The Life Story of a Leaf

But Chen's father quickly softened his expression, as if he had long anticipated such an outcome. After all, from the moment that girl had come here, and seeing how firmly Ye Shuang had shielded her and stood against A'Xian and the others, Chen's father had already foreseen that this day would come.

"Alright, we've actually thought this through already." Chen's father waved his hand.

Ye Shuang was taken aback. That was it? No trouble?

"Life isn't for us to live, you know. The fact that you owned up honestly actually makes me think higher of you," Chen's father said. "If you'd kept dodging and feeding us lies, I'd have to reconsider whether to trust you with my daughter."

"…" Ye Shuang could only offer a wry smile.

"Enough of that. Have you proposed yet?"

"Uh, not yet," Ye Shuang said. "I will propose."

"Well, that's for you young folks to decide. All right, let's eat first. I'm starving after talking so long." Chen's father stood up. "By the way, come upstairs later and take a look at a few antiques with me."

"Sure, Uncle."

It seemed the matter had been put to rest for now. Ye Shuang and Chen Qin both breathed a sigh of relief, perhaps because this had turned out simpler than they'd imagined.

As a father who doted on his daughter, Chen's father naturally didn't want to force Chen Qin's hand or meddle in her decisions.

"A'Ye, I really thought my dad was going to lose it," Chen Qin whispered to Ye Shuang.

"I thought so too," Ye Shuang had to admit, since he'd been ready to take the scolding. Thankfully, Chen's father hadn't said much.

After spending half a day at the Chen residence, Chen Hai drove back.

"Oh, everyone's here?" Chen Hai said cheerfully when he saw Ye Shuang and the others. "I knew it—today must be about meeting the parents."

"What are you doing back?" Ye Shuang, who had been drinking tea with Chen's father, asked curiously.

"It's my own home. I can come back whenever I want." Chen Hai plopped down on the sofa and even asked Chen Qin to pour him tea.

"Chen Qin, serve the tea!"

"Pour it yourself." Chen Qin was blunt.

"Look at this, look at this, Dad. You've spoiled your daughter—she has no respect for her older brother." Chen Hai poured himself a cup, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

Chen's father just laughed. "I'm happy with how she is."

"Fine, fine." Chen Hai shrugged, then turned to Ye Shuang. "All the wedding plans settled? Want me, a veteran in this, to share some tips?"

"What kind of tips?"

"Tips for throwing a wedding, of course," Chen Hai said. "I was a pro at those little games back in the day."

"And weren't those hidden bridal shoes found because Fu Gui and I had to remind you where they were?" Ye Shuang countered.

"Come on, who'd expect them to be stuffed in a computer tower? That was just dirty, wasn't it?"

"All right, get to the point. What are you here for?" Chen's father interrupted, knowing Chen Hai wouldn't normally have time to come back today.

"Right, almost forgot the real business."

Chen Hai's expression turned a bit serious. He pulled out a file folder and took a photo from it.

"What is it?"

The photo showed a striking blonde woman with heavy makeup. The moment he saw her, Ye Shuang froze. "She…"

Memories flashed through his mind, recalling the woman he had coincidentally run into during those days.

Tall, with an indescribably eerie aura, Ye Shuang couldn't help but ask,

"Do you know her?"

"I don't know her, but you all definitely do," Chen Hai said. "Remember the photo we found in Zhou Min's phone? Recently, we found another photo in a social media album marked as 'private.'"

"Compared to the last one, this is a lot clearer, isn't it?"

As Chen Hai spoke, he noticed Ye Shuang's expression change—and not just Ye Shuang, but Chen's father, too.

"She… I see now," Chen's father murmured.

Ye Shuang narrowed his eyes slightly. "What a coincidence?"

"Huh? You both know her?" Chen Hai noticed the odd reactions and asked.

"It's a long story. Let me sort through it," Ye Shuang said, rubbing his forehead.

"Don't get involved in this," Chen's father told Chen Hai. "I'll have someone look into it."

"Just like that?" Chen Hai was puzzled by both Ye Shuang's and his father's reactions.

"Enough, let's drop this for now." Chen's father quietly stashed the photo away. "Why didn't you bring Qiaoqiao home with you?"

"Qiaoqiao had class today," Chen Hai said immediately.

"Dad, you haven't lost your memory yet, have you?"

"What, class matters more than seeing her grandpa?" Chen's father shot back.

"What are you saying? Of course school is important."

"Hmph, I'll hire a private tutor to make up for what she missed."

"Qiaoqiao would be pretty upset about that," Chen Hai said with a twitch of his lips. He knew his little girl would be unhappy if she found out her grandfather had arranged extra tutoring just so she could visit.

Meanwhile, Ye Shuang sipped his tea slowly, lost in thought about the photo.

"A'Ye, is this bothering you? I can help look into it," Chen Qin asked softly.

Ye Shuang snapped out of it and managed a faint smile. "No, just some things on my mind."

"Do you want to go rest in the room for a bit?" Ye Shuang was particularly attentive to Chen Qin's condition now.

[Character: Chen Qin

Expecting a baby]

"I am a little sleepy. A'Ye, will you nap with me?" Chen Qin said. She had no other intentions—she just wanted to hold Ye Shuang during her afternoon nap.

"Sure, I'll go with you." Ye Shuang then turned to Chen's father.

"Uncle, I'm going to take Qin upstairs for a rest."

"Go ahead, go ahead. I'll call you down before dinner," Chen's mother said with a smile. "But don't you two get up to any mischief."

Chen Qin's cheeks flushed. "We won't!"

As if lacking confidence, she added, "Really."

Ye Shuang just smiled faintly and led Chen Qin into the elevator to go rest upstairs.

But just as they stepped out of the elevator and were about to return to the room, Ye Shuang's phone rang.

He glanced at it—an unfamiliar number.

"Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Ye. This is the police station."

"Oh, go ahead."

"It's about the girl you found the other day. We've found a match in the blood bank database." The voice on the line continued. "A woman named Bai Yuyou has a perfect match with her data."

Ye Shuang froze, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. "Wait—what did you say the name of the match from the blood bank is?"

"Bai Yuyou," the voice confirmed again.

"How old?"

"Eighteen… Huh?" The voice hesitated. "Wait, that's strange…"