Chapter 106: I Am Who I Am

In the driver's seat was Tangtang, the little beauty Yang Chen had just failed to bid farewell to. Unlike her usual sunny self, Tangtang seemed somewhat timid and guilty as she said, "Uncle, get in the car. There aren't many taxis around here. I'll take you back."

Yang Chen didn't make a fuss, opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat. He asked, "Can I smoke? I'll roll down the window."

Tangtang immediately nodded vigorously, as if eager for Yang Chen to smoke.

"Thanks." Yang Chen said lightly, pressing the window button and taking out a cheap pack of cigarettes from his pocket, as well as a no-name plastic lighter. He lit one for himself.

Tangtang drove slowly, whispering, "Uncle, smoke better-quality cigarettes. These are bad for your health. And your lighter is unsafe. Next time, I'll buy you a genuine Zippo lighter. It'll make you look cool."

"Good cigarettes have no taste, and if the lighter breaks, I'll just buy a new one. They're only a yuan each, a hundred times cheaper than a Zippo, and I won't feel bad if I lose one." Yang Chen gazed at the distant sea, speaking nonchalantly.

Tangtang asked somewhat aggrievedly, "Uncle, are you still angry? Do you not even want to look at me?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?" Yang Chen turned to ask.

"Dad asked me to call you over, but he wasn't polite to you at all, and even suspected you were a bad person. I know you're kind-hearted, but my dad is like that, he doesn't trust anyone. I couldn't do anything about it." Tangtang said with a pout, "It was better a few years ago, but since he became that rubbish secretary, he's been getting worse and worse!"

Yang Chen chuckled softly, listening to the little girl vent about her old man. Whether it was true or not, he just listened.

Seeing Yang Chen's indifferent demeanor, Tangtang became even more anxious. "Uncle, I'm sorry, okay? Don't be angry. Let me treat you to a meal! We can go wherever you want. Can't I apologize to you? I really didn't mean it. I didn't expect Dad and his men to attack you. But as a weak girl, I couldn't stop them. Uncle, please don't be like this. Even scolding me would be better than not talking to me like this!"

Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh and cry. He hadn't thought much about it, but this girl had imagined a lot on her own. "Tangtang, where did you see that I'm angry? Just now when they attacked me, I wasn't angry. I was just annoyed. To put it bluntly, with your dad and his bunch of bodyguards, they're not worth me getting angry over."

Tangtang doubted, "Really? Uncle, you're not angry with me?"

"Why would I be angry with you?" Yang Chen rolled his eyes impatiently.

Suddenly, a joyful smile spread across Tangtang's face, as if she were a greedy little bear finding a jar of sweet honey. If she hadn't been holding onto the steering wheel, she might have jumped up and kissed Yang Chen all over his face!

"I knew you were the best, Uncle!"

Yang Chen waved his hand. "Don't get too excited. I haven't finished talking yet."

Tangtang blinked cutely. "But Uncle said you're not angry anymore?"

"I'm not angry, but that doesn't mean today's events haven't affected me at all," Yang Chen said lightly. "Your family is too much trouble for me. To avoid any future trouble with your dad and his people, I think it's best if we pretend we don't know each other from now on. You go to school, and I'll go to work. Let's not contact each other anymore."

Yang Chen didn't want to be suspected by Fang Zhongping all the time. Today's altercation had basically ruined their relationship. If he continued to associate with Tangtang, even if he was innocent, it would be hard to explain.

After listening, Tangtang suddenly slammed on the brakes!

"Squeak!"

The car came to a sudden stop by the roadside, causing both of them to lurch forward due to the inertia!

Yang Chen turned his head in confusion. "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly stop?"

Tangtang didn't speak. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, lowered her head, and let her hair fall over her face, covering most of her pretty face. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and a few crystal tears fell onto her fair and slender thighs as she began to sob.

Yang Chen felt his scalp go numb. What was going on now? Why was she crying again? What was there to cry about?

"Hey, girl, don't cry. If you're going to cry, at least give me a heads-up. Even the TV station gives a weather forecast for rain and hail. How come your tears are so unpredictable?" Yang Chen said helplessly.

Tangtang slowly raised her head. Because of the tears, a few traces of charm hidden in her naive face suddenly emerged, possessing a somewhat soul-stirring allure.

After parking the car and shifting it into park, Tangtang wiped away the tears on her face and sobbed, "Uncle... can you... can you scold me a few times, even hit me a few times if you want, just don't leave me, don't ignore me, okay?"

"Why would I hit you or scold you?" Yang Chen chuckled bitterly. "I'm afraid your dad, with his suspicious nature, will come trouble me again in the future. You're caught in the middle between your dad and me, and it's not easy, right?"

"No, it won't happen!" Tangtang seemed to grasp at a lifeline, immediately saying, "Starting tomorrow, I've decided to move in with Mom and not stay with Dad anymore. That way, if Dad tries to cause trouble for you again, I won't know anything about it. Anyway, Dad is no match for you, Uncle. I won't get involved at all!"

Yang Chen asked in confusion, "You moved in with your mom? But aren't your mom and dad living together?"

Tangtang suddenly blushed and hesitated, saying, "They... they are my dad and mom, but they're not married..."

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen was puzzled.

Tangtang nervously played with the hem of her clothes, as if mustering up the courage to confess something. "Uncle, I'll tell you a secret, okay? Can you keep it between us as our little secret?"

The girl's eyes were as clear as white crystals, making it hard to resist her innocent beauty.

Yang Chen felt a slight ripple in his heart. He hadn't expected this girl, who had made such a bad first impression, to have such a touching gaze. Subconsciously, he nodded, indicating for Tangtang to continue.

Tangtang pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and finally said, "I... I'm actually a test-tube baby."

"A test-tube baby?" Yang Chen hadn't expected this revelation. He had thought it might be something like Tangtang's parents being divorced, but what Tangtang revealed was much more powerful than he had imagined!

The so-called test-tube baby was, of course, not born inside a test tube. It was simply a term used to describe a baby conceived through in vitro fertilization, where the male and female reproductive cells were combined in a test tube and then implanted into the mother's womb for development. It was still a baby born after nine months of pregnancy.

However, such babies often had some congenital defects after birth, such as heart disease, and they were more likely to suffer from medical problems like autism due to their unique circumstances and family issues.

Regardless, the technology for test-tube babies was not yet mature. Therefore, in the entire country of Yuanyanxia, test-tube babies were not well-known to most people. Even those who knew about it mostly kept silent. Children born from such medical technology often faced a lot of ethical and moral pressure.

"Yeah, so although my dad is my dad, he and my mom are actually just friends. They've never even held hands, let alone acted like other couples," Tangtang explained.

After Tangtang finished speaking, she observed Yang Chen's expression and saw his strange look. He was staring straight at her, as if he found her birth too peculiar, and a trace of sadness appeared on his face.

Tangtang forced a smile and lowered her head. "I knew it. Uncle, you must think I'm a freak. Actually, I don't care. If I'm a freak, then so be it. After all, I've grown up this way, and test-tube babies can still live perfectly fine lives."

Yang Chen smiled and suddenly reached out to touch the back of the girl's head. "I haven't said anything, yet you've already made a conclusion about yourself. Actually, to be honest with you, whether you're a test-tube baby or a normal child, I don't care at all."

"Really?" Tangtang's eyes lit up with a hint of excitement as she looked up.

"I'm not interested in telling lies just to comfort you," Yang Chen teased with a smile. "Don't think being a test-tube baby entitles you to special treatment. No way."

Tangtang chuckled through her tears and playfully hit Yang Chen's arm. "Uncle, you're so annoying. You made me cry and didn't say anything earlier. My heart almost broke."

"It's not a big deal. You're just a test-tube baby. Although the process of your birth was a bit unusual, you're still a child born to your parents together," Yang Chen said with a hint of melancholy in his smile. "You don't know, there are some people in this world who can't even decide whether they're considered human or not. That's the saddest part."

"How can there be people like that?" Tangtang asked, puzzled. "A human is a human, and other creatures are other creatures. What's so hard to understand?"

"Heh, let's not talk about that," Yang Chen didn't want to continue this topic and changed the subject. "So, your dad won't get angry or blame you for moving in with your mom?"

Tangtang giggled like the mischievous teenage girl Yang Chen had seen before. "Don't worry about that. My dad is most afraid of my mom. My mom dotes on me the most. As long as I tell my mom, my dad won't dare to say anything!"

"It seems like your dad really likes your mom," Yang Chen said knowingly.

"Yeah," Tangtang nodded. "Dad wanted to pursue my mom since he was young, but mom never agreed. They can only be considered the best of friends. So when my mom wanted to have me, to make up for my dad's regret, she let my dad provide the sperm. After my mom gave birth to me, dad thought mom might change her mind, but mom has been single till now. Now, my dad has basically given up and thinks it's fine this way."

"It's not that it's fine this way. It's just that your dad has no other choice," Yang Chen shook his head.

Tangtang sighed softly. "Yeah, dad is quite pitiful. When I was young, I always hoped that my dad and mom could be together, so I could have a complete family."

"But you still have parents and a home now, don't you?"

"It's not the same..." Tangtang's face showed sadness. "Uncle, do you know? My dad and mom have been very busy since I was young. One worked in the court, and the other was busy with business. I have memories of being in daycare and kindergarten since I was young. When I finished school, it was always the nanny who took care of me. I was particularly afraid when I finished kindergarten because I couldn't run into my dad and mom's arms like other children..."

"Actually, my parents dote on me a lot. They give me a lot of money, make sure the places I live in are well-furnished and fancy, and all my clothes are branded. I was like a little princess back then. I had things that other kids didn't, and everyone envied me. But in my memory, I wasn't happy at all. I didn't need so much money. I just wanted them to take me to the amusement park, or accompany me for a walk in the park..."

"As I grew up, sometimes I stayed at dad's house, sometimes at mom's, and both sides of the family always tried to pull me into their homes, but I never went to either. Even my ID only had 'Tangtang' written on it, without any surname. My parents were anxious at the time, telling me it's fine to use anyone's surname, just not to be like a wild child with no name..."

"I thought at the time, am I not just a wild child? Apart from having money, cars, and houses, I'm not much different from a wild child..."

Here, Tangtang seemed to be on the verge of tears again, but she glanced at Yang Chen and laughed. "But now it's okay, with you around, Uncle. I finally don't have to play with those spoiled kids who only know how to spend money all day."

Yang Chen didn't expect the lively girl to have such a past. Although her parents had immense material wealth, they seemed to have neglected her spiritual well-being!

"I'm not your dad or mom, so don't put too much weight on me," Yang Chen said with a wry smile, his tone softened considerably. Perhaps it was because Tangtang's upbringing resonated somewhat with his own, or maybe it was pity for her dim childhood.

"Uncle isn't a dad or mom, but when I do something wrong, Uncle will discipline me; when I want to watch a boring movie, Uncle will accompany me; when I'm in danger, Uncle will protect me. Uncle won't disgust me like those bratty boys... These are all things I've never experienced before," Tangtang said, her face flushing. "And, sometimes, Uncle shows a bit of a rogue side... Actually, I quite like it."

Yang Chen rubbed his face. This girl was giving him goosebumps with her words. "All these things you're talking about are trivial. I'm not as important as you think. Once you get to know some more normal people your age, you'll realize there are actually plenty of good people in this world."

"It's not the same!" Tangtang said angrily. "I'm stubborn. If you're determined to cut ties with me today and have nothing to do with me from now on, I'll jump into the sea!"

"Don't talk nonsense! Don't do anything reckless!"

"You're the one pushing me to it!"

"You..."

"I am who I am!"

"You win..."

Yang Chen sighed and resignedly reached out to pinch Tangtang's rosy cheeks, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Tangtang seemed like a victorious little general, bursting into silver bell-like laughter...

In that moment, the gloom in the car dissipated entirely.