Chapter 346: Chapter 313: Didn’t My Mother Die?
He had clearly severed all ties with her long ago, so why was he still driving this car? Did he even know what this car meant to her?
Even now, she vividly remembered the surprise he brought her the day they bought the car; he had never been one to utter sweet nothings to her, for he had his unique way of expressing himself.
5277, I love Qiqi.
Gu Qili’s nose tingled inexplicably, and she turned her head away to avoid looking at that glaring license plate. She walked out of the residential area, took out her phone, and dialed a number: "Lawyer Pei, when are you available? I want to discuss a custody case with you."
Mu Shuoqian stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window watching her leave, the forlornness in his eyes making all the lavender in the courtyard seem withered.
He knew that the first thing she would do after going back was to fight with him over the custody of Niannian.
Feeling somewhat irritated, he rubbed his brow, only to have his right hand lightly touched by a small hand. He turned his head and saw Mu Qinian, who was only as tall as his thigh, looking up at him with his big, black eyes seemingly accusing him, "Daddy, did you upset Ali again?"
The little face in front of him miraculously overlapped with the one he had just kissed. He stared at it for a long time, then suddenly reached out with his big hand to caress the soft top of his head, "If your mom comes back, would you want to go with her?"
Mu Qinian blinked, pondering the meaning behind his words, then suddenly stretched out both hands to clutch tightly around Mu Shuoqian’s thigh, his eyes welling up as he protested, "Daddy, do you not want me anymore? I promise I’ll be first in class next time, I won’t be lazy, please don’t abandon me."
The child’s outcry increased Mu Shuoqian’s sense of melancholy. He squatted down to look him in the eye, "Don’t you want your mom?"
"Didn’t my mom die a long time ago?"
"Who told you that?" Mu Shuoqian was somewhat annoyed.
"You never mention her; if she isn’t dead, then what? If she were alive, wouldn’t she come to see her son?"
"Your mom isn’t dead." This was the first time Mu Shuoqian seriously brought up this matter in front of his son, "If she takes you away now, would you go with her?"
Mu Qinian thought for a long time, then shook his head, "Daddy, why should I go with her?"
Mu Shuoqian’s gaze was heavy as he pondered how to answer the question. He heard Mu Qinian’s voice suddenly filled with expectation, "Shouldn’t the three of us go together? Shouldn’t a family live together?"
Facing his child’s question, Mu Shuoqian felt an inexplicable pang of heartache. How was he supposed to explain to a four-year-old child about the grievances that had entangled two generations? How to tell him that he loved his mother very much but couldn’t be with her? The family of three he spoke of was both his lifelong yearning and his most impossible fantasy.
"Go change your clothes, we’re going to have dinner."
"What are we eating?" Seemingly forgetting the previous discussion at the mention of dinner, Mu Qinian’s interest was all on food, "Daddy, can we have hand-torn ’guizi’?"
"Eat what?" Mu Shuoqian didn’t understand.
"It’s the hand-torn ’guizi’ that they always mention on TV, I think it must be similar to hand-torn chicken or hand-torn pork." Mu Qinian’s big eyes sparkled with anticipation, his mouth nearly watering.
A flock of crows flew over Mu Shuoqian’s head, wondering if today’s TV dramas had any boundaries left.
"You’re not allowed to watch TV anymore." Mu Shuoqian patted his neck, "Go change your clothes."
"What?" With an aggrieved face, Mu Qinian strolled to the second floor, wondering what was wrong with Mu, just forbidding him from watching TV like that, totally intolerable. Standing on the staircase, he vented his discontent towards Mu Shuoqian, who was about to make a phone call, "Daddy, haven’t you ever wondered why you can’t find a wife?"
Mu Shuoqian: "...."
"You’re too bossy, hmph!" Twisting his little face, he didn’t care about Mu Shuoqian’s angry expression and disappeared in a flash.
～
Mu Qinian got into another fight with Jin Xiaojun today. The cause was his claiming that he was about to have a mom, which Jin Xiaojun didn’t believe, leading to a fight when words failed.
Mu Qinian was small but strong, and though he held his ground, he still ended up with a bruise on his face. As soon as he left school in the evening, Gu Qili saw his somewhat swollen left cheek.
"Ali?" Mu Qinian hadn’t expected to see her here and immediately ran over with a face full of joy, wanting to hug her, but due to pride, he stiffly held his hands behind his back, somewhat petulantly saying, "Why did you sneak away again yesterday? Didn’t I ask you to wait for me?"
Gu Qili squatted down, took one of his small hands in hers, and looked at him with eyes gentler than usual. This was her Niannian, the Niannian she had regained. She hadn’t slept all night, tossing and turning with thoughts of him, so excited that she couldn’t sleep and ended up getting the cherished little blanket she had kept for so long labeled ’999*9*9*’.
Perhaps this was a divine arrangement, letting mother and son meet amidst the vast sea of people without missing each other.
"I had to leave due to some matters yesterday." Gu Qili explained with a beaming smile, as she gestured in the air by his face, the laugh lines around her eyes turned into a look of distress, "Did you get into a fight again?"
"It was Jin Xiaojun, that guy, who got thoroughly thrashed by me."
"Niannian, no matter what faults he has, violence isn’t the solution to any problem. Besides, calling someone ’that guy’ is impolite, and those who resort to fists at the slightest provocation are brutes, not wise men."
Mu Qinian pouted and at that moment, saw Uncle Yu walking towards them.
Gu Qili also noticed him and casually flicked the back of Mu Qinian’s hoodie twice without haste. Today, he was wearing a thick hoodie with a couple of strands of hair fallen on the hood.
"Uncle Yu is here to pick you up."
Mu Qinian, reluctant to leave her, grabbed onto her sleeve, "A-Li, can I go to your place tonight?"
Gu Qili would certainly love that, but when she thought of Mu Shuoqian, she started to hesitate. She wanted to live with Niannian, but she had to win the custodial rights first; otherwise, it would surely lead to more complications with him.
"Your dad will worry."
"He won’t care at all, whenever he’s away on business, he leaves me at home alone without a second thought."
Mu Qinian’s accusation made Gu Qili feel even more distressed. She understood Mu Shuoqian’s character; he was usually silent, bluntly put, quite introverted with his emotions, and even less delicate than a woman when it came to feelings, definitely not someone you could count on for a harmonious father-son relationship.
Gu Qili had no need to speak in favor of Mu Shuoqian, but she didn’t speak ill of him in front of the child either.
"How about this, Niannian, once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll take you to the amusement park, okay?"
The words ’amusement park’ indeed moved Mu Qinian. Before his fight with Jin Xiaojun that day, Jin Xiaojun had bragged to others about how his mom was going to take him to the amusement park over the weekend. At the time, Mu Qinian acted indifferent; what’s so fun about that tacky place, only childish people go there. However, when Jin Xiaojun enthusiastically described the fun things at the park, he couldn’t help but prick up his ears.
"You said it, no takebacks." The joyful Mu Qinian with a stern face said, "If you break your promise again, then we can’t play together happily anymore."
Seeing his serious manner, Gu Qili firmly grasped his little hand, "I won’t break my promise."
"Young Master." Uncle Yu approached, first nodding towards Gu Qili, "Miss Gu, hello, the young master has bothered you yet again, I am truly sorry."
"Not at all, I just had a chat with him." Gu Qili stood up straight and gently patted Mu Qinian’s shoulder, "Well then, I will be leaving now."
It was only after getting into the car that Gu Qili slowly unfolded her palm, revealing a soft strand of hair lying there.
She quickly made a phone call: "Is this Li Ningjun? It’s me, Qili, yes, I’m back. I may need to ask for a favor, could you help me with a paternity test?"
Although Gu Qili had been abroad for years, preparing to develop vineyards back in her home country, she hadn’t neglected to maintain her domestic connections, contacts from classmates, and their friends; she kept in touch with all of them. This was something Mu Shuoqian had taught her: no matter what the circumstances, to develop a business, networks are essential.
A few days later, the results of the paternity test came out. Although Gu Qili had always known for certain that she was Niannian’s biological mother, she was still overcome with emotion to see it confirmed in black and white. If she had known he was alive, she might have returned much earlier.
"It really is Niannian, he’s truly not dead." Mickey, who had been called in early in the morning, touched her forehead as if confronting something unbelievable. She kept looking back and forth at the piece of paper and exclaimed, "Qiqi, it seems your bond with Niannian as mother and child is indeed profound."
"Mickey, what are the chances of me winning a lawsuit against Mu Shuoqian?" Gu Qili held a cup of water, her gaze resting on the small blanket on the bed.
"A lawsuit? You want to win back Niannian’s custody?" Almost reflexively, Mickey shook her head, "You can’t win. Don’t forget he has Nan Zhan, Aus City’s top lawyer, and it’s not for nothing. He has fought cases for you before; you should know better than anyone."
Gu Qili sighed quietly, of course aware of the slim chances of success. The lawyer who had agreed to help her was also an expert in such cases, but that was because the opponent didn’t know they might face Nan Zhan. Once they find out, they would likely drop the case, no matter how much money she offered.
Gu Qili rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Her worried look made Mickey open her mouth as if struggling to restrain something, but finally, she spoke up hesitantly, "Qiqi, there’s something I haven’t told you. Not long after you went to country F, Mu Shuoqian sought me out."
"He looked for you?" Gu Qili lifted her eyes, blinking twice.
"Mhm, to be precise, he had someone find me."