Chapter 80

From the first grade onward, Jiang Sixun had always packed his own suitcase, with Jiang Yueru only allowing the maid to teach him how to fold his clothes. Everything else was left entirely to him.

He had to decide whether to bring light or heavy clothing, estimate how many pieces to pack, and check the weather in the city he was heading to. Each day’s outfit was also his choice, regardless of whether the top and bottom matched. Jiang Yueru never interfered, and over time, he developed his own unique fashion style.

Not only did he have to organize his suitcase, but he also traveled solo. During that summer after first grade, he pushed his suitcase through the airport to board a plane to his grandpa’s house in Hong Kong. His mother dropped him off at security, and the rest was up to him.

Since then, he had grown to enjoy flying alone because he could play games without anyone telling him what to do.

This time, he would be staying in Shanghai for two weeks. His mother mentioned that if he wanted to celebrate the Spring Festival at Uncle Xu’s house, it wouldn’t be a problem.

With Xu Heng joining him for games, and his little sister Xu Zhiyi not interfering—she didn’t cry or whine—Jiang Sixun decided to spend the Spring Festival in Shanghai.

He needed to pack enough clothes for two weeks, so he pulled out more than ten pieces from his closet and tossed them onto the sofa before methodically folding each one.

Xu Zhiyi quietly leaned against the sofa, silently watching him fold clothes.

In the past, whenever Shang Tongxu prepared for a trip or business trip, his daughter would sit beside him, watching intently and even offering to help: “Daddy, let me put that in!”

“Okay, thank you, sweetheart.”

Xu Zhiyi would pick up clothes and try to place them in the suitcase, often making a mess as they would scatter before she could get them in. But Shang Tongxu was always patient, folding them again and encouraging his daughter to keep helping, and she had fun doing it.

As Jiang Sixun finished folding a sweater, he was taken aback to see Xu Zhiyi carefully pick up the sweater, place it into the empty suitcase, and then pat it down with her small hands.

Jiang Sixun stared in amazement. Was it really possible for a child to be so thoughtful?

He suddenly felt a strong desire for a little sister like that. Why did Xu Heng get to have one, while he did not?

Once the clothes were neatly packed, Xu Zhiyi returned to her spot in front of the sofa.

“Thanks, but you don’t need to help. I’ll do it myself,” Jiang Sixun said, lifting his sister onto the sofa. If he had a sister like her, he would play with her every day.

Xu Zhiyi didn’t see it as work; in her eyes, putting clothes away was simply fun.

“Don’t you like cars?” Jiang Sixun asked.

Xu Zhiyi replied softly, “I do.”

“Then why don’t you want the little car I offered you?” he pressed.

Her little face fell for a moment. “That one…”

“My sister said I can’t take it,” Xu Zhiyi replied.

Jiang Sixun smiled, “But it’s a gift from me to you. Of course you can take it!”

“Oh!” Xu Zhiyi’s eyes lit up at the thought of him coming to their house for winter break. “Brother, I have lots of dolls at home. I’ll give you one!”

Jiang Sixun wasn’t particularly fond of dolls, but he replied politely, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me!” Xu Zhiyi beamed, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

As Jiang Sixun packed his suitcase, he took his little sister downstairs to the toy room to grab that car model. Xu Zhiyi happily clutched the toy as she ran off to find Shang Tongxu.

Meanwhile, he headed to find Jiang Yueru. “Mom!”

Jiang Yueru was busy working late. “Have you finished packing?” she asked.

“Not yet. Mom, can we keep my sister here? I really want a little sister.”

“Well, I’m sure Uncle Xu wouldn’t agree to that.”

“Then how about I go to Uncle Xu’s house, and we can ask Xu Heng to stay here?”

“…”

Jiang Yueru laughed, giving her son a couple of playful taps on the head. “Go finish packing now.”

She faintly heard her phone ring; it was her son’s phone.

“Your phone is ringing; go answer it.”

Since Lu Jianbo often struggled to reach his son through the landline, he had gotten Jiang Sixun a mobile phone. It was always him calling, while Jiang Sixun never initiated calls anymore.

Jiang Sixun returned to his room, and just as he settled in, the ringing stopped, only to start again a few seconds later.

“Hello, Dad?”

Lu Jianbo, who was currently in London, hadn’t seen his son in six months. Taking advantage of the winter break, he wanted to bring him over for a few days. “I had Secretary Cai pick you up. You’re coming to stay with me.”

“I can’t.”

“… A nine-year-old is telling me he can’t?” Lu Jianbo was incredulous.

“What kind of big project do you have that keeps you so busy?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

“Who is Secretary Cai? Dad, have you changed secretaries again?”

Lu Jianbo replied, “No, I haven’t changed. He’s just an intern, and he’s pretty capable.” He made a point to add, “Oh, and Secretary Cai is a guy.”

“Oh, that’s fine then.” Jiang Sixun didn’t care much about the rest of the details.

Lu Jianbo found his son’s tone both amusing and infuriating, but he decided not to press further.

He asked Jiang Sixun again why he couldn’t find time during the winter break. “Isn’t your winter camp already over?”

“I’m going to Uncle Xu’s house for the winter break.” Jiang Sixun told his dad about the new little sister at Uncle Xu’s, named Xu Zhiyi.

This afternoon, Lu Jianbo had heard about this from Xu Xiangyi, who had called to assign him some investigation tasks.

The next time Xu Xiangyi meets with them, his life will surely be difficult.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyi returned to the room where her parents were staying, clutching her toy car model, only to find her dad alone.

Shang Tongxu stood on the terrace, lost in thought, a cigarette resting between his fingers, unlit.

Tomorrow morning, Zhiyi would be heading back to her own home, likely not to be seen again for a long time.

“Daddy, where’s Mommy?” Xu Zhiyi asked, checking the bathroom for her mother, but found only emptiness.

Snapping back to reality, Shang Tongxu put the cigarette back in its box and walked over to his daughter. He crouched down to her level and said softly, “Mommy went home to pack our things. Everything will be shipped tomorrow along with the flight.”

Hearing the word “packing,” Xu Zhiyi’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Daddy, are we going on a trip?”

Shang Tongxu forced a smile and nodded.

“Is Mommy coming with us?”

He couldn’t bring himself to lie, so he nodded again.

For the first time in months, joy radiated from Zhiyi as she nestled against her father, examining the toy car in her hands.

“Zhiyi,” Shang Tongxu cautioned, “no matter where you go, you must be good and not cry, okay?”

Xu Zhiyi bobbed her head vigorously. “Daddy, I won’t cry!”

Choking back emotion, Shang Tongxu pulled his daughter tightly into his embrace. If only he could turn back time and keep Zhiyi with him while Ning Wei remained with Xu Xiangyi’s family.

But reality was not so forgiving.

In the room across the way,

Xu Ningwei was sprawled over the coffee table, engrossed in her drawings. Colored pencils were scattered everywhere, and no one was allowed to touch her art supplies until she finished.

Xu Xiangyi sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, his mind a blank slate.

It wasn’t until his wife settled down next to him that his thoughts began to coalesce.

He Yi’an had little to say.

Through the fabric of his slacks, he felt her fingers gently pressing into his knee.

Xu Xiangyi took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and pulled her into his embrace. Their adopted daughter was still bent over the coffee table, oblivious to their closeness. He leaned down and kissed his wife gently. “Get a good night’s sleep tonight. Tomorrow night, you might not have the chance.”

Zhiyi would be thrust into a strange environment, surrounded by unfamiliar faces—she would definitely cry.

He Yi’an felt a painful ache in her heart and had no words left to say.

On one side was the daughter they had raised as their own for three years, soon to be separated and likely never to be seen again. On the other side was their biological child, who didn’t even know she was her mother.

Xu Xiangyi tried to comfort his wife. “She has her own parents, her own family, and people who care about her.”

“I know,” He Yi’an replied, her voice hollow. “I’ll be fine. Just give me some time to adjust.”

“It’s my fault for letting Zhiyi leave you for three years.”

Once again, it was a sleepless night for Xu Xiangyi. His dreams were a bizarre tapestry, where he found himself in a hospital, giving birth, only to be told that the child was missing. Then, Zhiyi became the child of Jiang Yueru, and when she came to demand her back, Jiang Yueru refused.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the chaos. “Mommy!”

He Yi’an’s heart jolted awake.

Xu Ningwei pushed her gently, “Mommy, I want to get up and find my brother to play!”

Unlike adults, children don’t crave those extra minutes of sleep; they just want to jump out of bed and play. All it took was for her to open her eyes, and she rolled out of bed like a spring.

He Yi’an reached behind her, feeling the empty space—her husband was already up.

“Bring Mommy the phone,” she murmured, her head throbbing.

Xu Ningwei crawled to the bedside and grabbed the phone from the nightstand.

He Yi’an glanced at the time: it was already 7:30 AM.

Shaking off the remnants of sleep, she propped herself up on her elbows.

“Mommy, I want to wear a dress today!” Xu Ningwei announced, clutching her mother’s arm and shaking it excitedly.

He Yi’an struggled to remember what clothes were in the suitcase, her mind clouded. She finally got out of bed to look, but all she found was one clean set of sweatpants and a hoodie. There were dresses in the suitcase, but they were the ones worn yesterday.

She hadn’t planned to stay in Beijing for so long, so she hadn’t packed many clothes.

Holding up the hoodie, she said to her daughter, “How about we wear this today? Look at the beautiful pattern on it!”

Xu Ningwei shook her head defiantly. “No! I want to wear a dress!”

Resigned, He Yi’an pulled out the dress worn yesterday. “What about this one?”

Xu Ningwei scrunched up her face, pouting. “I don’t want to wear that! I wore it yesterday!”

He Yi’an knew her daughter’s stubborn nature all too well; clothes worn the day before were never acceptable. Unfortunately, there were no new dresses in the suitcase.

“Let’s think about this together,” she said patiently. “You wore a dress yesterday, so how about we try a different style today? Look at Zhiyi; she wore the same outfit for two days in a row!”

“I don’t want to be like her!” Xu Ningwei declared, her determination flaring up. “No way, Mommy! I want to wear a dress! A pink princess dress!”

In the past, if there was no new dress or if the new dresses didn’t meet her daughter’s whims, she would have immediately arranged for the brand to send something over for Xu Ningwei to choose from.

But now, feeling unwell and with a throbbing headache, she just didn’t have the energy for that.

Xu Ningwei’s eyes welled up with tears. “I want to wear a dress!” Her stubbornness was overwhelming; no one could resist her demands, and she knew every request would be fulfilled.

He Yi’an…

“Ningwei is a good girl, isn’t she? If you behave, there will be beautiful princess dresses waiting for you at home,” He Yi’an said soothingly.

When they got back to her own home, XiaoMeihua would surely have plenty of pretty clothes ready for her child.

But Xu Ningwei burst into tears. “I don’t want to!”

Just then, the bedroom door swung open, and Xu Xiangyi walked in.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Xu Ningwei stood up from the bed, reaching out her small hands to her father. With a quiver in her voice, she whimpered, “Daddy, I want to wear a dress! I don’t want to wear that…” She struggled to say the word, “that outfit.”

Without hesitation, Xu Xiangyi scooped up his daughter, “Let’s go find Aunt Xiao and see if she can take you shopping for a new dress, okay? Aunt Xiao knows where the good malls are in Beijing. Mommy doesn’t come here often and doesn’t know the shops.”

Ningwei wiped her tears, her little sobs gradually quieting down. “Okay.”

Xu Xiangyi handed her a towel to dry her face, took the hoodie and sweatpants from He Yi’an, and carried his daughter across the hall.

Shang Tongxu and his wife were already up, and the door was wide open.

He knocked lightly, “Professor Shang?”

XiaoMeihua emerged from inside, a gentle smile on her face. “I was just fixing the child’s hair.” She glanced at Xu Ningwei in Xu Xiangyi’s arms. “What happened to Ningwei?” She spoke to the child in a soft tone.

Xu Xiangyi handed her the clothes. “She wants a princess dress.”

XiaoMeihua raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that little outfit from yesterday a princess dress? One little dress costs as much as my entire outfit,” she remarked, glancing at the expensive hoodie in her hands.

“She wants something new,” Xu Xiangyi replied.

XiaoMeihua sighed, realizing she needed to indulge a little. “Alright, come here, Auntie will hold you. Let’s get you changed, and then I’ll take you to buy a new dress, okay?”

After spending the day together yesterday, Xu Ningwei was less shy around XiaoMeihua. She opened her arms, ready to be picked up. “Okay.”

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyi came over, having finished fixing her hair. She watched her mother hold this little sister, speaking to her so gently, and she stared in awe, too timid to say anything.

Xu Xiangyi then swept up his daughter into his arms and started to walk away.

“Do you remember what I’m called?” he asked, trying to distract her.

Xu Zhiyi replied softly, “I remember.”

With a warm smile, Xu Xiangyi encouraged, “What’s my name?”

“Xu Zhiyi,” she answered.

Xu Xiangyi chuckled and corrected her. “It’s Xu Xiangyi.”

“Oh, Xu Xiangyi,” she said, feeling bashful as her small hand absentmindedly fiddled with his shoulder.

Xu Xiangyi ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Let’s go home, shall we?”

“Okay?”

Xu Zhiyi asked, “Uncle, are you going to my house too? My brother said he’s going to my house.”

Xu Xiangyi inquired, “Which brother?”

Xu Zhiyi replied, “The one who gave me the toy car.”

“His name is Jiang Sixun.”

“Jiang Shixun.” She struggled to pronounce it correctly, her tongue tripping over the syllables.

“It’s ‘Si,’” Xu Xiangyi corrected her gently.

“Jiang Sixun.” She repeated the name, her voice brightening.

Xu Xiangyi chuckled, “That’s right!” Unable to resist, he planted a quick kiss on his daughter’s cheek.

Meanwhile, XiaoMeihua and Shang Tongxu didn’t have time for breakfast; buying a dress was the perfect opportunity to take Ningwei along.

Last night, she had been worried about Ningwei’s incessant crying. She imagined the child might wail the entire car ride and possibly refuse to sit in their car at all.

But thankfully, things would work themselves out.

Shang Tongxu stole a glance in the rearview mirror at the villa, not spotting Zhiyi. He felt a pang in his chest; he hadn’t even had a proper goodbye with her. She was still waiting for him to take her on a trip.

“Stop looking,” XiaoMeihua said softly. “We’ll have to part ways eventually.”

Separating from Zhiyi was bittersweet; after three years, how could she not feel something? Yet, right now, the challenge of caring for Ningwei outweighed the sadness of their farewell.

If Ningwei could cry just over not having a new dress, she couldn’t even imagine the scene at night.

“Where’s my mommy?” Xu Ningwei asked, a hint of anxiety creeping into her voice.

“Mommy is at the mall waiting for us.”

“Oh.”

“And where’s my daddy?”

“He’s at the mall too.”

Ningwei stared out the window, “Why aren’t we there yet?” They hadn’t even left the neighborhood.

“We’ll be there soon,” XiaoMeihua reassured her.

She took out her tablet and queued up a cartoon for the child, then looked up at the driver. “If she cries tonight, I’m worried it’ll disturb the neighbors.”

Shang Tongxu replied, “She’s a big girl now; she’ll probably last until nine or ten at the most. It won’t disturb anyone.”

XiaoMeihua fretted, “But what if she cries at night?”

Little did they know, Zhiyi was an easy child. She only cried when she was sick or uncomfortable; otherwise, she was quiet and well-behaved.

Meanwhile, in the villa, Xu Xiangyi held his wife close.

He Yi’an wiped her tears, still insisting, “I’m fine.” But her other hand tightened around his waist, her sadness longing for an outlet.

The child was too young to say a proper goodbye, and she was still holding onto the hope of seeing them at the mall.

A mother-daughter bond that had blossomed was coming to an end today.

She had her own father…

Mother… she’s not my child with Xu Xiangyi. With that thought, a wave of relief washed over her.

“I’ll go wash my face. You check on Zhiyi,” she said, trying to shake off her worries.

Xu Xiangyi replied, “Sixun is playing with her; it’s fine.”

Before leaving Beijing, he called Jin Xin again.

The past few days had been a whirlwind, and once everything settled down, their family would make a special trip to express their gratitude.

Jin Xin laughed, “Oh, no need for that! The most important thing is to keep the kids happy. Mr. Xu, don’t mention it; I really haven’t done much.”

Xu Xiangyi insisted, “This is a huge deal for us. We’re immensely grateful.”

Then he remembered, “Please thank Zheng Chen for me. We owe him a lot these past few months. He can come over anytime during the winter and summer breaks to play.”

Jin Xin smiled, “I’ll accept that gratitude on behalf of my son. He’s worried he won’t get to see Zhiyi again.”

After hanging up, she ruffled her son’s hair, happy that he would get to see his little sister.

“Zheng Chen said it’s winter break now. Can we go today?”

Jin Xin gently reminded him, “Mr. Xu’s family has a lot on their plate right now. We don’t want to add to the chaos. Zhiyi needs time to adjust to her new home. If you go, she’ll only want you and won’t want her parents.”

After a few moments of consideration, he sighed, “Okay.”

At 1:30 PM, the family boarded the plane.

Xu Zhiyi blinked in confusion as she found herself suddenly on a plane. She walked over to Jiang Sixun, saying, “Brother, we don’t need to take a plane to my house.”

Jiang Sixun playfully lied, “There are too many of us; we have to take a plane.”

Zhiyi blinked her long lashes, still trying to grasp the situation, finally relenting with a sigh, “Fine. But where are my mommy and daddy? Why aren’t they on the plane?”

Jiang Sixun pointed at Xu Xiangyi’and his wife. “That’s your dad, and that’s your mom.”

Xu Zhiyi whispered, “Brother, you’re not very smart.”

She never directly called anyone dumb.

“They’re the little sister’s dad and mom.”

Jiang Sixun replied, “They’ll be your dad and mom from now on.”

Zhiyi rested her chin on his armrest, playing while pointing out his mistakes.

Seeing how much fun she was, Jiang Sixun wanted this little sister even more. He discussed with Xu Heng about keeping her in their family.

Xu Heng simply said, “No.”

Yesterday, he had shared his snacks with her, and today he brought two bags to share.

Xu Zhiyi hugged them close, tilting her head up, “Thank you, brother!”

Xu Heng realized that a child this age wasn’t as annoying as he had thought.

As the plane was about to take off, Xu Xiangyi came over and scooped up his daughter, reminding the two children—who even dogs would turn away from—“No more than half an hour of game time.”

Xu Zhiyi still seemed a bit shy, clutching her snacks tightly without saying a word.

Xu Xiangyi settled into his seat, placing his daughter on his lap, and asked, “What’s my name? Do you remember my phone number?”

On the way to the airport, he had turned it into a game, helping Zhiyi memorize his number.

“I remember! Xu Xiangyi!” she exclaimed, then effortlessly recited the number.

Xu Xiangyi pointed to his wife beside him. “What’s her name? What’s her number?”

Zhiyi tensed up, her voice shrinking to a whisper as she responded, “He Yi’an.” With a stutter, she managed to recite the number.

He Yi’an took Zhiyi in her arms, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I know our Zhiyi didn’t just take something from someone that day.”

Xu Xiangyi, confused, asked his wife what had happened.

He Yi’an briefly explained, “Zhiyi thought I was going to scold her.” She kissed their daughter again. “But our Zhiyi is such a wonderful child; how could I ever scold you?”

She tore open a packet of snacks and shared them with her daughter.

Peering out the window, Zhiyi asked, “Auntie, when will the plane get to my house?”

“In the evening, right when the sun is about to set,” He Yi’an replied.

“I want to call Dad. Is that okay?” Zhiyi asked hopefully.

Adding a polite “Is that okay?” made it difficult for He Yi’an to refuse, but she steeled herself and said, “The phone is out of battery.”

Zhiyi didn’t know what to do; she missed her dad and wanted to go home right away.

Looking outside again, she wondered when the sun would finally set.

After finishing her snacks, He Yi’an fed her half a cup of warm water. Sleepiness soon overcame Zhiyi; accustomed to her afternoon naps, she couldn’t hold on any longer and quickly fell asleep in He Yi’an’s arms.

“I’ll hold her while she sleeps,” Xu Xiangyi whispered softly.

He Yi’an actually wanted to hold her too but handed the child over to her husband instead.

As Xu Xiangyi cradled their daughter, he couldn’t help but shower her forehead with kisses; she was simply too adorable.

He Yi’an found a blanket to cover ZhiYi’and lay down on the other side of the couch, planning to catch a few Z’s herself. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and her head was still pounding.

She had thought it would take a lot of effort to soothe Zhiyi on the plane, but it turned out to be so worry-free.

When the mother and daughter woke up, the plane had just landed.

Zhiyi stirred groggily, her sleepy eyes locking onto the face of the person holding her. After staring for a while, she finally recognized him—it was Xu Xiangyi—and immediately, his phone number popped into her mind.

As they arrived at the villa, everything felt strange and unfamiliar.

“Where’s my dad?” Xu Zhiyi’s voice was thick with the effort of holding back tears, but she was clearly struggling not to cry.

Xu Xiangyi realized that continuously deceiving her wouldn’t work. He thought if he spoke to her gently, she might understand. After all, she was nothing like Ning Wei.

“Zhiyi, I’m your dad.”

“No, that’s wrong! My dad is Shang Tongxu!” Tears shimmered in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

“Shang Tongxu is the one who—” Xu Xiangyi hesitated. Technically, Ning Wei was the older sister, but Zhiyi might not understand that reference.

“Shang Tongxu is the little sister’s dad. They look alike.”

Suddenly, Zhiyi broke down completely, her tears flowing freely. “Is it true? Does Dad not want me anymore? But… but Dad said he would never leave me!”

The weight of rejection pressed down on her; not only had her mom abandoned her, but now it felt like her dad had too.

“Can you tell Dad that I’ll be good? I won’t cry at night; I can sleep by myself. Uncle, please take me back home!”

The more she cried, the more her heartbreak deepened, her tears falling like a broken necklace.

She tried to stifle her sobs, not wanting to cry out loud.

Xu Xiangyi felt his own tears begin to fall.

“It’s not that Shang Tongxu doesn’t want you; it’s just that He Yi’an and I want to bring you home. You’re our child! I’m your dad, and He Yi’an is your mom.”

But Zhiyi wouldn’t listen. “No, you’re the little sister’s dad, not mine!”

“I am your dad. You and the little sister were just swapped.”

Zhiyi was confused by the notion of being swapped. All she wanted was to go home and find her dad.

At that moment, He Yi’an came downstairs with some stuffed toys—a family of squirrels and a family of rabbits.

Xu Xiangyi picked up the squirrel dad. “This is me.”

He Yi’an added, “And I’m the squirrel mom.”

Xu Xiangyi handed the squirrel baby to Zhiyi. She clutched the stuffed toy tightly, still sniffing as she whispered, “I want to find Dad.”

Xu Xiangyi placed the rabbit dad and rabbit mom on the sofa and picked up the rabbit baby. “If Shang Tongxu is the rabbit dad, then who is Xiao Meihua?”

“She’s the rabbit mom!”

“Right, she is the rabbit mom.”

Xu Xiangyi sat down on the sofa, cradling his daughter next to the rabbit dad and rabbit mom. He continued, “The rabbit dad and rabbit mom mistakenly took home the squirrel baby instead of their own rabbit baby.”

“And the squirrel dad and squirrel mom took home the rabbit baby, thinking it was their own.”

“That’s the baby.”

He asked his daughter, “Do you know what it means to be swapped at birth?”

Xu Zhiyi nodded, her tears still flowing. “I know. The little squirrel and the little rabbit went to the wrong house.”

“Exactly. You’re the little squirrel, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then can you live with the rabbit mom and rabbit dad forever?”

“No. The little squirrel eats pine cones, and the rabbit dad and rabbit mom eat… carrots.”

“So how about we swap the babies back?”

“Okay.” Zhiyi slid off the sofa and took the rabbit baby from Xu Xiangyi’s hands, placing it between the rabbit dad and rabbit mom.

“The little sister is the rabbit baby, and she needs to go back to her own mommy and daddy. Now, who are you? What kind of baby are you?”

Zhiyi looked at the toy in her hands. “I’m the little squirrel.”

Xu Xiangyi continued to guide her. “So, where should you go?”

Despite her reluctance, Zhiyi cried as she walked toward Xu Xiangyi’and He Yi’an.

Xu Xiangyi wrapped his arms around his daughter. “I want my baby too. If you go back to the rabbit dad, what will happen to me and squirrel mom?”

Even though Zhiyi knew she was the little squirrel, she still longed for her dad. She felt like she could barely breathe, trying not to cry out loud.

He Yi’an wiped her own tears and took a warm towel to clean Zhiyi’s face.

After wiping her face, Xu Xiangyi kissed his daughter. “The little squirrel’s last name is Xu, and your name is Xu Zhiyi.”

That night, Xu Xiangyi played the baby swap game with her five or six times, each time reinforcing the concept in her mind.

Finally, Zhiyi cried herself out, her eyes swollen and her little face flushed.

He Yi’an had the aunt prepare some fruit, Zhiyi’s favorite seafood rice, and ice cream.

This was just the beginning; she would surely cry even harder before bedtime.

Jiang Sixun and Xu Heng quietly watched from the side, sharing an unusual silence.

Taking advantage of the moment while Zhiyi was eating and not crying, Xu Xiangyi’and He Yi’an went upstairs to organize the things they had brought back from Shang Tongxu’s house.

The moment Zhiyi saw that Xu Xiangyi’and He Yi’an were gone, she set down her spoon and slid off her chair.

“Zhiyi, where are you going?” Jiang Sixun asked.

Zhiyi dashed into the living room, pulling out a half-finished box of animal-shaped cookies from her little bag. She turned around and found Jiang Sixun right behind her.

She offered him half the box. “Brother, here you go.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Zhiyi insisted, “Brother, you have to eat!”

Reluctantly, Jiang Sixun took a cookie and pretended to eat it.

Zhiyi looked at him eagerly. “Can you take me to find my dad? He lives in the second room on the second floor of your house.”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

She wiped her tears with her little hand, adjusted her bag, and remembered to pick up the small toy car from the coffee table.