SAG -Chapter 17 Father and Son Reunite

Zhang Ran followed the crowd outside, glancing around with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Before he could spot his son or daughter, a familiar voice rang out.

“Brother Zhang! Brother Zhang! Over here!”

Instinctively turning toward the sound, Zhang Ran saw a chubby middle-aged man waving both arms excitedly, even bouncing up and down like an overgrown child, completely lacking the composure expected of someone his age.

Zhang Ran froze for a moment, but recognition quickly dawned on him. A broad smile spread across his face as he strode over.

Meng He rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

At a time like this, however, no one paid much attention to them. All around them, countless reunions were unfolding with even more dramatic displays of emotion. Compared to those, their embrace seemed almost understated.

“Haha! Brother Zhang, I knew it! I knew you’d be okay! Haha… this is wonderful! I finally get to see you again!” Meng He said, nearly incoherent with excitement.

He was genuinely overjoyed.

Even though Zhang Ran still looked exactly as he had twenty-eight years ago—far younger than Meng He himself.

Twenty-eight years had passed.

Meng He had become a wealthy man.

Yet none of that created even the slightest sense of distance between them.

As for Zhang Ran, it was even less of an issue. To him, those twenty-eight years had passed in the blink of an eye.

“My brother… it’s so good to see you,” Zhang Ran said softly.

Yes.

It truly was.

Only one person had come to welcome him back—

Meng He.

Was that too few?

No.

It was more than enough.

Zhang Ran knew Meng He understood exactly what his return meant.

Yet he had still come, openly expressing every bit of his joy and excitement without the slightest pretense.

“Brother Zhang…” Lin Meizhi’s eyes had already reddened with tears.

“Come here. Give me a hug.”

Releasing Meng He, Zhang Ran opened his arms toward her with a warm smile, as though no time had passed between them.

The moment she saw his outstretched arms, Lin Meizhi could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down her face as she embraced him tightly.

Meanwhile, Meng Zixuan quietly stepped beside her father.

“Dad… this is Uncle Zhang?”

“That’s right,” Meng He replied excitedly. “That’s your Uncle Zhang.”

Watching her father behave this way, Meng Zixuan didn’t know what to say.

Mom’s hugging another man right in front of you… and you’re not jealous at all?

If she hadn’t known how deeply her father loved her mother, she might actually have suspected their marriage was falling apart.

Both Meng Zixuan and Meng Mingxuan looked curiously at the man they had heard about all their lives but had never met.

Beneath their curiosity was an unmistakable excitement.

As Zhang Ran reunited with Meng He’s family, Zhang Sicheng and his own family stood frozen, staring at him.

At the face that resembled Zhang Sicheng’s by five or six parts.

Zhang Ran noticed them as well.

He gently released Lin Meizhi.

Across the distance, father and son looked at each other.

Both pairs of eyes were filled with nervousness…and uncertainty.

Finally, Zhang Sicheng was the first to recover.

Taking a deep breath, he walked forward while holding Liu Lu’s hand and little Zhang Xiaotao’s.

Zhang Ran hurried toward them as well.

“You… you’re Sicheng, aren’t you?”

It was the first thing he said.

His voice trembled with nervousness.

Since his rebirth, this was perhaps the first time he had ever been this anxious.

Zhang Sicheng stared blankly at the father he had only ever seen in photographs.

He remained speechless until Liu Lu discreetly pinched him, bringing him back to reality.

“Yes… I’m Zhang Sicheng.”

“This is my wife, Liu Lu.”

“And this is my son, Zhang Xiaotao.”

He honestly didn’t know how he should address Zhang Ran.

Call him Dad?

By blood, that was certainly correct.

But looking at Zhang Ran’s youthful face—one that appeared even younger than his own—the word simply wouldn’t come out.

Besides, although he had mentally prepared himself, accepting everything overnight was impossible.

“Hello… I’m…”

Even Zhang Ran didn’t know how to introduce himself to Liu Lu.

Fortunately, Liu Lu had prepared herself long ago and accepted the situation much more easily.

Smiling warmly, she said, “Hello. You can just call me Lulu or Liu Lu.”

Before Zhang Ran could reply, a clear child’s voice interrupted.

“Are you my grandpa? Why are you so young? You look younger than my dad!”

Looking down, Zhang Ran saw the little boy gazing up at him with wide, curious eyes.

Knowing exactly who he was, Zhang Ran immediately crouched down.

“That’s right. I’m your grandpa—your real grandpa.”

“I just look young because… something unusual happened.”

“Grandpa!”

Although Zhang Xiaotao didn’t understand the explanation, he knew the man before him was his grandfather.

So he called him without hesitation.

“Yes!”

Zhang Ran answered loudly.

For reasons even he couldn’t explain, his eyes suddenly grew moist.

He still didn’t know how to interact with Zhang Sicheng and the others.

But standing before this little boy…

Something deep inside him stirred.

“Susu! Come quickly! Grandpa came to see me!”

The little boy suddenly shouted toward the back.

A delicate little girl stood there.

Her expression was cool and detached.

Unlike most children, she showed none of the usual excitement or liveliness at seeing her grandfather.

“You’re Siyan, aren’t you?”

Zhang Ran stood and looked at Zhang Siyan.

“…Mm.”

Naturally reserved, and now even more unsure of what to say, she merely nodded.

After a moment of silence, she took Susu’s little hand.

“Call him Grandpa.”

Susu’s little face showed a hint of reluctance.

Yet Zhang Ran could clearly see a trace of longing hidden within her bright, innocent eyes.

“…Grandpa.”

She called out reluctantly.

“Yes!”

Once again, Zhang Ran answered with heartfelt emotion.

He wasn’t surprised that Zhang Siyan’s husband hadn’t come.

Although the authorities hadn’t investigated every detail of his family’s lives, Zhang Ran already knew that Zhang Siyan’s marriage was far from happy.

After everyone had greeted one another, an awkward silence settled over the group.

Suddenly, Zhang Ran slapped his forehead.

“Look at me—I almost forgot.”

Meng He’s family quietly remained to one side.

Meng He had countless things he wanted to say to Zhang Ran, but he knew this wasn’t the right moment.

Zhang Ran opened his suitcase.

The first thing he took out was a necklace box.

“Liu Lu, this is for you.”

“Think of it as a terribly overdue first-meeting gift.”

“I hope you don’t mind.”

Liu Lu instinctively looked toward her husband.

After a brief silence, Zhang Sicheng nodded.

He understood.

Zhang Ran was doing his best to bridge the distance between them.

Receiving her husband’s approval, Liu Lu accepted the gift box with both hands.

Then Zhang Ran smiled brightly before crouching beside Zhang Xiaotao.

“Taotao, this one’s for you.”

“Do you like it?”

He took out a robot model and handed it to the little boy.

In truth, from the instant Zhang Ran had opened the suitcase, Zhang Xiaotao’s eyes had been glued to the robot.

But he had always been well-mannered.

No matter how badly he wanted it, he had restrained himself.

Now, seeing his mother accept Grandpa’s gift, he happily hugged the robot model.

It was the toy he had dreamed of owning.

But it was so expensive that he had never once asked his parents to buy it.

“Thank you, Grandpa!”

“Grandpa, you’re the best!”

He immediately kissed Zhang Ran on the cheek.

That single kiss filled Zhang Ran with indescribable joy.

At that moment, an overwhelming sense of happiness and fulfillment welled up inside him.