Chapter 14 Troublemaking Old Man

• Caught by surprise, Cen An was visibly uneasy upon hearing his daughter mention this matter.
• “Haven’t I already explained this to you this a long time ago? You’d suddenly fainted because of your weak constitution. Even the doctors couldn’t figure out what’d happened. They’d only informed us that there were no issues with the X-rays. Dad isn’t too sure either about your backache, but maybe you’d injured it when you fell.”
• Cen An gave her a vague response, often like the frequent excuses that he would give.
• Cen Yao gazed sharply at him, “Dad, do you think that these excuses are good enough to fool me?”
• When she had first regained consciousness, Cen Yao had no recollection of the events that had taken place after fainting, so she believed whatever they had told her. Nonetheless, she had continued to dream about the incident so many years later, that the more that she thought about it, the more that she sensed that something amiss.
• The look that Cen An’s daughter gave him was unbearable as it pricked at his guilty conscience.
• “Yaoyao, hurry down for some fruits.” The study door swung open, and Lu Lili glanced inside.
• The sight of his wife was like seeing his savior as Cen An hurriedly urged, “Have some fruits first. We’ve spoken for so long that I’m now thirsty.”
• With that being said, he briskly strode towards the door.
• Watching how guilt-stricken her father was from behind, Cen Yao felt slightly desolate. She had hoped that her fainting would have nothing to do with her father, Cen An, and she saw no reason for him to drug her. But based on her parents’ reaction today, they had undoubtedly played a hand in that past incident, one way or another.
• …
• This day.
• Shortly after Cen Yao arrived in the office, Li Qing sent an express delivery over, “Director, your delivery is here.”
• It was a simple and light document bag.
• Assuming that it was something related to the company, Cen Yao opened it as she walked towards her office. Upon tearing the delivery’s wrapping open, a few pieces of paper fluttered out, leaving her puzzled for a second. She picked up the stack of documents, which had turned out to be a physical examination report. This physical examination report was far more detailed than hers. Not only was there a test for sexually transmitted diseases, but there was even a test for the liver, spleen, kidney, ears, mouth and nose. Cen Yao was perplexed. At the bottom of the page upon the signature line, was a confident and smooth word, which had turned out to be a ‘Shang” character upon close inspection.
• Was it that Mr. Shang from Heaven and Earth? But how did he know who she was even down to the office address?
• Cen Yao mused that she had most likely divulged her personal information after she had gotten drunk. Nonetheless, this man was interesting.
• Would there be a need for concern over his physical health since nothing had occurred between them? Was it necessary to go through the trouble of undergoing such an extensive checkup, mailing it to her?
• Though Cen Yao found the situation humourous, she unconsciously decided to scrutinize the report before putting it aside, in her drawer.
• After office hours, Cen Yao brought two employees from the public relations department to meet with a client for whom dinner reservations were made for, at the New Hundred Flowers Club.
• At the dinner table, everyone drank so unreservedly that by nine, the table was filled with drinks. Cen Yao was not any better herself. After downing a few glasses of Chinese liquor, she became tipsy. Hence, when the client left for the bathroom, she took the opportunity to open the door and head out for a breather. Her feet felt like they were slightly floating, as if she were gliding on clouds.
• She accidentally kicked something soft with her feet.
• Lowering her head, she saw a little boy hugging his school bag, squatting outside the door of a private room. After she bumped into him, his body shrank a little before he looked up.
• The little boy looked to be about four or five years old. Under his baseball cap were eyes as bright as stars, which seemed both intelligent and adorable.
• Cen Yao was apologetic, “Sorry. Did I kick you?”
• The little guy frowned as he rubbed his kneecaps.
• Thinking that it was from her kick, Cen Yao squatted down swiftly, “Did I kick you here? Come stand up and let me have a look.”
• The little guy gave her a once over before hugging his school bag to stand up
• Cen Yao rolled up his pant legs for a good look, growing alarmed at what she saw. His kneecaps were covered with bruises. Contrasted by the little guy’s smooth and delicate skin, it appeared to be particularly ghastly to the eye.
• “Have you been abused?” Cen Yao queried astonishingly. These days, there were plenty of child abusers out on the prowl.
• The proud little boy seemed peeved by her words as he pouted his lips, “Who’d dare to abuse me?”
• “How did you get hurt then?”
• Twitching his mouth, he disclosed the truth, “I hurt myself by getting into a fight.”
• The little guy set his school bag down on the side before bending over to roll his pant legs back down again.
• Cen Yao could not help but laugh, “You’re only this big and you’re already getting into fights?”
• Having gotten belittled, the little boy hummed a couple of times before admitting in a heated manner, “He was asking for it. But my Old Man said that kids at my age should bring problems to their parents, so the next time he messes with me, I’ll get my Old Man to help me spank him.”
• “…” Cen Yao was trying to hold in her laughter.
• “What’s so funny?” the little guy stared at her unhappily.
• “Was I laughing?” Putting aside her smile, Cen Yao lifted his school bag and handed it over to him, “Don’t wait out here alone. Hurry up and find your old man. It’s a mess here, with too many people coming and going.”
• “I can’t go yet,” the little guy shook his head, “My Old Man’s a troublemaker. Granny asked me to squat here and oversee him while he goes on his date.”
• “…” Cen Yao lamented, “If he needs the supervision of a little guy like you, then your dad is undoubtedly a troublemaker.”
• “You must be a troublemaker just like my Old Man.”
• “Why’s that?”
• “Granny said, girls can’t drink because it’s bad for their health,” as the little boy spoke, he buried his little face into her long hair sniffing it and wrinkling up his nose in disgust, “You drank too much, Aunt Drunkard.”
• It was a first for Cen Yao to be taught a lesson by a little brat like this.
• Astounding.
• Hilarious.
• She felt a tenderness in her heart.
• She checked the time before patting the child on his head, “Aunt Drunkard needs to go in and keep drinking. Hurry up and find that troublemaking father of yours, alright?”
• The little kid twitched his tiny mouth, “Sure enough, Auntie is a bother just like Old Man.”
• Cen Yao smiled, feeling somewhat reluctant to leave this adorable child, thinking it was a pity that he was not her own. After bidding farewell to the child, she pushed open the door to the private room, preparing to enter. All of a sudden, a sound resonated from behind her, “Thump…”. It was as if something had fallen hard onto the ground.
• Halting her steps, Cen Yao turned around hastily to a sight which had caused her face to turn dark.
• The child, who was completely fine moments ago, had now fallen onto the ground and was completely unconscious. Though Cen Yao never saw herself as one with maternal instincts, looking at this unconscious child put her heart on tenterhooks.
• She sobered up instantly, carrying the child and hurrying outside without a second thought.
• Upon seeing her exit, her driver who was waiting outside immediately opened the door, caught by surprise at the sight of the child in her arms.
• “Director, this…”
• “Stop asking me questions! Bring us to the closest hospital. Step on it!” after Cen Yao had instructed him, she gave her colleagues who were inside a call and explained the situation to the client.
• After arriving at the hospital, the doctors rushed the child into the emergency room.
• Holding the child’s mobile phone in her hands, Cen Yao was panicking. She was unaware of how she would contact his family, seeing as she did not know his password. Suddenly, the little boy’s phone rang. On the screen, its caller ID read two words, ‘Old Man’.