No one knew exactly what Liu Jinyun said to Lin Zihao in the study, only that they were inside for a long time, and the faint, mournful sound of her crying could occasionally be heard.

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't quite explain why, but she had felt uneasy about Liu Jinyun from the first moment she saw her. Perhaps it was the woman's impeccably composed appearance, maintained even when she knew her son had been seriously injured.

Xiaoxiao felt that a normal mother, upon hearing her child was hurt, would be too worried to eat or sleep properly for days. How could anyone manage to keep up such a polished facade?

Meanwhile, Lin Jiansen was profusely thanking Li Yunlan for taking Zihao in and caring for him. "It seems our Lin family and yours are truly fated," he remarked. "You raised Xiaoling, and now you've saved Zihao." He then turned to Zhou Xiaoling. "I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon. Your grandfather was hoping you could come back for the New Year. He said if you can't make it, he'll come see you once he's feeling stronger."

Xiaoling pressed her lips together. "There's no need for him to travel. I'm doing very well here. My parents are very good to me."

Lin Jiansen sighed. "I understand it might be difficult for you to adjust back there, so we won't insist on you returning for the holidays. But perhaps you can visit sometime after the New Year. After all, it's your father's roots." He continued, "The family is very worried about Zihao. Having seen how much he relies on you, I'm glad to know the bond between you cousins is so strong."

Xiaoling looked down, silent. There wasn't a single word in Lin Jiansen's speech that she wanted to hear.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Huai'an sat to the side, holding their child, mostly observing. Xiaoxiao, in particular, enjoyed watching people, always hoping to pick up on some interesting gossip. After watching for a while, she had to admit that Lin Jiansen was a man of genuine refinement.

After about half an hour, Liu Jinyun emerged from the study, her eyes red-rimmed. Lin Zihao followed, looking thoroughly annoyed. The moment he spotted Zhou Xiaoling, his face lit up, and he ran over to her. "Jiejie! I was good, I stayed inside the whole time! She came out first. Can we play checkers now?"

Unable to refuse him again, Xiaoling nodded. "Alright, let's go play."

Xiaoxiao watched them leave, then noticed Liu Jinyun sitting down and dabbing incessantly at her tears. Xiaoxiao observed that even the woman's crying seemed delicate and designed to evoke pity.

The soft-hearted Li Yunlan comforted her. "Don't be too upset. Zihao is just like a child now. Take it slowly; he'll get better. The important thing is that he's alive."

Liu Jinyun nodded repeatedly. "Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, we might never have seen Zihao again. I never agreed with him joining the army, but he wouldn't listen. I've been worrying every single day, praying to Buddha for his safety. He's my only son. What would I do if something happened to him?"

Li Yunlan patted her shoulder reassuringly. "All mothers feel the same. But thankfully, they're all safe now. Zihao will be fine."

Xiaoxiao was surprised to learn that Liu Jinyun and Lin Jiansen had only one child. In these times, most families had three, four, or five children—two was considered the minimum. Curious about what had transpired in the study, she picked up An'an and went to find Xiaoling and Zihao.

Upstairs in the study, Zihao was engrossed in a game of checkers, studying the board with intense concentration as if he didn't have a care in the world. Xiaoling, however, was distracted, feeling a sense of loss knowing that Uncle Lin would soon take Zihao back to Shanghai. She knew it was inappropriate for Zihao to stay with the Zhou family indefinitely.

When Xiaoxiao entered with An'an, she found Zihao leaning on his elbows, completely focused on the marble pieces, while Xiaoling seemed miles away.

"Xiaoling," Xiaoxiao said, sitting down beside her and handing An'an a calligraphy brush to keep her from grabbing the marbles. "I couldn't get a word in downstairs, so I came up. Is he okay?"

Xiaoling glanced at Zihao. "He's fine. He still refuses to accept them as his parents."

Xiaoxiao turned to Zihao curiously. "What did your mother say to you in there?"

Zihao snorted, pouting. "She's not my mother! She's a bad woman. She kept asking if I really didn't remember her, said giving birth to me was painful, and then she just cried and cried. I don't know what else she said." He hadn't been interested enough to listen carefully.

Xiaoxiao pondered this. It seemed Liu Jinyun had likely spoken about Zihao's past estrangement from her, her suffering, and the difficulties of raising him, probably hoping to trigger some latent memory or emotion.

Xiaoling seemed to think the same. She sighed. "You should listen when people talk to you. She is your mother. You're hurting her feelings."

Zihao ignored this, tugging at Xiaoling's sleeve impatiently. "Jiejie, it's your turn! Hurry up!"

At lunch, the family gathered around the table. Zihao stuck close to Xiaoling as usual, completely ignoring Lin Jiansen and his wife.

Having composed herself somewhat, Liu Jinyun finally seemed to notice Zhou Xiaoling properly. She looked the girl over several times before speaking. "So this is Xiaoling. Your uncles have spoken about you often. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances. Please forgive my earlier distress."

Xiaoling replied politely, "It's no problem. I'm sure we'll have many chances to see each other in the future."

Liu Jinyun nodded, sadness still evident in her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure we will. My son has caused you much trouble recently. Thank you for looking after him."

Xiaoling shook her head quickly. "Not at all. It was the least I could do."

Zihao, clearly unhappy that Xiaoling was talking to someone he disliked, tugged at her sleeve again. "Jiejie, I want the braised pork. Don't talk to the bad woman."

His repeated use of "bad woman" caused Liu Jinyun's face to twitch. Her hands, resting in her lap, clenched into tight fists.

Lin Xiaoxiao, who happened to be sitting next to her, sensed the sudden shift in her mood and glimpsed the clenched fists from the corner of her eye. Her suspicion grew stronger. This mother's reactions were decidedly different from what one would expect.

During the meal, Lin Jiansen broached the subject of taking Zihao back to Shanghai for treatment. "The medical facilities in Shanghai are good. It's also where he grew up, surrounded by familiar memories. It should help his recovery."

Zihao understood this perfectly. He immediately objected, "I'm not going! I won't go back with that bad woman!"