“Teacher, how’s my essay?” Ji Yu closed her workbook and looked at Yi Lanya with hopeful eyes.

Yi Lanya forced a smile through clenched teeth. “It’s really well written. But… why did you end it with ‘I love my mom’? That kind of conclusion takes the focus away from the main point. You shouldn’t do that in essays from now on.”

Ji Yu said seriously, “It’s okay. Mom already told me I shouldn’t write like that. But I did it anyway—because I just want her to be happy.”

That damned paralyzed woman!!!

Yi Lanya clenched her fists and smiled as she asked, “Did you read it to your mom?”

Ji Yu beamed. “She’s the one who helped me write it!”

Yi Lanya almost coughed up blood. Xiao Yu!!!

Taking a deep breath, Yi Lanya tried to keep calm and put on a concerned expression. “Xiao Yu, didn’t you say before that your mom didn’t love you?”

Ji Yu froze and looked at Yi Lanya. Yi Lanya gave her a conflicted look. “You told me before that your mom didn’t want you and your dad to be together anymore. You said you really hated her. Don’t you hate her anymore?”

But what Ji Yu had said back then wasn’t just “hate.” She’d said she despised her. She’d said she would never forgive her for the rest of her life.

Children’s words can be harsh—cold and cruel. They don’t have a clear sense of right and wrong yet, but their words, though often careless, can cut deep.

Ji Yu’s eyes slowly began to fill with tears. Yi Lanya gently wiped her face and said softly, heart aching, “There, don’t cry. I’ll always be here for you. I… I only brought it up because I was worried you might get hurt again.”

At that, Ji Yu burst into loud sobs, covered her face, and ran out. She got into the driver’s car and went straight home.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu’s physical therapy had just progressed to the point where she could lift her arm. Sister Wang, who was watching nearby, couldn’t help but marvel:
“A full-body paralysis like that—recovering is extremely rare, especially with nerve damage. And for her to regain feeling in her hand this fast… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

As Xiao Yu slowly raised her arm, she said, “Maybe it’s because I wasn’t injured for too long. The nerve damage wasn’t too severe. I asked Ji Xuan to help me find an acupuncturist to stimulate the nerves—I’m hoping I’ll recover gradually.”

Sister Wang sighed in admiration. “You’re really lucky—you’ve got a son and a daughter, your son’s filial, your daughter’s adorable, and now you’re even back living in your ex-husband’s home. He seems like a decent man too—good-looking, successful, and not the type to fool around.”

Xiao Yu burst out laughing. “Sister Wang, do I really look like someone with good luck to you?”

Sister Wang let out a sigh. “I saw the news about that car accident. You were so unlucky. You were the only one thrown from the car—and it just had to injure your spine. Sigh… looking at you now, I suppose your luck does seem pretty bad.”

Xiao Yu laughed again. “But Sister Wang, someone actually died in that crash!”

Sister Wang: “…”

She stared at Xiao Yu, at a loss. “So… are you trying to say you’re lucky or unlucky?”

Xiao Yu turned her head toward the window. Outside, a car was slowly coming to a stop. She spoke softly: “Lucky or unlucky… it’s not really something you can control. Even if you work hard, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the outcome you want. Of course, how you see things affects how you feel about them.

“If you just look at me now—being thrown from the car, injuring my spine—compared to the people who only got scraped up inside the car, yeah, I’d seem unlucky.

“But if you compare me to the one who went over the edge with the car and died from a head injury, then I was the lucky one. So, am I lucky or not? I guess it depends on how you look at it.

“I’m still alive. I still have my children. My ex-husband is paying for my medical care and living expenses. I’m doing everything I can to recover. Personally, I think I’m pretty lucky.”

But to the original Xiao Yu, her lifelong dream had always been to become a renowned pianist.

Yes, she had survived. Yes, she still had her children. Yes, she had the fallback of an ex-husband.

But none of those were what she truly wanted. And in the end, she didn’t hold on.

She hadn’t been a good mother, nor a good wife—but at the very least, she had been a good daughter.

This lifetime, Xiao Yu, who in her previous life never returned home even after ending up in a wheelchair, could understand that pain all too well. She didn’t judge the original Xiao Yu’s choices. Everyone has their own path.

Suddenly, the door of the car outside was flung open. Xiao Yu looked out and saw Ji Yu burst out of the car. Her softly curled hair arced through the air, and her princess dress floated as she ran.

Xiao Yu smiled. “Look, my lovely daughter is back.”

Sister Wang glanced at the girl running in and said, “Miss Ji is adorable. You can tell she really cares about you.”

Xiao Yu replied lightly, “Of course. Blood ties are hard to ignore. That’s exactly why Yi ‘the Fox’ Lanya is so uneasy. I wonder what she said to her today… I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sister Wang: “…”

“Mom!” Ji Yu called out from the living room, her eyes red and swollen from crying, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Her shouting didn’t bring Xiao Yu out, but it startled Xiao Ruoguang, who was watching Wolves and Sheep in the living room.

“Sis, what’s wrong?” he asked.

Ji Yu shoved him angrily, sobbing, “Mom doesn’t want me! She only wants you! I don’t like her anymore!”

“Ah?” Xiao Ruoguang looked at her in shock. “Mom didn’t say she didn’t want you…”

Ji Yu was angry. When she first found out that Xiao Yu had come back, her initial reaction was anger.

But she couldn’t help wanting to be close to her.

The next morning, she got up early, put on her favorite princess dress, and eagerly waited for Sister Ban to arrive so she could ride with her.

But when she got to the hospital, her mom didn’t look heartbroken, didn’t burst into tears at the sight of her.

And somehow, Ji Yu found herself really, really hoping her mom didn’t hate her.

Then today, when her teacher brought it up, she remembered: she was the child her mom had abandoned.

Thinking about that, Ji Yu started crying all over again.

Her tears rolled down in big, heavy drops. Just then, Kong Yuqing walked out of the kitchen, calling out as she came:

“The kitchen’s got bone broth ready—young master needs to drink—oh! Young miss, you’re back? No tutoring with Miss Yi today? What’s all this crying about?”

Ji Yu clenched her little fists and wiped her eyes, her voice breaking as she sobbed,
“I… I’m the baby Mommy didn’t want!”

Kong Yuqing froze for a second, then asked gently, “Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”

She had heard Ji Yu say similar things before—and, truth be told, had contributed to those feelings more than she liked to admit. Back then, Ji Yu’s bad temper kept getting worse, and only later did Kong Yuqing realize that the girl had been absorbing all the resentment the adults around her had poured out.

Ji Yu had turned that bitterness inward, developing a deep dislike for her mother and a belief that she was an unwanted child.

The guilt weighed heavily on Kong Yuqing.

So when Ji Yu happened to meet a teacher named Yi Lanya back in kindergarten, both Ji Xuan and Kong Yuqing had been overjoyed.

Ji Yu had gradually grown more cheerful, and in response, Ji Xuan and Kong Yuqing had warmed up even more to Yi Lanya. Later, when they discovered Yi Lanya worked at the same elementary school Ji Yu would attend, Ji Xuan even pulled some strings to transfer Ji Yu into her class.

Yi Lanya had gradually made her way into the household—but from the very beginning, Kong Yuqing hadn’t liked her.

Though she kept it subtle, there was something about her that rubbed Kong Yuqing the wrong way. Call it a woman’s instinct, but she felt that Yi Lanya didn’t have pure intentions.

Later, Yi Lanya’s behavior only confirmed her suspicions. She insisted on tutoring Ji Yu every Saturday, always staying until Ji Xuan got off work. Sometimes she’d even show up on his days off to “discuss” Ji Yu’s progress. And more than once, she casually asked about Ji Xuan’s marital status.

Of course, she always said it was for Ji Yu’s benefit—that understanding a student’s family helped her understand the student better.

Just then, Ji Yu cried out, tears running down her face, “It was Miss Yi who reminded me! I told her before, and she… wuwuwu… she said she was afraid Mommy might hurt me… wuwuwu… Am I really a baby Mommy didn’t want? I want to find her—I want to ask why she left me!”

Thinking about the real reason Xiao Yu had left, Kong Yuqing’s face darkened. But she quickly forced a kind smile and said, “Madam never abandoned you, sweetheart.”

Off to the side, Xiao Ruoguang had been listening, a puzzled look on his face. He asked, “Did Mommy not want Sister?”

Just as Ji Yu had stopped crying, she looked up and began again, wailing, “Mommy didn’t leave me—she left you…!”

Xiao Ruoguang looked even more confused. “Mommy didn’t leave me either! Sister, don’t cry. Mommy didn’t leave you. I think Miss Yi was lying.”

“Really?” Ji Yu sniffled.

Xiao Ruoguang nodded, his eyes wide and earnest. “Of course! Miss Yi doesn’t even know Mommy. How could she know if Mommy didn’t want you? She must be making it up.”

“I’m the one who told her,” Ji Yu pouted, clearly unwilling to hear Xiao Ruoguang say anything bad about Miss Yi.

Xiao Ruoguang frowned. “Then that means she definitely doesn’t know the truth. Grown-ups love to lie to kids. If she said Mommy didn’t want you, she probably meant the opposite.”

Ji Yu wiped away her last tear and asked, “Really? But Grandma Kong said Mommy didn’t want me too!”

Xiao Ruoguang turned to look at Aunty Kong in surprise.

Kong Yuqing was caught off guard, stammering, “G-Grandma Kong was just… I mean…”

Xiao Ruoguang smoothly cut in, “Grandma Kong must’ve been talking in her sleep!”

“Yes, yes!” Kong Yuqing quickly nodded. “I’m old, my mind gets muddled. You must have remembered it wrong, Miss Ji Yu. I was half-asleep and regretted saying it the moment I did. Haven’t I been careful never to say something like that again?”

Ji Yu tilted her head thoughtfully. She really couldn’t remember when Grandma Kong had said it, and come to think of it, she hadn’t heard her say anything like that in a long time.

Just then, someone asked from outside the room, “What’s going on in here?”

Just as Ji Yu’s emotional defenses were at their weakest, Xiao Yu was gently wheeled out by Auntie Wang, a warm and gentle smile on her face.

Ji Yu turned and saw her mother. All the grievance and hurt she’d been holding back suddenly surged to the surface. Her lips quivered as she struggled to hold back tears.

“Mommy…” she called out, her voice trembling.

Xiao Yu smiled and said softly, “Come here, sweetheart. Come to Mommy.”

Xiao Ruoguang glanced at Ji Yu as she rushed over, then looked back at the wolves and sheep on the TV. After a moment of hesitation, he tossed the remote aside and ran over too.

Ji Yu stood at her mother’s side, clutching the fabric of her clothes. She looked up and asked, “Mommy, why did you leave back then? Did you not want me anymore?”

Xiao Yu looked at her and gently avoided the question. “Don’t you believe Mommy?”

Ji Yu’s eyes were red as she stared at her mother. Kong Yuqing was just trying to think of how to soothe her when she saw Xiao Yu slowly lift her hand and place it lightly on Ji Yu’s head, gently stroking it.

“My sweet girl,” she said softly. “Mommy’s been wanting to touch your hair for so long. Good girl.”

A look of deep contentment bloomed on Xiao Yu’s face.

And in that moment, Ji Yu collapsed into her mother’s lap, sobbing uncontrollably. Her wailing filled the entire room.

As Xiao Yu gently stroked her daughter’s head, she said softly, “Mommy had her reasons for leaving, reasons she couldn’t avoid. But one thing’s for sure—Mommy’s love for you has never changed. Ji Yu, remember this… these hands of mine—” she paused, cupping Ji Yu’s tear-streaked face and gently wiping away the tears, “—they only started moving again because of you. That’s Mommy’s proof of love.”

Auntie Wang: “…” Madam, your hands were already moving yesterday…

Ji Yu clung tightly to Xiao Yu, sobbing harder. “I knew it! I knew Mommy loves me! They were all lying to me!”

“From now on,” Xiao Yu said calmly, “don’t let Ms. Yi tell you Mommy doesn’t love you. Mommy heard that today and was very, very upset.”

Ji Yu nodded earnestly. “Okay. Tomorrow I’ll go tell Ms. Yi, ‘My Mommy never abandoned me—she loves me very much!’”

Xiao Yu smiled, patted her head, and said gently, “Good girl, sweetheart.”

Kong Yuqing: “…” Is this going to be a daily takedown of that fox Ms. Yi?

=^_^=