The kindergarten was on winter break.

The little ones who had just finished the training camp happily welcomed their favorite holiday.

Spring Festival was so great! It’s lively, they could play everywhere, and they could also receive lots and lots of money.

Even though several children come from well-off families, the feeling of receiving a red envelope was still different.

Especially for Liu Yanzhi, his father never proactively gave money, and as for his stepmother, it’s even more out of the question.

Sometimes, when he wanted to prepare birthday gifts for his friends, he used the money that his grandfather secretly gave him and the money he received during the Spring Festival.

Fortunately, Liu Yanzhi’s father never minded this money, and with many business partners, Liu Yanzhi’s haul during the Spring Festival was quite substantial, easily totaling tens of thousands. Not only was it enough to cover his expenses for the year, but he could also save a bit.

Liu Yanzhi already had a preliminary plan for his future. Once he reached adulthood and inherited the shares left by his paternal grandfather, he planned to move out of the family’s house under the pretext of going to university. And then!

He wanted that man to watch helplessly as his family declined under Liu Yanzhi’s hands!

For this goal, Xu Youyou and the others expressed their support. Qian Xin even patted his chest, saying he had saved quite a bit of money. If Liu Yanzhi needed more, he could totally sponsor him.

The same goes for Xu Youyou. Xu Wenyin gave her part of the property deeds, and she also opened a separate account for her in which Xu Youyou’s Spring Festival money and some liquid assets were put in.

Unlike other parents who might keep their children in the dark about the family’s financial situation, Xu Wenyin actually tells Xu Youyou about the household income and expenses every other week once she realizes Xu Youyou can understand.

Xu Wenyin’s sources of income were quite simple, divided into two parts—— The money she earns from working for Zhao Tao’s company and rental income.

On Zhao Tao’s side, they usually make requests, and Xu Wenyin just follows through. Depending on the difficulty, she also controls the delivery time accordingly. Currently, her income ranges from 10 to 15 million yuan annually.

Despite it seeming like a lot, Xu Wenyin’s skills definitely warrant that price.

And Zhao Tao’s side offers more favorable conditions, and they’re also acquainted. If it were another company, even if they could offer a higher price, they would definitely require Xu Wenyin to do occasional maintenance work or other tasks at the company.

For others, these conditions weren’t very demanding. After all, it doesn’t seem excessive to occasionally visit and oversee things considering the amount of money they’re paying.

But for Xu Wenyin, it’s troublesome.

So, she’d rather choose Zhao Tao and his boss. Besides, the price they offered wasn’t low at all; it’s probably even higher than the market rate. Moreover, in the two years of collaboration, they’ve never delayed payments, and the transfer speed was fast. Xu Wenyin was too lazy to bother with other options, so she just continued to cooperate with them.

As for the rental income, it’s even simpler. With the ongoing demolition and continuous acquisition, the number of properties under Xu Wenyin’s name was increasing. Xu Wenyin hired someone to handle these matters. All the available properties were rented out, generating nearly a hundred thousand yuan in rental income per month.

These funds, apart from setting aside a portion for future needs, were all invested in the real estate industry. Xu Youyou’s properties were no longer confined to Jiang City. Last month, Xu Wenyin even had someone buy a roughly hundred-square-meter house in the capital.

It’s truly the capital. One property there can be worth five or six in Jiang City.

Considering that Xu Youyou might go to the capital for university in the future, Xu Wenyin decided to prepare in advance. After all, property prices in the capital have been soaring. She didn’t consider it before when she didn’t have enough money, but now that she does, she naturally wants to seize the opportunity before prices become even more terrifying.

Even if Xu Youyou planned to go abroad in the future, buying properties in these first-tier cities would never be a loss.

Moreover, as the country’s economy continued to improve, Xu Wenyin believed that the income from these properties would only increase over time.

Xu Wenyin didn’t hide any of this information from Xu Youyou. Even though Xu Youyou’s understanding of numbers might only extend to the thousands at most, it helped the little one develop a certain concept of money and understand that the family’s finances were quite sufficient.

She could do anything with confidence.

Because of this, Xu Youyou also reassured Liu Yanzhi, saying, “An’an, if you don’t have enough money, Youyou can sell a house to you!”

Her mother said that a house was just a guarantee, and when one needed it, one had to use it.

One must not become a slave to money!

What was a slave to money? Xu Youyou didn’t fully understand, but it didn’t stop her from grasping Xu Wenyin’s meaning.

Xu Youyou believed that helping friends when they needed it was the right thing to do.

His friends words moved Liu Yanzhi to tears, and he vowed to earn a lot of money. He promised that in the future, he would return his friends ‘investments’ a couple of times more.

The word investment was something Liu Yanzhi had just learned, but that didn’t stop him from using it on the spot.

However, thinking about these matters now was premature. The priority at the moment was to enjoy the current holiday.

Once the Spring Festival started, it also meant that several children would be returning to their hometowns. After all, Jiang City was just where their parents worked, and most of their relatives weren’t there.

Even Qin Yiren’s family was the same. They didn’t need to go to the Lu family, but they still needed to go to the Qin family.

Qin Yiren’s older brother and parents were waiting for them to go back together for the Spring Festival.

No matter how busy Lu Weizheng was, he still had to take some time off these days to spend more time with his wife and children. If not, he might really consider quitting his job and becoming a stay-at-home husband.

Qin Yiren’s family of three planned to leave on the evening of the twenty-ninth. These days were filled with the usual eating, playing, and laughter. Youyou and Juanjuan, who weren’t afraid of the cold, were outside chasing and playing with Niannian. Xu Wenyin, on the other hand, was chatting indoors with Qin Yiren.

Suddenly, Xu Wenyin’s phone rang.

She curiously picked it up and glanced at it. Not only was it an unfamiliar number, but it was also from overseas.

Although Xu Wenyin had a phone, the number of people who called her was indeed quite limited. Previously, there were delivery drivers, but now it was really just delivery notifications.

“Tap—”

She hung up.

It was clearly a scam, and answering it would just waste time and money.

However, the next second, the phone rang again.

“Tap—”

Xu Wenyin pressed the button to reject the call once again.

“Wenyin? Who is it?” Qin Yiren asked casually.

“Scam.”

No sooner had Xu Wenyin finished saying so, the phone rang again.

Three times in a row. Were the scammers really that desperate for ‘customers’ now?

Xu Wenyin pressed the button to reject the call once more, but to her surprise, the same number called again shortly after.

Furrowing her brows, she finally chose to answer the call.

“Who’s this? Mu Hesen? What’s the matter?”

As Xu Wenyin talked to the other party, Qin Yiren’s eyebrows furrowed along with her words.

Youyou’s grandparents?

Where did they suddenly come from?

Could they be trying to take Youyou away?

After five minutes, Xu Wenyin hung up the phone, and Qin Yiren couldn’t wait to ask.

“Wenyin, are you going to meet them? Do you want me to accompany you?”

“No need.” Xu Wenyin shook her head. “I arranged to meet them at the coffee shop opposite the police station. Don’t worry.”

Qin Yiren: “……You’ve thought it through.”

Xu Wenyin nodded, her mind still recalling the words of the older man on the phone just now.

Regarding Qing Yizhi’s parents, they were only briefly mentioned in the novel. By the time Xu Youyou grew up and found out about her biological father, these two individuals had long since passed away, with no presence whatsoever.

But now, they knew Xu Wenyin was still alive, and they were aware of Xu Youyou’s existence.

“Miss Xu, please rest assured, we have no intention of taking the child away.” The voice on the phone trembled slightly. “We just…… just want to meet you and talk. What happened back then was all our fault. Yizhi, Yizhi, he……”

As the other party spoke up to this point, he choked up for a moment. “We‘re now in Jiang City. Could you please give us a chance to meet? There are some things we want to say to you in person.”

According to common sense, Xu Wenyin indeed wouldn’t know about Qing Yizhi— or rather Shen Zhi’s death. In her mind, Qing Yizhi should be just a scumbag who abandoned his girlfriend and child, right?

However, Xu Wenyin still agreed to this meeting. Otherwise, they would definitely not be content, and it would be better to have everything out in the open and cease all further disturbances.

As for whether to tell Xu Youyou about this matter, let’s wait until after the conversation.

The next day, Xu Wenyin entrusted Xu Youyou to Qin Yiren and arrived at the coffee shop one minute before the agreed time.

The place was directly opposite the police station, less than a hundred meters away, ensuring safety.

When she arrived, she saw two older people sitting by the window, and Xu Wenyin immediately recognized them as Qing Yizhi’s parents.

How should she put it? There was a resemblance to Qing Yizhi, especially with his mother, where one could see a trace of her shadow in Xu Youyou’s eyes and brows.

Human genetics truly were a remarkable thing.

“Miss Xu.”

Not only did Xu Wenyin see them, but they also saw Xu Wenyin.

The couple had already seen photos of Xu Wenyin in advance, so they naturally recognized her at a glance.

“Hello.”

Xu Wenyin’s expression was calm and indifferent. After all, she wasn’t truly Xu Wenyin, and she hadn’t experienced that pain and despair. What feelings could she have?

Of course, in other words, she also had no right to forgive the couple on behalf of Xu Wenyin.

Right now, sitting down to have this conversation was solely for the sake of Xu Youyou.

“Miss Xu.”

Qing Yizhi’s parents exchanged a glance, and both of them showed heart-wrenching pain in their eyes.

As soon as they got Xu Wenyin’s name from Mu Hesen, they immediately had someone look up her information.

Xu Wenyin’s public information was easy to find. Although her experiences were somewhat unusual, they were all backed by the government’s endorsement, which meant they had official recognition.

The couple also confirmed that she was indeed their son’s girlfriend, the one who had miraculously survived the earthquake.

At first, when Mu Hesen mentioned that Xu Wenyin had a daughter, the two of them didn’t react immediately. However, when they saw Xu Youyou’s information and her birthday, especially after they watched that movie, the couple couldn’t help but burst into tears on the spot.

“It’s Yizhi’s child, it must be his child.”

Mother Qing covered her heart. “Yes, at that time Yizhi had something to say to us, but we…… we……”

What’s the most painful thing in the world? An elder burying a younger one?

No, it’s forcing one’s own child to death with one’s own hands!

If…… if they hadn’t been so adamant about locking Yizhi up, if they had listened to him properly back then, he wouldn’t have been so desperate to escape from home, and he wouldn’t have been in that car accident as a result.

Yizhi must have been thinking about the child. He…… he……

And to think that the child spent three years in an orphanage. If it weren’t for Xu Wenyin’s miraculous survival, they might never have known that Yizhi still had a child somewhere in the world, suffering.

“It’s all our fault! It’s all our fault!!!”

The scars from years ago were torn open once again, and Mother Qing had a sudden attack and was rushed to the hospital. She stayed in there for over half a month before being discharged, barely recovered.

Father Qing’s hair turned completely white overnight, and he aged several years in an instant.

Even though both of them were only in their early sixties, they looked like they had the weathered appearance of people in their seventies or eighties.

Despite the pain, they still mustered the strength to come and see Xu Wenyin.

Because the old couple wanted to tell Xu Wenyin that Qing Yizhi didn’t abandon her and their daughter. Their son didn’t do anything unfaithful or disgraceful. If anyone was to blame, it was them.

It was all their fault.

After listening to Father Qing recount the events of the past with a trembling voice, Xu Wenyin also learned that it was indeed Father Qing’s people who went to Mo City to find her back then. However, after learning from her aunt that Xu Wenyin had passed away, they never came to Hua Country again.

“Oh, I see.” Xu Wenyin nodded. “Is there anything else?”

She had known about these things for a long time and knew that Qing Yizhi hadn’t betrayed Xu Wenyin.

But she wasn’t her.

The real Xu Wenyin had long since died in that devastating earthquake in Yu County.

Before dying, she even gave her daughter the name ‘Youyou’.

Wasn’t she also unwilling to accept it and still harbored a glimmer of hope that the man she chose wasn’t that kind of person?

The system wasn’t entirely sure, and she had no way of knowing.

To use a human saying—— If regrets were useful, why would people need the police?

Oh, the original saying seemed to be about apologies. Anyway, it’s not important.

The only thing she could probably do was tell Xu Youyou, “Your dad loves you too. Youyou, both your parents were eagerly looking forward to your arrival.”

The two probably anticipated all kinds of reactions from Xu Wenyin. They weren’t hurt by her coldness; instead, they quickly moved on to talk about another matter.

“We’ve been busy for most of our lives, and we have some modest assets. We want to leave them all to you and Youyou.”

Since Father and Mother Qing had investigated Xu Wenyin, they naturally knew that the mother and daughter had managed to live a very decent life through their own efforts.

They didn’t appear when the two needed help the most, so now they had no right to disturb the lives of the mother and daughter, but……

If they did nothing, Father and Mother Qing wouldn’t be able to accept it either.

They thought of perhaps the only thing of value they had left.

“Miss Xu, please don’t rush to refuse. I know you don’t want to have anything to do with us, but these things were originally meant for Yizhi. Since Yizhi is no longer with us, you and Youyou are the ones who should inherit them.”

Mother Qing forced a smile. “We won’t use the money to make you and Youyou do anything.”

It could be said that in front of Xu Wenyin, the attitudes of the two elderly people were extremely humble.

If it were an ordinary person with a soft heart, they might start to feel like they were being too harsh, and so on.

Unfortunately, what the old couple was facing was a system without a heart.

She calmly considered their words. Should she accept the money they were offering for free?

“Then just draw up a will. We don’t need the money right now, but I will tell Youyou about her father and your story. Whether she wants to meet you or not will be entirely up to her.”

She couldn’t forgive the old couple on behalf of Xu Wenyin, but likewise, she wouldn’t make decisions for Xu Youyou.

Whether to acknowledge them as grandparents or not, Xu Wenyin believed Xu Youyou could decide after the Spring Festival and she turned six.

If she chose to acknowledge them, then they could interact as ordinary relatives.

If she chose not to, then things would continue as they were before.

Xu Wenyin’s words surprised the couple, amazed by her openness and magnanimity.

Thinking about this girl, at such a young age she had experienced so much, and half of those hardships could be said to have been brought upon her by them. Yet, there was not a trace of resentment in her eyes towards them, she looked at them calmly as if they were strangers.

She was even willing to let Xu Youyou make her own choice.

Regardless of whether Xu Youyou wanted to accept them or not, the couple has acknowledged their mistake.

After all, in their own eyes, they both feel unforgivable.

If they hadn’t pressured Yizhi back then, he would probably have a happy family by now, wouldn’t he?

Xu Wenyin and Xu Youyou wouldn’t have encountered those hardships either, and they must be very happy now.

The conversation didn’t last more than twenty minutes. Xu Wenyin made a quick decision and was about to leave. But just before she did, Father and Mother Qing bowed to Xu Wenyin and made one final request.

They hoped that Xu Wenyin could take Xu Youyou to visit Qing Yizhi.

No one knows if there’s another world after death, but they had to hold on to that thought so they wouldn’t be tortured by guilt until they collapsed.

“Let’s wait until Youyou is a little older before we talk about it.”

In the end, Xu Wenyin only gave that one sentence before leaving the coffee shop.

Not long after she disappeared, Father and Mother Qing were joined by two more people—— One was Mu Hesen and the other……

If Xu Wenyin’s eldest aunt were there, she would surely recognize him as the person who came looking for Xu Wenyin all those years ago.

He was also Qing Yizhi’s cousin^[1]elder male cousin with the same surname and the current head of the Qing family—— Qing Yixing.

“Uncle Qing, Aunt Shen, are you both okay?”

Seeing the worn faces of the two, Mu Hesen couldn’t tell whether the news was good or bad.

But this world was really small. Xu Wenyin was actually Qing Yizhi’s girlfriend, and Xu Youyou was actually Qing Yizhi’s daughter.

“We’re fine.”

Father Qing forced a smile. “I still need to earn more money for Youyou.”

There’s no way to make up for what happened before, but Father Qing still wanted to leave more things for Xu Youyou in the future.

Having more resources in hand can also give her an upper hand in society, right?

“Uncle and Aunt, are you planning to settle down in Jiang City?”

Qing Yixing bears some resemblance to Qing Yizhi in appearance, but compared to the gentle and cheerful Qing Yizhi, he was like a walking iceberg, capable of freezing people with his demeanor.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left such a deep impression on Xu Wenyin’s eldest aunt.

“Let’s talk about that later. I want to see if Youyou is willing first……”

Mother Qing didn’t dare to secretly go see Xu Youyou; she was afraid Xu Wenyin would be angry. But when it came to the only remaining flesh and blood of her son, saying she didn’t want to see her would be a lie.

“Alright, I’ll take care of the other arrangements. You two settle in first.” Qing Yixing nodded expressionlessly as he stood up. He had a lot on his plate, given that the entire burden of the Qing family now rested almost entirely on his shoulders.

However, he felt a great deal of responsibility for not discovering Xu Youyou’s existence earlier, which resulted in her spending three years in an orphanage.

Back then, based on the fragments of information from Qing Yizhi, Qing Yixing finally found Xu Wenyin’s hometown. However, instead of going to Yu County personally, he sent his subordinate to verify the information.

It’s possible that due to the high number of casualties at the time and Xu Wenyin being a newcomer without any relatives, his subordinates only found Xu Wenyin’s death record and didn’t discover Xu Youyou’s existence.

That subordinate, whether there was any problem or not, Qing Yixing would investigate again. However, he had always been clear about grievances. Leaving aside the part of Father and Mother Qing giving atonement to the mother and daughter, the portion that belonged to him needed to be repaid by himself.

He saw from the information that Xu Wenyin had been buying properties for Xu Youyou all along. It should also be her way of saving up capital for her child. Coincidentally, Qing Yixing recently had planned to cooperate with the Jiang City government. So, he decided to buy a piece of land as his own compensation and give it to the child.

For those who don’t understand investments, this type of fixed asset was safer.

As for the rest…… Qing Yixing hadn’t thought about that much yet. At least he wanted to see the other side first before considering further.

———pr

“Mom!”

When Xu Wenyin arrived at the Qin family’s villa to pick up her child, she swiftly caught the flying Xu Youyou in her arms and responded with a smile.

Then, she met Qin Yiren’s worried gaze.

Xu Wenyin smiled. “It’s okay, they don’t have that intention. I’ll talk to Youyou first and then discuss the rest with you.”

Qin Yiren nodded. “Alright, if you need any help, be sure to let me know!”

“Absolutely!” Xu Wenyin nodded as well. “Aren’t you going to the capital tomorrow? Have a great holiday and don’t worry about us.”

It’s the all-powerful adult, 5874, so there’s no need to worry about such a small matter!

Under Xu Youyou’s curious gaze, Xu Wenyin brought her to the bedroom and explained the whole sequence of events from beginning to end, of course using words that a child could understand.

Xu Youyou was already smarter than the average child. With Xu Wenyin’s explanation, she could roughly understand about seventy to eighty percent of it.

“Does Mom still love Dad?”

Who would have thought that Xu Youyou’s first question after hearing all of it would be this?

Xu Wenyin was taken aback. She was certain that she didn’t love him.

But if it were the real Xu Wenyin……

“Probably.”

Even if she didn’t know the truth, the fact that she gave her daughter the name Youyou in her last moments still proved there was love, right?

The concept of love was a complex emotion that the system couldn’t fully comprehend.

So she could only express her speculation.

Xu Youyou nodded, pondered for a few minutes like a little adult, and then spoke, “Then Youyou want to meet Dad’s mom and dad.”

“I see. Then let’s do it tomorrow.”

Dad’s mom and dad, it’s amazing the little one didn’t get confused by all that.

Xu Wenyin didn’t ask Xu Youyou why she gave that answer.

She believed that Xu Youyou had her own thoughts, and all Xu Wenyin could do was to support her.

The meeting place was changed to the villa this time. Xu Wenyin felt that they must already found out about this address, so whether she concealed it or not was meaningless. Meeting there also to save time on the road.

However, compared to yesterday’s meeting with just the old couple, today there was also the ‘driver’, Qing Yixing.

“Y-youyou.”

The voices of Father and Mother Qing were trembling. Yesterday evening, they received a call from Xu Wenyin saying that Xu Youyou wanted to meet them. The old couple didn’t sleep well all night, and they got up early in the morning to tidy themselves up. They even went to dye their hair, afraid of being disliked.

Oh, and they bought a lot of toys, clothes, and other things as if they wanted to bring the entire mall with them.

Now, at the first glance of the little Youyou, the two of them were trying hard not to rush forward directly. However, their burning gaze seemed like they wanted to etch Youyou’s figure in their minds.

This was Yizhi’s daughter, their…… granddaughter!

“Dad’s mom and dad, hello, I’m Xu Youyou.”

Xu Youyou showed a lovely smile to the old couple, without any resentment or blame, just like Xu Wenyin did yesterday.

Mother Qing couldn’t help but cover her mouth. Xu Wenyin really taught Xu Youyou very well.

“Youyou, h-hello.” Father Qing’s eyes welled up with tears instantly.

That sense of regret and guilt surged towards them like a tide again upon seeing this sensible and obedient child, almost overwhelming them.

And Xu Youyou’s way of addressing them also made the two of them suddenly understand the little girl’s attitude.

Then, Xu Youyou quickly ran to Xu Wenyin’s side, grabbing her right hand and standing in front of the old couple, her smile still as bright as ever. “Youyou is very, very happy now ~”

“Because Youyou already have the best mom in the world!”

The expression on the little girl’s face changed to pride. “So, Dad’s mom and dad, everything can be just like before.”

From Xu Wenyin’s description, although Xu Youyou had never seen her father, she believed that if her father loved her very much, then he would surely approve of her current approach, right?

Xu Youyou couldn’t remember the past, but she knew she was happy now, so she didn’t need any compensation. Having her mother was enough for her.

Upon hearing Xu Youyou’s statement, Mother Qing couldn’t help but break down in tears, crying out, “I’m sorry! Child! I’m sorry!”

“It’s all our fault! It’s all our fault!”

It’s all because of them that what could have been a happy family of three turned out like this.

But now, no matter how much regret and guilt they have, it’s useless. They can never bring back their child’s life.

The cruelest thing in the world was that there’s no medicine for regret.

Xu Wenyin watched everything with indifference. She would never sympathize with these parents because they would never know how many people they had harmed with their tyranny.

Even if Xu Youyou’s role as the abused female protagonist was all planned, Father and Mother Qing were still wrong. There’s no excuse for their actions. After all, no one forced them to make those decisions at the time.

On the other hand, Xu Youyou, seeing Mother Qing in such a state, felt a bit at a loss for a moment.

She glanced at her mother and then at Father Qing, who was comforting Mother Qing. Then, she walked up to Mother Qing, took out a small handkerchief she always carried with her, and handed it to her. At the same time, she gently said, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Mom said, if you’re not happy, just think about happy things.”

Xu Youyou was a kind child, Xu Wenyin had always known that, so she didn’t stop her actions.

Mother Qing looked at the handkerchief in front of her, then at Xu Youyou, not sure what she was thinking. The next moment, she wiped away her tears vigorously and managed to force a smile. “Youyou, can we hug you?”

Since the child had already shown them that she was very happy now, they didn’t need to disturb this happiness.

Let the two of them, who were deeply guilty, carry this regret alone until they meet Yizhi in the afterlife.

But in the end, she still hoped to hug the child, just once.

“Okay.”

Xu Youyou opened her arms willingly and was then enveloped in the trembling embrace of the two older people. They held her lightly, as if afraid of hurting her.

About a minute later, they voluntarily released Xu Youyou. Father and Mother Qing slowly stood up with the support of Qing Yixing, and Xu Youyou couldn’t help but curiously glance at the man.

He feels a bit familiar, but this uncle looks very serious.

Qing Yixing met Xu Youyou’s big eyes and his lips twitched slightly as if he wanted to give this niece, whom he was meeting for the first time, a gentler expression.

Of course, he failed.

Qing Yixing no longer hesitated and chose to speak directly. “I’m sorry for my negligence that caused you to stay in the orphanage for three years. As compensation, I’ve bought a piece of land^[2]块地 – kuài de for you. The documents will be delivered to you soon, and you just need to sign it.”

However, upon hearing that, Xu Youyou tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Express delivery^[3]快递 -kuài dì? What’s express delivery?”

Was it something delicious or fun?