usatvline Chapter 404 Call Dad
Chapter 404 Call Dad
The car stopped downstairs at Yan Lan's house. As Qin Shi got out of the car, his eyes were immediately drawn to the person walking over.
Yan Lan wore a beige dress with the hem reaching her ankles, which accentuated her slender and gentle figure. A string of delicate pearls adorned her neck, and her gentle eyes were captivating.
Xiao Chaochao stayed obediently by her side. When Yan Lan came over, Xiao Xi immediately let go of Qin Shi's hand and took Yan Lan's hand instead.
Xiao Xi even shook Yan Lan's fingertip and called out "Mom" in a clear voice.
Chaochao received her sister's suggestion in her eyes and quickly followed suit, calling out, "Uncle Qin."
Qin Shi's heart softened, and he bent down to straighten Xiao Chaochao's collar, but his gaze first swept over Yan Lan, and his tone was full of praise: "Your mother looks really good today."
Xiao Chaochao couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. "Dad, you big idiot, can't you say that in front of Mom?"
Yan Lan blushed slightly and was about to speak when Qin Shi's gaze suddenly fell on Xiao Chaochao's face.
The child's mask was still hanging tightly behind his ears. He frowned. "The allergy isn't better yet? It's been almost half a month. Should we have the doctor come and take another look?"
Yan Lan's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously moved closer to Xiao Chaochao.
She explained, "It's nothing, it's just that the doctor said to wear it for two more days to consolidate the effect, so that it won't relapse if it gets exposed to wind. Children's skin is delicate, so we can't be careless."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Xiaoxi, standing beside her, looked up and chimed in, "I helped Chaochao apply the ointment yesterday, it will be better soon!"
The child's soft voice softened the slight tension in Yan Lan's tone.
Qin Shi didn't ask any more questions before leading his daughter toward the car.
But when the car arrived at the carved iron gate of the prefecture, just as the group was about to go inside, Yan Lan stopped.
Not far away, Yan Xue and Liu Jinnian walked over, with several members of the Yan family in suits standing beside them, and the most eye-catching one was Liu Jinnian standing in the middle.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, and his handsome face showed a hint of impatience.
Yan Xue tried to take his hand, but he avoided her. He looked up, his gaze lingering briefly on Yan Lan before sweeping over the two children and Qin Shi.
The moment Yan Xue caught a glimpse of Yan Lan, her eyes darkened. The off-white dress with pearls was understated, yet Yan Lan exuded a gentle and outstanding temperament. Thinking of her own designer dress, Yan Xue felt inexplicably awkward.
Why is Yan Lan here?
Does she know something?
She discovered the truth about her origins and was about to expose herself in front of the governor?
Yan Xue and her father Yan Feng exchanged a quick glance. Yan Feng shook his head, implying that Yan Lan knew nothing.
Yan Xue breathed a sigh of relief and walked over.
"Yan Lan, it's been a long time. I didn't expect you to come to the Governor's birthday party."
“The governor invited us here. He gets along very well with the two children.”
Yan Lan answered casually.
Yan Xue had also heard that the governor had recently met a little boy and was treating him like his own grandson.
Unexpectedly, the little boy turned out to be Yan Lan's son.
The fox spirit's son is indeed a little fox spirit too!
Yan Xue's gaze deliberately lingered on the two children, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate probing, "These two children are... I heard you remarried. Why haven't you come back to visit your parents? These two are my nephew and niece, aren't they?"
Yan Lan understood the barb hidden in those words. Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Xi tugged at Chao Chao's hand, and Chao Chao immediately understood.
"Hello, Auntie!" Xiaoxi spoke first, her voice sweet, but her words were sharp. "Mom said that when I go home, I should see people who are truly good to me. Not everyone counts as family."
Chaochao chimed in, looking up at the Yan family with her little face: "That's right! It's our first time meeting our elders. According to custom, shouldn't we give them a red envelope as a greeting? Mom said it's polite!"
The Yan family was surprised by the two children's directness and looked at each other, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Yan Feng forced a smile: "Oh dear, I was in a rush today and didn't bring any cash. I'll pay next time... next time."
“It’s okay!” Chaochao immediately replied, turning to look at Yan Lan, “Mom, I remember you said that electronic payments are all the rage now!”
Yan Lan was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, Chaochao had already recited the account number clearly and accurately, without omitting a single word.
Yan Feng was so angry that his face changed color, but he couldn't lash out because of the occasion. He could only grit his teeth, take out his phone, and transfer 10,000 yuan.
But as soon as the money was transferred, Chaochao frowned, her tone full of doubt: "Oh? So little? Only five zeros!"
Xiao Xi immediately followed, shaking Yan Lan's hand. Her voice wasn't loud, but just loud enough for everyone around to hear: "That's right! When Grandpa Liu and Auntie met me before, they gave me a million-yuan red envelope! If the red envelope is so small, does that mean we don't need to acknowledge this relationship?"
Upon hearing this, the Yan family's expressions instantly turned extremely ugly. Yan Feng couldn't help but darken his face, his tone full of anger: "How can this child speak like that! He has no manners whatsoever!"
"Who dares to say my children are ill-mannered?"
Qin Shi's voice instantly turned cold. He stepped forward, shielding Yan Lan and the two children behind him, and his eyes swept coldly over Yan Feng.
His presence was commanding, making the surrounding air seem heavier.
Yan Feng shrank back under that gaze and didn't dare to say anything more.
Yan Xue, however, was furious. She took half a step forward, her eyes filled with malice, and deliberately looked at Xiao Chaochao, raising her voice slightly: "Qin Shi, it's one thing for you to protect your daughter, but you're also protecting this little bastard? Who knows which unknown man Yan Lan had with him? Are you really willing to be a sucker?"
"Yan Xue!" Yan Lan suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with anger, and reached out to pull Xiao Chaochao closer to her.
Xiao Chaochao's eyes welled up with tears at the words "bastard child." She gripped Yan Lan's clothes tighter, lowered her head, and whispered, "Mommy, I'm not..."
"He is not a bastard."
Qin Shi squatted down and gently patted Xiao Chaochao's head, his tone exceptionally gentle yet incredibly firm, "Chaochao and Xiaoxi are like siblings. With me here, no one can bully you. If you'd like, you can call me Dad from now on, okay?"
Xiao Chaochao suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.
Can he really call me "Dad"?
Yan Lan was also stunned. She turned to look at Qin Shi, her eyes full of surprise. She hadn't expected him to say such a thing.
Just then, Liu Jinnian suddenly stepped forward, breaking the silence, his tone provocative: "Qin Shi, that sounds nice, but don't you already have another son? Now you're acknowledging another one, aren't you afraid of neglecting one and hurting your own son's feelings?"
These words were like a thorn, instantly piercing the tense atmosphere.
Qin Shi's eyes immediately turned cold. He stood up and looked at Liu Jinnian, and it seemed that the two were about to clash.
Yan Lan quickly stepped forward, her gaze sweeping lightly over Liu Jinnian.
Then, her hand naturally landed on Qin Shi's arm, gently squeezing it. Her voice was soft, yet reassuring: "The governor is waiting inside. Don't delay, let's go in together."
Qin Shi felt the warmth on his arm, and his surging anger instantly subsided.
He turned to look at Yan Lan, the coldness in his eyes gradually fading. He nodded, and one of them picked up Xiao Xi and the other took Chao Chao's hand, and they walked inside first.
Liu Jinnian stood still, his expression unchanged, watching the backs of the "family of four" walk into the state mansion, their figures remarkably harmonious.
But only he knew that beneath the calm exterior, jealousy and resentment had already surged into a tidal wave, almost overwhelming him.
His gaze had been fixed on Yan Lan the whole time. Qin Shi's protective posture by her side and her natural act of taking Qin Shi's arm felt like needles pricking his heart.
He recalled Yan Lan's words, "Don't contact me again," when he had contacted her before, and felt a deep sense of irony.
It turns out that she had only ever rejected herself. She had already reconciled with Qin Shi, which was why she was so heartless towards him.
Liu Jinnian's gaze shifted to Xiao Xi's face. The child's eyebrows and eyes were almost identical to Yan Lan's. Jealousy instantly gripped his heart, causing a dull ache.
Liu Jinnian clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and his nails almost digging into his flesh. Qin Shi's current status, connections, Yan Lan, and the children—all of these should have been his!
If he hadn't made the wrong choice back then, Qin Shi wouldn't be the one standing beside Yan Lan now, the one she relies on!
These thoughts raced through Liu Jinnian's mind, but he didn't show them on his face. He simply took a deep breath and took the lead in walking into the mansion.
Seeing this, Yan Xue quickly followed suit. She brought up the matter of the red envelope again, but she was also holding back her anger.
Yan Lan led her family inside; the interior of the mansion was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside.
The state government building is divided into office areas and private areas.
The office buildings are solemn and imposing, but upon entering, one discovers a detached villa hidden within, surrounded by a courtyard of over a thousand square meters—the private residence of Governor Tao.
The courtyard is in a pure Chinese style, with a bluestone path winding around the pond, where several red carp are raised.
As you walk along the road, you'll see pine, bamboo, and plum trees planted along the way, complemented by rugged rockeries. A few moss plants even sprout from the cracks in the rocks, adding a touch of elegance.
The villa itself is designed in the style of a traditional Huizhou courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. The wooden doors are carved with lotus patterns, and two red lanterns hang under the eaves. The blue and white porcelain jars placed in the courtyard exude the charm of a traditional Chinese courtyard.
Today's banquet for the Chief Executive is held in the main house of the villa. A table of exquisite banquet dishes has been set up inside, with white porcelain bowls and chopsticks decorated with gold trim. There are also celadon vases with a few sprigs of fresh winter plum blossoms on the table.
There weren't many guests today. Besides the Yan family members we met at the entrance, there were also Siqin and her niece Sichu, as well as the governor.
At this moment, the governor's wife, Siqin, sat by the window. She wore a crimson velvet cheongsam with dark gold peonies embroidered on the collar and cuffs, which made her fair skin stand out and gave her an air of elegance and nobility.
Siqin had just learned that her husband had invited Xiaochao and his family. She didn't take it too seriously; it was just a child, and as long as the governor was happy, that was all that mattered.
She was chatting quietly with Si Chu beside her.
"Aunt, how is Uncle's health lately? When I visited him last time, he looked rather unwell."
Si Chu was wearing a dark casual suit, his tone was concerned, and he glanced towards the main seat, noticing that the governor had not yet arrived.
Upon hearing this, Siqin gently shook her head, a hint of worry appearing between her brows, and spoke in a very low voice.
"It's not good. The prescription you helped me find worked quite well for the first few years, but it's been more than ten years now, and the effects have weakened. It can only barely keep things stable now."
Your uncle has that kind of personality; he wants to personally oversee every single matter in the prefecture. He's so busy with work that he has no way to properly recuperate. I've tried to persuade him several times, but he won't listen.
Si Chu frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively asked, "How about... Aunt, you persuade Uncle to take a good rest for a while? So that the staff can share more of the work."
"You mean, you want your uncle to retire early and resign from his position as governor?" Siqin immediately understood his implication, and her eyes became more complicated.
She had tried to persuade him, but Mr. Tao had devoted his entire life to his work; how could he just give it up?
He had only said half of what he was saying when a soft footstep came from outside the door, accompanied by the child's soft voice.
The aunt and niece turned around at the same time and saw Yan Lan's family walk in.
Yan Lan wore a beige dress with a bright pearl around her neck. Qin Shi stood tall beside her, and the two of them protected Xiao Xi and Xiao Chaochao, who was wearing a mask, on either side. The scene was exceptionally harmonious.
The moment Siqin saw Yan Lan, she froze, almost dropping her teacup.
It's so similar! Yan Lan's face, the curve of her eyebrows and eyes, the shape of her lips, even her smile, are exactly the same as that woman from back then!
She stood there, her eyes fixed on Yan Lan, her breathing slowed, and only one thought remained in her mind: How could there be someone who looks so much like her?
Si Chu's reaction was even stronger than Si Qin's. He suddenly stood up from his chair, his chopsticks clattering onto the table. His eyes were full of shock. He stared intently at Xiao Chaochao first, then quickly glanced at Yan Lan.
Xiao Chaochao's mother is actually Yan Lan!
It's unbelievable how coincidental things can happen in this world; after all the twists and turns, we ended up meeting in this way.
"They...they are Xiao Chaochao's family?"
Siqin's voice trembled slightly, her face gradually turned pale, and her gaze shifted back and forth between Yan Lan and Xiao Chaochao, her unease growing stronger.
"Madam Governor! Secretary-General Si!" Before Si Qin and Si Chu could compose themselves, and before Yan Lan and the others could speak, the Yan family members walked in.
As soon as Yan Feng entered, his face was full of flattery and obsequiousness, completely losing the arrogance he had shown outside. He quickly went to greet Si Qin and Si Chu, bowing and scraping, his tone full of respect.
He couldn't help but glance at Yan Lan behind him again, cursing his unfilial daughter in his heart: You want to ask the governor's wife about the prescription? I won't give you that chance!
"Madam, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." He wanted to get rid of Yan Lan before the governor arrived.