Chapter 434: Chapter 434 - 428: Sealed with a Kiss

Shi Su met those eyes again, as if overlapping with the eyes in the darkness seven years ago.

She stared blankly for a long time, then barely came to her senses and asked, "When did you find out?"

"About a month ago, in Hong Kong." Jing Jihan looked at the small woman, who seemed lost in thought and spirit unsettled, and held her gently in his arms without letting go: "Because during Chu Shangdong’s parole application, I saw him mention your escape to somewhere near Binhai Road seven years ago in a few words."

Suddenly hearing Chu Shangdong’s name from Jing Jihan, Shi Su subconsciously tensed up, then suddenly thought of something, and gradually relaxed, looking into the man’s deep and gentle eyes: "Chu Shangdong was supposed to have his sentence reduced, but he didn’t get out. After he was released from prison, I was wary for a long time, but found he never came looking for me. I thought he might have truly turned over a new leaf and moved somewhere else to live, but... was it you..."

Jing Jihan’s palm softly stroked her back, giving her enough reassurance and a sense of safety: "Their father and son will never appear before you again in this lifetime."

So it was him.

No wonder Chu Shangdong didn’t come looking for her. On the surface, she didn’t want to reveal any flaws, but in her heart, she was always worried. Would Chu Shangdong be hiding somewhere after coming out, waiting to suddenly appear one day and shatter all her façade of tranquility? Would the deep-rooted nightmares swallow her whole?

But it turned out that the only shadow and fear she had, had long been resolved by him.

She didn’t even know when he found out, yet he had already taken action.

Shi Su let out a long breath of sullenness accumulated over the years, as if her entire being was suddenly walking on clouds, without feeling any burdens. Yet thinking of the incident in Hong Kong, her voice unconsciously cracked, "Was it the day of the Zijin Flower Hotel incident..."

"Indeed, I was also there by invitation that day. Attending the centenarian’s birthday banquet wasn’t on my agenda. I originally didn’t plan to go, but knew you’d be on the second floor of the hotel that evening." Jing Jihan said truthfully: "With doubts about that night seven years ago, I wanted to find you myself and extract some words."

Shi Su lifted her gaze, "So in the end, you couldn’t extract words and almost died with me?"

The man chuckled lightly, "The injury was real, the pain too. Having you personally take care of me for a few days was worth it."

Shi Su was somewhat amused and exasperated, yet mostly relieved as the haunting fears in her heart were soothed in an instant. If Jing Jihan hadn’t come that day, if something had truly happened to her... Not to mention the things breaking dreams today in the dark, just Shi Mianmian alone, she wouldn’t know how to proceed with the child’s future...

Yet today she finally knew, Mianmian truly had a father, beside Mianmian was not only a mother striving hard to live strong, she really had a father, who was once very close to her, very much the father Mianmian liked.

Shi Su couldn’t tell whether she was excited or wanted to laugh. Guessing that Jing Jihan had likely already met Chu Shangdong, he must have confirmed it long ago.

She asked with reddened eyes, "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

The man suddenly let out a barely audible laugh, lowered his eyes to her reddened eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Why? Why did you insist on holding on alone? When I wanted to protect you and Mianmian behind me, you left resolutely with Mianmian? You didn’t trust my feelings for you and Mianmian enough."

"It’s not that I didn’t trust you, I..."

"I missed everything before and after my daughter was born, missed the entire four years after her cries came into the world. I didn’t see her learn to talk, to walk, didn’t witness her growing up, and then you forcibly separated us for two years. Do you think I shouldn’t return the favor?"

"..." Shi Su finally couldn’t hold back her tears, they started rolling down. She sniffed, looking at him with red eyes, yet found herself speechless, unable to explain or refute.

"But I can’t bear it, you raising a child alone abroad. I can’t fathom the hardships you endured over the years, whether it was during Mianmian’s birth or each time she fell ill, you bore it all alone, even amidst relentless hardships, you still deeply nurtured Mianmian into a sweet and polite child. I have no reason to resent, only heartache and regret for missing these years, for missing you and Mianmian."

The man’s hand gently caressed her head, tender yet powerful: "I can’t give you any chance to escape anymore, I need to pull you and Mianmian fully into my world. Without using some extreme measures, who knows how long you’d keep hiding, with those hedgehog spikes of independence you’ve developed while raising the child on your own, frequently distancing everyone, even me. What should I do, hmm?"

Shi Su was weeping uncontrollably, sniffling as she buried her face in his chest, sobbing as she said, "I-I never intended to prick you...I don’t have any hedgehog spikes... I don’t even... I dare not go near Central City Road..."

She kept crying while speaking: "During these two years you didn’t miss Mianmian... In Mianmian’s heart, there’s only ever been one dad... she always remembers you, always thinks of you... you became the most important person to Mianmian two years ago... you didn’t miss it... not at all... I’m sorry... I didn’t know... I..."

Shi Su couldn’t speak clearly, she’d never cried like this in front of Jing Jihan, the choking voice mixed with messy apologies and explanations, each word with salty tears touching him.

The man sighed softly atop her head, held her nape and leaned down to kiss her quiet, storing all her apologies within each kiss, from soothing touches to increasingly deep and heavy, pinning Shi Su against the window sill.

The cold wind howled outside, but inside it was warm to the extreme. Shi Su sniffled and was kissed, her cheeks and eyes reddened from crying, utterly disheveled. She lifted her hands to encircle the man’s neck, hugging him as if the world she never dared imagine finally opened its gates to her, allowing her to hold Mianmian’s small hand and step inside without hesitation, without fear.

Shi Su felt she was crying too pitifully, tears and mucus unstoppable, even though Jing Jihan wasn’t disgusted, she herself found it unbearable, insisting on going to the bathroom to wash her face.

Finally squeezing into the bathroom and closing the door, she leaned back against it, the profound tremor within her still unsettled.

Her head was muddled, endlessly thinking.

Jing Jihan was really Mianmian’s dad...

The man from seven years ago... was indeed him...

Given Jing Jihan’s self-restraint, at the time she had rashly barged into his car, even if she was fevered and her clothes disheveled writhing on him, triggering his uncontrollable physiological instincts, if it were under normal circumstances, he could have pushed her away just the same.

But coincidentally, she had caught him at the moment when he could neither maintain utmost calmness nor composure, he was feverish, and had drunk alcohol while socializing... that might have been his only time losing his guard and self-control...

She... she had coincidentally hit the exact moment?

Shi Su blushed furiously, walked forward to open the faucet, caught a handful of cold water to wash her face. As she washed, she suddenly covered her face and started laughing, laughing uncontrollably as she bent over the marble countertop pressing her increasingly hot face, lifting her eyes to look at her reddened eyes and face in the mirror.

She should have fully said that apology just now, she truly owed him.

In Jing Jihan’s life full of rigor and restraint, she had left such a blemish of being taken by a woman on him...

The perpetrator turned out to be her.

Shi Su laughed heartily, covering her face, swaying slightly before sitting down on the bathtub with a thud, rubbing her sore butt yet couldn’t stop laughing.