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Just a few days ago, when she had asked Yan Qiao Qiao if she remembered her father, the girl had innocently replied, “What’s a father?”

It seemed that watching TV constantly over the past few days had taught her a lot. But understanding something wasn’t the same as feeling it. Could Qiao Qiao truly grasp what a father, mother, family, or love meant without ever having experienced them?

Yan Qiao Qiao nodded earnestly, meeting Zhao Ying Jun’s eyes. “Other kids have them,” she answered.

“Other kids?” Zhao Ying Jun asked, raising an eyebrow. “On TV?”

Yan Qiao Qiao shook her head and pointed outside the window. “The kids in the yard.”

Yan Mei, who was nearby, walked over and added, “Qiao Qiao has been playing outside with the neighborhood kids lately. Most of them are seven or eight years old—there aren’t many her age.”

“But mentally, they’re about the same age, so they get along and have made some friends in the yard,” Yan Mei continued. “Those kids have their moms and dads with them. When it’s time to eat, their parents take them home. Qiao Qiao seems a bit envious… though ‘envious’ might not be the right word. She often asks me where her parents are.”

Yan Mei sighed softly. “Qiao Qiao is getting smarter every day. She’s learning more, and there are some things we can’t hide from her forever. She’ll find out what she needs to know sooner or later.”

Zhao Ying Jun gently rubbed Yan Qiao Qiao’s head, noticing her scruffy little pigtails and a cheap flower hair clip. Feeling the urge to do something different, she grabbed Qiao Qiao’s hand, picked up some bags from the sofa, and led her to the bedroom. “Come on, let me give you a new hairstyle.”

In the bedroom, Zhao Ying Jun laid out various hair accessories, combs, and clips on the table. She patted the chair in front of the vanity mirror. “Sit here, Qiao Qiao. Don’t move. I’ll do your hair.”

Qiao Qiao sat down obediently, staring straight ahead as Zhao Ying Jun worked on her hair.

“You’re a big girl now; you can’t keep wearing these childish pigtails,” Zhao Ying Jun said, removing the fake flower and elastic bands from Qiao Qiao’s hair. “Even if people don’t say it, they’d think it’s silly for someone your age to dress like this.”

“You’re smart and learn quickly. You should learn how to style your own hair. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A simple ponytail is perfect—clean and pretty.”

She carefully combed out Qiao Qiao’s hair with a wooden comb. It fell just past her neck, touching her shoulders—neither too long nor too short. A simple ponytail would suit her fine. The ends were a bit uneven, probably from not being trimmed in a while, but a ponytail would hide that.

Zhao Ying Jun gathered Qiao Qiao’s hair at the back of her head and secured it with a blue elastic hairband, wrapping it around twice to create a neat ponytail.

Her bangs and sideburns were already the right length, so they didn’t need any extra styling. Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but admire how a youthful face and good looks could make almost any hairstyle work. With her doll-like features, snow-white skin, and big, bright eyes, Qiao Qiao would look good no matter what.

“You’re too young for makeup, and your skin is perfect. You don’t need it. We’ll keep it simple and add a hair clip in the front.”

Since the ponytail holder was bright blue and stood out, she added a small pale pink metal hair clip to balance the color. It was plain but elegant.

She clipped the hairpin above Qiao Qiao’s bangs, and the hairstyle was complete.

“Hmm… now what should you wear?” Zhao Ying Jun pondered, feeling like she was dressing up a doll from her childhood. It was surprisingly fun.

It turned out that dressing up her own child was far more enjoyable than dressing herself.

“You’re too skinny for tight clothes—they’ll just make you look too thin. A dress would be better,” Zhao Ying Jun smiled as she searched through the bags for a cute dress.

She rarely wore dresses herself. She couldn’t remember if she wore them as a child, but since she started school, she hadn’t. She just didn’t like them. But she thought Qiao Qiao would look good in one, and maybe it could make up for her own dislike of cute clothes.

Finally, she picked out a simple, knee-length, off-white dress with no unnecessary patterns or decorations. It was perfect for Qiao Qiao. Despite being only 151 cm tall, Qiao Qiao had great proportions—long legs and a high waist—ideal for such a fresh style.

“Alright, stand up and take a look in the mirror,” Zhao Ying Jun said as she finished tidying up.

Qiao Qiao walked over to the full-length mirror, swaying from side to side. “It looks nice,” she said concisely.

Zhao Ying Jun smiled with satisfaction. “Do you really think it looks nice?”

Qiao Qiao nodded, turning back to look at Zhao Ying Jun. “Thank you, sister.”

“…”

Zhao Ying Jun was silent for a moment but then thought it over.

It was better for Qiao Qiao to call her “sister.” She wasn’t ready to be called “mom” yet. If Qiao Qiao suddenly started calling her “mom,” she wouldn’t feel any comfort or pride.

Instead… she’d only feel a chilling dread.

Besides, the age gap between her and Qiao Qiao was small. If they went out and Qiao Qiao called her “mom,” everyone would think she was a young stepmother that Qiao Qiao’s father had married.

Even if her conscience was clear, rumors could be annoying. Better to avoid them altogether.

“From now on, wear clothes like these,” Zhao Ying Jun said, pointing to the bags on the bed. “All these clothes are for you. You’ll learn how to dress yourself eventually. And those silly pigtails and fake flowers? Don’t wear them again. Even four- or five-year-olds don’t dress like that anymore.”

“If Lin Xian… or anyone else saw you like that, they’d think I’m not taking care of you. You need to look more presentable.”

Zhao Ying Jun knew. Even though Lin Xian had many secrets and likely multiple hidden identities, his reunion with Qiao Qiao was inevitable. When the truth came out…

If Qiao Qiao looked shabby and lacked proper manners, how would she explain herself? How could she face him?

This child needed to be well cared for.

Later, when they took Qiao Qiao out, Zhao Rui Hai and Yan Mei were delighted to see her new look.

“Oh, Qiao Qiao looks so grown-up now!”

“Hehe, yes, a little girl needs to be dressed up. Clothes really do make the person. She suddenly looks more mature.”

Qiao Qiao seemed excited to show off her new outfit to her friends and ran straight for the door, eager to go out and play.

“You two must be tired after spending so much time with her,” Zhao Ying Jun said, following behind Qiao Qiao. She looked back at her parents, “I’ll take her out to play today.”

With that, the two of them, looking more like sisters than anything else, headed out to find some playmates in the neighborhood.

As they watched them leave, Yan Mei remarked, “Rui Hai, don’t you think Ying Jun seems closer to Qiao Qiao now?”

“In the past, whenever she visited, she was always impatient, constantly finding faults in everything. But today, she was great. She didn’t complain once and even bought Qiao Qiao clothes and did her hair.”

Sitting on the sofa, Zhao Rui Hai nodded with a smile. “That’s the magic of blood ties. The bond is something you can’t resist. But building a relationship still takes time. We raised children ourselves, so it’s easier for us to slip into the roles of grandparents. But it’s naturally harder for young people to adjust.”

“Still, seeing Ying Jun and Qiao Qiao getting along better makes me happy. When we eventually leave Donghai, we’ll feel more comfortable leaving Qiao Qiao with Ying Jun. You can tell… she actually likes Qiao Qiao. We just didn’t communicate well before.”

Yan Mei also sat down on the sofa, cleaning up the fruit peels that Qiao Qiao had eaten. “So, have you thought about how we’re going to leave Qiao Qiao with her?”

“We can’t just leave her behind and go without a word. Right now, it’s understandable that Ying Jun finds this unbelievable and unscientific. We have to handle it carefully.”

Zhao Rui Hai nodded. “Don’t worry; I have a plan and know how to handle this smoothly.”

“We’ll stay with Qiao Qiao for another week, and then we’ll come up with an excuse to go back to the capital, saying it’s an emergency but that we’ll be back soon. We’ll ask Ying Jun to take care of Qiao Qiao for a few days.”

“Then… we’ll decide later whether to come back. The golden week holiday is almost over anyway. Since the crowds have died down, we could take Qiao Qiao on a little trip.”

“I’ve always dreamed of taking my grandkids to see the country’s beautiful landscapes. It’s funny how life works. Some dreams come true when you least expect them to.”

Yan Mei put the trash from the coffee table into the bin and shook her head, sighing. “No matter what happens to Qiao Qiao, I hope Ying Jun can give us an acceptable answer soon about why she has such a grown-up daughter.”

“True, but now that the child is here, healthy and all grown up, does it really matter what the answer is? As long as everyone is happy and healthy, I’m fine with it.”

“Alright then, let’s enjoy our last bit of time with Qiao Qiao, take her on a little trip, and then head back home.”

The next day, after the golden week holiday ended, everyone returned to work, and things got busy again. Since visiting Yan Qiao Qiao that day, Zhao Ying Jun hadn’t been back to her parents’ villa.

Her parents had said they were taking Qiao Qiao on a trip to see the sights. That was fine with her. She didn’t think much of it and continued to focus on her work at MX Company.

Work was still hectic. But even in the midst of it all, she couldn’t help but think of Lin Xian and Yan Qiao Qiao.

Strange… she never used to be like this, so worried and uncertain. How did she suddenly slip into the role of a parent?

Maybe Brother Wang was right. Women do seem to adapt to the role of a mother faster than men do to the role of a father.

Over the past few days, she had visited the neighboring Rhine Company several times but hadn’t seen Lin Xian. Instead, she ran into Brother Wang in the hallway yesterday.

“President Zhao Ying Jun, you’re here!” Brother Wang greeted her warmly. “Anything I can do for you?”

“Not really.” She smiled. “Just looking around. Has Lin Xian been absent from work lately?”

“Haha, him?” Brother Wang gave her a knowing look. “He’s a hands-off manager. Not showing up is normal; coming in is a rare miracle. And lately, I don’t know if he’s feeling unwell or something… he seems to be awake at night and sleeping during the day.”

“Every afternoon when I call him, he never picks up, so I don’t even bother calling anymore. I just text him. And like clockwork, around two or three in the morning, he replies.”

“Though he’s still young, he should take care of his health. Staying up late every night isn’t good. If you get a chance, tell him to change his schedule. What can’t be done during the day? Why does he need to sleep during the day?”

Listening to Brother Wang, Zhao Ying Jun couldn’t help but think back to her earlier suspicions…

Her uncle, who worked in national security and hid his identity from his wife for thirty years, had a similar situation. He was often away on business trips and would sometimes not answer his phone.

Because of this, her uncle and aunt had many arguments. But her uncle was a dedicated national security officer, and even when things got tough, he kept the truth to himself to maintain secrecy, protect national security, and carry out his missions.

As a woman, Zhao Ying Jun sympathized with her aunt—living with that kind of cold silence must have been difficult. But as a citizen who enjoyed the peace and security of their country, she also deeply respected her uncle and other unsung heroes who sacrificed for the greater good.

Loyalty and family—it’s an age-old dilemma, and there’s no perfect solution.

Now, she suspected that Lin Xian was in a similar situation, engaged in some secret mission or doing something great yet unrecognized.

She had a gut feeling that whatever Lin Xian was doing, it was probably even more dangerous and important than her uncle’s work.

This was why, even though she had known about Qiao Qiao’s background for days, she hadn’t reached out to Lin Xian.

Of course, part of it was not knowing how to bring up such an unclear and confusing relationship. But the real reason for her silence…

She sensed that Lin Xian was carrying some important burden and that he was deliberately hiding it.

Just like now, what he told Brother Wang… Sleeping? Ha!

Who could sleep for 12 hours straight every day without waking up? That was impossible. Lin Xian was surely using “sleep” as an excuse to do other secret things.

At 12:42 AM, in a corner of Lin Xian’s bedroom, he opened his eyes. He jumped out of bed so quickly that he didn’t even have time to rub his tired eyes. He dashed to his desk, turned on the lamp, grabbed a pen, and started scribbling on the prepared sheets of paper.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

The pen flew across the page as if guided by an unseen force. It wasn’t that Lin Xian was particularly quick-witted; he was racing against his fading memory. As the pen glided smoothly, a complex and continuous chemical reaction equation began to appear on the paper.

But that wasn’t all. There were still many notes and annotations to add. Lin Xian didn’t understand them entirely, so he could only copy them down, just like tracing a drawing.

Finally, before the visual memory faded away, Lin Xian managed to copy down this groundbreaking reaction equation that could change the world.

For the first time in 600 years, Academician Gao Wen’s research findings were brought back to life.

“Phew…”

Lin Xian let out a deep breath, as if he could finally breathe again. This equation was so long and challenging to memorize; recalling it all at once had been his greatest test. Thankfully, he had succeeded. His hard work wasn’t in vain.

He relaxed a little, rubbed his eyes, drank some water, and continued copying down the notes from his memory until 2 AM. Only then did he finish his task.

Lin Xian stretched, tidied up the papers in front of him. Unknowingly, so many days had passed, and Academician Gao Wen’s research manuscript, “Principles of Time-Space Travel and Design Concepts for a Time-Space Machine,” was now more than halfway transcribed back into the real world. In just a few days, he would finish copying it all.

Seeing that the time-space machine was almost within reach… Lin Xian couldn’t help feeling a bit excited, imagining himself being able to travel freely through time, like Yellow Finch and the time-space assassins.

Of course, he knew better than anyone that time travel wasn’t that simple. Time-space laws, time-space particles, how to return, time-space rejection, forced avoidance… all these were problems that he’d inevitably have to face.

However, Lin Xian wasn’t in a rush. He could keep the theory in hand, ensuring his technological advantage for the future when he might need it.

He opened a drawer and carefully placed the copied manuscript inside.

“In a few days, once I’ve finished copying and double-checking the manuscript, it’ll be time to move on to the next step in the fifth dream world.”

Queenstown—that was Lin Xian’s next target in his dream.

Would there be his own or Uncle Wei Sheng Jin’s belongings in those dozens of aluminum alloy safes in the town? He was equally curious to meet the queen of Queenstown—whoever she might be.

“One step at a time,” he thought.

Lin Xian stretched and glanced at the electronic clock on his nightstand.

May 12, 2024, 2:32 AM.

Today… was it Mother’s Day?

He searched on his phone to confirm. Yes, it was Mother’s Day. So, he opened WeChat and sent his mother a message:

“Mom, Happy Mother’s Day.”

“I’m busy with work here, so I can’t come home. You and Dad should take care of yourselves. Maybe take a trip and enjoy some great food.”

After sending the message, he also sent a big red packet of money.

He was about to put his phone down and go back to sleep, but before the screen even dimmed, his mother’s reply came with a “ding.”

Hmm?

Lin Xian was puzzled. Why was she still awake at this hour? Or had his message notification woken her up?

He reopened the app and saw his mother had replied:

“Thank you, son! I’m so happy! You’re the greatest pride of my life!”

Lin Xian smiled and typed back, “Why are you still up so late? You should put your phone on silent or airplane mode when you sleep so the notifications won’t wake you.”

Almost immediately, his mother sent a voice message:

“Son, ever since you left home, your dad and I worry we might miss your calls in the middle of the night, afraid that something might happen and you wouldn’t be able to reach us… So, every night, neither of us puts our phones on silent.”

“Even though you’re out of town, and we know you’re very capable and independent, a mother’s heart always worries. Not only do we keep our phones on, but we also asked the neighbor’s kid to set up some special alerts for your messages with extra loud ringtones. So, no matter when you need Mom or Dad, we’ll see your messages right away.”

“Haha, it’s okay, it didn’t wake me up. Your dad and I have nothing to do now, and we get plenty of sleep. Besides, I’m really happy to get your Mother’s Day message!”

“But you, son, why are you still up so late? You’re young, but you need to take care of your health… I won’t bother you anymore. You should hurry and get some sleep!”

After listening to his mother’s 60-second voice message, Lin Xian felt a rush of emotions.

Sixty seconds—that was the limit for a single voice message on WeChat, but it wasn’t the limit of a mother’s concern for her child.

He couldn’t help but think of Zhou Duan Yun. Although that person had committed many wrongs, to be fair, he never missed sending his mother a goodnight message every night.

In that regard, he was probably better than 99% of children out there.

A child’s casually sent goodnight message might only take a few taps on a phone, but on the other end, it could make a mother smile at her screen for a long time and stay happy for days.

Mother’s love is like that—great, yet able to magnify any small kindness from a child.

So… it was his message alert that woke her up after all.

Lin Xian recalled a saying he’d seen online: “Nothing scares you more than getting a call from home in the middle of the night when you’re far away.”

“Ah, poor parents’ hearts,” he sighed.

Ding.

Another notification sound. Lin Xian noticed that the large red packet he’d just sent had been returned by his mother. She had also sent several messages:

“Your dad and I have enough money! We haven’t even touched what you gave us before! You’re working hard out there; save up and take care of yourself!”

“Good night, son…”

“Mom loves you.”

Twelve hours later, on the 22nd floor of MX Company, Zhao Ying Jun’s office.

Zhao Ying Jun looked curiously at the large suitcases being wheeled in, followed by her father, mother, and Yan Qiao Qiao.

“Didn’t you say she was just staying here for a few days? Why all this luggage?” she asked, noticing the four or five big suitcases. It seemed like overkill for a short stay.

Last night, her father had called to say they had an urgent matter to attend to in the capital and would be back soon. They didn’t want to drag Qiao Qiao along, especially after just returning from a local trip, fearing that a long journey might exhaust her. So, they suggested leaving Qiao Qiao with Zhao Ying Jun for a few days until they got back.

Zhao Ying Jun hadn’t thought much of it and agreed. After all, she had plenty of rooms at home, and Qiao Qiao was old enough to entertain herself. Having her stay for a few days wouldn’t be a big deal.

But she didn’t expect this!

If it was just for a few days, there were already plenty of toiletries and clothes at her place. Qiao Qiao wouldn’t go hungry or cold. Why did her parents act like they were moving in?

“Oh, these are all things Qiao Qiao uses daily,” Yan Mei patiently explained to Zhao Ying Jun. “Towels, bath towels—kids must use their own. They can’t share with adults. Then there are these toiletries, toothpaste, and shampoo. Kids have sensitive skin and can’t use the stronger stuff adults do.”

“These two suitcases are for her clothes—some for warm weather, some for cold. You never know if the weather forecast is accurate, and being close to the sea, the temperature in Donghai can drop suddenly. You need to be prepared with warm clothes.”

“And that one over there—”

“Okay, okay,” Zhao Ying Jun interrupted from behind her desk, cutting her mother off. “This isn’t some primitive society… If she needs anything, I can buy it for her. She won’t starve or freeze. You really don’t need to be so thorough.”

“That won’t do!” Yan Mei insisted. “New clothes need to be washed properly before a child can wear them, and they must be 100% cotton. What if she has a reaction to synthetic fabrics?”

“Alright, alright.” Zhao Ying Jun sighed, giving in. “Just leave everything here. I’ll have the company staff take it to the car and bring it home. Is there anything else I need to know? If not, leave Qiao Qiao here, and you two should hurry back to the capital.”

Zhao Rui Hai and Yan Mei gave her a long list of dos and don’ts. Then Yan Mei crouched down and hugged Qiao Qiao tightly, saying goodbye with reluctance, “Qiao Qiao, grandma will be away for a while. You must be good and grow up well.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Zhao Ying Jun stood up from behind her desk, slightly exasperated. “Shouldn’t you have done all this farewell stuff at home already?”

“And besides, aren’t you just going to the capital for a few days? Why are you acting like you’ll never see each other again?”

She squinted at her father, Zhao Rui Hai. “Why do I get the feeling… like you two aren’t planning to come back to Donghai at all?”

Zhao Rui Hai huffed, “How could that be? If we weren’t worried that Qiao Qiao would be exhausted from traveling, we’d have taken her back to the capital with us!”

“Alright, let’s go; we’ve got a plane to catch.”

Yan Mei stood up quickly, followed by Zhao Rui Hai. They left the office, closing the door behind them.

Their departure was swift and seamless.

“…” Zhao Ying Jun stared at the now-closed office door.

That was a pretty quick exit.

Were they feeling guilty?

She looked down at the silent Qiao Qiao standing nearby, noting that her outfit was the same as ten days ago. She still had the blue hairband Zhao Ying Jun had chosen for her, along with the light pink metal hair clip, and was wearing the same off-white, fresh-style dress.

“Why are you still wearing that?” Zhao Ying Jun asked curiously. “I bought you lots of hair clips, bands, accessories, and clothes. You’ve got over a dozen dresses. You can change it up.”

Qiao Qiao shook her head. “I like this one.”

Zhao Ying Jun chuckled, “It’s not that you like it; it’s just that you haven’t tried any other styles. How do you know you don’t like anything else?”

Qiao Qiao shook her head again and said softly, “I still like this one.”

Ah.

Zhao Ying Jun sighed. Liking it was one thing, but you couldn’t wear the same outfit every day…

Oh well. Let her be.

She pointed to the sofa against the wall. “Alright, Qiao Qiao, sit there and read for a while. I’ve got a lot of work to do. After work, I’ll take you home so you can play with VV.”

After saying that, Zhao Ying Jun made a call, asking the support staff to bring up some children’s books from the company reading room to keep Qiao Qiao occupied.

The work continued. Things were busy lately, and there were many new projects. Rhine Cosmetics was going international, breaking into new markets in various countries, and the work became increasingly challenging.

That afternoon, Zhao Ying Jun barely lifted her head from her desk. The vice presidents and team leaders kept coming to her for signatures and work updates, and she kept calling people up to assign tasks.

The entire afternoon went by without her glancing at Qiao Qiao.

Finally, around four o’clock, she managed to take a break. She unscrewed the cap of her thermos and took a sip of her now-cool flower tea, looking over at the sofa.

To her surprise, Qiao Qiao wasn’t reading the children’s books. She was staring right at her. It wasn’t like she had just started watching, either. There were no books in front of her, so she had clearly stopped reading a long time ago. She’d probably been sitting there quietly, watching for quite a while.

“What’s wrong, Qiao Qiao?” Zhao Ying Jun asked, screwing the cap back on her thermos. “Don’t you like the books?”

Qiao Qiao pointed out the window. “I want to go out and play.”

“Not right now.” Zhao Ying Jun refused without hesitation. “I still have a lot of work to finish and some documents to sign. Give me another hour. After that, I’ll take you home, and VV can play with you.”

“If you’re bored… do you want to play on the phone? Or maybe watch some cartoons?”

Qiao Qiao shook her head. “No, I’ll just sit here.”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Zhao Ying Jun called out, pressing the door release button to let the vice president in for a document signing and discussion.

It wasn’t until 5:30 that her work finally ended.

Zhao Ying Jun took Qiao Qiao to the nearby mall. She thought there was still plenty of time, so there was no rush to go home. She decided to walk around with Qiao Qiao for a bit and have some fun.

Qiao Qiao was curious about everything. She even wanted to jump into a bouncy castle for little kids.

“No way, look at how young those kids are,” Zhao Ying Jun said, pulling her back. “Why don’t you go play in the arcade over there? There should be something more suited to you.”

They entered the arcade, where loud music blared from every direction. Zhao Ying Jun wrinkled her nose. She’d never been to such a noisy place. She couldn’t help but admire the parents patiently playing with their kids here. Just being in this place was stressful enough, and yet they seemed so happy.

Qiao Qiao took a bunch of game tokens and tried her luck at the claw machine. She tried to grab a toy, but the claw let go.

She tried again, and the claw released it once more.

She turned and looked at Zhao Ying Jun. “I can’t grab it.”

Zhao Ying Jun chuckled helplessly. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. I can’t grab them either. And I don’t think these things are meant to be grabbed. As soon as the claw gets to the top, it loosens. It’s clearly a scam.”

As the arcade music switched tracks, Zhao Ying Jun finally heard her phone ringing. She checked to see several missed calls, all from one of the vice presidents.

Could it be that something went wrong with the plan they discussed that afternoon?

She pressed the answer button and quickly walked out of the noisy arcade. She called back to Qiao Qiao, “Stay here and keep playing, Qiao Qiao. I’m going to take a call.”

With that, she left the arcade to talk with the vice president over the phone.

Meanwhile, Qiao Qiao still hadn’t managed to grab any toys. She took another token and tried to put it into the slot, but one slipped—

Rolling, rolling…

The token fell to the floor and started rolling away, gaining speed.

Qiao Qiao bent down, but the token had already rolled far away, moving fast.

She hurried to follow it.

The token rolled out of the back door of the arcade, into a crowd, and was accidentally kicked by an unsuspecting man. It flew far, landing in the park below.

Qiao Qiao stood there, stunned.

That token was bought with her sister’s money; she had to get it back.

This was her first time in this confusing, multi-level mall that felt like a maze. She finally made it out of the first-floor entrance, only to find she was still far from where the token had fallen.

Helplessly, she continued running toward the park.

At the park entrance, there were many people selling flowers, and others buying them. The vibrant colors were beautiful, but most of them were selling the same kind of flowers.

“Little girl, buy a flower!” said a male college student selling flowers nearby. His eyes were bright and clear as he smiled at Qiao Qiao. “Carnations, five yuan each. I only have one left. I’ll sell it to you for three yuan.”

“Buy one, little girl. It’s Mother’s Day today. If you give one to your mom, she’ll be very happy!”

Qiao Qiao stopped. She looked at the empty bucket, with only one pale yellow carnation left. “For… Mom?”

The college student with glasses nodded with a smile. “Yes, yes. Carnations are usually given to mothers. The flower symbolizes tenderness and sincere love. Especially the yellow carnation—it stands for gratitude and appreciation.”

“So… there’s no better flower than a yellow carnation to give to your mother. Buy one! It’s my last one, and I’ll let you have it for just two yuan. I’m about to close up!”

“For just two yuan, you can let your mom feel your love and gratitude! What a bargain, right? Come on, little girl, don’t hesitate. Buy this last yellow carnation meant just for you and thank your mom for raising you!”

…

Listening to the student’s passionate pitch, Qiao Qiao remained calm.

“Thank my mom…” she murmured softly.

She lifted her head, her eyes dim as she looked at the college student. “I don’t have a mom.”

It was like a sharp knife stabbing into the student’s heart!

His expression froze, as if the knife wasn’t just stabbing but also twisting inside him.

The clarity in his eyes vanished, replaced by guilt and regret.

Damn it.

Why did he say those things?

Why did he say such hurtful words to this little girl without a mom?

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to,” he apologized hastily.

He looked at the carnation in his hand. It seemed that even if he gave it to this adorable girl for free… she wouldn’t have a mom to give it to.

He thought about it.

Maybe it was better not to give it to her.

That would only hurt her more.

So, he quickly tossed the carnation into a nearby trash can, packed up, and left in a hurry.

Qiao Qiao tilted her head, watching the student rush away. She looked at the upside-down carnation in the trash can, its petals facing down, and its stem sticking up.

Then, she took it out.

Meanwhile, back inside the mall at the arcade entrance, Zhao Ying Jun finished her phone call and returned to the noisy arcade.

“Qiao Qiao?”

She looked around the empty claw machine area and searched a bit more.

Nothing!

There was no sign of Qiao Qiao anywhere!

For a moment, Zhao Ying Jun panicked.

Oh no.

Did she lose the child?

Although Qiao Qiao was a teenage girl and unlikely to be targeted by human traffickers…

Still…

Qiao Qiao’s mental abilities hadn’t fully recovered!

What if someone tricked her or took her away?

Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her spine.

This wasn’t just any child… This was Lin Xian’s child! If something happened to her, how could she explain it?

She hurriedly stopped an arcade staff member. “Have you seen a little girl? She has a ponytail, is wearing an off-white dress, is about this tall, and is very slim.”

The staff member nodded. “Yes, I saw her. She went out that way.”

Zhao Ying Jun quickly ran in the direction the staff member pointed. She asked around and followed the trail.

Fortunately, Qiao Qiao was very beautiful, with skin as fair as a doll’s, so many people remembered her and pointed Zhao Ying Jun in the right direction.

Finally!

After a nerve-wracking chase!

Zhao Ying Jun spotted Qiao Qiao in the bushes of the park!

“Yan! Qiao! Qiao!” she shouted angrily.

When your mom yells your full name, you know you’re in big trouble.

“How could you run off without telling me?” Zhao Ying Jun was furious. She scolded Qiao Qiao as soon as she reached her. “Don’t you know that’s very dangerous? There are lots of bad people out there. What if someone had taken you or tricked you?”

“You’re so thoughtless! When I tell you to stay put when I leave, you need to stay there and not move! How am I supposed to find you if you wander off?”

“Today I was lucky to find you, but what if I couldn’t? What would I do if something happened to you? How could I explain it to anyone?”

Qiao Qiao turned around, holding a muddy game token in her fingers. “Sister, I found it.”

Zhao Ying Jun was still angry, but then she noticed the wilted carnation in Qiao Qiao’s other hand.

Suddenly, her heart softened.

She remembered Qiao Qiao’s gaze when watching the animated film Lotus Lantern a while back. She’d been captivated and lost in thought. When she saw the scene where Chen Xiang reunited with his mother, Qiao Qiao had innocently said, “Without a dad, how can it be a family?”

But Chen Xiang still had his mother to find.

For Qiao Qiao…

She had neither a mother nor a father.

Today, Zhao Ying Jun had been so focused on work that she hadn’t paid much attention to the mall’s decorations.

It dawned on her…

Today was Mother’s Day.

She’d never really paid much attention to this holiday. She hadn’t expected that while she was working, little Qiao Qiao had already grabbed a carnation, longing for her mom.

She felt a twinge of guilt.

Thinking about it carefully, was it all Qiao Qiao’s fault for running off today?

Clearly not.

She hadn’t fulfilled her duty as a guardian. Knowing that Qiao Qiao’s intelligence and understanding hadn’t fully recovered, shouldn’t she have kept a closer eye on her, making sure she stayed within sight?

She realized she’d been too careless.

She’d always thought of herself as emotionally stable…

But why?

Why did she reserve her worst temper and least patience for her own child?

Zhao Ying Jun sighed softly. She held Qiao Qiao’s hand, led her to a pavilion in the park, and used the wet wipes from her bag to clean the mud off Qiao Qiao’s legs and arms.

Qiao Qiao held the game token in one hand and the carnation in the other. She seemed to know she had done something wrong and sat there quietly like a child who had been scolded.

Zhao Ying Jun looked at the wilted carnation in her hand and said softly, “Do you know… that carnations are for mothers?”

Qiao Qiao nodded gently.

Zhao Ying Jun was surprised. She hadn’t expected Qiao Qiao to know such a slightly complicated fact at her current level of understanding.

She finished cleaning up, sat beside Qiao Qiao, and asked, “Do you miss your mom?”

Qiao Qiao remained silent, her gaze fixed on the carnation in her hand.

Zhao Ying Jun bit her lip and began to speak. “When I was your age, I was already studying abroad. I could only come home once or twice a year and rarely had the chance to see my parents.”

“I may seem strong, but on holidays about family and reunion… I missed home and my mom a lot.”

“But the holidays abroad are different from those in our country, so I could never come back for Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival… any of those.”

“The more you can’t see someone, the more you miss them. But the more you miss them, the less you see them. Eventually, I got used to ignoring those holidays, forcing myself not to think about them or pay attention to stories about family and love.”

“But… it’s all just self-deception. Everyone misses their mom. I do too. I’ve tried to toughen up in that regard, but later I realized… being strong and missing your mom aren’t mutually exclusive. You can easily be strong, but it’s impossible to conquer your own heart and stop missing your mom.”

She looked down at Qiao Qiao sitting quietly next to her and asked, “Do you miss your mom?”

Qiao Qiao didn’t lift her head. She lowered it into her chest.

Zhao Ying Jun smiled gently and stroked her smooth hair. “When do you usually miss your mom? Mother’s Day? Children’s Day? Your birthday? Or… is there some other special day?”

Qiao Qiao blinked, turning to look at Zhao Ying Jun with her clear eyes. “Every day.”

Zhao Ying Jun’s smile froze on her face.

Qiao Qiao fiddled with the wilted carnation in her hand, her eyes fixed on the wrinkled petals. “Every day… I miss my mom.”