The Sweetest Marriage Ch.397

Chapter 397 – Countdown to Conclusion

The births of Yuanyuan and Pangpang were undoubtedly joyous occasions, bringing immense happiness to everyone around Chen Li.

However, this joy did not last long. During a medical forum, Chen Li’s good friend, Lan Xiping, was kidnapped.

Upon learning of this news, Wei Chen’s initial reaction was to keep it from Chen Li. After all, Lan Xiping was Chen Li’s best friend and held an extraordinary place in his heart. However, after careful consideration, Wei Chen decided to inform Chen Li.

At that time, Chen Li had already completed his postpartum recovery, and Yuanyuan and Pangpang had grown considerably.

Upon hearing the news of Lan Xi’s kidnapping, the brush in Chen Li’s hand dropped to the ground, leaving an unsightly mark on the paper due to this unexpected incident.

“Achen, what are you saying? Are you joking?” Chen Li grabbed Wei Chen’s hand, asking urgently.

Wei Chen gently pulled Chen Li into his embrace and said, “He… he was indeed kidnapped.”

Chen Li burst into tears in Wei Chen’s arms, his heart and eyes filled with worry.

Wei Chen gently stroked Chen Li’s hair and reassured, “Li Li, Xiping will be okay. Don’t worry.”

Chen Li, buried in Wei Chen’s embrace, remained silent, tears streaming down continuously.

Lan Xiping could be considered a true friend in Chen Li’s life, injecting a dose of friendship into his closed heart. It’s easy to imagine the significant place Lan Xiping held in Chen Li’s heart.

Now that Lan Xiping had been kidnapped, his fate unknown, Chen Li’s heart felt like it was burning with an urgent and restless fire, making him uneasy.

His hands tightly gripping Wei Chen’s suit, Chen Li sobbed softly in his embrace.

Chen Li rarely cried, but the intense discomfort of his tears now indicated the severity of the wound left in his heart after Lan Xiping’s kidnapping.

Wei Chen gently stroked Chen Li’s hair, tenderly consoling her, hoping to ease her sadness and pain.

“Achen, Achen,” Chen Li called Wei Chen’s name, each word filled with a strong hint of sobbing.

“I’m here, Li Li, I’m here.” Wei Chen tightened his embrace.

Chen Li looked up at Wei Chen, his eyes filled with tears. “Achen, do you think Xiping will be okay?”

“Li Li, you have to trust Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye will make sure Xiping is safe,” Wei Chen said confidently.

Upon hearing this, Chen Li nodded heavily and said, “Yes, Jiang Ye will definitely ensure Xiping’s safety. Achen, will you help Jiang Ye?”

Although Chen Li hadn’t inquired about Wei Chen’s affairs, he knew that over the years, Wei Chen and Jiang Ye had been collaborating on various matters. Chen Li had a hunch that Lan Xiping’s kidnapping was related to the things Wei Chen and Jiang Ye had planned.

Meeting Chen Li’s hopeful gaze, Wei Chen nodded, “I will.”

“Then be careful too.” Chen Li tiptoed and gently kissed Wei Chen’s lips. “I hope you’ll be safe while rescuing Xiping.”

“I will.” Wei Chen nodded solemnly.

Chen Li wiped away the tears on his face, a hint of strength showing in his gaze. “Well, Achen, go and attend to your duties. I’ll take good care of our three children.”

Wei Chen couldn’t say much. He just embraced Chen Li even more tightly, imprinting a kiss on the top of his head. “Li Li, trust me, nothing will happen to anyone!”

Chen Li smiled, “I believe you, Achen.”

After soothing Chen Li’s emotions, Wei Chen went out to find Jiang Ye, but he couldn’t shake off his concerns for Chen Li, so he asked Chen Yunlan to come over.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll have Xiao Ran help you guys.” Chen Yun Lan expressed his worries after hearing Wei Chen’s explanation.

“I know, Dad, you take care of Chen Li for me,” Wei Chen said.

“Rest assured,” Chen Yunlan assured him.

With Chen Yunlan by Chen Li’s side, Wei Chen felt somewhat relieved.

When Wei Chen found Jiang Ye, Jiang Ye had already arranged for Chenchen. Chen Li now had three children, and having Chenchen stay with him would unintentionally increase his burdens. Therefore, Jiang Ye arranged for Chenchen to stay with his cousin Sheng Tianqi, who would take care of him in the meantime.

Jiang Ye’s expression was not pleasant, understandable considering Lan Xiping’s unparalleled position in his heart. Jiang Ye’s survival in the United States was partly due to treating Lan Xiping as his belief, which helped him snatch back a life from the hands of death. Now that Lan Xiping had been kidnapped, Jiang Ye must be feeling very uncomfortable.

Wei Chen didn’t offer any comfort to Jiang Ye either. At this point, any words of consolation were ineffective for Jiang Ye. Instead, Wei Chen decided to focus on finding a way to rescue Lan Xiping.

“Have you found out who kidnapped Xiping?” Wei Chen asked.

Jiang Ye nodded, “It’s Dark.”

“Dark!” Wei Chen’s tone was filled with utter astonishment.

Dark—not only a big fish in their eyes but also a big fish in all international anti-dr*g organizations. The Chen family served Dark, using their services to lure out this big fish, but they never expected to catch such a big fish in the end!

“It’s Dark,” Jiang Ye’s gaze was profound. Yes, he wanted to lure out a big fish, but he never thought about using people around him as bait, especially not Lan Xiping!

“Why would they kidnap Xiping?” Wei Chen was puzzled by this.

Although Dark was the largest dr*g manufacturing organization, and Dark personnel were experts in dr*g production, many new dr*gs circulating in the market were attributed to Dark. However, Lan Xiping was a top authority in cardiovascular surgery, and Wei Chen hadn’t heard of him being involved in pharmaceuticals. So, what was the reason behind Dark kidnapping him?

To force them to comply?

Jiang Ye’s next words unraveled Wei Chen’s confusion. “Dark’s leader has a recurring heart condition. Their research on the new dr*g has reached a critical stage, and at this point, Dark absolutely cannot afford to lose him.”

Lan Xiping was a world-renowned expert in cardiovascular surgery, saving the lives of many heart patients. Internationally, he was a top authority in the field. It seems that the organization searched through all the cardiac surgery experts without success before turning their attention to Lan Xiping.

If this was the reason, then Lan Xiping should be safe for now. In fact, to ensure the success of Lan Xiping’s surgery, they wouldn’t dare to use dr*gs to control him.

This was the best news Wei Chen had heard so far.

Probably because of this, Jiang Ye was able to maintain control and not go insane.

“Have you located Lan Xiping’s position now?” Wei Chen asked.

Jiang Ye shook his head, “Still in the process of locating.”

“Wei Chen, when the time comes to rescue Xiping, I will also participate. So, I need you to help guard the capital,” Jiang Ye said.

Having finally pressured the Chen family to this point, he didn’t want everything to fall apart because of it.

Wei Chen nodded without hesitation, “No problem, take care of yourself.”

…

In the following days, everything seemed calm and quiet, as if nothing had happened. However, beneath the surface, hidden currents were surging.

During these days, Chen Li, preoccupied with thoughts of Lan Xiping, lost his appetite. Fortunately, Chen Yunlan was there to take care of him, preventing Chen Li from neglecting his basic needs.

“Xiao Li, you haven’t eaten much. Please have a few more bites.” Chen Yunlan watched as Chen Li put down his bowl, his forehead furrowing slightly.

This wasn’t the usual appetite of Chen Li. It seemed like he had lost weight these past few days.

“Dad, I don’t have the appetite,” Chen Li shook his head. He was constantly worried about Lan Xiping, even to the point of having restless nights.

“Lan Xiping will be fine. Haven’t you seen so many people working hard to save him? Even the military has been mobilized. You can rest assured; he will be okay,” Chen Yunlan reassured him.

“I know,” Chen Li said. He understood, but he couldn’t shake off the constant worry about Lan Xiping’s safety.

“If you lose weight, and Achen sees you like this when he has some free time, he might blame me for not taking care of you,” Chen Yunlan said, playing his trump card and bringing up Wei Chen. He was sure that Chen Li would behave if Wei Chen’s concern was at stake.

Thinking about Wei Chen’s worried expression upon seeing his lose weight, Chen Li obediently picked up her bowl and said, “Then I’ll eat a bit more. Dad, don’t tell Achen about this. He’s been busy these days.”

“Then eat more,” Chen Yunlan advised.

“Okay,” Chen Li nodded.

Seeing Chen Li eating again, Chen Yunlan finally felt a bit relieved.

On that evening, the operation to rescue Lan Xiping began. Wei Chen knew about it, but this time, he didn’t tell Chen Li. He didn’t want him to worry even more.

That night, the wind howled and the rain poured outside. Chen Li, lying in bed, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It felt like there was a lump in his chest, and he couldn’t seem to find a way to release the pent-up emotions.

Wei Chen had been very busy during this time, and Chen Li wasn’t aware of the specifics of his activities. However, he knew it was something important, so he endured the worry for Lan Xiping and missed Wei Chen.

Chen Li thought that this was probably the reason why he couldn’t sleep. Finally, as the day broke, he got up from the bed, opened the curtains, and stood on the balcony with the window wide open, welcoming the fresh air.

The heavy rain the night before had cleansed the air of dust, and everything seemed rejuvenated.

Standing on the balcony, Chen Li took a deep breath, feeling as if the pressure in his chest had eased somewhat.

At that moment, his phone rang.

The ringtone was specifically set for Wei Chen, so the moment the phone rang, Chen Li knew it was Wei Chen calling. He hurriedly went into the room and answered the call.

“Achen!” Chen Li’s voice was full of surprise. Wei Chen calling so early in the morning, did it mean there was news about Lan Xiping?

With this hope, Chen Li listened to Wei Chen’s message almost religiously.

Sensing Chen Li’s eagerness, Wei Chen didn’t beat around the bush. He directly said, “Li Li, we’ve rescued Lan Xiping, and he is safe.”

Not only safe but completely unharmed. As expected, the people from Dark didn’t dare to do anything to Lan Xiping. After all, Lan Xiping held Dark’s lifeline.

Moreover, there was an unexpected joy in this operation—the military captured the leader of Dark!

Dark held a lot of information about that dr*g-producing organization. Extracting this information was a significant event in the history of anti-dr*g efforts.

Of course, Chen Li didn’t need to know these details. All he needed to know was that Lan Xiping was safely rescued.

Hearing this news, Chen Li felt a tremendous relief. He almost clasped his hands in gratitude.

“Then, Achen, when will you come back?” Chen Li hadn’t seen Wei Chen for a few days, and his yearning for him was driving his almost mad. Now that Lan Xiping was finally safe, Chen Li could express his longing for Wei Chen.

Wei Chen’s busy period had come to an end, and he replied, “I’ll be back soon, Li Li.”

Wei Chen said, “I’m already at the doorstep. You can see me when you come downstairs.” His voice carried a faint smile, tinged with deep longing.

For Chen Li, this was undoubtedly another pleasant surprise. He quickly tossed his phone onto the bed, rushed downstairs, and by the time he reached the stairwell, the front door had already been pushed open, and Wei Chen walked in.

“Achen!” Chen Li ran to Wei Chen, leaped into his arms, wrapped his legs around his waist, and was overjoyed.

“Achen, Achen, you’re finally back!” Chen Li exclaimed, peppering Wei Chen’s face with kisses.

To prevent Chen Li from falling, Wei Chen reached out and held onto his hips, letting him kiss him.

After showering Wei Chen with kisses, Chen Li said, “Do you want to see Yuanyuan and Pangpang? Although they haven’t woken up yet, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised when they see you after waking up.”

As soon as Chen Li finished speaking, Qiuqiu, looking a bit drowsy, descended the stairs. Upon seeing Wei Chen, he was also pleasantly surprised.

“Big Dad, Big Dad, you’re finally back!” There was no trace of sleepiness as he ran over, hugged Wei Chen’s long legs, and seemed to want to be a leg pendant for Wei Chen.

This reaction was almost identical to Chen Li’s.

Wei Chen had one child clinging to his body and another hanging onto his legs, but he didn’t mind. He even took a few steps.

Chen Yunlan, who had come out of the kitchen, saw this scene and shook his head helplessly, saying, “Achen has been very tired these past few days. Let him rest a bit.”

Chen Li then noticed the faint bluish color under Wei Chen’s eyes. He didn’t know how long it had been since he last rested.

Quickly jumping down from Wei Chen’s body, he said, “Achen, are you tired? Do you want to go upstairs and rest?”

Wei Chen originally shook his head to say he wasn’t tired, but seeing Chen Li’s determined gaze, he thought it was probably necessary for him to rest this time.

Although he was indeed a bit tired, coming home and seeing Chen Li, Qiuqiu, and thinking about the sweet dreams of Yuanyuan and Pangpang still sleeping, it seemed like all the exhaustion vanished.

“Okay, I’ll go rest.” Wei Chen followed Chen Li’s suggestion. He didn’t want to worry him.

Chen Li finally smiled.

Chen Yunlan, on the side, couldn’t help but suppress a laugh. “Even if he goes to rest, shouldn’t Achen eat breakfast first?” It wasn’t that he wanted to tease Chen Li; as a father, he just found Chen Li’s current appearance too cute and couldn’t help wanting to tease him a bit.

“Ah.” Chen Li couldn’t help patting his own head, then dragged Wei Chen to the dining table, handed him chopsticks and a bowl, serving him attentively.

“Achen, eat breakfast quickly. After you finish, you can go rest,” Chen Li said.

Wei Chen enjoyed Chen Li’s service, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Qiuqiu also walked over at this moment, couldn’t help but mutter, “Daddy is really silly.”

Chen Li gently pinched Qiuqiu’s face and said, “Eat your own breakfast. After you finish, I’ll take you to school.”

“Dad, it’s been a long time since someone took me to school. Did you forget?” Qiuqiu was seven years old, already in second grade, and the school bus would pass by the bus stop at the doorstep. Starting from second grade, he went to school by himself.

This was Qiuqiu’s own request; he felt it was an easy way to cultivate his independence.

Chen Li only then remembered, “Oh, you take the school bus by yourself.”

This morning brought one pleasant surprise after another, and Chen Li was completely taken aback by the surprises. Her head was still a bit fuzzy.

Chen Yunlan walked over, pressed Chen Li into his seat, and said, “You eat too.”

Chen Li responded with an “Oh” and started to have breakfast. The appetite that had disappeared for a few days was back.

When they finished breakfast, Chen Yunlan went upstairs to check on the two younger ones, still sleeping soundly, apparently dreaming about something. Both puckered their lips, then continued to sleep.

At this moment, Wei Chen also came upstairs. His gaze fell tenderly on Yuanyuan and Pangpang, who seemed to have gained some weight after a few days without seeing them.

Chen Yunlan said, “Later, Xiao Ran will come over. Today, Yuanyuan and Pangpang will be taken care of by Xiao Ran and me. You and Xiao Li rest well. Xiao Li has been troubled these past few days, and her sleep has been uneasy.”

Wei Chen nodded and said, “Okay, thank you, Dad.”

“As a family, there’s no need for thank-yous. Rest well.”

In the short time they chatted, Yuanyuan stretched and let out a lazy yawn, slowly opening her eyes. Waking up, she didn’t cry. Seeing Wei Chen, she reached out and touched his face, but didn’t say anything, showing no expression on her little face.

“Let’s not talk about whether Yuanyuan and Pangpang resemble you in appearance, but their personalities are absolutely inherited from you—quiet, not crying, not laughing. Pangpang is a bit better; he’s a boy. Yuanyuan is a girl, and her personality…” Chen Yunlan looked at Yuanyuan’s expressionless little face and couldn’t help but sigh.

“It’s okay.” Wei Chen reached out to tease Yuanyuan, his tone filled with indulgence.

As long as they were his children, it didn’t matter what their personalities were like. As long as they were happy, that was enough.

Wei Chen was indeed a doting father, and Chen Yunlan seemed to see his daughter’s shadow in Wei Chen.

Not long after, Chen Li also came upstairs. Pangpang woke up as well. His face was similar to Yuanyuan’s, showing no expression, but at least when he saw Wei Chen and Chen Li, he would softly make a sound, giving face to both dads.

“All right, I’ll take them downstairs. You two rest well.” Chen Yunlan, after letting Wei Chen and Chen Li play with the kids for a while, carried the children downstairs, one in each arm, without hesitation.

Chen Li wanted to say something, but Wei Chen lifted him horizontally and placed him on the bed.

“Lighter. When I’m not around, did you not eat and sleep well?”

Chen Li immediately shook his head and denied, “No.”

“Dishonest! I’ll punish you!” Wei Chen said, leaning down to gently capture Chen Li’s lips.

This was a kiss full of longing, and Chen Li responded passionately. Just when Chen Li thought Wei Chen was going to continue, Wei Chen stopped and pulled him into his arms, tenderly saying, “Sleep.”

“Okay.”

Not sure if Wei Chen’s embrace was too warm or not, Chen Li, who didn’t feel sleepy just a while ago, was soon overwhelmed by drowsiness after being embraced by Wei Chen. In no time, Chen Li fell asleep in Wei Chen’s arms.

Wei Chen lowered his head to kiss Chen Li and smiled gently. “Sleep.”

After uttering these words, Wei Chen and Chen Li fell into a sweet dream together.

After resting at home for two days, Wei Chen resumed his previous routine and went back to work at Changfeng Group.

Everything seemed to return to normal, but only after Chen Li visited the rescued Lan Xiping did he find out that Lan Xiping and Jiang Ye were having a cold war.

Chen Li was surprised to hear this news.

Lan Xiping and Jiang Ye, the couple who seemed inseparable due to their deep love, are actually having a cold war! It’s truly unbelievable. However, Chen Li didn’t gossip or inquire about the reasons. Lan Xiping did mention to Chen Li, surprisingly, that he had done something wrong and upset Jiang Ye. As for the nature of the mistake, Lan Xiping didn’t disclose.

When Chen Li shared this with Wei Chen upon returning home, Wei Chen showed no surprise, evidently aware of the reasons.

“You don’t need to worry; they won’t be in a cold war for long,” Wei Chen said.

In Jiang Ye’s perspective, Lan Xiping had indeed made a mistake, but considering the bigger picture, Lan Xiping had acted selflessly. The reason for Lan Xiping’s abduction was his voluntary agreement to act as bait and lure out Dark. Of course, Lan Xiping made this decision for the sake of his younger brother in the special forces.

So, did Lan Xiping do something wrong? No.

However, Jiang Ye was displeased that Lan Xiping didn’t discuss the plan with him and took the risk, leading to the decision to give him the cold shoulder for a while. But wait and see, it wouldn’t be long before Jiang Ye couldn’t bear to leave Lan Xiping alone.

Hearing Wei Chen’s assurance, Chen Li also felt relieved. He believed that for a couple deeply in love, there shouldn’t be any obstacle they couldn’t overcome.

On the second day of Chen Li and Wei Chen discussing this matter, Jiang Ye had to make an urgent trip to the United States. However, midway through the flight, the plane encountered a crash! All occupants, including the pilot and passengers, perished.

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