When Xia Ran, who came in later, saw Qin Hao standing still, she immediately told him to sit down.
"Qin Hao, sit down quickly, I'll get you some bowls and chopsticks."
"No need, I've already taken them." Lin Ziming, who came out of the kitchen, waved the bowls and chopsticks in his hand.
Qin Hao was somewhat surprised to see this, and his opinion of Lin Ziming changed a little, but really only a little.
"Thank you." Qin Hao put down the large bag he was carrying and sat down next to Xia Ran. Lin Ziming was on his other side, and Gu Chen was on Xia Ran's other side.
Xia Ran had seen the big bag a long time ago, but he didn't ask about it.
Lin Ziming served Qin Hao rice, thanked him, and then immediately started eating.
Qin Hao couldn't help but exclaim after the first bite.
"Ugh... It still tastes the same, Xia Ran. You have no idea how much I miss your cooking. I can't eat well when you're not home."
Although Xia Ran's cooking skills couldn't compare to those master chefs, the food he made tasted exceptionally good and was exceptionally delicious; he couldn't describe the feeling.
If I had to use one adjective, I could only say it tastes like home!
Hearing Qin Hao's words, Xia Ran smiled but didn't say anything, while Grandpa Xia let out a heavy snort.
Upon hearing Grandpa Xia's cold snort, Qin Hao put down his bowl and looked at Grandpa Xia with a serious and guilty expression, saying...
“Grandpa, on behalf of everyone in my family, I want to say sorry to you. My family, especially my brother, has deeply realized our mistakes and is now filled with regret.”
“Yes, I also heard Big Dad talking in his sleep that night. He was calling for Little Dad,” Gu Chen interjected, holding a spoon.
Qin Hao really wanted to give Gu Chen a thumbs up! That was a powerful statement!
Xia Ran picked up a piece of carrot for Gu Chen and said,
Eat well.
Gu Chen winked at him, said "oh," and then obediently lowered his head to eat.
Xia Ran looked at Qin Hao and said, "Qin Hao, let's eat first. Let's not talk about the past anymore."
Qin Hao knew that what he had just said was the limit, so he nodded and agreed.
"good."
For the rest of the time, Qin Hao didn't say a word about Gu Zheng or the Gu family.
Although Grandpa Xia still seemed to dislike Qin Hao, he at least didn't kick him out; he simply pretended not to see him.
Meanwhile, Gu Zheng also received a message from his subordinates saying that Gu En had returned to his residence.
Gu En did not stay in the apartment she had initially lived in, but moved to another one.
When the doorbell rang, Gu En's heart skipped a beat. Could it be Xia Ran again?
However, this time when he looked out through the peephole and saw Gu Zheng, he was no less surprised than when he saw Xia Ran coming over.
In the past, he would have opened the door long ago.
But now, he dares not; he is afraid, and only he knows exactly what he is afraid of.
While Gu En hesitated about whether to open the door, Gu Zheng rang the doorbell again.
Gu En thought about his trump card and stopped panicking. Maybe he could still pull off another trick.
His feelings towards Gu Zheng have now changed significantly.
She used to like him and wanted to be the only one in Gu Zheng's heart.
However, although he now likes Gu Zheng, this liking is mixed with a bit of hatred.
He hated Gu Zheng for not waiting a little longer, for finding a substitute so quickly. If Gu Zheng had waited another year, Xia Ran would never have appeared, and he would be the Gu family's wife that everyone envies now.
Gu En opened the door, and Gu Zheng looked at him coldly.
"I need to talk to you."
"What is it?" Gu En deliberately put on a wary expression. "Did you come alone?"
Seeing him like this, Gu Zheng frowned.
"Hmm, I came here to ask you, did you do something to Xia Ran again?"
Upon hearing this, Gu En thought to himself, "As expected," but he also knew that Xia Ran had already had everything on the internet completely wiped clean.
If Gu Zheng hadn't investigated thoroughly, he wouldn't have discovered it, so...
"What did I do to Xia Ran?" Gu En laughed self-deprecatingly. "Gu Zheng, although we have no relationship now, why are you accusing me without even knowing the facts?"
"Yes, I admit that I did some bad things to Xia Ran some time ago, but it was only because I was jealous of him. I was jealous that he took the place that belonged to me and had the person I liked, even my own son."
"I just want to take back everything that belongs to me, is that wrong? If there's any fault to be found, it's you who's wrong, you're the one who made everything turn out this way. But Gu Zheng, I've already distanced myself from everything, isn't that enough? Why did you have to come all the way here to question me?"
"You didn't do anything to Xia Ran? Then what did Xia Ran say when she came to see you? Xia Ran wouldn't have come to see you for no reason."
"How did you know he came to see me?" Gu En asked again, feigning confusion.
Gu Zheng: "You only need to answer my questions; the rest is none of your business."
Gu En took a deep breath and made a helpless expression.
"Gu Zheng, you probably don't understand Xia Ran at all. What can he do to me? He brought someone with him. Do you think I could bully Xia Ran with just the two of them?"
"It's very simple. He didn't do anything. He just came and slapped me twice, and then said it was to repay me for what I had done to him in the past. I admit what I did, so I moved. So, do you have any other questions?"
Hearing Gu En's words, Gu Zheng felt something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He simply said,
"Since you've moved, live a good life and stop doing bad things. You have enough money to live on. If you don't want to live in that house anymore, have someone sell it and buy another one."
Gu En gave a bitter smile. "I know how to live my own life, but there's one thing I can't let go of, and that's Gu Chen. Gu Zheng, I've been living such a tiring life all these years, and I haven't been able to spend time with my child. I want my child back now, is that okay? I promise I'll take my child and leave this place and never come back."
"Impossible." Gu Zheng's face darkened. "Gu En, I'm warning you again, the child is mine now. He has the surname Gu and his household registration is with my family. You'd better not overthink it."
"Besides, he's doing very well now. I am his biological father, that's beyond question. If you dare to do anything, don't blame me for being impolite."
After saying that, Gu Zheng turned and left.
He came here to find out from Gu En whether Gu En had done anything to Xia Ran. Now that he had found out, there was no need for him to stay any longer.
As for Gu En's statement that Xia Ran brought Lin Ziming to seek justice for past events, he didn't find anything wrong with it.
Xia Ran was never a person who could endure things. She had only kept her temper in check for him, but he didn't appreciate it and pushed her away with his own hands.
Gu En closed the door only after watching Gu Zheng's figure disappear from sight.
Once the door was closed, he was no longer the pitiful figure he had been just moments before. A smug look appeared in his eyes as he pulled a recording phone from the pocket of his loungewear.
His question to Gu Zheng about getting the child back was obviously a lie; he would never want that child, as seeing it would only remind him of the humiliation of the past.
He was merely testing Gu Zheng's attitude towards Gu Chen. Now it seems that Gu Zheng is unlikely to give up on Gu Chen, so his trump card is still intact.
Now, if he just waits patiently for two more days, all his plans will be realized.
Lin Ziming and his father had originally planned to go home after dinner, but since Qin Hao was there, they decided to stay a little longer and wait for him to leave.
Qin Hao knew he should leave after finishing his meal; staying any longer might have the opposite effect.
"Um, Xia Ran, here are some clothes and daily necessities for Xiao Chen. My brother asked me to bring them over." Qin Hao's voice softened considerably when he said "my brother."
"I'll head back now that I've delivered the food. Thank you for the meal earlier, and I apologize for bothering you. My brother also mentioned that the kindergarten parent-child activity starts at 7:30 tomorrow, and he'll come to pick you up."
Xia Ran glanced at the large bag beside her and replied,
"Okay, I understand."
"Well..." Qin Hao stood up, "Then I'll be going now. Goodbye, Grandpa, goodbye everyone."
Apart from Xia Ran and Lin Ziming responding to him, Grandpa Xia and Lin's father acted as if they hadn't seen anything.
Chapter 369 Living Across the Way
Of course, Gu Chen also waved to Qin Hao.
Xia Ran and Gu Chen escorted Qin Hao to the door and watched him enter the elevator before returning home.
After they returned to the living room, Lin Ziming and his father were still talking to their grandfather.
Xia Ran's gaze fell on the large bag Qin Hao had brought over. This bag was really huge; if it was just for one night, surely it wouldn't be necessary to bring such a large bag?
Xia Ran's doubts completely disappeared when she saw what was in the bag.
Lin Ziming looked at the huge pile of things and couldn't help but chuckle softly, saying,
"With so much stuff brought over, it doesn't look like they're just going to stay one night; they're probably going to stay for a long time."
Xia Ran sorted through the things she brought: two sets of pajamas, two pairs of shoes, three sets of school uniforms, several pieces of regular clothing, socks, towels, toothpaste, toothbrush, and water cups—everything was there.
He looked at Gu Chen, and the child was looking at him expectantly, which made him unable to say what he wanted to say.
"Little Daddy, I can live here forever, right? I can live with Little Daddy and Great-Grandpa forever, right?"
Xia Ran patted the child's head and said,
"Yes, you can live here as long as you want."
"Great!" Gu Chen's eyes crinkled with joy. Even though Grandpa Xia was a little unhappy about Qin Hao bringing so many things, seeing the child's smiling face made his unhappiness disappear.
Lin Ziming: "Xia Ran, Grandpa, it's getting late. I'm going back with Dad first. Grandpa just got discharged from the hospital, so he should get some rest."
“Yes, Grandpa, you should rest now. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.” Mr. Lin also stood up.
Xia Ran could only see the two of them off at the door again, and then help Grandpa Xia into the room before taking the child to take a bath.
Lying in bed after bathing her child, Xia Ran felt like she was experiencing the most peaceful day in a while.
Grandpa has been discharged from the hospital, and the child is still by his side. Everything feels like life has returned to normal.
"Daddy, it feels so good in your arms." Gu Chen rubbed his head against Xia Ran.
Xia Ran chuckled, "Where is it comfortable? It's all hard."
"No way! It's comfortable!" Gu Chen said stubbornly. "Feng Nianhao also said that his stepfather's arms are very comfortable. When he says it again next time, I can tell him that my stepfather's arms are also very comfortable."
"Feng Nianhao? Is that the chubby little boy at the kindergarten gate that day?" Xia Ran had a new image of the child in her mind.
He remembered that when he took Gu Chen to kindergarten that day, there was a little child standing next to Gu Chen, who was chubby and particularly cute and lively.
“Yes, it’s him.” Gu Chen frowned. “You have no idea, he probably said that he’s always clinging to me, chattering away, which is a bit annoying.”