"Hualian?" Lian He’s gift fell to the ground with a clang.
The person he thought he’d never see again in his life was standing right in front of him. Lian He was both shocked and excited. He quickly stepped forward, took Zhang Hualian’s hand, and stamred, "I’m sorry, Hualian, I...you...didn’t Hua Feng say you had married and moved away?"
"I ca to Shuanghe Town to find you, I..."
Lian He had so much to say but didn’t know where to start.
"Let go." Tang Zhengde didn’t care who Lian He was; holding Zhang Hualian’s hand, his wife’s hand, was unacceptable to him.
Tang Zhengde forcefully pried Lian He’s hands off, protectively positioned Zhang Hualian behind him, and looked at Lian He defensively, asking, "Who are you? Don’t you know there should be boundaries between n and won?"
While holding Zhang Hualian’s hand, Tang Zhengde rubbed it, seemingly trying to wipe off Lian He’s touch.
Zhang Hualian was both annoyed and amused. Seeing Lian He had initially shocked her, but now she gradually cald down.
"I am Lian He, I once was..." Lian He said excitedly, then paused halfway.
What was he once?
"Lian He, you left for twenty years, why co back now?" Zhang Hualian’s gaze fell on Lian He. In the past, her nearly suicidal despair over his departure had been mitigated only by the child she carried, or she might not have survived to this day.
Back then, she had believed his promises, thinking he would return to marry her, but that wait turned into years.
"I..." Lian He mumbled, took a deep breath, ntally replied to Zhang Hualian, and facing her gaze, he didn’t even dare to look directly into her eyes.
Even though twenty years had passed, Zhang Hualian’s eyes were still beautiful, large and expressive. Her appearance hadn’t changed much; the youthful beauty had just evolved into a more mature charm.
Ti had lent Zhang Hualian a beauty marked by additional grace compared to her younger days.
"Hualian, he is that person from back then..." Tang Zhengde didn’t know what adjective to use to describe Lian He, struggled for a bit before saying, "That educated youth?"
"Yes." Zhang Hualian nodded.
Tang Zhengde instantly disliked him.
"Dad, you know Aunt Tang?" Lian Qingyang asked in surprise.
Lian He remained silent, thinking that he and Zhang Hualian were more than just acquaintances.
"Hualian, can I speak with you alone?" Lian He took a deep breath, his gaze fell on Zhang Hualian.
"We have nothing to talk about," Zhang Hualian rejected bluntly without a second thought.
Lian He continued, "Hualian, I specifically ca here to find you..." Lian He lowered his stance, he was the one at fault back then.
"No need." Zhang Hualian coldly stated.
In so ways, Tang Yue’s temperant was influenced by Zhang Hualian, who usually seed gentle but was actually very stubborn, which led to the existence of Tang Yue.
At the entrance to the house, Tang Yue heard the noise and walked out, just in ti to see Lian He.
Yesterday, he had been arrogant and domineering, but today, he seed like a completely changed person, humbling himself to the dust.
Lian He, that educated youth from the past, also ant that Lian He was her biological father.
How absurd.
In the past life, her mother suffered all her life without seeing her biological father; now, neither she nor her mother had expected or even thought of him, yet he showed up.
"Tang Yue." Lian Qingyang picked up the gift, excitedly moved forward, placed the gift in the living room, then ran out and said, "Tang Yue, my dad ca to apologize to you today. Yesterday, he was just out of his mind, don’t mind him."
Tang Yue gathered her thoughts, her gaze resting on Lian Qingyang’s excited and agitated expression. No wonder she felt an indescribable closeness when she first t Lian Qingyang.
Should she and Lian Qingyang, by blood, be considered half-siblings with the sa father?
"Qingyang." Lian He suddenly shouted, and the mont he saw Tang Yue, he rembered Mr. Li’s words, that Tang Yue and Lian Qingyang were classmates.
Lian Qingyang was already a year ahead in school, so many of his classmates were a year or even two years older than him.
Lian He’s lips suddenly trembled, unsure of what to say next. His gaze toward Zhang Hualian was tentative yet hopeful.
"Dad, I’m not deaf. Why are you shouting so loudly?" Lian Qingyang pursed his lips, unhappy, and couldn’t resist reaching to check his ears as they almost felt burst by the loudness.
Lian Qingyang, completely oblivious to the situation, had no idea what was happening.
"Hualian, Tang Yue, how old is Tang Yue?" As Lian He asked this question, his heart tightened nervously.
Although it seed unbelievable, it wasn’t impossible.
Before Lian He left, he and Zhang Hualian had already consummated their relationship; in that era, sotis people didn’t even have a marriage certificate, a simple feast sufficed as a wedding. He had no household registration but had already planned to marry Zhang Hualian, and even had a simple marriage certificate made.
"She’s nineteen this year." Zhang Hualian didn’t intend to hide it, as Tang Yue’s age was sothing that couldn’t be hidden anyway.
"Nineteen?" Lian He’s heart thumped.
"That’s right, her birthday is in August," Zhang Hualian added even the month.
Lian He could now be certain; Tang Yue was his and Zhang Hualian’s daughter.
He hadn’t expected that Hualian would have given birth to his daughter after he left!
Regret, guilt, and self-reproach surged in his heart.
"Dad."
Tang Yue’s crisp call of ’dad’ brightened Lian He’s eyes for a mont, and then, it dimd.
"Daddy, didn’t you say you were going to make sothing delicious for us?" Tang Yue approached Tang Zhengde, holding his hand, not even sparing Lian He a glance.
Lian He’s heart shattered.
Clearly, he was Tang Yue’s biological father.
Watching Tang Yue, Lian He found her increasingly beautiful. Graceful and dignified, her lovely almond eyes sparkled brilliantly, entirely reflecting Zhang Hualian’s grace.
Even so of Tang Yue’s facial features, like her high nose bridge, resembled his.
This is his daughter.
Lian He found her more and more beautiful.
At this mont, Lian He completely forgot the criticisms and dissatisfaction he had towards Tang Yue yesterday.
"Okay." Tang Zhengde’s tensed heart relaxed instantly with her words. His daughter was so close to him; after so many years with Hualian, how could he be discarded because of soone hidden in his mories?
"What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you," Tang Zhengde lovingly said to Tang Yue.
Tang Yue, acting coquettish, pulled Tang Zhengde into the kitchen, ignoring Lian He completely.
Zhang Hualian also turned and followed the father-daughter duo.
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