Chapter 136: Reunion

Liang Zhixia looked back toward the door and hurriedly pushed her into the fitting room. "Change into these clothes quickly. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Although Lin Wanbai had only met her once, she inexplicably felt a sense of trust in her; after all, she was the first person who had broken into the Ningjiang Estate claiming to be there to rescue her.

Following her instructions, Lin Wanbai quickly went inside and changed.

Meanwhile, on Fu Yuxing's end, Xiaobao's sudden disappearance instantly made him connect the dots. He whipped his head around to look in the direction Lin Wanbai had taken, instinctively taking a few steps forward before coming to an abrupt halt and turning to call Xu Chuan.

Before he could utter a word, Xu Chuan spoke first. "Liang Ting's men are here, Mr. Lin. We must leave immediately. There are a lot of them."

"Lock down the park immediately. Xiaobao is gone."

Startled, Xu Chuan did not waste a single word. He hung up instantly and contacted the technical department, demanding that the theme park be placed under an immediate lockdown by any means necessary.

About twenty minutes later, the theme park was sealed off.

Those outside could not get in, and those inside could not get out. The management offered no immediate explanation. The people blocked at the main gates began to raise a ruckus, and the scene descended into chaos.

Most people inside the park were unaware of the lockdown because there was no chaos internally; all activities proceeded as usual.

The theme park's PR manager quickly issued a press statement, giving visitors who could not enter a reasonable explanation along with various forms of compensation, while informing them that the park would open normally tomorrow. Because the subsequent compensation was quite generous, those visitors felt somewhat appeased, and after making a fuss for a while, they orderly dispersed and returned to their hotels one after another.

Inside the park, all staff members began searching for Fu Linsheng, and the broadcast repeated the announcement over and over again.

Soon, the news reached everyone's ears, and most people began keeping an eye out for a four- or five-year-old boy.

Fu Yuxing stood where he was without leaving. He was honoring the promise he made before Lin Wanbai left: he would wait for her right here, and so he would stay and wait for her to come back.

People milled all around him—families of three, couples, youngsters, pairs—all exceptionally sweet and affectionate. Everyone who came here was happy, their faces glowing with blissful smiles.

Fu Yuxing appeared exceptionally out of place, standing completely motionless like a statue.

Some of the bolder young women would boldly walk over to strike up a conversation with him, while others proactively asked for his phone number or WeChat.

Fu Yuxing showed neither pleasure nor anger, nor did he offer any response.

Had it not been for the blinking of his eyes, many would have truly mistaken him for a statue provided for tourists to take pictures with.

At that moment, two or three pairs of men and women headed toward him, glancing at him from time to time. The moment they closed in, the six of them simultaneously drew daggers from their clothes and lunged directly at him.

Fortunately, Fu Yuxing reacted quickly, having long since sensed that something was amiss with these individuals. Wielding his cane, he knocked them flat to the ground in just a few moves.

Immediately afterward, even more people swarmed forward.

The scene instantly plunged into chaos. Ordinary tourists, witnessing such a spectacle, panicked instantly, assuming terrorists had struck, and began fleeing wildly while dragging their most precious loved ones along.

The desperate individuals Liang Ting had brought in to deal with him were hardened criminals; in the eyes of such men, ordinary tourists were mere obstacles. If they blocked the path, they had to be cleared away with maximum speed.

Shrills and screams rang out endlessly alongside the sound of overturned objects.

Fu Yuxing still stood his ground, as steady as a mountain, showing not a trace of panic in the face of such a situation.

Watching the vicious thugs rushing toward him unhurriedly, he knew his own people were naturally mixed into the crowd as well. Before long, the two factions began to violently clash.

The commotion here quickly startled half the visitors in the park. Panic set in everywhere, and everyone scrambled toward the main gates. Yet, upon reaching the exits, they found themselves unable to leave; the gates were bolted, and numerous guards stood watch outside.

The staff tried to calm the crowds, but with bloodshed having occurred, all attempts at pacification proved useless.

Men and women shrieked hysterically, shouting and arguing.

Meanwhile, Liang Zhixia led Lin Wanbai to a blind spot in the theme park, climbing over the wall to escape via a route that seemed to have been pre-selected.

Liang Zhixia urged her up first to cover the rear. Amid the current chaos in the park, most of the staff had rushed to the gates to appease the tourists, leaving this area largely unattended.

The two of them successively scaled the wall and dropped to the other side, where someone was waiting. Upon receiving Lin Wanbai, they hurried her into a car.

The vehicle quickly sped away from the theme park, everything proceeding with utmost smoothness.

Liang Zhixia high-fived the man in the car, utterly thrilled.

Naturally, Lin Wanbai was not as elated as they were. Once their celebration subsided, she finally spoke up, "Won't Xiaobao be in danger?"

Liang Zhixia took her hand and said, "Don't worry, you'll see him soon enough. Rescuing you naturally means we wouldn't forget Xiaobao. He's your precious son after all, the good son you carried for ten months; of course he belongs by your side. Could that child possibly have a good life following Fu Yuxing?"

Before Lin Wanbai could reply, Liang Zhixia suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. A short while later, faint sobs reached her ears. Lin Wanbai remained still, merely placing a hand on Liang Zhixia's spine and patting her gently in silent comfort.

Liang Zhixia wanted to say something, but her throat felt blocked with cotton, and nothing would come out. Every time she tried to speak, she choked up, and in the end, she said nothing at all.

Lin Wanbai said, "Stop crying. Anyone who doesn't know better would think I've come down with some terminal illness, seeing you wailing away like this."

"Bah, bah, bah! Don't say such things!" Liang Zhixia forcefully wiped her face, sniffled, and said, "I'm just emotional, too emotional. Every single thing I've done over the past few years was to rescue you from Fu Yuxing's clutches, hoping you could break free from that man's demonic grip. Now that I've finally pulled it off, I'm happy, so happy. I can finally say I'm sorry to you in person."

"Xiaobai, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry."

Lin Wanbai flicked her forehead, took a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped away her tears, and said, "Don't say those things to me right now. I don't remember anything; even if you say a hundred apologies, I wouldn't know how to respond."

"And stop crying. You're crying so hard I don't know what to do. I think the most important thing you should be doing right now is giving me a rundown of your identity and all these arrangements. How did you manage this all by yourself?"

"Of course I wasn't alone. Your uncle was in on it too."

"Uncle?"

Didn't Chen Songyuan say her uncle was in prison?

"He was released?"

"He was let out long ago, and now the Lin Corporation has been reclaimed as well. This time, he and Han Chen joined forces, waiting a long time for this exact opportunity. Your trip to see Chen Songyuan this morning was truly brilliant; it made Liang Ting swallow the bait completely, prompting him to launch an all-out attack. I wasn't at ease leaving you by Fu Yuxing's side, and your uncle wasn't either. He's different now than he used to be—his paralyzed limbs completely altered his mindset. Neither I nor your uncle wanted you staying by his side to be exploited by him."

Lin Wanbai nodded silently. "Where is Uncle? Did he come?"

"He didn't come, but Han Chen did."

"Han Chen."

"Right, the very same kept boy you used to sponsor."

Lin Wanbai had an impression of him; this scandal could still be found online. She never expected this 'kept boy' to be so devoted and willing to help her.

"Where are we going now?"

"To the airport. Counting traffic, we'll arrive right on time. The private jet is ready and waiting for you and Xiaobao to board so we can head straight back to Beicheng."

Lin Wanbai nodded, her heart beating a little fast and feeling somewhat hollow. Everything felt so surreal. Just a moment ago, she had still been by Fu Yuxing's side playing along, and now she was sitting in a car bound for the airport.

An hour later, they arrived at the airport. Someone met them at the entrance, and the two took the VIP passage. Inside the VIP lounge, Lin Wanbai saw Han Chen.

When they reached the airport entrance, Han Chen had already received word. He had been waiting until the door before him was pushed open. Seeing Lin Wanbai walk in now, his eyes grew somewhat warm. He slowly stood up, smiled at her, and for a moment didn't know how to begin.

The photos in news reports were quite blurry. Seeing her in the flesh now, Lin Wanbai thought this man truly lived up to the title of a kept boy—his skin was exceptionally fair, and his features were strikingly handsome.

Liang Zhixia pushed her forward. "Where's the child? Hasn't he arrived yet?"

Han Chen snapped back to attention, quickly pulling his gaze away, and said, "Not yet. Let's go wait on the plane first; I'm afraid of any unexpected developments."

"Alright."

With that, Han Chen summoned personnel to escort Lin Wanbai and Liang Zhixia onto the plane first.

He stood watching Lin Wanbai go the entire way. Once she was out of sight, he let out a soft breath, his heart pounding in his chest. Even though she had changed her hairstyle, those eyes of hers still possessed their old, alluring charm.

He slowly sat down, picked up a wine glass nearby, took a sip to steady himself slightly, and then pulled out his phone to make a call.

When the phone rang three times without being answered, it meant an unforeseen situation had occurred in the plan.

He hung up, checked his watch, and noted there was still half an hour until takeoff—at most, they could delay for another half-hour, but no more than that.

...

Inside the theme park.

By now, complete chaos reigned. Many tourists had called the police, and before the authorities arrived, the band of desperate criminals quickly retreated.

Fu Yuxing had sustained some injuries, but he firmly held his ground, refusing to go anywhere.

A kind-hearted person handed him a tissue. The cut on his arm was rather deep, and fresh blood had stained his clothes. An old grandmother handed him a tissue, saying, "Call an ambulance, you're still bleeding."

Fu Yuxing lifted his gaze to look at her and replied coldly, "Mind your own business."

The old grandmother's son came over and dragged her away, muttering curses in dialect, the gist of it being told not to meddle in other people's affairs.

Fu Yuxing turned his head to glance at them, paying no mind to such minor injuries.

Police officers soon arrived to take charge. Once the situation was brought under control, the theme park management handled the aftermath and cleared the grounds with the police's assistance.

The very last person left was Fu Yuxing.

He remained standing right where he was, motionless, as though waiting for someone.

When Xu Chuan arrived, he found him leaning both hands on his cane, head tilted slightly back, gazing toward the Ferris wheel as if lost in thought.

"Mr. Lin."

He walked up to his side and cast a glance left and right; the police had not approached yet and were merely negotiating with the theme park's PR manager.

Lowering his head, Xu Chuan said softly, "Liang Ting has issued a martial law bounty, explicitly calling for the lives of your family of three."

Fu Yuxing asked, "Where is Fu Linsheng?"

Just as Xu Chuan was about to speak, a crisp, childish voice rang across the plaza, "Daddy!"

At the sound, Fu Yuxing looked over and saw a roly-poly little fellow sprinting toward them like a miniature whirlwind. In the blink of an eye, the child crashed into him, raised his head, and called out to him over and over again, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

The instant the little thing slammed into him, it felt as though something had struck his heart, generating a surge of warmth.

He lowered his head, and a tear-streaked little face came into view, lower lip quivering. The moment their eyes met, the child burst into tears, crying loudly.

Fu Yuxing's heart twitched slightly, a wave of soreness rising within him. He slowly squatted down, offering a faint smile, picked up the handkerchief a passerby had given him earlier, wiped away the child's tears, and said, "Don't cry."

The little fellow must have been thoroughly frightened; right now, he couldn't hear a thing, simply burrowing desperately into Fu Yuxing's arms, clinging tightly to him, grabbing his clothes with tiny hands, and sobbing incessantly.

Xu Chuan said, "I was just about to say, Young Master was found hiding by himself in the bushes."

Fu Yuxing nodded, placing a palm on Fu Linsheng's head and gently stroking it. His eye sockets inexplicably grew warm, and even his heart grew warm along with them.

After crying for a long while, Fu Linsheng slowly steadied his emotions, but clutched onto Fu Yuxing and refused to let go no matter what. When Xu Chuan tried to pick him up, he stubbornly resisted, determined to cling to Fu Yuxing as if out of sheer terror.

Xu Chuan said, "Young Master, your daddy is injured. It's the same if I hold you."

The boy wriggled his chubby body, refusing to yield an inch.

Just as Xu Chuan thought about using force, Fu Yuxing stopped him, saying, "Forget it. Wait a moment, he's probably just scared."

"Yes. The car is ready, Mr. Lin. We can leave now."

The tour vehicle pulled up right at that moment.

Fu Yuxing paused for a moment, turned his head, and looked toward the restrooms. Actually, it was obvious at a glance that Lin Wanbai was long gone from that area. He said, "Wait a little longer."

"But..."

"Just wait a bit longer, there's no rush."

This wait lasted until nightfall. The theme park staff came over time and again to inform them that the grounds had been completely cleared and not a single tourist remained, yet he still refused to leave.

The blood on his arm had already dried, and Xiaobao had fallen asleep against his shoulder.

Xu Chuan stood nearby, repeatedly checking his watch, and after hesitating through numerous internal struggles, he finally stepped forward. "Mr. Lin..."

Before he could continue, Fu Yuxing said, "Let's go."

She wouldn't be coming back.

"Yes."

With that, he handed Fu Linsheng over to Xu Chuan. The little fellow was truly too heavy, and both of Fu Yuxing's arms had gone completely numb from holding him.

The two boarded the tour vehicle and quickly exited the theme park.

Several cars were waiting at the main entrance, all assigned to protect the father and son.

...

By then, Lin Wanbai was already on her way to Beicheng. Aside from the flight crew, only Lin Wanbai, Liang Zhixia, and Han Chen were on the plane.

Han Chen had left trusted aides behind in Hong Kong to investigate Xiaobao's whereabouts.

Lin Wanbai wasn't particularly worried, figuring the child most likely returned to Fu Yuxing's side.

Liang Zhixia kept offering comfort beside her, while Han Chen remained mostly silent, only casting occasional, stealthy glances in her direction.

Lin Wanbai said, "You guys don't need to worry either. I believe Xiaobao should be back with his father by now. Actually, Fu Yuxing is not bad to the child, and Xiaobao has a rather good temperament."

"Is that so? That a man like her could raise a child well is truly a miracle."

Liang Zhixia still held quite a deep grudge against Fu Yuxing. She curled her lips and said, "You still trust him that much; no wonder he wanted to make you lose your memories. Without memories, the two of you could start over—he definitely had that in mind. It sounds like he loves you a lot, but clearly every single thing he did was meant to hurt you. That's not love at all, just a twisted desire for possession. Xiaobai, you mustn't like him. Look around you, leaving others aside, even look at Han Chen; there are so many people who love you, whereas someone like Fu Yuxing is someone to keep at a distance."

"Of course, someone with his unkillable cockroach setup needs to be beaten to death once and for all. Otherwise, don't even think about shaking him off for the rest of your life."

Before Liang Zhixia could ramble on further, Han Chen stepped in to interrupt, "Alright, after a whole day of tossing and turning, let Xiaobai get some rest. She has amnesia now and doesn't remember the past; saying anything is meaningless. It's better to look forward."

Liang Zhixia nodded and tapped her own mouth. "Understood, I won't say anymore." She turned to Lin Wanbai and said, "Get some sleep. The moment you wake up and open your eyes, we'll be in Beicheng. Oh right, I haven't told you yet—your mom woke up! Once you wake up, not only will you see your uncle, but you'll also get to see your dear mother!"

"Really?" Lin Wanbai had only learned that morning about her mother being in a car accident and falling into a coma, so hearing that her mother had now woken up was truly wonderful news.

"Of course it's true! Absolutely certain! She just discharged from the hospital a few days ago and is recovering at home right now, waiting for you to return so the family can be reunited."

Lin Wanbai smiled, nodded, and then grabbed her short hair, saying, "Looking like this, they might not even recognize me."

Liang Zhixia remarked, "True, when I first saw you, you completely wowed me with how cool you looked."

"Then I need to spruce myself up properly and slightly conceal the wound on my face so they don't worry when they see it."

"Don't worry."

Upon reaching Beicheng, Lin Wanbai did not disembark immediately. Han Chen had people deliver clothes and cosmetics, and Lin Wanbai freshened up thoroughly on the plane. Dressed in women's attire, even with her short hair, she retained a strong feminine charm, imbued with an added sense of intellectual elegance.

Lin Linye arrived at the tarmac by car. As Lin Wanbai stepped down, he stood right by the steps, looking up toward her.

Seeing her, Lin Linye struggled to contain his inner agitation. The hands hanging at his sides clenched tightly into fists as he fought hard to restrain himself from rushing up to embrace her.

Lin Wanbai spotted him at a glance; among the crowd, he stood out the most, carrying the air of a leader.

Within moments, she walked right up to him. The two locked eyes for a brief second. Liang Zhixia originally wanted to step forward and say something, but Han Chen pulled her back, clamped a hand over her mouth, and dragged her off to the side.

Lin Wanbai smiled, self-consciously rubbed her hair, and softly called out, "Uncle..."

Lin Linye pressed his lips together, nodded with a smile, extended a hand to stroke her head, and said, "No matter what, it's good that you're back. Let's go home."

Lin Wanbai nodded, stepped down the final stair, hopped right in front of him, and broke into a broad smile.

Unable to hold back any longer, Lin Linye reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her in a gentle embrace. Lin Wanbai paused for a fraction of a second, then wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes to feel the warmth of family.

All the way there, Lin Linye never let go of her hand, gripping it tightly the entire time as if afraid she would vanish the moment he loosened his hold.

They didn't return to Pujiang, heading instead to Lin Linye's private villa, where Lin Jingyu had been settled and was being cared for by professional nurses.

He hadn't told Lin Jingyu the news of Lin Wanbai's return, preparing it as a surprise for her.

Lin Linye glanced sideways at Lin Wanbai from time to time. Seeing her solidly present before his eyes, a smile slowly curved his lips. He said, "I won't let you get hurt ever again. From now on, we'll face the outside world together. You don't have to force yourself to remember all your past memories; how things are now is pretty good. Since you don't remember, everything starts fresh. I've heard about Xiaobao; we'll look for another opportunity to snatch him back from Fu Yuxing's side."

Lin Wanbai asked, "You don't wish for me to remember the past either?"

"Memories aren't what's most important—what matters is that our family is reunited now."

Lin Wanbai turned to meet his gaze and said, "But for someone like me with no memories, my feelings toward you all are practically zero. Such a reunion isn't complete, and neither am I. Of course, I know my memories probably hold a lot of painful and upsetting things, and forgetting might be the best choice. But forgetting everything before things are resolved is tantamount to running away, and I don't want to run away. Besides, my amnesia won't last forever; there will come a day when I remember. If I'm going to remember sooner or later, recalling it sooner is better than having those memories pop up piece by piece, torturing me with repeated inner conflict, pain, and suffering."

"Uncle, find me a good hypnotherapist. I feel this method might help me remember everything."

Lin Linye said, "No need to rush." He smoothly changed the subject, giving her short hair a playful tug as he remarked, "I haven't seen you cut your hair this short since you were an adult."

"Does it look good?"

"It looks great. When Big Sister sees you later, she probably won't recognize you at first glance."

"How could that be? Didn't you recognize me instantly? Even Chen Songyuan recognized me at a glance, let alone Mom."

The name Chen Songyuan popped up abruptly, feeling as distant as a past lifetime. Lin Linye raised an eyebrow. "You've seen him?"

"Mm, I saw Lin Yao too. Their family of three is living in Hong Kong under Liang Ting's protection. He seemed quite emotional upon seeing me, said a whole lot of things, and even apologized."

"Hah," Lin Linye let out a cold laugh. "What did he say to you?"

"How wonderful my mother was, how deeply he loved her, and that everything was a misunderstanding stirred up by Fu Yuxing. Fortunately, though, I've only lost my memory, not my intelligence. His words lacked basic logic and yet he still tried to argue—he really took me for a fool."

"Of course you're not a fool, you're quite smart. It's just that when you fell in love, you were a bit blind; ten oxen couldn't pull you back."

Lin Wanbai smiled. "Are you talking about me and Fu Yuxing?"

He merely smiled without a word, dropping the subject.

Before long, the car entered the estate and pulled to a stop in front of a villa. At that moment, Lin Jingyu was watering flowers in the front yard. Seeing the vehicle, she set down her watering can and stared unblinkingly until Lin Wanbai stepped out of the car. Only then did she react, running over in a few swift steps, rubbing her eyes once, then twice. Even after seeing clearly, she still found it hard to believe. "Is that Xiaobai?"

Standing beside Lin Wanbai, Lin Linye nodded and said, "Yes, Xiaobai is back, Big Sister."

He introduced Lin Jingyu to Lin Wanbai, "This is your mother."

Lin Jingyu looked at her and smiled, but as she smiled, tears began to stream down her face. She quickly wiped away her tears, walked right up to her, took her hands, and looked her up and down. Taking in her short hair and emaciated face—even though she had used base makeup and concealer—up close, she could still faintly make out the traces of scars on her face.

Her lips trembled slightly as she reached out to stroke her cheek. Tears falling uncontrollably in a steady downpour, she choked out, "It's useless of me to be a mother, letting my precious daughter suffer so much."

Lin Wanbai didn't know what to say, and ultimately said nothing at all, simply opening her arms to let her hold her.

Mother and daughter embraced, and Lin Jingyu wept almost uncontrollably.

She regretted her past impulsiveness and the self-defeating actions she had taken that hurt her enemies while wounding herself just as much. Looking back now, it truly shouldn't have happened; doing such foolish things for a man like that was neither right nor worth it at all.

Yet fortunately, thankfully, Xiaobai was still all right.

...

That night, Fu Yuxing sat by the bedside, watching the little one sleeping soundly under the covers. He hooked his finger around the child's tiny hand and gently tucked it into his palm. Such soft little hands softened his heart along with them.

He could never forget the feeling that had welled up in his chest when, standing in the chilling plaza of the theme park, he heard that crisp little voice call out "Daddy."

It was just like when he had first laid eyes on Lin Wanbai—filled with boundless joy, his heart swelling and burning with warmth.

The phone resting on the nightstand chimed. A moment later, he picked it up and glanced at the screen.

The message indicated that Lin Wanbai had returned to Beicheng.