Nowadays, the NDA identification technology is very advanced. Generally, the results can be obtained in three days. If the employer pays an additional urgent fee, an accurate identification report can be obtained within three hours. Shen Youquan, who started from being a poor student and achieved the position of the Asian regional president of a multinational corporation, possessed a level of tenacity that was extraordinary.
He might feel pain, doubt, and confusion, but he wouldn't shrink back or hesitate when receiving the identification report. He made the excuse of working overtime at the company, and in the dead of night, he drove alone and sent the samples to the identification center. Subsequently, he sat in the waiting room, waiting for the final results.
Three hours passed, and the identification results hadn’t come out. After waiting for another three hours, it was already morning, and a just-out-of-the-oven identification report was gently placed in front of Shen Youquan by the staff. Looking at the expression on his face, it was impossible to tell whether the news was good or bad, but he didn't need to be informed or prompted by others. He had already prepared himself for all possibilities. Whether it was or wasn't, he would accept it.
He opened the folder, bypassed the complex professional terms, and looked at the results. His scattered gaze suddenly focused—the report said: "[After identification, the relative parentage probability between Shen Youquan and Shen Yuling is 99.99%. This institution can confirm that Shen Youquan is the biological father of Shen Yuling; After identification, the relative parentage probability between Shen Youquan and Shen Yurao is 27.33%. This institution does not support the assumption that Shen Youquan is the biological father of Shen Yurao.]"
Shen Youquan's face, which had been uncertain, froze completely after reading the last sentence. He had never doubted that his daughter was his biological child. It was apparent to everyone how much they resembled each other. As for his son, Shen Youquan had various speculations, but a seemingly rational thought had always calmed his mind: since they were twins, they must both be his children. What was the probability of two different eggs hatching in the same nest? One in a million, or even less. Since it was a one in a million chance, how could it be him?
He had been consoling himself in this way until the moment he received the identification report.
Perhaps the children were mixed up, and his son might not have a biological relationship with his wife either. This possibility was higher than that of having the same mother but different fathers. Shen Youquan found a new reason to comfort himself, and he opened the second identification report. Upon seeing the identical results—"[This institution can confirm that Zhong Huilu is the biological mother of Shen Yuling/Shen Yurao.]"
All his self-comfort became self-deception in the face of this sentence. Shen Youquan didn't collapse or become angry. He struggled to maintain the last vestiges of dignity and asked in difficulty, "Are your identification results accurate?"
The staff, having encountered such a special case for the first time, didn't leave, but waited by his side to provide a more detailed explanation to the employer: "Mr. Shen, please rest assured. Our identification center is one of the most authoritative institutions in domestic DNA identification. We even have cooperated with forensic agencies, so we won't make mistakes. Due to your special circumstances, we dared not take it lightly. After the first identification results came out, we did a more detailed identification to bring the final report to you. You see, the results could have been obtained in three hours, but we spent six hours to ensure your rights. Your situation, in fact, occurs around the world. Here, we have collected some relevant research papers and reports for you to look at."
The staff handed over a pile of materials, and pointed to the clock on the wall. It had been six hours from three in the morning to nine. It turned out that waiting was so lengthy and painful.
Shen Youquan closed the identification report, refused the heartbreaking material, and thanked the staff through gritted teeth. He didn't know how he walked out of the identification center, nor how he drove back on the road. When he finally came to his senses, he found himself standing at the entrance of the Yingcai Kindergarten, with two security guards preparing to inquire about his approach.
He felt lost and immediately ran away, but stopped for a long time at the corner. Finally, he couldn't suppress the desire in his heart and walked towards the back door of the kindergarten. There was a high metal fence, through which he could see the children playing in the kindergarten. Perhaps his children were among them, and he hoped to catch a glimpse of them.
There were several elderly people standing outside the fence, watching the children's every move with smiles on their faces. Shen Youquan joined them, and as his eyes scanned the playground, his smile suddenly disappeared. He saw Shen Yuling, full of vitality, busily building a sandcastle with a small bucket and a shovel in her hands. She seemed to be quite popular, as many children surrounded her, helping to build the sandcastle. They laughed gleefully, their small hands, feet, and faces covered in golden sand, a messy sight but full of joy.
Shen Youquan couldn't help but smile, but as his gaze shifted to the side, the joy disappeared. He saw Shen Yurao, the child whom he didn’t know how to face. He was wearing a fine little suit, standing at the edge of the sandbox, frowning as he watched Shen Yuling.
He called out a few times, but Shen Yuling was having too much fun and didn't respond. After calling out a few more times, Shen Yuling stubbornly walked over and, lifting her foot, crushed the sandcastle that everyone had worked hard to build.
Shen Yuling was dumbfounded and started to cry loudly after a while. When she cried, the children around her also started crying loudly. The teachers at the kindergarten quickly noticed the commotion. Shen Yurao, who caused the trouble, didn't panic, but instead grabbed a handful of sand and sprinkled it on Shen Yuling's head, causing her to cry as he pulled at his shirt, his eyes slowly turning red.
Being frail since childhood, he couldn't cry out loudly, but his big eyes filled with clear tears, one after another, falling down, and his black obsidian-like eyes, shining with a plea for help. His collar was tightly held by Shen Yuling, strangling his neck red, while his pale lips were pursed tightly, as if bearing a great grievance but not daring to speak it.
Seeing his pitiful appearance, combined with Shen Yuling's behavior, the kindergarten teacher had leaned to one side and, especially considering the instructions from Shen's grandparents, father, and mother that the daughter was naughty and the son frail, asked the older brother to be looked after carefully.
The teacher quickly pulled Shen Yuling's hands apart, and instead held Shen Yurao, soothing him as she scolded the former.
Shen Yurao cried while accusing, "Teacher, he crushed our sandcastle! He's not behaving!"
Many children supported Shen Yuling by jumping up and down, adding to the list of misdeeds done by Shen Yurao. But Shen Yurao, with tears in his eyes and a voice full of grievances, managed to dismiss all accusations after saying, "I didn't mean to," making all allegations null and void.
Crying elegantly was better than crying out loud, a principle only understood by adults, yet he seemed to naturally understand it.
The teacher held Shen Yurao in her arms, pushed away Shen Yuling, and sternly criticized her.
Shen Youquan watched this scene with bloodshot eyes, his heart as if undergoing torture in an oil pan. This was such a familiar and frequent sight—whether at home or at school, his daughter was always the one being scolded. She endured such unfairness nearly all the time.
She was left without comfort for her grievances, and her appeals were not heard. Thus, the indifference and disregard of adults kept her isolated and crying in a dark and quiet corner. She didn't know who could hear her cry, but she knew that if she didn’t cry, she might not even have the right to be seen.
She was his daughter! His own flesh and blood! Why couldn't he see her or hear her? If not for Fan Garo's reminder and the paternity identification report, how much longer would she have to endure this unfairness?
Shen Youquan's gums bled from clenching his teeth too hard. Issues like infidelity, the other man, cheating, or betrayal were already pushed out of his mind; they were incomparable to the problems his daughter faced. His heart ached as if burning, pounded heavily, and he had never looked at his daughter properly. But now, just one look made him nearly shatter his own heart.
Looking disheveled, he wiped his face and then walked quickly towards the main entrance of the kindergarten. He had to take his daughter away. The unfairness was unbearable for him, as an onlooker, let alone for a child who had just turned five.
The kindergarten teacher confirmed, "You are here to pick up Shen Yuling? Only Shen Yuling?"
"Right, I'll only take Shen Yuling," Shen Youquan nodded expressionlessly.
"Then please wait here." The teacher quickly led Shen Yuling out by the hand. She had just finished crying, her nose was red, her eyes slightly swollen, and there were still some sand on her head that hadn't been cleaned up. She looked a little wilted. When she saw her father, she immediately became happy, like a little bird hopping over joyfully.
As his daughter's small hands embraced his neck and sweetly called him "daddy," an ordinary scene that should have been, Shen Youquan suddenly felt deeply moved. If it had not been for his strict control of his emotions, he would have almost burst into tears in front of the teacher.
"Little darling, is daddy's girl good at school today?" Shen Youquan asked hoarsely.
This was a customary question, but it made Shen Yuling nervous as she buried her head deeper into his neck. This was a form of escape and a defense mechanism. In the days of constant reprimands and neglect, she no longer trusted or had expectations of her parents.
Shen Youquan's breath momentarily paused, just as he was about to comfort his daughter, the teacher said, "Shen Yuling bullied Shen Yurao today, they get along very badly. Mr. Shen, when you're at home, please pay attention and find a way to guide her properly. Shen Yuling's temperament is a bit off."
Shen Yuling suddenly tightened her hold on her father's neck, burying her face deeper. She was afraid.
While gently patting his daughter's back and trying to force a smile, Shen Youquan nodded. "I will handle this. But Miss Luo, other than praising, can you please not talk about their performance at school in front of the children? Can we discuss it privately? You are in education, you should know that children also have self-esteem."
Due to the Shen family's habit of placing more emphasis on Shen Yurao, Miss Luo had inadvertently neglected Shen Yuling's feelings. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she quickly apologized.
Shen Youquan accepted her apology, but he felt more embarrassed, because he was aware that to a certain extent, a teacher's attitude could also reflect the parents' attitude. If parents show enough care for their children, the teacher would naturally treat them with caution; if parents are indifferent, how can the teacher spare any extra energy to care for the child? No one really cares whether this child is good or not, so let them continue to be ignored in the crowd.
Looking at his daughter in his arms, Shen Youquan's heart felt an inexplicable pain. His child cried so loudly, but no one had noticed. Whose fault was that?