Chapter 4

Xu Ningwei’s eyes ached. It hurt whether she kept them open or closed.

There was no hot water in the car, so she asked Jiang Sixun if he could give her a cold towel.

The car pulled over. Jiang Sixun found a clean white towel and took a bottle of water from the fridge.

“I’ll do it,” Xu Ningwei reached out, “I could use some fresh air.”

Jiang Sixun didn’t hand it over: “You sit.”

In the end, the bodyguard wetted the towel with cold water.

Xu Ningwei gently placed the cold towel over her eyes. It couldn’t compare to a warm compress, but she had to make do.

The car started again. She leaned back in her seat, squinting, her chest tightening again. She took a few deep breaths to relieve it.

Jiang Sixun glanced sideways at her: “Should I get you a hot coffee?”

“No need,” Xu Ningwei replied after a few delayed seconds, “I’m not thirsty.” She raised her hand to press the edge of the towel, wiping away her tears.

Jiang Sixun looked at her: “Tell me, why are you crying?”

“I no longer have a complete family.”

“You’re twenty, studying abroad. Even if there hadn’t been a mix-up, how many days a year would you spend at home?”

Jiang Sixun opened a bottle of soda water and handed it to her.

Xu Ningwei held the bottle in silence.

Jiang Sixun continued, “Do you think Uncle Xu won’t care for you anymore? Or that your brother will ignore you from now on?”

Xu Ningwei instinctively shook her head.

“Even if, worst-case scenario, they don’t care for you, you can still come to me. What’s there to worry about?”

After a pause, Xu Ningwei spoke, her voice heavy with emotion: “Thank you, Brother Sixun.”

The towel couldn’t stop her tears, and one trickled down the side of her nose.

Jiang Sixun asked where she wanted to go. Without thinking, she answered, “Home.”

Back at her Manhattan residence, she locked herself in her room. She didn’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone.

But in the end, she couldn’t resist. She called He Yi’an and asked what their plans were.

After a long silence, He Yi’an, holding back her sadness, said, “There was a mix-up, and the mistake has to be corrected.”

Xu Ningwei’s tears flowed freely: “Mom, do you not love me anymore?”

He Yi’an pressed her fingers to the corners of her eyes, her heart breaking: “How could Mom not love you?”

“Mom, don’t cry. I’ll do as you say. I’ll go back to that home. Just don’t feel sad, okay?” Xu Ningwei covered her mouth and nose, her shoulders trembling from the effort of holding back her sobs.

—

Shang Zhiyi’s fever had been recurring for two days before it finally subsided, allowing her a peaceful sleep.

When she opened her eyes, only her biological parents were in the hospital room.

“How are you feeling, any better?” Xu Xiangyi asked, reaching out to check his daughter’s forehead. Her temperature was normal.

Shang Zhiyi propped herself up: “Much better.”

Despite spending two days together, the family still felt unfamiliar.

Xu Xiangyi asked what she wanted for lunch. The family’s nutritionist and chef had flown in from Shanghai.

Shang Zhiyi wasn’t picky: “As long as it’s not chicken soup.”

Xu Xiangyi chuckled and turned to his wife: “The siblings are just alike.”

Shang Zhiyi belatedly realized that her biological brother didn’t like chicken soup either.

Her biological brother was named Xu Heng, six years older than her. That’s all she knew for now.

He Yi’an’s phone vibrated. It was a call from the butler of the Manhattan home.

The rare warm moment shared by the three was abruptly interrupted.

The butler said, “Ningwei has a high fever. I’ve already notified the doctor to come over. It’s my fault for not taking proper care of her.”

He Yi’an immediately became worried about her adopted daughter. “How did she suddenly get a fever?”

The butler explained that Ningwei had returned to Manhattan, locked herself in her room, and didn’t even eat lunch, claiming she had no appetite. Later, when knocking on the door got no response, the butler had to push the door open. Ningwei had curled up on the sofa, crying herself to sleep without covering herself, and after she woke up, she began to run a fever.

After hearing this, He Yi’an’s heart ached deeply. She gave the butler a few quick instructions and then hung up the phone.

“What’s wrong with Ningwei?” Xu Xiangyi asked, concerned.

“She didn’t eat and caught a chill while sleeping,” He Yi’an replied, blaming herself. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight at a time like this.” She quickly dialed Xu Ningwei on a video call.

The call was answered soon, and the first thing she heard was the sound of coughing.

In the video, Xu Ningwei’s eyes were swollen like walnuts. Overnight, her entire life had been turned upside down.

The parents who had loved her for so many years were now someone else’s parents.

Thinking about it, her heart ached again.

She had never cried growing up—nothing had ever made her sad enough. But in the past few days, it felt like she had shed all the tears she had saved up for twenty years.

He Yi’an couldn’t bear to see her daughter cry, so she stood up and went outside the hospital room to continue the video call.

The room fell into a sudden silence.

Xu Xiangyi hadn’t had the chance to ask his biological daughter about the university she had gotten into, so he seized the opportunity to start a conversation. “Are you studying in the country or abroad? Your second-year courses must be getting tougher by now?”

Shang Zhiyi was already a senior. She explained what school she attended and her major.

Xu Xiangyi was incredulous. “A senior?”

He was both shocked and pleased. “We’ve raised two academic stars! Your brother skipped two grades in middle school as well.”

Shang Zhiyi knew her own abilities well and didn’t consider herself an academic star. “My grades are the result of hard work, not talent,” she clarified. “I’m not trying to be modest.”

Back then, she had studied so hard just to earn the approval and affection of her mother, Xiao Meihua, hoping her mother would be proud of her.

Every time she won a competition, skipped a grade in middle school, or got accepted into an Ivy League school, her mother would be happy, but that happiness would fade quickly, and nothing would change.

She used to be troubled by it, unable to understand why her mother favored her younger sister over her.

To this day, she had no answer.

If it was because of her stubborn personality, her younger sister was even more willful.

Xu Xiangyi thought Shang Zhiyi was being humble and smiled. “Even if your grades are the result of hard work, that’s still impressive. I’ll have to think of a gift to reward you. And I should also thank your adoptive parents for raising you so well.”

They had raised Ningwei well, too. Now in her second year of college, her major was ranked among the top five globally. If she hadn’t been distracted by the temptations of everyday life—spending half her time on food, drink, and entertainment—Ningwei’s grades might have been even better.

But still, she had lived up to the efforts of Shang Tongxu and his wife.

At that moment, the door to the hospital room opened, and Shang Zhiyi looked over.

He Yi’an had finished her video call with Xu Ningwei and was worried about her condition. She couldn’t rest easy with Ningwei being alone abroad. “I’ll head back to Shanghai this afternoon. After handling company matters, I’ll fly over to check on Ningwei,” she told her husband.

Xu Xiangyi nodded slightly but then remembered, “The plane’s still with Ningwei and hasn’t returned.”

He Yi’an sent a message, arranging for a driver to pick her up. “No worries. I’ll have my secretary book a flight.”

Shang Zhiyi understood—they usually traveled by private jet.

Soon, the car to pick up He Yi’an arrived at the hospital.

Before leaving, He Yi’an added Shang Zhiyi on WeChat. “If you need anything, call me anytime.”

Shang Zhiyi responded, “Okay.”

The two weren’t familiar with each other, and there was a formality in their words. How would they even stay in touch?

He Yi’an put her phone into her bag and stood by the bed, not leaving just yet. In a gentle voice, she reminded Shang Zhiyi, “Remember to drink plenty of warm water.”

Then she leaned down and hugged the daughter she had never embraced before.

Shang Zhiyi was momentarily stunned as she was drawn into a hug, surrounded by a scent both unfamiliar and comforting.

But the hug was too brief. Before she could fully process it, He Yi’an had already let her go.

As a child, she had longed for such an embrace, but after her younger sister came along, those hugs had become rare.

He Yi’an left the hospital room, and Xu Xiangyi walked her to the hallway. He closed the hospital room door and, reaching out, stopped his wife, who was walking ahead. He Yi’an turned back, her eyes filled with curiosity.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

Xu Xiangyi replied, “Shang Tongxu and his wife said they were going to see Ningwei. Since she’ll have her biological parents with her, maybe you don’t need to go.”

He Yi’an didn’t hesitate. “They are them, and I am me. You stay here with Zhiyi. I’ll go be with Ningwei.”

Xu Xiangyi said nothing more. His wife had noticeably lost weight over the past few days. He gave her a hug. “Go ahead.” Then he gently reminded her, “Take care of yourself. Eat well.”

He Yi’an smiled. “I’m not a child.”

He walked her to the elevator before returning to the hospital room.

Shang Zhiyi was sitting with her tablet, typing an email. She had undergone another checkup the day before, and the doctor suggested she stay in the hospital for two more days. But this would make her miss her internship start date.

She emailed Yuanwei, explaining why she needed to delay her start by two days and attached her hospital records and checkup results.

Xu Xiangyi sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and rested his forehead in his hand, closing his eyes to relax. He wasn’t asleep, just listening to his daughter typing. Last night, Shang Tongxu had sent him a package of photos and videos of Zhiyi growing up, and he had stayed up late watching them.

But even after watching them, he still couldn’t imagine how his daughter had grown up day by day.

The typing stopped—she must have finished her work. He opened his eyes.

“Do you still have summer assignments?”

“No, I just sent an email.”

Shang Zhiyi closed her tablet and placed it by her pillow.

Xu Xiangyi noticed that the fruit platter only had green tangerines and smiled gently. “Not eating other fruits?” he asked while picking up a green tangerine and starting to peel it.

Shang Zhiyi replied, “I eat a little.”

The brief conversation quickly fell into silence again.

Having missed twenty long years, there was so much to say, but when the time came, the words couldn’t come out.

Xu Xiangyi carefully peeled the tangerine and handed it to his daughter. Just then, he received a message from He Yi’an on his phone: [Call me back outside.]

He wiped his hands and stepped outside the hospital room into the hallway, holding his phone.

“What is it that you don’t want Zhiyi to hear?” he asked his wife once he reached the window.

He Yi’an replied, “It’s about the two children.”

She had been struggling with her thoughts, to the point where it was giving her a headache. “I’ve thought it over. Some things can’t be rushed. Ningwei’s emotions are unstable right now. If we publicly reveal that she’s not our biological daughter at this crucial moment, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle the shock. This isn’t her fault—although she’s not our biological child, we still need to consider her feelings.”

Xu Xiangyi responded, “It’s right to consider Ningwei. So, what are you suggesting?”

“Let’s hold off on bringing Zhiyi home for a bit longer.”

Xu Xiangyi didn’t say anything, thinking she was suggesting delaying the revelation of the girls’ true identities.

Most of the time, his silence meant he didn’t agree with her decisions, but he wouldn’t directly argue with her.

This had been their dynamic since they were young.

Xu Xiangyi suddenly wasn’t sure of his wife’s true intentions. After receiving the paternity test results, they had agreed to switch the two children back and give them a month to adjust. By July, each would return to their respective families.

Now, they were being asked to delay things even further.

His tone remained calm, with no hint of blame. “Yi’an, are you regretting it? If you are, and you don’t want to switch them back, I understand. Out of everyone, you’ve been the most affected by this, and you’ve put the most into Ningwei.”

“Zhiyi is our child. I’m her mother. How could I regret switching them back?”

Realizing that her husband had misunderstood, He Yi’an clarified, “I just want to wait a little longer. It’s not that I don’t want to bring Zhiyi home, nor am I making excuses. After meeting Zhiyi, do you think I could just let her go?”

She had almost died giving birth to Zhiyi. How could she not want her child? How could she regret bringing her home? But at the same time, she couldn’t ignore Ningwei’s current state. Twenty years of emotions weren’t something she could just reclaim overnight.

She still hadn’t fully come to terms with the fact that the daughter she raised wasn’t biologically hers.

Ningwei had grown up with them, and it was genuinely hard to let go.

“Ningwei cried during the video call earlier, telling me she didn’t want to leave. She asked if she could stay with us a little longer. Do you know how that made me feel?”

Xu Xiangyi had loved Ningwei as his own for twenty years, so he fully understood the gut-wrenching pain.

He asked his wife, “Do you want to keep both children?”

“That’s not what I’m thinking. I owe Zhiyi, and I want to love her properly from now on. Besides, Ningwei has her biological parents. I can’t keep both of these wonderful children all to myself.”

Right now, He Yi’an was caught between two equally difficult choices, and no one was hurting more than she was. “I just need more time to accept that the child I’ve loved all these years isn’t mine. And Ningwei also needs more time to adjust.”

As for when she’d be ready to bring Zhiyi home, she couldn’t give an exact answer, overwhelmed by her emotions.

Xu Xiangyi reassured his wife a bit more before ending the call and quietly stood by the window for a few minutes.

When he returned to the hospital room, Shang Zhiyi was holding a book, reading.

He sat down on a stool by the bed, his usual business-like decisiveness seeping into his personal life. “Dad wants to talk to you about you and Ningwei.”

Shang Zhiyi couldn’t understand. “How could there have been a mix-up?”

“It’s my fault,” Xu Xiangyi said, filled with regret. When his wife had undergone a C-section, he hadn’t been in the operating room with them, waiting outside instead. Whether the mix-up was due to human error or fate, it was still something that haunted him.

He paused before speaking again, guilt weighing heavily on him as he addressed his biological daughter. “Ningwei is very emotional right now, and I’m worried about her. I hope you won’t mind staying with your adoptive parents for the time being.” He added, self-reproaching, “It’s my fault.”

Shang Zhiyi wasn’t surprised by this decision and fully understood. “You don’t need to apologize. After all these years of feelings between you and Ningwei, you’re doing the right thing.”

Since they had already apologized and hadn’t given her a timeline for when she’d return, she figured it would be a long time, perhaps indefinitely.

At that moment, she couldn’t help but envy Ningwei—loved unconditionally by so many people and chosen without hesitation. After discovering she wasn’t their biological daughter, Xiao Meihua never asked how Zhiyi felt, if she was anxious or sad, nor did she ever hide her desire to find her biological daughter.

Zhiyi had spent her whole life hoping Xiao Meihua would choose her just once.

But she never did.

So she had grown used to it, which made her especially envious of those who were loved.

Xu Xiangyi looked at his daughter. “In the meantime, spend some more time with your adoptive parents. After raising you all these years, they must find it hard to let you go.”

Shang Zhiyi didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing her silence, Xu Xiangyi assumed she was also reluctant to leave her adoptive mother. Trying to change the heavy topic, he attempted to make up for the lost years. “As for your gift for skipping grades, after you’re discharged, you can pick whatever you like.”

“No need,” Shang Zhiyi declined immediately. “I won’t have time anyway. I need to fly back for my internship.”

Xu Xiangyi asked, “You’ve found a summer internship?”

Shang Zhiyi answered with a simple “Hmm,” but didn’t say where or for how long.

Around 9 p.m., she received an email from HR at Yuanwei, expressing concern for her and agreeing to her delayed start. They had already informed the boss of her situation.

She was puzzled as to why such a small matter had to involve the boss, until twenty minutes later, she received an email from Jiang Sixun’s secretary. Only then did she understand—she was fortunate enough to be part of a project personally led by Jiang Sixun, and she was now a member of his team.