Ye Zhoushan was taken aback, his gaze fixed on the man’s retreating figure. Just then, he caught a glimpse of the child’s face resting on the man’s shoulder.

Wasn’t this the little one from the hospital?

The child seemed to be asleep, eyes tightly closed.

Everything about the child—from the clothes to the appearance—suggested a wealthy upbringing.

The man carrying the child, however, was rough, fierce, and exuded a thuggish aura.

He didn’t look like family at all.

Alarmed, Ye Zhoushan quickened his pace to catch up.

The man headed straight out of the city and then began climbing the mountain.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ye Zhoushan followed.

Meanwhile, at the Fang residence in the family compound.

In the living room, the woman the little boy had called “Auntie” was sitting on the floor, crying uncontrollably, her face streaked with tears and mucus.

“Secretary, I really don’t know what happened. I just turned around for a moment, and the child was gone. I’ve looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find him.”

“Chengcheng is so mischievous, always running off. I simply couldn’t keep an eye on him. It’s not my fault.”

Fang Min, with his hands clasped behind his back, paced back and forth with a grim expression.

On the sofa, his elegant wife, Zhong Yuan, her eyes swollen from crying, glared furiously at the woman.

“You were kept in this house for one reason—to take care of Chengcheng.”

“If you couldn’t handle it, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Don’t forget, we didn’t ask you to stay. You begged us, crying, to let you remain.”

“If anything happens to my Chengcheng, I will never let you off the hook.”

Zhong Yuan was Fang Min’s second wife. The woman crying on the floor was Guo Daya, the elder sister of Fang Min’s first wife.

Logically, having the sister of the former wife under the same roof would have been deeply uncomfortable for Zhong Yuan. But Guo Daya had no shame.

Back in the day, Fang Min had been a poor orphan, raised by the kindness of others. He and his first wife were from the same village. Her parents, on their deathbed, had entrusted their two daughters to him with nothing more than a bowl of rice. At the time, he was just a young man who agreed in a daze.

Without a proper standing, it was difficult for him to care for the two girls, so he became engaged to his first wife. The three of them became a family in name.

Guo Daya, seven or eight years older than the couple, had taken some care of them. Fang Min had been grateful to his sister-in-law.

The three relied on each other and lived in harmony for several years.

Later, through education and hard work, Fang Min moved to the city, found a job, and steadily climbed the social ladder.

His timid, submissive wife and his hardworking sister-in-law, who for some reason never married, began to change.

His wife grew sensitive, suspicious, and prone to fits of crying and picking fights. His sister-in-law became bold, harsh, and scheming.

Seven years ago, his wife died in an accident, leaving no children.

Perhaps her sister’s death had shaken Guo Daya, as her temper softened somewhat.

Given the awkward circumstances, Fang Min felt it inappropriate to continue living under the same roof as his sister-in-law, so he bought her a small apartment elsewhere.

A year later, he met Zhong Yuan, a like-minded revolutionary partner.

They naturally came together and had a son, Fang Shucheng.

Then, Guo Daya suddenly showed up, offering to take care of their child since both of them had jobs and she had free time.

Fang Min refused. Given their social standing, it was inappropriate, and he didn’t want to make his current wife uncomfortable.

But Zhong Yuan, not wanting others to accuse her husband of ingratitude, agreed.

Little did they know they were inviting a wolf into their home.

Under Guo Daya’s care, little Shucheng was constantly sick, falling ill every few days.

At first, the couple thought the child was naturally frail.

Only later did they realize Guo Daya was negligent and careless, utterly incompetent at childcare. Several times, her actions nearly killed the child.

When they tried to send her away, Guo Daya cried, made scenes, and begged to stay.

Zhong Yuan, educated, cultured, and refined, couldn’t bring herself to stoop to Guo Daya’s level of hysterics, so she let her remain.

But there was no way they would let her near the child again.

Yet despite their vigilance, they had still failed to prevent disaster.

As a mother, Zhong Yuan knew better than anyone how well-behaved her Chengcheng was. The child would never wander off on his own, so she was certain that Guo Daya had done something malicious.

“Guo Daya, it was my own blindness and foolishness that brought this upon us. I brought this disaster upon myself by allowing you to stay in the Fang household.”

“You’ve made me regret my decision deeply, and I will make sure you regret it too. I, Zhong Yuan, always keep my word.”

A shadow crossed Guo Daya’s eyes as she threw herself toward Fang Min. “Brother Fang, we’ve lived together for over ten years. You should know what kind of person I am.”

“Yes, I have my flaws, but I’m not evil at heart. I would never harm a child.”

“Do you remember when you were just twelve, running a high fever on a stormy day? I carried you to the clinic on my back, nearly falling off a cliff on the way. Have you forgotten?”

“And that year during the famine? I went hungry myself to save food for you and Erya, almost starving to death. Have you forgotten that too?”

“And also—”

“Enough!” Fang Min’s voice cut through sharply, his gaze cold enough to freeze. “We both know the truth of what happened back then.”

“We both know exactly what kind of person you are.”

“I never should have listened to Yuanyuan and softened my heart to let you stay.”

“I thought that, out of respect for our past ties, you would at least have some conscience. But I was wrong.”

“You never had a conscience to begin with.”

Guo Daya’s heart sank as she looked at Fang Min with feigned grief. “Brother Fang, what do you mean by this?”

“I’ve always been devoted to you. How could you misunderstand me like this?”

“Did Zhong Yuan say something to you?”

“I truly meant no harm, I—”

“Enough. Save your explanations. When the police arrive, you’ll have plenty of time to speak.”

Guo Daya’s face filled with disbelief. “You called the police?”

Fang Min ignored her. A flicker of venomous resentment passed through Guo Daya’s eyes.

…

At the Hu residence, Hu Hai returned home right on time.

He had thought no one would be home, but instead, he ran straight into his father, who was on his way out.

Hu Zhongting looked at his son, who hadn’t been home for days and now returned filthy and disgraceful.

“You still remember to come back? I thought you’d died out there.”

Hu Hai’s eyes darkened. Couldn’t his father see the large wound on his head?

“Oh, Xiao Hai, you’re hurt? How did that happen?” This came from Duan Fang, his sweet-faced but bitter-stepped mother.

“Hmph, how else? Unless he’s been hanging out with those good-for-nothing delinquents again—useless trash who can’t be helped,” Hu Zhongting said, his disdain unmistakable.

Hu Hai smirked coldly. Right. It wasn’t that his father couldn’t see—he just didn’t care.

Duan Fang covered her mouth with a light laugh. “Old Hu, you’re too harsh. Xiao Hai is still young. He’ll understand when he’s older.”

“Young? Weye is a year younger than him and already understands everything—obedient, well-behaved, and excels in his studies. What’s his excuse? He’s just a worthless failure.”

After his tirade, Hu Zhongting strode away without another glance at Hu Hai.

Duan Fang giggled and swayed into another room, ignoring Hu Hai completely.

Hu Hai’s face darkened. Hu Weye was his stepbrother, his half-brother from his father’s second marriage.

Back when his mother was pregnant with him, his father had fled to escape the famine.

His mother had resorted to selling her body to raise him, and he had grown up being called a bastard.

He endured humiliation and hardship all his life.

When he was six, his mother’s health deteriorated, and she passed away.

Not long after, his father returned with his stepmother and stepbrother—a happy family of three.

Heh…

Hu Hai turned and left the house again, sending his lackeys to find out why his father had left home at this hour.

Soon, he received news: a high-ranking official had been injured two nights ago, and his father had been busy all night, catching up on sleep during the day.

Not long after, reports came in about several missing children.

The child of Secretary Fang Min was among them, and his father had been tasked with helping to find them.

Tsk. What if people found out that his father was behind it all?

Hu Hai laughed, a ruthlessness belying his age.