The car drove into the villa district, and An An stared out the window the entire way. It was completely different from the scenery in the countryside. He was mesmerized.
Qin Ningyi watched him curiously looking left and right from the passenger seat, feeling that An An finally seemed like a child.
"Dad, I've never met Grandma like this before. Do I really not need to bring a gift?" After admiring the scenery, An An became nervous again, even more so than when he met his dad.
In their village, Li Xiaohua's mother was often scolded by Li Xiaohua's grandmother and sometimes assigned many chores. If Grandma didn't have a good impression of him, would she treat his mother poorly when she returned?
Qin Ningyi felt that An An was indeed like a child, yet in an instant, he understood human relationships and acted like an adult.
"Why would you need to bring a gift? Who taught you this, An An?" Qin Ningyi was truly curious about An An's mother. What had she taught her son?
An An blinked his eyes and said slowly, "There are often uncles and aunts who visit Mom, and they always bring many gifts. Sometimes they bring them for An An too."
"So your mother taught you to bring gifts when you visit someone's house?" Qin Ningyi secretly wondered if such etiquette was being instilled from such a young age.
An An, however, shook his head and said helplessly, "Mom said they were giving gifts because our house looked too empty and they were afraid we wouldn't have enough to eat."
"Uncle Shen then laughed at Mom and said these were social courtesies, not targeted poverty alleviation," An An imitated an adult's expression, his serious demeanor making Qin Ningyi stifle a laugh.
He ruffled An An's hair, feeling worried for him having such an oblivious mother. Fortunately, the child had found him; he would teach him slowly in the future.
Huh? Qin Ningyi frowned. The paternity test results weren't out yet, and he hadn't been involved with anyone else. This child definitely wasn't his. Why was he already thinking about the future?
The thought of An An's mother coming to take him away made him feel a little uneasy.
They entered the villa. Unlike the detached villas seen along the way, upon entering the main gate, there was a small courtyard with three buildings connected by a small path.
The car stopped in front of the middle building, and Qin Ningyi led An An towards it.
The butler at the door saw their car and hurried inside to announce them. An An saw a grandmother with hair turning gray approach the entrance, smiling at them with great kindness.
As they walked in, Su Nianzhu, who had been waiting at the door, got a clear look at An An's face. The elegant curve of her smile also formed a round shape.
"You must be An An, come in quickly!" Calming her emotions, Su Nianzhu smiled gently and beckoned him.
Meeting Su Nianzhu's smile, An An's tension eased considerably, and he politely greeted her.
As Qin Ningyi entered, Su Nianzhu whispered in his ear, "You brat, whose daughter did you let down!"
"Mom, I didn't," Qin Ningyi retorted helplessly, though he himself had doubted after seeing An An's face.
Su Nianzhu ignored his unconvincing defense and turned to invite An An to eat.
After washing his hands, An An sat next to Qin Ningyi. With their faces before her, Su Nianzhu tearfully wiped her eyes.
"Why is Grandma crying?" An An took a napkin, climbed off the stool, and quickly walked over to hand it to Su Nianzhu.
Qin Ningyi frowned, watching An An climb off the stool. He asked the butler to find a small stool and place it beside the chair.
Su Nianzhu took the napkin from An An and smiled at his concerned gaze. "Grandma is fine; seeing you makes me happy."
An An was relieved and climbed back onto the chair using the stool. Su Nianzhu looked at the small stool and nodded with satisfaction. Her son was already capable of taking care of a child.
An An ate very well, not requiring any adult's attention, and he wasn't a picky eater. He ate every dish and would ask Qin Ningyi for help with dishes he couldn't reach.
The dining room was filled with An An's soft voice calling out "Dad," something Su Nianzhu had longed for for years.
Her friends all had grandchildren, but her son was a workaholic who had never even dated.
He had expanded the company significantly but still refused to consider relationships, and his sister was equally unwilling to settle. Worried about her children, she had moved in with them.
After dinner, An An proactively helped the housekeeper clear the dishes, much to the housekeeper's anxiety, who feared the child might bump into something.
An An's thoughtfulness made Su Nianzhu like him even more. She walked over and took An An's hand. "Alright An An, let the aunt clean up. Come and chat with Grandma, okay?"
An An nodded and obediently followed Su Nianzhu to the sofa.
"Can you tell Grandma your mother's name? Grandma doesn't know yet."
Qin Ningyi, sitting nearby, couldn't help but shift his body upon hearing the question. He had asked once during the day, but An An hadn't wanted to say, and he had forgotten.
Now, he was also quite curious about who this person was.
"My mom's name is Huo Rou."
"Grandma doesn't seem to have heard of this person. Can you tell Grandma what kind of person your mother is? Is she good to you?"
"Mom is very beautiful and very capable!" An An's eyes were full of admiration and dependence when he spoke of Huo Rou. "She can do anything. She's the best to An An!"
"Then why isn't your mother accompanying you out? It's not good to leave a child at home alone." Su Nianzhu, facing such a well-behaved child, felt a surge of anger towards Huo Rou for letting him come to find Qin Ningyi alone.
"Mom is not bad." An An hastily defended Huo Rou. He couldn't let Grandma misunderstand her before they even met! "Uncle Shen got into trouble. Mom said it would be inconvenient and dangerous to travel abroad with An An, so she let An An stay at home. Mom also had my godmother come over; I wasn't left alone. Grandma, please don't misunderstand Mom..."
"So that's how it is. Then who is Uncle Shen?" Su Nianzhu seized on the key point. If this child was indeed Ningyi's son, the presence of this Uncle Shen was rather problematic. Su Nianzhu glanced at Qin Ningyi, who was leaning over, and asked calmly.
"Uncle Shen is a doctor, and An An's benefactor!" An An, seeing that Su Nianzhu no longer misunderstood Huo Rou, breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to clear any obstacles for his mother so she could be with his dad.
"Mom said that thanks to Uncle Shen, An An was able to come into Mom's life." An An spoke of Uncle Shen with great joy. "If Uncle Shen is in trouble, we must help him!"
An An glanced at Qin Ningyi, his voice lowering. He added, "They used to laugh at me for not having a dad, and Uncle Shen helped me... he was my dad for a day."
Qin Ningyi noticed the cautious look in An An's eyes as he said this, a mixture of shyness and grievance. He felt a pang of heartache.
He pulled An An closer to him with a large arm and said solemnly, "Next time you need a dad, An An, just tell me."
Hugging An An's soft body, he slowly said, "Whether we are father and son or not, I am willing to be your dad."
He even harbored a wish that he was his biological father.