After five years of a cold marriage, I can no longer hide the child I secretly gave birth to.

Zhou Yanci lowered his head and met a pair of dark, moist eyes.

Those eyes, so clear and brimming with tears, seemed so familiar.

With a slight thought, he knelt down and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

"I'm sorry, did I bump into you and hurt you?"

Xu Meng's big eyes sparkled.

This man is so handsome.

She's also very gentle.

I wish her father were that outstanding.

It's a pity that the portrait my mother treasured doesn't seem to depict him.

"Why are you alone? Where are your parents?"

Seeing that he was staring at her without saying anything, Zhou Yanci asked her.

Xu Meng couldn't speak, so she could only lower her head and remain silent.

The lowered head and the eyes made Zhou Yanci feel increasingly familiar.

He carefully examined the little girl.

She looked about four or five years old, with a delicate and pretty rosy face, curled eyelashes, and a small, exquisite nose. Upon closer inspection, even her features bore the shadow of Xu Daikui.

Where is your mother?

He couldn't help but ask.

Xu Meng looked towards the bathroom but couldn't see Xu Daikui.

She pursed her lips, shook her head slightly at Zhou Yanci, and was about to walk to find Xu Daikui.

The man suddenly took her hand and said, "Uncle will take you there to wait for your mother. You'll get lost if you go alone."

Xu Meng has always been very self-reliant. When she entered the room, she had already memorized the general layout of the place.

She won't get lost.

But when the man held her hand, the warmth of his palm was so comforting that she followed him as if possessed.

Since her mother is getting a divorce anyway, she would be very happy if this handsome man could become her father.

This man is handsome and considerate; Mom will definitely like him a lot.

...

When Xu Daikui came out of the restroom, she saw Xu Meng talking to a man in a suit.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the man was Zhou Yanci.

Her heartbeat suddenly became chaotic.

What's Zhou Yanci doing here?

He even carefully wiped Xu Meng's tears with a handkerchief. Could it be that he recognized Xu Meng?

Xu Meng's eyes look a lot like hers. If Zhou Yanci observes carefully, he will definitely notice the difference.

Her tightly clenched fingers had dug deep into her flesh.

She had imagined countless scenarios in which the father and daughter would meet, but it came so suddenly.

She looked at the two figures, one big and one small, feeling a mix of sadness and anxiety.

Suddenly, Zhou Yanci was seen leaving with Xu Meng.

Xu Daikui bit her lip and hurriedly followed quietly.

After walking a short distance, they saw Zhou Yanci buy Xu Meng an ice cream, and the two of them sat on a conspicuous chair, obviously waiting for her.

She stood behind a pillar, her face pale and her thoughts in disarray.

If Xu Meng is recognized, Zhou Yanci will either despise her or take her away, neither of which is an outcome she can accept.

She had been entangled with Zhou Yanci for ten years, and as the time for parting approached, she couldn't let Xu Meng's existence become another reason for their complicated relationship.

She slowly took out her phone, about to contact the organizers for help, when someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Daikui, what are you doing here?"

Taking advantage of the weekend break, Shen Jun and his friends came to attend an art exhibition in Haishi. They had just finished breakfast when they saw her standing here.

Wearing a beige suit, with her black hair flowing down her back like seaweed, she exuded a serene and timeless beauty, and he unconsciously moved closer.

Seeing Shen Jun, Xu Daikui felt like she had found a lifeline. She grabbed his wrist and said, "Dr. Shen, my child is in Zhou Yanci's hands, he..."

Shen Jun had noticed it earlier, following her gaze. Looking up again, he immediately understood and interrupted, "You want me to bring the child over?"

Xu Daikui nodded, then said, "Um, could you please not tell Zhou Yanci that the child is mine? We'll be right back..."

She wanted to say that her husband was Zhou Yanci and that they were about to get a divorce, but Shen Jun interrupted her halfway through her sentence.

"I understand. You don't want your sister to know about your terrible marriage, and you're keeping the child a secret from her. Zhou Yanci is your brother-in-law, so naturally I'll help you keep the child a secret."

Brother-in-law?

Xu Daikui smiled sarcastically, feeling both pleased and skeptical.

He's about to become my brother-in-law.

Shen Jun continued, "At worst, I'll just say Mengmeng is my niece. Surely he wouldn't believe me?"

Xu Daikui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled lightly, "That would be perfect, thank you."

Shen Jun shook his head, "No need to be polite. Wait here for a moment, I'll go and bring the child over."

...

Seeing that Xu Meng had finished the whole ice cream and had milk stains on her lips, Zhou Yanci reached out and wiped them clean for her.

Looking down, I noticed that the name tag on her chest read "Mengmeng".

He subconsciously took out his phone and showed her a painting from his photo album.

Do you recognize this painting?

Xu Meng certainly recognized him.

This was her first work that brought her fame.

This painting sold for 100,000 yuan on the Kuiyao Star website.

But the inspiration for this painting came from her mother's previous paintings; she simply brightened up the dark elements of her mother's work.

She nodded at Zhou Yanci's expectant gaze, her small eyes darting around slightly, guessing that Zhou Yanci was also a fan of her paintings and wanted her autograph.

So she took out a pen, signed her name Xu Meng neatly, and handed it to him.

Her surname is Xu?

Zhou Yanci frowned and tentatively asked, "What's your mother's name?"

Xu Meng was hesitating whether to tell him when a voice suddenly rang out above her head.

"Mr. Zhou, what a coincidence."

Shen Jun then approached and took the opportunity to pull Xu Meng into his arms.

Zhou Yanci's expression darkened slightly when he saw him. "You know her?"

Shen Jun nodded, then looked down and affectionately patted Xu Meng's head. "Yes, she's my child. I wasn't paying attention and we got separated."

Zhou Yanci recalled that Shen Jun had indeed packed a children's meal at the restaurant last time.

But why do his children have the surname Xu?

Does she look like Xu Daikui?

Not only are their eyes similar, but every single one of her paintings is exactly like her.

"It's nothing, I'll take her and leave now."

Shen Jun didn't know what he was wondering about, so he politely said goodbye and then left with Xu Meng in his arms.

...

"Mengmeng, that man didn't ask you any strange questions, did he?"

When Xu Daikui saw Xu Meng being carried by Shen Jun, she immediately rushed forward anxiously.

Xu Meng shook her head.

The man looked at her with delight.

He doesn't seem like a bad person.

"That's good."

Xu Daikui hugged her and then looked at Shen Jun, "Dr. Shen, I'd like to take her home first. Thank you so much for today."

Zhou Yanci is here, and to avoid running into him again, she must leave with Xu Meng as soon as possible.

She could only express her gratitude verbally for Shen Jun's timely help.

Shen Jun frowned. "I just told him that this child is my family's, and he didn't seem to suspect anything. You can either attend the art exhibition before leaving, or you can't keep letting the child hide from them forever, can you?"

She and Xu Jiaojiao are sisters after all, and their social circles are together, so it's hard for them not to run into each other in Beijing in the future.

Xu Meng couldn't understand what they were talking about, but she had finally come to the art exhibition and hadn't even looked at it yet, so she didn't really want to leave.

She nodded in agreement with Shen Jun's words and immediately wrote a sentence in her notebook.

"Mom, that uncle just asked me for an autograph. He's a fan of mine, not a bad person."

Xu Meng thought her mother had misunderstood something.

Just then, the organizer suddenly came over. "Oh dear! Ms. Xu, I've been looking for you for a while. We've prepared gifts for all the young artists. Mengmeng, as one of the top performers, will be going up on stage to receive her award and take a photo later. Shall we go together?"

Since the organizers had already contacted her, Xu Daikui couldn't forcibly take Mengmeng away.

Moreover, Xu Meng loves to draw, and she couldn't spoil her fun.

She could only nod with a smile.

Shen Jun then approached her, looked down at her, and whispered, "To make the scene more realistic, shall I help you lead Mengmeng inside later?"

Xu Daikui nodded, "Okay, thank you."

Shen Jun smiled, took Xu Meng's hand, and followed the organizers.

Just as Xu Daikui was about to follow, a charming and seductive female voice suddenly came from not far away.

"Aci, I really like this dress."