Volume 1, Chapter 6: The Nice Gentleman Bought Me Candy

"Daddy... Uncle!" Lu Mingxi cried out in surprise as he caught sight of Shang Linyuan.

Shang Linyuan ignored them both, his gaze fixed solely on Lu Xiaoman’s face.

"What is going on here?"

It was a demand for her to explain it herself.

Lu Xiaoman’s mind was buzzing. All she could see was the triumphant smile Chu Yan wore while nestled in Shang Linyuan’s arms.

"Uncle, don't hold that bad woman! She slapped me just now and tried to hit Mommy too. She’s the most heartless, wicked person in the whole world!" Lu Mingxi spoke fluently, eager to press charges.

"I didn't! Linyuan, you saw it yourself—it was Lu Xiaoman who tried to strangle me. My neck is bruised, I almost died, boo-hoo..." Chu Yan sobbed, her face drenched in tears as she buried it in the man’s chest.

"Bad woman, you hit me first, that’s why Mommy grabbed you!"

Seeing that Shang Linyuan remained unresponsive, Lu Mingxi shouted in desperation, "Daddy! Your son and wife are about to be bullied to death! If you keep holding that bad woman, I don't want you as my daddy anymore!"

The entire scene fell into stunned silence at these words.

The little brat was far too bold.

It was one thing to randomly claim a father, but to dare pin it on Shang Linyuan, the most powerful helmsman of the Shang family in Jiangcheng?

Yet, strangely, Shang Linyuan himself did not seem particularly surprised.

"Su Cheng, take her away."

Hearing the command, Chu Yan felt incredibly smug. She was the only girlfriend Shang Linyuan had ever acknowledged, having stayed by his side for six whole years; how could that bond ever compare to Lu Xiaoman, a woman who had only been with him for three months?

She tilted her chin and looked down at the mother and son with disdain. "Xiaoman, so many years have passed, and you’re still the same as before, leaving your heart everywhere. There were at least a dozen boys who wrote you love letters back then. Which one did you pick to father this little wild seed? He has absolutely no manners."

As she finished speaking, her wrist was suddenly gripped tight. She looked up and met the man’s deep, inscrutable eyes.

"Watch your mouth."

The next second, Su Cheng walked toward her.

"Take her away."

The two bodyguards were on the Shang family payroll and took their orders solely from Shang Linyuan. Upon hearing this, they grabbed Chu Yan by the arms and hauled her up.

"What are you doing? Linyuan told you to take that b*tch Lu Xiaoman away, why are you grabbing me?"

"Ms. Chu, please don't make this difficult for us."

Chu Yan looked at Shang Linyuan in disbelief, but he didn't even spare her a glance. He bent down, opened the car door, and reached out to pick up... Lu Xiaoman?!

Had the world gone mad?

"Linyuan, my neck hurts, boo-hoo, I can't breathe, Linyuan..."

The two bodyguards were efficient; they shoved Chu Yan into the car that had brought them and quickly drove away.

As Lu Xiaoman felt herself being lifted, she was enveloped in a pleasant, cool woody scent—the exact same fragrance the man had worn six years ago.

She felt inexplicably safe. In her daze, feeling both cold and in pain, she leaned into a warm, broad body that felt incredibly comforting.

Then, her consciousness drifted, fading until she fell into a deep, unconscious sleep.

***

The sedan drove toward the hospital in silence.

Lu Mingxi quietly glanced up at the man beside him. His face remained as calm as ever, revealing nothing. This "Daddy" was so hard to understand. He preferred his godfather, whose emotions were always written on his face, saving him the trouble of guessing.

Lu Mingxi thought about the "Daddy" he had called out earlier. Though it had been in the heat of the moment, he had intended it as a test. Yet, from the moment they got in the car until now, his father hadn't asked him a single question.

Could it be that he hadn't heard him? Should he try calling him "Daddy" again? No, he couldn't risk it. What if it annoyed him and he decided to abandon Mommy? Mommy was so weak, and he couldn't carry her himself; they needed a tall, powerful man like his father.

With that thought, Lu Mingxi lowered his head, deciding to play invisible for now.

"Does your face still hurt?"

Just as he went quiet, Shang Linyuan suddenly asked.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Lu Mingxi didn't want to seem like a burden, so he shook his head quickly. But he accidentally tugged at the wound on his lip and let out a soft hiss.

"Next time, remember to protect yourself. If you can't win, call for help. Don't be a hero."

"I sent a message to Uncle..." Lu Mingxi felt a bit aggrieved. Who knew that the fierce woman would arrive so fast and his father so slow?

"Hmm." Shang Linyuan replied with a single syllable.

His gaze rested on the pale face of the woman in his arms, her eyes tightly closed. It wasn't just the little one who was being a hero. Both mother and son were exactly the same.

The car arrived at the City First People's Hospital and came to a smooth stop. Su Cheng opened the door, and Shang Linyuan stepped out, carrying the unconscious Lu Xiaoman.

Lu Mingxi scrambled to get out of the car behind them.

Shang Linyuan paused and tilted his head. "Hold him."

Su Cheng hurried over and took the little boy firmly into his arms.

"He has a facial injury. Take him to get it bandaged."

"Yes, Mr. Shang."

"Wait." Shang Linyuan added, "Children are afraid of pain. Buy him some candy."

Su Cheng glanced at his boss, finding it unbelievable. Since when did the boss care about such trivial things for a child? Even for his own niece, Miss Xinxin, the boss had never coddled her—let alone offered to buy her sweets.

The boss hated anything sweet! If it weren't for the fact that the boy looked nothing like his boss and that the boss had always been disciplined—never even crossing a line with Ms. Chu—he would have almost suspected this was the boss's illegitimate child.

***

At the hospital, after a series of checks, the doctor explained that Lu Xiaoman had fainted due to extreme emotional distress and a lack of proper nutrition, which had caused a stomach spasm. She would be fine after a few days of recovery.

She also had a minor fracture in her left arm, which was now in a plaster cast. The doctor advised that it would take about four weeks to heal, during which she should avoid getting it wet, refrain from strenuous exercise, and ensure she got plenty of rest and proper meals.

When Lu Xiaoman woke up, she was still in a daze. She hadn't expected Shang Linyuan to bring her to the hospital.

"Mommy, are you feeling better? Where does it hurt?" Lu Mingxi had been guarding the bedside, and he leaned in as soon as she opened her eyes.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Lu Xiaoman tried to reach out to touch her son's face but found she couldn't. Her right arm was in a cast, and even a slight movement caused a piercing pain.

"Does your face still hurt?" Lu Xiaoman asked, her heart aching for her son.

"It doesn't hurt, Mommy! Uncle even bought me candy." Lu Mingxi smiled, sucking on a lollipop.

Seeing the medicine on her son's face, Lu Xiaoman knew that Shang Linyuan must have had a doctor look at him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Shang Linyuan didn't acknowledge the thanks. Instead, he asked with a cold face, "The doctor said your diet is irregular—that you don't even have time to eat?"

Lu Xiaoman paused. She had indeed been neglecting herself lately. She had been busy moving, finding a place to live, getting her son into school, and searching for a job. Back in Wengcheng, she had Mama Zhang to help, but now, handling everything alone with a child, it was difficult and exhausting.

But Lu Xiaoman couldn't tell this man about her hardships. She reflexively turned her face away. "It's fine, just a little busy sometimes."

"You can starve yourself, but what about the child? What happens if he gets sick from hunger too?"

Shang Linyuan was speaking the truth, but Lu Xiaoman didn't want to hear it. She would never let her son go hungry; she always made sure he was fed before she took care of herself. Her son was a life she had brought into the world through great struggle; she could sacrifice her own life, but her son could not be harmed.

"I'm fine now, Uncle Shang. Thank you so much for today, but you should go if you're busy..." she said, trying to brush him off.

Shang Linyuan’s deep, unfathomable eyes settled on her face.

"Use someone and then toss them aside? Aman, you are still exactly the same as you were before."

Lu Xiaoman’s face flushed a deep shade of red.