Since the government announced the implementation of a bi-weekly two-day weekend, department stores have been bustling with crowds every Saturday. The number of shoppers has doubled, significantly boosting sales, and supermarkets are no exception.
"Mummy, it's so crowded here." Little Kaiyin frowned. "I almost got knocked over by a big butt just now!"
"You're doing much better than I am." Ouyang Xiaoqing pushed the shopping cart, stumbling as she squeezed through the throngs. "You two are sitting in the cart while I'm pushing! I can barely breathe in this crowd!"
"Mummy—" Little Kai Feng held up a pack of biscuits in front of her. "Feng wants to eat this." His big, round eyes sparkled like a little deer, as if pleading, "Please, let me have it!"
Uh… Ouyang Xiaoqing hesitated.
"Mummy, I want this one!" Kaiyin also widened her watery eyes and picked up another pack of biscuits.
Ugh… She really felt torn! Ouyang Xiaoqing silently watched the two of them.
"Mummy, please—" Both children cooed in unison.
With a sigh, Ouyang Xiaoqing took the biscuits from their little hands and tossed them into the cart. "Next time, you can't do this, understood?" She just couldn't say no to them.
"Thank you, Mummy!"
"You two are so happy! I'll definitely get scolded by Qiumi when we get home." Before leaving, Qiumi had warned her not to buy snacks, and here she was, having done exactly that.
"Hehe…" The two little deer smiled sweetly.
The trio completed their shopping duties amidst the pushing and shoving.
"Mummy, look! That bad uncle from last time is at the entrance!" Little Kai Feng, with his sharp eyes, spotted Du Yuheng.
Ouyang Xiaoqing froze, and before she could react, Du Yuheng had already stepped in front of them.
"I've been waiting for you. You didn't message me."
Without waiting for her response, Du Yuheng quickly tossed down two thousand-dollar bills, grabbed all the shopping bags with one hand, and seized Ouyang Xiaoqing's arm with the other. "Get the kids in the car; I'll give you a ride."
Under Du Yuheng's insistence, Ouyang Xiaoqing left the children and their purchases in the care of Yizhou at the flower shop, silently allowing Du Yuheng to drive her to a restaurant's private room.
"The kids are mine." Du Yuheng lit a cigarette, starting with a bombshell statement.
Ouyang Xiaoqing flinched back. "I didn't mean to." She was so scared that she had to clench her fists to speak clearly. "I didn't know it would be so coincidental."
"Coincidental? Are you talking about the pregnancy or running into me again?" Seeing her look scared and hurt, Du Yuheng softened his tone. "You shouldn't have had kids behind my back."
"How was I supposed to tell you?" Ouyang Xiaoqing couldn't help but shout. "I don't even know you, Mr. Du!"
"But you could sleep with a stranger like me—"
Smack! The sharp slap landed on Du Yuheng's face, tears streaming down Ouyang Xiaoqing's cheeks.
"I could have given you a complete explanation." Why was he hurting her like this? Even if she was at fault, he should have listened to her explanation before passing judgment. "But now—please allow me to refrain from explaining further."
Ouyang Xiaoqing stood up to leave, but Du Yuheng stopped her. "No woman has ever dared to slap me." His voice was laced with anger.
"Oh?" Ouyang Xiaoqing glared at him. "I'm honored to be the first."
"And you will be the last." Du Yuheng forcefully pulled her back down into her seat and ordered, "Tell me everything that happened, tell me why."
"No reason." She turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
Du Yuheng picked up a teacup and drank it all in one go, finally calming some of his anger.
"Tell me why you did that." He recalled the day they first met—honestly, it was a day he would never forget. "You left me with questions for five or six years without reason, and now suddenly discovering you have two kids, do you think I should remain calm? Do you really believe that's possible?"
"I didn't mean to!" She forced back her panic, which emerged beneath the anger, and tears filled her eyes. "Believe me, I didn't do it on purpose…"
Her tear-streaked face, even after so many years, evoked in him the same surge of unexpected sympathy. Damn it! What was causing this emotion?
Du Yuheng furrowed his brow, detesting this strange feeling—past or present, it was the same!
Despite that, he handed her a handkerchief.
"I know—" Ouyang Xiaoqing took a deep breath. "I know anyone in this situation would be angry. But you shouldn't insult me! I'm not that kind of woman; I just—just—" She stammered.
"Just what?"
"Just that I was particularly vulnerable that day."
"Vulnerable?"
"On the day of the graduation ball, I was kicked out and lost my home… I intended to find friends at school, but I ended up meeting someone who wanted to threaten me into a relationship… I didn't want that, and then you showed up… Later—you know, I got drunk, and everything just happened—"
Du Yuheng noticed her cheeks starting to flush, and her gaze dropped, as if—shy.
"But I didn't expect it! I really didn't!" Ouyang Xiaoqing suddenly looked up, earnest. "I didn't intend to get pregnant. No! That's not what I mean—I'm happy to be pregnant… but I can't! What I mean is, I—" How to express it appropriately? She felt flustered.
Du Yuheng handed her a glass of water. "You can take your time."
Suddenly gulping a large mouthful of water, Ouyang Xiaoqing choked. "Cough… cough…" The choking made her face flush and her neck strain. "S-sorry."
"It's okay." Compared to his earlier frustration, he now had the patience to understand everything. Ouyang Xiaoqing patted her chest, finally calming her cough.
"Actually, I should thank you."
"Thank me?" What was she talking about?
"Children, you brought me children." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued, "I thought I would be all alone, but unexpectedly, I had children, bringing me closer to family beyond just my mother. So I decided to have them because I needed family, and I didn't want to kill two innocent lives… They're so cute, right? They look like me and you. Life is truly amazing; through genetics, children inherit half of their parents' features. When they were born—sorry! Where was I going with this? Really, I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter." Du Yuheng waved it off.
"You have every right to be angry, but I beg you not to look down on me because of that… uh, incident."
Her face flushed again. Du Yuheng noticed she blushed and fidgeted every time she mentioned that past.
"I don't look down on you." Perhaps he had before, but now he was certain he wouldn't.
"Thank you."
"About the children—"
"Uh?" Ouyang Xiaoqing gripped the edge of the table, her expression tense.
Du Yuheng noticed her fearful look and the way her fingers turned white from gripping the table.
"Mr. Du, you can't take them away!" The children were her life!
Du Yuheng frowned slightly. How ironic that after their relationship and having two children, she still referred to him as Mr. Du?
"I have no intention of taking them away." He knew she was truly terrified; her anxious, near-shocked demeanor proved that.
Ouyang Xiaoqing sighed in relief, but Du Yuheng's next words made her tense again.
"But I won't ignore them."
"What do you mean?" She didn't understand but felt afraid.
"They are also my children; I can't just disregard them." This was a fact—an absolute fact.
"Then, what do you plan—"
"I need time to figure out a solution." Du Yuheng noticed her breathing becoming a bit rapid. "Don't worry, I will try to find a way that we both agree on."
"Mr. Du."
"Call me by my name." He interrupted her. "After our relationship changed, this title feels too distant."
"But—"
"I'll take you back." Du Yuheng pulled her up, forcing her to walk.
Five years ago, he felt an inexplicable longing left in Taiwan, and now he finally had an answer—
He had left behind his children.
"Tell me what you're thinking." Early in the morning, Lei Ziping burst into the new president's office, questioning why Du Yuheng was causing trouble for Xiaoqing. A woman with two children already had enough hardships; what was his point in stirring things up?
I'm not causing her trouble." Du Yuheng continued without looking up, speaking calmly. "It's working hours; go back to your office, Manager Lei."
"If you don't explain clearly, I won't leave." Lei Ziping was unfazed by his tone. "If you don't speak, I'll sit here in protest." He boldly plopped down on a couch.
Du Yuheng still didn't react, burying himself in the paperwork.
This kid really thought he could sit there in protest! However, since the past, Lei Ziping had never beaten Du Yuheng in patience, and he never lost—until today, the result remained the same.
"You've only met Xiaoqing once. Why did you go looking for trouble with her a few days later?"
"I didn't look for trouble."
"Impossible!" Lei Ziping snorted. "If you didn't, why would Qiu Mi just now grab my collar and scold me? Why would I waste my breath on you while Xiaoqing has been worried sick since the day before yesterday? No trouble? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Worried sick?" Du Yuheng finally paused, looking up. "What is she worried about? What is she afraid of?"
"She's worried you'll take her children! It's strange; she's raising them just fine. Why would you want her kids for no reason?" If he wanted children, he could find a woman to have them with! When did he become someone who snatches away children?
"Lei Ziping—"
"Why should I call you?" Lei Ziping's tone was irritable, partly because of the frustration he faced from his girlfriend earlier that morning.
"Kaoyin and Kaifeng are my children."
"Ah?" Lei Ziping's mouth dropped open.
If a snake could swallow an elephant, then his mouth could fit a whale.
"Say that again."
"Kaoyin and Kaifeng are my children."
"Are you out of your mind?" Good heavens! This couldn't be a joke! "You're not seriously obsessed with wanting kids, are you?"
"Lei Ziping." Du Yuheng lowered his voice, which usually indicated his temper was rising.
It seemed he wasn't joking.
"What on earth is going on? Please explain the whole situation clearly!" Lei Ziping nearly cried out. The father of those two little troublemakers was his friend Du Yuheng? Oh my God!
"You don't need to know that much; just know they are my children." There was no point in discussing the past.
"What are you planning to do? Take the kids back? Xiaoqing would be devastated." He had known her for nearly five years; she was the type who cherished her children deeply!
"Get out." Du Yuheng's anger finally erupted. "Go back to your office."
"Alright, alright, I'll go back right now." Lei Ziping recognized that Du Yuheng's emotions were becoming unstable, and usually, it was wise to retreat at such times; otherwise, when he got angry, he could be described as "unrecognizable."
Once Lei Ziping shut the door, Du Yuheng violently threw the pen he had been holding onto the desk to vent his frustration. Did he really have such a terrible reputation? Why did everyone worry that he would take the children? "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. The children were his flesh and blood, his family; was he supposed to just watch them grow up without a father? Was he to know they existed yet not acknowledge them? Was that fair? He was human, with feelings; even if he hadn't known initially, the unbreakable bond of blood was a reality. Asking him to let go would cause him pain! Everyone sided with Ouyang Xiaoqing and blamed him, and it wasn't fair!
Damn it! Why did he encounter this tricky problem right after returning home? But he was also grateful to have encountered it.
Thinking of Kaoyin and Kaifeng, a surge of inexplicable emotion filled Du Yuheng. Was this pride that arose from becoming a father? After discovering the children were his, the man who once disliked children found those two little treasures to be the cutest in the world! In truth, from the moment he first met them, he never felt any aversion; there was even a sense of closeness, even if he had been somewhat resistant at the time.
Whenever he thought of the children, he inevitably thought of their mother. Was she worried and afraid?
During their conversation that day, she often displayed a look of helplessness, as if fearing he would demand she return the children.
"What a fool." The words slipped out, not as a reproach but with an inexplicable fondness; even Du Yuheng himself didn't notice.
The birth of the children was his labor, and for five years, she had independently raised them. How could he take the children from her when he had contributed nothing? Ouyang Xiaoqing had seriously misjudged him.
But how was he going to resolve this problem? She was naive and simple in life, while he operated in a complex, cutthroat business world. He could easily annul any thought of marriage without consulting her. Given his complicated nature and her simplicity, how could such extreme personalities coexist without conflict? Such a family environment could potentially harm the children. For this reason, he had no intention of marrying her, but he couldn't abandon the children—no, he simply couldn't.
Regardless of how to solve this, he felt a sense of duty to ease her worries and fears, even if he wasn't the direct cause of them; at least he was an indirect factor.
And those two children—a daughter and a son—he had to thank her; he hadn't expected such a small body could bear twins.
Du Yuheng pressed the intercom and instructed his secretary: "I won't be at the company this afternoon. Mr. Lei will handle everything in my absence. Also, prepare two toys for the children." He needed to bring a gift for their first meeting.
"...Uh? Alright, Mr. Du." The secretary hesitated before responding.
"Xiaoqing, why are you daydreaming again?" Jiang Yizhou poked her friend's forehead. "What's wrong with you? You've been spaced out for days." She wasn't unaware of Du Yuheng's visit, but Xiaoqing didn't need to worry to the point of losing her mind!
"I'm really worried." What if he couldn't think of a solution, got angry, and forcibly took the children away?
"You know Kaoyin and Kaifeng are very important to me; they are my support."
"I know, I know; you've been saying that for years." Jiang Yizhou pointed at the two children playing with flowers outside the shop. "Look, they're right in front of you. Why worry so much?" She thought it was just groundless fear.
"Yes, right in front of us." Ouyang Xiaoqing murmured, feeling a bit more relaxed.
At that moment, a black Mercedes pulled up outside the shop, and out stepped someone she was most afraid to see—Du Yuheng.
He approached, carrying a large bag filled with toys, heading toward Kaoyin and Kaifeng, who were curiously staring at him.
"Bad—Uncle Du!" Little Kaoyin almost blurted out "bad uncle," but quickly changed her words when she spotted a teddy bear larger than herself.
A clever little one, grounded in reality.
"Hello, Uncle Du." Little Kaifeng was also about to say "bad uncle," but upon seeing the Lego blocks in Du Yuheng's hands, he followed his sister's lead.
These two little rascals!
Having toys meant for the children made Du Yuheng feel uncomfortable, but if necessary, he would try to adapt.
Kaoyin and Kaifeng couldn't resist the allure of the toys, their eyes glued to the gifts as they followed Du Yuheng into the store.
Du Yuheng walked straight up to Ouyang Xiaoqing, and she indeed looked nervous.
"Are these for the kids?" He lifted the gift bags, inquiring of the still-shocked Ouyang Xiaoqing.
"Mommy—" The children looked up at her with eager eyes, hoping for her approval.
"Of course," Ouyang Xiaoqing nodded. "Just don't forget to thank—Uncle."
"Wow! Awesome!" The children cheered.
"Uncle?" Du Yuheng frowned at her; he wasn't pleased with the title "uncle," but to avoid making things awkward, he swallowed his discomfort and knelt down to speak to the kids. "This is for you." He handed the toy to Kaoyin.
"This is yours." He gave the Lego blocks to Kaifeng.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Both children simultaneously planted a kiss on his cheeks, effectively alleviating his displeasure.
"Mommy, Wind and I are going to play with the toys!" Little Kaoyin exclaimed excitedly, hugging the teddy bear.
"Go ahead!" Ouyang Xiaoqing was also relieved to have the children out of earshot. He must have come to tell her how to resolve this issue!
"Have you thought of a solution?" she asked, her heart racing in anticipation of his answer.
"I'll tell you—" Jiang Yizhou mustered all her courage to step between them and declared to Du Yuheng, "You're not allowed to take the kids, you're not allowed to hurt Xiaoqing, you're not allowed to get angry at her, and you're not allowed to make her cry. You're not—" What else was there? She thought hard and realized she had covered it all. "In short, you're not allowed to bully her, or I—" What was she supposed to do? "I won't let you get away with it!" Hmph! Let's see if you're afraid.
"Yizhou…" Ouyang Xiaoqing didn't know whether to cry or laugh; she really didn't need to make such a warning.
Du Yuheng looked at Jiang Yizhou. Should he respond to this awkward warning? Seeing her expression, she likely had to muster every bit of courage to say it. "Miss Jiang, I just want to take her out to talk."
"Out to talk again—" Jiang Yizhou cried out. Hadn't they talked enough last time? She had been busy that afternoon and almost collapsed! "The shop is really busy this afternoon!"
Du Yuheng took out his wallet and handed her a stack of cash without counting.
"Consider this compensation for your shop's losses. You can close up and take the afternoon off."
"We don't need that." Ouyang Xiaoqing grabbed the money and stuffed it back into his hands. "We don't want your wealth! Yizhou, close the shop for the day."
"But the flowers ordered for this morning…"
"Just deliver those, and don't take any more orders for this afternoon."
"Oh, okay."
"I mean no harm." He simply wanted to compensate her for the lost time.
"To me, you do." She didn't believe him. "You wanted to talk to me, right? You can leave now."
Stubborn woman. Du Yuheng stared at her. He hadn't expected such a strong personality to exist within her petite frame; deep down, he had known all along, hadn't he?
After all, she was the first woman to slap him!
"Why did you bring me here?" After driving for so long, why did he choose this hillside restaurant?
"You don't need to be hostile toward me." Du Yuheng pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. "I told you I wouldn't take the kids, and I won't. You don't need to be on guard. If I wanted to take them, you wouldn't be able to stop me."
"Then why come all the way here to talk? We could discuss this anywhere, no need for such trouble." It was hard to get a taxi from here; what if she couldn't handle it and wanted to escape? Walk down the hill?
"For privacy, and—" He exhaled a puff of smoke. "To prevent you from escaping at the last minute." Her face betrayed her thoughts; she couldn't hide it.
Feeling her secrets exposed, Ouyang Xiaoqing's face flushed with embarrassment.
"This location offers a view of the entire Taipei basin; you should take a moment to appreciate it." He called the waiter and ordered all the dishes himself.
Ouyang Xiaoqing looked out the floor-to-ceiling window and saw buildings that resembled miniature models clustered together in the narrow basin. "It'd be beautiful to see the night view while dining." Next time, she would bring Kaoyin, Kaifeng, Qiumi, and Yizhou.
"We can stay here until evening." Du Yuheng said to her. Her expression was that of a child encountering something new and wonderful, so genuine and pure that no one would believe she was the mother of two children. Even he, who knew the truth, couldn't help but find it unbelievable.
"No need." Ouyang Xiaoqing said coldly. Thinking of the person sitting next to her, all her original excitement faded. "Let's get down to business! The sooner we finish, the better."
"You have to accept the fact that I'm here." After finishing his cigarette, Du Yuheng interlaced his fingers beneath his chin. "I know you want to avoid this, but the children aren't just your responsibility; they are my responsibility too. They are the lives we created together—that's a fact; and I can't just disappear or ignore this. Don't you understand?"
"I understand very well." Her hands were intertwined in her lap, trying to ease her tension. "But the children need me; we've been living together for five years."
"Don't the children need a father?" He asked, and she fell silent, lowering her head.
In the moment of silence, the waiter arrived. "Sir, red wine? White wine?"
"Red wine. And give this young lady a glass of water." He remembered she was sensitive to alcohol. "Can you still not drink alcohol like before?"
Ouyang Xiaoqing looked up at him in surprise and nodded.
After the waiter left, the atmosphere between them relaxed slightly due to the interruption.
"I should thank you for giving birth to the children." Du Yuheng knew that if they wanted to have a serious conversation, he needed to be open. "You knew it would be tough, but you still kept them. For just that, I owe you my thanks."
The waiter delivered the wine and water and retreated.
Ouyang Xiaoqing played with her glass, watching the ripples in the water.
"That doesn't mean anything; I've told you it was because I longed for companionship. Strictly speaking, I owe you an apology. You must have felt used, and that's tough, right? I'm really sorry."
"We both made mistakes." Du Yuheng took a sip of his wine. "No one can blame anyone."
"No, it's my fault; it's me—why are you smiling?" Ouyang Xiaoqing looked at him in surprise as a smile crept across his lips. This was the first time she had seen him smile, and he looked much gentler this way.
"It's nothing." Du Yuheng cleared his throat. "Compared to the tense situation earlier, this is much better. But if we keep apologizing, we'll end up talking all night and still not resolve anything."
Ouyang Xiaoqing couldn't help but chuckle at that.
At that moment, the waiter cautiously brought out the dishes.
"Let's eat something first. There's nothing here you can't eat, right?"
"None." Ouyang Xiaoqing glanced at the dishes. "Thank you."
Du Yuheng nodded in acknowledgment.
The two began to chew silently on the delicacies before them.
The black Mercedes stopped in front of the "Starlit Flower Shop," the night having fallen.
"Thank you for driving me back," Ouyang Xiaoqing said, turning back to Du Yuheng before getting out of the car.
"Wait a moment." Du Yuheng stepped out of the car, walked around it, and stood in front of her. "Thank you for telling me about the kids when they were born." Throughout the entire evening, she had generously shared every detail of their lives and their preferences without showing any signs of annoyance.
"You are their biological father." For some reason, she had accepted this fact with calmness, perhaps due to his repeated assurances. "You have the right to know."
"I'm glad you're accepting this fact." At least the evening hadn't been wasted.
"Actually, whether I accept it or not, it's still a fact." She just hadn't expected him to love the two children. Tonight, he listened to a plethora of their everyday stories without frowning even once; instead, he seemed genuinely happy, even smiling several times. She found it astonishing, but at the same time, she felt happy for the kids.
The children had loving parents; they just didn't know he was their biological father.
"I'll find a way to resolve this without hurting each other, but before that, let's try being friends." He didn't want to hurt her, especially after realizing she was such a kind woman.
"Okay." She smiled back at him. "Before that, you're welcome to come by the shop often to see the kids." She believed in him—completely.
"I will." He promised.
"Well then… good night."
"Good night."
As she walked through the door of the stairwell, Du Yuheng returned to the car and restarted the engine. Moments later, the black Mercedes swiftly vanished into the night like a bullet.
On the other hand, Ren Qiumi fought off sleep, waiting alone in the living room for Ouyang Xiaoqing to return home late at night; her definition of late was ten o'clock—just as strict as a father's curfew.
"Why are you still up so late?" Ouyang Xiaoqing entered the living room to see Ren Qiumi sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed. "What's wrong? Deep in thought?"
"What did Du Yuheng say to you?" Ren Qiumi got straight to the point. That was how she always spoke. "Is he trying to take the kids?"
"That's nonsense. Don't jump to conclusions."
Ouyang Xiaoqing walked into her room to hang up her coat, with Ren Qiumi following closely behind. "He promised me he wouldn't take the kids."
"Did you believe whatever he says so easily?" How naive! She knew that "gentleness" was never in Du Yuheng's playbook. This was about the custody of his own children—there was no way he would give up easily.
"I believe him." Ouyang Xiaoqing had a lot of faith in Du Yuheng. "Stop worrying for no reason!"
"Really?" Ren Qiumi bit her thumbnail. Would Du Yuheng just back down so easily?
She truly didn't believe it.