Chapter 243: A Chance Encounter

After the mother and daughter had enjoyed a delicious meal, they were about to head over to the amusement park for a bit of fun. As soon as they stepped outside, Song Qingtian spotted Shen Conghao, dressed in a sharp suit that made him look every bit the CEO of a business empire.

At first, Song Qingtian thought she must have misseen him.

She couldn’t help but glance twice just to be sure.

But after those two looks, there was no doubt—this was indeed Shen Conghao.

Compared with his earlier wild and unrestrained demeanor, Shen Conghao now exuded the aura of a true business elite:

cold, ruthless, and utterly domineering.

His gaze was icy and unyielding, showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.

And standing by his side was a girl in a white long dress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders.

This girl…

Unfortunately, Song Qingtian knew her all too well.

Song Yinyin!

Even if she were reduced to ashes, Song Qingtian would still recognize her.

Song Qingtian’s mood was simply indescribable.

How could it be that wherever she went, she kept running into Song Yinyin?

Picking up her daughter, who was happily eating an ice cream cone, Song Qingtian planned to slip away unnoticed.

But just as she took a few steps, she was called out.

“Hey!”

Song Qingtian pretended not to hear a thing, but Ling Nuonuo did. She turned around, leaned on Song Qingtian’s shoulder, and stared wide-eyed at the person calling them.

Shen Conghao smiled at Ling Nuonuo.

Ling Nuonuo looked a bit puzzled, then took a bite of her ice cream.

“I’ve got something else to attend to, Miss Song. You go ahead and head back.”

With that, Shen Conghao started walking toward Song Qingtian and her daughter.

It was only then that Song Yinyin noticed Song Qingtian and Ling Nuonuo, and suddenly a wave of anger surged through her.

She was about to lose her temper, but quickly reined herself in.

Thinking that someone had taken the initiative to seek out Song Qingtian, Song Yinyin felt surprisingly pleased rather than angry.

“Then I won’t keep Mr. Shen any longer. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Song Yinyin pretended not to see Song Qingtian, then turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, Shen Conghao had already caught up with Song Qingtian.

Song Qingtian’s face was dark with displeasure.

Thanks to his long legs, Shen Conghao strode forward with remarkable speed.

As for Song Qingtian, forget about having short legs—she was carrying her daughter, so how fast could she really go?

Seeing Shen Conghao suddenly appear before her, there was no way Song Qingtian could be in a good mood.

“Well, what a beautiful little girl!”

When Shen Conghao reached Song Qingtian, he didn’t even bother to greet her first—he turned his attention straight to Ling Nuonuo.

Ling Nuonuo obediently licked a bit of her ice cream, her big, beautiful eyes fixed on Shen Conghao.

She didn’t say a word; she just watched.

Only then did Shen Conghao notice Song Qingtian’s unhappy expression.

“Another meeting, huh?”

“Mr. Shen stopped us just to say that?”

Song Qingtian wasn’t in the mood to make any new acquaintances.

She’d only helped out out of kindness—not because she wanted to get to know anyone.

Shen Conghao, on the other hand, didn’t care one bit that Song Qingtian was displeased with him.

Just being able to meet was already a pleasant surprise.

It just goes to show how deep their connection really is.

“If that’s all it takes, why not just call instead? And your daughter?”

Shen Conghao said this while smiling at Ling Nuonuo.

Song Qingtian wasn’t saying she didn’t want to find a new partner, either.

After all, she had once held hopes for Qin Zhengxiao.

But back then, she hadn’t thought things through so carefully—and certainly hadn’t considered her daughter.

Think about it: if she were to have an affair during her marriage, her daughter would inevitably suffer the consequences. What would happen to her daughter then?

Besides, Song Qingtian wasn’t the type to feel she absolutely had to get married.

Protecting her daughter was far more important.

Divorce was something she was bound to go through anyway.

But if she ever did decide to date again, it would never be while she was still married—she’d wait until after the divorce, when she could officially start seeing someone.

That way, it would be best for her daughter.

As for Shen Conghao, Song Qingtian simply didn’t feel anything for him.

That was the truth.

Shen Conghao was eagerly awaiting Song Qingtian’s reply, but she completely ignored him, scooping up her daughter and walking right past him, planning to leave like that.

Shen Conghao wasn’t in a hurry, though; he turned around and followed at a leisurely pace.

Ling Nuonuo stared at Shen Conghao, finding him quite amusing.

After walking for a while, Song Qingtian began to feel tired, and they finally arrived at the amusement park.

Setting her daughter down, Song Qingtian knelt on the ground to wipe her mouth and hands.

“Nuonuo,” Song Qingtian asked, “can you manage on your own?”

Unlike many other places, this was a free amusement park—but adults weren’t allowed inside.

Still, Ling Nuonuo said that other kids had played here before, and even some of her schoolmates had talked about it today.

Knowing how much her daughter wanted to play, Song Qingtian had deliberately brought her here.

Ling Nuonuo nodded. “Mommy, Nuonuo’s brave! Nuonuo’s just as brave as all the other kids.”

“Then go ahead, Mommy’ll wait for you!”

“Mommy, I’m off now!”

With that, Ling Nuonuo prepared herself, waved goodbye, and headed into the amusement park.

Since adults could watch from outside and the space wasn’t very big, Song Qingtian felt fairly reassured.

Ling Nuonuo joined the other kids, bending over to crawl into the amusement park.

Song Qingtian kept her eyes on her daughter until she disappeared inside, happily playing alongside the other children.

Only then did Song Qingtian finally calm down.

And it was at that moment that she realized Shen Conghao was standing by her side, hands clasped behind his back, watching her daughter.

He looked as if he really liked it!

End of Chapter 243: A Chance Encounter