Sheng Ting saw off Shen Tan and the others, and the two were about to head back to the apartment when Shen Weiyi’s phone rang. It was Shen Juanzhi.
Finally, he remembered his daughter.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Weiyi turned to Sheng Ting, "Looks like I’ll need you to drop me off at home."
"Okay, wait for me for a moment; I’ll go up and grab my car keys," Sheng Ting said softly.
The car stopped at the villa’s gate, and Sheng Ting said to Shen Weiyi, who was on the passenger seat, "Have a good talk with Uncle Shen. I won’t come in." Presumably, they’d have a lot to talk about, father and daughter; it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to intrude now.
"Drive safely," Shen Weiyi got out of the car, and before leaving, she reminded him, "Don’t forget about our camping plans we talked about."
"I’ll pick you up this weekend," he responded.
Inside the villa, the caregiver aunt had already gone home.
As soon as Shen Weiyi walked through the door, she saw Shen Juanzhi sitting in the living room reviewing a financial report.
Hearing her footsteps, he looked up and said, "You’re back?"
Shen Weiyi walked over and sat down in front of him, "Alright, what’s so important that it kept you busy and out of touch for so long, not even sparing the time for a single phone call?"
Shen Juanzhi said, "I encountered some issues and unexpected events." At the airport, he had unexpectedly seen Meng Shangchu and was totally fixated on chasing after her. On the way, he even lost his cellphone.
Getting a replacement card abroad was inconvenient, and in the following days, he stuck close to Meng Shangchu, intent on understanding her life over the years. In doing so, he had neglected his daughter.
"What on earth would make you neglect both your company and your daughter?" These were the two most important things in his life, yet now something or someone appeared to be even more important than both his daughter and his company.
"Just some personal matters, don’t ask about it. In any case, I’m back now, safe and sound. You don’t need to worry about me anymore," Shen Juanzhi seemed unwilling to elaborate.
Father and daughter usually shared everything. His sudden evasive attitude made Shen Weiyi suspicious.
Could it be that he was thinking of remarrying and feared she might object?
Shen Weiyi said, "You don’t have to say; I know it’s related to the beautiful lawyer we met at the company today. But, I must say, your taste isn’t bad this time," no celebrities or internet influencers for him this time.
Shen Weiyi wasn’t opposed to him finding another partner; as long as the person was right for him, she was not unbending.
She also knew she couldn’t accompany him for a lifetime, and if there was someone to be with him and take care of him when she wasn’t around, it wasn’t a bad thing.
When he heard her mention Meng Shangchu, there was a strange flash in Shen Juanzhi’s reaction. After a moment, he looked at her and said, "Weiyi, do you remember the last time I told you about your mom and me?"
Shen Weiyi nodded, "Why bring this up suddenly? Don’t worry. Even if you want to remarry, I won’t stand in your way. As long as you like the person, that’s fine. Don’t mind me."
"Weiyi, she is your mom," said Shen Juanzhi.
"What did you say?" Shen Weiyi was stunned, taking a moment to fully process his words.
Shen Weiyi carefully recalled the figure she had seen during the day. Yes, she was very beautiful and indeed matched her father’s taste, but the woman was clearly a shrewd and aloof legal elite. How could she resemble the docile, gentle girl her father spoke of?
Wasn’t this filter a bit too thick?
Shen Juanzhi looked at her, thinking she might be struggling to accept her mother’s reappearance, and said softly, "Her name is Meng Shangchu. She went abroad after giving birth to you, and I’ve been looking for her for a long time."