C48 At Such a Young Age He Had Already Seen Through Many Things

Upon seeing the woman before him, Soong Deyi could hardly believe his eyes. Her sallow skin and hoarse voice bore no resemblance to the Soong Ruanruan he remembered.

"Hello, my name is Soong Ling," Soong Ruanruan said with a polite yet distant tone. "As you can see, I am the mother of this child, not Soong Ruanruan. Someone else made the same mistake before. It seems Miss Soong Ruanruan has quite a few people concerned about her." Her last sentence carried a hint of sarcasm.

Had she ever been welcomed into the Soong family's home?

Had she ever experienced the fatherly love she was entitled to?

Had the Soong family people ever shown her warmth and concern?

It was ironic that after her supposed death, more people seemed to be inquiring about her than ever before.

"You..." Soong Deyi furrowed his brow, still in disbelief. The mother looked so different, yet the child was so lovely and fair—it just didn't add up.

"There's no need for doubt; I am An An's biological mother," Soong Ruanruan declared, picking up her daughter and turning to leave with a parting shot, "But An An's looks are no excuse for your mistake."

Soong Deyi opened his mouth but said nothing, silently watching the woman ascend the stairs with the child in her arms.

In that moment, he regretted not watching the sensational live broadcast that had taken the internet by storm before coming here. Initially, he thought it beneath his daughter, a star, to apologize to a commoner, only to be proven wrong later on.

Caught up in managing the fallout from his daughter's misadventures, he had overlooked Dr. Soong.

"If Ruanruan were still here..." Soong Deyi whispered, a twinge of remorse in his eyes, "perhaps she would have had children of her own by now."

Upstairs, Soong Ruanruan's footsteps hesitated for a moment.

Had he finally remembered he had a daughter after all these years?

Fu Jingchuan was growing impatient. He was never one to indulge in idle chatter, especially not from someone who had just frightened An An.

"If there's nothing else, Chairman Soong, I'll take my leave," he said curtly.

Soong Deyi, as if spurred by a sudden realization, couldn't bear the thought of another daughter enduring hardships. He had already lost one; he couldn't let the same happen to the other.

"Director Fu, I realize it may be futile to say this now, but if you could find it in your heart to forgive Feifei, the Soong family is prepared to willingly transfer their shares of Stars Entertainment to you."

Fu Jingchuan, who was on the verge of departing, halted in his tracks. He lifted his slender eyes, his voice betraying no emotion, tinged with a touch of frost, "It seems—insufficient."

Soong Deyi gritted his teeth, "Additionally, if you're interested in that plot of land we discussed earlier, that's also on the table..."

Upstairs, Soong Ruanruan decisively shut the door.

It all made sense now. To save Soong Feifei, the Soong family would sacrifice anything.

Yet, as their illegitimate daughter, she was relegated to a life in the countryside, forbidden from claiming her true identity, merely surviving!

"Mam, what's wrong?" An An, picking up on her mother's emotions, gently touched her hand.

Soong Ruanruan snapped back to reality, offering her child a tender smile, "Mommy's fine, An An. Go play with your brother."

Once, she believed she had lost everything, but now, watching her two children, she was overwhelmed with contentment, convinced that the bitter struggles had all been worthwhile.

The night deepened. Having addressed Soong Deyi's concerns, Fu Jingchuan ascended the stairs.

He noticed the woman lingering at the bedroom doorway, not entering.

Approaching, Fu Jingchuan peered inside to find the two children seated together on the spacious bed. To his surprise, Fu Sui was painstakingly narrating a picture book to An An, his sentences remarkably coherent.

"Dear Sui is still holding a grudge, upset that I suggested he spend time with Lo Qing," Soong Ruanruan mused, gazing at the heartwarming scene inside, "I wonder who he gets that temperament from."

Mid-sentence, she caught herself, realizing her slip. Even before the butler, such admissions were too revealing.

Turning, her expression soured—had Fu Jingchuan overheard her?

His gaze held a significant weight, making her feel exposed. Hastily, she shifted the conversation, "Mr. Fu, would you like to come in?"

The two children in the bedroom looked up and blinked. "Mammy, Uncle, come on in."

She paused and turned to Fu Sui. "Brother, is it okay if they come in and play?"

The little girl was considerate enough to seek Fu Sui's opinion.

Reflecting on Fu Jingchuan's rigid stance with his son, Soong Ruanruan couldn't help but speak up, "Mr. Fu, just like with An An, when Dear Sui needs to make a decision, we should empower him to choose, rather than making arbitrary decisions on his behalf."

She had long wanted to voice these thoughts, and today, in front of the children, she finally mustered the courage to do so.

However, Fu Jingchuan strode into the bedroom, his cold gaze fixed on Fu Sui. "Am I not respecting your opinion enough?"

The little boy remained silent for a moment before responding, "Not enough."

Fu Jingchuan raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate.

"You replaced the nanny." Fu Sui's look of dissatisfaction was like a belated accusation.

Soong Ruanruan was charmed by her son's defiant expression and approached with a gentle smile. "But the nanny came back, didn't she? Dear Sui, be good. Daddy is just worried about you getting hurt. What if the nanny was actually a bad person and intentionally made you uncomfortable? Daddy is only trying to protect you."

Hearing this, Fu Jingchuan looked down, the sight of the woman bending over to soothe the child causing a twitch in his eyelids.

Without looking at her face, just her figure alone was strikingly reminiscent of Soong Ruanruan.

This was the first time Fu Sui had heard such an explanation. He knew his father had his best interests at heart, but his often domineering manner left him feeling upset and misunderstood.

But now, hearing Ms. Soong's explanation, he was beginning to appreciate his father's intentions.

"Auntie was also wrong before, deciding who Dear Sui should be with," Soong Ruanruan admitted with a tone of self-reproach. "It's understandable for Dear Sui to be upset. Can you forgive Auntie?"

Fu Sui nodded quietly.

In truth, he wasn't upset about that anymore. What really concerned him was whether Ms. Soong saw him as a burden and wanted to hand him off to someone else.

From a young age, everyone had always treated him with the utmost respect, yet there were hardly any who truly wished to get close to him. Many offered him praise, but in reality, it was often just a nod to the prestige of the Fu family name. Even his father's fiancée harbored private disdain for him. Born into affluence, he had become perceptive beyond his years.

Noticing her son's mood was off, Soong Ruanruan took a seat on the edge of the bed and suggested, "How about I read you a story? Your brother must be tired from reading; let Auntie take over."

"And Uncle?" An An inquired, eyeing the distinguished man with curiosity. "Is he going to listen too?"

Soong Ruanruan was at a loss for words. The CEO was likely very busy and probably didn't have the time...

But just as she finished that thought, Fu Jingchuan gave a few instructions to the butler and then settled himself in a nearby chair.

"Yay, Uncle is going to listen too!" An An exclaimed, clapping her hands before snuggling into the blankets.

A raspy voice began to fill the room. Though not particularly melodious, it was rich with emotion, making the story being read utterly captivating.

Witnessing this harmonious scene, a sense of tranquility unexpectedly welled up within Fu Jingchuan.

The butler, with a light touch, placed the laptop on the table next to him and then discreetly exited, content.

It was like looking at a family of four, if only...

Soong Ruanruan's voice grew softer, and after several stories, the children predictably dozed off, nestled against each other.

She closed the book and rose on tiptoe, noticing Fu Jingchuan immersed in his work, not sparing her a glance. His dense eyelashes cast shadows across his face, which appeared even more stern in his focus, making him seem all the more unapproachable.

Yet, realizing that he had actually agreed to participate in the matchmaking, Soong Ruanruan couldn't help but feel he wasn't as cold as he seemed.

"Have you been watching long?"

Out of the blue, Fu Jingchuan's deep voice reached her ears. Soong Ruanruan quickly regained her composure and offered politely, "Mr. Fu, would you like some coffee? I can ask the butler to prepare a cup for you."

Fu Jingchuan didn't respond to her pleasantries, instead fixing his gaze on her bright eyes.

In the next instant, Soong Ruanruan felt a firm grip on her hand as Fu Jingchuan yanked her out and led her straight into the studio.

"Explain this," demanded Fu Jingchuan, his tone icy as he gestured for her to examine a particular leaf in the corner of the sunflower painting.