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The moment the words "Mr. Jiang" were uttered, the living room fell silent except for the cheerful jingle of the children's rocking ride. For a few seconds, the tension at the dining table was almost suffocating.
Suddenly, Jiang Suizhi let out a soft chuckle. "When did you figure it out?"
His light, casual tone unexpectedly eased the knot in Le Qing's chest. "Three strikes and you're out. Too many coincidences stop being coincidences."
Truthfully, it wasn’t just that she hadn’t stopped Mr. Jiang’s approach. Knowing that the Lin siblings might have ties to the children’s father, she had mentally prepared herself the moment Lin Shengxi showed repeated concern for the kids. She had always known this day would come—just not this soon.
She never expected Mr. Jiang would choose to stay in the shadows, orchestrating "coincidental" encounters with the children instead of revealing himself outright.
If the first time Lin Shengxi appeared at the filming location to play with the kids hadn’t clued her in on who was in the car, then the second time—when Mr. Xie showed up alone at the café, followed by those "chance meetings"—she knew.
It wasn’t that she doubted this man had eccentric habits or germaphobia. But if he truly were a germaphobe, his behavior was odd—like voluntarily handling groceries and grilling meat.
Bit by bit, her suspicions were confirmed.
"Mr. Jiang didn’t go out of his way to hide his identity either," she said.
That was part of the deal. Le Qing understood perfectly that a man like Mr. Jiang would meticulously plan every move, especially for something this important. There was no way he’d recklessly get close to the children without reason.
Jiang Suizhi neither confirmed nor denied it.
He slowly removed his glasses and closed them. "You’re clever."
The moment their eyes met, Le Qing knew what she’d glimpsed in the meadow wasn’t her imagination.
This man’s gaze was a weapon—sharp enough to unsettle an opponent in seconds. The glasses had been his perfect disguise.
Without them, Mr. Jiang looked younger, even a little roguish.
Le Qing’s hands slid from the table to her lap, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. "Even knowing all this, I still don’t understand your plans, Mr. Jiang."
One thing was clear: this man had undoubtedly dug up every detail about her. He’d been observing her every move before making his presence known. But why had he waited so long—even buying the house next door—without once suggesting taking the children back?
Jiang Suizhi hummed. "It’s not the right time yet."
Le Qing frowned.
What did that mean?
She weighed her words carefully. "You mean… you can’t take them back now?"
That seemed to surprise him. He arched a brow. "Do you want me to take them back?"
His question only confused her more.
You’re their father. If you’re not taking them back, are you just leaving them with me?
Setting everything else aside—how could you bear it?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
"Compared to me, being with you would give them every advantage," she murmured.
Her words said one thing, but Jiang Suizhi saw no eagerness in her expression to send them away. Of course—no one would want to.
Given Le Qing’s current situation—juggling work and finances—she might logically think the Jiang family’s wealth was best for the kids.
"And you?" he asked. "If I take them back, what will you do?"
Le Qing froze.
She assumed that once the children were gone, her ties to these people would be severed. What else was there to do?
Or was Jiang Suizhi implying she’d want to go with them?
Softly, she said, "If possible, let me see them sometimes. The rest of the time, I won’t interfere."
How pragmatic.
"How much did he give you back then?" Jiang Suizhi asked.
"!"
Here it was—the fatal question.
The reason she hadn’t exposed Mr. Jiang’s identity sooner was to buy time—to save more money, hence her bet with Lin Jian.
But she hadn’t expected Jiang Suizhi to strike today.
If she played dumb now, she’d only invite more trouble later. Better to lay her cards on the table and seize control.
"I’ve already put some of the money into the children’s accounts. If I can, I’ll keep adding to it over time—all for their future," she sidestepped. "But regardless, Mr. Jiang, I hope you know I’ve done my absolute best for them."
She meant it as an explanation, a plea not to be punished too harshly.
Le Qing had thought it through. If Mr. Jiang insisted on revenge like in those novels, she’d lay out the whole story.
Repaying the money wasn’t just about taking blame. If she truly couldn’t manage it, she’d find another way. But right now, she genuinely wanted the children to grow up well. After all, for a while, they had given her the illusion of still having a family.
If given the chance, she wanted to be like any ordinary aunt—even if it was just seeing them once a year.
Letting Mr. Jiang stay these past few days had been her selfish attempt to show him she truly cared.
She thought she’d planned for every contingency.
But the man across from her was on a completely different wavelength.
Jiang Suizhi’s gaze visibly paused. "You’re short on money because of this?"
She skimped on everything for herself, funneling every penny into the kids’ accounts—just to repay the debt and earn the right to see them.
Le Qing nodded.
What else would it be?
For a moment, Jiang Suizhi was at a loss for words. He’d thought her clever, but now? Not so much.
No one could take the children unless she allowed it.
Yet here she was, shackled by her own misplaced guilt.
That said, Jiang Suizhi did intend to bring the children under his care eventually. If Le Qing wanted to come with them, she could. If she preferred to avoid the Jiang family, he’d arrange a home for her nearby so she could still see the kids often.
It was about protecting them—and her.
But those were plans for later. Right now, there were more pressing matters.
Since they were being frank, he might as well spell it out. "Due to personal reasons, now isn’t the best time for me to take them back."
Even though he’d already assessed the Jiang family’s dynamics, recklessly bringing the children into that world wasn’t an option. Jiang Hechang was clearly no role model—just a businessman, judging by his past decisions.
As for Jiang Yan’s grandfather, he was elderly, and Jiang Suizhi didn’t know him well. Plus, the man was constantly surrounded by uncles and aunts of questionable influence. Hardly a safe environment.
If the children were to stay by his side, Jiang Suizhi could certainly hire professional nannies to take care of them. But a nanny would never be the same as Le Qing. Just like now, there were things Le Qing could provide for the children that Sister Wang couldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to fulfill the children’s emotional needs, he simply couldn’t at this moment.
"You can continue to keep them with you," Jiang Suizhi said after a pause, then added, "As for that sum of money, you don’t need to return it. It’s what you deserve. And if you ever need anything in the future, you can always come to me."
"?"
Although Le Qing had expected Jiang Suizhi’s attitude toward her to soften over time, she hadn’t anticipated such a drastic change.
"Sorry," she hesitated for a moment, "I don’t quite understand what you mean."
"If I intended to take the children back, I wouldn’t have bought the apartment across from yours," Jiang Suizhi explained. "You’re aware that the Jiang family’s situation is rather complicated. For your sake and the children’s, it’s not the right time for you to return. And right now, the children prefer having you around."
The dramas of wealthy families were something Le Qing had only seen in TV shows, but hearing Jiang Suizhi’s words gave her a rough idea of the reality.
After a moment of consideration, her tightly clasped hands relaxed slightly. "Then, may I ask how long this arrangement will last?"
Jiang Suizhi frowned faintly.
The Jiang family’s affairs were trivial. The real issue was his own…
"Not too long," he replied.
The relief she had just felt vanished, replaced by renewed tension. Le Qing nodded. "I see."
"Are you looking forward to me taking them away?" Jiang Suizhi studied her thoughtfully.
Le Qing smiled but didn’t answer.
She had no standing, no reason to say she wasn’t looking forward to it.
Fortunately, Jiang Suizhi didn’t press further. Instead, he said, "But during this time, I’ll be staying next door. I hope you can understand."
This was far too polite.
Whether she understood or not, Le Qing had no choice but to accept it. Her gaze drifted to the two children. "Then should they still call you Mr. Xie?"
"Mn." Jiang Suizhi nodded. "Children aren’t good at hiding things. It’s best if they don’t know from the start. As for you… you can call me by my name from now on."
A business card was extended toward her between pale, slender fingers. Le Qing lowered her eyes to read it.
Jiang Suizhi
CEO
She took the card but neither agreed nor refused.
"I have matters to attend to at home and need to head back," Jiang Suizhi stood up. "Contact me by phone if anything comes up."
Le Qing rose as well. "Understood."
The two happily playing children noticed their uncle was leaving and waved from their rocking cars. Little Le Jia asked curiously, "Is Uncle going home to eat again?"
Jiang Suizhi: "..."
"Eat again?" Le Qing was puzzled.
Just then, the music from the rocking car stopped, and in the brief silence, Little Le Jia turned off the machine himself, hopping down to confront the lying uncle. "Uncle lied with his phone! He didn’t eat!"
Jiang Suizhi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
His resolve not to take these two little troublemakers back grew even stronger.
Hearing this, Le Qing instinctively glanced at Jiang Suizhi’s phone. With no other choice, he pulled it out again.
If the children couldn’t understand, surely an adult would?
He placed the phone in front of Le Qing. "I’ve eaten."
Perhaps because he wasn’t wearing his glasses, Le Qing could read the unspoken plea in his eyes more clearly: Stop letting them pester me.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she played along, turning the little detective around. "Auntie can confirm—Uncle has eaten."
Little Le Jia: "?"
His eyes were full of accusation.
Auntie was helping Uncle lie! Hmph, the world of adults was truly dirty.
Crossing his arms, he stomped his foot in place, declaring a one-minute boycott of the grown-ups.
Finally vindicated, Jiang Suizhi put his glasses back on, his mood noticeably lighter. "Goodbye."
As Le Qing walked to the door to close it behind him, she suddenly spoke up just as he pressed the elevator button. "Mr. Jiang, I’m something of a photographer."
Jiang Suizhi turned his head slightly.
"I’ve edited plenty of photos," she added gently.
"..."
They were both intelligent people. There was no need to spell out what she meant.
Jiang Suizhi’s voice carried a hint of disbelief. "Are you joining them in lecturing me?"
"No," Le Qing chuckled. "I was just going to say—if you don’t mind, you’re welcome to come over for meals in the future."
Mr. Jiang had accepted the children’s cookies and her lunchbox before, which meant he wasn’t opposed to outside food.
From the photo earlier, Le Qing could tell he hadn’t eaten well. Though she didn’t understand why a CEO would settle for such meals, since Jiang Suizhi had done her such a huge favor, she couldn’t repay him in any significant way. But small gestures were within her means.
"Of course, the choice is yours," she added tactfully.
Jiang Suizhi snapped out of his daze just as the elevator doors opened. He held the button for three seconds. "We’ll see."
With that, he disappeared into the elevator.
The moment the doors closed, Le Qing leaned against the doorframe, exhaling softly.
She glanced out the window in the hallway, where sunlight streamed in, as if celebrating the true beginning of her new life.
"I gambled right," she murmured to herself.
Just before shutting the door, she remembered something and took out her phone. Searching the number on the business card, she found it perfectly formal and fitting for a CEO’s profile. After a brief hesitation, she sent a friend request, adding her name—Le Qing—as the note.
Jiang Suizhi, now changed and seated in his car, heard his work phone chime. Picking it up, he realized he’d forgotten to give Le Qing his private account.
As he started typing to correct the oversight, his personal phone rang—Lin Jian was calling.
"Le Qing will be accompanying me to an interview in a couple of days. After that, there’s a banquet, so she won’t be home at all that day. You might want to ask her if it’s okay for you to spend some time with the kids then. Sister Wang can’t handle both alone."
"A banquet?"
"Yeah. Didn’t I promise her I’d create some opportunities?"
Jiang Suizhi recalled—the two of them had made a bet that day.
Now he understood why. She needed to repay the money Jiang Hechang had given her.
But the idea of being alone with the children left Jiang Suizhi unprepared.
He realized that without Le Qing around, he had no idea how to handle them. He felt helpless, even worried he might not take proper care of them—especially in his current state.
"No need," he said. "She knows who I am now."
A brief silence followed on the other end. "You didn’t argue?"
"No," Jiang Suizhi replied evenly. "She was calmer than I expected. I suspect she figured out my identity earlier than I thought."
"That doesn’t surprise me," Lin Jian laughed. "If it’s Le Qing’s reaction, it makes perfect sense."
"How so?"
Lin Jian explained, "She’s always given off that vibe—like she could remain composed even if the sky fell. To put it bluntly, it’s as if she’s prepared to detach herself from anything that happens. I’ve always found it odd. Is that normal for a mother?"
"Why wouldn’t it be?"
"Jiang Yan matters a great deal to you, doesn’t he?" Lin Jian countered.
Jiang Suizhi didn’t answer, but his silence spoke volumes.
If Jiang Yan hadn’t been important, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to find the children.
"If Jiang Yan were still alive, you'd have something to hold onto," Lin Jian gave him an analogy. "Put yourself in that position—think about what you were like when Jiang Yan was around. Was it the same as the old you?"
No.
Jiang Suizhi arrived at that answer almost instantly. No matter how stubborn he acted in front of Jiang Yan, he knew deep down how much that period of his life had changed him.
It made him look forward to coming home every day, to someone cheekily waiting for him to cook.
No matter how much Jiang Yan's chatter annoyed him, he never truly grew tired of it. In fact, it gave him hope for the future.
Hope to earn more money so he could buy a bigger place—one with at least a room that belonged to Jiang Yan.
"Le Qing reminds me of how you were when I first met you," Lin Jian spoke again. "Do you understand what I mean now?"
Jiang Suizhi had never deliberately reflected on his past self, nor did he want to. Back then, he just found living exhausting—yet he couldn’t die, nor did he want to.
But was Le Qing really like that?
From their first meeting until now, everything she did had nothing to do with herself. She never bought clothes for herself, always chose food based on the kids' preferences, and her bag was perpetually stuffed with their things. Even her bet with Lin Jian was just to save money for the children’s accounts.
It dawned on Jiang Suizhi belatedly—the first time Le Qing felt real to him was when she dozed off on set and woke up in a daze.
Exhaustion and disorientation created a barrier between her usual composed self and that moment. Most of the time, she was like today—effortlessly cool, even when revealing his identity outright.
The second time she felt real was during the horseback ride on the grassland.
He recalled how her eyes had burned with a reckless determination then, the kind that set his blood boiling.
Now, she gave off an elusive, untouchable aura.
As Lin Jian put it, if she had something tethering her, she shouldn’t be like this—just as he hadn’t been after Jiang Yan came into his life.
Looking at it another way—if he’d known he would lose Jiang Yan, would he have calmly planned everything afterward?
No.
He’d have rather taken Jiang Yan’s place in that car if it meant keeping him alive.
Yet Le Qing had been so composed, willingly sending the children back to the Jiang family and even mapping out their futures.
Rational—but unnervingly so.
Hearing no response for a while, Lin Jian sighed, sounding troubled. "Jiang Suizhi, and I say this knowing you won’t like it—I’ve always thought there’s something off about you."
"..."
Lin Jian continued, "Others might not see it, but I remember how you used to be. That terrifyingly extreme cleanliness of yours—wasn’t that partly psychological?"
"What’s your point?"
"My point is, Le Qing gives me the same vibe as when I first met you." Lin Jian was genuinely worried about these two raising kids—neither was exactly normal.
Her voice lowered. "She’s good to the children, yes, but I’m afraid she’s not good to herself."
She’d hit the mark. Jiang Suizhi had once felt the same way.
Lin Jian relayed some details she’d gathered from the kids: "Even though you’ve laid things out between you, maybe hold off on taking them back for now. I’m concerned about Le Qing’s state—if you push it, she might withdraw even more."
Jiang Suizhi’s brow furrowed at the term. "I wasn’t planning to take them back yet."
"It’s just a suggestion. Ideally, you two should talk it out—or find another way. Now that you’re both aware of each other, things should be easier moving forward. At the very least, you won’t starve."
Talk about what?
Jiang Suizhi, still grappling with his own unresolved issues, felt like a headless chicken stumbling around. Even if Le Qing was clearly struggling, he was in no position to play life coach.
His personal motto had always been: if in doubt, bulldoze through.
But if being separated from the kids was so unbearable for Le Qing, why had she made it sound so effortless?
His original goal was simple—to ensure the children and Le Qing lived safely and comfortably. If he messed this up, Jiang Yan’s ghost would probably haunt him.
"Send me the address for the gala," Jiang Suizhi said.
"Sure—wait, what?" Lin Jian sounded startled. "You’re going?"
Brands often invited tycoons and celebrities to their galas—partly for publicity, partly to boost prestige, and partly to network.
But Jiang Suizhi rarely attended. As CEO, socializing was unavoidable, but he only showed up for events where his presence was non-negotiable. For luxury brands, sending a subordinate usually sufficed.
Hence Lin Jian’s surprise.
"Maybe."
He felt he still didn’t understand Le Qing well enough.
"Fine, I’ll send it later." Lin Jian added casually, "Since you’ve come clean, I got her a gown from the same brand you used for the kids’ clothes. Why don’t you deliver it? You live across from her anyway."
Jiang Suizhi was about to agree when he suddenly asked, "You ordered her a gown?"
"Well, yeah. She sold all her clothes." Lin Jian sighed. "I had to insist on getting this one for her. With you around, her burden might lighten—though I doubt by much. She’s dead set on paying me rent for it."
Given Le Qing’s meticulous nature, Jiang Suizhi suspected she’d refuse to use his money even if he shoved a card into her hands.
After a brief pause, he said, "Deliver it yourself."
Lin Jian: "..."
See? This man was definitely not right in the head.
Going out of his way to complicate the simplest things.
After hanging up, Jiang Suizhi opened his messages and deleted the unsent drafts, replacing them with a new line.
AAAAA Wholesale Jiang: "."
A reply came almost instantly: "What’s up, Jiang Ge?"
Confirmed—the disguise still held.
Jiang Suizhi abandoned the thought of reverting his WeChat name and profile picture, then fired off warnings to Lin Jian and Lin Shengxi: "Don’t tell her this account is mine."
Lin Jian: "?"
Lin Shengxi: "Bro, my sister filled me in. No idea why you’re doing this, but mark my words—this’ll backfire. Every novel says so."
Jiang Suizhi resisted the urge to delete this brain-deficient fool, settling for a temporary block instead. Then he turned back to Le Qing.
AAAAA Wholesale Jiang: "Nothing urgent. Just checking in with clients post-holiday to gauge demand and avoid overstocking."
Le Qing: "Such professionalism! Wishing you a prosperous New Year."
Jiang Suizhi couldn’t help but chuckle at the reply.
AAAAA Wholesale Jiang: "So, Ms. Le Qing, what do you need? Loyal customers get 20% off."
