CHAPTER 613: CHAPTER 525 DO YOU HAVE A WOMAN ON THE SIDE? (PART 2)

Danton quickly placed the model on the carpet.

Pengpeng and Ziyan reached eagerly for the model, while Tong Airui set Ziyan down. Just as he was about to straighten up, his phone chimed with a message alert.

Tong Airui glanced at Yi Luowa, signaling her to watch the children, then took his phone and headed to his father’s study.

The message was sent by Queen Haotian. Tong Airui closed the study door before daring to open it.

Xia Rou is dead, Nancy has escaped!

With those brief eight words, Tong Airui’s brows instantly furrowed tightly. After pondering for a moment, he dialed Queen Haotian’s number.

"How could something like this happen?"

"It completely caught me off guard. I feared there might be hiccups if I waited too long, so I sent people from the manor to capture Xia Rou directly. Who would have thought—she had already hanged herself, and it’s been some time since she died. As for Nancy’s escape route... I’m blushing on her behalf. She crawled through a dog hole!"

Tong Airui’s lips twitched slightly. "I thought crawling through dog holes was something only Aunt Crescent Moon liked to do. Never expected Nancy also had a penchant for it."

"Sigh... The truth was just about to surface after all these years, and now everything’s broken again."

"It hasn’t been long. Nancy should still be in the imperial city. Your people can conduct a carpet-style search. I refuse to believe she’s capable of vanishing into thin air."

"I’ve already dispatched people, but so far, there hasn’t been a single lead... Airui, Xia Rou’s confession letter has been sent to me. She’s taken all the blame on herself. By doing this, she’s trying to protect someone behind the scenes. I believe her death was meant to shield that person."

"Then don’t let Xia Rou’s death be in vain."

Queen Haotian paused for a moment before understanding the meaning behind his words. "Are we still trying to apprehend Nancy, then?"

"Continue as usual. This doesn’t conflict with your belief that Xia Rou was the mastermind."

The voice on the other end of the line chuckled wryly. "With you handling things, I don’t even need to overthink; I know you can sort everything out for me!"

Being trusted so deeply by Queen Haotian, Tong Airui felt a subtle closeness to her in his heart.

"Airui, Randy and I want to visit Luowa. Is that alright?"

Tong Airui froze. He hadn’t told his wife about this yet.

"If it’s inconvenient, I’ll persuade Randy to wait a little longer."

"Let me talk to him. I’ll handle it myself," Randy said impatiently, taking the phone from his wife. "Airui... This is Randy."

Tong Airui’s lips twitched slightly. "Hello."

"We’re family now; there’s no need to be so formal. Everyone else has seen Luowa except me. I’d simply like to meet the child—even if we can’t acknowledge her yet. I want to see her. You’re a father yourself now; you must understand how I feel."

Tong Airui frowned slightly. "When are you planning to come?"

Randy replied immediately, "If possible, I’d head over now and arrive in Xiawu early tomorrow."

"That might be too rushed. I’m afraid it’ll scare Luowa."

"Airui, isn’t Danton with you? The New Year is approaching, and Zhi Lan suggested we go pick him up to bring him home. What do you think?" Randy softened his tone, attempting to negotiate.

His approach made Tong Airui hesitate—it was difficult for him to refuse. After briefly weighing the options, he finally said, "You’ve got so many responsibilities over there. If you’re all coming, who’s going to manage state affairs? Nancy is still on the run..."

Queen Haotian spoke up from the other side, "I’ll stay behind and let Randy go alone. Airui, don’t feel pressured. Let’s not acknowledge Luowa yet this time; we’ll just let Randy visit her and the kids. When things here are more settled and after you’ve talked more with Luowa, we’ll pick an appropriate time for the acknowledgment."

"That sounds best. Since the New Year is nearly here, I want Luowa to have a peaceful holiday before bringing up the matter. Oh, by the way, have you tested Nancy’s DNA?"

Queen Haotian nodded quickly. "We have. I took one of her frequently used combs—this has been verified with the doctors; they said it works."

"Good. Once everything is in order, after the New Year, I’ll discuss it with Luowa."

"Alright. Randy will set off tonight. I’ll instruct him carefully to ensure Luowa doesn’t sense anything out of place."

"I’m not a child; I can control my emotions just fine!" Emperor Haotian said, slightly displeased.

Queen Haotian glared at her husband. "I couldn’t control myself when I found out the truth, yet you somehow can? Let me tell you this—if you ruin the whole act, don’t expect Luowa to call you Dad in the future!"

"I..."

"No more excuses. I’m still on the phone with Airui here."

Tong Airui chuckled silently. That’s marriage for you—no matter the heights of your status, little spats between husband and wife persist.

"Do you need help tracking Nancy?"

"Don’t let me trouble you with everything. I’ll handle it myself. If she can’t be caught, that’s her luck. But if she’s captured..."

Queen Haotian trailed off; she didn’t want her son-in-law to think of her as a wicked old witch.

"Don’t overexert yourself."

With just one sentence from her son-in-law, Queen Haotian’s tears flowed instantly like a dam bursting.

Emperor Haotian glanced at his wife with concern. Just as he was about to speak, Queen Haotian quickly waved him off, wiped her tears, and said, "Airui, I won’t keep bothering you. Rest early."

After finishing the call, Queen Haotian hurriedly hung up. "Randy, did you hear what our son-in-law said? Last call he gave me grief, but now he cares about me!"

"Progress!" Emperor Haotian arched his brows slightly. "Perhaps he’s afraid we’ll make things difficult for him later."

Queen Haotian shook her head. "It’s genuine; those were his heartfelt words. Randy, I must remind you—no matter now or in the future, never act like Luowa is our exclusive property in front of the Aldrich family. After all, she has married into their family."

Not entirely pleased, Emperor Haotian muttered, "She’s still our daughter!"

"She’s also a member of the Aldrich family. Without Airui, our daughter might be in an entirely different situation now! And as for Mr. Yi, who raised Luowa, we must remember to thank him properly someday."

"That goes without saying. We can’t forget our debts of gratitude. Enough talk—I need to pack and head out. Don’t stay up late; you’ve barely slept these past few nights. While I’m gone, make sure to take care of yourself."

Seeing her husband preparing to leave, Queen Haotian quickly grabbed his arm. "Travel safely. As long as the person behind all this remains unidentified, I won’t feel safe."

"Once I’ve met Luowa and the children, I’ll return to take on this burden fully." Emperor Haotian lightly patted her shoulder. "Watching your struggles pains me."

Queen Haotian smiled. "Whether it’s family business or national affairs, it’s ours to bear together. Whoever does a little more, it’s all by choice. Randy, if Danton doesn’t want to return, let him stay there. It’s safer over there... Although I miss our son deeply, safety comes first."

"That’s fine—with his sister nearby, they’ll get closer."

Queen Haotian nodded and watched her husband as he exited.

You might think Emperor Haotian was impulsive, yet in this critical moment, he showed strategy—choosing to board a small civilian plane instead of his private jet for the trip to Xiawu.

Queen Haotian stood by the window until the silhouette of the plane disappeared from view. Only then did she sit back at her desk.

While the older couple remained sleepless throughout the night, Yi Luowa enjoyed a full night’s rest. When she opened her eyes in the morning, surprise filled her face as she gazed at the man sleeping beside her. He had spared her last night! A rare occasion indeed.

Tong Airui sensed her gaze and slowly opened his eyes.

Yi Luowa pursed her lips, questioning him, "Tong Airui, are you seeing someone else?"