Chapter 257 I'm an orphan too, you know that?

On the last night of the trip, the jeep drove back to the guesthouse.

Lu Weidong got out of the car and called the police station to tell them they could come and pick up the car, and expressed his gratitude.

Ye Wenxi got out of the car carrying large and small bags and shouted towards Zhang Yunxia's room:

"Sister-in-law! I brought you something delicious!"

Zhang Yunxia came out upon hearing the noise, and her eyes lit up when she saw what Ye Wenxi was holding:

"Oh, you're still thinking about me?"

"Of course! Roasted rice cakes, milk fan, and flower cakes are all local specialties." Ye Wenxi proudly shook the bag.

"Xiangyang, come quick! Aunt Ye bought you so many delicious things!" Zhang Yunxia turned around and called to the small figure.

Zhang Xiangyang ran over, his eyes shining as he stared at the bag.

"Here, take this and eat it." Ye Wenxi handed him the food. "I'm going to have a chat with your mother."

Zhang Xiangyang hugged the bag and ran off happily.

Ye Wenxi led Zhang Yunxia to his room and closed the door.

"Sister-in-law, what are you thinking?"

Zhang Yunxia paused for a moment.

"I want to adopt him."

Ye Wenxi looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"These past few days, that child has been following me around every day, calling me 'Mom' and 'Dad.' To be honest, I haven't been this happy in all these years," Zhang Yunxia said, her voice slightly unsteady.

"Where is Commander Chen?" Ye Wenxi asked, looking at her.

Zhang Yunxia sighed.

"He hasn't given a definite answer yet. He said it's a big deal and he needs to think about it."

Ye Wenxi nodded, not in a hurry to speak.

Zhang Yunxia looked up at her: "I know, it's not enough for me to be willing alone. He has to genuinely want it himself; forcing him isn't good for the child."

"Have you had a proper talk with him?" Ye Wenxi asked.

"We talked." Zhang Yunxia paused. "He...has his own concerns and asked me to give him some more time."

She didn't say what Chen Yuanchuan was worried about, but her tone conveyed concern, understanding, and an unspoken empathy between them.

Ye Wenxi realized that there must be something she didn't know behind this.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply held Zhang Yunxia's hand.

"Sister-in-law, Commander Chen may not say it, but he knows what's going on. If he really didn't want to, he would have rejected it on the spot. The fact that he didn't reject it means he's already willing. It's just that there are still some things he needs to figure out for himself."

Zhang Yunxia was taken aback for a moment, then realized that Ye Wenxi's words made sense.

"Give him some more time." Ye Wenxi patted her hand. "Good things come to those who wait."

Zhang Yunxia nodded and took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll wait."

Outside the door, Zhang Xiangyang, carrying a bag of snacks, ran back and forth, his laughter drifting in from outside.

When Zhang Yunxia turned her head and heard the voice, the corners of her mouth curved up again.

Ye Wenxi and Zhang Yunxia talked a lot about work.

The garment company's new orders, Wang Yingxue's progress, and the new dishes Lang Yuqin has recently prepared...

After Lu Weidong finished his call with the Public Security Bureau, he returned to find the door locked, and guessed that Ye Wenxi and Zhang Yunxia might be discussing something inside.

They then went directly to Chen Yuanchuan's room.

The door was ajar. He pushed it open and was met with a sight that stunned him:

Chen Yuanchuan sat on the edge of the bed, holding Zhang Xiangyang in his arms. He broke off a piece of flower cake and handed it to him.

Zhang Xiangyang was about to put it in his mouth.

"Ah—" Chen Yuanchuan suddenly leaned in, opened his mouth wide, "I'll give you the whole thing!"

"Ah! No!" Zhang Xiangyang shrank back in fright, clutching the pancake in his hand tightly.

Chen Yuanchuan leaned closer, his eyes wide open, his mouth agape enough to fit a fist:

"Aaaaaah—I'm here!"

Zhang Xiangyang was amused by him and crawled all over the bed with the biscuit in his hand, while Chen Yuanchuan followed behind, pretending to chase him with "Awoo Awoo".

"Help me—!"

Zhang Xiangyang laughed until tears streamed down his face. He buried his head in the blanket, sticking his little bottom out, and hid himself.

Chen Yuanchuan threw off the blanket, scooped him out, hugged him, and rubbed his beard against his face.

"Are you still going to run away or not?"

"I'm not running anymore! Hahaha...it itches!"

Zhang Xiangyang squirmed in his arms, laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.

Chen Yuanchuan smiled, hugged him, and gently rocked him.

The child nestled in his arms, tilting his head back and looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Dad Chen, have some." Zhang Xiangyang held the flower cake to Chen Yuanchuan's lips.

"Dad was just teasing you, you can eat it." Chen Yuanchuan pushed the pancake back.

"No! You have to eat it!" Zhang Xiangyang held up the pancake and forced it towards his mouth, his little face tense.

"Okay, okay, okay."

Chen Yuanchuan took a tiny bit, then returned the rest to Zhang Xiangyang.

The two of them kept feeding each other, unaware that Lu Weidong was standing at the door.

dong dong dong——!

Chen Yuanchuan turned around, saw Lu Weidong, and greeted him:

"Hey? You're back? Where were you just now? Come in, stay here with me. Those two capable women are busy over there, we need to make room for them."

Lu Weidong walked in with a smile and sat down in a chair.

"Go out and play. I'm going to chat with your Uncle Lu for a while. Don't go too far, just play downstairs, okay?" Chen Yuanchuan patted Zhang Xiangyang.

"Okay!" Zhang Xiangyang picked up the bag of flower cakes and ran out happily.

Lu Weidong closed the door and sat down in a chair.

"I just called the local police station to have a chat," Lu Weidong casually mentioned.

"Huh? Call the police?" Chen Yuanchuan looked up.

Lu Weidong nodded and continued:

"When I took Wenxi out for a drive, we ran into some thugs who tried to rob us."

Chen Yuanchuan frowned: "Who was it? Have they been dealt with?"

"We took down a few, called the police, and the military also sent people," Lu Weidong said calmly. "Deputy Director Zhang led the team personally."

"Zhang Yongnian?" Chen Yuanchuan snorted. "The security in Kunming needs a serious overhaul."

"The post-war chaos has indeed led to a neglect of public order. I'll have to speak with the Yunnan Military Region later; this can't just be left like this."

"I also told them that it is indeed something that should be taken seriously, otherwise it will be the ordinary people who suffer," Lu Weidong echoed.

"Hmm!" Chen Yuanchuan responded.

The room fell silent.

Lu Weidong looked at Chen Yuanchuan but didn't speak immediately. He poured Chen Yuanchuan a cup of tea, handed it to him, and then picked up a cup himself, slowly sipping it.

"This child seems quite attached to you," Lu Weidong said.

"You know, you're usually so serious, all the kids in the compound are afraid of you, but this kid... seems to have a special connection with you," Lu Weidong said deliberately.

Chen Yuanchuan chuckled softly.

"You brat, are you trying to talk my way out of this?" Chen Yuanchuan glanced at him sideways.

Lu Weidong's lips curved slightly, but he didn't speak directly.

"Weidong, you and Xiaoye, aren't you planning to have a baby?" Chen Yuanchuan asked casually.

"We're not in a hurry, and as you know, Ye Wenxi has her own ideals and ambitions. I respect her opinion on having a child," Lu Weidong said earnestly.

"Damn it, you mentioned me in one sentence and then showed off your love." Chen Yuanchuan laughed and kicked Lu Weidong.

"Haha, what did I show off? You and your sister-in-law have such a good relationship, you always give in to her, aren't you just as loving towards your wife? You complement each other, don't you?"

"Are you trying to provoke me again?" Chen Yuanchuan realized it again.

"Hahahaha." Lu Weidong laughed.

"So, what are you thinking, Commander? You both like this child so much, and everything about him seems perfect, so why are you still hesitating?"

Lu Weidong stopped beating around the bush and asked directly.

Chen Yuanchuan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"I'm an orphan too, you know that?" Chen Yuanchuan put down his teacup, looked out the window, and lowered his voice.

"Yes, you told me about this before." Lu Weidong nodded.

"But I never said how my father died, did I?" Chen Yuanchuan paused, took another sip, and lowered his voice.

Lu Weidong frowned slightly; he had guessed what was coming next.