Xu Shiyan's POV:
"Are you sure… ehm, it's your child?" Ru Yan asked a little hesitantly.
"Yes, I'm one hundred percent sure. He looks exactly like me."
"Since you said so, then I have no problem." He sighed.
"Yeah. If you're truly my friend, then I am sure you understand my family situation. I do not want my son to grow up without having any memory of me in his life."
"Xu Shiyan," Ru Yan called my name softly.
"Ehn?"
"If you do not want to get a divorce now because of your son, I have no problem with that. Just remember this—if you are ever alone and need comfort, I am only one call away."
"Ru Yan," I called his name sadly, but the call ended in response.
He really cares about you—a voice suddenly said from beside me.
Li Wenhao's voice instantly disrupted my thoughts.
"Yeah," I nodded.
"If it was not because I was married to you, I would have suspected that Ru Yan and I were having some emotional affair."
I let out a soft breath. I was really happy that at least someone cared for me.
"Good for you," he said.
I could have sworn I heard jealousy in his voice.
And then—it clicked.
I suddenly remembered Ru Yan telling me while I was still in the hospital… that Li Wenhao had ordered me to block him.
"Do you have any problem with Ru Yan?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
"Why do you ask?"
I was met instantly with a deep gaze. His eyes held so many secrets that I could not help but feel tempted to uncover them.
"No reason," I said nonchalantly, trying not to show too much.
"It's just… Ru Yan told me that I blocked him because of you, so I was wondering why."
My eyes locked with his, and in that moment, I caught something—emotions like surprise, guilt, and maybe even a hint of possessiveness.
I shivered slightly.
"I do not know what he is talking about," he said, quickly averting his gaze from mine. "Why would I tell you to block your friend?"
I did not want the conversation to end there.
"But—"
Just as I was about to continue, the car came to a halt.
"Master, we have reached the mansion," the driver said from the front seat.
Maybe it was because we had arrived at Li Wenhao's place… or maybe it was because of our conversation, but Xiao Bao stirred beside me, shifting softly before slowly opening his eyes.
His gaze remained on my face for about a minute—I think he was trying to adapt or recognize me.
"Dada," he called out in his childish voice.
My chest tightened.
I still was not used to someone calling me 'Dada'. I might be twenty-five years old, but my mentality was still stuck somewhere around eighteen.
I guess… I will have to adapt to it.
"Mm. Son."
---
The driver came down and opened the door for us, which felt kind of weird—considering I had two hands of my own—but maybe that was one of the pros of being a rich man. I lifted Xiao Bao into my arms and stepped out of the car followed by Li Wenhao.
From inside the car, I could not see the mansion clearly. But now, standing in front of it, no words could describe my emotions. Shock? Perplexed?
The mansion towered three stories high, all sharp edges and clean symmetry. Its exterior was a blend of matte black stone and smooth white concrete, with floor-to-ceiling glass panels that reflected the sky like mirrors. Warm lights glowed from inside, casting a soft golden hue that made it look less like a house and more like a living painting.
"Let's go," Li Wenhao said, disrupting my thoughts.
"Mmm," I murmured, following his footsteps while Xiao Bao hugged my neck tightly. His gaze never left my face, even for a second.
"Xiao Bao, what happened?"
"Nuffin'... I can't bewieve Dada's gonna stay wif us!"
"Dada is not going anywhere. I am staying here."
As we reached the front of the door, a small, almost invisible light scanned Li Wenhao from his head to his toe.
"Welcome home, Master," a mechanical voice said as the door clicked open.
The world had really evolved.
"Is there someone inside the door?" I knew it was a stupid question, but I was curious to know.
A deep chuckle came from Li Wenhao.
"No, the voice you heard is generated by a digital voice assistant. It is either pre-recorded or synthesized."
"Oh," I nodded, though my mind still struggled to keep up with the world he lived in.
I entered the mansion. The interior looked just as exquisite as the exterior—maybe even more.
Warm, honey-toned marble stretched across the floors, reflecting the soft, golden lighting that poured from a chandelier made of delicate glass orbs. The living room opened up like a luxury showroom—plush, low-slung sofas in muted tones, abstract art pieces on the walls, and shelves lined with books that looked too expensive to touch.
Everything smelled faintly of vanilla and polished wood.
"Dada, I want to pee pee," Xiao Bao said, moving restlessly in my embrace.
"Master, bring him down. Let me take him," a maid said from nowhere.
"Okay," I said, carefully bringing Xiao Bao down.
That left just me and Li Wenhao in the living room, and suddenly the air felt... awkward.
It was a little awkward.
"Should I show you around the house, since you are going to be living here?"
"Yes, thank you. The house is really big. I might get lost." I chuckled at my statement.
We climbed the staircase, which led us to the first floor.
"This is the first floor, where all the rooms are." Li Wenhao walked to the first door near the staircase and pushed it open. It was filled with lots of shelves and books. "This is the library. If you need a book and it is not here, you can tell the butler. I will introduce him to you when we are done with the tour."
Should I continue this novel or not?