Five years after my wife's death, she came back!

Shi Ying had never seen this person before, but she looked to be in her forties, and her features vaguely resembled Shang Chenyan's.

Just as she was about to ask another question, the woman exclaimed incredulously, "You are... Shi Ying?"

Do you recognize me?

"Mom, why are you here?" At this moment, Shang Chenyan came out of the house. He was wearing an apron and his hands were still wet. Hearing Cheng Suyun's voice, he hurried over.

Cheng Suyun seemed not to hear him. She stood there, stunned. The person in front of her was clearly Shi Ying.

Although so many years have passed and her impression of Shi Ying was very vague, those memories gradually became clear as soon as she saw him.

But it's not quite right to say she's Shi Ying; she looks almost exactly the same as she did five years ago, without any change.

But how is that possible?

How could a normal person remain unchanged for five years?

Shi Ying hadn't expected to meet the parents so suddenly. She secretly nudged Shang Chenyan's finger behind her back and whispered, "Why didn't you tell me your mother was coming?"

"I didn't know she was coming." Cheng Suyun usually calls him in advance before coming over, and it's raining today, so it's very unusual for her to come over now.

Shang Chenyan held her hand: "Niannian is taking a nap. Why don't you go up and keep her company? I'll handle things here."

"Oh..." Shi Ying glanced at him, "Wouldn't it be impolite of me to just leave?"

Shang Chenyan squeezed her fingers: "It's okay, it's my fault for letting you meet my mother without any preparation."

Shi Ying pursed her lips and smiled at Cheng Suyun: "Then Auntie, you two chat first."

She was quite embarrassed, and after exchanging a few polite words, she quickly slipped away.

Shang Chenyan's expression turned indifferent: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Cheng Suyun finally found her voice. Instead of answering Shang Chenyan's question, she pointed in the direction Shi Ying had left: "Was that Shi Ying?"

"Yes."

Cheng Suyun's face darkened: "When did she come back? When did you two get together again?"

As she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered a photo she had seen in a magazine: "Last month, at Jiangcheng University, was that you and her in the photo?"

"So she's been back for a while now, why didn't you tell me or your dad at all?"

Compared to Cheng Suyun's urgent questioning, Shang Chenyan's tone was exceptionally calm: "This is my private matter, so I don't need to report it to you."

Cheng Suyun frowned deeply: "Private matters? Five years ago, she disappeared without a word, and five years later, she inexplicably came back. Do you know what she did in those five years? And why she came back to find you?"

"Shang Chenyan, don't be foolish. Do you know what she's up to?"

Shang Chenyan's dark eyes revealed a hint of coldness and impatience: "I don't know what she's planning, but I do know very well that I'll do anything for her as long as she comes back."

"I'm just worried about you!" Cheng Suyun was heartbroken as she looked at her son's stubbornness.

"Concern?" Shang Chenyan's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Your concern for me comes a little too late."

"I'm twenty-eight years old now, not eight."

"I needed your care when I was eight years old, but I don't need it now."

The man's voice was flat, even gentle as ever, yet it made Cheng Suyun feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She remembered the year Shang Xu'an passed away, when she found that diary in Shang Chenyan's room, which read: "If only my brother were gone."

Upon seeing this sentence, she almost went crazy.

She couldn't help but wonder, if two people were kidnapped at the same time, why did Shang Xu'an die while Shang Chenyan survived? What happened during their kidnapping? And what happened when the police came to rescue them?

Could it be that Shang Chenyan did something to cause Shang Xu'an's death?

With these guesses and doubts in mind, Cheng Suyun sat in the living room for a whole day. When she saw Shang Chenyan return, her body reacted faster than her brain.

She slapped Shang Chenyan.

She cried and questioned him, asking what had happened that day and why he couldn't save Shang Xu'an.

Ten-year-old Shang Chenyan had just been discharged from the hospital after experiencing the trauma of kidnapping, injury, and the death of his older brother. However, when he returned home, he was greeted not with warmth and care, but with his mother's beatings and scoldings.

Eighteen years have passed, and Shang Chenyan can no longer remember what happened after that day, but he will always remember that feeling of being isolated, helpless, and misunderstood.

Later, he couldn't help but recall the scene of his kidnapping. When the police arrived, the kidnappers tried to move him and Shang Xu'an.

His brother told him to run first, so he climbed out of the skylight by stepping on his brother's shoulders. When he turned around to pull his brother out as well, he heard gunshots.

He saw his brother lying in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open.

He wondered if Shang Xu'an wouldn't have died if he had climbed faster.

Later, he dreamed of that day every night, and Cheng Suyun's scolding words echoed in his mind, which made him more and more silent and less fond of interacting with people.

*

Second floor, bedroom.

Shang Nian had already gotten up, and she huddled in the corner of the sofa with her arms crossed, looking rather sullen.

When Shi Ying came in, she didn't rush into her arms like before. Instead, she glared at her angrily and turned her head away.

Shi Ying blinked and asked softly, "Is Niannian angry?"

Shang Nian nodded vigorously.

"Why?" Shi Ying thought her pouty look was just too cute, like a little dumpling. She couldn't help but poke Shang Nian's little cheek.

Shang Nian pouted and pointed to her bed.

Shi Ying didn't understand what she meant, and tentatively asked, "Want to sleep?"

Shang Nian got even angrier. She grabbed the drawing board and drew a few lightning bolts on it, then drew a closed door.

Shi Ying tried to understand for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Did Niannian come to my room last night because of the thunder?"

Shang Nian nodded with a pitiful expression.

She wanted to sleep with Shi Ying, but her father brought her back and wouldn't let her go to her mother's room anymore.

Shi Ying immediately guessed that Shang Chenyan was behind it all. She picked up Shang Nian and kissed him, saying, "Tonight, I'll sleep with Nian Nian. We'll ignore him."

Shang Nian hummed twice, threw away the drawing board, and snuggled into her arms.

After comforting Shang Nian for a while, Shi Ying heard that there seemed to be no more noise downstairs, so she peeked out.

There was no one downstairs.

She turned her head and glanced in the direction of the study again. She remembered that the door was open when she came up, so why was it closed now?

"Niannian, there's seafood porridge cooking in the kitchen. Why don't you go down and eat some?"

Shang Nian nodded obediently.

Shi Ying led her downstairs, served her some porridge, and then turned back to knock on the study door.