Chapter 141: Simply Absurd!

It was the time when the family should have been gathering around a lively reunion dinner, but inside the Cheng family villa, a three-way interrogation was underway.

But aside from the chief culprit who had landed him in this awkward situation—Cheng Ruonan.

The other two hadn't spared him so much as a glance.

Cheng Sitao wanted to leave, but the moment he stood up, he heard a voice brimming with anger.

"Sit down!"

Helpless, Cheng Sitao could only obediently sit back down and keep waiting.

Cheng's mother held Cheng Sitao's phone, pointed at the photo on it, and said to Cheng's father.

"He looks so alike, just too alike."

Completely different from the voice that had just scolded their son with two parts coldness, three parts sternness, and five parts anger.

Right now, Cheng's mother's voice was as gentle as water.

"Oh my, this little baby is so cute—look at these eyebrows, these eyes, and this little mouth, he's simply carved from the same mold as our son when he was little."

Looking at the little dumpling on the screen who looked just like a blessing baby from a New Year painting, Cheng's father's heart softened too, the expression on his face gentling by several degrees, and he nodded in agreement.

"Indeed very alike."

Cheng Ruonan also leaned over, walked up behind the two of them, spread her hands, and rested them on Cheng's father's and mother's shoulders respectively.

"Mom, Dad, you haven't seen her in person—she's way cuter than in the photo. My little nephew is so well-behaved, and when you hold him he's all soft and squishy."

"The moment he opens his mouth, that little baby voice could simply melt anyone's heart."

Hearing this, Cheng's mother turned her head and gave her a look that was half-smiling, half-not.

"So, you knew about this all along, and you kept it from us together with your brother?!"

Hearing the dangerous tone in her own mother's voice, Cheng Ruonan quickly changed the subject, slapping her thigh hard.

"Oh!"

"I just suddenly remembered, I still have work I haven't finished—that document, the other party is in a rush for it, I need to go handle it right now, I'll come back down in a bit, ha."

As she spoke, she gave Cheng Sitao a look that said "you're on your own," and hurried upstairs.

Things are looking bad!

I'm outta here!

Cheng's mother put away her phone and looked at Cheng Sitao across from her with a solemn expression.

"Where is the child? Is this An Luo your girlfriend?"

Cheng Sitao raised a hand and rubbed his brow.

"Where is your mind going? She was just helping out by looking after the child for a bit. Please don't go saying things like that—how damaging that would be to her reputation."

Cheng's mother asked again.

"Then where is my grandson?"

Hearing this, Cheng Sitao felt his head ache even more.

The son is indeed my son, but he really isn't your grandson.

But how could he possibly say that?

That your son is already dead, his body occupied by a soul from another world, and then my son obtained a fortuitous encounter that lets him travel to the Modern Era?

Even if he said it, would they believe it?

"Speak up—where is my grandson? Or are you saying you don't want to acknowledge this child?"

Cheng's mother grew anxious and reached out to slap the tea table in front of her hard.

"I don't care! First we'll do a paternity test—if he's blood of the Cheng family, he must be brought back!"

Cheng Sitao looked at her, utterly weary at heart.

"The child is with his mother. His mother isn't here."

That wasn't wrong—A Qin really wasn't in the Modern Era.

Hearing his words, Cheng's father and mother instinctively assumed the child and his mother were out of town.

This made Cheng's mother even more anxious.

"Out of town?!"

"Then when can we do the test? We have to bring the child back as soon as possible!"

Cheng Sitao, troubled and restless, loosened his tie and gave her a vague reply.

"It's the New Year holiday, let's not make a fuss about it. We'll talk after the holiday."

Let the Cheng family have a proper New Year first, then tell them the whole truth from beginning to end afterward.

With a suspected biological grandson wandering outside, how could Cheng's mother still have any heart for the New Year?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say more.

"But…"

Cheng's father patted her hand and gently soothed her.

"Alright, no need to rush this very moment. You can use the time to prepare as well."

"Right, right, right!"

Cheng's mother nodded rapidly, excitedly discussing things with Cheng's father.

"I have to hurry and prepare things for a little child—clothes, toys, snacks, all that sort of thing, and a meeting gift too."

"Oh right! The room needs to be tidied up as soon as possible too!"

Across from them, listening to Cheng's mother itemize one thing after another, Cheng Sitao felt a twinge in his heart—more than anything, he couldn't bear it.

If they knew their own son was already dead, already dead, they would surely be heartbroken.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and simply got up to go out, planning to step outside for some air.

……

An Luo had no idea how big a stir the photos and videos she'd kindly shared had caused.

She happily soaked up the New Year's Eve dinner atmosphere with Zaituan's family, ate a simple meal of dumplings herself, and then went to sleep.

In her dream, she saw her mother again.

Her mother had cooked her a whole table of dishes, and said to her, "Happy New Year."

As An Luo slept soundly, a smile hung at the corner of her mouth.

In the dream, she pulled out a chair, urged her mother to sit down, and sat down herself, ready to eat. Just as she was about to pick up some food, her mother interrupted her, chiding her.

"You child, it's one thing to sit and wait for a ready-made meal, but they've been busy all morning long—couldn't you at least wait for them?"

"Wait for who?"

An Luo looked up in confusion, her face blank as she stared at her mother.

Only then did she notice there was another chair beside her.

Suddenly, footsteps came from behind, and a clear, gentle voice rang out.

"Dumplings are here!"

Hearing that familiar voice, An Luo turned around in disbelief. The moment she clearly saw the other person's face, she sprang up from her chair.

"How is it you?!"

The next moment, she shot up in a single sit-up and woke up.

An Luo rubbed her hair, thought about everything that had just happened in the dream, and patted her head twice.

"I'm crazy, I'm crazy—dreaming about having New Year's Eve dinner with my mom and Cheng Chengxuan?!"

That was absolutely absurd!

She glanced out the window; the sky was already growing light.

She picked up her phone and checked the time, finding several messages—all New Year's greetings from her roommates and the foundation's staff.

After replying to each one, An Luo's gaze fell on the last little red dot.

That one was from Cheng Chengxuan, sent six hours earlier.

: With the year renewed, may the young lady know much joy and happiness, always be at peace, be free of worries through the years, and may all things go as you wish.

An Luo felt a warm flutter in her heart and was just about to reply, but then thought it was too early and it wouldn't be polite to disturb his rest.

But if she left him on read, wouldn't he overthink it?

After agonizing for a while, An Luo simply tossed her phone onto the blanket, lay back, feeling very annoyed, and kicked the blanket twice with her feet.

"So annoying!"

"When did I become this contradictory?!"

"Forget it, I'll reply later then."

She picked up her phone and tapped open Zaituan's Live Stream Room.

The moment she entered, she saw Zaituan lying on the kang, sleeping with rosy little cheeks. Suddenly the little one scrunched up his tiny nose—was he a bit itchy?

The little fellow reached out and rubbed it twice, then fell back into a deep sleep.

Looking at the little hand that had fallen outside the blanket, and the small shoulder mostly exposed, An Luo smiled and shook her head. Afraid Zaituan would catch cold, she tapped her finger on the blanket, tugged it up a little, and carefully tucked Zaituan's little hand back inside.

Suddenly, she saw a vast expanse of white outside the window, and only then noticed the weather displayed in the upper left corner:

Today: Heavy Snow.

"It's snowing?"

An Luo's face grew solemn.

Could it be a blizzard disaster?