Pet Romance

Inside, on the sofa, besides Shen Qian’s mother, there were two others: Mrs. Hu, Yu Tianyang’s wife, and their eldest daughter, Yu Nannan. Shen Qian was stunned, and You Ran, standing behind her, glanced at Mrs. Hu, who looked surprised to see him, her eyes avoiding his gaze. “Mom, what’s going on?” Shen’s mother, expressionless, told Mrs. Hu, “My daughter is grown, you should talk to her about this.” With that, she retreated to the inner room, leaving the others in an awkward silence. Mrs. Hu, biting her lip, approached Shen Qian, “Miss Shen, I am Yu Tianyang’s wife.” Shen Qian’s face darkened, saying nothing. “Your mother said you know who your biological father is.” Shen Qian’s face turned cold, “Don’t worry, I won’t look for him.” Mrs. Hu closed her eyes, knelt before Shen Qian, tears streaming down, “Please, save your father. He has leukemia. He didn’t tell me until it was too late for chemotherapy; now, only a bone marrow transplant can help, but my daughters aren’t a match. You’re our only hope.” “Mom,” Nannan tried to pull Mrs. Hu up, but she wouldn’t budge, still kneeling. Shen Qian was shocked not only by the sudden kneeling but also by the news that the man she had seen not long ago was sick. Yet, she felt no sadness, only surprise. “This man is ridiculous, coming to me now that he’s dying?” Shen Qian said coldly, not helping Mrs. Hu up. Mrs. Hu was silent, tears dripping, “He never knew he had a daughter; this is my own decision.” Shen Qian gave a bitter smile, “Now you need me, but there’s no sincerity.” Nannan, standing aside, finally spoke, “If it weren’t for your mother’s involvement, my parents’ relationship wouldn’t be so bad. And you say there’s no sincerity? We’re kneeling before you.” “Blaming everything on my mom? That man couldn’t control himself, how dare he blame my mom?” Shen Qian raised her voice for the first time. Nannan was speechless, and Mrs. Hu glared at her, signaling her to be quiet, then turned to Shen Qian with a gentle voice, “He is your father, after all, you can’t just let him die, can you?” “I might not even be able to save him, don’t put too much stock in me.” “Every chance is a chance.” Shen Qian’s face was cold, “Isn’t my stance clear enough? I. Will. Not. Go.” She enunciated each word. Mrs. Hu fell silent. Nannan, unable to bear it any longer, pulled her mother away, “Mom, let’s go, we won’t suffer this humiliation.” “But Nannan, your father…” “Mom, after all he’s done to you, you still care so much? Our family’s been in turmoil because of that woman, and you’re begging someone who’s hurt you all your life, how pathetic.” “Slap.” Mrs. Hu slapped Nannan, gritting her teeth, “Your father is dying in the hospital! No matter his wrongs, he’s the pillar of our family, giving us a life of luxury, you ungrateful girl.” Mrs. Hu shot a glance at Shen Qian and left angrily. Nannan wiped her tears and followed. Shen Qian stood there, dumbfounded by the drama, unsure whether to laugh or cry. You Ran came over, pulling her into an embrace, comforting her, “Better to focus on being good to one woman, not toying with others, or making her sad, right, Qianqian?” Shen Qian was both amused and exasperated, “Are you talking about yourself?” “Of course, isn’t my approach wise?” “Yes.” Shen Qian nestled in his arms, closing her eyes in peace, grateful to have met a wise man. “Qianqian.” Shen’s mother emerged from the inner room, her face still marked with tears.
Shen Qian emerged from You Ran’s embrace and stared blankly at her mother’s dejected expression, murmuring, “Mom, you…” “Go see him, after all, he’s your father. If he dies, I…” Shen’s mother suddenly covered her face, trying to control her emotions, “Qian Qian, do you know why I gave birth to you?” “Because you loved him?” Shen’s mother shook her head, “Because I hated him. I wanted his child to suffer. But I forgot, this child is also mine. After giving birth to you, I regretted it. The reason I wasn’t good to you was because I couldn’t be good to you.” Shen Qian said nothing. Shen’s mother approached her, “I’m sorry, because I was hurt, I distrust men. And with You Ran’s father being the kind of man who abandons his wife, I feared his child might grow up to be crooked, so… I did something foolish and forced you two apart. Later, I realized my mistake, but it was too late. Fortunately, fate brought you two together, now you can be happy. Just think of it as accumulating some virtue, like saving a stranger.” Shen Qian felt a mix of emotions; she didn’t know how to respond to the woman whose eyes were red from crying. She knew Shen’s mother still loved Yu Tianyang and was aware that if Yu Tianyang died, her mother wouldn’t survive either. That day, Shen Qian didn’t agree to Shen’s mother, only remaining silent in a sullen mood. By evening, Shen Qian was still sitting dumbly on the bed, not speaking. You Ran approached, pulled her into his embrace, and tightened his hold, “Is this decision hard to make?” Shen Qian looked up at the calm You Ran and asked, “Do you hate your father?” “I use him as a negative example.” “What if your father had leukemia and needed a bone marrow match, would you go?” You Ran thought for a moment, then earnestly held Shen Qian’s face, “Like your mother said, it’s about saving a stranger, giving someone hope, and showing a bit of love? Besides, it might not work anyway.” Shen Qian nodded, then suddenly turned with a worried look and asked You Ran, “You don’t mind that I’m an illegitimate child, right?” You Ran chuckled, leaned down to kiss her twice, “No matter whose daughter you are, as long as you’re my woman, that’s all that matters.” With that, he didn’t wait for her to speak, and continued his beastly deeds. Shen Qian agreed to go for the bone marrow match but made a deal with Ms. Hu beforehand not to reveal to Yu Tianyang that she was his daughter. Shen Qian didn’t want her and her mother’s current life to be disturbed. Ms. Hu readily agreed, perhaps even overjoyed. This was certainly beneficial for them. After all, Yu Tianyang was a senior military officer; having an illegitimate child would tarnish his reputation and could lead to investigations and trouble. In truth, Shen Qian hadn’t thought that far; it was Shen’s mother who insisted on this condition. Shen Qian couldn’t help but complain, “Everyone calls my mom Shen’s mother, might as well call her the Virgin Mary.” You Ran laughed out loud, “The Virgin Mary’s child is Jesus, shall I strip you naked and tie you up one day?” “Go to hell,” Shen Qian said with disdain.