Everyone in the room turned around and looked at Lu Ying.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Han Ming asked.
Lu Ying was shaking because of anxiety. This would be the first time that she would tell someone the truth.
"Umm...my daughter..Lu Dai, is the child of me and...um."
"Hurry and speak, Ying," Lu Tian said.
She calmed herself down and said, "Tang Qingyu is Lu Dai's father."
Han Ming brought her hand to her forehead and her legs gave up on her. Lu Tian gave her support and led her to the couch to sit down.
Zhang Yi was shocked and said, "My son is the father of your daughter? How is this possible? Are you sure that you aren't mistaken?"
"Aunty, I'm not mistaken. Me and Qingyu dated for seven years. Then, we broke up because of a misunderstanding."
Lu Ying's tears fell down from her face.
"I hid Dai-Dai's existence from him because I was worried that his reputation would be damaged. I didn't want people to look at him like he was a man who got someone pregnant before marriage and didn't want to take responsibility. Also, because he would be held back from his work. Before I was able to tell him about her, my parents arranged a blind date for me and I was going to tell the guy that I was in a relationship already, but Tang Qingyu thought I was cheating. After that, we broke up."
Tang Qingyu looked at her and it was hard for him to accept the things that she suddenly said.
"W-what do you...mean? I don't... understand."
"You never believed me when I told you about the blind date and you thought I was cheating. Now, you can confirm that my parents actually did arrange a blind date for me."
Lu Tian and Han Ming felt guilty. They were the cause of their daughter and future-son-in-law's breakup. They should asked if she was in a relationship before setting up dates for her.
Han Ming cried and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in a relationship already."
She took her daughter's hand and looked at Tang Qingyu as she said, "Please forgive me. Don't blame my daughter for something I did. It's my fault. Don't misunderstand each other anymore. Okay?"
They all heard footsteps from the stairs.
"Mommy! Can you come read me a story? I'm not sleepy and I'm bored by myself."
A cute little girl wearing a light pink sleeping dress with a side braid was jumping on the stairs and smiling brightly at them.
Tang Qingyu didn't feel himself crying. When he started to sniffle, everyone looked at him and a wave of sadness crashed onto them.
Lu Dai saw her father for the first time in her whole life. She was confused whenever she saw the man crying and looking at her.
"Dai-Dai! Come down here! Don't jump on the stairs! You'll fall!" Lu Ying yelled.
She skipped over to them and said, "Mommy, why is that mister crying?"
Lu Ying started to cry, too, and she said, "Dai-Dai, that's your father."
Lu Dai was confused. Father? She asked if she could see her father many times, but her mother always refused. Lu Ying always said that he was busy and couldn't be with them.
"Daddy!" She ran over to him and hugged him.
The heart of everyone in the room ached whenever they saw them. The family finally reunited.
"Daddy! Can you read a story for me?"
Tang Qingyu wiped his tears and said, "Of course, sweetheart, let's go."
He carried the little girl in his arms and went upstairs with her.
Lu Tian spoke up, "You guys can all go home now. I'll ask Qingyu if he wants to stay over for the night."
Tang Wei said, "Okay. We're going to head out now."
Everyone was still shocked from the burst of events that just happened.
Tang Lin went into the car with Lu Shen.
"I did not expect any of this at all." She said.
"Me neither."
Meanwhile, Tang Qingyu went into the room with his daughter and put her down. She held his hand and brought him in front of a bookshelf.
"Choose a book for me."
Tang Qingyu looked through the rows of books and took one out.
"You read books like 'Crazy Rich Asians' by Kevin Kwan? Isn't this for older people?"
"That's my mommy's book, but sometimes I read it by myself."
He put the book away and took another one out.
"Let's read 'Ballad of Mulan'. Wait, isn't this the original story of Mulan? You can understand poetry?"
"Yes. Let's read that one."
He was led to a chair next to the bed and Lu Dai laid on the bed.
He read about Mulan going to war because her siblings were unable to go in place of her father, so she went. Then, after ten years, she gave up the opportunity to become a high-ranked minister because she just wanted to go home.
Tang Qingyu looked at his daughter and saw that she fell asleep. He thought, 'How can she understand this at age seven? I couldn't even read a chapter of a novel at her age.'
He heard the door open and he turned to see who it was.
Lu Ying came in and asked, "Do you want to stay over tonight? My father is asking."
"Sure."
Lu Dai woke up when she heard them talking.
"Mommy, come sleep next to me."
Lu Ying complied. After that she asked, "Daddy, sleep next to me, too."
"Um...I can't. Your mother is already sleeping with you."
"It's alright, Qingyu. Just sleep on the other side."
Tang Qingyu thought that she wouldn't want to be near him, but when she allowed him to sleep next to them, he was glad.
"Okay."
When he laid next to her, Lu Dai said, "Daddy, you'll be here when I wake up, right? Will you leave me again?"
Tears glossed her eyes.
"I won't leave you. Don't worry. I will never leave you again." Those words were meant for Lu Ying and Lu Dai.
When their daughter fell asleep, Tang Qingyu stared at his new fiancée.
"Ying-Ying, I'm sorry for not believing you. I should've trusted you. I was wrong. You don't need to forgive me. It must've been hard raising her by yourself."
There was a long silence.
"I forgive you. It was my fault for not telling you that we have a daughter. Let's have a new start."
"Okay. Thank you for forgiving me. I'll never leave you guys alone again. I promise."
Once he fell asleep, Lu Ying turned off the light and stared at Qingyu's handsome face and her daughter's puffy cheeks. It was the image of a family that she always wanted.
"Good night." She kissed them both on the forehead and fell asleep.