《Psychic》Ch50 - A Neglected Child
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With the development in DNA identification technology, paternity tests nowadays could be completed in three days. If the client paid enough surcharge, the identification report could be obtained in just three hours.
Shen Youquan, who had paved his own path from a poor student to the President of a multinational group in Asia, was by no means comparable to ordinary people.
He would also feel pain, entanglement and doubt, but he would not be timid nor afraid to face the results of the paternity test.
On the pretext of working overtime, he drove alone in the middle of the night and personally delivered the several samples to the institution.
Then, he simply sat in the reception room, waiting for the test result. The word 'flee' had never existed in his life's dictionary.
Three hours later, the genetic identification results had still not come out. After another three hours, the sky had already brightened, and a newly released paternity report was gently placed in front of Shen Youquan.
Shen Youquan examined the other man's expression but was ultimately unable to determine whether the news was good or bad.
Without needing to be informed or prompted any further, he had already made all the necessary psychological preparations.
Regardless of whether it was a positive or negative result, he would accept all of it.
He opened the folder and slowly took out the papers from within. Ignoring the myriad of difficult technical terms spread out before him, he directly turned his attention to the results. At that moment, his slightly lax eyes hardened.
-【After genetic identification, the relative parental probability of Shen Youquan and Shen Yuling reached 99.99%, this institution can affirm that Shen Youquan is Shen Yuling's biological father.】
-【After genetic identification, the relative parental probability of Shen Youquan and Shen Yurao reached 27.33%, this institution does not support the assumption that Shen Youquan is Shen Yurao's father.】
Shen Youquan's uncertain expression immediately stiffened due to this last sentence.
His daughter was his own flesh and blood, and he never doubted such a thing at all. Even a stranger would be able to see just how much the father and daughter resembled each other.
As for his son, even though there was no similarity to himself, Shen Youquan had all kinds of conjectures that were steadied by a seemingly reliable idea that-since they were twins, he must also be of his seed.
What was the probability of two different eggs being hatched in a single nest?
One in a million or even less.
Since it was a one in a million chance, how could it ever be his turn?
It's impossible.
He had been able to comfort himself with such thoughts up until the moment he received the paternity report...
Or perhaps, the son he had raised all this time was a misplaced one, perhaps his wife and son might also not have a parent-child relationship. Yes, yes, this probability was surely much higher than the idea of his twins being from different fathers.
Shen Youquan quickly found another acceptable reason to appease his deafening heart and muddled thoughts.
Then, his trembling hands slowly opened the second paternity report and saw a set of two identical results:
-【After identification, this institution can confirm that Zhong Huilu is the biological mother of Shen Yuling / Shen Yurao.】
All his self-consolation instantly turned into self-deception under the impact of this single sentence.
But Shen Youquan didn't collapse, nor was he enraged to the point of losing control.
Instead, he tried to maintain his last vestiges of dignity as he asked with difficulty, "Are your paternity test results accurate?"
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It was the first term that the staff had encountered such a special case, so they had remained behind in person even after handing over the reports. At this point, they were also waiting to give a more detailed explanation to their client.
"Mr. Shen, please rest assured that our institution is one of the most authoritative institutions that specialize in DNA identification in China. Even the legal inspection authorities have cooperative relations with us, so rest assured, there will be no mistakes.
"Because of your special situation, we dared not take it lightly. After the results of the first appraisal came out, we then ran a more detailed appraisal, and the final result is the report before you.
"As you can see, we spent six hours to ensure your rights and interests. In fact, this isn't a unique case, it happens all over the world. We have collected some relevant papers and reports for you. You can take a look at your leisure."
The staff then handed over a stack of materials and pointed to the clock hanging on the wall.
From three to nine in the morning, it had already been six hours. It turned out that he had waited for so long only to experience so much pain.
Shen Youquan put away the paternity reports, refused the pile of information that had the ability to further break his already crumbling heart, and gritted his teeth as he thanked the staff.
He didn't know how he managed to leave the identification center or how he navigated his car on the road.
By the time he finally recovered his senses, he found himself standing at the gate of Yingcai Kindergarten. Two security guards started to approach him after seeing that he was just silently standing as he stared at the gate. Then, they began to question him about his intentions.
At a loss, Shen Youquan could only think of running away, and did not stop until he passed a corner. Then, he stopped, simply standing at the corner for a long moment.
Finally, he couldn't restrain his impulse and walked to the back door of the kindergarten, where a high fence covered with iron mesh was erected.
Through the fence, he could see the children playing in the playground. Perhaps his own children would be among them, thus allowing him to look at them from a distance.
There were also a few old people standing outside the fence, watching the children's energetic moves with smiles across their faces, as if also infected by their vigor and vitality.
Shen Youquan joined them, and his eyes suddenly focused on the playground. He could see that his children were also there.
Shen Yuling was full of energy in the kindergarten. She held a small bucket in one hand and a small shovel in the other, as she built a sandcastle.
Her popularity seemed to be very good, as many children around her were also busy working around the castle block. They giggled, and their little hands, feet and faces were covered with golden sand. They looked messy, but they also seemed so very happy.
Shen Youquan couldn't stop smiling. Then, his eyes moved to the side, and the happy smile suddenly disappeared.
He saw that Shen Yurao, a child that he no longer knew how to face, was standing at the edge of the sandbox in his exquisite little suit, frowning at Shen Yuling.
He opened his mouth and called out a few times, but Shen Yuling, who was having a good time, ignored him.
He yelled a few more times. Seeing that Shen Yuling didn't even turn her head, he angrily walked over and trampled the sand sculpture castle that they had worked so hard to build.
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Shen Yuling was dumbfounded, and it took a long moment before she finally burst into tears. As soon as she started crying, all the children around her also cried along with her, with great momentum.
The kindergarten teachers soon noticed their incident.
As the one who had caused trouble, Shen Yurao showed no panic at all. He quickly grabbed a handful of sand and threw it on Shen Yuling's head, which caused her to become impatient and tug at his collar in retaliation.
Then, his eyes gradually reddened.
He has been weak since he was a child. He couldn't cry with much strength, but his large eyes were full of clear tears, and they fell down one by one.
His dark eyes looked like soaked obsidian as they flashed with light and signalled for help.
Shen Yuling held on to his collar tightly, making his neck redden. His pale lips were pressed together tightly, making it seem as if he had suffered a great grievance but did not dare to protest against.
Upon catching the sight of his pathetic appearance, and comparing it with Shen Yuling's bully-like behavior, the kindergarten teacher's heart had already deviated to one side.
What's more, the grandfather, grandmother, father and mother of the Shen's twins had already explained that their daughter was naughty and that their son was weak, urging the teachers to pay more attention to such things.
As a result, the teacher quickly pried open Shen Yuling's fingers and held Shen Yurao in her arms, patting his back lightly in comfort.
Shen Yuling cried and complained, "Teacher, he trampled all over our castle! He is not good!"
Many children jumped out to support Shen Yuling, crying out about the bad things Shen Yurao had done.
However, Shen Yurao only needed to say 'I didn't mean it' with tears in his eyes, and coupled with a soft voice full of grievance, all the complaints would be dismissed as if they were nothing.
-It was better to cry beautifully than to cry loudly.
Adults would eventually come to understand this truth through experience, but he seemed to have managed to understand it simply through his inherent nature.
The teacher held Shen Yurao in her arms and pushed Shen Yuling aside. She then criticized the small girl severely and instructed her to immediately stand up.
Shen Youquan watched this scene with red eyes which were brimming with anger while his heart seemed to have been immersed in a pan of boiling oil.
-How familiar, how frequently seen this scene seemed to be, whether at home or at school, his daughter was still the one who was being scolded.
It turned out that she had to face such injustice almost every moment of every day.
No one comforted her when she had grievances, and no one listened to her complaints. So all she could do was stand separately and cry loudly in a dark and silent corner as a result of the adult indifference and neglect directed at her.
She didn't know who would hear her cries, but she did know that if she did not cry, then the last traces of her presence might also disappear along with her unshed tears.
She was his daughter! His own blood!
Why was it that he hadn't been able to see and hear her struggles?
For how long would she have had to put up with such injustice if there had been no warning from Fan Jialuo and if there had been no paternity test?
Shen Youquan's gums oozed with blood as he gritted his teeth too hard.
Thoughts of wearing a green hat, of adulterers, of cheating, and of betrayal were all left behind. These problems could not be compared to his own daughter's current state.
His heart was burning with fury and pounding with pain. He had never truly looked at his daughter, and by the time he realized her actual situation, it was bleak enough to break his heart.
He rubbed at his tired face, and then strode toward the main gate of the kindergarten.
He had to pick up his daughter. He couldn't bear to see such grievances even as a bystander, not to mention that this was happening to his own child who had just turned five.
The kindergarten teacher confirmed once again, "You're here to pick up Shen Yuling? Only Shen Yuling?"
"Yes, I'm only picking up Shen Yuling." Shen Youquan nodded, his face expressionless.
"Just a moment, then." The teacher quickly took Shen Yuling's little hand and brought her to her father.
She had just cried. Her nose was red, her eyes were slightly swollen, and the sand on her head had not yet been cleaned up. Her entire appearance was a little messy.
But when she saw her father, her face beamed with happiness and she immediately leaped forward with the boundless joy a little bird would possess.
She wrapped her little arms around his neck and sweetly called him 'Father'. However, Shen Youquan was suddenly engulfed with a sense of deep grief.
If it were not for his habit of controlling his facial expressions, he would surely have shed tears in front of the teacher.
"Xiao Nan, Daddy's daughter, were you good at school today?" Shen Youquan asked in a hoarse voice.
This was a clichéd question, but it caused Shen Yuling to bury her head in his neck nervously and dare not to move.
Such a move was one of escape, but also one of defense.
As a result of the daily reprimands and neglect she had experienced so far, she no longer held any trust nor expectation for her parents.
Shen Youquan's breath immediately stagnated.
Just as he was about to comfort his daughter, the teacher suddenly spoke up, "Shen Yuling bullied Shen Yurao again today. The two of them get along very badly. Mr. Shen, when you are at home, please pay more attention to her behavior and guide her. Shen Yuling's temperament is somewhat wrong."
Shen Yuling suddenly tightened her hold on her father's neck and buried her face deeper.
She was afraid.
Shen Youquan gently patted his daughter's back, while barely pulling out a smile.
He nodded and said, "I will handle this matter well. But Teacher Luo, in addition to praise, can you please refrain from speaking of a child's performance in front of them in the future?
"Do you not know how to discuss such things in private? You are an educator. You should be aware that children also have their self-esteem."
As the Shen Family had always attached more importance to Shen Yurao, it had become a habit for Teacher Luo to ignore Shen Yuling's feelings.
Her cheeks flushed slightly at the reprimand and she quickly apologized.
Shen Youquan accepted her apology, but felt even more embarrassed, because he knew very well that, in a sense, the attitude of the teacher could also reflect the attitude of the parents.
If parents cared enough for their children, teachers would naturally treat them with caution; if parents were indifferent to their children, why would they expend extra energy to take care of such a child?
In such a case, no one would genuinely care about whether the child was good or not, and it would be easy to simply allow them to continue to disappear into the crowd.
When Shen Youquan looked down at his daughter in his arms, his heart filled with unspeakable pain.
His child had cried so loudly for so long, but no one had been there to see it.
Whose fault is this?
...
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