Xu Xiuhe was worried that Shen Yin might get scared, so he carried her out of the abandoned factory.
Shen Yin came around and leaned on Xu Xiuhe's shoulder, and Xu Xiuhe hugged her again.
"Were you scared?" Xu Xiuhe asked, looking at Shen Yin.
Shen Yin shook her head and then nodded.
Seeing her like this, Xu Xiuhe felt reassured. Although Shen Yin's martial arts skills were formidable, she was still a woman, and she would naturally feel afraid in such a situation.
"This place is quite remote," Xu Xiuhe said, trying to divert Shen Yin's attention and help her forget what had just happened inside.
Shen Yin looked around. It was indeed remote, with desolate surroundings, fields in the distance, and weeds growing near the factory.
"I made you worry," Shen Yin said.
"Don't say that. It's my fault. I didn't expect your dream to come true so quickly, and I was careless when we left," Xu Xiuhe said, beginning to feel scared. He didn't dare think about the consequences if he had arrived late...
If Tan Xiao hadn't acted so quickly, what would he have done?
"His name is Wang Zhihao, the arranged marriage partner I was supposed to marry at birth according to the midwife."
"Yeah, I figured as much," Xu Xiuhe said, remembering that Liu Bo had mentioned Wang Zhihao had been in prison before, which matched what Shen Yin had told him about the one-child policy being enforced when she was born.
"He's quite daring to find such a remote place," Shen Yin commented.
Xu Xiuhe...
His wife's focus was indeed different from others'. Now, instead of expressing her fear and seeking comfort in his arms as he had expected, she was commenting on the location.
"This place is secluded with no surveillance cameras. He's not stupid," Xu Xiuhe said.
"He seems to have some mental issues," Shen Yin said.
Xu Xiuhe suddenly stopped walking, then continued.
"What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking that if he claims to have mental issues later, his punishment might be reduced."
"Ah?"
"But I won't let that happen. He kidnapped you, and I will make sure he pays the price."
Xu Xiuhe carried Shen Yin to the car, fastened her seatbelt, and secured her in.
"You must be hungry. Let's go home first."
At Qinghe Villa, Qi Ji was coaxing and cajoling Zhengzheng, trying to keep the baby from crying since she arrived in the afternoon.
Ever since she came, Zhengzheng had been saying she was hungry, and Qi Ji had to find a way to get her something to eat.
The problem was that Qi Ji didn't know how to cook. She had never set foot in the kitchen when she was young, and she didn't know the details of Shen Yin's situation, so she didn't dare order takeout.
After Xue Jingrui and Xu Xiuhe left, Qi Ji locked the door from the inside and carried Zhengzheng upstairs.
Zhengzheng was not happy and kept asking Qi Ji over and over where her mother had gone.
Qi Ji patiently explained each time that her mother was busy with work but would be back that night.
In front of Zhengzheng, Qi Ji didn't dare call Xue Jingrui to ask about Shen Yin's situation.
It was the first time Qi Ji had been in a kitchen, cooking for a child. She was really worried about what would happen if she gave the baby something that made her sick.
"Zhengzheng, what would you like to eat?" Qi Ji asked.
"Mommy said she would make crabs for Zhengzheng."
Qi Ji...
She didn't even know how to cook rice, let alone how to prepare crabs. And there weren't any in the fridge.
There were eggs on top of the fridge.
"Zhengzheng, would you like some eggs?" Qi Ji coaxed, taking the eggs out of the pan.
Zhengzheng was hungry too, so she nodded.
Qi Ji poured in some water, put the eggs in, and carefully turned on the fire.
Finally, the eggs were boiled, but Zhengzheng was still hungry.
The little one was hungry, with a sour expression, following Qi Ji around like a little tail. Qi Ji felt terrible.
"Grr, grr, grr."
Xu Yunzheng's stomach kept rumbling.
Qi Ji noticed some baby formula on the kitchen counter and got the idea to make some for Zhengzheng. She looked up how to prepare it on her phone.
[For a two-year-old baby, the normal ratio for baby formula is 30ml of water to one scoop of powder, so 120ml would need 4 scoops of powder. It's recommended that babies eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water as appropriate.]
Following the instructions, Qi Ji mixed the formula and tested the temperature before giving Zhengzheng the bottle.
Then she washed and cut up some fruit into small pieces on a plate and placed it on the coffee table for Zhengzheng to eat.
After she had eaten and drunk her fill, Zhengzheng thought of Shen Yin again.
Qi Ji had no choice but to try to put her to sleep.
She sang songs and told stories, but suddenly Zhengzheng turned to her and asked, "Where is Mommy? When is she coming back? Zhengzheng misses Mommy."
Qi Ji was almost in tears too. She also wanted to know when Shen Yin would be back and what her situation was after being kidnapped.
"Zhengzheng, take a nap first, and when you wake up, Mommy will be back. If you don't sleep, Mommy won't be able to come back."
Hearing this, Xu Yunzheng immediately went to sleep.
After Xu Yunzheng fell asleep, Qi Ji couldn't sleep, so she passed the time by drawing.
When Zhengzheng woke up again, she said she was hungry once more.
Qi Ji was also a little hungry. But she had no idea what to do for the two of them. If only Xue Jingrui were there, she wouldn't have to worry about what to eat.
"Auntie, I'm hungry. There are small dumplings in the fridge," Zhengzheng said.
Zhengzheng had remembered the small dumplings her mother had put in the fridge.
"Okay, I'll boil some small dumplings for you, Zhengzheng."
Xu Yunzheng followed Qi Ji, going wherever she went.
Qi Ji did know how to boil dumplings—it was just like cooking instant noodles, adding some ingredients until they were cooked. It was even simpler than boiling regular dumplings.
Just as the dumplings finished cooking, Xu Xiuhe carried Shen Yin upstairs.
Xu Yunzheng heard the noise while eating dumplings.
"Mommy!" The little one ran straight toward Shen Yin.
Shen Yin squatted down and hugged Zhengzheng.
"Mommy, where did you go? Zhengzheng missed you so much. Zhengzheng thought Mommy didn't want Zhengzheng anymore," Zhengzheng started whining as soon as she saw her mother.
"Zhengzheng, be good. Mommy was busy today and didn't tell you before leaving. That was Mommy's fault. Will you forgive Mommy?" Shen Yin explained.
"Zhengzheng forgives Mommy, but Mommy has to tell Zhengzheng next time she goes out, or Zhengzheng will worry about Mommy and miss her."
"Okay, Mommy promises Zhengzheng."
Qi Ji came out of the kitchen when Shen Yin arrived and saw the mother and daughter reunited, feeling happy for them.
"Thank you for your hard work, Qi Ji," Shen Yin said.
"No problem, as it should be. Is Shen Yin all right now?"
"I'm all right, you see, I'm standing right here, don't worry."
"Zhengzheng, go eat dumplings with Aunt Qi Ji first. Dad needs to talk to Mom about something."
Xu Xiuhe continued, "Xue Jingrui will probably come over soon, could you please look after Zhengzheng for a bit?"
"Sure."
Qi Ji sat down at the dining table, and she noticed while cooking that these dumplings smelled exceptionally fragrant.
