Fu Ling denied it immediately, but that only increased Su Shaoqing’s suspicions. “I haven’t even said anything yet. Why are you already so nervous?”
Fu Ling pursed her lips and replied, “I didn’t want you to jump to your own conclusions. It’s true that you aren’t his biological father—otherwise, I would’ve come knocking on your door to ask you to be his bone marrow donor, wouldn’t I?” Fu Ling retorted. She gazed unblinkingly at Su Shaoqing and continued, “Don’t wrack your brains about it anymore. The child for three years ago has already passed away.”
Su Shaoqing’s hand tightened around the steering wheel, the green veins throbbing beneath his skin.
Fu Ling continued to rattle on, completely ignorant of the effect her words had on Su Shaoqing. The man tried his best to hold in his emotions, but upon hearing Fu Ling’s words, the sound of a baby’s cry rang in his ears again. His face turned white as sheet, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
Fu Ling finally realized the odd expression on Su Shaoqing’s face. She turned her head and looked at him, frowning. “What’s the matter with you?”
Su Shaoqing pressed his lips together. He looked up and saw Fu Ling’s anxious face staring back at his own. Smiling a little, he reached out a hand to caress Fu Ling’s face, but she ducked away immediately. Su Shaoqing’s hand remained in the air, making him look rather foolish. He gazed at Fu Ling and smiled awkwardly before saying, “Nothing!”
“Nothing’s good.” Fu Ling turned away and started typing furiously away on her phone. Suddenly, she heard the man next to her say, “Ling, I’m sorry!”
A shiver ran down Fu Ling’s spine. Her fingers tightened around her phone momentarily before she raised her head and smiled gently at Su Shaoqing. “Why are you sorry?”
“Back then… I…”
“Actually, Mr. Su, you don’t have to take it to heart. It’s been so many years, after all. Besides, what happened then was never your fault, to begin with. If I hadn’t imagined that you liked me back and put all my heart into loving you, nothing like that would’ve happened. Thus, everything that befell me was my own fault; none of it has anything to do with you!”
Fu Ling turned around and gazed at him. As they stopped and waited at a traffic light, she looked at his eyes and saw that they no longer held any hint of emotion in them. This was what she had hoped for a long time ago, but now that her wish had come true, Fu Ling felt a little depressed.
Fu Ling wasn’t the same woman as before, and this knowledge frightened Su Shaoqing a little. He swallowed, causing his Adam’s apple to bob up and down. Though Fu Ling was right next to him, she seemed worlds away.
“You…”
“Mr. Su, the light has turned green!”
Fu Ling’s words jolted Su Shaoqing out of his reverie. He snapped out his daze and smiled weakly at her. “Where do you live?”
“Mr. Su, didn’t you find out about that when you were busy investigating me? You should know my address by heart!”
Su Shaoqing didn’t reply, simply stepping on the accelerator. The car drove off.
However, next to him, Fu Ling was still mulling over his words. Her heart raced just thinking about what he had said.
She sighed a little on the inside and willed her heart to calm down. Turning her head, she stared out of the window and watched as the scenery passed them by.
Some people, such as Fu Ling and Su Shaoqing, were destined to be apart from the very beginning. Fu Ling had put so much effort into chasing him in the past, but all she had gotten in return was a painful lesson and horrible memories. She would never do something like that ever again. Fu Ling looked down and placed a hand over her stomach, feeling it throb with phantom pain.
Some wounds could never be healed, even after some time.
Fu Ling had only brought along a small suitcase with her because she hadn’t expected to remain in Jiang City for long. She had come back with the express reason of finding someone, but she hadn’t managed to do so despite spending days searching for them. Fu Ling finally understood that her abilities would never be enough, which was why she had agreed to Su Shaoqing’s terms.
“Can you send some of your men to look for Qin Yanzhi?”
“Is he Bai’s biological father?” Su Shaoqing took her luggage and placed in it the boot of the car. Seeing Fu Ling stand silently by the door, refusing to answer him, he asked again, “Is Qin Yanzhi Bai’s biological father?”
Fu Ling continued to look at him with her lips sealed shut.
“Ling, you should know that I’ll be able to find out for myself even if you refuse to tell me now. Aside from me, Fu Chengyan will be able to do that as well.”
“Yes, he is Bai’s biological father!” Fu Ling burst out. However, her words merely made Su Shaoqing knit his brows into a frown. “Are you and Qin Yanzhi really Bai’s parents? But this kid… Wait a minute, when did you even get to know Qin Yanzhi?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business!”
“Of course, it’s my business—he dumped you!” Su Shaoqing retorted. However, he realized almost immediately that he had misspoken.
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