Chapter 256: Pan Jie’s Son Has Been Found
Liu Panpan’s intense reaction startled Yangyang, who had been playing with White Sesame nearby. He froze for a moment before immediately rushing over to her.
However, unlike before, Liu Panpan didn’t catch him in her arms. Instead, she hardened her heart and gently blocked him, preventing him from hugging her.
Yangyang’s little face showed a brief moment of confusion. He looked at Liu Panpan, his eyes filled with tears, and asked,
“Mommy, Mommy, I want a hug.”
Tears streamed down Liu Panpan’s face. “Be good, Yangyang. I’m Teacher Xiao Pan, not your mommy.”
Boss Su was right—she couldn’t be so selfish. She couldn’t use another child as a replacement for Yanyan.
That would only hurt both of them.
And what if—just what if—Yanyan was really still alive? What if he had been waiting for her all this time?
Yangyang tilted his little face up, processing her words for several seconds.
Then, he understood.
He had been abandoned again!
He stood there helplessly, his tiny body trembling, his lips quivering, his entire being frozen in fear.
Liu Panpan turned her face away, breaking down.
Su Tao immediately scooped up the child, holding him tightly. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Mommy Xiao Pan isn’t feeling well right now, so she can’t hold you at the moment. But she’s not leaving you, okay? Be good, Yangyang. How about I hold you instead?”
Yangyang finally let out a breath and burst into tears.
Liu Panpan sobbed uncontrollably beside him.
In the end, they had to call Principal Miao to take Yangyang back.
After learning what had happened, Principal Miao became even more displeased with Liu Panpan.
She was the one who wanted to adopt Yangyang, and now she was the one pushing him away.
Orphans were always sensitive, let alone Yangyang—a child who had been abandoned by his biological parents after he was old enough to understand.
Liu Panpan’s actions were a second blow to him.
However, since Boss Su was present, Principal Miao didn’t say anything. She simply picked up the gasping, sobbing Yangyang, bid farewell, and left.
Liu Panpan knew she had made a mistake. The pain inside her overwhelmed her completely, and she collapsed to the ground, her body trembling violently.
Seeing this, Su Tao didn’t dare to say anything else and quickly called Dr. Zhong and Chenxi over.
After examining her, Zhong Gaoyi said in a deep voice,
“She’s in shock. Don’t talk to her for now. Take her to the clinic.”
On the way there, Liu Panpan fainted and remained unconscious even as night fell.
Su Tao felt conflicted and couldn’t help but seek out Mr. Mei to talk.
Old Mei had just learned about Liu Panpan’s condition. Seeing Su Tao’s troubled expression, he sighed deeply.
“Tell me, what exactly happened to Xiao Pan that’s got you so concerned and torn?”
Su Tao pursed her lips and said, “Sister Pan’s son has been found.”
Mr. Mei’s eyes widened in surprise. “He’s been found? Where? Why didn’t you tell her? No—wait, if it were good news, you wouldn’t be looking so troubled.”
Su Tao gave a bitter smile. “It’s definitely not good news. Sister Pan’s son is Bone Wing. It has already arrived in the south and has begun its rampage in Hekang. By now, Hekang is likely a bloodbath, and within a week, it will come to Taoyang, with Sister Pan as its target…”
Mr. Mei felt as if a bomb had gone off in his mind, making him dizzy.
His eyes widened slightly. “So… you told her today, and she went into shock because of it?”
Su Tao shook her head. “I was going to tell her, but I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it. So I used Yangyang to test her emotional endurance first. And as you saw… I don’t dare to tell her the truth now. That’s why I came to ask you—how should we break this to her without pushing her over the edge?”
She didn’t know Liu Panpan well, at least not as well as Old Mei, who had spent much more time with her.
Old Mei took a moment to process the shocking news, then slowly let out a breath.
“You were right to test her first. If you had told her outright, she wouldn’t have been able to handle it. She might not just faint—she could go insane.”
“Your Sister Pan has a deep scar in her heart. When it comes to Yanyan, she is especially fragile and sensitive. She needs to be guided toward realizing the truth on her own, at her own pace. It’s best if she stays with me. I’ll take care of this—you don’t have to worry about it. In the meantime, let Zheng Xing go to the Alliance Summit with you.”
Su Tao quickly said, “That’s too much trouble for you…”
She had genuinely wanted to take the old man to Xindu for a visit.
It might even be his last chance to travel far.
Mr. Mei waved his hand. “If I went with you, I’d just be worrying about Xiao Pan the whole time. Keeping an eye on her in Taoyang gives me peace of mind, and you can focus on leading your people to Xindu.”
Since she couldn’t convince him otherwise, Su Tao had to agree. “Thank you so much… Please try to keep Sister Pan from leaving her home during this time. Ideally, she shouldn’t even go downstairs. If Bone Wing can’t find her, it won’t act recklessly right away.”
As for the orphanage, Principal Miao probably wouldn’t want Liu Panpan to go there either.
It was best for her to stay in Taoyang, close to Old Mei.
Since Old Mei and Liu Panpan weren’t going, that freed up two spots.
Su Tao had been struggling with the thought of wasting the extra spots. Just as she was considering who to take, she unexpectedly received three more invitations.
And they were personally delivered by Pei Dong.
Su Tao was stunned. “Is Dongyang not planning to go this year?”
Pei Dong explained, “These aren’t Dongyang’s spots. Xindu issued three extra invitations and specifically asked Dongyang to pass them on to you.”
Su Tao understood but was slightly troubled.
“That brings my total to twelve invitations. We don’t have that many people going. Should I return the three Dongyang gave me?”
Pei Dong couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.
She clearly knew how rare Alliance Summit invitations were. Even top-tier bases only got six invitations, and many people fought desperately for a chance to go.
Yet Taoyang was struggling with having too many invitations and not enough people.
But since Dongyang had already given them away, taking them back wasn’t an option. Even if she agreed, the old commander wouldn’t accept such an advantage.
Pei Dong shook his head. “Just find someone to go. Start preparing—two weeks from now, you’ll depart with Dongyang. It’ll be good to have company on the road. The person representing Dongyang this year is Xing Shuyu.”
Su Tao brightened. “Great! I’ll take care of her meals along the way.”
With Old Mei handling Liu Panpan, Su Tao felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and could now focus on preparing for the journey.
The Taoyang dormitories were now fully occupied, and with the first month’s rent collected, her total assets had returned to 8.32 million federal coins.
She planned to take 6 million with her. If she found something valuable at the trading fair or auction, she wouldn’t have to worry about not having enough money to buy it.
Next, she had to prepare food and supplies for the trip.
After finishing his tasks, Lin Fangzhi emptied his storage space so it could be used exclusively for travel essentials.
Cases of water, drinks, instant food, and snacks were packed without hesitation.
They also stocked up on enough fuel to make three or four round trips.
