Chapter 52.1

When they came out of the police station, it was already dark. On the way, Jiang Rou remembered the cake she had ordered at the cake shop near the school at noon and asked Li Xiao to drive back to the school.

Originally, she had planned to buy a new outfit for An An after leaving the amusement park, but seeing that it was already late, she decided against it. Jiang Rou also called her academic advisor to request leave for the two evening classes.

After playing all afternoon and then visiting the police station, An An fell asleep in Jiang Rou’s arms as soon as she got in the car.

Jiang Rou tightened her coat and wrapped An An up warmly.

After picking up the cake at the school gate, they went to the nearby vegetable market to buy some groceries.

—o—o—o—

In the evening, Jiang Rou prepared a sumptuous meal and invited Zhou Jian’s family next door to join them.

After a lively dinner, Li Xiao cleaned up the table and went to wash the dishes, while Jiang Rou placed the cake on the table, put the paper hat that came with the cake on An An’s head, and inserted three small candles into the cake.

Li Xiao, drying his hands, came out from the kitchen, picked up An An from the chair, and sat down.

Jiang Rou sat next to Li Xiao, clapped her hands, and began to sing, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday…”

Wang Yan and Mother Zhou were a bit shy to sing, so they clapped vigorously, with Zhou Hong’s applause being the loudest. Even the little brother in Wang Yan’s arms waved his hand along with the clapping.

Sitting on her father’s lap, An An was especially happy, and she joined in with a babyish voice, singing along with her mother.

After singing, Jiang Rou encouraged An An to make a wish and blow out the candles.

Not quite understanding, An An directly said, “Mommy, make a wish!”

Jiang Rou smiled and said, “You have to make the wish yourself. What do you want?”

Without much thought, An An answered, “Candy.”

Her simple and straightforward answer made everyone want to laugh.

Everyone laughed. But the little one was quite greedy, she made several wishes all at once: “Have candy, Daddy wash feet, Mommy buy meat…”

Li Xiao smiled and pinched her little mouth: “How can you be so greedy? You can only choose one.”

An An answered seriously, “Mommy and Daddy, be good.”

Mother Zhou, smiling, said, “An An is really a good child.”

An An was very pleased by the praise. She pointed to the cake on the table and said, “Eat.”

Jiang Rou then removed the candles and cut a small piece of cake for everyone present. Fortunately, the cake Jiang Rou had bought was large; otherwise, there might not have been enough to go around.

The cake was much better than the one in the county town, and even Li Xiao, who usually avoided cakes after a bad experience with one from the county town, didn’t frown. Although it was much more expensive.

Anyway, An An was very happy that night. Before going to bed, she hugged Jiang Rou and sweetly smiled, “Thank you, Mommy.”

She then buried her face in Jiang Rou’s arms—snuggling close.

Jiang Rou’s heart softened, and she leaned down to kiss An An’s little head. The little one giggled, climbed up, and kissed Jiang Rou, then turned over to kiss her father.

Li Xiao was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head. An An suddenly rushed over and, with too much speed, bumped her forehead directly into his. Then, with a smack, she planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving a large smear of saliva.

After the kiss, she sat on the bed, raised her little hand to touch her head, and said in a babyish voice, “It hurts.”

Li Xiao clicked his tongue and said, “How could it not hurt?”

He lifted his hand and rubbed her forehead, saying, “It’s okay now.”

An An thought it was truly better and lay back down—hugging her mother. One of her little feet restlessly stomped on her father’s waist.

When her foot was taken away, she was immediately unhappy and put it back.

—o—o—o—

A few days after the birthday, Li Xiao came back and said that Boss You wanted to invite them for a meal.

Boss You knew that Jiang Rou was now a university student, so, he had specifically chosen Saturday for the dinner.

On Saturday, they went to a top-tier private kitchen restaurant in the city. Although it was a restaurant, it was completely different from the street-side eateries Jiang Rou and Li Xiao usually frequented. From the outside, the restaurant didn’t seem large; it appeared to be a serene environment with rockeries and small bamboo groves. However, upon entering, one discovers a hidden world.

A path paved with stone slabs, an elegantly styled courtyard with each step revealing a new scene, accompanied by the gentle strains of a guqin, and waitstaff dressed in flowing, graceful, traditional attire.

When Li Xiao arrived, he called Boss You, and a very pretty female server led them to a courtyard.

Through the winding courtyard, they arrived at a room where Boss You and his family were sitting by a carved floor-to-ceiling window. Through the glass, they saw Boss You’s family of three around a huge redwood round table. Boss You was looking at the menu, while his wife was talking to their child.

Lele was the first to notice them. She turned to her mother and said something, prompting her mother to turn around immediately with a warm smile.

Boss You saw them too and waved, inviting them in.

Li Xiao and the others followed the server through the winding path to the room.

The room was spacious and well-arranged, with areas for dining, a sofa and TV for relaxation and conversation, and a bathroom.

As soon as Jiang Rou and the others entered, Boss You greeted them and introduced them to his wife. “Here, this is Li Xiao, Boss Li, whom I mentioned to you. This is his wife, Ms. Jiang Rou. She’s quite remarkable, she’s currently studying traditional Chinese medicine at G University. And their daughter, An An, whom I also mentioned. How is she? Isn’t she adorable? Our families really are quite fated.”

Then he introduced his wife to Li Xiao and Jiang Rou: “This is my wife, Ms. Song Ying, a very amazing entrepreneur.”

Jiang Rou had heard from Li Xiao that Boss You’s wife was a highly successful businesswoman. Boss You owed a significant part of his current success to his wife’s support. It was said that to help him, Ms. Song had self-studied and passed the entrance exams for the Finance Department at Gangcheng University. After graduating, she not only helped manage his company but also successfully started her own business with Boss You’s investment.

Boss You held his wife in high regard and their mutual achievements and deep affection for each other were evident.

Ms. Song was a woman with a very warm and friendly appearance. She was elegantly dressed, neither overly refined nor plain, but simply made one feel comfortable.

She stood up and shook hands with Jiang Rou and the others. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My husband and I are very grateful for your help this time, so we wanted to invite you to dinner. I hope we haven’t inconvenienced you.”

Her voice was gentle, calm, and soothing, which made a positive impression.

Jiang Rou was not particularly skilled in social interactions. She could manage polite conversations with people like Zhou Jian and his family, but engaging with high-profile individuals was somewhat challenging for her.

Being too enthusiastic might seem insincere while being too reserved could come off as impolite.

Fortunately, Li Xiao was now an experienced businessperson and chatted lively with Boss You.

Jiang Rou accepted Ms. Song’s invitation and sat next to her.

An An was even quieter than Jiang Rou. She was usually very shy outside; Li Xiao often said that she was lively at home but became almost attached to her mother in public.

Since they had entered the room, she hadn’t said a word, only observing her surroundings with curiosity.

Ms. Song invited her son to play with An An. Lele obediently got off his chair to find An An, but when An An saw him coming, she immediately turned her little body and buried her face in Jiang Rou’s arms.

Jiang Rou smiled at Ms. Song and said, “She’s quite shy in public.”

Ms. Song looked at An An’s delicate and soft appearance, and her smile deepened. “This child is truly beautiful. I used to want a lovely daughter myself, imagining dressing her in pretty dresses and braiding her hair. They said I was having a girl, and I believed it. I even bought many beautiful clothes, but unfortunately, they can’t be worn now.”

Lele was well-mannered, he wasn’t upset by the rejection. Instead, he stood to the side, tilting his head and secretly watching An An. When he caught her gaze, he smiled, pulling a piece of candy from his pocket. “This is the candy I brought from home. Would you like some? It’s really delicious. Can I give it to you?”

He extended the candy toward An An.

Jiang Rou leaned down and asked with a smile, “Do you want it?”

The little one looked at Jiang Rou longingly but hesitated to reach out.

Jiang Rou didn’t force her, only smiling, “Mommy will hold it for you. But you need to say thank you to Big Brother.”

An An’s eyes sparkled as she softly said, “Thank you.”

Lele smiled and replied, “You’re welcome.”

Jiang Rou helped An An take the candy, unwrapped it, and fed it to her. An An took a bite, and perhaps the candy was exceptionally tasty—she smiled with her eyes crinkling.

Lele said, “Come down, let’s play together.”

Without hesitation, An An turned her head away, and said: “No.”

Lele wasn’t discouraged. He ran to the sofa, picked up a small bear toy, and shook it in front of her. “Sister, come play. There are lots of toys here.”

An An looked at her mother—her eyes full of desire.

Jiang Rou shrugged and said, “You have to get it yourself. Mommy can’t move, but I also want one. Can you help Mommy by getting one too?”

An An looked from her mother to the Brother on the sofa, she pondered for a bit and then slowly slid down from Jiang Rou’s lap.

After steadying herself by holding onto Jiang Rou’s leg, she slowly walked towards the sofa, frequently glancing back to ensure her parents were still there. Seeing her mother’s encouraging look, she continued to move forward.

Ms. Song watched the entire scene and couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’ve raised your child so well. She loves candy but can wait patiently. She’s shy yet not timid, and she’s so well-behaved.”

She had seen many children of this age, and it was common for them to cry and make a fuss if they stayed in one place for too long, demanding to leave.

Jiang Rou never hesitated to praise her child in front of others. She said, “This child has never been fussy since she was little. She was very easy to take care of. Shortly after she was born, I would study and prepare for exams. I’d put her on the bed, and she’d entertain herself. When she got tired from playing, she’d drink milk and go to sleep, which saved me a lot of trouble. I often say that this child must be here to repay a favor.”

Ms. Song was amused by Jiang Rou’s words.

On the sofa, An An had already started playing with Lele. She seriously introduced him to the toys, saying, “This is a kitten,” “This is a puppy,” “This is Zhu Bajie…”

Lele was confused, as the toys she was holding were clearly a tiger and a lion.

Not knowing what else to talk about with Ms. Song, Jiang Rou decided to chat about the two children. Ms. Song and Boss You were usually busy, but they always tried to come home to spend time with their child. They had three housekeepers at home: one for cooking, one for cleaning, and one specifically for taking care of the child.

The incident that day was quite unexpected. The children’s piano teacher couldn’t come because of an accident on the way, and she only managed to call the housekeeper to inform them. “The housekeeper said that Lele practiced the piano alone at home. Lele is quite self-disciplined about his studies. However, after practicing for a while, my sister-in-law came over with my nephew. My nephew had stayed home from school because of diarrhea, and after returning from the hospital, my sister-in-law initially wanted them to play together. But my nephew insisted on going to the amusement park, so my sister-in-law ended up taking both children to the amusement park.”

Despite knowing that her sister-in-law was innocent, Ms. Song couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy about the situation. She continued, “The housekeeper went along, but shortly after arriving at the amusement park, my nephew had another bout of diarrhea. My sister-in-law took the children to the restroom, and the housekeeper was left alone to watch the children. She said that the crowd separated her from the children, and she had a hard time finding them.”

Jiang Rou sensed something was off upon hearing this and couldn’t help but ask, “Did she not call the police?”

Ms. Song shook her head, frowning. “No, she thought the children were still nearby. She was probably afraid that if the situation became too serious, we might blame her and her husband.”

This didn’t add up for Jiang Rou. The incident occurred on a Tuesday, and although the amusement park was crowded, it wasn’t as packed as it would be on a Saturday or weekend. It wouldn’t have been crowded enough to cause such a dispersion of people.

Moreover, Lele was a well-behaved child. Even if there was a crowd, he wasn’t the type to run around wildly. She remembered that day she and An An had bought cotton candy, and Lele had quietly sat on a chair, behaving very well.

Most importantly, she and Li Xiao had waited outside the restroom for a long time. Adding the time after Lele was taken, it was about forty to fifty minutes. If the housekeeper hadn’t called the police within that time, there was definitely something wrong.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but ask, “What did Lele say?”

Ms. Song looked helpless and glanced at Jiang Rou. “The doctor said he was too traumatized, and the amount of sedative used was too high. He doesn’t remember anything.”

Jiang Rou furrowed her brow. “Did the police find out the cause?”

Ms. Song nodded. “The perpetrator admitted it. She was a human trafficker who had kidnapped about seven or eight people. The police said she had a seriously ill child and had been abducting children to pay for her son’s treatment.”

Her eyes reddened as she spoke. The trafficker was also a mother. Did that make her own child any less valuable than others?

Jiang Rou’s brow furrowed even deeper, and she suddenly asked, “How old is your sister-in-law’s child?”

Ms. Song was taken aback and didn’t understand why Jiang Rou asked that, but she answered, “Nine years old, a bit older than Lele. I had Lele later in life.”

Jiang Rou remembered that Ms. Song had given birth to Lele at forty.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but ask, “You must have been very good to your nephew before, right?”

Ms. Song replied, “We treated him as our own child. Before we had Lele, my husband and I thought that if we never had children, our nephew would take care of us in our old age…”

She suddenly stopped talking and looked sharply at Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou took a moment of silence, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said softly, “I was just asking. I’ve read many books on criminal investigations. If it weren’t for my health issues, I might have applied to the police academy.”

Sometimes, when coincidences pile up, they no longer seem like coincidences. If Ms. Song’s sister-in-law were involved, everything would fall into place naturally. Every case has a criminal motive behind it.

Jiang Rou had an even more frightening suspicion: Could it be that the child Ms. Song and her husband had adopted in their previous life was actually the trafficker’s child?

The trafficker colluded with Ms. Song’s sister-in-law and might have sent the trafficker’s child to the You family. Instead of the child being adopted by someone else in the future, it would be better if it was done this way.

If the trafficker’s child grew up and learned that his biological mother had abducted the child of his adoptive parents, he would be less inclined to compete with with Ms. Song’s sister-in-law for the inheritance.

The trafficker sent Lele to a rural area several provinces away, where he would never have a chance to meet his biological parents.

As for how Ms. Song’s sister-in-law managed to have her brother and sister-in-law adopt the child, it would be up front. Ms. Song and her husband were superstitious. If they found a master to bless the child and facilitated the process, they would likely be very willing. Ms. Song and her husband might even think that if they couldn’t find Lele as they grew older, at least they would have another child to help them search…

Of course, this was all Jiang Rou’s speculation. She couldn’t understand why the adopted child of the You Family from her previous life was so cold and unsympathetic. The You Family had raised him for so many years—Ms. Song and Boss You were very kind people; even if he was an adopted child, they must have treated him well.

Unless that adopted child had never regarded Ms. Song and her husband as family.

Ms. Song, though not foolish, suddenly looked very distressed. However, she was a person who could endure well. Her expression soon returned to calm, and she managed to finish the meal with Jiang Rou and the others without revealing any signs of her inner turmoil.

When they parted at the door after dinner, Ms. Song suddenly hugged Jiang Rou and patted her shoulder. “Thank you for today. I gained a lot from our conversation. Regardless of whether there are any results, I am very grateful for your reminder.”

In fact, her words indicated that she already believed Jiang Rou’s hint. It was likely that even in her heart, she didn’t believe in such coincidences.