At the entrance of the small apartment, the biting wind swept across the stairs with a howling force. The security door was opened only a crack, just wide enough for two fingers. Someone poked their head out, warily eyeing Jiang Yanting.
He lowered his gaze, his pupils trembling almost subconsciously as he glanced at the doorplate on the wall.
He had not gone to the wrong place.
"Who... are you looking for?" came a tender, timid child’s voice.
Though only a crack was open, he could still make out her appearance—twin ponytails, a white sweater, a red woolen skirt, bright eyes. Perhaps it was the heating inside, but her little face was flushed red, her features delicate and clean, as she looked up at him, her face full of wariness.
Her small hand tightly gripped the edge of the door, pale and delicate, with little white crescents at the tips. She still had some baby fat on her round, clean face.
Jiang Yanting himself had a naturally cold and stern expression, one that few adults could hold gaze with, let alone a child.
Perhaps because she was young, not yet fully grown, her features did not appear particularly distinctive, but the overall impression she gave him was strikingly similar to Shen Zhixian. He took a deep breath, feeling as if his heart was being brutally crushed...
Seeing her likely frightened by him, Jiang Yanting forced a slight smile from the corner of his mouth and slightly bent down, "I am..."
But before he could finish, "Bang—" the door was closed!
He was still in his stooping position when the door slammed shut, the sound echoing and completely dispelling the little warmth and tender thoughts he had harbored.
"Taotao? Who is it?" Shen Zhixian’s voice came from inside the house.
"A strange uncle, he suddenly smiled at me so scarily!"
Shen Zhixian frowned, approaching the door and looking through the peephole. Seeing it was Jiang Yanting, she opened the door to let him in, "You could have called in advance."
Yet Jiang Yanting did not respond and glanced again at the little girl. She stood behind Shen Zhixian, half-hiding, timidly looking at him.
"Taotao, say hello to uncle," Shen Zhixian said, patting the little girl’s head, bringing her to the front.
"Hello, Uncle," her voice was still tiny and fine.
"Come in first," Shen Zhixian moved aside to let him into the house, then asked the little girl to get him a glass of water.
With the child sent away, Jiang Yanting finally choked up and asked, "This child..."
"Mom, I can’t find the cup."
The sensations Jiang Yanting felt upon seeing Jiangjiang were nothing compared to this—it was not merely a thunderclap but rather a rolling thunderstorm, as if something stricken right at his heart, pressing down on it hard, making even breathing difficult and strained.
As if out of nowhere, a ripple had disturbed a calm day—
Unwarned, it caught him completely off guard, as if drenched in a cold rain!
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant—Was this child his? Or someone else’s? Had she been with someone all these years? That was impossible, the Xie Family...
"The cabinet beneath the water dispenser has them," Shen Zhixian’s voice grew even gentler.
Accompanied by the sound of running water, Shen Zhixian moved closer to Jiang Yanting and whispered:
"She is your child. Back then... Jiangjiang was not the only one. If not for her, I might not have survived."
"I thought you had a child with someone else. I was reluctant to bring her to meet you or to tell her your true identity. She’s close to the people of the Xie Family, so I’ve kept it hidden from her."
"She’s mine..." Jiang Yanting stared intently at the little girl in the kitchen, who was alternating between pressing the hot and cold water buttons, occasionally sneaking glances at the living room.
When eyes met with Jiang Yanting, she bit her lip and lowered her head again.
"When Jiangjiang was born, he made no sounds, and was rushed to emergency care; she’s healthy and has always stayed with me."
It likely happened while Jiangjiang was being handled, perhaps taken for treatment during that time. There must have been several medical staff present in the delivery room; it seemed impossible to sway every one of them...
"Uncle, your water." In the meantime, the little girl had come out with a cup of water, walking slowly as if afraid of spilling.
"Thank you." Jiang Yanting bent down to take it, hands receiving the warm tea, feeling as if something intense was about to melt his palms.
God knew how much he strived to remain composed, barely keeping his hands from trembling.
The turmoil raged within him like a fierce storm, swiftly surging into massive waves that brutally struck his heart...
There were actually two, and he...
The shock, happiness, and joy... a mix of tumultuous emotions intertwined, and for once in his life, he was caught off guard.
"I still need to tidy up; just give me a few minutes," Shen Zhixian said as she entered the bedroom, closed the door, presumably to change clothes.