Chapter 89: One Hour, I Want All of Xin Xin

Song Yilin's black pupils flickered, "But I don't want to now. I want to go home; let's talk tomorrow."

Anyway, after going around twice, we still didn't see Xin Xin.

Gu Yunci gave up as well, listened to Song Yilin, and left immediately.

When they went back, Mom Zhang had made a lot of tasty food; during the meal, Gu Yunci had no appetite, his mind filled with Xin Xin and the lovely figure from today's Xihu Gongyuan.

He slowly took out his phone, opened the photo album, and scrolled to Xin Xin's pictures.

These were taken secretly without her family's consent; very impolite.

But it was his unrestrained tenderness and fluttering heart.

Mom Zhang saw him not eating, stared at his phone, and glanced curiously.

"Whose little girl is this? Delicately carved, so cute?"

Song Yilin stood up, took a look, and said, "A classmate of ours, Meng Xin Qiao."

The man's hand twitched slightly, his heart pounding like ten thousand drums, his whole chest trembling, "Her surname is Meng?"

Song Yilin nodded, "Yes."

Mom Zhang walked over with a smile, "This child's eyebrows and eyes resemble a young master, those dimples on the cheeks, truly like a wife."

Realizing the slip, she hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, young master, I shouldn't have mentioned the wife and made you upset."

Gu Yunci stared at the photo on the phone, his Adam's apple moving slightly, "Mom Zhang, do you also think she looks like me and my wife?"

Mom Zhang paused, and seeing that Gu Yunci was not the same as in his childhood, she mentioned Chu Fu, and even if she brought her up unintentionally, she would erupt in a thunderous outburst.

She examined the photo carefully again, "Hmm, similar, really similar."

Gu Yunci gave a faint smile, "At the airport, the first time I saw her, I thought she looked like that."

He happily put away his phone, let Mom Zhang sit down to eat, cleaned up after the meal, and also reminded Song Yilin.

"Sleep early tonight and rise early tomorrow; we'll go to the place you mentioned."

The next day, they went to Da Yue Cheng.

But after walking three floors, they still didn't see Xin Xin's figure.

Gu Yunci felt anxious, "Song Yilin, did you get it wrong?"

Da Yue Cheng is far from Qingluju; even if Meng Shutang is Xin Xin's mother, she wouldn't travel such a distance just to avoid him.

Just as he doubted whether they should go to Wu Yue Guangchang, Song Yilin grabbed his hand and shook it, "Uncle, Xin Xin is over there."

Xin Xin was painting in a studio that doesn't admit non‑members.

He took out a card and immediately secured a spot for Song Yilin.

Inside, Song Yilin tried to call Xin Xin, Gu Yunci covered his mouth; Song Yilin thought they were playing a game, grinned and stayed silent.

Gu Yunci crouched quietly beside Xin Xin, looking at the figure on her canvas—the outline, eyebrows, eyes, clothing, unmistakably himself.

Xin Xin thought the teacher was approaching, and looked at the canvas, "Teacher, the person I'm drawing is my dad!"

Gu Yunci felt something in his chest gently explode.

He stood there, staring at Xin Xin, a thousand words stuck in his chest.

Xin Xin smelled the cedar scent on him, turned her head and blurted, "Dad… Uncle Gu, why are you here?"

Gu Yunci touched her head, "Is the person you drew me?"

Xin Xin beamed a bright smile and nodded slightly.

Song Yilin launched a harsh retort, "He's my uncle, not your dad."

Gu Yunci glared at Song Yilin, "Shut up."

He was ruining the atmosphere here.

Looking back at Xin Xin, her jet‑black eyes still so affectionate and warm, but her voice hoarse, "What's your mother's name?"

Xin Xin tilted her head cutely, "Mom says—"

Just as Xin Xin was about to say the name!

A child beside them knocked over another child; the adults from both families tried to intervene but failed and also joined the brawl.

Gu Yunci, fearing for Xin Xin and Song Yilin, scooped them up with both arms and moved them to safety.

The shop owner came out to intervene, and for a moment the gallery was a chaotic mess.

Xin Xin's attention was also drawn away, completely forgetting Gu Yunci's question.

Actually the child did say it, but the attention was stolen, and the voice was pitifully faint.

Gu Yunci only heard a vague syllable, sounding like Meng Shutang's name, yet not quite.

The chaos was finally resolved, and the gallery returned to quiet.

He hurried to ask again, when Xin Xin suddenly looked toward the entrance, "Mom!"

Gu Yunci snapped around.

At the doorway stood a woman; her profile, figure, and aura were strikingly like Meng Shutang's.

His breath caught, and he rose to rush forward.

But the woman turned—she was another passerby with a similar appearance.

Xin Xin ran over, hugged her, and shouted "Mom."

But the woman gently pushed her away, "Little one, you've got the wrong person, right?"

Xin Xin politely stepped back, "Auntie, I'm sorry."

The woman smiled gently, "It's okay."

In the end, Xin Xin was taken away by Aunt Li.

This time, Gu Yunci didn't persist in running over to ask Meng Shutang.

He stood in place, his whole body both cold and hot, his emotions tangled and uneasy.

Once is coincidence, twice is illusion, three times…… it's deliberately avoiding him.

He took out his phone and dialed Qin Zheng.

His knuckles whitened on the phone, his chest surging with heat. "Check it out immediately," his voice hoarse as if scraped by sandpaper. "Qingluju Montessori Bilingual Kindergarten, junior class, Meng Xin Qiao. I want all her enrollment records, especially——her mother's name."

Qin Zheng on the other end replied urgently, "Understood, President Gu, I'm going now—I'll have the results for you in two hours."

"One hour." He said it firmly, his tone allowing no objection.

He hung up, collapsed into the chair beside him, and fixed his gaze on the photo secretly taken in the album.

In the photo, the little girl clutched flowers, tilted her head and smiled, her brows and eyes curved—just like him as a child, and like Chu Fu years ago in the studio, looking up at him.

A heavy blow struck his chest again, a dull ache spreading outward.

He was almost certain that Xin Xin was his child.

Meng Shutang is truly cruel—I accepted her beating and cursing me, so why claim she killed our child?

Song Yilin was pulled away by the teacher to go draw elsewhere.

He just held his phone like a fool, alternating between looking at Meng Shutang's photo and Xin Xin's.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated, and Qin Zheng's name popped up on the screen.

The investigation results had arrived.

His slender fingers hovered over the answer key, and for the first time he felt afraid to touch it.

Just moments ago he had been so certain, even resenting Meng Shutang's ruthlessness.

But at this moment he really didn't dare to listen.

He hesitated a moment, but what was bound to come would come.

He pressed the answer button: "Qin Zheng, speak!"