"We can barely manage our own three children, so don't worry about other people's kids," Tianyi said, his expression darkening.
Susu was taken aback. "How is Xiaoxiao not our child? Shouldn't we care about her?"
"Do you have any blood relation with Shu Yan? Have you forgotten the deep enmity between us and her? We should try to keep our distance from Xiaoxiao."
Susu was rendered speechless. She had considered this issue but couldn't bring herself to distance herself from Xiaoxiao as decisively as Tianyi. She always felt Xiaoxiao was just a child, and Shu Yan's wrongdoings shouldn't be borne by her.
Seeing her silent and distressed, Tianyi patted her head. "I'm going to take a shower. You can sleep if you're tired. Don't let Xiao Xingxing and Xiaoxiao interact too much from now on."
Susu mumbled a reluctant "Mm." Thinking about how hard Tianyi had been working for the company, she couldn't sleep alone. She decided to get up and heat him a cup of milk.
A week later, when she took Xiao Xingxing to see the psychologist again, Xiao Xingxing asked on the way, "Mom, why didn't you call Xiaoxiao today? Shouldn't we go talk to the psychologist together?"
Susu smiled at him. "You and Xiaoxiao are in different situations. You won't see the psychologist together anymore."
"Then after we finish talking with the doctor, can you ask Aunt Lan Yu to bring Xiaoxiao out to play with me?" Xiao Xingxing asked expectantly.
Susu hardened her heart. "Aunt Lan Yu has a baby to take care of, she's very busy and doesn't have time."
"Is that so?" Xiao Xingxing tilted his head and thought. "Then let's invite Xiaoxiao to stay with us for a few days."
"It's already noisy enough with Tiantian and Hengheng at home. If we bring Xiaoxiao over, your dad won't be happy," Susu reminded him. "You should also focus on your studies. School will start again in a while."
"Mom, what's wrong? Do you also dislike Xiaoxiao like Dad?"
Susu had never told him to review his studies before. Her sudden words made Xiao Xingxing feel that she didn't want him to play with Xiaoxiao.
Susu was surprised that the child had become so sensible, able to read adult's emotions. "Who says your dad and I dislike Xiaoxiao? Xiaoxiao is Uncle Xiao's daughter after all. We shouldn't bother them all the time..."
"Mom, I know Dad doesn't like her. After Dad found us abroad, he didn't let Xiaoxiao and me be in the same hospital. He also didn't let me sit with her on the plane."
Xiao Xingxing was still young, and Susu couldn't tell him about the past grudges with Xiaoxiao's birth mother. She could only find an excuse. "That's because your dad thinks Xiaoxiao is a girl and you are a boy. He wants you to know the difference between genders."
Xiao Xingxing gave a disbelieving "Oh," feeling that his parents seemed to have some reservations about Xiaoxiao.
Susu and Xiao Xingxing had just gotten out of the car and were about to enter the psychological clinic.
Her phone rang. It was Lan Yu.
Holding Xiao Xingxing's hand, she stood aside and answered the call.
"Susu, can you come to my house?" Lan Yu said urgently. "I can't reach An Jing, he might be in a meeting."
"What happened at home?" Susu asked quickly.
Lan Yu said, "There's a foreign man right outside my door. He says he's Xiaoxiao's biological father and wants to see her. I don't know if he's a骗子 (piànzi - swindler), I don't dare to let him in! It's just me and the nanny at home. I saw from the surveillance video that this man has people with him... What should I do?"
"Don't panic, I'll be right there." Susu pulled Xiao Xingxing back into the car and, without hanging up, told Xiao Lin, "Go to Mr. Xiao's house."
Lan Yu asked on the phone, "How long will it take?"
"Very soon, twenty minutes. If that man dares to force his way in, call the police," Susu reminded her.
"Mm-hmm, okay."
Susu added, "I'll hang up now. I'll contact Tianyi to see if he can reach An Jing."
"Then I'll trouble you."
"Mom, what happened to Xiaoxiao?" Xiao Xingxing asked immediately after she finished the call.
Susu said hastily, "Xiaoxiao is fine." Then she dialed Tianyi's mobile.
However, Tianyi's phone was also set to do-not-disturb mode, making it impossible to reach him.
It seemed they were all in important meetings. Susu had no choice but to take Xiao Xingxing to check it out first.
As they neared An Jing's house, the psychologist called, asking why she and the child hadn't arrived at the scheduled time.
Susu had to say that something urgent had come up at home and reschedule their appointment.
Although Xiao Lin didn't know what exactly had happened, he understood that Susu was in a hurry to get to Mr. Xiao's house and sped up.
Susu arrived at An Jing's doorstep and indeed saw two foreign men standing at the main entrance.
Judging by their demeanor, even if they couldn't get in, they were unwilling to leave.
Susu observed them through the car window and told Xiao Xingxing to stay in the car. She wanted to get out and take a look herself.
Xiao Lin wanted to accompany her, but she worried about Xiao Xingxing's safety alone in the car and asked Xiao Lin to stay with him.
From her observation, although the two foreign men were tall, they were refined and well-mannered in their actions.
"You watch me from the car. If those two men make a move on me, then you come out to help me," Susu told him not to worry too much.
After speaking, Susu opened the car door and walked over, as if she knew nothing about the situation and was just visiting the family.
She walked to the door, pretending to ring the doorbell, and looked at the two foreign men, asking curiously in English, "Who are you looking for? Why are you standing at the door?"
The man with short blond hair, wearing a dark gray suit, said politely, "Excuse me, do you know this family? Do they have a little blonde girl?"
Susu looked into the man's eyes and found that his blue eyes were very similar to Xiaoxiao's. Could this person really be Xiaoxiao's biological father?
Susu nodded and said, "Yes, but what business is it of yours? My friends probably don't welcome you. Please leave!"
The blond man quickly explained, "We have no ill intentions. This is my lawyer. I saw the little girl on the internet video. She has a unique mark of our family, and it's very likely she's my biological daughter..."
"This kind of trick is too old-fashioned. Who are you trying to fool? If you don't leave, I'm calling the police," Susu continued to remain vigilant.
The blond man suddenly rolled up his suit sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt's golden cuffs, revealing his arm.
Susu flinched back a step, not having time to react.
Xiao Lin had already rushed over and, with a grappling move, twisted the man's exposed arm, shouting, "What do you want to do?"
The blond man's lawyer hurried over to help, trying to pull Xiao Lin away.
"Don't do this, calm down," the blond man tried to break free from Xiao Lin's grip. "I wanted her to see the birthmark on my arm."
Susu looked closely at his arm. Indeed, there was a crescent-shaped red birthmark. She said to Xiao Lin, "Let him go first. He probably has no ill intentions."