Xiao Wu woke up after sleeping for an hour or so. He seemed to have dreamed of something and woke up in tears, shouting, “No!”

  When he woke up and saw Mu Jingzhe hugging him, he burst into tears. “Mommy, I don’t want to leave you.”

  From the looks of it, it had probably been a nightmare about being taken away by Shao Qiyun or something to that effect. Everyone’s guess was right. Other than finding it hard to accept this, Xiao Wu was really afraid of being taken away and being separated from them.

  “I want to be with Daddy, Mommy, Brothers, and Sister forever. I don’t want to leave.”

  “No, no. No one can take you away.”

  Xiao Wu calmed down a little and looked at Shao Dong and the rest, who were looking at him with concern. He finally realized something—his siblings knew about it.

  He looked at them worriedly and promised, “Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Sister, I won’t become bad. If I become bad, you can hit and scold me. I won’t…”

  He wanted to say that he wouldn’t want to live either, but upon seeing Mu Jingzhe shut her mouth again, he said, “I definitely won’t go astray.”

  Shao Dong and the rest already knew what Xiao Wu was worried about. Upon hearing Xiao Wu’s words, Little Bei couldn’t help but flick his nose. “Sister believes you. If you dare go astray, I will spank you.”

  “You, go astray? Pfft.” Shao Nan also smiled.

  Shao Dong patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Although Grandma likes that saying, there are no absolutes in this world. There are many bad people whose parents are good people, even very good people. However, some super-villains also have children who are good. There are many such people in history and reality. You grew up with Mommy. Even if you don’t believe in others, you have to believe in Mommy.”

  “That’s right. Don’t think too much. If anyone is meant to go astray, I’ll be the one to do it first. I’m ahead of you.” Shao Xi spoke with a carefree attitude, thinking to himself that he would probably believe it if Shao Nan went astray. As for Xiao Wu, he had to queue up behind Shao Nan and him no matter what.

  Overall, Xiao Wu ranked fifth. If someone among the five of them was to truly go astray, he would definitely rank fifth and last.

  “What is this talk about going astray!” Mu Jingzhe, who had initially been nodding non-stop, couldn’t help but knock on Shao Xi’s head when she heard this. “Of all things, why are you competing over this?”

  Seeing Shao Xi grin, Xiao Wu finally smiled. At long last, he heaved a sigh of relief and wasn’t so tense anymore.

  \r \r \r

  As long as Mommy and Brother didn’t despise him, that was good enough. As for Shao Qihai… Xiao Wu stole a glance at him and smiled when he saw his warm gaze.

  Previously, when he had thought that Shao Qihai was his father, he, like his siblings, had felt that a father should be responsible and that it hadn’t been right of him to abandon them. But now, he knew that wasn’t the case.

  Previously, he had been very traumatized and hadn’t even wanted to see Shao Qihai. He felt that Shao Qihai had lied to him. However, after calming down, he realized that the only reason he’d dared to think that way was because Shao Qihai treated him well.

  Not only had Shao Qihai taken on the role of his father, but he’d given him an identity and raised him since he was a baby. More than anything else, he was his savior. If it weren’t for his father, Shao Qihai, he would probably have died long ago. Even if he hadn’t been drowned by Shao Qiyun, he might have been strangled to death by her or discarded in the toilet to starve to death or drown.

  He should thank Daddy.

  Mu Jingzhe encouraged them to speak more and voice their feelings, be it happy feelings or unhappy ones. Also, if they were grateful, they should say it. Otherwise, no one would know.

  Like he’d been taught, Xiao Wu really voiced his true feelings. “Daddy, thank you.”

  Shao Qihai was vigilant, afraid that Xiao Wu would cry again, but Xiao Wu managed to hold back his tears this time. However, when Shao Qihai heard this, he couldn’t help but want to cry.

  “What’s there to thank me for? You’re already calling me ‘Daddy’. This is what a father should do.”

  He had never regretted adopting Xiao Wu, but he was still extremely touched when he heard him say ‘thank you’.

  No, he couldn’t be touched anymore. Otherwise, he would cry again. Shao Qihai forced himself to calm down.

  The atmosphere in Mu Jingzhe’s house was great and touching. Meanwhile, Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan were also talking.

  When Zhao Lan had seen Shao Qihai looking for Xiao Wu everywhere, she had sensed that something was wrong. She had quickly come over and asked Shao Qiyun what was going on. When she heard what had happened, she was shocked.

  “Xiao Wu actually heard that? What a sin. What should we do now?”

  Shao Qiyun didn’t answer, but when Zhao Lan saw that she was silent, she couldn’t help but jump up. “Xiao Yun, you want to acknowledge him? You’re not married yet. If you do, it’ll be over for you. Having a child out of wedlock… What will you do in the future?”

  “But what can I do if I don’t acknowledge him? Everything else aside, at least he can still earn money. Mu Jingzhe won’t ignore this either. If I don’t repay those debts, I won’t have a future anyway. Would anyone be willing to marry a woman who is riddled with debt?”

  Shao Qiyun exploded. “Why wasn’t I born in the city? Why was I born in this mountain village without a father from a young age? If I were the daughter of a rich family in the city, would I need to suffer like this?!”

  Shao Qiyun asked Zhao Lan, “Why are you so useless? Why did you give birth to me when you’re so poor?”

  Zhao Lan’s heart ached when she heard her question. “I’m sorry. Mother has let you down.”

  “Other than apologizing every day, what else can you say? You keep saying that I’m destined to marry a rich person. Then why don’t you know a single rich person? It’s all your fault!”

  Being resented by their children made parents feel the most helpless. When asked why she was poor and couldn’t help at all, even the evil-to-the-core Zhao Lan felt like a knife had been stabbed into her heart.

  She had always felt that she had let Shao Qiyun down because she was clearly so beautiful and should have been a little princess, but she was trapped in a mountain village. All along, she’d felt bad that she couldn’t give her anything, not even a beautiful dress, nothing.

  Zhao Lan took a step back, feeling powerless. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

  “Stop saying sorry. What should we do now? What if that little brat Xiao Wu insists on acknowledging me? If Xiao Wu has found out, he’ll definitely tell Mu Jingzhe. Who knows what that crazy woman will do?”

  Shao Qiyun gritted her teeth. “They don’t have the final say in this matter. No, I can’t just sit back and do nothing. What if Mu Jingzhe threatens me in the future? I have to find her first.”

  “Then what about Xiao Wu?”

  “I have my ways!”

  When the female workers knocked off and no one was around, Shao Qiyun came over.

  When she did, Mu Jingzhe and the others were vigilant because they were afraid that Shao Qiyun would come to acknowledge Xiao Wu. In the past, they hadn’t been worried, but now that Xiao Wu was no longer mute and could earn money, and Shao Qiyun happened to be blackmailed by debt collectors, there was reason to worry.

  Seeing Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan enter one after another, Mu Jingzhe immediately entered combat mode. “Get ready!”

  She had to stop Shao Qiyun from snatching Xiao Wu at any cost!

  “What are you doing here?” Mu Jingzhe asked warily. Then, she said, “Don’t you dare mess around!”

  Coincidentally, Shao Qiyun also spoke up. The two of them basically spoke at the same time, but what she said was, “I won’t acknowledge him even if I die. Don’t even think of forcing me!”

  Mu Jingzhe was a little confused. “What do you mean? You’re not acknowledging him?”

  She should be heaving a sigh of relief upon hearing that Shao Qiyun wasn’t going to acknowledge him, but for some reason, she felt very displeased. What did she mean she ‘wouldn’t acknowledge him even if she died’? Xiao Wu was outstanding!

  Mu Jingzhe couldn’t put her feelings into words either. In any case, she’d have an urge to beat Shao Qiyun up if she wanted to acknowledge him, but that urge became even more intense when she said she wouldn’t acknowledge him even if she died.