Shen Yi grabbed Qin Jiao and spun around, pulling them completely behind a thicket of bushes and into a blind spot.

Although no one else could see them, the space was so cramped that they were pressed tightly together, unable to move. Qin Jiao could even hear his heartbeat.

Two echoing beats.

Because one of them was her own.

Qin Jiao bit her lip in frustration. She wanted to wring her own neck for what she’d done just minutes ago.

’She never should have run out!’

But she couldn’t risk struggling now. Any sound would alert Li Xiaomei and Shen Zhengfeng. If they saw the two of them wrapped in an embrace, the situation would be impossible to explain!

Although Shen Yi remained expressionless, his heart was anything but calm. The girl in his arms was glaring at him resentfully, her teeth worrying her lip until it was red with frustration.

He forced himself to tear his gaze away from her and focus on the couple in the distance.

Anxious and furious, Qin Jiao stamped on Shen Yi’s foot. Shen Yi gritted his teeth but didn’t make a sound. Instead, he tightened his grip slightly, pulling her even closer into his arms.

Qin Jiao: "..."

Just as the two of them were locked in a silent struggle, the other couple suddenly embraced.

Qin Jiao gasped!

She glanced worriedly at Shen Yi, only to find him watching with a cold expression as his own father held another woman in his arms.

All thoughts of struggling vanished from Qin Jiao’s mind, replaced by a sudden wave of sympathy for Shen Yi.

’So, Chen Feng’s mother and Shen Yi’s father had a history.’

’But then, why did Chen Feng’s mother marry Shen Yi’s uncle? This is so messed up!’

The couple, perhaps also worried about being seen, broke their embrace after a moment. Shen Zhengfeng then comforted her in a low voice, "Xiao Mei, I’ve made you suffer all these years."

"It’s not about suffering. I know things have always been difficult for you, and there was nothing you could do. Du Liya was so aggressive back then; you had no other choice."

"Xiao Mei..."

From just those few words, Qin Jiao instantly understood. ’So they were a couple originally, but Shen Yi’s mother, Du Liya, forced them apart?’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

’While what Du Liya did was definitely wrong, Shen Zhengfeng was a huge part of the problem too!’

’If you don’t want to marry a woman, can someone really hold a knife to your throat and force you?’

’Fine, maybe they could force you to get married, but what about the child? Surely Du Liya didn’t force Shen Zhengfeng to have a child too!’

Shen Zhengfeng soothed her a little more, then said in a low voice, "I have to go soon. I’ll find time to see you again after a while. Xiao Mei, just give me a little more time. I promise I’ll make things right."

Li Xiaomei rubbed her eyes, looking deeply wronged. She said softly, "Don’t worry about me. I’m getting on in years, and I’ve managed on my own for so long. But Xiao Feng..."

Li Xiaomei lifted her head. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and the corners of her mouth quivered with emotion.

She said, "But Zhengfeng, you can’t just ignore our son, Xiao Feng!"

"What? Are you saying... Xiao Feng is my son?"

"I lied about his age by a year. He’s actually nineteen. I was already pregnant with Xiao Feng when you married Du Liya. I had no choice, so I had to marry that drunkard, Chen Qiang."

Shen Zhengfeng was reeling. He took several deep breaths and paced back and forth. He looked up at Li Xiaomei, then took a few more steps.

Li Xiaomei said softly, "I knew you only left me because you had no choice. I love you, so I couldn’t bear to lose our child."

"You’re so foolish!" Shen Zhengfeng said, pulling Li Xiaomei into another tight embrace.