VH: Chapter 106

The institute’s laboratory wasn’t easily accessible to non-researchers.

Lin Shen and Du Yushu were sitting in the reception area. Some staff members saw them and took the initiative to say hello. The people of the research institute were very familiar with Lin Shen and Du Yushu. Since the idea of the gene bank was put forward, the husband and wife had been donating to the project. It was unknown how much money they had invested over the years.

During the time when the project was hard to succeed, they didn’t dare look at the couple. They didn’t expect things to turn around and for a super rich person to fund the project.

They all knew that the couple had a three month old child who was abducted by a trafficker. Later, the car driven by the trafficker fell into the river. The trafficker drowned and the body of the child couldn’t be found.

A three month old child could choke on a few sips of water, let alone falling from such a high bridge in a car. If the diving team at that time had the current equipment then the body of the child could be found in the river. Unfortunately, it was 20 years ago…

The couple stubbornly donated money to the gene bank project. Perhaps they were comforting themselves, hoping to help other parents who lost their children or perhaps both. No matter the reason, they deserved the respect of everyone in the institute.

“System troubleshooting.”

“The genetic samples were taken without errors.”

“No omissions in the operational procedures.”

The staff checked the gene bank again and again but the results were the same every time. They glanced at each other, joy and absurdity filling their hearts.

“Then, so to speak, Li Zhao is… your nephew?” The director of the institute muttered before crying out happily to Lin Hong, “Your nephew has been found!”

Found? He was found?

Lin Hong was dizzy as he stared at the smiling faces of his colleagues. Then he suddenly opened the door and rushed out. He fell to the ground, got up and continued to run. He ran to Lin Shen and Du Yushu and exclaimed, “Brother, sister-in-law, the child has been found!”

“W-What?” Du Yushu watched Lin Hong’s mouth opening and closing but her brain was blank. “What did you say?”

“Shao Shao isn’t dead! He is alive!”

Du Yushu glanced at Lin Hong and then her husband. Her husband unknowingly smiled. “Brother, don’t make this type of joke. It isn’t funny.”

“I’m not joking.” Lin Hong was anxious. “It’s true. The result of the data comparison in the gene bank just came out. The one who was eating at your house, that star is your child!”

Du Yushu stared blankly at Lin Hong. She couldn’t hear what the other party was saying at all.

Child? Her child?

She shuddered as she opened her handbag. Someone next to her wanted to help her but she hugged the bag to avoid them touching it. There was a cry and the contents of her bag fell to the ground.

She knelt on the ground, lunging at her phone and holding it tightly. It was a simple pattern unlock but she actually got it wrong three times.

Her eyes glowed brightly when she saw the words ‘Zhao Zhao’ in her contacts.

Du Yushu trembled so much that even her teeth were chattering. She was normally elegant but now she sat on the ground with no manners at all. At this time, she only had the words ‘Li Zhao’ in her mind. All the people and things in the world couldn’t enter her eyes.

The moment she made the call, tears blurred Du Yushu’s vision.

***

”Do you want to eat hotpot tonight?” Li Zhao was leaning against Yan Ting’s shoulder, his entire body lazy. “I will finish shooting the day after tomorrow. Can I apply for a sum of money?”

As a mature man who handed over his salary, Li Zhao had to consult with Yan Ting in advance before spending money.

“Okay.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m using it for?” Li Zhao poked Yan Ting’s abs.

“I believe in you.” Yan Ting grabbed this disobedient hand. “Zhao Zhao, don’t provoke me in the car.”

Li Zhao secretly glanced below Yan Ting’s belly and coughed before quickly sitting up. “I want to donate to an elementary school?”

“Do you have enough money? If you don’t have enough then I’m here.”

“Enough, it’s enough.” Li Zhao nodded. “Building an elementary school in a remote town doesn’t cost as much as a big city.”

His current pay wasn’t low. His endorsement fees were considerable and there was no pressure to buy a house. He was very economical in terms of consumption so he saved some money this year.

“Okay.” Yan Ting thought. Since Zhao Zhao donated an elementary school to the area, he would donate a junior high school. It could be considered as following his husband.

Li Zhao happily pounced on Yan Ting. He was ready to kiss Yan Ting when his phone rang.

“Aunt Yushu?” Li Zhao was a bit surprised. Usually, Aunt Yushu was worried about affecting his filming and would only call him during break down. Today, she suddenly called. Did something happen?

He quickly answered the phone. “Auntie?”

“Zhao Zhao.”

Li Zhao heard something wrong in Du Yushu’s voice like she was enduring her cries. “Auntie, what’s wrong?”

“Child, where are you?” Du Yushu’s voice was urgent. She wanted to see him right away.

“I’m…” Li Zhao glanced around. There was no suitable place to park. “Auntie, do you have to find me for something? Tell me your address and I’ll come to you.”

“No…” Du Yushu wiped her tears. “We should come to you, we will come to you…”

She covered her mouth and wept silently. Her child, this was her child.

“Then…” Li Zhao felt that Du Yushu was becoming unsteadier and was worried about her getting into an accident. He quickly told her his home address. “Auntie, you come here with the professor. At night, we will eat hot pot together. By the way…”

Li Zhao turned his head and looked at Yan Ting. “I’ll also introduce my lover to you.”

“Okay.” Du Yushu repeatedly chanted the address Li Zhao told her out of fear she would forget. Then she grabbed Lin Shen’s hand. “Old Lin, do you remember the address? Do you remember it?”

“Auntie, it’s fine if you can’t remember. I’ll send you the address.” Li Zhao couldn’t help adding, “What’s wrong? You can tell me. Don’t be in a rush.”

“I’m fine, I…” Du Yushu choked up. “I’m just happy.”

She was smiling while her face was wet with tears.

Li Zhao hung up and spoke doubtfully to Yan Ting, “Do you remember Professor Lin and his wife that I told you about? They will come to our house later. I think she is in a strange mood today.”

“It’s fine.” Yan Ting held Li Zhao’s hand. “There is me.”

Li Zhao nodded. In the past two days, he had been studying and hadn’t slept well. He leaned lazily on Yan Ting. “I’ll sleep for a while. Call me when we arrive home.”

“Okay.” Yan Ting reached out and opened his phone when Li Zhao fell asleep. He had a new message on his mobile phone that was sent from the head of the research institute.

[Mr Yan Ting, Mr Li Zhao’s relatives have been found. I have sent the relevant information to your personal email. Please check it with Mr Li.]

Zhao Zhao’s parents were found? Yan Ting looked down at Li Zhao sleeping in his arms and his mood became a bit strange.

Deep down in his heart, he thought darkly that the most important person to Zhao Zhao should be him. Then the night before the final exam, Zhao Zhao rushed out of his dormitory and jumped on Yan Ting’s back. Suddenly, Yan Ting wasn’t afraid. Even if Zhao Zhao found his parents, there was no substitute for Yan Ting in Zhao Zhao’s mind. Yan Ting just hadn’t expected the day to come so fast.

He opened his personal mailbox that contained the email from the institute.

He clicked on the email which contained the basic information of Li Zhao’s parents. In order to protect the privacy of the parties involved, the home address and ID card number wasn’t included. However, there were two identity introductions.

One was a famous professor of Beijing University and the other was a respected master in the opera world. The Lin family’s ancestors were all scholars and articles from the Lin family had been included in textbooks.

They weren’t noble but a family of scholars. It was no wonder why Zhao Zhao could get 701 points after a few months of tutoring. It turned out to be an ancestral learning gene.

In the past two months, he had heard Zhao Zhao mention the couple several times. He said that Professor Lin was very knowledgeable and Du Yushu’s songs were beautiful as well as how good the feelings were between the couple.

In his mind, this was a good couple. Perhaps they were secretly attracted by blood so they were good to Zhao Zhao. He bowed his head and gently kissed Li Zhao’s forehead.

My dear knight, when you wake up, your world will become perfect.

The dazed Li Zhao felt Yan Ting hugging him. He opened his eyes and smiled at Yan Ting. “We’re back.”

The bodyguard opened the door and stood aside, pretending not to see the intimacy between the two men.

“Are you three years old?” Yan Ting wrapped his thick coat around Li Zhao and crouched down in front of Li Zhao.

“Nonsense. I’m only two years old.” Li Zhao lay on Yan Ting’s back and hugged his neck. “Rush forward, Ting Ting.”

Yan Ting supported him and smiled. “Aren’t you like a little baby?”

“Sir.” The housekeeper came out while pretending not to see Li Zhao on Yan Ting’s back. “The guests have arrived. They…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when there were rapid footsteps behind him. Lin Shen and Du Yushu had rushed out. Du Yushu’s eyes were swollen and it was unknown how long she had been crying.

The two of them stared at Li Zhao and didn’t dare to blink. What if their child disappeared after they blinked?

It was just like that morning 20 years ago. They kissed the baby’s cheeks, listened to him babbling and argued over who he resembled more. That morning, the child was wearing a bear jumpsuit and had big eyes. Before they went out, he was pedaling his cubby and tender little feet.

Then in a flash, their child was gone. Everyone saw that the trafficker’s car had fallen into the fast-flowing river.

The people around them said nothing but everyone’s eyes were telling them that their child was dead. He had died in a cold river and not even his bones were recovered. The river was so cold and their baby was so small and cute. How uncomfortable would he be after falling down? How hard was it?

“Professor, Auntie.” Li Zhao hadn’t expected the couple to come here so early and slipped off Yan Ting’s back with some embarrassment.

Before he could stand still, Du Yushu rushed over and hugged him tightly.

“Child, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Du Yushu’s embrace had a silent fragrance, like… a mother’s fragrance.

Li Zhao had never been hugged so tightly by a woman and was a bit embarrassed. He turned his head to look at Yan Ting, reaching out his hand and secretly grabbing Yan Ting’s finger.

“Child, Mom is sorry.”

“Auntie?” Li Zhao thought he had misheard so he stared at Lin Shen, who had red eyes. “Professor?”

Finally, he looked at Yan Ting at a loss. Then the feeling of panic in his heart slightly reduced.

“Zhao Zhao.” Yan Ting wrapped his hand around Li Zhao’s hand tightly, without leaving any gaps. “They are your parents.”

“Congratulations. You have a mother and a father.”


The author has something to say:

Baby Ting Ting held Baby Zhao Zhao’s hand: You gave me a warm world. I want to give you a perfect life.

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Bearabbitalice
Bearabbitalice
1 year ago

Ugh no offense but the author explaining why Zhao Zhao was so skilled (like academically and all) was due to his blood family background made me annoyed. Umm no, he also worked hard, and his environment shaped him to be who he is today. It doesn’t matter his blood father came from a scholarly background. He never got to use those resources growing up. He got those 700+ points of his own merit. “Ancestral learning gene” ONLY my butt. Genetics and environmental factors both play a part in shaping intelligence, not just one or the other.

I guess I’m just too emotionally invested in this, but this whole turn of events is too idealistic and not explained well.

Elle
Elle
2 months ago
Reply to  Bearabbitalice

Honestly I 100% agree with you but I think this is a bit of a cultural thing. Reading stories with similar ‘separated at birth’ stories from other Chinese author almost all choose to have a (sometimes nonsensical) reunion plot with emphasis on blood and kinship and whatnot. I don’t understand the point of it personally but it’s how it is at this point.

GhostBear
7 months ago

Yay they met!! This is very unrealistic and optimistic but for Zhao Zhao, this is just right! After prophetic dreams, to rebirth, Zhao Zhao’s life is set to MAX happiness! I’m so happy that he’ll be happy