Chapter 79

Before heading out, Jin Xin called Jiang Yueru to check if she would be home in the afternoon so she could bring the kids over to play.

Jiang Yueru was always busy, used to working overtime, but today was a stroke of luck—she had friends visiting from Shanghai and didn’t go to the office.

“I’m home! Bring Zhengchen over. He Yi’an is here with her two kids as well,” she replied.

Jin Xin was familiar with He Yi’an’s name; she was the wife of Xu Xiangyi, the wealthiest man around. They had crossed paths at various events but had never really interacted.

Since they were both mothers, Jin Xin thought maybe He Yi’an would see how adorable and vulnerable Zhiyi was and feel compelled to help.

The more hands on deck, the greater the hope for Zhiyi to find her biological parents.

After informing the Xiao family across the street, she set out with her son and Zhiyi.

In the car, Zhiyi sat quietly, unaware of where they were going. The aunt had only mentioned that they were going to play with friends.

With limited games to play in the car, Qi Zhengchen entertained her with a game of rock-paper-scissors.

At three years old, Zhiyi was no match for a seven or eight-year-old, but her older brother always let her win.

Zhiyi felt her movements were swift enough, but in Zhengchen’s eyes, the way she transformed her two little fingers into scissors was like watching a slow-motion movie.

The tricky part was that her fingers weren’t even straight yet; she needed Zhengchen to help straighten them out and tuck the other three fingers in, making it barely resemble scissors.

She played scissors, while her brother threw out paper.

“Brother, I won again!” she exclaimed, pretending her ‘little scissors’ were cutting his hand.

Zhengchen chuckled, “How are you so smart? I can’t keep up with you in this game!”

Flattered by the praise, Zhiyi giggled joyfully.

As they played, Zhiyi’s spirits soared.

The car eventually stopped in front of a villa. With the windows up, she pressed her head against the glass, looking out. “Brother, where is this?”

Zhengchen, a frequent visitor, knew the place well.

“It’s Jiang Sixun’s house,” he said excitedly as he jumped out of the car, eager to play racing games.

As Zhiyi pondered who Jiang Sixun was, the door on her side opened, and Jin Xin scooped her up.

Hearing the car, Jiang Yueru stepped out of the villa.

“Hello, Aunt Jiang!” Zhengchen dashed inside without a second thought.

Jiang Yueru intended to ruffle his hair, but he was too quick. She turned to Jin Xin, laughing, “These kids run faster than rabbits when they see a game.”

Noticing the child in Jin Xin’s arms, she squinted as she tried to see her face. “Whose little one is this?”

“This is my dad’s old colleague’s granddaughter,” Jin Xin replied.

“Hello, Aunt!”

Xu Zhiyi turned to Jiang Yueru and greeted her sweetly.

“Oh, what a beauty!” Jiang Yueru replied with a warm smile. “Hello, little princess!”

Zhiyi’s rosy cheeks were so adorable that they made you want to pinch them. Jiang Yueru’s nine-year-old son was at that age when even dogs turned up their noses at him, yet seeing such a soft, pretty, and well-behaved little girl made her want to scoop her up.

“Come here, let Auntie give you a hug,” she said as she gently took Zhiyi from Jin Xin’s arms, savoring the moment.

At just three years old, Zhiyi’s features were still developing, and her baby fat made it hard to tell who she resembled.

As Jiang Yueru chatted with Jin Xin, she cradled ZhiYi’and walked into the living room.

In the living room, He Yi’an was helping her daughter build with blocks.

“I think this piece should go here. What do you think?” she asked her daughter with a smile.

Xu Ningwei blinked and thought for a moment. “Mom, I don’t think that’s right.”

He Yi’an chuckled, “Then why don’t you show Mommy how to do it?”

“Okay.” Just as she was about to fit a block in place, Jiang Yueru entered with Zhiyi.

“Ningwei, look! You have a big sister to play with!”

Xu Ningwei looked up at the little girl in Aunt Jiang’s arms, curious but unsure; she didn’t know her and wasn’t interested in playing.

He Yi’an turned to see her daughter’s disinterest but couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of the little girl in Jiang Yueru’s arms. “Whose child is this? She’s lovely!”

Jiang Yueru replied, “This is my first time seeing her; I don’t know her parents either.”

She then introduced He Yi’an to Jin Xin, exchanging pleasantries before returning to the topic of children. “If only I had a daughter like her, life would be perfect!” she said, wistfully. Unfortunately, due to her health issues, she had only been able to have Jiang Sixun.

“Auntie,” Zhiyi called softly to He Yi’an.

He Yi’an smiled gently. “Come down and play!”

It was warm inside, so Jiang Yueru helped Zhiyi out of her down jacket. The child felt soft and warm, with a faint scent of milk that brought a smile to Jiang Yueru’s face. She kissed ZhiYi’and encouraged her, “Go play with the other little girl over there.”

Zhiyi looked at the girl sitting on the carpet, who was focused on her own toys and hadn’t invited her to join. Hesitating, she wondered if she should approach.

Noticing the height of the beautiful little girl, He Yi’an asked Jin Xin, “How old is Zhiyi?”

“Four years old, right?”

“No, she’s just three years and three months,” Jin Xin corrected her.

“Wow, she’s so tall!” He Yi’an exclaimed. “She’s about the same height as my Ningwei.” Zhiyi seemed a head taller than Ningwei, looking far beyond her three years.

Jin Xin laid the groundwork for their conversation: “I used to wonder…”

“Her mom is of average height, so how did she end up so tall? Must be her biological parents who are tall—it’s genetic.”

Jiang Yueru brought over some coffee and teased, “You must be getting mixed up by your two sons. One minute you’re saying your mom is average height, the next you’re saying your parents are tall, which means it must be inherited. I bet you meant to say your dad is tall.”

After setting down the coffee cup, she asked the housekeeper to prepare more snacks and fruits.

Noticing Zhiyi standing still in front of the sofa, Jiang Yueru gently asked, “Zhiyi, why aren’t you playing with the blocks? Don’t you like them?”

Xu Zhiyi fidgeted with her fingers, unsure of how to respond.

Children can instinctively sense whether another child wants to play with them or not.

At that moment, Xu Ningwei looked up and playfully said to He Yi’an, “Mommy, I want to build by myself!”

Adults can easily decipher a child’s feelings; this was clearly a desire not to share.

He Yi’an wanted to guide her daughter, but Jin Xin interjected first: “Zhiyi doesn’t like to play with blocks.” She aimed to nip any potential discomfort between the kids in the bud.

She also hoped He Yi’an would lend a hand. After all, it wouldn’t do for two children to be upset over a pile of blocks. Children’s moods often ripple out and affect the adults around them. Better safe than sorry—less fuss is best.

“What does Zhiyi like to play with?” Jiang Yueru asked.

In their house, there were only toys that boys liked; there wasn’t even a single doll. The gingerbread house Ningwei was working on was something He Yi’an had brought along.

Jin Xin replied, “You don’t need to worry about that. As long as there are snacks, it’ll be fine.”

She had more pressing matters to attend to, so she called for her son.

Qi Zhengchen was engrossed in a racing game, caught up in the virtual mayhem, but he heard his mom’s voice and didn’t care to respond.

Xu Heng watched him struggle with his poor skills and urged, “Your mom’s calling you!”

Qi Zhengchen shouted back, “You go see what she wants!”

“I’m not going,” Xu Heng replied, unimpressed.

With no other option, Jiang Sixun had to head out; if he didn’t, his mom might just come in and unplug the console!

“Auntie, what’s up? Qi Zhengchen has a stomachache, so he can’t come.”

Jin Xin laughed with a hint of annoyance, “Is it serious? I’ll take him to the hospital for a shot!”

Jiang Sixun quickly responded, “…It’s getting better.”

That was when he noticed a strange little girl in the living room; there weren’t any other unfamiliar adults around. His first thought was, Could this be the baby sister Dad had?

Jin Xin said, “Then why don’t you take your sister to play?”

She didn’t want Zhiyi to overhear what she was about to discuss with Jiang Yueru.

Jiang Sixun asked, “What’s your sister’s name?”

“Her name is Zhiyi.”

“What’s her last name?”

“Shang. Xu Zhiyi.”

“She doesn’t have the surname Lu.”

Jiang Sixun turned to the little one and said, “I’ll take you to find Qi Zhengchen.”

Jin Xin handed a bag of snacks to Zhiyi and asked, “Is it okay if your brother takes you to find your second brother?”

Xu Zhiyi nodded, clutching the snacks as she approached the brother who was even taller than her second brother. She called out, “Brother!” and held out her small hand.

Her second brother always took her hand like this, and she was used to it.

Jiang Sixun had never looked after young children before, nor did he have any particular fondness for it. To him, all kids were like Xu Ningwei—spoiled and prone to crying at the drop of a hat, which only got in the way of their gaming.

He stared at this little sister for a few seconds before grasping her tiny hand.

As soon as the kids walked away, Jin Xin got straight to the point. In front of Jiang Yueru and He Yi’an, it was best to be direct with any requests; beating around the bush could backfire.

“I came today because of Zhiyi. This child can’t find her biological parents.”

Jiang Yueru was taken aback for a moment. “Isn’t she the granddaughter of Uncle Jin’s old colleague?”

“She was raised by them and they always thought she was their own, but three months ago, they discovered her blood type didn’t match,” Jin Xin explained the whole story without leaving out any details she knew. “Honestly, it wasn’t originally my concern, but Zhiyi is such a lovable child. I couldn’t just ignore her plight, thinking any help I could offer would be worthwhile. I heard from Zhengchen that she’s been crying while playing recently.”

He Yi’an, having her own daughter, couldn’t bear to hear this, especially after seeing how well-behaved the little girl was.

“If she was swapped at birth, how come they can’t find the other family? Didn’t they check the hospital? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Zhiyi was born on Hong Kong Island. You know how powerful the Yu family is there,” Jin Xin sighed. “The hospital won’t provide any information, and we’re completely at a loss.”

The situation was frustratingly out of reach.

Upon hearing the name of the hospital affiliated with the Yu family, He Yi’an chimed in, “I gave birth at that same hospital.”

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Jin Xin replied.

She couldn’t help but think of Xu Ningwei, who was the same age as Zhiyi. Automatically, she glanced over at the child in front of He Yi’an. Ningwei was engrossed in her blocks, and from this angle, Jin Xin couldn’t see any resemblance to the Xiao family.

She quickly shook off those distracting thoughts, realizing she must be losing her mind. The daughter of Xu Xiangyi could never have been mistakenly swapped at birth.

Hong Kong Island. The Yu family.

Jiang Yueru understood why Jin Xin had brought Zhiyi to her. She knew Jin Xin well enough not to bother someone unless it was absolutely necessary.

Coming to ask for help, especially for someone else’s child, meant that Jin Xin was truly out of options.

She was a mother herself, feeling a deep sympathy for this family and for the plight of the child, Zhiyi.

For the Xiao family, this situation seemed insurmountable, but for her, it was no big deal; with just a phone call, maybe two, she could rescue the entire family from their troubles.

“Tell me the details about Zhiyi, and I’ll call Grandpa Sixun,” Jiang Yueru offered.

Jin Xin expressed her gratitude, “Thank you on behalf of Zhiyi.”

Words couldn’t capture such a great debt of gratitude, but she would remember it in her heart. She had all of Zhiyi’s relevant information, having received it from Xiao Meihua when she had asked for her help earlier.

“I’ll send it to you right now.”

Jiang Yueru opened the file she received and was stunned to find Zhiyi’s birthdate: “She was born on the same day as Ningwei!”

He Yi’an leaned closer, asking, “October 26th too?”

“Yes.” They both scanned the information on the phone, and Jiang Yueru pointed to a specific spot, “Right here.”

He Yi’an continued reading down the file and suddenly gasped as she saw the time: 4:16 AM. Her heart lurched, and she momentarily held her breath. Ningwei was born at midnight, just four minutes apart, and both were born in the same hospital.

What a coincidence!

As she processed this shocking revelation, Jiang Yueru suddenly turned to stare at her, causing her heart to race.

Confused about her own anxiety, He Yi’an asked, “What are you looking at me for?” Deep down, she wanted to know why she felt this way.

“I can’t shake the feeling that Zhiyi resembles you a bit,” Jiang Yueru replied.

But beautiful people often share certain traits.

She then asked Jin Xin, “What do you think?”

Jin Xin furrowed her brow and scrutinized He Yi’an for a moment before answering honestly, “If you look closely, they don’t resemble each other that much. A daughter would probably look more like her father.”

Jiang Yueru reassured He Yi’an, “Don’t panic; don’t frighten yourself. It’s reasonable to have some doubts when your Ningwei and Zhiyi were born so close together.”

Then she posed another question, “Do you think she looks like your husband, Xu Xiangyi?”

He Yi’an’s mind was a jumble, making it hard to recall what Zhiyi looked like.

Jiang Yueru called out to her son in the toy room, “Jiang Sixun, bring your sister over!”

Soon, Zhiyi was brought out, her bag of snacks claimed by Xu Heng, and she now clutched a toy car.

He Yi’an had been certain that her daughter couldn’t possibly have been swapped at birth, but as she carefully studied Zhiyi’s little face, doubt crept in.

Jin Xin never imagined things would unfold like this.

In an instant, the atmosphere became heavy with tension.

Unconsciously, Jin Xin glanced back at the little girl sitting on the floor.

On the carpet, Xu Ningwei was in the midst of a building block session, but she grew tired of it and decided to climb up. As she got a clear look at her face, she realized she couldn’t see any resemblance to Xiao Meihua, though there was a hint of her father, Shang Tongxu, in her features.

A sudden buzz filled her head. Could it really be such a coincidence?

He Yi’an noticed Jin Xin studying Ningwei intently. After a few seconds of hesitation, she asked, “Are you thinking…” She gestured subtly toward her daughter without letting Ningwei see. “Who does she look like?” The last part of her question quivered with uncertainty.

Jin Xin replied, “A bit… like Zhiyi’s adoptive father.” She emphasized, “Just a bit.”

“Thud!”

“Thud!”

He Yi’an’s heart raced wildly.

She couldn’t believe it and didn’t want to believe it.

How could her child possibly have been swapped? Her beloved daughter, whom she had cared for over the past three years, couldn’t be someone else’s.

Ningwei walked over to Xu Zhiyi, pointing at the toy car in her hands. “This is my brother’s. You can’t have it.”

Zhiyi looked at the car, then back at Ningwei. She was reluctant but ultimately returned it.

Ningwei took the model car back, satisfied.

“What are you doing, Ningwei?” He Yi’an snapped back to reality.

“I’m putting my brother’s car back,” Ningwei said. She was familiar with the place and quickly dashed off to the toy room.

He Yi’an waved at Zhiyi, “Zhiyi, come here.”

Zhiyi hesitated, fear evident in her eyes, but she quietly explained, “Auntie, I didn’t take it. My brother gave it to me.” Tears welled up as she spoke.

He Yi’an quickly reassured her, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Auntie just wants to give you a hug.” With that, she scooped Zhiyi onto her lap.

Jin Xin also stepped in to comfort her, “It was given to you by Brother Sixun, right?”

Zhiyi nodded, tears still in her eyes. “Brother said it was a gift. I didn’t take it without asking.”

“Of course, our Zhiyi would never take something that isn’t hers,” Jin Xin affirmed.

He Yi’an wiped away Zhiyi’s tears. She was so well-behaved it made her heart ache. She silently glanced at Jin Xin.

In an instant, Jin Xin understood what was expected of her—she was supposed to see the similarities between the two girls. When they had looked separately, there hadn’t been much resemblance, but now, side by side, they seemed to share so many features.

“No more questions! I feel like I’m losing my mind!”

She rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself down.

Jiang Yueru watched He Yi’an, contemplating for a moment. “You should really consider doing a paternity test; otherwise, you’ll never feel at ease.”

Just then, Xu Ningwei emerged from the toy room, crying, “Mom, Brother won’t play with me!”

“I want to play!”

The moment Xu Ningwei saw someone sitting in her mother’s lap, she cried even louder, rushing over to tug at Xu Zhiyi. “That’s my mommy!”

Jin Xin quickly pulled Zhiyi back to her side, glancing at Xu Ningwei. This temper of hers was strikingly similar to Xiao Meihua’s when she was young.

He Yi’an didn’t even remember how she ended up in the courtyard or how she had called Xu Xiangyi.

Xu Xiangyi was in Beijing for work and had brought his two children along. Who could have imagined that this trip would change the course of their lives?

At 4:11 PM, Xu Xiangyi arrived at Jiang Yueru’s home. As he looked at the small figure quietly munching on cookies on the sofa, his heart inexplicably softened.

Xu Zhiyi tilted her head back and saw the tall, young man squatting in front of her. She felt a bit scared by the unfamiliar face but timidly called out, “Hello, Uncle.”

“Hello,” he replied earnestly, introducing himself, “I’m Xu Xiangyi.”

Zhiyi blinked, realizing their names sounded somewhat alike. “I’m Xu Zhiyi.”

“Are the cookies good?”

“Yes!”

Zhiyi hadn’t expected this uncle to speak so gently. She offered him a few cookie pieces.

“I’m not eating. You enjoy them,” Xu Xiangyi said, his hand slowly curling into a fist beside the child. If Zhiyi was really his daughter and had been swapped at the hospital, he would make sure to take down Lu Jianbo.

Within ten minutes, Shang Tongxu and Xiao Meihua arrived.

While waiting for the sampling staff to come, Jiang Yueru switched the positions of the two children, pulling Ningwei to stand in front of Shang Tongxu and ushering Zhiyi into Xu Xiangyi’s arms, telling them, “Let’s play a game! When I count to ten, you two run to your mom. Whoever gets there first gets ice cream!”

Eating ice cream in winter? Even Xu Ningwei became compliant, willing to play along despite not knowing this uncle and aunt behind her.

Jiang Yueru stepped back and began counting slowly, “One…”

Jin Xin looked at the two families coming together and remarked, “It feels like we don’t even need a paternity test anymore.” She snapped a photo and handed her phone to Xu Xiangyi.

Jiang Yueru reached “ten,” and both children mustered all their energy to dash towards their mothers.

Xu Zhiyi reached Xiao Meihua first, hesitating to jump straight into her mother’s arms. Instead, she cautiously edged closer to her mother’s legs, whispering, “Mom, I missed you.”

Seeing this, He Yi’an felt tears well up in her eyes, quickly turning her face away to look out the window, unable to bear seeing Zhiyi so pitiful.

Without having done the paternity test, she had no grounds to speak up.

As the children savored their ice cream, the staff arrived to collect samples from the scene.

Jiang Yueru suggested that both families stay at her house for a couple of days to help the kids get acquainted.

After a day and a night of waiting in agony, the paternity test results came out the next afternoon.

Zhiyi was confirmed to be He Yi’an and Xu Xiangyi’s daughter, while Ningwei belonged to Shang Tongxu and Xiao Meihua.

With so many people suddenly living under one roof, Jiang Sixun had no idea what was going on. When he asked his mother, she simply replied that it was lively with more people around.

Frustrated at not getting any answers, he turned to the little bundle of energy, “How long are you staying at my house?”

Xu Zhiyi shook her head. “I don’t know. Brother, your house is so big!”

Having grown accustomed to the space, Jiang Sixun didn’t see it as particularly large. “Well, just stay as long as you want.”

Xu Zhiyi replied brightly, “Okay!”

She didn’t love the house for its size; she loved it because she no longer had to sleep alone. Now she could snuggle with her mother at night, and her father would tell her bedtime stories.

On the other side of the living room, a new wave of cries erupted. Xu Ningwei was tugging at Xu Xiangyi’s hand, sobbing about wanting her brother to play with her.

Xiao Meihua felt her head throb from the noise; she had never seen a three-year-old throw such a dramatic tantrum, wailing at the slightest provocation.

Before finding Ningwei, she had worried about how the child was faring, never imagining what her personality would be like.

She couldn’t stand spoiled, crying children. If Ningwei was one of those who cried several times a day, she often wished she could kick her out onto the street.

He Yi’an came over and sat down on the nearby sofa.

“We’ll take Zhiyi back to Shanghai tomorrow,” she announced.

There was no intention of sticking around to bond with the kids. No matter how long they spent together, they would only see them as uncles and aunts. Trying to have them call her and Xu Xiangyi mom and dad later would only complicate things.

“Regardless, the kids will have to cry for a while. At most, in half a year—maybe even less—they’ll slowly forget about their old home.”

Now that Xiao Meihua knew who Zhiyi was, how she was living, and what kind of family she belonged to, she didn’t feel the urgent need to take her back immediately.

Three months ago, she had discovered Zhiyi wasn’t her child and had mentally prepared for the possibility of Zhiyi returning to her biological parents. But for Xu Xiangyi’and his wife, the situation had unfolded so suddenly that they might not be ready to part with Ningwei.

“Take Ningwei back with you as well. After a month or two, when you’ve settled down, her father and I can bring her back.”

He Yi’an replied, “No, she won’t fit in with them.”

She had spent a sleepless night torn inside. All her love and effort had gone into raising Ningwei—over a thousand days and nights of companionship. The thought of suddenly letting go felt like a heart-wrenching loss.

But her own child was suffering even more, and she couldn’t bear to imagine…

It was a painful realization to witness how a three-year-old child had endured three months of cold shoulders and harsh words.

If it weren’t for the sheer pity she felt for the child, Jin Xin, an outsider, would never have gone out of her way to owe such a significant favor to Jiang Yueru just to seek help.

“I’ve packed up everything belonging to Ningwei and sent it over,” Jiang Yueru announced.

That night, they still stayed at Jiang Yueru’s home, spending the last night together with the foster daughter.

Xu Zhiyi had heard that she was going back home tomorrow. She assumed it meant returning to the rented apartment, and a wave of sadness washed over her. She didn’t want to go back; being home alone at night terrified her.

Knowing where Jiang Sixun’s room was, she felt compelled to say goodbye before leaving, especially since her brother had asked her how long she would be staying.

“Brother? Are you in there?” she called, peeking through the door frame without stepping inside.

Jiang Sixun was busy packing his suitcase. “Yeah, come in.”

Xu Zhiyi followed the voice into the closet. “Brother, I’m going home tomorrow.”

“I know,” he replied, aware of what Xu Heng had told him—that Zhiyi was his biological sister and Ningwei had been the one switched at birth. Xu Heng had also mentioned how she cried so easily.

Xu Zhiyi glanced at his suitcase. Her father would use one like that when they went out to play, and she asked curiously, “Brother, are you going out to play?”

“No, I’m not going out to play. I’ll be staying at your house for a few days to enjoy the winter break,” he said.

Xu Zhiyi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Really,” Jiang Sixun patiently confirmed.