Chu Cichen took out the photo and carefully assessed the details on it.

He suddenly picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The dial tone only rang once and the call was connected. A male voice speaking in French could be heard. “Boss, how can I be of service?”

Chu Cichen lowered his gaze and instructed, “Help me with something…”

If things were as he expected, this should be how the photo came about.

–

In the Shen Family’s residence.

Chu Xiaomeng looked at the two people in front of her and tightened her grip on the dinosaur soft toy. She said unhappily to Chu Tianye, “So, you betrayed Mommy just like that?”

“I didn’t want to either.” Chu Tianye felt very aggrieved. “But Paternal Grandmother offered too much.”

Chu Xiaomeng: ‘…’

She was about to say something in contempt to Chu Tianye when the latter squatted down in front of her. “Sister, Paternal Grandmother said that there’s a big library in the Chu Family’s manor! There are many books there! Especially books that are out of print or there are only unique copies of them!”

Chu Xiaomeng’s eyes lit up.

Chu Tianye then added, “Moreover, there aren’t any people in the Chu Manor’s library! It’s because outsiders can’t enter easily, not even the nanny. Every day, there’d just be a robot cleaner to clean the dust.”

Chu Xiaomeng suddenly shot up to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Both Chu Yu and Chu Tianye asked, “To where?”

Chu Xiaomeng looked at them and said confidently, “My library.”

Chu Yu: ‘…’ He had initially thought that he was caught in a dilemma between his paternal grandmother and his mommy and was the one who let down his mommy the most. (Do the two of you not have any integrity?)

Who were the ones who said that they wouldn’t betray their mommy earlier?

Given how unfilial his siblings were, their mommy would definitely feel very hurt. At the thought of how their mommy would have no one but him to rely on when she grew old, Chu Yu quietly clenched his small fists.

(Mommy, don’t worry! I’ll love you forever!)

The dramatic Chu Yu started going on in his heart.

When the three children stood in front of Shen Ruojing and stuttered as they expressed their views, Shen Ruojing raised her brows. “So, you guys want to go stay with the Chu Family?”

Chu Tianye said, “Mommy, after I get Paternal Grandmother’s money, you’ll be able to idle away every day. It won’t be an issue for me to take care of you! After I get the money, I’ll come back!”

Chu Xiaomeng looked at her brother and learned from him, saying, “After I get those books, I’ll come back too!”

Chu Yu took a step forward and hugged Shen Ruojing’s arm. “… Mommy, I won’t go back! I’ll stay with you!”

Chu Tianye and Chu Xiaomeng: ‘???’

Traitor!

The two children then turned to look at Shen Ruojing’s expression. However, they saw that she didn’t get angry.

Shen Ruojing naturally understood what they were thinking.

They had just got to know their daddy, so how could they not want to be reunited with him?

Just like how Chu Yu didn’t want to leave her, the two children definitely wanted to know what kind of person their father was. She actually didn’t object to this.

The children were free to do as they wished.

She picked up Chu Yu and said, “Alright, the two of you can go.”

“…”

Although Matriarch Chu knew that Chu Yu wouldn’t be coming back and that Shen Ruojing wouldn’t be coming along with the two children, Matriarch Chu still welcomed the two children very much. She came to pick them up personally.

After they got into the car, Matriarch Chu hugged Chu Xiaomeng.

Her granddaughter was finally back!

Matriarch Chu smiled and said, “Little Meng, I heard you like dogs, so I already bought one at home. You’ll be able to see it after we go back!”

Chu Xiaomeng’s eyes lit up. “Alright.”

Chu Tianye’s mind started turning. “Grandmother, have you thought of a name for the dog?”

“I haven’t yet. I was waiting for you guys to name it!”

“I’ve already thought of it!”

Matriarch Chu seemed doubtful. “So fast?”

Chu Tianye sighed. “Grandmother, my sister and I were abandoned by daddy from the moment we were born. Mommy worked hard to get up early and go to the stall to sell pancakes, but she was still very poor. She would come back very late at night and the house was so dark. Back then, I thought that it would be good if there was a dog to accompany my sister and me…”

Matriarch Chu’s lips twitched and she interrupted him, “Weren’t your maternal grandparents at home?”

“… That isn’t important! Grandmother, the day I liked the most is the day I met you. Therefore, can I name this dog Chuyu*?”

Matriarch Chu was bewitched by his sweet words and nodded. “Of course you can!”

When the car arrived at the Chu Manor, Chu Tianye and Chu Xiaomeng saw an Alaskan Malamute puppy waiting for them in the courtyard. The small puppy looked simple-minded and its white fur was very long. It was chubby and very adorable.

Chu Tianye grinned.

“Chuyu, come over here!”

“Chuyu, come over and let my sister hug you~”

“Chuyu, you dog!”

Matriarch Chu smiled when she saw the two children playing happily with the puppy. But why did she feel that something was amiss?

–

“Ah-choo!”

“Ah-choo!”

When the Shen Family was having dinner, Chu Yu kept on sneezing.

“Did you catch a cold?”

Shen Ruojing touched Chu Yu’s small face and the latter nestled his head against her hand, his eyes filled with admiration. “Mommy, I’m sick. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“… You’re fine.”

“Oh.”

Chu Yu was wearing a small suit and lowered his head in disappointment. Someone must have been talking bad about him behind his back, causing him to sneeze so many times. He wondered if there was still time for him to go take a cold shower and pretend to be sick.

When he was thinking of this, he saw Shen Ruojing picking up some vegetables and putting them in his bowl. “Eat more vegetables and I’ll sleep with you.”

She noticed that Chu Yu was picky with his food and didn’t like to eat vegetables.

This habit was exactly the same as the other two children.

Chu Yu suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her. “Really?”

“En.”

Chu Yu then looked at that whole plate of vegetables. “Then if I were to finish the entire plate of vegetables, can I continue to sleep together with you tomorrow?”

“…” Shen Ruojing realized that there was something wrong with her teaching method.

She could talk terms with Chu Tianye and Chu Xiaomeng.

However, Chu Yu was lacking too much of a sense of security and motherly love.

She rubbed Chu Yu’s head. “Little Yu, the reason Mommy asked you to eat vegetables is that I want you to have a balanced and nutritious diet. Little Ye is like a calf, while you’re too skinny.”

Chu Yu seemed to have understood something and said, “Mommy, I understand now!”

He looked at the vegetables in the bowl and stuffed them into his mouth as if he was facing death. It looked as if he was eating poison.

For his mommy’s sake, he wasn’t going to back down!

Jing Zhen: “… This acting skill is amazing! Little Yu, after dinner, let’s discuss between grandfather and grandchild how you felt when you were eating poison, oh, no, when you were eating the vegetables.”

Shen Ruojing: ‘…’

That night, Chu Yu had a dream. In the dream, he seemed to have turned into a puppy.

The next day, Shen Ruojing woke up early to practice Tai Chi, keeping up with her leisurely retirement lifestyle. Just then, her phone rang.

She took a look and realized that it was Chu Cichen.

She picked up the phone and Chu Cichen’s deep voice spoke in an alluring tone, “Miss Shen, I’ve figured out the matter with the photo.”

Shen Ruojing’s expression froze. “What happened?”

“Take a look at your inbox. I just sent you an email.”

Shen Ruojing turned on the speaker mode for her phone and then opened up her inbox.

Footnote:

[1] The name for the dog Chuyu (初遇) is meant to be a word pun with the name for the child Chu Yu (楚屿). However, their hanyu pinyin is the same, but the raws for both names are different.