Found?!
Fu Hanchuan's eyes narrowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed anxiously.
He glanced at Yao Leyi, hesitated, but ultimately said nothing and turned to leave.
Yao Leyi widened her eyes in shock and shouted angrily, "Fu Hanchuan! Stop right there!"
Hearing this, Fu Hanchuan paused, his expression conflicted and pained.
"Fu Hanchuan!"
Yao Leyi stepped forward, gripping his arm tightly, her eyes red and swollen. She shook her head slowly and squeezed out each word through clenched teeth.
"You are not going!"
"Leyi..."
Fu Hanchuan frowned deeply, staring at her intently.
Finally, he raised his hand and gently pried her hand away. "We'll talk about this... when I get back."
Yao Leyi staggered back a few steps.
Fu Hanchuan gave her one last look and walked away.
"Hanchuan! Fu Hanchuan!"
Behind him, Yao Leyi almost cried herself into a faint.
"What is going on?"
Fu Mingzhu hurriedly supported her. The old lady was in the dark, unable to piece together the full truth from the bits and pieces she had heard.
"Grandma!"
Yao Leyi clutched Fu Mingzhu's arm, tears welling up in her eyes, "I want to see for myself what he's been hiding from me!"
...
In the car.
"Young Master," Qi Si soon noticed, "Miss Yao has followed us."
Fu Hanchuan remained silent, his expression unchanged. "Let her come."
"Understood."
According to Qi Si's information, they drove to the orphanage.
In fact, it was the orphanage director who had called them, informing them that the child had returned.
The child was only three years old, and because he was healthy and good-looking, he wasn't lacking in potential adopters.
However, this child's luck had not been great.
The first family that adopted him returned him after six months when they had their own child.
Later, he was adopted by a second family.
But a year after adopting him, the couple's relationship deteriorated, and they divorced, leading to his return to the orphanage again.
It was after this second return that Qi Si found him.
Such a young child, having been abandoned at the orphanage and then returned twice, had a deeply wounded heart.
When Fu Hanchuan took him from the orphanage, the director had been very hesitant.
"Mr. Fu, please think this through. Raising a child is an act of kindness, both for the child and for yourself."
The implication was clear: if you don't plan to keep him for life, don't take him away.
This child had already been returned twice, and the trauma had made him withdrawn and quiet, unable to endure a third time.
Fu Hanchuan had assured the director, "Don't worry, from the moment I take him away, he will be my child."
He provided the child with the best material life and hired someone to take care of him.
But he hadn't expected the child to run back to the orphanage...
When they arrived at the orphanage, the director was already waiting.
"Mr. Fu."
"Hmm."
Fu Hanchuan nodded slightly, not seeing the child, his expression remained tense. He realized he had overlooked the child's psychological needs.
"Where is the child? Is he okay?"
"He's inside, eating."
In the room, the three-year-old child sat on a wooden ladder chair.
He was still very young, and running back to the orphanage wasn't easy for him. He had been running from Maple Bay and had only just found his way here.
His clothes were dirty, and his face was smudged with dirt.
He was tired and hungry. There was a plate in front of him with cookies given by the director, and he was eating voraciously.
Just one look, and Fu Hanchuan felt his eyes sting with tears.
Instinctively, he lightened his footsteps and walked over to the child.
"Yuanbao."
"?" Yuanbao's cheeks were puffed out. Hearing someone call him, his small body shuddered, and he looked up in alarm.
"Yuanbao..."
Fu Hanchuan raised his hand, wanting to pat his head.
But Yuanbao quickly jumped off the chair, running to the director, hugging her tightly, hiding behind her.
Fu Hanchuan's raised hand fell, empty.
"This child..."
The director chuckled awkwardly, patting Yuanbao, "What's wrong, Yuanbao? This is Mr. Fu. Mr. Fu adopted you, so you'll be a family from now on."
"No!"
Yuanbao looked up, his big eyes full of pleading.
"Director, Yuanbao doesn't want to be adopted! Yuanbao will be good. Let Yuanbao stay here, okay?"
"Yuanbao..."
The director sighed helplessly, "Be good, go with Mr. Fu. Yuanbao can live in a big house, eat good food, wear new clothes, and go to a good school..."
"No, no!"
No matter what the director said, Yuanbao just cried and shook his head, "Yuanbao doesn't want to!"
The director's eyes were wet from his crying.
She looked at Fu Hanchuan, worried he might be angry, "Mr. Fu, this child has been through a lot. Please be patient with him."
"I understand."
There was no sign of displeasure on Fu Hanchuan's face. Leaning on his cane, he walked over, slowly squatting down and reaching out his hand to Yuanbao.
"Yuanbao, come here. Come to..."
He hesitated for a few moments, then said, "Come to Daddy."
"?" Yuanbao's small shoulders trembled, looking at him in disbelief. Then he looked at the director, "Director."
The director patted his head encouragingly, "Did you hear that? Yuanbao has a daddy now. Mr. Fu is Yuanbao's daddy."
"..." Yuanbao's eyes were teary, clearly moved.
A lonely child would always long for a family.
But the past wounds were still fresh in his heart, making him hesitate to go forward.
"Yuanbao, be good."
Fu Hanchuan spoke gently and patiently, "Daddy has been busy lately and hasn't had time to see you. But Daddy won't abandon you. You don't have to worry. You have a home now, and you won't be returned to the orphanage again."
Yuanbao listened intently. Despite his young age, he understood these words.
He bit his small lip, tears streaming down his face, "Really?"
"Really."
Fu Hanchuan extended his hand, hooking his little finger, "Daddy promises. No lies, okay?"
Yuanbao hesitated for a long while, then finally lifted his chubby hand and hooked it with Fu Hanchuan's little finger.
"No, no lies!"
"No lies. Daddy won't lie to Yuanbao."
The director added, "Yuanbao, aren't you going to call him Daddy?"
"Dad... Daddy." Yuanbao's voice was still a bit unnatural.
"Good boy." Fu Hanchuan's heart was moved. He opened his arms and hugged Yuanbao.
At the doorway, Yao Leyi saw this scene.
So did Fu Mingzhu.
By this point, the old lady understood everything. Her eldest grandson had a child! A child of the Fu family, her great-grandson!
"Yuanbao!"
Fu Mingzhu, filled with joy, rushed inside, paying no mind to Yao Leyi.
"Yuanbao, I'm your great-grandmother. Yuanbao, my good baby, come let great-grandmother have a good look at you..."
At the door, Yao Leyi's eyes grew colder and colder. She stared at them in shock, her eyes filled with anger.
"Fu Hanchuan, you will regret treating me like this... you will regret this!"