Rebirth, but baby, where are you?

Chapter 62

After finishing a full day of classes, Qin Huanxi packed up his textbooks and walked out of the classroom. A bone-chilling wind hit him, making him feel like he could barely breathe for a moment. He couldn’t help but gasp, quickening his pace as he left the school and hurriedly got into the car that had been waiting at the school gate.

With the heater running in the car, Qin Huanxi finally felt like he was coming back to life. “So cold. I heard it’s going to snow in a couple of days.”

Mo Shaoheng chuckled softly, moved the textbooks from Qin Huanxi’s lap to one side, and grasped his ice-cold hands, though his brow furrowed.

Feeling the warmth spreading through his hands, Qin Huanxi’s lips curved upward in a smile as he let Mo Shaoheng warm his hands.

He hadn’t been this sensitive to cold before. He wondered if it was because this body had suffered severe trauma. He always felt increasingly unable to withstand cold weather. Especially these past few days, with T City’s temperature dropping below zero, and snow expected in a few days.

The two first went to pick up Mo Siyuan from school. His little one had been waiting in the classroom and was getting a bit impatient. When he saw Mo Shaoheng and Qin Huanxi appear, he pouted his little mouth, showing a pitiful expression, and threw himself into Qin Huanxi’s arms with open arms, “complaining”: “Daddy and big brother Huanxi are so slow.”

Qin Huanxi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. On their way here, they had encountered a traffic accident right near Mo Siyuan’s elementary school. It was also during dismissal time, with the roads full of parents’ cars picking up children. This time of day was already prone to traffic jams, and now the entire road section was almost completely blocked.

He kissed Mo Siyuan’s little face and said, “Okay, okay, it’s all Daddy and big brother Huanxi’s fault. So… to make up for it to Xiao Yuan, today we’ll eat dinner outside, and after eating we’ll go shopping, okay?”

Mo Siyuan’s eyes lit up at these words. He wrapped his arms around Qin Huanxi’s neck and said expectantly, “I want to eat steak and butterfly shrimp, at that Western restaurant we went to last time. The butterfly shrimp and steak at that Western restaurant are so delicious, even better than what Uncle Chef makes. Xiao Yuan likes it.”

Qin Huanxi laughed helplessly. He had just eaten steak with Su Yang at lunch, but he couldn’t bear to refuse his little one’s request. He playfully pinched Mo Siyuan’s small nose and said, “If Uncle Chef heard you say that, he would definitely be heartbroken.”

Mo Siyuan shyly twisted his little body and buried his face in Qin Huanxi’s neck. “Then don’t let Uncle Chef hear it. Uncle Chef’s cooking is also delicious, but the chef uncle at that Western restaurant cooks just a little bit better, just a tiny bit…”

Both Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng were amused by Mo Siyuan’s tongue-twister-like words as they carried his little one out of the classroom.

Qin Huanxi wasn’t acting on a whim or just trying to compensate. He was thinking that his little one should be having final exams soon. First grade was different from kindergarten. This would be Mo Siyuan’s first real final exam, so he must be feeling somewhat nervous. Since tomorrow was the weekend, they could stay out a bit longer tonight and return home later.

However, his little one had not only inherited his musical talent but also his academic genes quite well. His grades in class were always among the top, and his little brain was particularly sharp. Qin Huanxi had heard from Mo Shanshan that during midterm exams, Mo Siyuan had even placed first in the entire grade.

Besides that, Qin Huanxi secretly glanced at Mo Shaoheng from the corner of his eye. Every move at the Mo family’s main residence was under Mo Shaoheng’s surveillance. The old lady’s wishful thinking would definitely not escape Mo Shaoheng’s ears. He didn’t dare provoke Mo Shaoheng’s jealousy, even if the person in question was his own niece, Mo Shanshan.

The weekend evening rush hour was even more congested than usual. What should have been a twenty-minute journey took more than twice as long.

Arriving at the restaurant, they were led by a server to find seats. Before the server could even put down the menus, Mo Siyuan couldn’t wait and blinked his eyes at the server, saying, “Sister, I want the children’s set meal and butterfly shrimp.”

The young female server, faced with the innocent and lively Mo Siyuan, covered her smile while holding the menu. “Okay, sister has noted it down.”

“Thank you, sister.” Mo Siyuan showed a brilliant smile.

After ordering, the server quickly brought up the appetizing toasted bread and fruit salad, along with several exquisite small pastries. Mo Siyuan stared at the pastries with wide eyes, his little mouth slightly open, almost drooling.

Qin Huanxi ruffled Mo Siyuan’s hair and placed the toasted bread and fruit on his little one’s plate for him to eat himself. He smiled as he watched his little one eat with great relish, constantly saying how delicious it was.

After watching for a while, Qin Huanxi picked up his glass and took a sip of tea, then hesitantly asked Mo Shaoheng, “How is Shanshan doing? The old lady at the main residence probably won’t let this go easily, will she?”

Mo Shaoheng’s hand holding the glass paused slightly, and his deep, dark eyes clearly showed a layer of coldness mixed with faint annoyance. He knew that Qin Huanxi cared a lot about Mo Shanshan, but this concern wasn’t just because Mo Shanshan was his niece and he treated her like family. It was more about gratitude for Mo Shanshan’s care and attention toward Mo Siyuan.

The matter between Mo Shanshan and Li Junyan would be discovered by those people at the main residence sooner or later, but Mo Shaoheng didn’t take it to heart. As long as Li Junyan as a person was confirmed to have no problems, he would naturally clear all obstacles for Mo Shanshan. He just hadn’t expected those people to reach so far as to dare set their sights on Qin Huanxi.

Mo Shaoheng said lightly, “They wouldn’t dare, and they’re not qualified to.”

Qin Huanxi smiled softly. What he had said at lunch wasn’t just to comfort Su Yang. He could feel that Mo Shanshan’s feelings for Li Junyan were very deep, and she wouldn’t easily give up their relationship. However, the main residence wouldn’t give up easily either, unless Mo Shanshan’s parents could take a firmer stance and be willing to make decisions for Mo Shanshan.

That said, what Qin Huanxi was really worried about was still Li Junyan. That figure he glimpsed at the bar that day would appear in his mind every time he closed his eyes, making him very concerned. He frowned and asked, “Are you certain that person was Li Junyan?”

Mo Shaoheng nodded. “He was indeed at the bar that night, but it was to celebrate a colleague’s birthday.”

Hearing this, Qin Huanxi’s frown didn’t relax. “Could it really just be a coincidence? Am I being overly suspicious?”

Mo Shaoheng had once had Qi Fengyu and He Jingyi investigate Li Junyan, but no matter how deep their investigation went, Li Junyan’s background was very clean, exactly as Su Yang had described, a genuine inspirational young man.

Li Junyan’s parents had died in an accident. His childhood was very difficult, moving between relatives’ homes. After getting into university, he moved out of his relatives’ house to live alone, working part-time to earn money while completing his degree. He had excellent grades and received scholarships every year. Before even graduating from university, he had started interning at Mo Shanshan’s parents’ company.

Qin Huanxi held his glass thoughtfully. If it weren’t for their romantic relationship, Mo Shanshan’s parents had always held Li Junyan in high regard. From the moment Li Junyan joined the company, he had performed exceptionally well, working diligently and earnestly, earning the trust of both leadership and colleagues. Within a few years, he had been promoted to department manager.

But once Mo Shanshan and Li Junyan’s relationship was exposed, his situation became awkward. Unless Mo Shanshan’s parents truly valued talent and could separate personal from professional matters, Li Junyan’s career would not only come to a halt but might very well cause him to lose the status and achievements he had worked so hard for.

Qin Huanxi’s suspicions about Li Junyan were based on his intuition from two lifetimes of reading people, and also because he could never feel at ease about the banquet that Fu Zecheng had organized. Too many things had been coincidental, and that was also the first time he had spent time with Li Junyan. All the past events seemed to be missing just one connecting thread, and Li Junyan was involved in that thread too.

There were informants sent by Qi Fengyu at the bar, but that day their attention was all on Qin Congan. If not for his hurried glance when leaving the bar, none of them would have thought that Li Junyan was also at the bar that day, another unexpected coincidence.

Qin Congan, Li Junyan…

Qin Huanxi lowered his head to stare at the glass in his hands. If there really was some connection between them, he could only think of two possibilities. Li Junyan’s purpose for going to the bar was to celebrate a colleague’s birthday, this point couldn’t be changed or faked, as the truth would come out with just one investigation.

But whether Qin Congan went out alone on impulse or because someone had called him out, this point was worth considering. If there really was contact between him and Li Junyan, the bar was crowded and complex. Even if they suddenly encountered each other and exchanged a few words in passing, others wouldn’t become suspicious.

At this moment, the server brought over the steak, interrupting Qin Huanxi’s contemplation. The two ate while chatting.

Mo Siyuan ate the steak that Qin Huanxi had cut for him, his bright, round eyes darting back and forth between Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng. Finally unable to contain the doubt that had been bothering him for a long time, he asked, “Daddy, is something wrong with sister Shanshan and uncle Li?”

Qin Huanxi was startled and said gently, “Sister Shanshan is fine…”

“They want your big brother Huanxi to marry sister Shanshan.” Mo Shaoheng said matter-of-factly.

Qin Huanxi: “…”

“No way!” Mo Siyuan immediately pouted. “Big brother Huanxi is already my mommy. Big brother Huanxi can only marry Daddy. Sister Shanshan is going to marry uncle Li in the future. How can she date big brother Huanxi? Bad people, they’re all bad people.”

Qin Huanxi glanced speechlessly at Mo Shaoheng. This guy really had perfected the skill of using their son, and without any guilt whatsoever. His little one was indeed a perfect little ally. But Mo Shaoheng’s joke had gone too far this time. His little one was upset and didn’t even want to eat his steak anymore.

Qin Huanxi put down his knife and fork and comforted Mo Siyuan by stroking his head. “Xiao Yuan, be good. Don’t listen to your daddy’s nonsense. Even if they want big brother Huanxi and sister Shanshan to get married, big brother Huanxi and sister Shanshan won’t agree.”

“Really?” Mo Siyuan pouted pitifully. “Then when will big brother Huanxi marry Daddy? As long as big brother Huanxi marries Daddy, they won’t force you to marry sister Shanshan anymore, and sister Shanshan won’t have to separate from uncle Li either.”

Qin Huanxi was at a loss for words. He glared at the composed Mo Shaoheng and turned back to say gently, “Big brother Huanxi won’t separate from Daddy either. Xiao Yuan, be good. Let’s eat our steak first. After we finish eating, big brother Huanxi and Daddy will take Xiao Yuan shopping. Doesn’t Xiao Yuan want to go shopping anymore?”

“I do!” Mo Siyuan finally felt relieved and obediently began eating his steak.

After this little episode, the atmosphere became harmonious and warm again.

Mo Siyuan happily ate his steak and beloved butterfly shrimp. After finishing one himself, he didn’t forget to feed some to Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng. However, his little brain was thinking about something else. He absolutely wouldn’t let the bad people break up Daddy and big brother Huanxi. Big brother Huanxi could only be his mommy.

“There’s another possibility.” Mo Shaoheng suddenly said. “Someone has tampered with Li Junyan’s records.”

Qin Huanxi opened his eyes wide in surprise. After thinking for a moment, his expression became grave. “That’s possible. If there really is someone behind Li Junyan, maybe even his past experiences are fake. It’s hard to say if someone named ‘Li Junyan’ even exists in this world.”

The Mo Group had developed to its current state and inevitably had enemies and rivals, especially during the time when it was in the old lady’s hands, as quite a few people had been offended. There might well be people seeking revenge or having other purposes who wanted to infiltrate the Mo Group, like Fu Zecheng and Su Wentian, who tried every means to plant people inside or buy off those with wavering loyalties.

“I’ll have Fengyu and Jingyi continue watching Li Junyan. If he really has some purpose, the current situation is very unfavorable for him. Maybe he won’t be able to restrain himself and will act prematurely.” Mo Shaoheng said.

Qin Huanxi turned to look at Mo Siyuan, who was concentrating on eating his steak. Children’s intuition was sometimes particularly sharp. His little one didn’t seem to dislike Li Junyan, though thinking back, his little one didn’t even dislike Ning Shen.

He had previously accompanied Su Yang and joined Mo Shanshan and Li Junyan for several meals. Li Junyan’s attentiveness toward Mo Shanshan wasn’t fake, but occasionally, he had seen struggle in Li Junyan’s eyes. Although it was well-concealed, he had clearly remembered it in his heart. This was the real reason he couldn’t let it go.

Qin Huanxi sighed, hoping that everything was just his oversensitivity and excessive worry due to caring too much.

After finishing the steak, Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng took Mo Siyuan for a leisurely stroll along the bustling street. An hour later, they were carrying several bags, all clothes, pants, hats, scarves, and shoes bought for Mo Siyuan. His little one was grinning from ear to ear.

After shopping at the mall and supermarket, they went for a late-night snack. Only then did Mo Siyuan contentedly agree to go home. It was already 10:30 PM.

Returning to Mo Shaoheng’s house, Qin Huanxi gave Mo Siyuan, who had become drowsy in the car, a simple bath and tucked the sleepy little one into bed. In less than a minute, his little one had fallen sound asleep.

Qin Huanxi gazed at his precious child’s innocent sleeping face, his smile becoming increasingly gentle. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to his baby’s smooth, tender forehead. He adjusted the covers, turned on the bedside lamp, quietly turned off the main light, and left the room.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, Qin Huanxi saw Mo Shaoheng and the butler standing at the top of the stairs. The butler’s face looked grave. He walked forward and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Seeing Qin Huanxi, the butler’s grave expression turned to worry. “Young Master Qin, the young miss still hasn’t returned home.“