FMTL~Chapter 166: A Happy Ending~Part 3

 

Chapter 166: A Happy Ending~Part 3

The airport was bustling with people, and An Ran stared at him blankly, not noticing the playful child running up behind her. The child turned his head to look at the people behind him as he ran forward. By the time An Ran realized what was happening, when she turned back again, the child was only a few steps away from her. By then, it was almost too late for An Ran to react.

Just as the child was about to bump into her, An Ran felt herself being spun around lightly. The next thing she knew, she was already in Su Yicheng's arms. The child's father had also stepped forward to scoop up his mischievous child. The child seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he had nearly made a mistake. Held high in his father's arms, he laughed heartily, his face brimming with childlike joy.

The child's father, holding the child, nodded apologetically at Su Yicheng and said, "I'm sorry, my child was so naughty. He almost bumped into you, madam. I'm so sorry for scaring you." Luckily, he didn't bump into her. If he had, it would have been a disaster. With her belly so large, she looked like she was six or seven months pregnant. If anything had gone wrong, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Su Yicheng embraced An Ran and glanced down at the woman in his arms, still a little frightened and dazed. He squeezed her shoulders, as if to assure her that everything was alright and that he was right beside her. Turning back to the father and son, he shook his head calmly and said, "It's okay. Just be more careful with the child next time." An Ran wasn't the only pregnant woman here; if they were so reckless and bumped into someone, the thought of something would be truly unbearable.

The man nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, we will. Sorry for what happened just now."

Su Yicheng didn't say anything more, just nodded and held An Ran in his arms.

An Ran only came to her senses after the father and son left. She nervously touched her belly, as if reassuring herself that it was still there, that both she and her baby were alright, and only then did she feel relieved.

Su Yicheng embraced her, lowered his head, and gently kissed her hair. He whispered softly in her ear, "I won't let anything happen to you or the child." It was a simple promise, a promise not to let her get hurt or scare her.

An Ran nodded. She knew he wouldn't, and once again, she smiled softly against his chest.

Su Yicheng let go of her and reached out again. An Ran regained consciousness and placed her hand in his, letting him lead her as before. However, this time, unlike before, where he had held her hand, their fingers were intertwined, their faces smiling.

When Su Yicheng and An Ran returned with their drinks, it seemed that Gu Hengwen and Lin Xiaofen had already reached an agreement. Although Gu Hengwen was still worried and wanted to accompany her, he was also aware of his responsibilities.

A few people waited in the terminal hall, sipping drinks, when they finally heard the announcement that the next flight from Jiangcheng to New York was leaving. Passengers were now checking in at the various ticket gates. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Mrs. Zhang carefully helped Lin Xiaofen across, while An Ran stood there, somewhat reluctantly, her eyes fixed on Su Yicheng.

Su Yicheng chuckled softly, stepped forward and gave her a big hug, whispering in her ear, "Remember to think of me."

An Ran had told herself she didn't want to cry, so she stubbornly fought back the tears. She nodded vigorously in his ear and replied, "Yes!"

The cold, emotionless voice urging boarding echoed over the announcement again. She knew this was the last minute; if she didn't leave now, she would probably miss her flight.

He let go of her, reached out to touch her face, and gave her final words, "Take good care of yourself. Call me if you need anything, don't worry about the time."

An Ran nodded, knowing he cared about her.

When the check-in staff had all gone in, Su Yicheng finally let go of her, nodded, and said, "Go."

An Ran nodded obediently and walked over to help Lin Xiaofen toward the boarding gate. She handed her ticket and passport to the ticket inspector for confirmation, and then went straight into the passage after passing through the ticket inspector.

Su Yicheng and Gu Hengwen stood outside and watched their figures disappear. They stared in the same direction for a long moment before slowly coming to their senses.

"Ding—" The elevator stopped on the 10th floor. Su Yicheng emerged, briefcase in hand, loosening his tie and pulling his house key from his pocket.

He opened the door and was greeted by a deserted silence. The sensor light in the hallway came on as he stepped in, a dim yellow, not dazzling. But today was different. The living room was completely dark, and the entire house was silent.

He placed his keys in the bowl on the hallway counter, changed into slippers, and reached out to turn on the lights throughout the house. Feeling somewhat weary, he walked over to the living room sofa, placed his briefcase directly on the low table, and leaned back against it, looking up at the ceiling, his eyes slightly closed.

How long had it been…

He sighed silently inwardly, suddenly unaccustomed to this silence, unaccustomed to coming home to no one, unaccustomed to not seeing that face that always wore a peaceful smile.

Habit is truly a terrifying thing. It's only been a short time, but it's already eroded his heart. He couldn't even imagine how he had faced this silence and darkness after get off work, before he met An Ran, before he married her.

He shook his head with a laugh, opened his eyes, and glanced at his watch. It was 10:35 PM, four hours before An Ran was due to get off the plane. He'd originally planned to accompany her, but Secretary Zhang had privately told him the other day that the official documents regarding his disciplinary action would be released within the next couple of days. From his tone, it seemed there had been some changes regarding the punishment for the "pornographic photo scandal." He wouldn't reveal the specifics, simply asking him to do his job well.

In reality, he didn't much care about the punishment; good or bad, as long as it was reasonable, he would accept it. He wasn't obsessed with power; he viewed his career as a normal job. Therefore, his attitude was always clear: he simply focused on doing his job well. The nature of the work didn't hold any particular importance to him.

Leaning back on the sofa, eyes closed, exhaustion washed over him, nearly causing him to fall asleep. His stomach, however, seemed to be averse to this, growling in protest just as he was about to drift off. He opened his eyes and sat up, glancing down at his stomach. He shook his head with a faint smile, remembering what An Ran had said to him before leaving the airport today. He decided to get up and go to the kitchen to make himself something to fill his stomach, so that the little woman's advice wouldn't be in vain.

Su Yicheng couldn't help but shake his head with a smile as he opened the refrigerator door. He reached in and pulled out the tomatoes, his smile never fading. He didn't know when it had started, but even when there was nothing else in the house, he could always find tomatoes in the refrigerator. The reason was simple: someone's cooking skills weren't very good, and the only thing they knew how to make was tomato noodles.

Wash and chop the tomatoes, then take out the eggs, beat the scrambled eggs, and stir-fry the tomatoes. In another pot, boil water for the noodles. Once the water boils and the noodles are cooked, pour the stir-fried tomatoes over them. It looks delicious.

Even a rational man can have a childish side. When he took a picture of the bowl of tomato noodles on the counter with his phone and sent it directly to An Ran via MMS, specifically noting that he was being obedient, Su Yicheng smiled, a bit disbelieving his own childish behavior.

After eating the noodles and taking a shower, he didn't go back to his room to sleep. Instead, he took the documents and materials he had brought back but hadn't finished reading and went straight to the study.

The phone sat on the table. Tonight, Su Yicheng couldn't concentrate on the documents in his hands. He kept glancing at the phone or checking his watch, trying to figure out if An Ran's flight had arrived.

After spending a long time reading a document, he finally finished all his work for the day, and even tomorrow. He glanced at the time. It was 2 a.m., figuring An Ran should have arrived. He grabbed his phone and called her, but a cold voice indicated the phone was off.

Standing on the balcony, he gazed at the silent city. The streetlights burned quietly, and the once bustling streets were now sparsely visible. The entire city seemed to have fallen asleep. Among the towering skyscrapers, one or two lit houses could be seen, but everything else was pitch black. Only the billboards still flashed neon lights, and even the traffic lights on the street had already been blinking green.

Just as Su Yicheng was debating whether to go to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of wine and wait, a text message came on his phone, indicating that the person he had called had turned on their phone.

Delighted, he redialed the number. After the first ring, the call was picked up. The voice he had been thinking about all night finally rang on the other end of the line.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" An Ran's voice on the other end of the line was still gentle, but with a hint of anxiety.

Su Yicheng chuckled, but didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "Are you there yet?"

"Yeah, I just turned on my phone and your call rang," An Ran said, her tone slightly pouty. "What time is it? Why aren't you asleep yet? You have to go to work tomorrow!"

"Has the person who's supposed to pick you up arrived?" Su Yicheng asked as he headed towards the bedroom.

An Ran, holding the phone, said with a mixture of annoyance and amusement, "I just hadn't had time to call you when your call came in."

Su Yicheng smiled too. He was relieved she'd arrived. Seeing that it was indeed getting late, as he had a meeting tomorrow morning, he said into the phone, "Okay, I'm glad you're here. Call me if you need anything."

"I know, I know, you nagging bastard," An Ran chuckled.

"Okay, once you've made your arrangements, go get some sleep. Don't get too tired," Su Yicheng instructed.

"Yeah, okay."

Finally, she said into the phone, "Say goodnight to the two little babies in my belly for me." Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she spoke.

An Ran, on the other side of the phone, smiled ungraciously, "Childish, go to sleep."

Su Yicheng nodded and agreed. After hanging up, he lay down on the bed, staring at his phone for a long time. Then, he glanced at the empty bed on the other side, sighing inwardly that he wouldn't have the warmth and warmth of a beautiful woman in his arms tonight.

Just as Su Yicheng lay down, turned off the lights, and closed his eyes, preparing for sleep, a text message suddenly rang through his phone. It was from a woman far away in the other hemisphere. It was simple and concise, just one word: "Be good!" It was a response to the MMS he had sent her earlier.

Just as Su Yicheng was laughing at that "be good," another message came in: "Next time, if you can have dinner earlier."

Placing the phone back on the bedside table, Su Yicheng's face curled up into a smile. Someone, unknown, recorded what happened in the hospital that day with their phone and uploaded it online. It included intermittent text describing the events, including Ling Ran's own confession that she had orchestrated the previous "porn photo scandal."

This post sent Jiangcheng into an uproar again, with thousands of comments filling the post in less than a day. Unlike the previous one, where the comments primarily criticized Su Yicheng, these ones directed their criticism at Ling Ran, while also praising Su Yicheng's frantic efforts to save his wife. Combined with earlier reports about him accompanying An Ran to the hospital for a prenatal checkup, he was praised as the epitome of Jiangcheng's new kind of good man.

In the early morning hours of the next day, another anonymous post was published. This lengthy post revealed the truth behind Ling Ran's breakup with Su Yicheng: Ling Ran had been secretly dating a nightclub bartender without Su Yicheng's knowledge. The post even included intimate photos of Ling Ran and the bartender. The photos were quite revealing, and the intimate gestures between them clearly showed they were more than just ordinary friends.

This post also thoroughly exposed Ling Ran's previous marriage to Zhou Han. It turned out that Ling Ran had been secretly dating several men for several years, without divorcing her husband. Even racy photos and videos had leaked in the United States, featuring threesomes, foursomes, and other sexually suggestive scenes. As if to prove the truth of this story, the post included photos of Ling Ran's promiscuous life in the United States, all of which were so explicit that it made one feel a little nauseous.

The post circulated with alarming speed, with comments accusing Ling Ran of this. Some even lamented how Ling Ran, who looked so innocent, could do such a thing! Others began defending Su Yicheng. The previous calls for Su Yicheng's resignation due to the "pornographic photo scandal" were now all defending him. Someone even shared a photo of Su Yicheng at the airport that day, showing him sending An Ran abroad, proving their genuine affection. The photo showed them embracing in the bustling airport hall, just before An Ran's departure. The surrounding noise contrasted sharply with the tranquility of their embrace, creating a beautiful scene. The photo quickly went viral.

The only person who shared the same sentiments in that post was Zhou Han. Netizens even manually searched for Zhou Han and Ling Ran's son, Zhou Jiabin. Regarding Zhou Jiabin's birthdate, some speculated that the child wasn't Zhou Han's at all, but the bartender who had been involved with Ling Ran.

Once this speculation surfaced, some couldn't help but lament that Zhou Han was undoubtedly the most tragic man in Jiangcheng this year. Not only was his wife cheating on him, but he'd also been raising their son for over seven years in vain!

Because of the child's situation, the focus shifted from Su Yicheng to Zhou Han. Zhou Han's company entrance was swarming with media reporters almost daily, and even Xiaobin's school was always crowded. Eventually, the child even requested leave from school.

Su Yicheng was just about to pack up and leave work when he received Ye Ziwen's call.

While packing the documents and materials into his briefcase, Su Yicheng jokingly said into the phone, "Hey, brother-in-law, how come you have time to call me today?"

Ye Ziwen proposed marriage to the Su family. I heard the ring and betrothal gifts are already prepared, but tragically, he hasn't been able to convince the bride to agree. Neither of their parents objected to the marriage and were even somewhat happy to see it happen. But because Yi Jiao refused to agree, the situation remains uncertain. However, someone seems determined to become the Su family's son-in-law. Whenever Yi Jiao gets around any of the "bees and butterflies," he rushes over to lash out at them and assert his "sovereignty."

In the past, it was Yijiao who had always been at his heels. Now, as the old saying goes, fortunes change. Ye Ziwen had quit his job and spent every day following Su Yijiao, fearing she might pull off another Johnson. This had caused Xiao Yuanshan to call the Su family more than once to protest and help intercede between Ye Ziwen and Su Yijiao. However, this time, Su Yijiao was unmoved by any advances. She seemed determined to ignore Ye Ziwen, always giving him a sour face whenever she saw him. She was completely different from the way she used to be, clinging to him and pestering him.

But since this was between them, no one said anything, rather enjoying the spectacle. One time, Ye Ziwen couldn't find Su Yijiao and was completely lost, so he called Su Yicheng to ask where she was. Su Yijiao happened to be at his place that day, having been asked by Qin Yun to bring her some chicken soup to An Ran. When Ye Ziwen called, Su Yijiao had gone to the bathroom. As soon as Su Yicheng picked up the phone, he heard him anxiously asking if he knew where Su Yijiao was. Just as Su Yicheng was about to speak, An Ran shook her head, signaling him to stay silent.

After hanging up, Su Yicheng asked her why. An Ran glanced at him and said calmly, "It's time for him to get a taste of what it's like to chase after someone else."

Ye Ziwen's mouth twitched on the other end of the line. He felt particularly aggrieved that Su Yicheng, who was clearly several months his junior, called him 'brother-in-law,' and that he would have to call him 'brother' from now on. Although he felt resentful and dissatisfied, he felt helpless.

He was well aware that Su Yicheng was simply playing him. Last time, he'd told him not to call him "brother-in-law," but he'd agreed so readily. He'd turned around and started calling the languid, almost pissed-off, pretty-faced man beside Yi Jiao "brother-in-law." So, every time Su Yicheng called him that, he'd just grit his teeth and bear it. Who had the bad luck to fall for someone else's sister? For the sake of his future happiness, no matter how frustrating it was, he had to endure it!

"Tell me, brother-in-law, what do you want from me? If not, I'll hang up. I don't have a hobby of listening to people grind their teeth on the phone," Su Yicheng said coldly, holding the phone.

Ye Ziwen wanted to explode, but in the end, due to his status, he gritted his teeth and endured it! He didn't want to get in trouble with another treacherous person before he'd even dealt with Yi Jiao. He simply said, "Are you off work yet? Come to our usual place. There's a guy out here, living a life of drunkenness. I don't have time for him, so you take over."

He paused while packing his things, frowned slightly, and asked tentatively, "Zhou Han?"

"Who else but him? He's been dragging me out drinking all night. I can't take it anymore. I have to go get Yi Jiao. You stay and watch him. He's in a bad mood and has already had several bottles of wine," Ye Ziwen said on the other end of the line.

Su Yicheng was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I understand."