Chu Hengyuan had no choice but to gently rub his fingertips against her cheek. "Because he promised his late mother that he wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps. His mother knew that when he grew up, he would, like his father, have to arrange a marriage of convenience and marry a girl from a well - matched family. She hoped that he wouldn't have children before he was sure that he and the girl loved each other."
He paused for a moment and then continued to explain to her. "In his opinion, no measure can guarantee that there won't be any accidents. As long as he doesn't go all the way, there definitely won't be children. If something happens and they get divorced in the future, the children won't be hurt. Moreover... in a family where the parents don't love each other, the children will probably be unloved... He hasn't felt the love from his family since his mother passed away. He doesn't want his children to be like him."
He was never a saint. He wasn't averse to taking advantage of the little girl who lay obediently beside him every night. But every time such a thought crossed his mind, he would remember his mother's words as she held his hand and exhorted him before her death.
He was sure that he at least liked Rong Lan, and he was also sure that Rong Lan was dependent on him. But liking and dependence couldn't ensure that they would live like this for decades. Moreover, he couldn't offer her anything now. There were too many variables in their future...
He wasn't unwilling to touch her; he just didn't dare to.
He was very clear about his own nature. If the child wasn't born to the woman he loved, he might, like his father, ignore that child. After all, he was his father's son, and in some aspects, he was exactly like his father.
But he would never allow his children to have the same experience as him.
The taste of being unloved was really too bitter. He had eaten a lot of candy when he was a child, but he had never felt the sweetness.
"Lanlan is very beautiful. It's not our Lanlan's problem. Lanlan, don't think too much. It's always been his problem."
The drunk little fox failed to understand the long explanation from Chu Hengyuan.
Only after he finished speaking did Chu Hengyuan notice that the little fox had closed her eyes again. He was both amused and helpless. He carefully put back the hand that she had stretched into his quilt. "Forget it. Why am I explaining so much to a little drunkard? Go to sleep. Good night, Lanlan."
Rong Lan didn't respond to his words. She just closed her eyes, as if she had instantly fallen into a dream.
Chu Hengyuan quietly looked at her for a while and then closed his eyelids.
Rong Lan woke up slowly when the sun was high.
She rolled around on the bed and then propped herself up on the quilt. The whole fox was in a daze.
Where was this? How did she end up here? Where was Chu Hengyuan?
Before she could sort out what had happened last night, the phone rang.
She was startled and leaned over to pick up the phone from the bedside table. "Hello..."
"Are you sober yet?" Bai Rongran frowned and asked when she heard the hoarse voice on the other end.
It took Rong Lan three or four seconds to understand what Bai Rongran was saying. "When did I get drunk?"
"???" Bai Rongran suddenly felt that she had called too early. Rong Lan's tone sounded like she was still drunk.
"You don't even remember that you got drunk?"
Rong Lan ruffled her messy hair. "It's true... " She didn't really remember...
"Forget it." Bai Rongran took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Call me back when you're sure you're sober."
"Wait! I'm sure I'm sober now. Just tell me what you want, Ranran." As she said this, Rong Lan frantically tried to recall what had happened last night.
"I have a few questions for you." Hearing that the person on the other end sounded relatively calm, Bai Rongran started. "Why did Chu Chuan go to the Chu family's old house for dinner?"
Rong Lan couldn't remember what had happened after she got drunk, but she clearly remembered what had happened before she touched the alcohol last night. Bai Rongran's question wasn't difficult for her to answer. "He was invited by his father to visit the Chu family's old house."
"Did he... mention... my and the child's existence in front of the Chu family?" Bai Rongran asked this question very vaguely, so vaguely that Rong Lan almost didn't hear it clearly.
She was stunned for a moment before she understood what her dear Ranran was asking. Then she sighed helplessly. "Look, Ranran, you're not even sure if Chu Chuan would mention you in front of the Chu family."
Bai Rongran frowned. "Don't beat around the bush with me! Just give me the answer directly! I transferred the money for the photos to you last night!"
"Yo!" When it came to money, Rong Lan instantly perked up. Bai Rongran was really an old customer who had done many deals with her. As soon as she saw the photos, she knew what Rong Lan wanted. "I'm telling you the answer, but don't be sad. Anyway, when I was there, he didn't mention your and the child's existence. As for whether he secretly told his father, I don't know."
After she finished speaking, the person on the other end of the phone didn't say anything for a long time. If she hadn't looked at the phone screen and seen that the call was still in progress, she would have thought that Bai Rongran had hung up. "Ranran, I'll say it again. Chu Chuan isn't a good man to entrust your life to."
Just as Rong Lan finished speaking, Chu Hengyuan walked in with a small puppet cat in his arms.
They looked at each other and were both stunned for a moment.
Rong Lan quietly put down the hand that she had just been using to adjust her fox ears on top of her head, for fear that Chu Hengyuan would notice something.
Chu Hengyuan didn't expect that his little girl was so busy. It seemed that she had received a call as soon as she woke up. He had already made up his mind to have a showdown with her when he was having breakfast downstairs. But looking at his Lanlan's expression, he wondered if she had blacked out last night after drinking.
An idea flashed through Rong Lan's mind. She waved to Chu Hengyuan. "Brother, is Chu Chuan gone?"
She didn't lower her voice when she asked this question, nor did she move the phone away. It seemed that she deliberately wanted the person on the other end to hear.
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Bai Rongran almost thought that Rong Lan wanted to show off her affection in front of her shamelessly. Just when she was about to hang up the phone, she heard the words "Chu Chuan".
Chu Hengyuan raised his eyebrows and instantly understood who was on the other end of the phone. "He left after breakfast."
He sat down on the edge of the bed and put down the small puppet cat hanging on his arm. "When having breakfast, Chu Chuan asked mother a very strange question. He asked her if she liked children."
Rong Lan rubbed the head of the little cat that was trotting towards her. Hearing that the person on the phone was silent, she used her eyes to hint at Chu Hengyuan to continue.
Chu Hengyuan smiled. "After mother said that she didn't like children, he didn't say anything else."
"Ranran, did you hear what your brother - in - law said? If you didn't, do you want me to repeat it for you?" Rong Lan said with a smile.
Bai Rongran sneered. "You guys aren't trying to show off your affection in front of me, are you? I don't want to hear it. That's it. Bye."