Chapter 38

As soon as Shen Lihuan spoke, the bus fell into silence for a moment before a tide of discussion surged up the next second.

“Yeah, he’s so cold to his own son. He even covered the kid’s mouth just because he was crying. Could it be that he’s afraid we’ll notice something’s off and realize he’s a child trafficker?”

“That’s hard to say. Some heartless parents are cold-blooded toward their own children. We can’t just assume he’s a trafficker just because he’s treating his kid badly.”

“Who knows? You can’t judge a book by its cover. There have been traffickers with kind-looking faces who used their appearance to deceive people.”

“Didn’t he just say he was taking the child back to his hometown? Why doesn’t he have any luggage? He’s just carrying the kid and running—doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

As the passengers talked, they began to notice the inconsistencies. They exchanged glances, and several strong-looking men stood up and walked toward the middle-aged man.

Seeing the passengers closing in, the middle-aged man’s pupils shrank. His hand unconsciously clutched at his pant leg, and he squirmed in his seat as if he were sitting on needles, unable to stay still.

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Don’t think that just because you’re a woman, I won’t dare to hit you!”

The middle-aged man pointed at Shen Lihuan’s face and cursed angrily, spitting as he spoke. Shen Lihuan frowned in disgust and pulled You Changqing back a step.

Perhaps mistaking her retreat as fear, the middle-aged man became even more agitated. “A little girl like you, running your mouth, calling people traffickers the moment you see them! Is that what your parents taught you? Where are your damn eyes looking? Can’t you see how much my son looks like me? A trafficker? If I wasn’t holding my son right now, I’d beat you up on behalf of your parents!”

The young mother on the bus panicked the moment she heard the word “trafficker.” Ever since becoming a mother, her heart had been entirely focused on her child. If her own child were ever taken by traffickers, she would go insane.

Hearing the middle-aged man claim that he and the child looked alike, she immediately leaned forward to compare their faces. Indeed, there was some resemblance. Only then did her heart, which had been pounding like a drum, gradually calm down. She let out a long breath. “Little sister, I think you might be mistaken. The baby does look somewhat like this gentleman.”

The other passengers also shifted their gaze back and forth between the man and the child, comparing their facial features. Though the baby was only a few months old and his features were not fully developed, his eyes and mouth did resemble the man’s.

“Of course my son looks like me! It’s just this blind girl talking nonsense, daring to accuse me of being a trafficker!”

Now that someone had spoken in his defense, the middle-aged man relaxed his grip on his pant leg, his expression lifting into one of smug satisfaction.

You Changqing glared at him with an ice-cold gaze, wishing she could slap that arrogant look off his face.

Shen Lihuan sneered. “I only said you’re not the child’s biological father. I never called you a trafficker. You jumped to that conclusion yourself. Isn’t that a sign of guilt?”

The middle-aged man’s eyes flickered, and his voice rose sharply. “Who’s guilty? Who jumped to conclusions? I was angry—angry, got it? My son looks so much like me, and you still ask if he’s really mine. Isn’t that just accusing me of being a trafficker?”

The young mother hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Big brother, don’t get agitated. The little sister is just being cautious. After all, your actions were questionable. What kind of father treats his son so coldly?”

Though she felt it was inappropriate for the young girl to accuse the man of being a trafficker, she also couldn’t accept how indifferently he treated his child. Deep down, she sided with the young girl.

Shen Lihuan, however, was neither swayed by the supposed resemblance nor angered by the man’s insults. She remained composed as she questioned, “I’ve been watching you since you got on the bus. I don’t need to say it—you know your clothes are cheap. But your phone? It’s the latest model from the Shen Corporation, retailing at over 7,000 yuan.”

“Not only that, but the baby’s blanket is also a high-end brand, worth more than 2,000 yuan. How do you explain that? Didn’t you say your wife left you because you couldn’t make money? So where did you get the money for these things?”

The middle-aged man’s face turned red. “I may be poor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t afford a phone! And Dundan is my only son—isn’t it normal for me to buy him a more expensive blanket?”

“If you truly cared about your child, buying him an expensive blanket wouldn’t be unreasonable. But when he cried, there was no trace of concern in your eyes—only impatience. And even when we offered you warm water, formula, and a bottle, you refused, saying you’d be getting off soon, preferring to let the child go hungry.”

“Also, your phone was released just three days ago. You claim your ex-wife wants to take your son from you, and you’re in such a hurry to flee back to your hometown—yet you still had the time to buy the latest model phone? Don’t you think your story contradicts itself?”

Shen Lihuan’s words were like a sharp blade slicing across the man’s throat. His mind went blank, and he couldn’t find any words to defend himself. He anxiously licked his dry lips and stammered, “I—I am Dundan’s father! Can’t you see how much we look alike?”

“In reality, most crimes are committed by acquaintances. Just because you resemble Dundan doesn’t mean you’re not a trafficker. It’s entirely possible that you’re related by blood, yet you’re still cruel enough to sell him off!”

You Changqing’s words struck directly at the heart of the matter. She loathed traffickers the most—people who wouldn’t even spare children. They deserved to be thrown into the deepest pits of hell, never to be reborn.

The middle-aged man suddenly stood up with the baby in his arms, his face twisted in rage as he shouted at Shen Lihuan and You Changqing, “Dundun is my son! You two b*tches better watch your mouths! Do you even know who my brother-in-law is? He’s a big boss! Crushing you two would be as easy as crushing an ant!”

Shen Lihuan’s gaze turned icy in an instant. She didn’t care if she was insulted, but You Changqing was being cursed at too—that, she couldn’t tolerate.

Good. This man had successfully provoked her killing intent.

His arrogant attitude sparked outrage among the passengers.

“So what if your brother-in-law is a big boss? Does that mean you can just kidnap a baby? Do you even understand the law?”

“I can’t take this anymore. This is the first time I’ve seen a human trafficker act so brazenly. I’m calling the police!”

The moment “calling the police” was mentioned, sweat began beading on the man’s forehead. He glanced at the group of burly men surrounding him, their fists clenched and itching for a fight, then at the moving bus. For the first time in his life, he regretted being so stingy—why hadn’t he taken a taxi instead?

“Don’t call the police! Don’t call the police! I’ll tell the truth!”

The middle-aged man’s face contorted in distress.

“Then start talking!”

“I’m really not a human trafficker…” Cold sweat poured down his face. Seeing the murderous glares of the passengers, he quickly changed his tone. “Actually, what I said earlier was true. My wife really did run off with another man, and I really am Dundun’s father. But… Dundun was given to me by my sister—I was originally his uncle.”

“Uncle?”

As he continued explaining, everyone finally understood. The man had a medical condition that caused low sperm count, making it impossible for his wife to conceive. Even assisted reproductive treatments had failed. Over time, his wife lost patience and left him for another man.

Desperate not to be childless, he went to his younger sister, who had married and settled in the capital. She already had three children, so he begged her to pass one on to him to continue the family line. His sister, deeply attached to him, reluctantly agreed.

Fearing she might change her mind, he rushed back to his hometown with the child, not even stopping to pack his things.

“Then why did you say your ex-wife was trying to take your son away?”

The man let out an awkward laugh. “Hahaha… I was just mad and wanted everyone to curse my ex-wife with me.”

His explanation sounded much more reasonable than before. If things were really as he claimed—his sister had willingly given him her child—then his eagerness to leave made sense. After all, this was a family matter. If his sister had agreed, outsiders couldn’t really interfere, right?

The passengers exchanged glances, unsure of what to do next.

“No, I still think we should call the police,” Shen Lihuan insisted, shaking her head firmly as she took out her phone. “How do we know he’s telling the truth? His story seems reasonable now, but he conveniently left out his brother-in-law. His sister might have agreed to give him the child, but did her husband? If even one parent disagrees, then the transfer of custody is invalid.”

“You’ve said enough!” The man’s eyes widened furiously, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. “Why are you targeting me? I just want a child—what’s so wrong about that? I’m his uncle, his future father! Would I ever hurt him?”

“You don’t even value his life. I don’t trust you.”

Without hesitation, Shen Lihuan dialed the police. “Even if everything turns out just as you said, even if I get fined for reporting this, I won’t regret it. When it comes to a child’s safety, no one should just stand by and do nothing.”

“Ah! You b*tch, I’ll kill you!”

Seeing her actually make the call, the middle-aged man lost all reason. In his rage, he flung the baby onto a seat and lunged at Shen Lihuan!

“Ah! The baby!”

“Oh my god!”

Gasps of horror filled the bus. Without thinking, You Changqing dived forward, landing hard on her knees. She reached out just in time, catching the baby a second before he hit the cold seat.

The impact sent a searing pain through her legs, as if her knees had shattered. Her face turned deathly pale from the agony. But when she looked down at the baby in her arms, her expression softened into a radiant smile.

“Changqing!”

Hearing the loud thud, Shen Lihuan’s eyes turned red with panic. She intercepted the man’s punch, kicking him hard in the leg.

“Ah! My leg! My leg is broken!” The man screamed, rolling on the floor in agony.

Ignoring him, Shen Lihuan rushed to You Changqing’s side, her face filled with concern. “Changqing, how’s your leg?”

“Take the baby! Check on him first! He was crying earlier, but now he’s completely silent!”

You Changqing tried to move her leg, but the moment she did, pain shot through her body like lightning. She let out a muffled cry, but instead of worrying about herself, she urgently handed the baby over.

Shen Lihuan immediately passed him to the young mother. “Sister, you have experience—please check on him!”

“Oh! Oh!” The young mother quickly took the baby, her hands trembling. She hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. That man was truly vicious—he had actually thrown the child!

“How is he? Let me help you up.”

Shen Lihuan carefully wrapped You Changqing’s arm around her neck and lifted her up.

“Lihuan, it hurts so much… Is my leg broken?” Tears welled in You Changqing’s eyes from the unbearable pain.

“No, it’s not! Don’t say that,” Shen Lihuan reassured her firmly. She pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before carefully setting her down onto a seat.

Kneeling on one knee, she carefully lifted You Changqing’s over-the-knee skirt to check her injury.

You Changqing’s fair knees were completely bruised in a deep shade of blue and purple, looking terrifying.

Shen Lihuan gazed at the bruises with eyes full of heartache, then lowered her head and gently blew on them. “Don’t be scared, blowing on it will make it stop hurting.”

“Lihuan, are you a child?”

You Changqing was amused by her actions, her heart melting with sweetness. Somehow, it really did feel like her knees didn’t hurt as much anymore.

The young mother touched the baby’s forehead as she looked at his flushed little face. It was burning hot!

“The baby has a fever! Call an ambulance and take him to the hospital immediately!”

“Alright, alright!” A middle-aged woman quickly took out her phone. My goodness, she had just taken a bus ride, and yet such a dramatic event had unfolded.

Damn those child traffickers. Don’t they have families or children of their own? How could they be so cold-blooded as to abduct a baby…

With the situation now in chaos, some passengers who had to get home or had other things to do left with the bus. The rest got off, and fearing the middle-aged man would escape, they firmly held him down. The man, perhaps knowing he was doomed, began cursing loudly.

Passersby gathered out of curiosity, and he cursed at them too.

There happened to be a large hospital nearby, so the ambulance arrived quickly. You Changqing’s knee wasn’t fractured, but the bruise was severe enough to cause lingering pain. So, Shen Lihuan carried You Changqing, while the young mother held the baby and let her daughter clutch her coat. The five of them boarded the ambulance and headed for the hospital.

The police arrived not long after. They eyed the middle-aged man suspiciously at first, then suddenly brightened in recognition.

“Isn’t this Li Dongqiang, the man Mr. Liu just reported missing?”

“It’s him!”

“Quick, call Mr. Liu. He and his wife have been worried sick—knowing this will finally put them at ease.”

“Yes, I’ll call him right away.” A young officer stepped aside to make the call.

“Thank you so much. This man is a suspect we’ve been tracking. We really appreciate your timely report.”

A steady, composed officer expressed gratitude to the citizens holding Li Dongqiang down.

“No, no, it wasn’t us. It was a young lady who realized something was wrong with this scumbag. If not for her, the child would’ve been taken away.”

“Yes! The baby had a fever, so that young lady, her friend, and a kind young mother took him to the Third Hospital nearby.”

The passengers quickly deflected the credit, making sure the real hero was acknowledged.

“The baby has a fever?” The officer’s expression grew worried. He turned to his colleague and instructed, “Let Mr. Liu know the baby was taken to the Third Hospital due to a fever.”

“Yes. We’re not sure about his condition either. That man even tried to throw the baby onto a seat! Luckily, a young girl caught him in time—otherwise, he would’ve been in grave danger.”

The passengers shot Li Dongqiang a glare. “Officer, is this man really a child trafficker?”

“He’s not a trafficker,” the officer hesitated before saying, “but his attempt to snatch the baby by force is still a crime.”

“So, he really is the baby’s uncle?”

A passenger sighed. “What an unfortunate family—his sister ended up with a brother like this.”

The officer said no more and escorted Li Dongqiang to the police station. Several passengers also went along to give their statements.

—Third Hospital—

The baby lay in a hospital bed receiving an IV drip. His little face was still flushed, but his fever had gone down a bit. Shen Lihuan and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

You Changqing’s knee had also been treated, but she would have to take a few days off work. Since her injury was on her knee, even walking was a challenge.

Just then, a man and a woman burst into the room. The woman’s eyes were red and swollen as she locked her gaze onto the baby on the bed, covering her mouth as she broke into sobs.