Chapter 345| Chapter 346| Chapter 347
Chapter 345: Emotional Shock
Pan Yue did her best to comfort the two elderly grandparents, terrified that their health would give out under the sudden strain.
“Xiaoyue is right. We can’t jump to conclusions until they find a body,” Grandpa Sheng said, forcing himself to stay rational. The absolute most important thing right now was to stay strong for Wanyan and little Yi Yi. “It’s very possible he was carried downstream and rescued by some kind-hearted villagers.”
The more Grandpa Sheng thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. A flood wasn’t a fire; a grown man wouldn’t just vanish into thin air without a trace. It was highly likely that Gu Tingxiao had been injured and was currently convalescing somewhere, or perhaps he was still unconscious and unable to send word.
Hearing their reasoning, Grandma Sheng managed to steady her erratic breathing. Her granddaughter and great-granddaughter needed her now more than ever.
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right,” Grandma Sheng stammered, wiping her tears. “I’ll go to the kitchen right now and cook something light for Yan’er so we can take it to the hospital. Old man, you head over to the clinic first to see how she’s doing.”
With a clear course of action, the two elders immediately began managing the crisis.
“Grandma, let me go instead,” Pan Yue interrupted quickly. “You and Grandpa stay here and watch the two babies.”
Before Grandma Sheng could even protest, Pan Yue turned and sprinted out the door toward the base hospital, her figure vanishing down the path.
“Well, now that Xiaoyue has run off, you make sure to watch the kids,” Grandma Sheng instructed her husband. She then hurried into the kitchen to prepare some nourishing food to bring over later.
———
Meanwhile, Sheng Wanze burst through the hospital doors carrying Sheng Wanyan, his voice echoing frantically down the corridors. “Doctor! Doctor! Someone help!”
A nurse rushed forward, pushing a gurney into the hallway, and Sheng Wanze carefully laid his unconscious sister onto the mattress.
By the time Pan Yue arrived at the clinic, the doctor was already conducting a thorough examination. Out of breath, she rushed up to the reception desk. “Nurse, excuse me! Where is the woman who was just carried in by a soldier?”
“The one who fainted?” the nurse clarified.
“Yes, yes, that’s her!”
“Second floor, emergency bay!”
Pan Yue gasped out her thanks and sprinted up the stairs, scanning the corridors until she spotted Sheng Wanze and Political Commissar Xie standing outside a treatment room.
“Aze, how is she?” Pan Yue asked, breathless as she reached her husband.
Sheng Wanze shook his head grimly. “The doctor is still checking her over.”
Pan Yue nodded silently, peering anxiously through the small glass window of the door. Her heart was in her throat. Please let her be alright. If anything happens to Wanyan, what will become of little Yi Yi? She’s still so tiny!
Just then, the clinic door swung open, and the attending physician stepped out. Political Commissar Xie immediately hurried forward to intercept him. “Doctor, what’s the situation?”
“The patient fainted due to a severe emotional shock,” the doctor explained, adjusting his clipboard. “There’s no physical danger, but her system has taken a heavy hit. You must ensure she isn’t subjected to any further agitation or distress once she wakes up.”
Political Commissar Xie, Sheng Wanze, and Pan Yue all let out a massive, collective sigh of relief. As long as her life wasn’t in danger, they could handle the rest.
“Understood. Thank you, Doctor,” Political Commissar Xie said.
The doctor nodded, offered a few standard dietary recommendations for her recovery, and walked away to tend to other patients.
Left in the quiet hallway, Sheng Wanze and Pan Yue looked at each other. Seeing the profound agony and self-reproach burning in her husband’s eyes, Pan Yue stepped forward and squeezed his trembling hand tightly, offering what silent comfort she could. She knew exactly what was tearing him apart from the inside out: Sheng Wanze felt an immense, crippling guilt for failing to bring his brother-in-law back alive.
“Aze, listen to me,” she murmured softly. “My brother-in-law is only listed as missing. It doesn’t mean the worst has happened.”
Sheng Wanze stared at the floor, his chest tight. He knew the situation was technically unresolved, but so many days had already passed. If Gu Tingxiao were simply missing but conscious, it was impossible that a man of his caliber wouldn’t have found a way to contact the base or return on his own. For things to turn out like this…
Political Commissar Xie let out a heavy, weary sigh. When it came to disaster relief operations, the safety of the civilian population always took absolute precedence. The military simply could not afford to exhaust limited time, manpower, and resources indefinitely just to search for a single missing officer. The command had made the most pragmatic, logical decision under the circumstances—but that decision, in reality, meant giving up on Gu Tingxiao.
It was a devastating dilemma. Caught between the civilian population and one of their own brothers-in-arms, they had to choose the people.
“Commander-in-Chief Gu has already dispatched a private team to continue the search,” Political Commissar Xie said quietly, breaking the silence. “Perhaps he truly is just stranded. It was a massive flood, after all; finding someone immediately is nearly impossible. Right now, our priority must be to comfort Comrade Sheng Wanyan. A person needs to have a shred of hope to keep going.”
If Sheng Wanyan lost all hope and allowed despair to consume her, the consequences would be catastrophic. That was the only strategy Political Commissar Xie could formulate given the circumstances. While the Commander-in-Chief handled the external search for Gu Tingxiao, he had to maintain stability back at the base—especially with a rare national asset like Sheng Wanyan. Absolutely nothing could be allowed to happen to her.
“Political Commissar…” Sheng Wanze finally spoke, his voice cracked with emotion as he looked up. “What exactly are we fighting for?”
Political Commissar Xie opened his mouth to reply, but the words withered on his tongue.
Sheng Wanze’s chest heaved as bitterness flooded his mouth. They were trained to save the masses, yet they were completely powerless to protect their own comrades and family members! What a sickening piece of irony! He had been forced to watch helplessly as his commanding officer—the brother-in-law who had fought side by side with him—was swallowed by the raging waters.
Worse yet, it wasn’t even a matter of being powerless. He had the ability to act at that exact moment. But his hands had been tied because he was busy pulling an ordinary civilian to the safety of the riverbank. He’d had a split second to make a choice. If he had simply let go of that civilian, he could have reached out and grabbed Gu Tingxiao.
But he couldn’t do it. He hadn’t been allowed to. The weight of the uniform on his back reminded him every second of his sworn duty. He could never abandon a citizen waiting for rescue. He just couldn’t…
Sheng Wanze’s eyes burned a furious red. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of agonizing guilt, he slammed his fist into the concrete wall, punch after punch.
“Dammit! Dammit!” he roared.
He looked entirely unhinged, losing control of his emotions. Pan Yue threw her arms around his torso, trying frantically to pull him back, but her strength was no match for his momentum.
“We could have saved him!” Sheng Wanze choked out, his voice breaking into a sob. “He was right there! We could have saved him!”
Watching the young soldier unravel, Political Commissar Xie felt a profound, heavy ache in his own chest. This was the silent, agonizing curse of being a soldier.
“Comrade Sheng Wanze!” the Political Commissar commanded, his voice firm yet filled with sorrow. “We are soldiers! The moment we don this uniform, our primary duty is to place the lives of the people above our own, and above those of our brothers-in-arms! That is the heavy burden we accept when we wear this cloth!”
Political Commissar Xie pointed out the window toward the bright sunlight, where the green of their military uniforms caught the glare. The light was almost blinding, making the stark olive-green look incredibly sharp.
They were soldiers. The uniform took precedence over everything else—including the individuals wearing it. In the line of duty, whether a man was his mother’s son, a woman’s husband, or a child’s father became entirely secondary to the solemn oath woven into the fabric of his clothes. The mission always came first.
Sheng Wanze’s strength suddenly deserted him. He slumped against the wall, sliding down until his forehead pressed against the cold plaster. Through the glass window of the ward, he stared at Sheng Wanyan’s deathly pale face on the hospital bed.
He understood exactly what the uniform represented. But… what about his sister? What about his niece, who wasn’t even a year old? Because of this uniform, his sister had lost her husband. And if she ever found out that he had consciously chosen to save a stranger instead of reaching out to pull her husband back from the abyss, she would hate him for the rest of her life.
Sheng Wanze didn’t dare picture the cold loathing that would fill his sister’s eyes. The mere thought felt like a blade twisting in his heart.
Pan Yue’s eyes grew fiercely red as she watched her husband suffer, but she remained silent, knowing there were no words capable of easing his torment. She turned her gaze to the door, staring through the glass at the frail figure of Sheng Wanyan.
The three of them stood in the sterile hallway, enveloped in a suffocating silence. No one knew how to break the tension, let alone how to navigate the storm that lay ahead.
“I’m going to go sit with my sister-in-law,” Pan Yue whispered eventually, letting out a ragged sigh as she stepped toward the door. The atmosphere in the hallway had become so thick with grief she felt she would suffocate if she stayed out there a moment longer.
Political Commissar Xie watched the door click shut behind her, then rubbed his face vigorously with both hands to shake off the fatigue. He stepped over and placed a heavy, grounding hand on Sheng Wanze’s slumped shoulder.
“Right now, Comrade Sheng Wanyan only has you left to lean on as her brother,” the Political Commissar said softly. “As for Tingxiao… I will report directly to Commander-in-Chief Gu and press for daily updates on the search.”
Sheng Wanze kept his eyes cast downward, nodding silently in the dark.
Chapter 346: Unwilling to Face Reality
Political Commissar Xie sighed deeply and quietly slipped away just as Sheng Wanyan began to open her eyes.
“Little Sister, you’re awake!” Pan Yue cried, moving forward to carefully help her sit up. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Sheng Wanyan shook her head slightly. “I’m fine, Sister-in-law. Just a little dizzy, but everything else is alright.”
Pan Yue poured her a glass of warm water to moisten her parched throat.
Seeing his sister wake up, Sheng Wanze stepped toward the bedside, his movements stiff. He didn’t dare to look her directly in the eye, deeply terrified that she would blame him.
Sheng Wanyan looked at him, her red, swollen eyes eventually drifting toward the window. In truth, she had heard their entire conversation outside the door just now. Though she had fainted, her consciousness had partially lingered, and she had heard with brutal clarity how Gu Tingxiao had been swept away by the raging currents.
“Outside… the leaves are falling,” Sheng Wanyan murmured, her voice incredibly hoarse as she watched the dry leaves dancing outside the window, tossed about by the wind.
“Little Sister…” Sheng Wanze choked out, his throat tight. He understood exactly what she meant.
“Brother…” she whispered. “Even if he is truly gone… he should have returned home wrapped in glory… instead of wandering out there all alone…”
Hearing her words, Sheng Wanze abruptly turned his back to her, silently wiping away his tears. Pan Yue’s eyes instantly flooded with tears as well. The young couple stood by the bed, utterly consumed by grief, finding no words capable of comforting her.
“I’m sorry,” Sheng Wanze managed to squeeze out. Beyond those words, he was entirely powerless.
“Brother, I want to go home,” Sheng Wanyan said softly.
“Alright. Let’s go home. I’ll take you back.” Sheng Wanze immediately handled the discharge paperwork and prepared to escort her out.
They were just helping her step out of the clinic when Grandma Sheng arrived, carrying a container of hot food.
“Yan’er!” Grandma Sheng cried, rushing forward to grip her hand. She scanned her granddaughter from head to toe, terrified that something else might be wrong. “What are you doing out of bed?”
“Grandma, I’m fine. Let’s just go home.”
Grandma Sheng shot a questioning glance at Sheng Wanze, who gave a solemn nod. Grandma Sheng looked back at her granddaughter. Wanyan did indeed look frail and exhausted, but otherwise she seemed functional.
Yet, something felt profoundly wrong. Why was her granddaughter so incredibly calm? It was as if nothing had happened to Xiao Gu at all.
“Grandma, let’s go home,” Sheng Wanyan repeated.
“Alright… let’s go home.” Grandma Sheng kept a worried eye on her, but knowing her granddaughter’s delicate state, she didn’t press the matter.
She followed closely behind, stealing glances at Sheng Wanyan’er’s face along the way. But her granddaughter’s expression remained entirely blank and pale, as if the devastating news had never reached her ears. Grandma Sheng sighed heavily from behind. Her granddaughter was intentionally avoiding the topic; she was pretending to be oblivious.
The moment they arrived at the family quarters, Grandpa Sheng hurried out to meet them. Seeing Wanyan back on her feet, a heavy weight lifted from his chest.
“Yan’er, come and eat something first,” Grandpa Sheng urged. “You mustn’t neglect your health.”
Grandma Sheng was equally terrified that Wanyan would neglect herself out of grief. If the pillar of this little household collapsed, their entire world would fall apart.
“Grandma, I’m really not hungry,” Sheng Wanyan replied softly. She scooped little Yi Yi up into her arms, holding the baby with an tight, almost desperate grip, terrified that the little girl would vanish into thin air just like her father.
Yi Yi looked up at her mother. Today, the usually energetic baby was exceptionally quiet, refusing to make any fuss as she nestled contentedly against her mother’s chest.
“Yan’er, listen to me. Xiao Gu is only missing,” Grandma Sheng said, her brow furrowed with worry. “You cannot let this ruin your health. Even if you won’t think of yourself, think of Yi Yi! Do you want this sweet child to be left without a father and a mother?”
Grandma Sheng’s heart bled for her granddaughter, but because a body had not been recovered, she refused to let Wanyan succumb to despair just yet.
“Grandma, I’m not thinking anything reckless,” Sheng Wanyan said, her voice entirely even. “Tingxiao just went out on a mission. He hasn’t come back yet, that’s all.”
The entire family froze, their eyes widening in sheer disbelief as they stared at her.
“Yan’er, you…”
“Grandma, you don’t have to use scare tactics just to make me eat,” Sheng Wanyan interrupted with a gentle smile. “Tingxiao is simply away on a mission.”
Grandma Sheng stared at her, a suffocating ache tightening in her chest as she realized the depth of her granddaughter’s denial. Wanyan was simply unwilling to face reality. She refused to accept the possibility that Gu Tingxiao might never return to her, and she refused to acknowledge that she might have lost him forever.
Sheng Wanyan looked down tenderly at the baby in her arms. “Yi Yi, Daddy is just away on a mission. We’ll wait for him to come home together, okay?”
Yi Yi looked up at her mother and offered a bright, innocent smile. “Ah~”
“Good girl. We’ll wait for Daddy together.”
The family members exchanged frantic, helpless glances. Grandpa Sheng gave a slight shake of his head, silently warning everyone to drop the subject and avoid agitating her further. The house fell into a tense silence as they focused on coaxing her to eat.
“Yan’er, eat a little bit anyway,” Grandma Sheng urged softly, changing her approach. “Even if you aren’t hungry, the baby needs you to stay strong.”
Sheng Wanyan looked down at Yi Yi, then slowly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. “You’re right, Grandma. I can’t let Yi Yi suffer. If she loses weight from hunger, Tingxiao will be heartbroken when he comes back and sees her.”
Hearing those words, Grandma Sheng could barely contain her grief. To keep from sobbing aloud, she hastily turned her head away, her shoulders trembling with silent tears.
After forcing down a few bites, Sheng Wanyan carried Yi Yi back to her own apartment. The family watched her retreating back, completely at a loss for words.
“Did Yan’er… block it out?” Pan Yue whispered.
“She just refuses to face the truth,” Sheng Wanze said. Watching his sister’s stiff, unyielding posture as she cradled her child, he felt a wave of profound, indescribable sorrow wash over him.
“Maybe it’s better this way,” Grandpa Sheng sighed, his words heavy with resignation. “At least this way, she still has a reason to keep going. Having a sliver of hope to cling to is better than the alternative. If they had placed Gu Tingxiao’s body right in front of her, she would have completely collapsed.”
Once back in her own home, Sheng Wanyan went through her usual routine as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She bathed Yi Yi, fed her, and tucked her into bed with meticulous care. But once the baby fell into a deep sleep, Sheng Wanyan simply sat on the edge of the mattress, her eyes fixed blankly on the darkness outside the window.
She sat there, completely motionless, for the entire night…
Meanwhile, back in the capital, Mother Gu was sick with worry over Sheng Wanyan. She immediately requested a leave of absence from her unit, packed her bags, and boarded a train north to Bing City.
Over in Rong City, Sheng Wanyan’s parents were equally distraught. The moment they received the vague news, sleep deserted them. Mother Sheng was so consumed by anxiety for her daughter that she couldn’t even focus on her duties at the factory.
“Old Sheng, I can’t stay here. I’m going to Bing City!” Mother Sheng announced the moment she crossed the threshold after work.
Father Sheng had already anticipated her decision. “I’ll go with you.”
But Mother Sheng immediately shot down his offer, having already thought through their strategy. “No. You have to stay here and keep working. Nothing can go wrong with your position right now. Wanyan must be absolutely heartbroken. If Xiao Gu really…” She swallowed past the lump in her throat before continuing. “If the worst has happened, she needs to know she still has you—a factory deputy director—as her father to protect her.”
“Old Sheng! If Xiao Gu truly can’t come back, I intend to bring our daughter and little Yi Yi straight back to Rong City with me.”
Father Sheng let out a long sigh, fully understanding his wife’s fierce protective instinct.
“Our Wanyan must never be made to feel like an unwanted dependent in the Gu family,” Mother Sheng declared fiercely. “In the worst-case scenario, I can legally transfer my factory position to Wanyan. Between your income and a secured job, there’s no way our daughter and granddaughter won’t be able to survive back here with us.”
Mother Sheng had mapped out every contingency. She refused to let her daughter suffer a single shred of grievance or pity as a young widow under someone else’s roof. It wasn’t as though they couldn’t afford to support their own blood; Father Sheng’s salary alone was more than substantial.
“As for Xiaoyue…” Mother Sheng added quietly, considering her daughter-in-law. “If she has any objections to us bringing Wanyan back permanently, then she and Wanze can simply manage their own household separately from us.”
Chapter 347: The Arrival of Mother Sheng
Mother Sheng was determined not to let her daughter or her son suffer any kind of injustice. If her daughter-in-law harbored any hidden resentment over their plans, then separating the households was the only logical step. Besides, the family finances had already been officially divided when the couple wed.
Father Sheng’s recent promotion had been entirely due to Wanyan’s achievements. If his daughter-in-law showed any objections to protecting her, he absolutely would not turn his back on his own daughter.
“Alright, wife. We will protect Wanyan and little Yi Yi from now on,” Father Sheng said, his expression grave and resolute. “Let’s bring our daughter back home.”
Mother Sheng nodded firmly. She wasted no time packing her bags, requested an emergency leave from work, purchased the earliest available train ticket, and headed straight for Bing City.
Unaware that both her biological mother and her mother-in-law were rushing to her side, Sheng Wanyan remained confined to her quarters, focusing entirely on taking care of Yi Yi.
They kept up a facade of their normal daily routine, with Grandpa and Grandma Sheng bringing over fresh meals every day. Sheng Wanyan always finished every bite, showing absolutely no outward signs of abnormality.
“Yan’er, do you want to head out to gather some firewood?” Grandma Sheng asked gently one afternoon. “Or maybe we could go down to the river for some fishing?”
Grandma Sheng was terrified that Wanyan would make herself sick by staying cooped up inside all day, so she constantly looked for excuses to coax her out for a walk. But Sheng Wanyan steadfastly refused to leave the house. The family was deeply worried that she might do something drastic in her isolation, so someone made sure to check on her every single day.
Sheng Wanyan shook her head softly. She had no desire to step outside, well aware that the neighbors had been gossiping about her situation lately. People were whispering about how pitiful she was, losing her husband so soon after marriage.
“Grandma, we still have plenty of firewood stacked at home,” Sheng Wanyan replied evenly. “And we haven’t even finished the fish we caught last time.”
Hearing this, Grandma Sheng didn’t push any further. Right now, her granddaughter’s emotional comfort was their top priority. “Then we won’t go. Grandma will make your favorite braised pork ribs for dinner tonight.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded, her eyes drifting down to Yi Yi, who was happily rolling around on the floor playing with Maodou. “Come to think of it, she’ll be a year old in just over a month,” Wanyan murmured. “We should start making her new clothes and preparing the traditional items for her first birthday catch.”
Sheng Wanyan watched the baby tenderly. Her little girl was already almost a year old. “I just hope Tingxiao can make it back in time for the celebration.”
Grandma Sheng froze at the comment. She exchanged a tense, heavy look with Grandpa Sheng before silently gathering the empty dishes and retreating to their side of the house.
“Old man, do you think Yan’er genuinely doesn’t remember, or is she just forcing herself to forget?” Grandma Sheng asked, her voice trembling with anxiety. Why did her granddaughter’s behavior seem increasingly detached from reality?
“Whether she’s blocking it out or pretending, the only thing that matters is that she stays alive,” Grandpa Sheng replied quietly.
His words sent a sudden chill running straight down Grandma Sheng’s spine, and her hands shook with a terrifying realization. “What if… what if Wanyan can’t bear the pain and tries to end her own life?” she whispered, gripped by fear. Her granddaughter was incredibly intelligent; it was mathematically impossible for her to truly be oblivious to what had happened. She was merely maintaining a fragile illusion, acting as though nothing had gone wrong to keep herself from shattering. But what would happen the day that illusion inevitably cracked? Could she survive it?
“As long as Yi Yi is here, she will hold on,” Grandpa Sheng stated firmly. He had closely observed how his granddaughter’s affection for the baby had intensified; her eyes rarely left the child for a second. It was the look of someone clinging to a lifeline.
Perhaps she wanted to pour every ounce of her love for Gu Tingxiao into the protection of his flesh and blood. Grandpa Sheng didn’t dare to imagine the utter devastation Wanyan would face if anything ever happened to little Yi Yi. “We must do everything we can to help look after the baby and ease her burden. That is the best support we can offer her right now.”
Grandma Sheng nodded quickly. Yi Yi was her granddaughter’s entire world now. Absolutely nothing could be allowed to happen to that little girl.
———
A week later, Mother Sheng finally arrived at the Bing City railway station, where Sheng Wanze was waiting to pick her up. On the drive back to the military base, Sheng Wanze gave his mother a detailed update on Wanyan’s emotional state.
Mother Sheng’s brow furrowed deeply as she listened. “You’re saying Wanyan is acting as if the incident never happened?”
“It seems that way. My little sister is far too sharp; there’s no way she didn’t comprehend the news,” Sheng Wanze muttered grimly.
Hearing this, Mother Sheng’s heart clamped with anxiety. Her daughter wasn’t just playing dumb—she was actively fleeing from a reality too painful to bear. “Drive faster,” she urged.
Mother Sheng’s mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of Wanyan. The moment the vehicle cleared the base gates, she bypassed the elderly grandparents’ house entirely, ignoring her own hunger and fatigue to head straight for her daughter’s quarters.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, she froze. Sheng Wanyan was sitting in the yard, gently guiding Yi Yi through her playtime. Seeing how much weight her daughter had lost in such a short span of time, a sharp pang of distress pierced Mother Sheng’s heart.
“Yan’er…” she called out softly.
Sheng Wanyan stiffened, assuming her mind was playing tricks on her. She slowly turned her head toward the gate.
“Yan’er, it’s Mom. Mom is here.”
Looking at her mother’s tear-brimmed eyes, the fragile wall Sheng Wanyan had built around herself instantly disintegrated. It was as if she had finally found a safe harbor. “Mom…”
Tears flooded Wanyan’s eyes, blurring her vision into a watery haze. Mother Sheng dropped her bags onto the dirt and rushed across the yard, throwing her arms around her daughter and pulling her into a fierce, protective embrace. Held tightly against her mother’s chest, Sheng Wanyan finally fractured, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Mom… Mom…”
“My poor child,” Mother Sheng choked out, stroking her hair. “Don’t cry, my darling, don’t cry. You don’t have to be afraid of anything anymore. Mom is right here.”
Mother Sheng rocked her gently, letting her release the immense torrent of grief she had kept bottled up for weeks, knowing that a true release was the only way her daughter would ever begin to heal. Sheng Wanyan hadn’t forgotten a thing; she had simply chosen to hide from the truth. But the moment her ultimate protector arrived, she could no longer maintain the exhaustion of her facade, venting every ounce of her repressed torment.
“Now that Mom is here, I won’t let anyone overwhelm you,” Mother Sheng whispered fiercely, holding her tight.
Sheng Wanyan cried for a long time before the tears finally subsided. She stepped back, wiping her face. “Mom, why did you travel all this way? What about work?”
“How could I possibly stay behind after what happened to you?” Mother Sheng scolded gently, wiping a stray tear from her daughter’s cheek. “Come, let’s go inside where we can talk properly.”
Mother Sheng reached out to guide Wanyan toward the house, but before she could take a step, she felt a sudden weight anchor itself to her trouser leg. She looked down to find a pair of wide, bright eyes staring up at her. It was a chubby, exquisitely delicate little toddler, smelling faintly of baby powder.
“Look at how much you’ve grown already,” Mother Sheng cooed, her heart melting instantly. “Come here, let Grandma hold you.”
Mother Sheng scooped little Yi Yi up into her arms. Although the baby had no visual memory of her maternal grandmother, she recognized the familiar, warm cadence of her voice from her mother’s stories.
“Yi Yi, this is Grandma,” Sheng Wanyan introduced quietly.
Yi Yi offered a wide, gummy grin and immediately wrapped her tiny arms around Mother Sheng’s neck.
“Well, aren’t you a brave little thing? Not shy around strangers at all,” Mother Sheng marveled, thoroughly delighted.
The rest of the family, who had been hovering near the gate, finally stepped into the courtyard. While Sheng Wanyan had been breaking down, they had felt it improper to intrude on the raw intimacy of the mother-daughter reunion, choosing to keep a respectful distance until now.
“Mom,” Pan Yue greeted warmly, carrying little Huzi forward.
Mother Sheng beamed at the sight of her daughter-in-law. “Xiaoyue, and look at our little Huzi!” She leaned over to gently pinch the boy’s cheek. She would have loved to hold her grandson as well, but she knew her priority had to remain entirely with Wanyan right now.
Pan Yue, understanding the delicate situation completely, knew the best thing she could do was give her sister-in-law the space to speak with her mother privately. “Huzi, look, Grandma is here,” Pan Yue said to her son. “Shall we go back to our kitchen and start prepping a nice dinner for Grandma?”
“Okay!” Huzi cheered, clapping his hands happily. Pan Yue gave her mother-in-law a supportive nod and carried the boy back to their apartment.
Grandpa Sheng, Grandma Sheng, and Sheng Wanze followed her lead, quietly vacating the area to give the mother and daughter total privacy before retreating to their respective quarters.
Mother Sheng kept one arm securely wrapped around Wanyan’er’s waist while balancing little Yi Yi on her hip, guiding them inside the apartment to sit down on the sofa.
“Yan’er, I want you to know that I came here strictly for your sake,” Mother Sheng began, her tone deeply earnest.
Sheng Wanyan nodded silently, her throat tight. She knew the grueling journey her mother had undertaken was driven purely by love.
“I am fully aware of Xiao Gu’s situation,” Mother Sheng continued softly, her eyes filled with maternal fierce protection. “But no matter how devastating the blow, life must continue. You still have a beautiful daughter who depends entirely on you.”
Sheng Wanyan squeezed her mother’s hand. She understood; she knew she had to remain strong for little Yi Yi.
“Your father and I are deeply concerned about your future with the Gu family,” Mother Sheng confessed, her voice dropping to a serious whisper. “Even though you are legally their daughter-in-law, and Yi Yi carries their blood line…”
