On the third day, Gu Yan thought Ye Qichen would no longer appear. She had three rather important meetings at her company today and couldn't be at the hospital to care for her son, so she hired a caregiver for him.
After work in the afternoon, she quickly finished her tasks, went home to stew a nourishing soup for her son, and took it to the hospital.
As soon as she reached the door of the ward, she heard her son's hearty laughter. She thought to herself that the caregiver she hired was quite good.
Ever since her son woke up after surgery, she hadn't seen him smile, let alone laugh so loudly. She decided she could continue to employ this caregiver tomorrow.
She pushed open the ward door, only to see Ye Qichen sitting by the bed, playing with LEGOs with Gu En.
It seemed he had made a mistake, building something quite ugly, which made Gu En laugh heartily. Ye Qichen laughed along too. Catching a glimpse of Gu Yan, he turned and asked, "Finished with work?"
Gu Yan forced a smile that wasn't too stiff, "Mm."
She couldn't understand what Ye Qichen was trying to do.
He didn't want to marry or start a family, so why would he need a child?
Why was he still visiting the child?
Gu Yan didn't want her son to notice anything amiss. She placed the thermos on the table, "Gu En, stop playing and have dinner first. Mom made you nourishing soup."
"Okay." Gu En obediently put the LEGOs away and then asked Ye Qichen, "Dad, can you continue playing with me after dinner?"
Ye Qichen: "Okay."
Hearing her son call Ye Qichen "Dad," Gu Yan's hand trembled as she poured the soup, spilling some.
"Are you scalded?" The father and son, seeing this, quickly grabbed tissues to help wipe the table.
"What did you call him?" Gu Yan's face was shocked, her gaze shifting between them.
"Dad!" Gu En said, "Dad showed me the paternity test report, we are father and son!"
God knows how his heart had felt like a roller coaster, full of ups and downs and excitement, when he saw the paternity report. Duoduo hadn't lied to him; destined people would always appear.
Unlike his excitement, Gu Yan's feelings were complex upon hearing his words.
"You eat first. I have something to say to you, Ye..." Gu Yan said to Gu En, then gestured for Ye Qichen to step out with her.
They stood at the door of the ward, and Ye Qichen closed the door.
"What exactly do you want?" Gu Yan turned and asked. "Didn't I ask you not to tell Gu En? Why did you tell him without discussing it with me?"
She was a little anxious, her tone somewhat aggressive.
"Didn't you also give birth to the child without discussing it with me?" Ye Qichen replied nonchalantly.
Gu Yan was momentarily speechless, completely cut off by his words.
She couldn't understand Ye Qichen's actions. If he couldn't provide a home for them, why give their son false hope only to disappoint him?
"Since he is my son, I, as his father, must take responsibility," Ye Qichen said.
Gu Yan furrowed her brow and asked, "How will you be responsible?"
Ye Qichen took out a set of keys and handed them to her. "This apartment is in the Fuli community next to the company, Building 8, Unit 8816. You should move there. It's also close to where Gu En goes to school. Don't live in the old apartment anymore."
Gu Yan looked at the keys, not taking them, her mind somewhat dazed.
Was he planning to "keep" them, mother and son?
Ye Qichen continued, "In addition, the child's living expenses, education fees, including but not limited to his future expenses for buying a house, a car, getting married, and having children, will all be borne by me. My father-son relationship with him is legally valid."
In other words, if he were to die in the future, Gu En would inherit his assets.
"I can't marry you, but I will cooperate with you as much as possible to give him as complete a family as possible," Ye Qichen said, taking her hand and placing the keys in it.
This was the best way he could think of to take responsibility for them and the child in the past two days.
Gu Yan stared blankly at the keys in her hand, lost in thought for a long time, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She was touched. At least, Ye Qichen wasn't trying to take the child away, and he was willing to give the child a proper identity. He was even willing to provide a family for the child as much as possible, even if it wasn't a normal family.
However, despite the touch, she felt a pang of sadness. Ye Qichen could go this far, yet he was unwilling to marry her, not even giving her a formal status.
She told herself she should be content. At least now, he and the child were by her side, and she shouldn't ask for too much.
Unbeknownst to them, Gu En, who was standing behind the door, had overheard their entire conversation.
Gu En couldn't quite understand the complex emotions of adults. If they were a family, shouldn't they get married?
He was troubled and the only person he could think of to confide in was Duoduo.
The next day, it being the weekend, Gu En took advantage of his mother going out to get food, hid in the restroom, and video-called Duoduo, sharing his troubles with her.
After listening, Duoduo didn't think it was a big deal at all. "Oh, you're silly. My uncle said he doesn't want to get married, not that he doesn't want to date! They don't have to get married; they can date for a lifetime! How romantic."
"It can be like that?"
This completely overturned Gu En's understanding of marriage. He only knew that other people's parents got married to have a family. He had never seen two people who weren't married form a family.
Duoduo coughed lightly and put on an air of an expert in relationships. "This is due to your limited experience. They say marriage is the tomb of love. If you don't get married, you can keep dating, which is even more romantic! Why insist on getting that certificate and stepping into the tomb of marriage?
"Look at my Daddy, the famous Lord Qin Seven. Everyone in the capital, even the entire Hua Nation, dares not offend him. Isn't he formidable?"
Gu En nodded in agreement.
Duoduo continued, "But all of that means nothing in front of my Mommy!
"My Daddy works multiple jobs every day (has multiple identities) and gives all his earnings to my Mommy. Not only that, but he also has to personally be responsible for Mommy's meals. If he makes a mistake, he has to kneel on a washboard or a keyboard. After kneeling, he's not allowed into the room and has to sleep in the east wing."
"Think about it, my Daddy, such an incredibly powerful figure, has to bow down to his wife. Isn't that a marriage tomb? It's normal for my uncle not to want to do it!"
Gu En listened, stunned. Although he didn't understand love and didn't know much about Lord Qin Seven and the nameless divine doctor, everyone in the capital knew that Lord Qin Seven doted on his wife immensely.
So this was how he doted on her?
And he had such a hard time?
Then it seemed quite normal for his dad not to want to marry his mom, right?
"Duoduo," a deep, magnetic voice suddenly came from behind Duoduo.
Hearing the familiar voice, Duoduo's whole body jolted.
She immediately hung up the video call and turned around with a smile, "Hehe, Daddy, when did you get here?"
Qin Beiting looked at her ominously. "If I hadn't come, you would have been belittling your old man to others until he was worthless!"
"Hahaha, no, no, I was... I was praising my Daddy as a role model for doting on his wife!" Duoduo laughed.
Qin Beiting wasn't fooled by her playful demeanor. "Hurry up and come out to wash up and eat."
"Okay, okay, coming right up!" Duoduo said, turning to pretend to do her homework. Seeing her Daddy leave, she immediately took out her phone and found Gu En again.
"Daddy called me for dinner. You really don't need to insist on my uncle marrying your mom. They can date for a lifetime, and he can still be your dad~"
As long as her uncle didn't marry Gu Mama, Gu En would never be her legal brother. Well, that was good.
"He is already my dad," Gu En corrected her. "You're right; destined people appear. He had a paternity test done, so we are truly father and son."
Duoduo was struck by lightning. "What?!"