Lin Xinyan was speechless.
After the meal, the two left the restaurant.
“Where are you going? I’ll send you.”
Lin Xinyan thought for a second before answering, “I’m going home.”
The store was not done with its renovation yet. The work that she now had were still the ones from Country A.
She had arranged a time with the client to look at the designs.
Then make the attire based on the chosen style and the chosen fabric.
When Zong Jinghao heard Lin Xinyan mention about home, he looked at her and mocked, “Your children don’t even have a father, can your home be called a home?”
Lin Xinyan wanted to refute that he himself did not have one yet, but she swallowed her words.
If she were to refute, she did not know what he was going to say again. She turned to glare at him and went into the car.
Zong Jinghao gave a faint smile.
It was silent inside the car. The atmosphere felt tense.
Lin Xinyan was leaning against the window. Her eyes were closed as she pretended to be asleep.
Her acting was not the best. Zong Jinghao had seen through her act with one look, but he did not say anything about it.
Almost twenty minutes later, Lin Xinyan slowly opened her eyes and pretended that she had just woken up. She had been counting the time; she knew the car was reaching the district.
She rubbed her eyes, opened the car door, and got down the car. “Thank you.”
She was thanking him for sending her back.
Zong Jinghao leaned over, his hand was casually on the steering wheel. “Your thanks sound insincere.”
Lin Xinyan paused in her motion of closing the door. “What do you mean?”
“If you really wanted to thank me, shouldn’t you invite me to your house for a drink?” There was a teasing smile on his face.
And Lin Xinyan was his target.
Lin Xinyan slammed the door, and said coldly, “I’ve invited you for a meal. That was my display of sincerity.”
Lin Xichen was hostile to him. If Zhuang Zijin saw him, she would not be happy either.
She would have gone crazy before she invited him to her house.
Lin Ruixi was chewing on her fingers as she widened her round eyes and looked at Lin Xinyan, who was at the roadside. “Is that mommy?”
Lin Xichen was just thinking about how he should get back his tablet and smartwatch from Lin Xinyan when he heard his sister’s question. “Where’s mommy?”
Lin Ruixi pointed to the district’s entrance.
Lin Xichen looked over and saw Lin Xinyan talking to someone at the side of the road. That side profile—
Why did it look so familiar?
Soon, he recognized it. That man who was talking to Lin Xinyan, was he not that heartless man?
Why was mommy with him?
Lin Xichen stared with a gloomy look.
Lin Ruixi pulled his hand. “What’s wrong, Xichen?”
Lin Xichen gave a cold snort. “Ruixi, do you see that man in the car?”
Lin Ruixi nodded honestly. “I see him.”
“He’s our dad.” Lin Xichen clenched his hand.
He was mommy’s ex-husband, so naturally, he was their dad.
Lin Ruixi blinked. Dad had never appeared in her life. She had only heard other children calling for their dads, but she had never done so herself.
When she heard Xichen telling her that she had a dad, she became excited and started running in that direction. “Dad—”
Lin Xichen was quick to hold her back and covered her mouth. “Hush!”
Lin Ruixi struggled. “I want to find my dad.”
She did not have complicated thoughts like Lin Xichen did.
She only knew that someone was her dad, and she wanted to see how he looked like.
“He’s not our dad.” Lin Xichen said with a determined tone.
What?
Lin Ruixi was confused. He was for a moment, then not in the next. Was he their dad or not?
She looked at her brother with wide eyes.
She seemed to be questioning him.
“He’s our dad, but he abandoned mommy and us, so we can’t call him our dad anymore.”
Lin Ruixi could not understand. She fluttered her long eyelashes and asked quietly. “Is it dad? I want a dad.”
Lin Xichen hugged his sister. “I’ll find us a good dad and find mommy a good man.”
Lin Ruixi did not answer him.
She could not understand his words.
She stared at the man’s side profile from afar, and thought, so that’s dad?
What did he look like?
“Have Xichen ever seen dad?”
Lin Xichen nodded. “Yes.”
“Does he look good?” Lin Ruixi asked, wanting to run over and see.
Lin Xichen did not want to admit it, but Zong Jinghao did look good. That was what he was frustrated with.
Where would he find a man who looked even more handsome than him?
“He looks good.”
Lin Ruixi became more excited.
“I’ve got it.” Zhuang Zijin walked over with the foldable umbrella. They were supposed to go to the aquarium today, but she only remembered that the forecast said it was going to rain at three after they went downstairs.
That was why she went back up to get the umbrella.
“Grandma.” Lin Ruixi felt upset. Xichen had seen dad, but she had not.
Now there was a chance to see how dad looks like, but Xichen did not let her see.
Bad Xichen!
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Zijin carried her.
“Xichen…”
Lin Ruixi had just opened her mouth before she heard Lin Xichen shouted, “Mommy.”
She interrupted her.
Lin Xinyan walked over and saw the bag on Zhuang Zijin’s back. She asked, “Are you going out?”
“I’m thinking of bringing them to the aquarium. It’s not good to stay cooped at home.”
Lin Xinyan carried her daughter from Zhuang Zijin’s arms. “How will you be going there? By subway?”
If it was by subway, it would be difficult bringing two children along.
“By cab. If it’s by subway, it’s quite inconvenient to have them and change trains.” Zhuang Zijin replied.
Lin Xinyan walked to the side of the road. “I can’t go with you; I still have some work to be done. When I’m free, I’ll buy a car, so it’ll be easier for us to go out.”
“Go and do your work. I can take care of both of them.” Zhuang Zijin reached out to carry Lin Ruixi back into her arms.
Lin Ruixi did not want Zhuang Zijin to carry her. She seemed to be upset and kept holding onto Lin Xinyan’s neck. “Mommy.” She said, her voice soft.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xinyan looked at her daughter and smoothed her hair. “Do you want mommy to go along with you?”
Lin Ruixi shook her head. “No, Xichen said—”
“Ruixi, didn’t you want to see the dolphin performance? If we don’t go now, we won’t make it. I already promised to use my pocket money to buy you a dolphin pillow. Do you still want it?” Lin Xichen deliberately interrupted his sister.
He did not want Lin Xinyan to know that he knew who their father was.
Mommy had her reasons for not telling them about this.
Lin Ruixi looked at her brother. “Are you really buying it for me?”
Lin Ruixi was naive, and her attention was diverted by Lin Xichen in a second.
“I’ll buy it.” Lin Xichen said determinedly.
“Then I want a lollipop too.” Lin Xichen had a happy smile on her face.
Lin Xichen looked at Lin Xinyan. “You need to ask mommy whether you are allowed to eat this.”
Lin Ruixi pouted. Mommy had always told her that eating sweets would ruin her teeth; mommy definitely would not let her eat it.
The little girl became upset again.
Lin Xinyan kissed her daughter’s cheeks. “I’ll let you have one today.”
Lin Ruixi’s eyes shone bright with hope. “Really?”
“Really.” Lin Xinyan affirmed.
“Mommy, can I have one too?” Lin Xichen looked up at her.
“Both of you can have one today.” Lin Xinyan crouched down to hug her son.
The two children, who were allowed to have sweets, were obedient. Zhuang Zijin brought them to the aquarium, and Lin Xinyan went home to work.
He Ruilin went home with anger stewing in her.
He Ruize was no longer working at the hospital. Instead, he was learning from He Ruixing on how to manage the business.
If it was not for the success of the previous generations, the company would have collapsed long ago.
The two brothers of He Ruize’s generation were no businessmen. He Ruize was only interested in psychiatry. He Ruixing was slightly better. He had, at the very least, some capability from working in the business for years. However, he still struggled to return the He family to the peak.
They were struggling to maintain it.
When he saw his sister’s red eyes, He Ruize put down the documents given to him by his brother and stood up from the couch. “What happened?”
