Volume 1, Chapter 25: You Are Her Own Daughter

It was Xu Jiang who had arrived in a hurry. His forehead was slick with what could have been sweat or rain, and he was still panting heavily. Upon seeing Su Wanqing, the weight that had been crushing his heart finally lifted, though he couldn't help but snap in frustration, "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Su Wanqing reached into her pockets, but after searching for a long time, she came up empty. "I think I left it in the taxi."

Her eyes were rimmed with red and clouded with confusion. One hand clutched the strap of her bag, the other tucked inside, as she looked at Xu Jiang with a sense of helplessness.

Only then did Xu Jiang notice that her hair was still damp. He could well imagine that she must have been completely beside herself when she rushed over. He sighed, walked inside, and asked Li Shan, "What exactly is going on?" As he spoke, he sent a message to Zheng Lu to update her; they had both been terrified on the way over.

Li Shan explained Xie Kexin’s condition to Xu Jiang once more. Before she could finish, the door was pushed open again. It was Xu Qiuyun.

Su Wanqing stood up quickly, stammering, "M-Master, why are you here?"

Xu Qiuyun’s routine was usually set in stone: no matter what happened, she went to bed at ten o’clock and woke up precisely at six to start her day. While Su Wanqing didn't know the exact time, it had been past midnight when she left home.

Xu Qiuyun waved her hand in silence and sat down in front of Li Shan. "What went wrong with Xie Kexin’s medical exam? Why wasn't I informed immediately?"

As soon as Xu Qiuyun entered the room, the atmosphere became incredibly solemn. This medical facility was one of Xu Qiuyun’s investments; her arrival was akin to the big boss descending. Even though Li Shan had already explained the situation twice, she had to summon all her focus to detail Xie Kexin’s condition for her again.

After listening, Xu Qiuyun pondered for a moment. "What impact will this treatment have on the child’s future?"

Li Shan replied, "Little Kexin has a high risk of epilepsy, but fortunately, we caught it very early. I’ve evaluated her case; although there is a malformation in her cerebral blood vessels, it is localized. We can use stereotactic radiosurgery to precisely target the vascular nidus, which will encourage the endothelial cells to regrow..."

"The entire treatment process is non-invasive, with no risks associated with catheters."

Xu Qiuyun knew well that every silver lining had a dark cloud. She asked, "How long will it take?"

Li Shan estimated, "Half a year."

At those words, Su Wanqing’s knees went weak, and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Xu Jiang reacted quickly, reaching out to steady her. "Careful."

He wanted to ask if she was okay, but seeing her deathly pale complexion, he knew she was far from it. He had only met the child a few times, but she was adorable—like a miniature version of Su Wanqing. Despite her autism, she possessed a remarkably high aptitude for mathematics. She could identify patterns just by watching Su Wanqing solve problems a few times and was even capable of self-study; she was a brilliant child. Hearing about this, his own heart ached, but since it had happened, they had no choice but to face it.

He gripped Su Wanqing’s shoulders firmly. "Don't be afraid. We are all here."

Su Wanqing nodded, choking back a sob.

Xu Qiuyun glanced at them, rose to her feet, and left behind one final instruction before departing: "Fine. I’ll leave the child in your hands. Whatever it costs, it must be a success. I will not allow her to become part of that ten percent!"

In the car, Su Wanqing sat in the passenger seat, her hand resting against the door frame, staring blankly out the window. A small gap in the window let in the cold rain, which sprayed against her face, but she felt nothing.

As he drove, Xu Jiang kept an eye on her, trying to find a topic to distract her. "You know how my mother is—she’s just not good at expressing herself. When I rushed out in a panic and woke her up, she immediately got dressed and followed me here as soon as I explained the situation."

"She isn't just good to Kexin because of her talent; it’s mostly because she is your daughter. You were only five when I found you and brought you home. In her heart, you are her own daughter."

"After you left five years ago, she spent the whole night crying over your clothes..."

"For the past five years, she has kept track of your life. The day I mentioned you to her, she agreed without hesitation... She has been worrying about you every single moment."

Hearing this, Su Wanqing’s fingers twitched. She said in a hoarse voice, "R-really?"

In her mind, Xu Qiuyun had always been a formidable figure. She was decisive, wrapped in an aura of calm, possessing both overwhelming intelligence and a unique ability to see through appearances. What was most awe-inspiring was her adherence to principles; no matter who it was, if they crossed a line, she would never leave room for compromise based on past sentiments.

Su Wanqing couldn't imagine such a woman crying over her clothes.

Xu Jiang affirmed, "Of course. Even if Kexin wasn't a prodigy, my mother would have found the best way to treat her. After all, she’s her only granddaughter now."

He winked at her, and his comedic gesture finally made Su Wanqing crack a smile through her tears.

Back home, Zheng Lu was already asleep beside Xie Kexin. The sight of her best friend and daughter sleeping peacefully put Su Wanqing’s mind at ease. She lingered in the shadow of the doorframe without moving, her fingertips tracing the cold wood, her voice a low murmur:

"Don't be afraid, my darling. No matter what happens, Mommy will always stand by your side and walk you through every difficult moment. Spring will surely come—I believe in that!"

With all the commotion, it was already three in the morning. Yet, she felt no trace of sleepiness. Since she couldn't sleep, she decided to research Xie Kexin’s condition.

Human beings fear what they do not know. Although Dr. Li Shan had explained the basics, she wanted to learn more. Whether it was the illness itself or the potential complications during treatment, she had to be prepared to prevent any accidents.

At the same time, she wanted to set a few more alarms on her phone, but after reaching into empty pockets, she remembered she had lost it. She paused. That phone was bought when she first arrived at the Xie family five years ago. It had been acting up for a while, but she never wanted to replace it, mainly because it held so many photos of Xie Yanchen.

She thought for a moment and wrote two tasks on a sticky note for the next day:

1. Arrive at the Civil Affairs Bureau before nine.
2. After the divorce is finalized, buy a new phone and get a replacement SIM card.

As Su Wanqing studied intently, she had no idea that the phone she had lost was being bombarded with calls from another man, who was currently in a state of utter fury.