“You won’t let her call anyone else Daddy? That’s too controlling.”
“There are so many divorced couples in this world, if we go by your logic…”
Xiang Wan suddenly woke up.
“Are you here to fight me for my child? Lu Mingzhe, so you’re here to fight me for my child today?”
The words “fight for the child” were undeniably harsh.
Lu Mingzhe wanted to correct her, but he couldn’t find more suitable words to describe his current actions.
They were not husband and wife in the legal sense, and if he wanted Xiang Wan’s child, wasn’t that indeed snatching?
“Stop the nonsense. Take me to see her first.”
“Impossible!” Xiang Wan stood up abruptly, agitated.
“I carried, bore, and raised this child all by myself. You contributed nothing, and you just want to snatch her? Are you not ashamed?”
Seeing that he had frightened her, Lu Mingzhe softened his tone to appease her.
“I know you raised the child yourself with great difficulty, but I never said I didn’t want to take responsibility.”
“You know how much I like this child…”
Xiang Wan interrupted him, “What’s the point, Lu Mingzhe? Are you infertile, or is your new wife unable to have children?”
“You can clearly have another child legitimately, so why must you come and fight me for this one?”
“Besides, your liking this child doesn’t mean she will like her, or that your mother will like her. Dare you be more selfish and force her upon others, making her a thorn in their side?”
Lu Mingzhe had no intention of taking the child away alone; in fact, he hadn’t thought anything through.
His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat, all he wanted was to see the child quickly!
He had a child, a child that belonged to him and Xiang Wan, just the thought of it made him incredibly excited!
“We’ll talk about future matters later. Take me to see her first.”
“Impossible! Unless I die today, you will never, ever take my child away!”
“I didn’t say I wanted to take her away, I just want to see her…”
“What’s the point, Lu Mingzhe? Can you give her fatherly love or anything? You are someone else’s husband now, and you will have new children in the future. Your life won’t be lacking her, can’t you just pretend she doesn’t exist…”
The police officers, having listened this far, finally understood.
There was no business dispute at all; it was clearly a matter of emotional debt.
It turned out Lu Mingzhe had made a false report.
He interrupted their conversation, lectured Lu Mingzhe, and intended to take him in for detention.
“I can go with you, but only if she lets me see the child now. She secretly had my child behind my back, can’t I at least seek an explanation?”
The police officers turned their gaze back to Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan frowned, “Are you going to interfere in such matters too? Is it illegal for me to have my own child?”
“It’s not illegal, but from a legal standpoint, he is the child’s biological father and has the right to contend for custody with you. If you two can reach a private agreement, that would be best. If not, you may have to go to court. Ms. Xiang, the child is still young, and you surely don’t want things to become so unpleasant with her father, do you?”
Seeing that they were siding with him, Lu Mingzhe pressed his advantage.
“Even if you don’t take me today, when I get out, I will come looking for you immediately. I won’t let you escape a second time.”
Xiang Wan felt a chill down her spine.
His demeanor was one of determination to fight her to the end, how could he be so heartless?
She recalled all the effort she had put into conceiving, birthing, and raising their child until today, all fueled by her love for him.
To end up in such a situation, she was overwhelmed with sorrow.
“What exactly do you want? You won’t be satisfied until I have nothing left and you have gained everything, is that it?”
“It seems I was right to leave back then. Lu Mingzhe, you and your mother are the same; you’ve never truly valued me. Your own feelings always come first!”
Hearing her say that, Lu Mingzhe’s blood boiled. He stood up abruptly, slamming his fist onto the conference table.
“Are you going to bring up these old grievances with me? Is that necessary?”
“When my mother disapproved of you, how did I speak to her? Didn’t I tell her in front of you that I would sever ties with her for you?”
“For you, I moved out of my family home, borrowed money from friends, and took jobs I previously disdained. Wasn’t that enough? What else do you want from me?”
“I was also very troubled, I had no right to choose my mother, and when there was conflict between you two, I tried my best to consider you. And what was the result? How did you treat me?”
“You secretly sold your houses, cars, and company, and ran to a distant place with another man and my child. Did you consider my feelings at all?”
“Doesn’t that hurt my pride? Huh? Did you consider how I’ve endured the past year?”
“Damn it, for you, I even drew a knife against my mother and almost developed alcoholic liver disease!”
“Is it that in your subconscious, whatever you do is always right? Even being with Tang Haichao is considered natural?”
“And me? I deserved to endure others’ pointed remarks, to remain unmarried and childless, waiting for you until you were willing to come back? Huh?”
Xiang Wan hadn’t thought that far.
She had experienced sadness, loss, and confusion, tormenting herself in various ways, but she had never wished for Lu Mingzhe to remain trapped in a quagmire of pain after she left.
They had done so much for each other in the past, how did they end up like this?
After being questioned by him, it took Xiang Wan a while to muster the strength to explain.
“The child is fine. I won’t, and I won’t allow anything to happen to her. Rest assured.”
“Let the past be the past. Entrust her to me with confidence. Go and live your life well with your new wife.”
Lu Mingzhe let out another roar, “Stop with this nonsense. I know, and you think I can pretend not to know?”
“Xiang Wan, don’t force me to use force. I’m about to lose control. Hurry and take me to see her!”
At this moment, he resembled a furious lion, his eyes reddened, radiating a dangerous aura.
Although the office door was closed, his roars had likely seeped through the cracks, and everyone in the company was probably watching the spectacle in silence.
Xiang Wan could no longer bear to be the subject of their amusement.
“Then promise me, it’s just a look, and you won’t take her. Otherwise, I’ll fight you to the death here today, and I still won’t take you.”
The police officers drove them, and soon arrived downstairs at the apartment Xiang Wan rented.
It was an old, rundown complex, and from its exterior, one could imagine the general style within.
Lu Mingzhe hadn’t expected Xiang Wan to be so elegantly dressed, drive a decent car, yet live in such a place.
This was his daughter, Lu Mingzhe’s daughter.
The first grandchild of the Lu family.
To live in such a cramped, dilapidated place instead of the spacious, comfortable house in Nancheng.
He couldn't bear to think about it; the thought made Lu Mingzhe’s heart tremble.
Xiang Wan pushed the door open and stepped out, with the police officers and Lu Mingzhe close behind.
Startled, she quickly turned back, “Grandmother is old, and the child has been sick recently. Please don’t go upstairs, don’t scare them.”