He had warned them before not to interfere in his matters with Lin Mei. Now, with Lin Mei nearing childbirth, they reappeared. Were they afraid the child would be born too smoothly?
"Lin Mei is about to give birth, and we were worried about her condition, so we came to see," Xing Sha explained. "Your maternal grandmother and grandfather just found out about your situation and wanted to visit you."
Xing Zheng frowned, his gaze sharp. Although he said nothing more, everyone could tell he was displeased.
Xie Qin Jia was accustomed to Xing Zheng's cold demeanor. Now that their roles were reversed, she felt extremely awkward and lowered her head, filled with embarrassment. Xiao Yue happened to see this and said to Xing Zheng, "They're here to see Hua Mei and the baby. It's alright; they're just concerned."
As soon as Xiao Yue spoke, Xing Zheng's expression softened slightly. Xie Qin Jia was surprised that Xing Zheng listened to Xiao Yue so readily, and beneath the surprise, she felt a pang of sadness.
As a mother, she needed someone else to persuade her before she could even stay briefly with her son. Yet, she knew all too well that she had brought this upon herself. She had neglected him for so many years, and now, retribution had arrived.
Lin Mei was good friends with Xu Shang and Xie Jun Yao. When the elders inquired about her, she answered politely. Xu Shang saw the scar on Lin Mei's face and was deeply pained. She said to Xing Zheng, "Hua Mei has suffered so much because of you. You must treat her well. If you make her unhappy, your grandfather and I will be the first to not let you off!"
"Yes, I will," Xing Zheng replied, his attitude towards the elders quite good.
After chatting with Lin Mei, Xie Jun Yao went to ask Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue, "Now that Hua Mei is about to give birth, and the child will need to be registered, shouldn't the two of them get their marriage certificate first?"
"I've already found someone to resolve the household registration issue," Lin Zheng De said to Xie Jun Yao, showing considerable politeness. "As for getting married and obtaining a certificate, that's for them to decide!" With that, he looked towards Lin Mei and Xing Zheng.
It was rare to hear such accommodating words from Lin Zheng De. Xing Zheng immediately seized the opportunity to state his stance, "After the child is born, if she agrees, we'll prepare for that."
"Your thoughts are not important," Xu Shang saw things clearly. "Hua Mei, what do you think?"
With Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue relenting, the next step was to gauge Lin Mei's attitude. Ultimately, Xing Zheng couldn't do without Lin Mei, so his own thoughts were not that significant.
The question was directed back to Lin Mei. Lin Mei's reaction speed was a bit slow at the moment. Lin Zheng De's concession had greatly surprised her. After a long period of thought, she finally replied to Xu Shang, "I haven't thought that far ahead. Right now, I just want the child to be born safely."
The baby in her womb seemed to hear her words and suddenly moved. Xu Shang saw the fetal movement and reached out to touch Lin Mei's belly. The baby, obligingly, moved again.
Xu Shang's smile was radiant. The child, not yet born, had already completely captivated her. "Hua Mei is right. Let's talk about it after the baby is born. We can't make Ah Zheng's life too easy either; let him pursue you properly."
Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue were, after all, people of decorum. Despite having some reservations about Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia, they still invited the two to stay for dinner. At this point, Xie Jun Yao said, "We won't be staying for dinner. Let Lin Mei rest early. Ah Zheng, you'll come back with us."
Xing Zheng replied with an "Mm." When he looked at Lin Mei, he saw worry in her eyes. He walked closer and whispered to her, "I'm fine."
Though he said this, Lin Mei remained worried about him. After he left, she was absent-minded even while eating. Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue could see it at a glance.
Xiao Yue asked, "Are you worried about Xing Zheng?"
"No," Lin Mei denied, but Lin Zheng De saw through her. "My and your mother's eyesight may be old, but we're not blind."
She had worry written all over her face. As parents, how could they not see it?
After being exposed, Lin Mei fell silent, abandoning any attempt to defend herself. Xiao Yue said, "Xing Zheng hasn't had an easy life since he was young. He doesn't seem very close to his parents; they're like strangers."
The bond between parents and children is tied by blood. If it weren't truly beyond redemption, how could it have reached such a state?
As Xie Qin Jia had said before, she had never treated Xing Zheng as a son, which was why they had reached this situation. As a child, Xing Zheng was pitiable enough. Even Lin Zheng De couldn't say harsh words. "When parents are irresponsible, the children have to bear the consequences. In this regard, he has indeed had it tough."
"However, will Xing Zheng know how to interact with his child in the future?" Xiao Yue couldn't help but worry.
"Coming from a family like his, it would be strange if he did," Lin Zheng De held no illusions about this. If he could damage Lin Mei's feelings to this extent, what about the child?
"Then what should we do?" Xiao Yue became even more anxious. The child was about to be born, and if she lacked a father's love during her growth, it would be...
"Whether he knows or not is one thing," Lin Zheng De was not worried. "It's not about not knowing, but about not learning."
Lin Zheng De's words reminded Lin Mei of many things from the past few months. Although Xing Zheng had never promised her how he would treat their child well in the future, she always saw him looking up parenting knowledge on his phone, both text and videos. She had even seen a PPT on his phone, a compilation of parenting knowledge he had organized. He was probably afraid that the child would experience a childhood similar to his own, which was why he was so diligent.
Xing Zheng returned to the villa with them. By then, Yang Shuo had also finished school. He hadn't seen Xing Zheng for a long time. Upon seeing him, he was excited but hesitant to approach, and after a long pause, he called out, "Daddy..."
"You should call me Uncle," this was the first time Xing Zheng had corrected Yang Shuo's address after the car accident. "Remember to change your address."
"Uncle..." Yang Shuo quickly changed his address.
He had known more than a year ago that Xing Zheng was not his biological father. Ruan Yu Fei had also shown him photos of his father. Although Yang Shuo had made a fuss, he had now accepted the reality. After he changed his address, Xing Zheng spoke a few words to him.
Finally, Xie Jun Yao said, "Yu Fei, take Yang Shuo out for a stroll first."
Ruan Yu Fei replied with an "Mm" and quickly led him away. After they, mother and son, departed, Xie Jun Yao said, "Ah Zheng, you've suffered too much injustice over the years. Your parents were not competent. Now that you are also a parent, I hope you will cherish your child and not let the child walk the same path you did in the past."
Xing Zheng replied with an "Mm," "I won't."
His voice was not loud, and his words were simple, but one could hear his determination.
"Hua Mei is a good child. Your maternal grandmother and I watched her grow up. She has suffered so much for you, and she still likes you. You must treat her well too. If you do anything to betray her..."
"I won't," before he could finish, Xing Zheng said, "If it happens again, I will take my own life."
Xie Jun Yao replied, "Good. I hope you keep your word."
After Xie Jun Yao finished speaking, Xu Shang tentatively asked Xing Zheng, "Ah Zheng, you and your parents..."