Volume One, Chapter 33: It Was to Fight for Custody of the Child

Cheng Qian rubbed her eyes, feeling a stinging soreness in the corners.

"Mommy... Mommy, Auntie and I are here," a small, milky voice piped up, interrupting her thoughts.

Cheng Qian swallowed the bitterness and looked toward the source of the sound with a gentle gaze. A small figure joyfully threw himself at her. Having been separated for only a day, the little one was particularly clingy; he wrapped his arms around her neck, cradled her face in his small hands, and planted two kisses on her cheeks. Seeing this, Ye Zhu smiled in relief.

Cheng Qian had already placed their order, and the three of them sat waiting for their meal.

"Xiao Qian, your relationship with Mr. Li..." Ye Zhu had seen Li Zhinan at the house earlier that day. His inherent noble aura was intimidating, and his tone had been notably cold. Ye Zhu couldn't help but feel that this did not resemble the dynamic of a married couple.

"Auntie, let's eat first. Let's not talk about this," Cheng Qian said, forcing a smile despite the heartache she felt. Ye Zhu asked no more, though her heart ached for her niece.

Years ago, when Cheng Qian’s parents died in a car accident, the twenty-two-year-old had rushed back from abroad. The laboratory had been on the verge of bankruptcy, pressured by partners and shareholders alike, leaving the young woman adrift amidst a debt crisis.

After lunch, Cheng Qian drove her aunt home before heading back to the villa with her son. The little boy fell asleep in the car. While waiting at a red light, he seemed to be dreaming; he reached out his little hand into the air, as if trying to grasp something, murmuring, "Mommy, don't go..."

Watching through the rearview mirror, Cheng Qian felt as if her heart were being seared by flames. Once home, she quickly opened the back door and gently lifted her son, only to see two tear tracks on his fair, tender cheeks. He had been crying in his nightmare. Cheng Qian bowed her head, nuzzling her face against his, her heart breaking.

She took a deep breath. A thought suddenly occurred to her: if she could develop a drug to cure Li Zhiwei, she might use it as a bargaining chip to secure custody of her son. The success rate would be higher. With this thought, she stepped into the living room with renewed determination. From this moment on, she had to focus all her energy on achieving this research breakthrough.

After tucking the child into bed, Cheng Qian sat on the nearby sofa with her notebook. Li Zhiwei’s condition stemmed from a genetic mutation, so she had to find a breakthrough in genetics. During her lecture today, she had heard of a nanotherapy developed by physicists—a novel approach with lower side effects. Her eyes flickered; Qiao Silin was currently researching nanotechnology. She could ask him for advice over dinner tonight.

***

By six in the evening, after the child woke up, Cheng Qian set aside her computer to devote herself to playing with him in the playroom, building blocks and reading picture books. Two-year-and-eight-month-old Xiaoye seemed to have taken a liking to a 2x2 Rubik's cube; after Cheng Qian taught him a few times, he began playing with it on his own.

Cheng Qian’s phone lit up with a text message from Qiao Silin containing the address of a restaurant. Knowing her son was currently quite clingy and would refuse to stay home with the nanny, she called Li Zhinan. The line connected, but it was noisy on the other end, as if he were at a dinner party.

"What is it?" the man’s voice was indifferent.

Seeing that he was busy, Cheng Qian hesitated and then said, "It’s nothing. You carry on."

After hanging up, she sent a text to Qiao Silin: "May I bring my child along?"

Qiao Silin replied with three question marks. Cheng Qian explained, "There is no one to help look after him at home. If it’s inconvenient, we can reschedule."

A few seconds later, Qiao Silin replied, "Bring him."

With his permission, Cheng Qian dressed her son in a handsome outfit and carried him downstairs. After informing the nanny, she drove to a high-end French restaurant. When Cheng Qian appeared before Qiao Silin holding her son, his handsome face was frozen in shock; he found it hard to believe that she already had a child.

"You... are married?" Qiao Silin asked in surprise. "And with a child this big?"

Cheng Qian offered a dry laugh. "Yes, this is my son, Xiaoye."

"Uncle, you’re so handsome!" Xiaoye immediately showed his little teeth and complimented Qiao Silin.

Qiao Silin: "..."

Cheng Qian bashfully covered her son's little mouth. "You can't greet an uncle you're meeting for the first time like that. You should say hello."

Xiaoye blinked his large, dark, innocent eyes. Wasn't that what Mommy taught him to say?

Qiao Silin stood up, pulled out her chair, and summoned a waiter to bring a high chair. "I’m very surprised. I thought you were single." For a moment, he couldn't tell if he felt disappointed or something else.

***

Cheng Qian clearly possessed a pure, youthful face, reminiscent of a fresh college graduate, and her eyes were just as clear.

"Little one, what would you like to eat? Uncle will order it for you," Qiao Silin said, forced to accept the reality.

"I want ice cream. Can Uncle let me have some?" Xiaoye asked mischievously.

"As for that..." Qiao Silin looked at Cheng Qian.

Cheng Qian shook her head.

Qiao Silin had to coax him gently. "I'm afraid that won't do. Children shouldn't eat cold things; it will upset your little stomach."

"Hmph... Uncle is a liar." Xiaoye crossed his little arms over his chest, his temper flaring.

"Xiaoye!" Cheng Qian’s voice carried a maternal sternness.

Xiaoye immediately sat up straight and reorganized his request. "Uncle, I want to eat shrimp."

Qiao Silin looked at the little fellow, who looked quite sturdy, and then back at Cheng Qian, whose 168-centimeter frame was slim and delicate. He really couldn't imagine how she had given birth to such a chubby little boy.

"Dr. Qiao, I heard you have been researching nanotechnology recently. Has there been any breakthrough?" Cheng Qian asked softly.

Qiao Silin nodded. "There has been, but it still requires clinical trials."

"Then, regarding cystic fibrosis, do you have any insights?" Cheng Qian asked, her eyes bright as she looked at him.

Qiao Silin paused and answered, "We are using nanoparticles to deliver targeted therapy to affected cells. For patients who suffer side effects from drugs, this therapy can reduce the damage caused by those side effects."

Cheng Qian felt a surge of joy. If she could get Qiao Silin to join the Seed Laboratory, she could work with him to verify gene therapy and physical therapy simultaneously, significantly increasing their chances.

"Dr. Qiao, I heard you just returned from a laboratory abroad. Do you have any plans for your next career move?" Cheng Qian asked sincerely, a hint of expectation in her eyes.

Qiao Silin looked at the beautiful woman before him. Setting aside her status as a married mother, there was a positive energy about her, like the rising sun, whose radiance was impossible to ignore.

"There are many biological companies trying to recruit me. I am currently considering them," Qiao Silin said, sipping his tea slowly.

"Would you consider the Seed Research Institute?" Cheng Qian asked in a low voice, her breath held tight.

Qiao Silin’s handsome brows knitted slightly. "The Seed Research Institute is a newly established lab. I hear they haven't even finished purchasing their equipment, and they are backed by multiple corporate investors. It may look promising, but it seems more like a tool for capital gain. I fear it isn't merely an experimental base, but rather a place to incubate commercial drugs."

Cheng Qian gave a dry, explanatory laugh. "No matter the drug, the ultimate goal of any research is to reach the market and save patients. Research and commercial value have never been truly separate."

Qiao Silin said nothing, only smiled. "And what is your purpose for joining the Seed Research Institute, Miss Cheng?"

Cheng Qian was stunned. Her mind raced. If she said it was to fulfill her parents' dream, it would sound hypocritical; if she said it was for money, it would sound mercenary. Finally, in a moment of impulse, she thought of the one reason she had to hold onto.

"I am doing it to fight for custody of my child," Cheng Qian said in a low voice, taking a deep breath.