That person was still standing under the tree, dressed in a formal black outfit, standing out conspicuously among the leisurely dog-walkers and parents with kids.
Bo Yuxu asked Tao Lehua, 'Did you only bring two people today?'
Tao Lehua nodded. 'Yes, they're my travel bodyguards. Sometimes I also ask them to carry things.'
Speaking of which, he had brought gifts.
Bo Yuxu didn't care about the gifts. He was more concerned about the person downstairs. When the three of them had come up, they heard him muttering about their floor number on the phone downstairs.
This building had one household per floor, so it was obvious who he was talking about.
His tone was caustic; even though they couldn't make out the words, they knew it wasn't anything good.
So Ji Yanyi threw an apple at him.
Later, his mother said it was just that the bag wasn't held properly when they went upstairs, and since they were kids, she asked for forgiveness. She also said that since he seemed in such a hurry, she hoped it wouldn't delay his work.
Had his mother already realized this guy was spying on Tao Lehua back then?
Bo Yuxu suppressed a smile and coughed twice.
After finishing his account of what happened downstairs, he reminded Tao Lehua, 'Remember to tell your mother, and the clearer the better.'
Tao Lehua nodded. He didn't want to look, because he was afraid of looking down from high places.
He only remembered distinctive features.
Black clothes, black shoes. If it was the person with thick eyebrows and big eyes, he had seen him once while watching ants.
The other party didn't seem to care about hiding from him, so his concealment was half-hearted.
Was he thinking that even if Tao Lehua told someone, no one would care? Or that Tao Lehua was too timid to speak out?
Tao Lehua didn't know, but if he still didn't say anything.
He might disappoint the concerns of his two new friends, Bo Yuxu and Ji Yanyi. For some reason, he felt their names sounded much nicer than his. At least better than his.
Because he knew he had a half-brother named Tao Lejie, whose name differed by only one character from his own.
So when Tao Lehua went downstairs, he told Wen Ni. Wen Ni was furious.
Who was it?
If it wasn't Tao Wanchun, then it was Tao Lejie's mother.
Both children lived in the same villa area, so it would be strange if they weren't being watched.
Especially since the driver said he had seen that person in the villa area. That meant it was sent by 'Tao Lejie's mother,' right?
But Wen Ni felt that no matter who sent him, the entire matter was Tao Wanchun's fault. So the mother and son decided not to go home immediately but to confront Tao Wanchun first.
Tao Wanchun was working when the front desk called to say someone was looking for him, claiming to be his ex-wife. The next second, the ex-wife appeared at the door, and over the phone came the front desk's apologies.
Tao Wanchun remembered that this front desk employee had been with him for five years, so he reluctantly said, 'It's okay, I know it's not your fault.'
Wen Ni was practically fuming. 'Not the front desk's fault'—Tao Wanchun was implying it was her fault.
This disgusting guy, barely 1.77 meters tall with a tendency to go bald. She must have been blind back then to have chosen this sanctimonious creature to have a child with.
Actually, Tao Wanchun wasn't that bad. He was very image-conscious, wearing elevator shoes and a toupee, had decent looks, and because he worked out, he was in good shape.
That was why he was so irritated when he saw that rising star from the border town, a man named Ji Xingzhi.
How could someone just naturally have all those things?
Tao Wanchun looked behind Wen Ni. 'The kid didn't follow, did he?'
Wen Ni smoothed her bangs. 'I was afraid he'd be scared seeing me angry, so I left him in the car.'
Tao Wanchun thought that was appropriate.
'Do you think I shouldn't have ignored this matter, causing a rift between Lehua and that Bo Yuxu? Lehua already went out, but their reconciliation didn't go smoothly?'
Wen Ni sensed something wrong. She widened her eyes in shock. 'So you knew about all this?'
Tao Wanchun nodded. Of course he knew everything.
That person was said to be arranged by Tao Lejie's mother, but in reality, Tao Wanchun had arranged it. After reporting to him, he would then immediately report to Tao Lejie.
Wen Ni wanted to smash the ashtray over his head. Would that be a serious crime? Probably not serious, right?
She knew nothing about China's criminal law.
And even if it was a crime, Tao Wanchun was the one who broke the law first. 'Why did you do this?'
Tao Wanchun had his reasons for doing all this. 'I want Lehua to get better quickly and behave like an heir.
I specifically had people appear in front of him, and I placed Tao Lejie in the same villa. As long as he gets angry, loses his temper, wants revenge—anything at all—it's better than letting him stay this weak!'
Wen Ni was furious. 'It was your actions that turned him into this, and now you blame the child?!'
Tao Wanchun was shameless.
'And if you only expect this of him because you want him to inherit your company, then my child doesn't want it. My family is also rich. I can give him a happy life.'
Tao Wanchun said arrogantly, 'My assets must go to Tao Lehua, our child.'
'How dare you say that? If you hadn't messed around and had children outside, none of this would have happened.'
Tao Wanchun slammed the table in anger and stood up abruptly.
'So didn't I not object to the divorce, and didn't I not object to your request to take care of the child alone?'
Wen Ni was so disgusted. How could he still have the nerve to be angry?
Tao Wanchun rubbed his face and calmed down. Now that things had come to this, the breakdown of their relationship was a fact.
But he, until now, hadn't fallen in love with anyone else.
And Tao Lehua was the only son he acknowledged.
Just then, the phone rang. He wasn't in the mood to answer, but as a tool to ease the tension, nothing was more suitable.
He picked up and said a soft 'hello.'
The voice on the other end was deliberately disguised, but it was still recognizable as youthful, yet the words were spoken with practiced familiarity, as if rehearsed countless times.
'Your kid is in my hands now. I suggest you prepare five hundred thousand yuan immediately and bring it to the trash can at Wudaokou on the west side of town.'
What Tao Wanchun cared about was: which kid did he mean?