Chapter 41: The White Moonlight’s Substitute (7)

Yun Letao’s father had already left for work, leaving only her mother at home. Watching her daughter being taken away, her mother hurriedly called both her husband and Grandmother Yun.

Yun Letao’s father must have been busy as he didn’t answer, but Grandmother Yun picked up immediately and learned about the situation.

“That vile woman! That venomous woman! She’s determined to tear this family apart!” Grandmother Yun slapped her thigh and wailed into the phone. “My poor Letao!”

Yun Letao’s mother interrupted impatiently, “Mom, hurry up and call my younger brother-in-law. Have the Yao Group’s lawyers go to the police station to get her out.”

This old lady—was this really the time for cursing? What mattered most was getting Letao out first.

“Yes, yes, you’re right!”

At that moment, Yun Jun was in a meeting, listening to his subordinates report on the quarter’s car sales figures. Suddenly, his secretary quietly entered and reported the situation to him.

Yun Jun frowned, snapped his pen shut, and signaled for the report to stop.

The people in the meeting room were puzzled.

“That’s it for today’s meeting. Get back to work.” Leaving just those words behind, Yun Jun walked out of the office.

“What’s going on?”

“Some kind of emergency?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Someone lowered their voice. “It’s probably about his family again. Didn’t they just get kicked out of the villa two days ago? Who knows what kind of trouble they’re stirring up now.”

The others didn’t respond, but secretly cursed—mixing personal affairs with business again!

Back in his office, Yun Jun gave a direct order to his secretary: “Contact the legal team. Have them take on Letao’s case.”

Yao Group had its own team of professional lawyers, so naturally, they were his first choice.

Although Yun Jun was displeased with Yun Letao’s actions, this was not the time for blame.

The secretary quickly dialed the lawyers and relayed Yun Jun’s request.

But after listening to the response from the other end, the secretary hesitated, glancing at Yun Jun awkwardly. “Mr. Yun, the legal team… might not be available right now.”

Yun Jun’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

“Half an hour ago, Madam called the legal team. She said… she said that the lawyers hired by Yao Group are to serve Yao Group exclusively. No one—not even her, a Yao by name—should use company resources for personal matters.”

The secretary spoke hesitantly, practically on the verge of tears.

This was a case of titans clashing, and the small fry getting caught in the middle.

It felt like an invisible slap landed across Yun Jun’s face. His expression stiffened.

The meaning behind Yao Rong’s words was all too clear—if even she, a Yao, wasn’t allowed to use the company’s legal resources for personal reasons, then why should Yun Jun, a mere Yun, be any different?

“Fine. Fine!” Yun Jun ground out through clenched teeth, his face darkening. “Find me a lawyer from a private firm—the best in A City!”

The secretary quickly acknowledged the order and left, unwilling to stay and endure Yun Jun’s wrath. But just as he stepped outside, he saw Yun Letao’s mother supporting Grandmother Yun as they approached.

“Mom, Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?” Yun Jun saw them too and immediately stood up to greet them.

“How could we sit still when something like this happened?” Yun Letao’s mother wiped her tears. “We wanted to go to the police station, but we were afraid we’d just get in the way. So we came here first. Young brother-in-law, have you found a lawyer yet?”

“The secretary is handling it,” Yun Jun brushed past the topic.

The lawyer was secured quickly.

However, Yao Shiyun’s lawyer, Mr. Tao, was no pushover. Combined with the fact that the case was already heavily stacked in Yao Shiyun’s favor, the lawyer Yun Jun hired suggested that their best course of action would be to negotiate a private settlement.

Yun Letao’s mother immediately decided to visit Yao Rong at the city hospital.

After some discussion, Yun Jun arranged for a driver to take them.

It was the first time they had gone to the hospital since Yao Rong fell ill.

On the way, Yun Letao’s mother kept reminding Grandmother Yun to control her temper, to endure for the sake of Yun Letao.

“She’s still so young. If she gets a criminal record, her whole life will be ruined.”

What else could Grandmother Yun do?

She had to endure, at least for now.

And so, they stormed into the hospital’s inpatient department.

Only then did they realize—they didn’t even know which room Yao Rong was in.

“I’ll ask at the front desk,” Yun Letao’s mother said.

It was lunchtime. Tao Zijin was heading to the cafeteria with his colleagues when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Grandmother Yun.

Recalling how Yao Shiyun had hired a lawyer last night, Tao Zijin hesitated.

These people were definitely up to no good.

Just a few days ago, Aunt Yao had fallen ill from stress. If she had to face this kind of situation again, it could be disastrous.

And with Shiyun’s quiet, introverted nature, she would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage in a confrontation.

Whether for personal or moral reasons, since he had encountered this situation, he should check on them.

Perhaps there might be some way he could help.

“What’s wrong?” his colleague asked, seeing him stop.

“I have something to take care of. You all go ahead.” With that, Tao Zijin turned and strode toward the elevator.

*

Since it was the weekend, Yao Shiyun didn’t have school.

She sat on the couch, head lowered as she texted Lawyer Tao, asking about typical verdicts in cases like this and how best to handle the situation.

Lawyer Tao, already at the police station, offered professional advice from his expertise.

With these insights, Yao Shiyun gradually formed a clear and structured plan.

Clutching her phone to her chest, she closed her eyes and mentally rehearsed how she should respond if she met the Yun family.

First try—too weak, this reaction lacked presence.

Second try—still not quite right, the emotion was too flat.

Third try—yes, that had captured about two or three tenths of her mother’s confrontational spirit.

Keep up this energy, Yao Shiyun!

Yao Shiyun was feeling satisfied. Just as she opened her eyes, an argument erupted outside in the hallway.

One of the voices… belonged to Grandmother Yun!

Yao Shiyun instinctively looked toward Yao Rong, her eyes showing concern.

Yao Rong stood by the window, sunlight falling on her profile, revealing her somewhat haggard and pale features.

She no longer needed to lean against walls to walk and could stand steadily by herself, but a body weakened by years of illness wasn’t something that could be easily restored.

Noticing Yao Shiyun’s gaze, Yao Rong asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yao Shiyun stood up and said softly, “Mom, I’m turning on my phone’s recording. If the Yun family says anything outrageous, don’t get angry. I’ll have Lawyer Tao sue them for you!”

As she spoke, she unlocked her phone, opened the recording app, and pressed “Start Recording.”

Yao Rong chuckled in surprise. “Don’t worry, I won’t be angered by them anymore.”

If anyone was going to be angered today, it definitely wouldn’t be her.

“That’s good.”

Although Yao Rong had said this, Yao Shiyun still felt uneasy. She thought to herself that if Grandmother Yun started spewing nonsense at her mother again, she would absolutely—absolutely help her mother fight back this time.

“I’ll go open the door,” Yao Shiyun said. “If they make a scene outside, it’ll disturb the other patients.”

Walking out of the room, Yao Shiyun immediately saw Grandmother Yun and Yun Letao’s mother being blocked at the door.

Yao Shiyun waved to Yu Xue.

Yu Xue understood and retreated with the other bodyguards, no longer blocking their way.

Grandmother Yun looked at Yu Xue, who had been the most aggressive in blocking her, and snorted in displeasure.

Yao Shiyun completely ignored Grandmother Yun and asked directly, “What do you want?”

Yun Letao’s mother smiled and replied, “Xiao Yun, we came to visit your mother, and to discuss something with you.”

“You came to visit?” Yao Shiyun glanced at their empty hands. “Then where are the gifts? Who comes to visit a patient empty-handed?”

Yun Letao’s mother’s expression froze, realizing she had given a poor excuse. She tried to smooth it over: “We came in a hurry, I’ll go downstairs to buy something later.”

“Don’t bother, my mom doesn’t need those few pieces of fruit,” Yao Shiyun also let out a light snort. “Come in.”

Nearby, Grandmother Yun was infuriated by this girl’s attitude, but Yun Letao’s mother kept pulling at her, so she had to continue ‘enduring humiliation’ for the greater cause.

Entering the hospital room, Yun Letao’s mother saw Yao Rong.

At first glance, she inwardly exclaimed in surprise.

Yao Rong’s aura seemed quite different from her memory.

The same delicate features, but while before she had been like a fragile piece of art suitable only for display in a curio cabinet, now she carried an air of calm composure that came with years of experience.

“Sister-in-law, how are you feeling lately?” Not wanting to get straight to the point, Yun Letao’s mother first asked about Yao Rong’s health with a smile.

Yao Rong smiled slightly, her smile gentle and perfect, just like before, which made Yun Letao’s mother’s sense of strangeness dissipate.

But Yao Rong’s next words made Yun Letao’s heart pound wildly.

“Thanks to Yun Jun’s mother’s ‘blessing,’ I had a brush with death.”

“Haha,” Yun Letao’s mother forced out a few laughs. “Sister-in-law, you’re so humorous.”

“Just stating facts,” Yao Rong asked Grandmother Yun, “Yun Jun’s Mother, isn’t that right?”

Yun Letao’s mother: “…”

Grandmother Yun spoke with a sarcastic tone: “I’ve never seen anyone curse themselves to death.”

“Well, mother-in-laws who curse their daughters-in-law to death are rare too. Letao’s mother should be careful in the future, don’t do anything to offend this old lady.”

Yun Letao’s mother didn’t understand their exchange, and fearing that Yao Rong and Grandmother Yun might start arguing, she dared not make small talk anymore and decided to get straight to the point.

“Xiao Yun, it’s all Letao being thoughtless,” Yun Letao’s mother said while trying to hold Yao Shiyun’s hand.

Yao Shiyun stepped back, maintaining distance from Yun Letao’s mother.

Yun Letao’s mother’s hand froze in mid-air, and she quietly withdrew it, continuing her one-sided performance.

“That child Letao, she’s been spoiled senseless by her father and me since childhood. You see, when she saw your nice things, she couldn’t help but envy them, so she borrowed some items from you.”

“It’s not that she wasn’t willing to return them. Didn’t she bring three large suitcases yesterday to return things? As for the remaining items, she accidentally missed them. I bought her similar jewelry and clothes, and that child is always careless—she didn’t look carefully and thought those items were what I bought her, so she made this mistake. She didn’t do it intentionally, please don’t blame her.”

“Tonight—no, this afternoon I’ll bring the remaining items to you, and let Xiao Yun apologize to you. Would that be acceptable?”

In Yao Shiyun’s mind, the Yun family were no longer her relatives, so she didn’t call her “Aunt” but instead followed her mother’s way of addressing them: “Letao’s mother, if you want to make excuses, please find better ones. Don’t treat people like fools. According to the law, Yun Letao’s actions already constitute a crime.”

When it became clear the matter couldn’t be easily brushed aside, Yun Letao’s mother reluctantly tried playing the emotional card, repeatedly saying “Letao is your sister.”

Yao Shiyun remained unmoved: “She’s already an adult. And my mom gave her a chance.”

Yun Letao’s mother was getting desperate: “Xiao Yun, then tell me, what will it take for you to forgive Letao? How about this—I’ll compensate you for the remaining items at their original price, would that work?”

“Now that you’re the ones asking for my forgiveness, you should follow my conditions.”

Yao Shiyun delivered this line that she had rehearsed three times in her mind.

Her delivery was crisp and powerful.

Yao Rong stood leaning against the wall by the window, her gaze fixed on Yao Shiyun. When she heard these words, a smile first spread from her eyes, eventually reaching her lips.

Should she praise Yao Shiyun for her strong learning ability and observation skills?

Because Yao Shiyun’s tone and expression when saying this line somehow carried traces of her own style.

“Then what are your conditions?” Yun Letao’s mother asked.

“Not only must you compensate me at the original price for those few items, but also for everything in the three large suitcases Letao returned earlier. If you agree, I can express leniency toward her during the court hearing, which should help reduce her sentence significantly.”

Of course, given the large amount involved in the case, even with a reduced sentence, Yun Letao would still have to face legal consequences.

“What!?” Yun Letao’s mother and Grandmother Yun exclaimed simultaneously.

However, Yun Letao’s mother was shocked about the criminal sentence.

Grandmother Yun was shocked about the compensation payment.

Earlier, due to Yun Letao’s mother’s constant reminders, Grandmother Yun had held back from speaking for a long time. Now she finally couldn’t contain herself anymore and jumped out, pointing at Yao Shiyun.

This time Yun Letao’s mother didn’t stop Grandmother Yun—she too was angered by what Yao Shiyun had said.

“Yao Shiyun, have you gone crazy from lacking money? You want us to pay so much compensation when the items have already been returned! Letao is your cousin after all—we’re connected by blood. You’re trying to drive her to death!”

“And is this the family education from your Yao family? Since your aunt and I entered, you haven’t called us ‘grandmother’ or ‘aunt’ once. Are you mute? If you’re mute, how come you were so quick-tongued when confronting your aunt?”

Grandmother Yun’s fighting spirit was beyond Yun Letao’s mother’s level.

After this barrage of words, Yao Shiyun’s momentum was completely suppressed by Grandmother Yun.

Combined with years of accumulated fear toward Grandmother Yun, even though Yao Shiyun had mentally prepared herself, her mind went blank when trying to speak.

She was angry at her own reaction.

When Yao Shiyun tried to speak again, she still couldn’t organize her thoughts into words.

She was really too useless!

Hadn’t she been speaking well just moments ago? Why did she start faltering at this crucial moment?

Yao Shiyun was so frustrated she felt like crying again.

She was completely immersed in her own emotions, to the point that she didn’t even notice Grandmother Yun’s finger was almost poking her eye.

At that moment, a slender yet strong hand with faint bruises grabbed Yao Shiyun’s arm.

The warmth from the palm spread through her skin, bringing Yao Shiyun back to her senses.

She came back to her senses in a daze, following Yao Rong’s gentle pull, until she was safely positioned behind her mother.

“Xiao Yun, you’ve done extremely well today. Leave the rest to me. Don’t worry.”

The familiar voice soothed her agitation and comforted her emotions.

Yao Shiyun blinked, feeling tears welling up again.

Yao Rong meant every word.

Compared to when she first started, Yao Shiyun had already done remarkably well. Even though her current approach relied on Yao Rong’s guidance and Lawyer Tao’s advice, getting to this point definitely required Yao Shiyun’s own courage and wisdom.

As a mother, she would appropriately push Yao Shiyun forward, letting her face challenges.

Because flowers that grow in a greenhouse, never experiencing wind, sun, or rain, would suffer severe discomfort once they accidentally leave that comfortable environment.

They should experience the scorching sun, fierce winds, and heavy rain, transforming all these into nutrients for robust growth. Even if they suddenly leave their comfortable environment, they can still bloom gracefully among towering mountains, steep cliffs, and bitter cold.

Of course, this process needed to be reasonable and gradual.

Over these years, Grandmother Yun had been hurting Yao Shiyun both openly and subtly. Yao Shiyun’s fear of Grandmother Yun had become deeply rooted with time. It was still too early to expect Yao Shiyun to confront Grandmother Yun directly.

So when Yao Rong saw Yao Shiyun rendered speechless by Grandmother Yun’s pointing finger, she immediately stepped forward.

After protecting Yao Shiyun, Yao Rong then turned her attention to responding to Grandmother Yun.

“The Yao Group will all be Xiao Yun’s in the future. The one who is really short of money and has gone crazy is Yun Letao, isn’t it? Wearing her cousin’s clothes, stealing her cousin’s birthday gifts—if people connected by blood are all like this, then Xiao Yun must have had terrible karma from eight previous lives to have relatives like you.”

“Also, don’t worry about my Yao family’s education. When you question our family’s education, why don’t you first ask yourself a question—”

“With your Yun family’s education, how did you raise someone like Yun Letao who sees theft as natural?”

“Of course, I know people who lack self-awareness won’t be able to understand the answer to this question. So I’ll be merciful and explain it to you.”

When saying the following words, Yao Rong was still smiling.

Her pace was gentle, not sounding like a rebuke, but more like chatting softly with relatives.

But these words falling on Grandmother Yun’s ears were like a demon’s whisper.

“Isn’t Yun Letao just learning from Yun Jun and you?”

“Taking over my villa as if it were yours, treating Yao Group as the Yun family’s private property.”

“You set the example, and naturally, the younger generation follows suit.”

Grandmother Yun’s finger that was pointing at Yao Shiyun turned to point at Yao Rong instead, with vulgar words already at the tip of her tongue—

Yao Rong cast a light glance at Yun Letao’s mother: “If she dares to curse me or Xiao Yun even once in my presence, I’ll refuse to communicate with you privately.”

Yun Letao’s mother shuddered under Yao Rong’s gaze and words, almost jumped to Grandmother Yun’s side, pulled and covered her mouth, and finally managed to stop Grandmother Yun.

Yao Rong’s lips curved slightly upward.

Facing Grandmother Yun who seemed to lose her ability to retort without using vulgar language, she naturally chose to—

Continue the offensive.

“Do you think I’m being too harsh?”

“No, not at all.”

Yao Rong looked at Yun Letao’s mother: “Letao’s mother, you must not know why I’m hospitalized for surgery this time. Of course, since it’s a family scandal, Yun Jun’s mother definitely wouldn’t spread it around. But I don’t mind letting you know.”

Yao Rong directly told Yun Letao’s mother about what happened that day, and finally said calmly, “So don’t blame me for not considering family ties, because it was Yun Jun’s mother who first refused to acknowledge me as Yun Jun’s wife. You see, doesn’t this prove what I said—she set the example, and I’m following suit?”

“Are you… are you taking revenge?” Yun Letao’s mother asked bitterly after a long pause.

Yao Rong: “I’m just seeking justice for Xiao Yun.”

Although Yao Rong said this, Yun Letao’s mother was convinced it was revenge.

At this point, Yun Letao’s mother became annoyed. Why should her daughter bear the consequences of this old lady’s wrongdoings!

However, Yun Letao’s mother didn’t hide her expression well. When Grandmother Yun saw her expression, she immediately guessed seven or eight tenths of Yun Letao’s mother’s thoughts, and couldn’t hold back anymore.

She believed she had been enduring humiliation and suffering all kinds of slights today for Letao’s sake, but now Yun Letao’s mother was blaming her—this was ridiculous!

Now not only was her third daughter-in-law rebelling, but her eldest daughter-in-law wanted to rebel too!

“Bah! You shameless woman, don’t push everything onto me, acting like you’re some pure white flower! I got tired of these tricks when I was young!” Grandmother Yun started cursing at Yao Rong.

But before Yao Rong could react, Yun Letao’s mother exploded first. “Mom! Keep quiet!”

This old lady, did she really not care about Letao at all!

What if she angered Yao Rong? What would happen to her Letao!

With such clear evidence in Yao Rong’s hands, shouldn’t they just comply with Yao Rong’s demands instead of forcing her Letao into a corner!

“Enough! She’s fooled you—do you think this black-hearted woman will let your daughter off?” Grandmother Yun rolled her eyes.

“With Third Son around, Letao will definitely be fine.”

She had complete confidence in her third son.

Yao Rong, who had successfully driven a wedge between them, gestured to Yao Shiyun who had been watching her: “Xiao Yun, give the compensation list to Letao’s mother.”

Yao Shiyun was prepared and immediately took a color-printed compensation list from the table, stepping forward to hand it to Yun Letao’s mother.

Yun Letao’s mother quickly lowered her head to look at it.

Yao Rong: “If you compensate according to this list, with our leniency, Yun Letao’s punishment won’t be too severe. If you don’t compensate according to this list, then we’ll see you in court, and whatever sentence she gets is what she’ll serve.”

Based on the data Yao Rong had found, Yun Letao’s parents’ savings alone wouldn’t be enough to pay the compensation unless they sold their house and car.

So—Yun Letao’s parents would most likely seek help from Grandmother Yun and Yun Jun.

With Grandmother Yun so angered and now having grievances against Yun Letao’s mother, even if she agreed to pay, she would definitely be unhappy about it.

There would be quite a show to watch then.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you can leave now. Xiao Yun and I need to go eat lunch.” After achieving all three goals—training Yao Shiyun, scolding Grandmother Yun, and sowing discord—Yao Rong directly dismissed them.

And Yun Letao’s mother and Grandmother Yun had indeed achieved their purpose for coming.

Only they couldn’t feel happy at all.

This visit felt like they had come specifically to be scolded.

The two exchanged glances, hearts full of complicated feelings as they walked toward the hospital room door.

The room door had been left slightly ajar, and if one stood close enough to the doorway, they could still hear what was happening inside.

As Yun Letao’s mother pulled open the door, she saw a young doctor in a white coat, handsome in appearance, standing by the wall next to the doorway.

She glanced at the young doctor once before leaving with Grandmother Yun.

The young doctor was, of course, Tao Zijin.

Right after Yun Letao’s mother and Grandmother Yun had entered the room, he had arrived at the doorway.

The bodyguards all recognized him, so they didn’t stop him.

Since it was their family matter, Tao Zijin hesitated for a moment but still decided to stay outside and listen, thinking that if a fight broke out or if Aunt Yao and Shiyun were at a disadvantage, he would rush in to help.

But as it turned out…

Well, he had worried for nothing. He needed to reassess Shiyun and Aunt Yao’s combat abilities.

Though it was good that his worries were unnecessary.

However, Tao Zijin now faced another dilemma: should he go in and greet Aunt Yao and Shiyun? Although his intention wasn’t to eavesdrop, he had accidentally overheard many private matters…

Tao Zijin rubbed his temples, sighing inwardly, and just as he was about to knock—

Yao Rong and Yao Shiyun opened the hospital room door, walking out arm in arm.

Seeing Tao Zijin, Yao Shiyun was somewhat surprised: “Brother Zijin, why are you here?”

“It’s a long story, but to make it short—I just overheard your conversation.” Tao Zijin smiled wryly.

“You heard?” Yao Shiyun was surprised.

Tao Zijin nodded. Before he could apologize, he heard Yao Shiyun’s question.

“Wasn’t my mom super cool just now?” Yao Shiyun looked at him with an expression seeking affirmation.

Tao Zijin was startled, then couldn’t help but smile: “Yes, I never knew Aunt Yao could be so formidable.”

“Of course—” Tao Zijin gave Yao Shiyun a thumbs up, “I noticed you’ve become formidable too.”

That little girl who used to be too afraid to make a sound when bullied by Yun Letao could now protect herself and start fighting back.

Yao Shiyun lifted her chin proudly and said, “Brother Zijin, ever heard the saying ‘A man should be looked at with new eyes after three days’ absence’? I learned all this from my mom.”

“Noted,” Tao Zijin played along.

Yao Shiyun was satisfied.

“Aunt Yao, you’re going to eat, right?”

Tao Zijin checked his watch—his lunch break still had an hour left.

“Let’s go together. There’s a restaurant near the hospital that makes excellent pork tripe chicken soup. My treat—you should try it.”

“Sounds good.” Yao Rong smiled and asked, “Can I eat spicy food now? I’ve had nothing but bland meals these past few days.”

Tao Zijin pressed the elevator button: “Yes, you can.”

The pork tripe chicken soup that Tao Zijin recommended was indeed excellent.

Besides the soup, Yao Rong also ordered sour-spicy fish and stir-fried pork with green peppers, which made for a complete meal.

While waiting for the food, Tao Zijin unwrapped three sets of utensils, rinsed them one by one with hot tea water, and poured coconut juice for both Yao Rong and Yao Shiyun.

Yao Shiyun drank a large glass of coconut juice to soothe her throat.

Putting down her glass, Yao Shiyun asked Tao Zijin, “Brother Zijin, how did you end up at our hospital room door? Wasn’t that your break time?”

Tao Zijin helped refill Yao Shiyun’s glass: “I thought you weren’t going to ask.”

“I’m just making conversation.” In front of Yao Rong and Tao Zijin, Yao Shiyun was very relaxed, so she directly expressed her thoughts.

Tao Zijin was both amused and helpless, but there was nothing to hide about this, so he explained everything.

“That was thoughtful of you,” Yao Rong said.

Yao Shiyun curved her lips into a smile and also said, “Yes, thank you, Brother Zijin.”

If he hadn’t been concerned about them, why would Tao Zijin have made a special trip?

The food arrived quickly.

After lunch, the three returned to the hospital.

Tao Zijin’s shift was about to start, so he parted ways with Yao Rong and Yao Shiyun at the inpatient department.

Yao Rong and Yao Shiyun didn’t want to return to the hospital room so early, so they decided to take a slow walk around the hospital grounds.

The afternoon sunlight was mild, swallows darted between the trees, and the kapok flowers bloomed luxuriantly on the branches.

A kapok flower spiraled down from a branch, dancing in the air.

Sharp-eyed Yao Shiyun ran over, catching the flower before it could reach the ground. Then, stepping over fallen leaves and twigs, she ran back to Yao Rong and handed her the flower.

“Mom, this is for you. I’ve noticed you often admire the kapok flowers from the window these past few days.”

Yao Rong cupped the kapok flower in both hands and said to Yao Shiyun, “When I’m discharged, we’ll go back to live in the villa. I plan to plant a kapok tree in the yard.”

“Just one tree?”

Yao Rong was feeling tired, so she pulled Yao Shiyun to sit on a nearby bench. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on her hands: “One tree is enough.”

In this life, she had come for just one kapok tree’s blooming.