As Mu Hong's seemingly stern words fell, both Lin Fei and Mu Shanshan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As Lin Fei and Mu Shanshan relaxed both physically and mentally, the atmosphere in the entire villa lightened considerably.

"Dad, you really scared me just now." Once she felt relaxed, Mu Shanshan couldn't help but glance at Mu Hong with a hint of reproach in her pretty eyes.

It wasn't that Mu Shanshan had suddenly changed. It was just that Mu Hong sitting silently on the sofa smoking had given Mu Shanshan too much psychological pressure.

Of course, part of it was due to Mu Shanshan's own worries and concerns.

The reason for her worry and concern wasn't due to weak mental strength. Mu Shanshan had long considered Keke as her biological daughter. But Mu Hong was Mu Shanshan's biological father.

If Mu Hong were to oppose the adoption of Keke, Mu Shanshan couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences.

On one side was her daughter, on the other was her father. If caught in such a dilemma, Mu Shanshan would be in a really tough spot.

Fortunately, Mu Hong was far more open-minded than Mu Shanshan had imagined.

After a casual complaint to Mu Hong, Mu Shanshan proudly brought out Keke, who was a bit timid, from behind her and slowly approached Mu Hong.

"Keke, dear, listen to mom. This is mom's dad, your grandpa. Grandpa—"

"..."

"Keke, dear, follow mom, grandpa—"

"Mom, mommy."

Having not fully emerged from the shadow of autism, Keke was still a bit shy. Though Mu Shanshan used the softest voice she could, Keke still wasn't able to call out "grandpa" like Mu Shanshan hoped.

Instead, due to being too close to Mu Hong, Keke shyly hugged Mu Shanshan tightly.

Driven by both motherly instinct and daughterly love, Mu Shanshan squatted down, patiently continuing to teach Keke, wanting her to call Mu Hong "grandpa," saying, "Keke, listen. This is grandpa, not a stranger, your family. Follow mom—"

"It's okay, the child is still young, and it's her first time meeting me, no need to push her. Moreover, as her grandpa, I'm meeting her for the first time and didn't even bring a gift. I don't deserve to be called grandpa yet."

Knowing well that Mu Hong's last sentence was meant for her and Lin Fei to hear, Mu Shanshan couldn't help but feel a bit guilty and apologized to Mu Hong, saying, "Dad, I, Lin Fei and I didn't mean to hide it from you."

"Dad, this isn't Shanshan's fault, it was my idea. Initially, when I decided to adopt Keke, Shanshan mentioned calling you to get your opinion. I was afraid this matter might distract you, and I feared you might not agree, so I didn't let Shanshan call you then."

"Dad, it's not like that. It was me—"

"Alright, let's not waste time on those useless explanations." Waving to interrupt Mu Shanshan's second attempt at explaining, Mu Hong stood up and gestured to Lin, saying, "Lin, come out with me for a moment, there's something I want to discuss with you in private."

Upon hearing Mu Hong's call, Lin Fei nodded in response to Mu Hong while giving Mu Shanshan a reassuring look.

Then, Lin Fei followed behind Mu Hong and left the villa.

...

"Dad, I'm sorry. Regarding Keke, I acted on my own—"

"No need to apologize, you did the right thing!" Interrupting Lin Fei, Mu Hong not only stopped him but also affirmed Lin Fei's decision to adopt Keke. Patting Lin Fei's shoulder, he nodded and said, "What you did was absolutely right. If I were you, I would also choose to adopt Keke. So, you don't need to apologize to me. If you hadn't chosen to adopt Keke, then you should apologize to me."

Clap! Clap!

He firmly patted Lin Fei's shoulder twice, and with visible satisfaction in his eyes, Mu Hong laughed heartily and said, "I didn't choose the wrong person. Choosing you as Shanshan's husband was the best decision I made. If Shanshan's mom were still alive, she would surely support your decision to adopt Keke. You're a real man! True to your heart! You're truly Old Lin's son and haven't brought shame to your father!"

"Dad, I—thank you."

Mu Hong's words truly touched Lin Fei's heart, bringing him close to tears.

Honestly, if Lin Fei were in Mu Hong's position, he probably wouldn't be able to be as open-minded and generous as Mu Hong. After all, in adopting Keke, Lin Fei had acted without informing him. If it hadn't been for Mu Hong's unexpected return, who knows when he would've learned about having a granddaughter.

Even so, Mu Hong never showed any rejection towards Keke. In fact, he was quite understanding and even gratified with Lin Fei.

For the elder to be this understanding, Lin Fei, as the younger, could only feel moved.

Apart from expressing his gratitude, Lin Fei was at a loss for words at that moment.

"Alright, there's no need for formality between us. If anyone should thank someone, it's me thanking your dad for leaving me such a good son-in-law." Comforting Lin Fei, Mu Hong glanced back at the villa, and with a hint of nostalgia, said, "If your dad and Shanshan's mom were still alive, that would be wonderful."

As Mu Hong sighed, Lin Fei couldn't help but fall into silence as well.

Although his memories of his parents only remained from his high school days, due to early maturity, Lin Fei clearly remembered all the tender care his parents bestowed upon him.

This can be seen from how Lin Fei's mother had prepared a "daughter-in-law exclusive necklace" for Mu Shanshan early on.

With Mu Hong mentioning them, Lin Fei couldn't help but recall the few but deeply touching memories of his now-deceased parents that he harbored within his heart.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Mu Hong was the first to speak, "Beyond mentioning your parents, I almost forgot. Apart from wanting to see you and Shanshan this time, I also wanted you to visit and pay respects to your parents. At the same time, let Shanshan's mom meet you as her son-in-law. After all, you've been married for so long, it's time you formally meet each other's parents, both emotionally and logically."

As Mu Hong finished, he glanced at the villa behind him and continued, "Since you've taken the initiative to adopt Keke, I think there's no better time than today. Later, let's have a meal together, and then you, Shanshan, and Keke can accompany me to visit and pay respects to your parents and Shanshan's mom. Let their spirits know, while I, the only living one, can finally give them an explanation."

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