The father of Su Chuchu's child

Suddenly hit with far too much soul-shattering information, Su Jiansen was utterly stunned.

His first instinct was to deny something so outrageous, but past experience told him Tangtang would never joke about something like this.

For instance, her claim that the old man Tang Zhilin would listen to a charlatan and throw her away had already been proven true.

He had never imagined that such a melodramatic soap-opera plot could happen in his own family.

Chuchu would get involved with Tang Beichen while Xia Jing was weak and cause her death...

And when Xia Jing was little, she had also...

"Did someone come over?"

Tang Beichen's voice came from the entryway.

After changing his shoes, he walked in. His expression visibly changed when he saw Su Chuchu sitting in the living room.

Then he shifted his gaze to Su Jiansen and greeted him politely. "Dad."

Su Jiansen watched him intently, not missing the flash of coldness and impatience in his eyes.

Could Tang Beichen have noticed Chuchu's intentions too?

With that thought, Su Jiansen looked at Su Chuchu and saw her enthusiastically rising to her feet, despite being a guest.

"You're home!"

Her greeting was as polite and well-mannered as ever, but on closer inspection, the infatuation in her eyes as she looked at Tang Beichen was certainly not how an ordinary woman should look at her brother-in-law.

Su Jiansen had watched her grow up. Over the years, she had obediently stayed by their side and met plenty of people. He could usually tell whether she genuinely liked someone, only pretended to like them, or disliked them.

He had truly never seen her look at anyone with such infatuation.

Tang Tang was dumbfounded too.

She's got some nerve, looking at my scumbag dad so blatantly right in front of my beautiful mom and Grandpa.

It's only because Grandpa trusts you as his daughter, and my beautiful mom and scumbag dad have things on their minds, that they haven't noticed how obvious you're being.

Su Jiansen was speechless.

So I wasn't imagining it.

Su Xiajing thought, If she can't even keep her feelings under control, she must have wanted this for a long time.

Tang Beichen was speechless.

What the hell is all this?

Ignoring Su Chuchu, Tang Beichen walked straight over to Su Xiajing and sat down right beside her.

Su Xiajing was speechless.

Their divorce had not gone through yet. In everyone else's eyes, they were still husband and wife.

Su Xiajing put up with him and asked perfunctorily, "Why are you back?"

"I had something to take care of nearby, so I came straight back afterward. I wanted to have lunch with you and Tangtang," Tang Beichen answered gently.

Seeing that he was ignoring her completely, Su Chuchu's eyes dimmed, and she lowered her gaze in disappointment.

At the sight, Su Jiansen's breath caught. He felt as though his heart might give out.

"Xiaxia."

Su Jiansen carried Tang Tang over to his daughter and placed her in her arms. "I just remembered there's something at the office. I need to go there right away."

Su Xiajing was puzzled.

"Now?"

"It's already noon. Can't you go after lunch?"

"No. If I wait until after lunch, it'll be too late."

Not quite daring to meet his daughter's eyes, Su Jiansen turned and told Wei Shufen and Su Chuchu to gather their things and leave.

Wei Shufen was baffled. "You didn't mention anything when we left home."

"Exactly, Dad. On the way here, didn't you say we were going to eat at my sister's-"

"Stop asking so many questions. Just come back with me."

Without giving the mother and daughter a chance to ask anything else, Su Jiansen grabbed their bags and ushered them out of Su Xiajing's apartment.

Tang Tang was surprised.

They're leaving already?

Good riddance.

Better yet, don't ever come back.

From now on, nobody except Grandpa should come to my house.

Watching them leave, Tang Beichen stood up with his phone in hand. "I'm going to the balcony to make a call."

Tang Tang thought, Su Chuchu's barely out the door, and you already can't wait to call someone, behind my beautiful mom's back, no less. Have you two already started?

Tang Beichen was speechless.

After only a few steps, he stopped, turned back, and sat down right beside Su Xiajing again.

"I just need to give a few instructions about work. Nothing particularly complicated. It suddenly occurred to me that there's no need to bake in the sun on the balcony. I can send them over WeChat."

Su Xiajing was speechless.

I'm not curious about what you're doing.

The elevator took them straight to the first floor, and the family of three headed directly to the parking lot.

Su Jiansen tossed the car keys to Wei Shufen. "Go wait in the car. I need to make a call first."

They had planned to eat lunch at Su Xiajing's before going home, so they had driven themselves rather than having the chauffeur bring them.

After watching the mother and daughter walk away, Su Jiansen dialed a number.

"Secretary Wang, sorry for the trouble, but please find a private investigator to look into Su Chuchu."

"Yes. You heard me correctly. My daughter, Su Chuchu."

"Find out what she's been doing over the past year and who she's been associating with. In particular, get a clear picture of her romantic life over the past six months."

"She seems to have been in poor health these past few months, too, but she never tells me anything when I ask. If possible, look into her medical visits as well."

"The sooner, the better. Thank you for your hard work."

Su Jiansen returned to the car with a grave expression.

Wei Shufen and Su Chuchu were discussing something, their expressions serious. When they saw Su Jiansen get into the car, they stopped in unison and put on the warm, gentle smiles he knew so well.

"You both looked so serious. Did something happen?"

"No, we were just chatting about a TV show we've been watching lately. You finished your call already?"

"Yes. I just had something to confirm."

Su Jiansen fastened his seat belt, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot.

"Chuchu, is everything settled with the school you'll be attending abroad?" Su Jiansen asked casually.

Su Chuchu nodded. "Yes, everything's been taken care of. Once I get there, I just need to register and complete the enrollment procedures."

"What about the place you'll be staying? Is it far from the school? Is it safe?"

"I'll be staying in an affluent neighborhood, so it should be safe."

"That's good."

After asking a few routine questions, Su Jiansen changed tack. "You've been with us since you were little. You've never been away from home on your own for so long. Why don't I take some time off and go with your mother to accompany you?"

Su Chuchu's expression changed, and she hurriedly waved her hands. "There's no need, Dad. Mom has already arranged everything for me over there. I just need to go. You're so busy with work. You don't have to take time off just for me."

Su Jiansen lightly tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "No matter how busy I am, nothing matters more than my daughter..."

A ringtone suddenly interrupted him.

Su Chuchu picked up her phone and glanced at it. Her expression shifted, and she immediately rejected the call.

Before she could put her phone down, it rang again.

Su Chuchu rejected it again and blocked the number.

Yet the next second, WeChat notifications began popping up relentlessly on her phone.

That frantic barrage was remarkably similar to the behavior of whoever had just called.

Su Jiansen glanced in the rearview mirror. "Does a friend need you urgently?"

"No, not at all."

Without even reading the messages, Su Chuchu's fingers flew, deleting and blocking the contact on WeChat in a second. "It's a nuisance caller."

Su Jiansen asked no more questions and focused on driving.

As they neared home, he spotted several security guards gathered outside the villa complex. Judging by the situation, someone seemed to be causing trouble. Unable to talk the person down, the guards were preparing to throw him out.

To avoid any trouble as they passed, Su Jiansen slowed down.

Just as their car was about to pass the group, the man causing the disturbance suddenly lunged onto it.

Startled, Su Jiansen hurriedly slammed on the brakes.

The guards rushed over to pull the man away, but he slipped past them like an eel, pressed himself against the driver's window, and pounded on it several times.

"Isn't this Su Chuchu's car?"

"Open the window! Open it! I've seen Su Chuchu get into this car. I know it belongs to her family. Don't play dumb. I need to talk to Su Chuchu!"

Despite the windows' soundproofing, Su Jiansen still heard what was being said outside.

He glanced at the man with the buzz cut pounding on his window, then turned toward Su Chuchu in the back seat. "Chuchu, do you know him?"

Pale-faced, Su Chuchu shook her head vehemently. "No, no. I don't know him."

"Dad, just drive. Let the guards deal with this lunatic. Let's go home."

Her reaction was so strong that she clearly knew who the man outside was.

Su Jiansen gave her another long, searching look, then lowered his window.

"Dad!" Su Chuchu cried, losing control.

Su Jiansen ignored her completely and turned to the man outside. "I'm Chuchu's father. Who are you?"

The young man froze for a moment, then immediately plastered an ingratiating smile on his face.

"Hello, Father-in-law. I'm Chuchu's boyfriend, the father of her child."