However, the words he left behind could not shake the Fu family in the slightest.
They had finally reunited as a family, yet neither Old Madam Fu nor Fu Tingsheng spoke. The misunderstanding was cleared, but the mother and son felt a sense of estrangement.
Shen Qingqing took Fu Jingshu's arm, "Let's go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes. Let Grandma and Uncle have some time to talk."
As the two left, the living room suddenly fell silent.
In the kitchen, Fu Jingshu stood still the moment he entered, staring at her intently as she hummed a little tune and busied herself at the counter.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
She could feel his burning gaze without even turning around.
Fu Jingshu's voice was low as he said, "Thank you."
If it weren't for her, he might never have known these things in his life.
Shen Qingqing stopped her movements and turned to look at him, "Didn't you already know about these things? Fu Tingyi isn't your father, you hinted at that before."
"I knew, but I wasn't aware of all the twists and turns involved."
He knew that Fu Tingyi was not his father, not of Fu family blood. But Fu Tingyi was the one who had brought him back, and Old Madam Fu clearly didn't want to revisit the past.
He had never confessed, keeping it bottled up inside.
It had festered into a deep-seated worry.
Shen Qingqing gently hugged his waist, "It's good now. We know all about the past. You can get along with Uncle now... oh no, your father, properly."
She had always felt that Fu Tingsheng was a better father figure than Fu Tingyi.
Fu Jingshu cupped the back of her head and imprinted a kiss on her forehead, restrained yet tender, "When all this is settled, we'll have our wedding. I'll arrange it as soon as possible."
He couldn't wait any longer.
Shen Qingqing smiled and said, "Okay."
When they emerged from the kitchen, Fu Tingsheng and Old Madam Fu were already different from before. Although there weren't many words exchanged between them, a mother-son affection radiated from their every gesture.
Fu Tingsheng helped Old Madam Fu to the table, and during the meal, he observed the old lady's preferences.
Seeing this, Fu Jingshu's expression softened subtly. He then turned to gaze at Shen Qingqing, serving her food with a tenderness that was unlike him.
Everyone enjoyed the meal.
Afterward, Shen Qingqing had the two children brought over. Finally, the family was truly reunited.
After dinner, Old Madam Fu took the two children to play in the living room, giving them pastries. Meanwhile, Fu Tingsheng spoke with Fu Jingshu.
Before long, Fu Jingshu came to take Shen Qingqing's hand.
"I want to take you somewhere."
Soon, Shen Qingqing knew where they were going. They arrived at a cemetery. The sky was a little overcast, and the cemetery was quiet, not even a breeze stirred.
They stopped before a tombstone with a name inscribed on it.
Liu Ruomei.
"This is your mother," Fu Tingsheng said, his gaze softening instantly as he saw the photo.
The photo on the tombstone was in black and white. The woman wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but she was refined, with a hint of gentleness in her eyes and a slight smile on her lips.
She was a very gentle woman.
Shen Qingqing liked her immediately. Then she heard Fu Tingsheng say, "Your mother was a very gentle and kind woman. Back then, I had nothing and was in poor health, but she didn't care. Despite her parents' objections, she married me. I vowed then that I would treat her well!"
"We were very happy after we got married, but unfortunately, our happiness didn't last long..."
She was pregnant.
They were both overjoyed, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the child. But during Liu Ruomei's labor, she had a difficult delivery. He was adamant about saving the mother.
But she couldn't hold on.
Fu Tingsheng was devastated. Then, the doctor informed him that the baby was also stillborn.
He was utterly disheartened, wishing he could follow his wife and child to the grave.
It wasn't until he was sorting through his wife's belongings that he discovered her diary. He learned then that his wife had always wanted him to live on.
To live happily and freely.
She didn't want him to die with her.
Although Shen Qingqing had never met this woman, she could tell from his words that Liu Ruomei was an exceptionally gentle soul who had warmed Fu Tingsheng like the sun.
"Then why did you come back for revenge?"
Fu Tingsheng emerged from his memories, his eyes slightly red. "Because Fu Tingyi found me, told me about my background, and confessed the truth about me being lost back then."
The truth was, of course, fabricated.
He lived in torment every day, feeling hopeless. Only hatred ignited his fighting spirit.
"So, back then, Fu Tingyi switched your child, meaning Jingshu," Shen Qingqing mused, tapping her chin. "But why would he do that? He could have just had his own child."
Fu Jingshu fell silent for a moment.
"What do you know?" Shen Qingqing suddenly looked at him.
Fu Jingshu sighed softly, "He couldn't have children."
He had learned this by chance, which was how he discovered Fu Tingyi wasn't his father.
"Aren't you curious about who your real father is?"
Fu Jingshu glanced at Fu Tingsheng, his lips twitching slightly, finding it rather difficult to speak, "I had people investigate, but they only found out I was being kept... Later, Fu Tingyi discovered this and came to me, saying he adopted me from a relative, and that my biological parents had already..."
passed away.
This story had even fooled Grandma.
Fu Tingsheng was enraged, "This is utter nonsense! That scumbag is truly wicked!"
In all the time Shen Qingqing had known him, this was the first time she had heard him utter such words. She couldn't help but remark, "Fu Tingyi's lies are full of holes, but you were all caught in the scheme, so it's understandable that you couldn't see clearly at first."
Fu Tingsheng longed for a family. Upon learning he was abandoned, he dared not question the truth.
As for Fu Jingshu, he didn't want to leave Old Madam Fu, as she had raised him since childhood. Some truths could only be investigated indirectly, not brought to light.
If the old lady was sad, he wouldn't feel good either.
"I won't let him get away with it!" For the first time, Fu Tingsheng hated someone so deeply.
"You don't need to do anything," Fu Jingshu said with a slight smile, but his eyes were icy cold. "Now that he's in there, he won't get out easily."
Attempted murder of Fu Tingsheng was enough to put him away for a while.
Not to mention, he had also made public Fu Tingyi's past misdeeds when he was young. Many people knew about it now, and the reporters outside must be in a frenzy.
With such sensational news, they would probably brave the police station to dig up more dirt.
Shen Qingqing thought of Fu Tingyi's downfall and couldn't help but smile, "Indeed, evil begets evil."
Fu Tingsheng felt a great sense of catharsis. "He deserves it. Consumed by jealousy, he committed so many wicked deeds. I think he's even getting off easy!"