Lin Qiao’s second childbirth was just as agonizing as her entire pregnancy. She had always wanted a natural birth, believing it was better for both the baby and the mother—faster recovery and an easier postpartum period. However, her wish wasn’t fulfilled because complications arose during labor. Choosing a natural birth would have meant enduring unbearable pain, so in the end, she had to have a cesarean section, following Shen Qingzhou’s advice. Thus, the exhausted mother ended up with several cosmetic stitches on her abdomen.
It was said that these cosmetic stitches didn’t require removal, but Shen Qingzhou remained deeply troubled after seeing the incision before it healed. Consequently, he was rather dissatisfied with his newborn son. Compared to the loving care he had shown when their daughter was born—like personally changing diapers—he showed absolutely no affection toward the baby boy. He neither asked about the baby nor paid him any attention, treating him as if he didn’t exist. To make matters worse, the little boy was particularly clingy to him. The baby would cry the moment Shen wasn’t around, yet Shen stubbornly refused to stay. As a result, after returning home from the hospital and beginning her postpartum recovery, the Shen household was filled every day with the baby’s loud cries.
As the older sister, Shen Xuan was extremely curious about her younger brother, who was only a year younger than her. She couldn’t understand why this baby cried so much or why their father only held her and not her brother. But since she couldn’t yet speak clearly—only babbling words like “Dada,” “Mama,” and “Grandma”—and still walked unsteadily, she was unable to help her little brother. The only one who could truly assist him was her eldest brother, Shen Ning.
Shen Ning was a considerate and responsible child. Ever since they were discharged from the hospital, transferred schools, and settled in Beijing, he had shouldered the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. His younger sister could now walk and loved to cause mischief, listening to no one except Shen Ning. Whenever he told her not to do something, she obeyed without question. This left Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao, the parents, feeling quite conflicted.
As Shen Ning grew older, his face increasingly resembled Qi Zheng. Regardless of Qi Zheng’s character, his appearance was undeniably handsome, making Shen Ning grow more and more endearing. Considering this, it wasn’t hard to understand why Shen Xuan adored her brother and listened to him obediently. After all, the world always seemed to favor those who were good-looking.
Speaking of Qi Zheng, it’s worth mentioning his story. Because of him and Zhao Chunjun, Lin Qiao had developed a somewhat negative impression of doctors, although this was merely a personal opinion and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Qi Zheng had never given up on his desire to reclaim his child, especially after noticing how much the child resembled him. How did he discover this? It all started when Shen Ning was looking for a school in Beijing.
On that day, Shen Qingzhou and Du Xinling took Shen Ning to visit a prospective school. While waiting at a traffic light, they encountered Qi Zheng. However, they were too engrossed in discussing the school’s materials and environment to notice another car following them. Upon reaching the school and parking, they immediately led Shen Ning into the building without paying attention to whoever parked behind them.
Ever since Fang Zheng and Zhao Chunjun went to prison, their lives had been peaceful. It wasn’t that they weren’t cautious enough—it was simply that there was no longer anyone who could pose a threat to them and their children. Besides, with Shen Qingzhou and Du Xinling, two grown men, accompanying the child, how could anyone possibly abduct him?
Thus, from inside his car, Qi Zheng caught sight of Shen Ning at that moment. Due to his recent treatment, Shen Ning’s hair was sparse, but his small face already bore a striking resemblance to Qi Zheng’s childhood appearance, stirring complex emotions within Qi Zheng.
Now in his thirties, Qi Zheng had never pursued another relationship since losing Ding Yue. Naturally, he had no children. Although he had no intention of marrying another woman, as an only son, his parents had repeatedly pressured him to have children, even threatening to take their own lives over it. Qi Zheng felt anxious and had even considered using a surrogate mother and artificial insemination. However, even if that child were biologically his, without Ding Yue as the mother, it wouldn’t be perfect.
The perfect scenario would be to find Shen Ning, confirm whether he was indeed his biological son, and, if so, bring him back.
Therefore, for this ideal and to appease his parents, Qi Zheng never abandoned his efforts to recover Shen Ning.
After seeing Shen Ning at the school, Qi Zheng began lingering near the school gates whenever he could. Although he didn’t know whether Shen Qingzhou would ultimately choose that particular school for Shen Ning, he hoped to see the boy as soon as possible if they did.
As a doctor, Qi Zheng was usually very busy. However, from that point on, he started swapping shifts with colleagues to work late hours, and since few were willing to take night shifts, his requests were mostly accepted.
Working night shifts was exhausting, and after a week, Qi Zheng’s health began to deteriorate. He stopped sleeping at night and even during the day, becoming increasingly gaunt. When the hospital management noticed this, they spoke to him, finally prompting him to curb his obsessive behavior.
Unaware of being secretly watched by his suspected biological father, Shen Ning remained oblivious. Every day, he obediently waited by the school gate for Shen Qingzhou to pick him up, and Shen Qingzhou never arrived late. Even when Qi Zheng saw him, he had no opportunity to take him away.
Over time, Qi Zheng grew increasingly impatient and nearly decided to confront Shen Qingzhou directly to take the child. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself.
On this particular day, due to the children at home being particularly demanding, Shen Qingzhou arrived at the school five minutes late. Within those five minutes, Qi Zheng forcibly took Shen Ning away.
Shen Ning was exceptionally intelligent and wouldn’t genuinely go with Qi Zheng. However, Qi Zheng must have said something to the teacher, who surprisingly allowed him to take the child. Upon arriving, Shen Qingzhou immediately went to look for the teacher upon realizing the child was missing. The teacher explained the situation—Qi Zheng had bribed her, and since he appeared to be a handsome, seemingly decent man, she recklessly agreed to let him take the child.
This incident enraged Shen Qingzhou, who immediately called Rong Lun to handle the school-related matters and set out to retrieve his child from Qi Zheng.
Qi Zheng was a very pragmatic person. If Shen Ning weren’t his biological son, he wouldn’t have considered raising him. Therefore, he was determined to have a paternity test done.
Shen Qingzhou easily deduced his intentions and rushed to the hospital immediately. Without hesitation, he located where Qi Zheng and Shen Ning were and stormed into the room, only to find the child crying in a corner.
Shen Qingzhou was so furious he couldn’t speak. He had never encountered a more despicable father in his life—not that Qi Zheng was even confirmed to be the father. Didn’t he consider the psychological impact of such actions on a child like Shen Ning, who was already old enough to understand? Even if he gained custody, wouldn’t the child develop lasting emotional scars and resentment?
As a result, even if Qi Zheng didn’t sue for custody, Shen Qingzhou would sue him. He had the money and didn’t need to worry about legal fees. He was more than willing to go all the way and teach this man a lesson.
Without a word, Shen Qingzhou took Shen Ning back and gently asked if he was okay and if anything hurt. Shen Ning clung to him, crying, “I’m fine, Dad. That uncle let the doctor bully me.”
Seeing the child’s tear-streaked face and swollen, red eyes, it was clear he had been crying for a long time.
Shen Qingzhou glanced at Qi Zheng, who stood nearby, lips pressed tightly together, glaring at him. Shen Qingzhou found it amusing.
“What are you glaring at me for? Do you have the audacity to glare at me? What the hell are you?” For the first time, Shen Qingzhou swore, not at Fang Zheng or Zhao Chunjun, but at Qi Zheng, who seemed slightly better than the previous two. “Let me tell you, this is called illegally detaining a minor. Do you think I’ll let this go? The court will come after you.” Without looking back, he hugged the child and walked away.
The doctor standing behind Qi Zheng looked at him in surprise and asked, “Dr. Qi, what just happened? Was that your child? Why would that person say the court will come after you? Is he going to sue you?”
Qi Zheng glanced at him and replied, “Why are you worried? The test hasn’t even been done yet. Even if he sues me, it won’t involve you.”
The doctor hesitated and said, “I’m just worried about you.”
“Worried about me?” Qi Zheng sneered, scanning the other doctors who were watching. “Who among you genuinely cares about me? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. I can hear everything you say about me in your minds.” Having seemingly given up, he pushed past the people blocking his way and left the hospital.
The other doctors present stared at Qi Zheng’s retreating figure in shock, some of them having their thoughts exposed. However, Qi Zheng’s erratic behavior severely damaged his previously mild-mannered and polite image, which was now completely shattered. What awaited him next might not only be legal troubles but also a talk with his superiors and alienation from his colleagues.
All the way home, Shen Qingzhou comforted Shen Ning, then took him straight to the bathroom to wash his face. Afterward, he carefully applied moisturizer to the boy’s face, as some areas were dry and peeling.
Upstairs, Lin Qiao heard the door open and the child’s soft whimpering. Holding her younger son, she came to the bathroom and saw Shen Qingzhou gently applying moisturizer to Shen Ning’s face. Shen Ning had his eyes closed, letting his father fuss over him, occasionally sniffing, looking pitiful.
Her younger son, who had just stopped crying, seemed to spot a prize upon seeing his father. His eyes lit up, and he stretched out his arms, crying out for his father to hold him. Unfortunately, his father didn’t even spare him a glance.
Seeing the tear droplets in her younger son’s eyes, Lin Qiao felt her heart break. She couldn’t help but scold Shen Qingzhou, “Your son is calling for you. Why don’t you even look at him? If you’re too busy, couldn’t you at least say something comforting?”
Shen Qingzhou was half-squatting in front of Shen Ning, gently patting the boy’s head. He turned to look at Lin Qiao, his expression a mix of helplessness and hesitation. After a while, he said, “I was busy.”
Lin Qiao pursed her lips, mindful of Shen Ning’s presence, and said nothing more. She hugged the child and left the bathroom to comfort him in the bedroom.
Watching Lin Qiao’s retreating figure, Shen Ning asked worriedly, “Dad, is Mom angry?”
Shen Qingzhou denied it, “No, why would she be? She’s just worried that the baby cries too much and disturbs us.”
Shen Ning sniffed and said, “Dad, I’m tired. I don’t want to go to that school anymore.”
Shen Qingzhou picked him up and said, “Okay, we’ll switch schools. You won’t go to school for a few days. I’ll carry you upstairs to rest.”
Shen Ning wrapped his arms around his father’s neck, nodded, and went upstairs with Shen Qingzhou to his room to sleep.
When Shen Qingzhou returned to the bedroom, Lin Qiao had already put the baby to sleep. The child hadn’t been named yet, so Lin Qiao simply called him “Baby,” which made her feel increasingly sad. She couldn’t help but suspect that Shen Qingzhou’s inexplicable dislike for their younger son was due to Shen Ning or some other unknown reason. Women tend to overthink, and the more she thought, the more upset she became, until tears silently streamed down her face without warning.
Seeing Lin Qiao’s shoulders trembling, Shen Qingzhou immediately realized something was wrong. He closed the door and quickly sat beside her, gently holding her shoulders and softly asking, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Are you that angry?”
Lin Qiao, with red eyes, avoided his embrace and said, “Don’t bother with me.”
Shen Qingzhou replied, “If I don’t take care of you, who will?”
“You stay away from me.” Lin Qiao pretended to get up and leave.
Shen Qingzhou held her tightly in his arms, speaking especially gently, “Okay, don’t be angry anymore. I was wrong. I know why you’re angry. You think I’m not treating our son well and are worried he won’t be happy in the future, right?”
Held tightly by him and hearing him express her inner worries, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but cry even louder, “What did he do wrong? Why don’t you like him? If you’re worried that Shen Ning might be jealous, you could have told me. I would have understood. How can you make me think like this?”
People often say that after becoming a mother, a woman’s heart is mostly occupied by her children, and her husband’s position drops dramatically. Now, it seemed to be true.
Sighing, Shen Qingzhou comforted her, “How could I not like him? I just felt that during your childbirth, you suffered so much, and it was all his fault. He keeps crying and making you work hard. It’s really ungrateful.”
Lin Qiao looked at him with wide eyes and said, “How can you think like this? That’s too childish. It’s not like you at all. Excuse!”
“Where’s the childishness?” Shen Qingzhou frowned and asked seriously.
Lin Qiao, seeing him act like this, immediately explained, “He couldn’t choose how he was born. As parents, isn’t it childish to hold a grudge against a completely innocent baby? Qingzhou, did you have a fever? Is this really what you’re upset about?”
Shen Qingzhou’s face showed some embarrassment, so he said, “I was just kidding. Recently, Qi Zheng has been causing trouble, always coming after Shen Ning. I’ve been dealing with him, which is complicated, so I’ve been feeling very stressed.”
Lin Qiao suddenly understood, “Oh, that’s why.”
Seeing her believe him, Shen Qingzhou continued, “I won’t act like this anymore.”
Lin Qiao nodded and said, “Then I’m sorry. I didn’t know something like this happened. Was Shen Ning scared? Is he asleep now? I’ll go check on him.”
Saying this, she tried to get up.
Shen Qingzhou shook his head and said, “He’s tired and sleeping. The child rarely sleeps soundly, so you should rest too.”
Lin Qiao thought for a moment and nodded slightly, “Then let’s both take a break. I’ll talk to him when we have dinner. You should rest too. I see there are bloodshot eyes in yours.”
Shen Qingzhou was naturally willing, so he took off his clothes and prepared to take a nap.
Lin Qiao lay on the bed and said, “By the way, the baby’s name hasn’t been decided yet. Think about what to call him.”
Shen Qingzhou looked at her and said, “I’ve already thought of one.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Shen Jing. It means the luster of jade. Xiao Xuan is a beautiful jade, so he is the luster of Xiao Xuan.”
“…” Lin Qiao silently looked at him. Although he was always busy and seemed distant, he had arranged everything meticulously. He was the pillar of their family, their support, and truly deserved the titles of husband and father.
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