Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ruan Zeer was the reason that they paid attention to news involving Ruan Danchen. When the explosive allegations surfaced, they knew it was biased, and at the same time, they were aware that Ruan Danchen would not have had a good life with a person like Liu Ronghua by her side.
âYouâve suffered a lot all these years. Itâs my fault. Iâve wronged Keyu; Iâve wronged you. I canât believe I let my niece suffer alone out there all these years. I left you aloneâalone to be bullied; alone to be called an orphan. I wasnât there for you... Iâm sorry. Itâs all my fault. Itâs all my fault...â Ruan Keshan looked down. Tears trickled onto the bed sheet, forming a puddle on the bed.
Ruan Danchen sniffled. Her eyes turned red at the sight of the man throwing away his dignity and crying in front of her. That family had looked for her for twenty-seven yearsâhow could she ever see them as bad people?
She had no family for the past twenty-seven yearsâshe was utterly touched to find out that they had been looking for her for so many years without giving in. She could not blame them for anything.
Staring down on the bed, Ruan Keshanâs vision was clouded by tears. When he looked up, he saw that Ruan Danchen was sitting by his bed. He could simply reach out and touch herâhis niece.
As he gazed at Ruan Danchenâs face, which resembled the deceased Ruan Keyuâs, he could not help but reminisce about his days of youth with his little brotherâabout Ruan Keyuâs warm smile.
âIâve found you. Keyu, I found your daughter. I found her. I can finally face you when I leave this world for yours, brother,â Ruan Keshan sobbed.
Ruan Danchen tried her best to hold back her tears as she looked at Ruan Keshan, who was hooked up on drips and his limbs wrapped up in bandages.
âAre... are your injuries severe?â Ruan Danchen inquired softly.
Those were the first words that she uttered since she entered the room. Ruan Keshan was moved beyond words.
âItâs nothing... No... Iâm not hurt... Just...umm... twisted my ankle. Nothing serious. Nothing serious at all!â babbled Ruan Keshan incoherently.
Thus, Ruan Zeer explained, âLuckily, the other driver was able to react swiftly and dodged us. My dadâs foot was jammed on the accelerator, so he twisted his ankle there.â
Ruan Danchen nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. She turned back to Ruan Keshan. Sniffling and holding back her tears, she suggested, âLetâs... get a DNA test someday.â
âYou... Are you unwilling...?â Ruan Keshanâs expression dulled. He wiped away his tears but was still whimpering; his lips twitched as he forced himself to smile. âI understand. We... donât wish to disrupt your current life either. Youâre living peacefully nowâthatâs great. We wonât reveal this to anyone either. Youââ
âThatâs not it,â Ruan Danchen corrected hastily, âPlease donât misunderstand. I didnât have any relatives since I was a child. Iâm over the moon to discover that I do have relativesârelatives who genuinely care for me. Itâs something I never even dared to dream of having. I never knew who my father was, or what he looked like. When I asked Liu Ronghua who my father was, what he did and what he looked like, she would never answer me. Now, I have an uncle and so many relativesâI have a family. Iâm thrilled.â
She noticed that Ruan Keshanâs expression loosened. She turned to Chen Minxia and Ruan Zeer, smiling at them.
âI know that youâve been looking for your niece for twenty-seven years. From the beginning until now, you guys never gave in. Itâs something very important to all of you, so I think itâs better to verify it. If Iâm not the girl youâre looking forââ
Ruan Danchen sucked her lips. âThen the real Miss Ruan is still out there. I do wish that Iâm the one youâre looking for; I yearn for you to be my relatives. It must be fateâIâve always treated Zeer like a little brother. My husband knew about this too. He looked into it and told me that Iâm the one you want to find, and I believe him. So, I trust that youâre my real family, but I still think that having some sort of proof will let you guys rest easier.â
âEven without proof, I know youâre the one,â Ruan Keshan assured. Nonetheless, he understood where Ruan Danchen was coming from.
She was afraid that she might disappoint themâshe was doing this for their sake.
Ruan Keshan felt blessed to have such a compassionate girl as his niece.
âIn that case, when are you free? Weâll do the DNA test. Your grandpaââ As if trying to convince Ruan Danchen that he was telling the truth, Ruan Keshan said âyour grandpaâ instead of âmy dadâ.
The moment Ruan Danchen heard that, her heart was movedâshe had someone she could call Grandpa. Moreover, he was such a respectable old man. Her joy could not be put into words. Without her realizing, her sincere admiration for him was unveiled in her eyes.
When Ruan Keshan saw this, he felt gleeful and reassured.
âYour grandpa has to fly to the US tomorrow to attend a seminarâhe wonât be back till next Friday,â Ruan Keshan revealed. âNonetheless, itâs not difficult to obtain his DNA sampleâthe house is riddled with his personal belongings.â
âThen... will tomorrow work?â Ruan Danchen proposed. She wanted to get the results as soon as possible.
âSure, sure!â Ruan Keshan was no different.
Ruan Danchen wiped away the tears on her face with her fingertips. She stood up and put on a relieved smile. âRest well tonight. Weâll come to fetch you tomorrow. Whatever that needs to be resolved, letâs wait until the result comes out. Weâll talk about it after the elephant in the room is addressed.â
Ruan Keshan was a manâmen were usually more inattentive. After a short conversation, Ruan Danchen could already tell that he was a man who paid little attention to details.
Looking for his niece was a matter of utmost importance, so they could not afford to be reckless and omit this DNA test. She did not want Ruan Keshan to periodically doubt whether she was his real niece, afraid that the real one was still out there alone.
Ruan Keshan was a man who valued morals and ethics highly. He would never do anything that would hurt Ruan Danchenâit would be like torturing himself.
He did not want to dishearten, so he did not want to suggest a DNA test. On the other hand, he wanted to investigate further into thisâit was always better to know the whole truth with confidence than to guess. He also wanted to eliminate any doubts in his mind.
Moreover, judging from Chen Minxiaâs reaction, she agreed with Ruan Danchen too.
âRest assured, weâll take care of the repairs for the car,â Qi Chenglin affirmed. Seeing Ruan Keshanâs earnest behavior toward Ruan Danchen, Qi Chenglinâs expression softened.
âIs there anything else you need? We can get it for you.â Ruan Danchen thought that they mustâve had dinner before Ruan Zeer called her to inform them of their visit.
âItâs alright, we donât lack anything necessary. Weâre only staying here for one night, so thereâs no need for you to go through all that trouble,â Chen Minxia turned down politely.
Ruan Danchen contemplated it and insisted on getting them some essentials. She instructed Qi Chenglin to head to a supermarket to get some toothbrushes, toothpaste and a thin blanketâthe ward was air-conditioned but the weather was warm so a thick one was not necessary.
Ruan Danchen scanned the ward. Ruan Keshan had the privilege to upgrade to a premium ward, but because of the suddenness of the accident, he was admitted into a normal ward. Since it was only one night, they did not bother to request for an upgrade.
However, the ward was not big. There was only one sofa on the side, which could barely fit a person lying down.
Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia was a married couple, so they could share the bed.
Thus, Ruan Danchen proposed, âWhy donât you come home with us today, Zeer?â You have classes tomorrow and we have a driver who can send you to school.â
âThereâs no need. Itâs alright,â declined Ruan Zeer, waving his hand and scratching his head.
However, Chen Minxia ordered, âYou have school tomorrow. Go home and rest. Thereâs no point in you staying here anyway.â
Ruan Zeer did not need to take the university entrance exam anymore; nevertheless, Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia would never let him skip school.
Worse yet, Chen Minxia taught in the high school that Ruan Zeer was in, so she could monitor him twenty-four seven. This made Ruan Zeer feel even more agonized.
âIn that case, weâll send you home,â said Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Zeer yearned to see the DNA test result with them tomorrow, but he did not dare to voice it out.
Before they left, Ruan Danchen turned to Ruan Keshan again and said, âRest well tonight. Weâll come first thing in the morning tomorrow.â
...
Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen sent Ruan Zeer home. When Ruan Danchen saw him walking in alone with his hands on his head, Ruan Danchen asked tenderly, âAre you sure you donât want to come home with us? Will you be alright alone?â
âIâll be fine. Iâm quite grown up now,â Ruan Zeer said bashfully. He was scratching his head again.
He glances at Ruan Danchen. His lips twitched and with a flushed face, he mumbled, âI... Iâm really glad to have you as my sister.â
He glanced at Ruan Danchen quickly, then explained hastily, âPlease donât misunderstandâitâs not... itâs not because of your status. I justââ
âIâm also glad to have you as my little brother. I sincerely wish that we really are cousins. Iâm overjoyed to find out that I have a familyâa family as kind as yours, no less. Itâs like a dream come true.â Ruan Danchen stroked his head. He was nine years younger than her, and she saw him as both a little brother and a son.
âYou donât have to overthink this. Thereâs no need to feel apprehension when you tell me such thingsâI know you guys are good people. You guys donât care about status and money,â Ruan Danchen assured in a cheerful tone. âDid you know my status when you first met me? You had always been comfortable around me; what changed? Why is it that when you find out that we are even more closely related than we imagined, you act more distant instead of familiar? Thatâs not right.â
âI may have been overthinking,â admitted Ruan Zeer shyly. His face was tinted red.
âDonât overthink it,â advised Ruan Danchen softly. âAre you sure youâll be alright alone? You donât have to be shy.â
âNo, really. Thereâs no need,â Ruan Zeer insisted.
After all, it was more convenient for him to head to school from here rather than having them drop him off at school after sending Qi Youxuan to his school. The detour would delay their arrival at the hospital.
Ruan Danchen could only nod. Only after she watched Ruan Zeer go up the stairs and saw the lights in the house turn on did she head back to the car. Qi Chenglin drove home.
âSo much happened tonight. Are you tired?â Qi Chenglin took his right hand off the steering wheel and held her hand. Ruan Danchen returned his grip and moved his hand onto her tummy.
âIâm not tired. In fact, I donât think Iâll be able to sleepâIâm too exhilarated.â She pointed at her heart. âDespite all, I still feel a little uneasy. I still donât know for sure that this is really happening.â
âNo matter what happens, your health is a priority,â Qi Chenglin reminded, fearful that her emotions would affect her physically.
âYeah.â Gracefully, she leaned toward him and rested her head on his shoulder.
She wrapped her arm around his and interlaced her fingers with his. She let out a satisfied sigh.
Driving, Qi Chenglin quickly glimpsed at her from the corner of his eyes, then returned his focus on the road. She was pregnant, so he was being extra careful. Besides that, Ruan Keshan was just in an accident that nightâit planted fear in him.
He understood that Ruan Keshan must have been too overwhelmed by emotions to pay attention to the road.
It served as a strong reminder for Qi Chenglin to keep his eyes on the road for the sake of Ruan Danchen. Thus, he did not dare to tease Ruan Danchen while driving as he did before.
Even so, with Ruan Danchen so close to him, he could smell some hints of fragrance coming from her face. The smell washed away all his anxiety, soothing and calming him.
âIsnât it uncomfortable for you to lean on me like this?â inquired Qi Chenglin when they stopped at a red light. He turned to her and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered on her skin, rubbing back and forth as he breathed in the sweet scent of her. His voice was turning hoarse.
His car was spacious as there was a huge gap between the driver and passenger seats. Bridging such a long distance to lean on him could not have been comfortable.
âItâs uncomfortable, but I want to lean on you,â admitted Ruan Danchen. Her eyelids were half-closed as she rubbed against his shoulders kittenishly.
Hearing that, Qi Chenglin kept quiet. He kissed the tip of her nose and continued driving carefully when the light turned green.
âDo you want to nap in the car for a while?â Qi Chenglin asked.
In the limited space of the car, his voice was not too loud, yet it possessed some sort of magnetic quality, sending ripples through her heart. The car was moving, but they were surrounded by a cluster of cars due to a traffic jam. Lights from street lamps, cars, and high-rises flooded their space.
In spite of that, Ruan Danchen felt that it was especially quiet inside the car. It was like a haven exclusive to the two of them. In the car, she could not hear anything but their breaths and Qi Chenglinâs tender and harmonic voice, and smell the fresh scent emitted from his body.
âHaving you is such a blessing.â Ruan Danchen wrapped her arms tight around his thick, muscular arm. It was nice and cozy to snuggle up to. âEver since you came into my life, I got a son, a kind grandma, and a great big family. Youâre all so kind to me. Now, I even found my uncle and auntie and even a little brother. I think these are all blessings you brought about. If it werenât for you, I might not have been able to reunite with my family.â
Without Qi Chenglin, Qi Youxuan would not have existed, and without Qi Youxuan, she would never have met Ruan Zeer. Without Qi Chenglin, her every action would not have caught anyoneâs attention and she would never have been on the newsâher news would never have reached the Ruan family.
Now that she thought back upon it, it seemed like her luck had gradually improved ever since she met Qi Chenglin.
She felt that she was in safe hands. His breathing gradually calmed her down. Although she claimed she could not sleep just now, her eyes shut without her realizing. Slowly, she dozed off without noticing the smug look on Qi Chenglinâs face when she said those words.
When Qi Chenglin parked the car in the garage, Ruan Danchen was already sound asleep.
If the gap between the seats had been emptyâwithout the storage compartment and center console for her to lean onâshe probably would have fallen onto his lap.
Qi Chenglin turned off the engine. Carefully, he moved Ruan Danchen back to her seat. She did not wake up.
He got out of the car and shut the door gently. Then, he went over to her side and carried her out, closing the car door with his leg.
He gazed at her the entire way in. Although she said she was not tired, tonight was quite eventful and she was pregnantâit was not surprising that she would fall asleep.
When they reached the elevator, Qi Chenglin was contemplating how he could carry her with one hand and press the elevator button with the otherâall without waking her up. While he was troubled by this, Ruan Danchen rubbed her face against his chest. She looked up and said, âWhy donât you just stand here and hold me for a little longer?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Qi Chenglin looked down. He tossed her upward a little. Ruan Danchen quickly held on tight to his neck. Even so, it did not scare her; in fact, she thought it was quite fun.
When she was a child, she never had anyone to carry her high-up like thisâshe enjoyed it very much. She laughed, wrapping her arms tight around him. âYouâre not afraid youâre scaring the baby?â
Qi Chenglin was stunned. Suddenly, he regretted his impulsive action.
Noticing this, Ruan Danchen teased, âWhy are you so easily startled? Our child is no scaredy-cat. In fact, itâs quite fun. Rest assured, Iâm absolutely fine.â
Ruan Danchen rested her cheek on his shoulder. âToday was a good day. Iâm happy.â
âYou donât feel any discomfort?â Qi Chenglinâs eyebrows knitted together as he stared anxiously at her belly.
âNot at all.â Ruan Danchen was not worried that Qi Chenglin would be tired from carrying her. She continued to lie lazily in his arms with her eyes half-open.
Although already awake, she was still in a daze. Through her drowsy eyes, all she saw was his dazzlingly fair neck. Turning her face, her gaze moved down from his earlobe, along his angular jaw, to his striking collarbone partially revealed through his shirt collar.
This beguiling sight made Ruan Danchen swallow. She pulled herself closer to him and planted a kiss on his snow-white neck.
When she moved away, she noticed his ears had turned red from the very top to the tip of his earlobesâthey were the color of red jade.
His neck, on the other hand, only had a light shade of pink tinted on it. He was too irresistible. She pouted and mumbled inaudibly.
It was something along the lines of him being mean for seducing her like this even when he knew she could not do anything for three months.
Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and grinned. He never planned to let her down even if she woke upâhe continued to carry her princess-style. âSince when have you been awake?â
Ruan Danchen suspected that he was just trying to change the subject, yet she still answered, âSince you moved me back to my seat on the car.â
She chuckled when she saw him raising an eyebrow at her. âI was just curious about what you will do if I was actually asleep.â
Who would have guessed this man would have times where he was single-minded too although exhausted, he remained persistent about carrying her.
âFeeling cozy in my arms?â teased Qi Chenglin.
âYeah, I donât even want to ask you to put me down.â She rested her head against his shoulderâher eyelids drooping.
He was delighted to know that she could relax in his arms and depend entirely on him. He bowed his head to kiss her.
This time, Ruan Danchen was the one turning red. Subconsciously, she returned his kiss, raising her head higher to kiss him deeper. When he penetrated into her mouth, she entangled herself with him passionatelyâscouring deep into his mouth. As her mouth filled up with the taste of him, she moaned and inhaled sharply.
Qi Chenglin opened his eyes slightly. He saw that his kiss had washed away all her thoughts. Her flushed face was exceedingly bewitching. Indulged in his kiss, she even had beads of tears hanging at the corner of her eyesâtears of pleasure.
Just then, Ruan Danchen heard the elevator bell and recalled that Qi Chenglin never did press the elevator button.
Then, she heard an awkward cough. She snapped out of it instantly and opened her eyes in shock.
Qi Chenglinâs lips movedâRuan Danchen heard some him grumbling something. When Qi Chenglin looked up and stood straight, Ruan Danchen was so ashamed that she could not utter a word.