"Hmm..." Lin Xiangwan pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Thank you..." Song Yichen was so moved that he held her tightly and planted several vigorous kisses on her forehead!
Sensing more intimate contact, Lin Xiangwan hurriedly pushed him away. "Yichen, I have something to tell you!"
Rebuffed once again, Song Yichen's face hardened. "Speak!"
"It's about... Haoran's schooling. I want him to go to Primary Experiment School. Can you ask your friends to help?"
"It doesn't matter which primary school a child goes to. Why do you insist on the Primary Experiment School?" Song Yichen crossed Lin Xiangwan and settled into his office chair.
"That's true, but all the parents around me are struggling to get their children into this school. If I can't get Haoran in, I would feel like I'm letting him down!" Lin Xiangwan said with a guilty conscious.
Song Yichen gave a bitter smile. "Letting him down? You've given him life. That itself is more than enough. I think any primary school will do."
His attitude, his tone, made Lin Xiangwan uncomfortable. "Yichen, how can you say that?"
"Isn't it the truth? He's nothing more than the bastard child of a rapist. What do you expect him to be— a scientist or a mathematician!" Song Yichen retorted.
Lin Xiangwan shook her head. "You can't talk about him like that!"
"And how should I talk about him then?" Song Yichen's expression darkened further, and he squinted slightly. "Or maybe, he isn't the product of rape at all, but rather the child you had with someone you love!"
Song Yichen wanted to suppress his rage, but he couldn't hold it back any longer!
Did she really adore that wild man so much that she would repeatedly challenge his dignity?
He was, after all, her son. To repeatedly label him as a bastard, especially when it was the man she loved most saying it, was more than what Lin Xiangwan could bear. "Yichen, no matter who his father is, I am his mother. I won't allow anyone to belittle my son. Please respect him, and respect me as well!"
Lin Xiangwan felt stifled, sorrow billowing in her heart.
What had happened?
How could he say such hurtful things? Didn't he promise to always be good to Ranran?
"Okay, I misspoke. But I insist that he go to a regular school!" Song Yichen firmly stated.
"Then I won't bother you anymore!" Upset, Lin Xiangwan got up to leave.
"You blame me!" Song Yichen interrogated.
Lin Xiangwan couldn't hold back her tears. "No, I just don't understand. Yesterday you told me that you really like Ranran and would accept him as your own..."
"I admit, Ranran is not a detestable child. I can take up responsibility for him. But you need to consider my feelings. You are mine, but you've been violated by his father, and now you're so good to this child! Do you know how that makes me feel, Wanwan? It should be enough just to raise him, why take so much trouble over this?"
"I won't let you talk about him like that. No matter who his father is or what his past holds, he is my biological son, my treasure. You may not like him, but you cannot stop me, his mother, from loving him! He will have what other children have. I will make sure he goes to the same school as the other kids. I won't trouble you with our affairs anymore!" Lin Xiangwan felt her eyes stinging from anger, her heart being torn, especially for her son. She can't believe that all these years, in Song Yichen's heart, their son carried such a disgraceful existence.
With that, she left without looking back.
Song Yichen grabbed the ashtray from the table and angrily hurled it at the solid wood door.
The loud bang caused Lin Xiangwan, who had just left the office, to shudder.
Her heart became even more desolate.
Ni Shanshan, in her black professional suit and carrying a stack of files, entered and feigned surprise. "What happened? Why is Mr. Song so angry? You even scared Manager Lin to tears. This is really not acceptable!"
Song Yichen stood in the office without a word.
Already upset, seeing Ni Shanshan Lin Xiangwan became even more irritable. "I'm fine!" She muttered.
"That's good, Manager Lin, don't be too upset. Mr. Song already has a lot of work pressure; it's normal for him to lose his temper occasionally. As his girlfriend, you should be patient!" Ni Shanshan said arrogantly, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
It sounded like she was trying to mediate, but her tone clearly suggested that Lin Xiangwan was reaching above her standing by being with a wealthy man like Song Yichen, that she should accept the situation and swallow her pride.
Not willing to hear more, Lin Xiangwan picked up her pace to leave.
Just when she was stepping out, Ni Shanshan said, "Mr. Song, how could you? You accept Manager Lin even though she has a child. What could possibly have instigated a fight between you two?"
This was too much for Lin Xiangwan; she had to stop in her tracks. "Manager Ni, our quarrel is our business, and it doesn't concern you!"
Ni Shanshan's face fell immediately. "Manager Lin, what is that supposed to mean?"
With a stern face, Lin Xiangwan repeated, "I'm just telling you, it's our private matter. There's no need for you to worry about our personal affairs, Manager Ni!"
Feeling as if she had been slapped, Ni Shanshan looked at Song Yichen with a mournful expression. "Mr. Song, it seems that Manager Lin is really upset. I... I tried to help, but it seems like good intentions can get mistaken for meddling!"
Song Yichen stepped forward and commanded Lin Xiangwan. "Manager Lin, please apologize to Manager Ni!"
But Lin Xiangwan held her ground. "I don't believe I've done anything wrong!"
As she turned to leave again, Song Yichen abruptly grabbed her wrist and roughly said, "I told you to apologize to Manager Ni!"
"Ah…" A sharp pain shot up Lin Xiangwan's wrist, causing her to cry out.
She looked at him, hurt and confused. "But I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?"
Song Yichen asserted firmly. "Ni Shanshan saved my life. I won't tolerate anyone being disrespectful to her!"
In that instant, Lin Xiangwan felt as if her heart was being torn apart. The words 'I was the one who saved your life' almost slipped out of her mouth.
But in the end, she held them back.
Through her blurred vision, she saw Ni Shanshan's guilt and her feigned calmness.
"Yichen, we are all good classmates. Back then, I merely lent a helping hand, so there's no need to always hold it in mind. Manager Lin is understandably upset today, so just let her go. I won't take it to heart!" Ni Shanshan feigned magnanimity, afraid that Lin Xiangwan would reveal the truth.
Ah, those days! She had only happened to overhear Lin Xiangwan saying that it was her who lent Song Yichen the money for his operation, so she claimed it as her own deed.
Making Song Yichen believe that it was her all along.
It felt really good to play the good person.
Even better to feel the goodness come back to her!