.

...

"Mom, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for you worrying about me, you wouldn’t have been kidnapped by the bad guys."

Shen Mingzhu pulled him in front of her and cupped his fair and lovely face.

"It’s Mom’s fault for not being careful enough, letting the bad guys take advantage. It has nothing to do with you, and it’s not your fault."

The teenager’s dark eyes were filled with caution, "You don’t blame me?"

"I’m too busy loving you to blame you. Thank goodness it was me who was taken and not you or Guoguo; otherwise, Mom would have been frantic."

Pei Ziheng suddenly buried himself in her embrace, and as the tears fell, he finally let go of the worries in his heart.

No one knew how scared he was.

Scared that his mom would blame him or worse, stop caring for him, stop loving him.

...

"Sun Feifei has been arrested—kidnapping, attempted human trafficking, assault, she’s facing a slew of charges and likely won’t see the light of day again for the rest of her life."

Hearing about Sun Feifei’s fate, Zhong Ying couldn’t help but feel a pang of distress.

She felt even more relieved that she hadn’t done something as crazy as Sun Feifei did in attempting to kidnap Shen Mingzhu.

"Why did you team up with Sun Feifei to trip up Mingzhu behind the scenes? What did she ever do to you?"

Faced with Zhong Qing’s questioning, Zhong Ying dared not hide the truth and knew she couldn’t keep it concealed.

"I wanted that crown car of yours, but you gave it to Shen Mingzhu instead..."

Learning the reason behind Zhong Ying’s resentment toward Shen Mingzhu, Zhong Qing was at a loss for words.

"Utterly foolish!"

"If you wanted that car, why didn’t you come to me? What good does it do to trouble Mingzhu?"

Zhong Ying, feeling suffocated, said, "I just can’t stand the way she fawns over you."

"If you think she got that car by fawning over me, then you can do it too. We’re cousins, you don’t even need to flatter or please me, just swallow your pride and ask. Even just for Third Uncle’s sake, I wouldn’t refuse you."

Zhong Ying hummed, "I could never bring myself to ask others for things."

Zhong Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "You want both face and gain. Yingying, there’s no such good deal in the world."

Zhong Ying bit her lip, unconvinced, but said no more.

Zhong Qing picked up her teacup, took a sip to calm her emotions, then spoke again, "What kind of car do you want?"

Zhong Ying couldn’t believe it, excitement climbing into her eyes, "Cousin, you’re not teasing me, are you? You’re giving me a car?"

"When you graduate, consider it your graduation gift. You can think about it first, consider what car you’d like."

"Thank you, Cousin!"

Zhong Ying was so happy she wanted to hug Zhong Qing but was refused by a hand gesture, so she softened her voice and apologized.

"Cousin, I was wrong, okay? I promise I won’t trouble Shen Mingzhu again. Please don’t be mad at me, alright?"

Zhong Qing looked at her, "The person you should be apologizing to isn’t me."

Zhong Ying puffed up her cheeks.

...

After freshening up, Pei Yang glanced at his wife, who was coaxing Guoguo to sleep, then silently headed upstairs.

"Ziheng, wake up, are you asleep?"

Pei Ziheng opened his eyes, his dark pupils emotionless as they seemed to ask, do I look like I’m sleeping?

Pei Yang said, "Don’t sleep yet, I have something to ask you."

Pei Ziheng reluctantly sat up in bed.

"How did you know to go to Miss Zhong to find out about your mother’s whereabouts today?"

He had been too anxious finding someone during the day to ask, but now he needed to clear his doubts before he could sleep.

He couldn’t sleep, so he didn’t let his son sleep either.

"Uncle Shi told me that this year’s mooncake orders were stolen, all because Sun Feifei and Miss Zhong were conspiring behind the scenes. Sun Feifei has been outwitted by mom several times, so she definitely wouldn’t stop at this and would find other ways to harm mom."

"And how did he know all this?"

"Maybe he heard it from someone else."

Seeing this, Pei Yang didn’t give it another thought.

...

Mingzhu, taking a break from work to recuperate at home for a couple of days, decided to give Auntie Yu two days off as well.

In the morning, she took Guoguo to the market to buy groceries and in the afternoon, she sat under the tree in the yard reading books and playing with Guoguo, enjoying a leisurely and comfortable life.

Knock, knock.

Shen Mingzhu put down her book and got up to open the courtyard door, surprised to see Yan Yi standing there.

Yan Yi smiled, "I was passing by and decided to drop in to see you."

Shen Mingzhu returned the polite smile, "Please come in."

Yan Yi nodded and stepped over the threshold.

Shen Mingzhu hesitated for a moment, then left the courtyard door open.

"Who are you?"

Guoguo stood in front of the living room door, her chubby little paws outstretched like cat’s claws, barring Yan Yi from entering.

Yan Yi looked down, his gaze softening at the sight of the little girl who resembled Shen Mingzhu by half, a gentleness in his eyes he didn’t even notice.

"My last name is Yan, you can call me Uncle Yan."

Uncle Salt?

Guoguo looked up with round, lustrous eyes, tilting her little head cutely, "Then do you know who I am?"

Yan Yi bent down, "I guess, you’re Guoguo."

Guoguo, hands on her chubby waist, said with an air of importance, "Nope, I’m Tan Guoguo."

"Hello there, Tan Guoguo."

Shen Mingzhu smiled and pulled her daughter aside, inviting Yan Yi to sit in the living room.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Shen Mingzhu went to the kitchen to make tea.

Guoguo stood at the edge of the coffee table, staring at Yan Yi with her big, grape-like eyes, her pink, chubby face full of childish innocence and curiosity.

Yan Yi’s palm tensed slightly, a longing to hold the child welling up within him.

With a warm smile, he extended his hand, "Can I hold you?"