TMDP CH 18

Chapter 18: Hoping This Time the Test Results Are Correct

The next day, they arranged to meet directly at the hospital. Han Mingxiu arrived with Xia Li in tow. Xia Li was still furious with Han Mingxiu; he’d woken up in the morning to find Xia Ye absent, which had terrified him into tears. On the way to the hospital, he ignored Han Mingxiu, and even refused to hold his hand when getting out of the car. If Han Mingxiu hadn’t promised over and over that Xia Ye would be waiting for him at the hospital, he wouldn’t have come along at all.

The moment Xia Li spotted Xia Ye, he immediately ran toward him, only stopping shyly when he was close, whispering a soft “Papa.” Xia Ye looked at Xia Li’s teary eyes, barely holding back his tears, and his heart ached.

He crouched down, hugging Xia Li and apologizing repeatedly, “I’m sorry, Xia Li. Daddy was wrong yesterday; Daddy got upset over nothing. Xia Li was so well-behaved. Will you forgive Daddy, please?”

“Okay,” Xia Li mumbled, his small mouth trembling, ready to cry again. Xia Ye quickly said, “If you’ve forgiven Daddy, let’s not cry anymore. Come on, give Daddy a smile.” He gently tickled the boy, and within moments, Xia Li was laughing through his tears, clinging affectionately to Xia Ye’s neck.

Han Mingxiu stood beside them, watching enviously as Xia Ye and Xia Li embraced with complete warmth and openness, forming a circle filled with pure, mutual love. He felt like an outsider—an irrelevant presence unable to break through into their bond.

It was a fate he had brought upon himself, a consequence of his own actions.

When Han Junzhou arrived and saw them, he noticed the Xia family pair walking closely in front, while Han Mingxiu trailed behind, visibly dejected. Disappointed, Han Junzhou shot a scathing glare at Han Mingxiu, the heir of the Han family’s eighth generation.

Han Junzhou led the three of them into the examination room. Given the sensitive identities of Han Mingxiu and Xia Li, it was best that as few people as possible were aware of the paternity test. After clearing the room, Han Junzhou personally conducted each step of the process, from explaining the test procedures and getting consent forms signed to drawing blood samples.

Though Xia Li was young and didn’t fully understand what was going on, Han Junzhou referred to the test as a “blood type check” to avoid leaving any lingering memory of the scene as a paternity test. Xia Li, still puzzled by what the adults were doing, clung to Xia Ye, who gently rubbed his little finger. At the right moment, Han Junzhou swiftly pricked Xia Li’s finger, collecting a few drops of blood before the child could react, completing the test.

Afterward, both Xia Ye and Han Mingxiu each received their own quick finger pricks.

Han Junzhou finished drawing the blood samples, ensuring the adults confirmed the labels were correct. “Typically, the report will take about five to seven days to come back. I’ll make sure to expedite yours—”

“No need,” Xia Ye interrupted. “I’m in no rush. Seven days is fine. When the report is ready, just send it directly to Mr. Han.”

Han Junzhou nodded. “Alright. The report will be ready in seven days. I’ll give it directly to Mingxiu.”

Xia Ye added, “I hope this test result will be accurate this time.”

“…” Han Junzhou looked embarrassed. “Rest assured, I’ll be handling the test myself—there won’t be any mistakes.”

Meanwhile, Han Mingxiu remained silent the entire time.

As they left the hospital, Han Mingxiu drove Xia Ye and Xia Li back home. On the way to the car, he brought up the idea of Xia Ye moving back to the Han residence again. Xia Ye glanced at Xia Li, who was skipping happily ahead, and responded casually, “Let’s wait for the report before discussing that. Perhaps the report will reveal he’s not even your child, and then you’d just want us gone again. Moving back and forth is quite a hassle.” His lips held a faint smile, but the sarcasm in his words and expression was unmistakable.

The comment left Han Mingxiu at a loss for words, and he had no choice but to keep quiet.

When they reached the car, Han Mingxiu reached over to open the passenger door for Xia Ye, who ignored it and instead opened the back door himself. As soon as he opened it, he noticed a child’s car seat set up in the back. Xia Ye’s mouth twitched slightly. “Thanks. Very considerate.”

He settled Xia Li into the car seat and then took his own seat in the back as well. Helplessly, Han Mingxiu just rubbed his nose and got in the car.

Back at Xia Ye’s rented place, Xia Ye got out with Xia Li in his arms. Xia Li was impatiently trying to run inside, but Xia Ye held him back.

“Xia Li, you can’t be so impolite,” he said, crouching down to meet the boy’s gaze. “Daddy’s been unwell these past few days, so Uncle Han and his family have been taking care of you. Now that you’re home, what should you say to Uncle Han?”

Xia Li looked down at his toes and, with reluctance in his soft voice, said, “Thank you, Uncle Han.”

“And what else?” Xia Ye prompted.

“Goodbye, Uncle Han.”

“Goodbye, Xia Li.” Han Mingxiu reached out to pat Xia Li’s head, but the child turned and ran, calling out, “Grandma Wang…” Just then, Grandma Wang returned from grocery shopping and, upon reaching the doorway, scooped up the incoming little cannonball. “Oh my, Xia Li’s back! Grandma Wang missed you so much!” she laughed as she carried him inside.

“…” Han Mingxiu awkwardly retracted his hand.

“Thank you for bringing us back. I’m going inside now,” Xia Ye said.

“Xia Ye,” Han Mingxiu reached out and grabbed Xia Ye’s wrist, but Xia Ye’s cold gaze swept from his wrist to his face, making Han Mingxiu immediately release his hold. “Goodbye,” he said softly.

Xia Ye nodded and walked away, his back turned as he silently entered the apartment.

Han Mingxiu stood there, staring at the closed door, his heart a mix of conflicting emotions.

In the past, they always went inside together—he would hold Xia Ye’s hand, or wrap his arm around him, or even carry him. They were always together.

There were times when Han Mingxiu was too busy and could only see Xia Ye to the door of his apartment. Even then, Xia Ye would always turn back, step by step, his eyes fixed on him as he reluctantly entered, never wanting to leave.

But now, it was different. No “goodbye,” just a few steps before the door was shut.

That door, once wide open to him without reservation, now closed behind him, and he could come and go freely. It used to be gentle and sweet.

Now, it was just… f*ck it. Ha ha.

With a helpless sigh, Han Mingxiu got into his car and drove back to the hospital, where he harassed Han Junzhou to expedite the DNA test results.

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Xia Ye entered the apartment, weakly leaning against the door. He looked around at the familiar warmth of the place, reflecting on the changes over the years.

At first, it was just him. The beginning of university was full of fresh excitement. He had come to the place of his dreams, a place where he would gather strength, waiting for the future to unfold, eager to make his grandfather proud.

Then, he met Han Mingxiu.

Once, that person represented everything wonderful. He loved him, spoiled him, embraced him, and guided him.

Just a few years older, his senior, a mentor and a friend, leading him forward. The two of them, sharing the same path, Xia Ye following in his senior’s footsteps, one step at a time.

Until senior year, when his life took an unexpected turn.

The sudden pregnancy, his lover’s unannounced departure, the interruption of his studies, the loss of a loved one. And finally, the birth of a new life.

The storms of that year passed so quickly, he had no time to react. No time to be stunned, no time to explain, no time to mend things, no time to feel sad.
All the people and things that once belonged to him or did not, came and went. In the end, what stayed in his arms was a baby crying loudly.
The sweet, soft baby was so fragile and helpless, relying on him as the entire world. At the same time, Xia Ye realized that from then on, his world would only revolve around Xiao Li.
Little by little, he raised this tiny, weak infant. The process of parenting was often a perilous journey, filled with the loud shouts of Wang Mama.
The year the baby was born, the new father was overwhelmed, exhausted by sleepless nights. Xiao Li cried all night, constantly needing to be fed, changed, burped, or soothed. Nothing worked. The only thing Xia Ye could do was walk around in circles with the baby in his arms, singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to the point that Xia Ye nearly broke down. Whenever night fell, he’d start to feel anxious. Just when he had reached the breaking point and decided that the little brat would get a spanking if he cried one more night, Xiao Li suddenly fell into a peaceful sleep. Xia Ye was overjoyed for half an hour. Then, anxiety set in again, and he spent the rest of the night checking the baby’s breath, terrified that the little one might stop breathing.
And so, through all the crying, the chaos, and the sleepless nights, they had made it this far. Next month, Xiao Li would turn three. It was time to move into a new environment.
Yesterday, when they came home, it was already too late and they were too tired, so Xia Ye had gone straight to bed. Now, as he looked around, he noticed that a thin layer of dust had settled on the table. He walked into the kitchen, grabbed a rag, and started cleaning. He wiped the table, then the floor. Even though there was a mop, Xia Ye preferred to kneel down and wipe every inch of the floor until it shone. This way, at least when Xiao Li ran around the house, sneaking a bit of the cookie crumbs that fell on the floor when Xia Ye wasn’t looking, he could feel a little more at ease.
At least in these days, when the past had shaken him awake and kept him from sleeping, his body could be worn out to the point of passing out.
After cleaning the house, Xia Ye went next door to Wang Mama’s house to pick up Xiao Li, who had finished lunch. Xiao Li, full and having played for hours, came home to his familiar bed and quickly fell asleep.
Xia Ye watched as Xiao Li slept, still holding a small toy car in his hand. He gently pried open the child’s fingers and took the toy away, accidentally noticing the tiny red mark on the little finger. Suddenly, Xia Ye felt a sharp pain in his heart, one that made it hard to breathe.
It was all the adults’ fault, yet it was the little child who had to bear the consequences.
Xia Ye kicked off his slippers and climbed into bed, holding Xiao Li’s small body, softly crying. His tears blurred his vision, and his mind wandered back to the year he first met Han Mingxiu, back to those days of youth and love.
It had been so beautiful, so sweet, so tender.

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Author’s note:
By this point, I wonder if everyone is curious—how did they fall in love?
How did Xia Ye get “blinded” (lol) and fall in love with the big, cold Han Mingxiu??
In the next few chapters, we’ll go back to their first meeting during the “flower season” and the moment they became a couple during the “rain season.”
I hope after reading those, everyone will understand how Xia Ye was deceived… XDDDD

Han Mingxiu: Hey…

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– End of chapter –

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