The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 16

Shi Nuocen finally understood what she meant by the “important urgent matter” earlier, but—

“How could the Ru family lose a child?”

It was true that the little girl had been trafficked, but the man had acted alone. The Ru family was wealthy and influential, one of the top-tier elite families in the country. It was impossible for them not to afford hiring specialized nannies and caregivers for their children.

Hearing this, Ru Xi Cheng immediately felt a suffocating tightness in her chest, her mood sinking further. She mumbled, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Shi Nuocen couldn’t help raising her voice. “What about the rest of the Ru family? Do they not know either?”

Ru Xi Cheng: “…” In truth, no one in the Ru family really knew.

Seeing her silent admission, Shi Nuocen grew even angrier, sparks of fury flickering in her eyes. She felt that the Ru family was truly irresponsible when it came to their child.

Just then, a pair of small hands tugged at the hem of her clothes, shaking it gently. Shi Nuocen looked down and saw the little girl bowing her head, revealing the round crown of her hair, and whispering softly, “It’s not Auntie Orange’s fault. I ran away on my own.”

Hearing this, Shi Nuocen was utterly astonished, while Ru Xi Cheng felt both shocked and anxious. When she had realized the child was missing, she had nearly gone mad with worry. She immediately checked the surveillance footage and discovered that the child had indeed run away on her own, even hiding stealthily in the trunk of her assistant’s car.

The assistant’s car had been to the Ru family villa, the film studio, the Ru Corporation building, and the commercial street that day. Ru Xi Cheng had already dispatched people to search each location, but all reported back that they hadn’t found the child. Little did she expect the child to be with Shi Nuocen.

Trying to keep her voice steady so as not to upset the child, Ru Xi Cheng asked, “An’an, why did you run away on your own?”

The little girl shrank her fingers slightly, timidly biting her lip as if unsure how to respond.

“Wait a moment.” Shi Nuocen, noticing the situation, abruptly called for a pause. She soothingly patted the small head beside her and quietly reminded her ex-wife, “There are quite a few people around here. Let me find a quieter spot first, and then you can have your family meeting, alright? I’ll sit in as an observer. I assume that’s welcome?”

The implication was clear: she had already decided to involve herself in this matter, and they had no choice but to accept it!

Ru Xi Cheng: “…”

“Of course, you’re welcome.” Upon hearing this, the little girl instinctively lifted her head and clapped her small hands. For some reason, she felt that the aura around this older sister was incredibly comforting, making her feel at ease, as if there was nothing to fear anymore.

Shi Nuocen stood up, holding the child, having long noticed the curious glances and murmurs from the people around them.

“She actually knows the child’s family! That man was definitely lying!”

“Doesn’t the voice of the child’s family sound familiar to you?”

“I think so too. It feels like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

The bound man glared fiercely, muttering in regret, “So she wasn’t mute after all. If this job had succeeded, I could’ve paid off all my debts at once. It’s all that woman’s fault!”

He shot a venomous glare at Shi Nuocen, his sinister face filled with hatred, as if he wished he could drink her blood and devour her flesh.

But was Shi Nuocen afraid? She raised her fist at him, tilting her chin slightly, and stated bluntly, “For scum like you, I’ll beat you up every time I see you!”

After speaking, she carried the child to a quiet, secluded spot. The little girl sat obediently in the crook of her arm, her lotus-root-like arms wrapped around her neck.

Shi Nuocen looked down and asked her, “Your name is An’an, right?”

“Yes.”

Shi Nuocen repeated the name twice, smiling warmly. “Peace and joy, a lifetime of safety. What a wonderful name.” Then she handed the phone back to An’an and said, “You can keep talking to Aunt Orange now.”

An’an silently parted her lips, her large eyes flickering with uncertainty, her expression tinged with nervousness.

Shi Nuocen took her small hand, hooking her slender fingers, and made a pinky promise with her. “Don’t be afraid. If Aunt Orange dares to scold you, I’ll stand up for you.”

Hearing this, An’an looked surprised and murmured, “But I was the one who did something wrong first.”

Shi Nuocen replied matter-of-factly, “Even so, don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re little. As long as you know you were wrong, that’s enough.”

An’an grew even more curious. “So, there’s no punishment?”

Shi Nuocen answered decisively, “What punishment? There isn’t any!”

An’an immediately widened her almond-shaped eyes, placing a finger against her soft lips with an expression that seemed to say, “Wow, so this is how it can be.”

Listening to the conversation between the adult and the child, Ru Xi Cheng couldn’t help but sigh and rub her forehead. She never expected Shi Nuocen to be so indulgent with children.

Yet, under Shi Nuocen’s fiercely protective attitude, An’an relaxed. In a soft, delicate voice, she slowly spoke into the phone, “Because every month around this time, Aunt Orange feels unwell. Uncle Lei wants to visit, and Grandpa and Grandma fully support it. They even gave lots of suggestions, like spending time alone together or making the visits longer. But Aunt Orange clearly doesn’t like Uncle Lei, and I don’t like him either, so I got worried. When I saw the assistant sister driving over and remembered Aunt Orange was at the film studio, I secretly hid in the car.”

Hearing this, Shi Nuocen immediately turned to her ex-wife and said, “See? The reason the child went missing actually has to do with you.”

Ru Xi Cheng hadn’t expected this either. She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t find the right words to say.

Shi Nuocen then asked An’an, “Is that Uncle Lei trying to pursue your Aunt Orange?”

“Pursue?” An’an tilted her head in confusion.

“It means he likes your Aunt Orange and follows her around every day, going wherever she goes,” Shi Nuocen explained patiently.

After hearing this, An’an immediately nodded and whispered, “Uncle Lei always tries to get close to me too, but I don’t want him near me.”

Shi Nuocen quickly pieced things together in her mind: a certain Uncle Lei was pursuing her ex-wife, even trying to win her favor by getting close to An’an. Moreover, this behavior had the support of the Ru family. At the very least, everyone in the Ru household seemed pleased about it. But both her ex-wife and An’an disliked the man.

This Uncle Lei was likely the candidate the Ru family had chosen for their matchmaking efforts.

Ru Xi Cheng remained silent. Listening to An’an’s voice, softer than usual but noticeably livelier. She knew the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see her, so she let her tears fall freely.

“Hey, when are you coming to pick up the child?” Shi Nuocen asked suspiciously after not hearing her ex-wife’s voice for a while.

“I’m on my way. Where are you now?” Ru Xi Cheng wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Film City, Zone 6, Storage Room No. 2. Remember to treat me to a big meal when you get here, An’an is hungry too!” As Shi Nuocen spoke, both her stomach and An’an’s little belly chimed in with a series of rumbling sounds. The two, one big and one small, exchanged glances. Shi Nuocen burst into a soft laugh, while An’an, still innocent, reached out a hand to pat her own belly in confusion.

When her ex-wife arrived and was about to speak, Shi Nuocen shushed her, mouthing silently, “An’an has fallen asleep.”

Ru Xi Cheng leaned in to look and saw the slender little figure curled up on the elegant woman’s lap. The child’s angelic face was tilted to the side, her chest rising and falling steadily with each breath, clearly in a deep slumber.

Shi Nuocen crooked a finger, beckoning her ex-wife closer. Ru Xi Cheng, puzzled, walked over, only to see the gesture change. Now signaling her to come even closer and turn around.

Baffled, Ru Xi Cheng complied. The next moment, she felt a chill on her neck as a finger tugged down her collar, exposing the slightly reddened gland at the nape. Instantly flustered and tense, she covered the spot with her hand, turned her head, and shot Shi Nuocen a glare, silently demanding, “What are you doing?”