"Do you know how much Yuhan has suffered?" In the corridor, Qin Zhengyang's voice was heavy with memory. "As a child from a wealthy family, she had only two paths: be dissolute, or work even harder. She chose the harder one. Four years ago, when she was pregnant, she had just taken over as president. At that time, all the newspapers were gossiping about her, and she even developed depression."
At this point, tears welled up in the eyes of Qin Zhengyang, a truly strong man.
What parent doesn't dote on their own child?
Looking at Qin Zhengyang, Wu Tian was at a loss for words. He could imagine what it was like for a woman to raise a child on her own, surrounded by the idle gossip of others.
And she was a president, no less.
"But now, not many people know she has a daughter," Qin Zhengyang said. "Because of her hard work, people see her accomplishments, leaving them no time to care about scandals. Her performance has overshadowed the gossip, making people forget all about it. Do you have any idea how much effort she put in to get to this point?"
What must her state of mind have been back then?
Thinking about all the years she had toiled alone for her child, Wu Tian suddenly understood that Qin Yuhan's coldness toward him wasn't without reason. He didn't blame her in the slightest. In fact, his heart ached for her.
"I understand," Wu Tian said, his face as calm as still water, but his tone resolute. "I will take care of her from now on."
"Mm," Qin Zhengyang nodded.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
"Well, if that's everything, I'll head back inside," Wu Tian said, seeing that the conversation had ended. Even though Qin Zhengyang was his father-in-law, Wu Tian's tone was as flat and detached as ever.
"Wait, I haven't gotten to the important part yet. Where are you going?" Qin Zhengyang called out, stopping him.
Wu Tian was speechless. Then what was all that just now?
Qin Zhengyang's expression turned serious, more solemn than before. He seemed to hesitate, debating whether he should tell Wu Tian, but he finally asked, "Do you want to know about your father?"
Wu Tian's eyes lit up.
He had never once seen his father. Every time he asked his mother, she refused to say a word and would do anything to change the subject.
"Tell me," Wu Tian said, his demeanor growing earnest.
Qin Zhengyang looked at Wu Tian, nodded, and began his story.
"I met your parents back when we were in the military. I was considered quite outstanding back then, but compared to your father, I paled in insignificance. Your father was a generational King of Soldiers. He even had a bit of a romantic entanglement with the empress of Arthur Country."
Hearing this, Wu Tian understood that his father had been quite the charmer in his youth.
"Your parents met and got to know each other in the military camp, only falling in love after being certain they were right for each other."
Wu Tian nodded.
But here, Qin Zhengyang's tone shifted. He sighed and said, "Unfortunately, that was also the beginning of their tragedy."
Anyone else might have been puzzled.
How could parents falling in love be the start of a tragedy?
But Wu Tian wasn't. He had heard too many such stories. His calm demeanor as he listened was somewhat surprising to Qin Zhengyang.
"It was because of his family," Qin Zhengyang said, his mind on that terrifying behemoth. "Your father came from a powerful family, one that felt your mother was unworthy of him. They refused to acknowledge her. At that time, your mother was already pregnant with you, but that family still refused to recognize her status. They even demanded she go to a hospital and have you aborted.
"Your mother refused, so the family tried to use force. She fled, but they feared she would reveal her relationship with your father and disrupt their plans. You see, they had already arranged a match for your father with another woman of equal social standing. Their family would grow even stronger if your father married that woman. They even used scientific analysis to claim that a child from their union would be a genius, while your mother was inauspicious. They said that any child she bore, you, would amount to nothing, and that they would never acknowledge you.
"To erase the love between your father and mother, they even... they constantly hunted your mother down." Qin Zhengyang grew angry. "If your father hadn't threatened to take his own life in the end, that demonic family probably would not have given up even to this day."
Wu Tian's gaze turned frigid—colder than ice, sharper than a sword. In that instant, the very air around them seemed to freeze solid.
Throughout the First Hotel, people shivered, wondering why the air had suddenly turned so cold, even colder than the dead of winter. Qin Zhengyang, who had once served with distinction in a top-tier military unit, felt as if he were trapped in quicksand. It became hard to breathe, and his limbs felt too heavy to move.
He was both shocked and suspicious. He had heard from Murong Yezi that Wu Tian had lived a very ordinary life these past few years, merely having been tricked into a pyramid scheme for four years. Now he understood that things were not nearly that simple.
"Tell me the name of that family," Wu Tian said.
"I don't know." Qin Zhengyang shook his head. "I've tried to investigate, but I found nothing. Their power is beyond imagination."
"Is that so?" Wu Tian scoffed.
They're just slightly larger ants, that's all. At my peak, I could crush them all with a single stomp. And now? They're nothing more than stepping stones for my rise.
"Just focus on living a good life. Don't go looking for them," Qin Zhengyang said with concern. "I'm telling you this so you'll cherish the life you have now. It didn't come easily."
Wu Tian nodded, but his expression remained as still as stagnant water, without a single ripple. Qin Zhengyang couldn't tell if his words had registered at all.
Just then, Murong Yezi came out carrying Gugu.
Gugu's little face was lit with excitement. The moment she saw Wu Tian, she began to call out, "Papa, Papa, Papa!" as if she could never get tired of it.
"This little one said she was sleepy, so I brought her out," Murong Yezi said happily. "I didn't expect her to perk right up the moment she saw you, you stinky boy. Ah, she doesn't love her grandma anymore."
"No, no, no," the little girl protested, her words muffled as she put her fingers in her mouth.
Looking at the lively and adorable little girl, Wu Tian smiled. He suddenly felt that having a daughter was wonderful. So this is what a family feels like.
"Tomorrow, I'll take you to the company. As they say, being close gives you an advantage," Qin Zhengyang said after a moment of thought. "For now, I'll leave Gugu with you all."
Wu Tian nodded.
Hearing that her grandfather was leaving, the little girl immediately started to cry. "Grandpa, don't you love me anymore..."
"My darling, how could Grandpa not love you?" Seeing her cry, Qin Zhengyang was frantic, completely at a loss as to what to do. It took him quite a while to explain everything and finally soothe Gugu.
"Then, Grandpa, remember to take Gugu to kindergarten in the morning," Gugu said.
"Yes, Grandpa remembers," Qin Zhengyang nodded hastily. The man who was once a titan of Yang City's business world was now utterly defeated by a child. He was reluctant to go, but he eventually left.
「That evening.」
Gugu climbed onto Wu Tian's bed.
"Papa, do you want to see Mama's private photos?"