PCMWF Chapter 157

Su Youli was the last to be interviewed. When Shen Yan placed him on the small sofa, he smiled at Uncle Da Mo, whom he knew well. The little guy’s cheeks were soft, his eyes bright like black grapes, his lashes long and dark. Sitting obediently on the stool, listening to the auntie’s questions, he looked like a little snow doll. With so many cameras and so many people around, the little guy wouldn’t let Shen Yan leave at first. Shen Yan patted his head and said he would stay right beside him. The little guy nodded and started answering questions. As the one who had been “rescued,” when the auntie asked if he was scared at the playground, he shook his head seriously.

“Youyou wasn’t scared. Uncle Da Mo was with Youyou.”

The little guy then looked at Shen Minyan and Tang Dou, who were hidden in the crowd, and happily swung his little legs: “Dad and Brother Xiao Tang were with Youyou too.”

Good thing it wasn’t live. The interview could be edited later. The staff asked a few more questions, and the little guy cooperated without any fuss. The interview footage would be cut into a special feature and released as a bonus. After the day’s filming was over, the little guy was led back to his room by his brother.

As soon as the door opened, the little guy ran forward and buried his head in Shen Minyan’s chest. Shen Yan followed behind and could clearly see that Youyou’s relationship with his father was much closer than before. Shen Minyan had taken over as a parent, brought the little guy to Country D to see the two fathers he missed so much, and they had lived together abroad for over half a month. Feelings could be nurtured. When the little guy first returned to the Shen family, he wouldn’t even call Shen Minyan “Dad,” let alone cuddle. He’d be clingy after just a day apart.

Shen Minyan sat his youngest son on his lap and spoke to him: “Youyou, Daddy has to go back to China tonight. You’ll stay here with Big Brother and Brother Xiao Tang, okay?”

Shen Minyan had been abroad too long. Although his deputies were capable and could handle many things online, there were still matters that needed his personal attention. For over a month, Su Youli had been with Shen Minyan every day. Now that he was suddenly leaving, Su Youli’s brows furrowed. His little hands clutched Shen Minyan’s suit pocket, and his face was buried in his father’s chest.

Shen Minyan’s heart melted into warm water. His large hand gently stroked the little guy’s back: “Youyou doesn’t want Daddy to leave, does he?”

The little head in his arms nodded. Shen Minyan felt a warmth in his chest. He carried the little one to sit by the window. The night view outside was stunning, but his gaze couldn’t focus. The little guy had only been with him for such a short time, less than a year, yet already he was so deeply attached. Just the thought of being apart for a few days made his heart ache. Holding his son in his arms, he remembered those three years when he couldn’t find his child. How had he survived? Lost, consumed by hatred. Everyone said such a young child wouldn’t survive, that there was no point in searching.

Shen Minyan couldn’t remember his reaction back then. Maybe he had glared at them into silence. Maybe, after repeated disappointments, he had reluctantly agreed. Every time news of a child came, true or false, he had to verify it himself. He’d forgotten whether he’d persisted for Chu Ying’s sake, or to keep his younger son from suffering, or just to find a moment of peace. Maybe all of it.

In any case, for those three years, Shen Minyan hadn’t been much like a person. His rebellious second son stopped calling him Dad, and his eldest son grew distant and cold. Now, the warm little one in his arms truly filled the missing part of his life. At first, he only hoped Youyou wouldn’t be afraid of him. He never dared to hope Youyou would become this dependent and affectionate.

“When Youyou’s adventure is over, Dad will be waiting at the airport to pick you up. Okay?” Shen Minyan used the gentlest tone of his life.

The little guy looked up and held out his soft little hand: “Pinky promise.”

Shen Minyan smiled, hooking his finger with that tiny one. The night grew darker, and the little one in Shen Minyan’s arms had fallen asleep. No matter how reluctant, he had to leave. Tang Dou carefully took the sleeping little one and placed him in the bed. In the living room, Shen Minyan was speaking with Shen Yan, giving him safety instructions. After finishing, Shen Yan walked Shen Minyan to the door. Shen Yan was taller than his father now, though his shoulders weren’t as broad. His face was young and handsome. At the elevator, Shen Minyan stepped in, turned, and faced his son.

“Don’t walk me. Go back and stay with Youyou.”

Shen Yan stopped. The overhead light fell on Shen Minyan’s face. The man once called the “Handsomest Billionaire” by the media now bore the marks of age. The lines at the corners of his eyes were especially visible. The brashness of youth was gone, replaced by a calm, steady, and undeniable sharpness. Only with his family did he lower his guard, a smile in his eyes. Shen Yan said nothing, waiting for the elevator doors to close. Shen Minyan also stood still. Father and son stared at each other through the elevator doors for a few seconds. The man in the suit pressed the floor button. Just before the doors closed, he spoke:

“Yan Yan, you are very outstanding.”

The doors closed with a ding. The numbers on the wall were counting down. Shen Yan wondered if he’d misheard. His father had… praised him? Yan Yan? How long had it been since he’d been called by his childhood name? That one word instantly took Shen Yan back to his childhood. In his memory, his father, though busy, had taken him and his mother out every weekend. After Lin Lin was born, there was one more person to join them. Their time together wasn’t much, which made it all the more precious.

He knew his father wasn’t good with words. He was more like the traditional father in a textbook, quiet but deep as a mountain. When he decided to study performing arts and enter the entertainment industry, his father had been furious, his hand raised as if to strike. He knew his father had wanted him to be the heir. He also saw the disappointment in his father’s eyes.

Their bond had cooled. Then Youyou appeared, and he decided to move back home. And then, right here, on the most ordinary day, in a foreign country. The father who had been so strict, who had opposed his career in entertainment, told him he was outstanding. His nose stung. Shen Yan squeezed his eyes shut, covering his face with his hands as tears silently fell into his palms.

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