WebNovels

Chapter 3 - chapter3

Zhou Yan hadn't expected to see such a scene today. He had only come here for a last-minute meeting with Xu Jichen.

That Song Yining seemed different from the one he had met before. Not heavily made up, not covered in logos and designer brands—just quietly sitting there, speaking with an indifferent calmness, urging the woman across from her to seduce her father.

"Mom!"

The little boy ran after Bai Lili, trying to grab her hand.

But Bai Lili shoved him away in disgust, pushing him hard.

When Song Yining bent down to pick him up, she suddenly felt two sharp, unfriendly gazes bearing down on her.

She looked up and saw Xu Jichen and Zhou Yan staring.

She had checked their photos while sorting things out earlier, so their faces weren't unfamiliar.

"Song Yining, you're going to raise your brother's child? If you take this kid in, the entire Song family will become a laughingstock," Zhou Yan blurted out.

Xu Jichen, meanwhile, just sat silently, his eyes calmly studying her.

"The Song family's reputation? What's that worth?" Song Yining gave a short laugh, took the boy's hand, and walked off.

Perhaps because his feelings had been hurt, the boy no longer cried for his mother. He simply followed Song Yining quietly.

"Song Yining."

She had only walked a few steps when Xu Jichen's deep voice sounded from behind her.

She turned back, her gaze meeting his cold, sharp features.

"I don't like illegitimate children," he said, adjusting his cufflinks as if it were nothing.

Song Yining: "???"

"That night, I didn't use protection." Xu Jichen spoke bluntly. A few days before their divorce, he had come home drunk. When he woke up, he was lying next to Song Yining. There had been no sign of any protection.

"If you don't want kids, why wouldn't you take precautions? And now you want me to clean up your mess? We're both adults. Don't act like some feudal emperor. You expect me to drink some kind of birth-control decoction just to 'serve' you?"

Her words were sharp, filled with disdain, but the way she held the little boy's hand was gentle.

Zhou Yan almost choked with laughter behind them. Pointing at her retreating, he asked Xu Jichen, "Wait, wait—since when did she… get a brain?"

Xu Jichen didn't answer, his expression unreadable. He had never taken Song Yining seriously. Their marriage was only a convenient cover; never once had he looked at her.

But that didn't mean he liked trouble.

"Tell the company to send more women to Song Yixing. I'll make her come crawling back to me," Xu Jichen said flatly.

Zhou Yan muttered while arranging things: "Man, you're ruthless. But honestly, I gotta admit—she looks a lot more pleasing to the eye now."

"Play with her? Maybe. But not until my divorce is finalized," Xu Jichen stood up, his eyes cold. "Don't end up like that idiot Song Yixing, getting stuck with a child. In families like ours, marriage is a serious matter. You're the only one who'd dare marry a useless woman just for convenience."

Zhou Yan cursed under his breath, following him out: "But seriously, I kind of want to chase her myself now."

Xu Jichen chuckled as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.

When the two men finally left, Song Yining reappeared with the boy, walking out of the restroom.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked gently, bringing him back to the villa by the river. Seeing his unease, she lifted him onto the sofa, patting his head.

"Mom calls me… kitten." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Kitten?"

Thinking of Bai Lili's look of disgust, Song Yining held him in her lap, stroking his hair softly. "From now on, your name will be Song Chengze. Your nickname will be Maomao… let's say, Maomao."

The boy nodded obediently. Realizing she wasn't pushing him away, he leaned against her slightly.

"Later, your dad might come. I'll find you some earplugs. Stay here quietly, okay?" she told him.

She knew too many eyes were on her. News of this would reach her brother. So she waited.

Half an hour later, Song Yixing arrived, clearly in a rush, dragging along a flashy young woman dressed in designer clothes.

The moment he stepped into the living room and saw the boy huddled on the sofa, he strode over, hand reaching out to grab him.

"Don't get so angry, you'll hurt yourself," the young beauty cooed after him, her every glance dripping with seduction.

"Song Yining, are you insane because Xu Jichen dumped you? How could you bring this little bastard back here??" Song Yixing roared. "I never admitted he was mine! Who knows whose kid Bai Lili had??"

The boy couldn't hear through the earplugs, but fear filled his eyes. Song Yining stood protectively in front of him, blocking her brother.

Furious, Song Yixing snatched a vase off the table, ready to smash it at the boy.

Smack!

Song Yining's slap landed square on his face.

"Are you awake now?" she demanded—and then slapped him a second time, leaving him stunned.

The young woman shrank into a corner, trembling in fear.

"Who sent you here?" Song Yining shouted.

"…Aunt Jiang," he stammered, shocked.

"Impossible! Not only are you irresponsible, but now you're lying, too? When I brought Maomao back, I specifically told Aunt Jiang not to tell you or Dad. Why would she betray me?"

His mind reeled: Since when did my fashion-obsessed sister turn into such a badass??

Still, he quickly pulled out his phone, whining: "Look! It was Aunt Jiang who told me you brought that bastard back!"

Song Yining ignored him, repeating under her breath, "Impossible… impossible…"

"Ningning, send him back. I will never acknowledge this child!" Song Yixing shook his head furiously.

"Instead of bawling to me, why don't you keep your damn pants on? Either stop fooling around, or go get a vasectomy!" she shouted. "You weren't always like this! Back in high school, you were a top student—how did you turn into such an idiot??"

"Enough. I've already booked you an appointment at the private hospital. Go get sterilized today." Hugging the dazed boy, she walked upstairs.

No one noticed the faint smile tugging at her lips. Nor did anyone see that the young woman beside Song Yixing had been live-streaming the whole thing since she walked in.

Just as Song Yining lowered her gaze to comfort Maomao, her phone suddenly rang.

She looked down.

Incoming call: Xu Jichen.

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