"Xiao Lo'Bao am I similar to your mother? Is that why you have confused me with her?" Jiang Xin Yan asked him.
She had been startled initially by the little dumpling's address but after seeing his sleepy face, she concluded that he was exhausted.
Seeing that there was only two seats and no woman around. Jiang XinYan concluded he must be only travelling with his father and therefore he was tremendously missing his mother.
Gently she pried his arms from his neck and adjusted him to come down.
The tired dumpling whined and was about to start a tantrum when a stern voice was heard.
"Wen. Xi. Lan!"
His father's stern voice startled the little dumpling into immediately going down.
However, although he was now standing on his own, he was still grabbing Jiang Xin Yan's hand, refusing to let go.
"You don't have to be so stern with him," Jiang Xin Yan disapproved the strict tone he had used. "Really I don't mind, your child is adorable."
Jiang Xin Yan then squatted down,
"Xiao Lo'Bao your name is Wen Xi Lan? How fitting, you are so lovely like an orchid. Little Ah-Lan, this aunt will part with you from here." She told him.
Wen Xi Lan pouted and tighten his hand in hers.
Then he turned to his father with a frown. Mimicking his father's tone, he spoke to him for the first time.
"Want to sleep with mommy!"
Wen Xi Lan glared at his father intently as if really trying to convey to him how desperate he was.
In all his little life, he has seen his mother only in pictures and so, he wondered how it felt to be hugged by her. Now that his dream was fulfilled, Wen XiLan craved for more. He wanted to sleep hugging his mommy to make up for all the time he did not.
Wen JunXi was still taken aback by her scolding him and her immediate guess that the "Lan" in his son's name was for orchid.
His whole body was shivering and a sixth sense was telling him that this woman right there was the one whom he'd been searching for all these years.
The immediate change within his son also confirmed it.
"Little Ah-Lan why do you keep calling me mommy?"
First time was alright. Second time especially in that tone was suspicious.
The little dumpling turned to her, looking at her with accusing eyes at how she couldn't recognise him at all.
"Because you're my mommy." He said it as a matter of fact.
"Little Ah-Lan, you're so silly. How can I be your mommy when we just met? Do I look like your mommy?"
He nodded and shook his head at the same time. He was answering two questions.
Thinking of that picture album his grandmother had made for him. In that album, there was a picture of her lovingly caressing him when he was in her tummy. For little dumpling it wasn't a matter of confusing her for his mommy. She was his mommy.
However, Jiang XinYan had forgotten all of it. That she once had married Wen JunXi and bore him a child. She mistook his nod and shaking of his head as an acquiescence of the latter question.
"Just because I look a little like your mommy does not mean I am her, ah. Your mommy will be offended if you mistake strangers for her. Although this aunt is flattered, do not repeat this, okay?"
Wen Xi Lan was speechless again. Suddenly it occurred to him that his mommy really didn't know him. She really didn't recognise him at all.
Wen Xi Lan suddenly felt wronged. He finally met her after years of longing. Now all his fantasy of having a loving doting mother who cared for him suddenly came crushing down.
The tears brimmed in his eyes.
Wen JunXi was attuned to his sons every changing mood and so when he saw those tears about to fall, he sighed deeply.
"Wen Xi Lan come here."
Wen Xi Lan did not move. He held firmly to her hand and did not want to let go.
"Wen Xi Lan! Do not let me repeat it twice!"
Wen Xi Lan turned to his father, his chest heaved up and down in distress and suddenly the tears fell endless down his eyes.
There was a deep sadness to them that wreaked one's soul. He did not wail either, he silently cried as if the whole world was crashing down.
Jiang XinYan suddenly felt very upset. Seeing such devastating tears in his eyes, her heart felt unsettled.
Thinking how tired he was and how he was missing his mother, she suddenly made a decision.
"Little Ah-Lan! Don't cry okay! Auntie is so upset seeing you cry like this! Don't worry aunt has heard you, she will sleep with you."
Jiang XinYan comforted the child with these words. She stroked his tears away.
After seeing that he had calm down. She stood up and turned to his father.
"Little Ah-Lan's father, my name is Jiang Xin Yan what's yours?"
She took out her hand as if to shake his.
Wen JunXi had been watching her closely as she comforted his son. He was very surprised how fast Wen Xi Lan stopped crying as soon as she consoled him.
Usually, it would take him a long time to appease Wen Xi Lan when he threw a tantrum.
Suddenly upon hearing her address him, he had startled.
Her name was Jiang XinYan? Not Yan Yan? Although there was also a Yan in her name, he had seen Yan Yan household register when he went to the Bureau of Affairs [1] after marrying her abroad to put her into his family register.
Her name was simply Yan Yan without anything else. She had taken her mother's maiden Yan. And her mother had named her Yan.
"I'm Wen JunXi." He felt compelled to shake her hand after she insisted so long.
He really despised handshakes the most, touching people really was not his forte.
However, as their hands shook, there was no feeling of aversion as he had anticipated. There was no disgust at all, in fact the feeling of her hands were the same as hers.
"You—"
Both of them said at the same time.
"Wen JunXi of Wen Corporation?" Jiang XinYan immediately exclaimed.
No wonder he was familiar. This man was so popular and powerful even in the west they were articles praising him.
Suddenly Jiang XinYan felt intimidated, however the feeling was brief before she remembered whom she was.
She realised the rumours were also true after all. This man really had a child this old.
Most people on Weibo speculated that the mother was a mistress he kept hidden, others said it was his childhood love Bai Jiu. This Bai Jiu apparently had mental health issues and therefore why it was all a secret.
Jiang XinYan really never liked prying on other people's personal affairs, however, because he was her competition, she had to learn every single detail about her competitor. Even down to the nitty gritty as you never knew what information would be adventitious.
Meanwhile, Wen JunXi's suspicions that she was the Yan Yan he'd been searching for were now eight percent.
"You still have a mask on your face." He commented.
"Ah?"
Jiang XinYan touched her face.
"Oops." She then peeled the mask off.
As soon as she peeled off her mask, Wen JunXi gasped. Her whole face, even down to the small mole under her left eye was one hundred percent the same.
"You—" he wanted to say, "you're Yan Yan." But she beat him to it.
"That's right, I'm the Jiang XiYan, heiress of Jiang Group Corporation... Surprised? Find me beautiful? Are you enamoured?" She cheekily praised herself.
Suddenly she felt a pull on her hand and looked down and saw the adorable dumpling drawing attention to himself.
"Ah. Xiao Lan [little orchid]." She suddenly remembered why she had introduced herself to him.
"Wen JunXi, your child clearly has taken fancy with me. He finds me amazing and clings to me." She taunted.
Now that she knew his identity, Jiang XinYan became her true self and let go of the politeness.
"Since I'm so kind and gracious, I will offer my service this once. I also like Little Ah-Lan, so I don't mind if he wants to sleep with me, I can share my bed with him. How's that?" She smirked.
Wen JunXi was really speechless this time. Four years ago, he had heard of how Chairman Jiang had reunited with his long-lost granddaughter. She became famous instantly and was paraded as the next heiress of the whole Jiang Conglomerate.
Wen JunXi never would have thought that she and Yan Yan were the same person.
How did she become his family's competitor's granddaughter and what exactly happened to bring about such a huge personality shift?
Nevertheless, Yan Yan had been too shy and quiet, it was good that she finally had gained some confidence, but to change this much had Wen Jun Xi floored.
What was up with her not recognising him? In their interaction up to this point he could clearly see in her eyes and expression that she appeared to have never met him before.
She did not even remember that she had given birth to Wen Xi Lan too.
Wen JunXi was suddenly itching to call Lu Zhi'An and get him to investigate what happened these last four years. How was she the granddaughter of Chairman Jiang all of the sudden?
And most importantly, why did she not remember him?