The next day, Qin Tianyi and his wife planned to return to Lancheng after sending Xiao Xingxing back to school.
An Jing, however, intended to stay behind and hire a lawyer. After a night of deliberation, he felt that engaging a renowned local lawyer would increase his chances of winning.
Local lawyers would be familiar with the area's legal customs, court procedures, and established practices…
He shared his thoughts with Tianyi, who couldn't dissuade him and could only advise him to proceed within his means.
"An Jing, it would be best if you win this case. If it's not possible, you should come back first, and we can discuss it further. Also, you must be careful when you're here alone. Alva has his own influence here, and I'm worried he might resort to some despicable tactics."
"Alright, I'll be careful. I wish you a smooth journey as well." An Jing had already decided to return to Xiaoxiao.
"Take care," Tianyi said, patting his shoulder.
An Jing nodded and then said to him, "I'd like to speak with Susu alone for a moment. I want her to pass on a few words to Lan Yu for me."
"Okay, while you're away, we'll help take care of Lan Yu and the child," Tianyi said, knowing that An Jing understood Lan Yu wouldn't agree, so he wouldn't speak to Lan Yu directly.
An Jing had to once again weigh his family against Xiaoxiao.
Susu was talking with Xiao Xingxing when An Jing called her aside.
"An Jing, have you made up your mind? Are you really planning to stay here and fight Alva in court?"
An Jing nodded, his gaze resolute.
Susu asked with a hint of worry, "Did you talk to Lan Yu about this last night? Did she agree?"
"I haven't spoken to her yet," An Jing said to Susu. "I want to ask you to tell her for me when you go back, to not worry and to take good care of Yu Ning."
"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Susu was a little concerned this might affect An Jing and Lan Yu's relationship. She advised, "Actually, there's not much point in fighting Alva for custody now. In a few years, Xiaoxiao will be an adult. Once she's an adult, there won't be any issues with guardianship or custody. But you..."
"Don't say any more. I can't let her continue to stay with such a cold-hearted person like Alva. It was all my fault back then. If I hadn't insisted on sending her to her biological father, she wouldn't have had to suffer like this," An Jing said with regret.
But Susu still wanted to finish expressing her thoughts, "But have you considered that lawsuits can take a long time? If this lawsuit drags on for several years, Xiaoxiao will be an adult by then, and all your efforts during these years will be in vain. Is it worth it?"
Susu didn't want to ignore Xiaoxiao, but given the current situation, she couldn't help. It would be better to wait until Xiaoxiao became an adult.
An Jing fell silent for a moment.
Susu continued, "We can keep an eye on Xiaoxiao. If Alva arranges a marriage for her when she becomes an adult, and she is unwilling, we can step in and make decisions for her. Moreover, if Alva forces her to marry someone then, he will be breaking the law, and I don't believe we can't deal with him."
An Jing took a breath and said, "Susu, I understand what you mean. After I hire a lawyer, I'll communicate with them to see what's best for Xiaoxiao, and then we'll make a decision."
"Alright, I'll help tell Lan Yu for you. When she finds out, you'll need to explain it to her patiently. Whatever you do, don't let this affect your relationship," Susu reminded him.
"I know."
At this moment, the car sent to take them to the airport arrived outside the hotel entrance. Tianyi, Susu, and Xiao Xingxing said goodbye to him and got into the car.
In the car, Xiao Xingxing was diligently working on a practice book.
Susu, fearing it would be bad for his eyes, firmly took the workbook from his hands and said, "It's best to close your eyes and rest in the car. It strains your eyes. You can study when you get back to school."
"Mom, give me back my workbook," Xiao Xingxing said anxiously. "I want to catch up on the lessons I've missed as soon as possible."
Susu didn't return it, holding the workbook tightly. "It won't make a difference whether you do it now or later. Be good and rest."
"Dad, look, Mom won't let me study," Xiao Xingxing appealed to Tianyi.
Tianyi, however, agreed with Susu and said to him, "Your mother is right. You can catch up on the missed lessons back at school. The time on the road isn't that crucial."
Seeing his parents in agreement, Xiao Xingxing said with frustration, "Dad, you know I woke up early this morning and made a study plan. Time is very precious to me now, and I don't want to waste a single second."
Susu placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature and asked, "Do you have a fever? Why are you suddenly saying things like this?"
Xiao Xingxing said helplessly, "Mom, what's wrong with me wanting to study diligently?"
"Xingxing, I'm very happy that you want to study diligently," Tianyi said meaningfully, as if he saw through him. "But I hope you also take care of your body and eyes, as your future is still long. I believe you will consider your long-term development, rather than just trying to push yourself because of some unwillingness."
Xiao Xingxing lowered his gaze and said, "I understand. Thank you, Dad."
However, in his heart, he felt that his parents simply didn't understand him.
Susu found Tianyi's words a bit convoluted and hard to understand. She asked, "Honey, what are you two talking about? What is Xingxing unwilling about?"
"It's nothing. He's afraid that falling behind in his studies will affect his grades and prevent him from maintaining his top position. I'm just telling him not to be too fixated on being first," Tianyi said, not revealing Xiao Xingxing's true thoughts.
Susu felt she understood and returned the workbook to Xiao Xingxing, saying, "You can keep it. Don't care too much about your ranking. No matter what your score is, you are still my excellent son."
Xiao Xingxing put away the workbook and stopped studying. He could only smile at Susu and then leaned back, closing his eyes to rest, not wanting to say anything more.
He had never cared about rankings. As long as he studied diligently, the rank he achieved didn't matter, and he knew this better than anyone.
At this moment, he felt a generational gap between himself and his parents; they couldn't truly understand his feelings.
In their eyes, he was still just a child.
But he already had his own plans for the future and would work hard towards them.
Susu felt a bit disappointed that Xiao Xingxing seemed reluctant to talk to her much, appearing annoyed with her.
Tianyi secretly squeezed Susu's hand, telling her not to worry too much, and whispered in her ear, "Everyone goes through a growth process."
Susu nodded, indicating she understood, and her mood improved slightly.
It seemed that as children grew older, they didn't want their parents to interfere too much, especially teenagers who wanted to break free from parental control and pursue their so-called freedom.
They took several hours of flight and then a car, finally arriving at the school with Xiao Xingxing at dusk.
As soon as Xiao Xingxing arrived at the school, he waved goodbye to them and headed to the dormitory.
Susu wanted to chase after him to give him a few more instructions, but Tianyi stopped her.
"Don't nag him anymore. Let him be," Tianyi said, pulling her in another direction. "We caused quite a bit of trouble for the school this time. We need to meet the principal, thank him, and ask him to keep a close eye on Xiao Xingxing."
Susu said, "Okay." Although she was reluctant to part with Xiao Xingxing, she understood that any further interference would only annoy the child. She had to control her emotions.