The mother and daughter stood to the side, watching the two of them play. Guoguo, tired from a day of fun, leaned against a chair in the rest area and fell asleep.
Su Hao, who had been playing happily, turned to look at his mother and sister. When he noticed Guoguo was asleep, he, who had originally wanted to play a bit longer, suddenly looked at Lin Tongze and said, "Uncle Lin, it's getting late. Mom and Guoguo must be hungry. Let's head back first!"
Lin Tongze had also noticed when Su Banxia and Guoguo arrived. Originally, when they came, he had planned to take Su Banxia to get something to eat. But seeing Su Hao having so much fun, he hadn't brought it up. Now that Su Hao had taken the initiative to speak, he naturally didn't object. He nodded and led Su Hao toward where Su Banxia and Guoguo were resting.
Seeing them approach, Su Banxia, holding Guoguo, looked at the two—one big and one small—and said, "Why not play a bit longer? Are we leaving?"
Lin Tongze nodded. Noticing Guoguo was asleep, he lowered his voice and said, "Wait here for us a moment. We'll go wash our hands." Then he took Su Hao to the restroom.
When they returned, Lin Tongze carried Guoguo, and Su Hao took Su Banxia's hand as they headed back to the hotel.
Guoguo was asleep, so she wasn't hungry for now. Su Banxia washed the bayberries Guoguo had picked and offered them to Su Hao and Lin Tongze. Lin Tongze, finding them too sour, ate a few and stopped. When he stood up to return to his room, Su Banxia followed, saying she'd see him out.
Outside the room, Lin Tongze turned to look at Su Banxia, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "You have something to say to me?"
Su Banxia nodded. "I ran into Ye Hengtian at the orchard. He came specifically to find me."
Lin Tongze nodded, looking at her. "The one we ran into at the restaurant during dinner?"
Su Banxia nodded. "Yes. He's close with Pei Shaoze and is convinced there's something ambiguous between Pei Shaoze and me. When he saw me with you earlier, he seemed to suspect you're my husband."
Lin Tongze narrowed his eyes. "Did he threaten you?"
Su Banxia shook her head. "No, he wants to negotiate with me."
"What does he want?"
Lin Tongze didn't know much about Ye Hengtian—only that he was the head of the Ye family. Beyond that, he knew nothing.
Su Banxia said, "He wants to cooperate with the Lin Group."
Lin Tongze frowned. "The Ye family and the Pei family have always had a cooperative relationship, and they're old family friends. Why would he suddenly seek cooperation with me?"
Su Banxia nodded. "Yes. Pei Shaoze has been handling the termination of their contract with the Ye family recently. It seems he's determined not to continue working with them."
This puzzled Lin Tongze. "The Ye family's products have always been handled by Dingsheng. Their cooperation has been mutually beneficial. Why would Pei Shaoze suddenly terminate the contract?"
Su Banxia hesitated. "Probably because of me."
"You?"
Lin Tongze frowned. "You need to explain this to me."
Su Banxia didn't intend to hide anything from him. "At the industry networking event that night, I had a quarrel with Gu Feifei. She jumped into the pool herself and claimed I pushed her. Pei Shaoze, in front of the reporters, insisted I was his girlfriend. After that, the Ye family's daughter came after me, and I ended up at a disadvantage. Ye Hengtian arranged a meeting with Pei Shaoze, and afterward, because of what happened with Ye Lan, Pei Shaoze proposed terminating the contract with the Ye family."
Lin Tongze's frown deepened. He looked at Su Banxia with clear confusion. "Do you really think Pei Shaoze would risk the company he built with his own hands over a woman?"
Terminating the contract with the Ye family would not only cost Dingsheng a penalty fee but also damage its reputation for reliable business partnerships. It was all loss, no gain. Why would Pei Shaoze do it?
Su Banxia naturally didn't believe Pei Shaoze would jeopardize a massive company's interests over a minor grievance she'd suffered. But based on what she knew, that was the reality.
She shook her head slightly at Lin Tongze, inwardly unconvinced that Pei Shaoze was the type to act on impulse for a woman.
Lin Tongze lowered his gaze, thinking, his eyes narrowing as if lost in thought. Su Banxia stood beside him, unsure what he was pondering. She wanted to go check on the children but hesitated, then looked at him. "What about Ye Hengtian?"
Lin Tongze turned to her. "No need to give him an answer right away. I'll have someone look into it. If it's feasible, cooperation between the Ye family and the Lin Group is certainly possible."
Su Banxia nodded in agreement. After a long pause, she said, "You should go back and rest for a while. I'll check if Guoguo's awake."
Though it was dinner time, they had eaten lunch late, so no one was hungry. Lin Tongze nodded. "Alright, you rest too. Later, there's a bonfire party in the backyard. We can take the kids out to play."
Since they were on a trip, all their energy was for having fun. Su Banxia nodded and returned to her room.
The moment Lin Tongze entered his room, he immediately ordered someone to investigate Ye Hengtian.
That evening.
Su Banxia had Guoguo and Su Hao rest in the room for a while until the doorbell rang. It was Lin Tongze.
She opened the door, looking dazed and half-asleep. Lin Tongze smiled faintly. "Did I wake you?"
Su Banxia shook her head, stepped back, and let him in.
Both children had woken up. Guoguo sat on the bed, rubbing her eyes, and mumbled, "Uncle Lin."
Lin Tongze walked over, picked her up, and looked at Su Banxia. "You haven't eaten anything tonight. Guoguo and Su Hao must be hungry. Freshen up, and we'll go downstairs for a meal."
Su Banxia nodded and checked the time—it was already eight o'clock. They had slept for over an hour.
She went to freshen up while Guoguo leaned against Lin Tongze and said, "Uncle Lin, I want cake later..." She was probably really hungry, so she rattled off a long list.
Su Hao sat nearby and said flatly, "You can't have cake now. Your teeth will rot."
Guoguo was displeased. She glared at Su Hao. "We're the same age. Why can you eat it and I can't?"
Su Hao replied seriously, "Because I'm a boy, and you're a girl."
Guoguo didn't understand the difference but thought her brother was always right. She huffed and fell silent.
Lin Tongze smiled at the two children, his gaze lingering on Su Hao. The more he looked, the more he thought Su Hao resembled someone. Who was the man who had been with Su Banxia six years ago?
Soon, Su Banxia was done freshening up. She came out of the bathroom and told Guoguo and Su Hao to wash up. The children were very self-sufficient, so she never needed to give detailed instructions.
Lin Tongze sat on the sofa, watching her. "Guoguo and Su Hao are really growing up well."
Su Banxia nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. These two treasures were gifts from God.
Lin Tongze looked at her, paused, and then asked, "Do you still remember what that man looked like?"
Caught off guard by the question, Su Banxia instinctively didn't want to answer. She frowned slightly. "It's been so long. I've forgotten."
It was clear she was avoiding the topic. Lin Tongze frowned but said no more.
After Guoguo and Su Hao were ready, they went to the restaurant for a meal, then headed straight to the back of the hotel. Su Banxia found it a bit odd that such a large international hotel would host a bonfire party in the backyard, especially in the middle of summer. When they got there, she realized it wasn't a bonfire party at all.
It was a small lantern exhibition in an open-air space, with numerous lanterns on display. It seemed like everyone from the hotel and the castle had come, making it quite lively.