The police sent people to chase after the kid riding the old-fashioned bicycle, wearing a plaid shirt and black pants—the description should have been distinctive enough. But in the end, they only found an abandoned bicycle next to a wall. Judging by how new it was, it might have been stolen. The suspect had fled, and the trail went cold.
Almost every police officer on the scene got chewed out. Bo Xin sat in the car the whole time, hoping to catch a glimpse of the guy, but unfortunately, she saw nothing. She figured it was only fitting for the male lead—his escape skills were top-notch, and with the plot backing him up, he was never going to get caught. Bo Xin chalked it up to some kind of protagonist halo.
She wanted to stick around and learn more, especially since He Xiuyuan had provided crucial leads. The police were patient enough to accommodate them and even generously offered lunch for the whole family. Bo Xin slurped noodles and crunched on pickled radish between bites, then started questioning the kids who might have seen the male lead.
She set down her chopsticks and looked up at He Xiuyuan. "Did Sui Dongsheng see you back then?"
He Xiuyuan thought for a moment. Back then, the windows had been rolled up. Ji Xingzhi had spotted him first and immediately gotten into the car. By the time He Xiuyuan turned his head, he only caught a glimpse of a retreating figure.
He concluded, "Probably not."
He Xiuyuan was a bit bothered. "Master, you seem really intent on keeping Sui Dongsheng from seeing me. Why is that?" For example, from the very beginning, Bo Xin had stopped him from getting into the police car. Now she was asking him again. He Xiuyuan didn't think it was a coincidence, but he had followed Sui Dongsheng for years—starting when he was very young—so he was sure the two of them had never crossed paths.
Before Bo Xin could answer, Ji Xingzhi spoke up first. Ever since he spotted Sui Dongsheng, his expression had been grim. He leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, refusing the meal the police had offered. He had no appetite and couldn't eat.
Ji Xingzhi started from the very beginning, and He Xiuyuan's eyes went wide. He didn't need Ji Xingzhi to spell it out—he connected the dots. "So you're the one who instigated his mother to abandon him."
That was from Sui Dongsheng's perspective. But from Ji Xingzhi's side, the story had a different spin: "Helping his mother escape a life of misery."
He Xiuyuan understood everything now. He frowned, realizing he had been living inside the lies Sui Dongsheng had carefully woven all these years. He had pitied Sui Dongsheng, tolerated him, even admired and believed in him because he thought Sui Dongsheng's inner strength was something to look up to. Now he felt like all that genuine feeling had been wasted on a dog.
Ji Xingzhi pointed a thumb at Bo Xin. "So your master probably suspected that this Sui Dongsheng was the one I was talking about. That's why she was so eager to confirm it."
Bo Xin watched Ji Xingzhi's eyes grow brighter as he pieced together her motives step by step. It was practically a perfect explanation.
A lightbulb went off in He Xiuyuan's head. "So, Master's husband, you're worried he might take revenge on your family, right?"
"Master's husband"? What kind of ridiculous address was that? Ji Xingzhi twitched at the corner of his mouth, but saying anything about it would make him seem overly concerned. He paused, then said, "That's right. He's a dangerous factor for my family, for the people I care about."
He Xiuyuan frowned again. He had been by Sui Dongsheng's side for a long time, but there were times when Sui Dongsheng handled things alone. He Xiuyuan's face paled. "...Then what about your car accident before, Master's husband? Was that Sui Dongsheng's doing too?"
Ji Xingzhi shrugged. "That was just a pure accident. I don't think he's capable of something that big."
He Xiuyuan breathed a subtle sigh of relief and turned his attention back to the possibility of revenge.
Bo Xin chose that moment to speak up. "So I was hoping you wouldn't be seen by Sui Dongsheng. When you come out, you two can still be good brothers."
He Xiuyuan was no fool—in fact, he was very sharp. He nodded and complied with Bo Xin's arrangement. "I'll do a good job."
Bo Xin tidied the hair that hung too long over his ears. "I'm sorry to make you keep getting along with someone you hate, but I do have selfish motives in this matter."
He Xiuyuan understood. He felt his heart beating, and he recognized it as gratitude. He was grateful to be useful. "Master, you don't need to apologize. I think this is what I want too."
He Xiuyuan smiled, then, either to reassure Bo Xin or because he genuinely felt that way, he gripped one wrist with his opposite hand. "After all, he and I still have a score to settle." That score was the deception—He Xiuyuan realized that Sui Dongsheng had been lying to him all along.
After lunch, the police had no new leads. This was already a huge obstacle for the investigation. Without an advanced information network, finding a kid now was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Right then, Tao Wanchun decided he wanted to drop the case. He felt it would be a scandal for the Tao family. As a prominent entrepreneur in the capital, Tao Wanchun was known for protecting his children. But if it got out that his son had been kidnapped by a private tutor, it wouldn't look good. Tao Wanchun cared most about the company's image, so he withdrew the complaint. That made it even harder for the police to continue the investigation.
Bo Xin licked her lips, irritated. No wonder she'd been nicer to Ji Xingzhi after meeting Tao Wanchun—was this the kind of father he was? "And what about Tao Lejie? Is he okay with that?" From the brief conversation they'd had, Bo Xin had already pegged Tao Lejie as a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong—a total brat. Would he really forgive someone who had beaten him up like that? She frowned, confused.
Liu Yangjun's head was pounding. "What can he do even if he's not okay? Does he have any say in front of his dad?"
Bo Xin was taken aback, then realized that her first impression of the kid was 'coward and bully.' In other words, he didn't dare talk back to the authority figure in the house—his father. Unbelievable. And she could guess who he would take his frustrations out on. She hoped Tao Lehua wouldn't be too nice about it.
Tao Lehua and Tao Lejie had been sent to the hospital at the same time. The emergency doctors came to check on Tao Lehua, but he pointed to Tao Lejie with a pale face and said, "His injuries are worse."
Tao Lejie, however, showed no gratitude. He pointed at Tao Lehua and said, "He's my brother. We share the same blood. If I have an emergency, you have to save him first."
Wen Ni wanted to slap him across the face. She didn't buy into the idea that adults shouldn't hit children. But the emergency doctor stopped her. 'Hospital rules: no hitting.'
Wen Ni was a foreigner; she was tempted to pretend she didn't speak Chinese well. But then the doctor softened his approach, advising her to focus on her own child, since Tao Lehua wasn't in great shape either. Wen Ni quickly returned to Tao Lehua's bedside.
She took his hand. "I've been a terrible mother all these years, but from now on, I'll learn to be a good one."
Tao Lehua's eyes, which had been drowsy, suddenly snapped open, glistening with moisture. "...You're already good enough now."
Wen Ni clicked her tongue. That was nothing, but seeing how easily satisfied her child was only showed how harsh his life had been. She made up her mind, her gaze firm. "After this piano competition is over, I'll take you to my home country. That's my turf."
Tao Lehua clenched his fists. "What about Dad?"
Wen Ni's anger flared. "Don't worry about that trash." Then, mindful of her child's presence, she softened her tone. "Anyway, trust me, I'll handle it."
Wasn't it just a custody battle? Their marriage had been Tao Wanchun's fault from start to finish. If it had been her fault, Tao Wanchun would have forced her to leave with nothing. She knew Tao Wanchun well enough—he only cared about himself. Children were just vessels for his legacy, so he was willing to put in a little extra effort. The way he pressured Lehua to rise up without caring about his feelings was proof enough. But precisely because he cared so much about Lehua, it would be nearly impossible for her to win custody.
Wen Ni's heart raced. She had already made big promises in front of her child. She closed the ward door behind her, thinking she needed to plan this carefully, very carefully.
Outside the door stood the twin brothers, one carrying flowers and the other fruit. But despite being twins, their personalities had nothing in common. It was strange, but Wen Ni's curiosity only lasted a second. As for their faces, she had always had trouble distinguishing Chinese people's features.
Wen Ni cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "You're here to see Lehua, right? First, thank you for caring about him. The doctor said he hit a bone back then. It doesn't hurt as much now, but he's still very tired and sleepy. So, I'm sorry, could you let him rest a bit?"
Bo Yuxu and Ji Yanyi exchanged glances and were about to nod when a voice came from inside. "Is that Yuxu and Yanyi? It's okay, Mom. Let them in."
Wen Ni felt awkward. Well, her attempt at being a gentle mom had failed again. She pushed open the door, remembering that Tao Lehua's eyes had been fluttering shut just a moment ago. Shouldn't he be dead tired?
Tao Lehua sat up, his face reddening as he averted his gaze under their puzzled looks. How could he fall asleep after saying all that?
Once Wen Ni left, only the three kids remained in the room.
Tao Lehua took the flower basket and fruit. He was older than these two, yet he hadn't even known that you were supposed to bring things when visiting a patient. Somewhat ashamed, he bowed his head in thanks. "Thank you for coming to see me, and thank your family for helping find Tao Lejie."
Ji Yanyi put his hands on his hips and said bluntly, "That Tao Lejie is an idiot! Why are you thanking us for him? If you ask me, our family saves people to earn good karma. But after this, I can't even tell if we're earning or losing karma anymore."
Bo Yuxu was peeling an apple. Seeing the skin come off in one long, continuous strip, he looked pleased. He didn't say anything, but his expression clearly sided with Yanyi.