Lin Xiaoxiao glanced briefly and noticed that the older woman carried herself with grace and poise, exuding an air of elegance, while the younger one was quite pretty.

She mused to herself how there seemed to be so many naturally beautiful women in this era—even in a small place like this, she had already seen quite a few.

The car pulled over by the roadside. Zhou Huai'an got out to help Lin Xiaoxiao with her luggage when they heard someone gasp nearby.

Turning toward the sound, they saw two women staring at him in shock. The older woman looked as though she would have fainted if the younger one hadn't been supporting her.

Zhou Xiaohong had followed the address left by Zhou Xiaoling and traveled for two days straight. Arriving early in the morning at the guesthouse, she hesitated, worried about how her mother would react if the resemblance was truly striking.

She repeatedly prepared Li Yunlan emotionally: "Mom, no matter whether he looks like him or not, you have to stay calm. We can't impulsively disturb their lives."

Li Yunlan kept nodding. "I know, I know. I just want to see. I won't disrupt his life. I understand that no matter how similar, he isn't Xiaocheng."

But when the two of them saw Zhou Huai'an step out of the car, they both gasped in astonishment at the same time.

Zhou Xiaohong forgot everything she had just said. Her eyes remained fixed on Zhou Huai'an—he looked so much like her brother! How could two people look so alike?

Li Yunlan had also completely forgotten her promises. Tears immediately streamed down her face as she broke free from her daughter's grip and rushed toward Zhou Huai'an, crying out, "Xiaocheng!"

Lin Xiaoxiao got out of the car a moment later. Seeing Li Yunlan rushing over and Zhou Xiaohong standing frozen with red-rimmed eyes, she could guess their identities. She hadn't expected them to arrive so soon.

Zhou Huai'an clearly guessed who they were as well. He reached out to support Li Yunlan's arm and said, "You've mistaken me for someone else."

His voice was different, his demeanor was different, and his eyes were cold and detached.

For some reason, Li Yunlan felt a dull ache in her heart. Through her tears, she looked up at Zhou Huai'an. Even if he wasn't Zhou Xiaocheng, she still wanted to talk to him.

Lin Xiaoxiao remained relatively calm. She stepped forward and gently held Li Yunlan's arm.

"Auntie, please calm down. Let's talk slowly. Maybe we should go inside to speak."

Zhou Xiaohong also walked over, her gaze still fixed on Zhou Huai'an. "Mom, let's find a place to sit down. Please, try to stop crying."

But as she finished speaking, she herself began to cry.

Lü Zhigang, who had been standing to the side somewhat stunned, finally snapped out of it and urged everyone to move inside to a room.

Once in the room, Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't in a hurry to speak, and Zhou Huai'an certainly wasn't going to offer any explanations. Instead, Li Yunlan, still sobbing, explained why they had come.

"My son Xiaocheng was killed in action. My daughter said there was someone who looked just like him, so we came to see for ourselves. I know this is very sudden, but you look so much like him."

Suddenly, she broke down into heart-wrenching sobs. The raw grief in her voice even brought tears to Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes.

What else could a grieving mother do upon seeing someone who resembled her lost son? But Lin Xiaoxiao wondered—if Li Yunlan knew this was actually her other son, would she take him home? Or would she consider the feelings of the child she had already raised?

When Li Yunlan had calmed down a little, she stared intently at Zhou Huai'an and asked, "Where are you from? How old are you?"

Zhou Huai'an initially showed no intention of answering, but Lin Xiaoxiao quickly replied on his behalf, "He's from Zhou Village. He'll be thirty this August."

Sure enough, Li Yunlan's face changed dramatically upon hearing "Zhou Village." "Zhou Village?"

she repeated.

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, looking innocently at Li Yunlan. "Have you heard of it, Auntie?"

Li Yunlan's hands began to tremble, and her voice shook. "What are your parents' names?"

Without hesitation, Lin Xiaoxiao answered, "Zhou Mancang and Wang Fenglan."

Li Yunlan shot to her feet. Her mind suddenly went blank. "Impossible! It can't be! This can't be happening!"

Zhou Xiaohong, thinking her mother was overwhelmed again, hurried over to support her.

"Mom, don't get too upset. Whatever it is, take your time. Think carefully."

Li Yunlan turned her gaze back to Zhou Huai'an. "Were you born on August 16th, 1948?"

Zhou Huai'an nodded. "Yes."

Li Yunlan felt as if something had exploded in her mind. Long-buried memories came rushing back—a young woman named Wang Fenglan smilingly saying to her, "Elder sister, you're so lucky to have given birth to twins. Not like me, I had another girl."

Li Yunlan had just given birth and was weakened from her injuries. At the time, she'd even envied Wang Fenglan, who was able to stroll around so soon after delivery.

But later, when Zhou Zhennan came to take her and their children away, she hadn't noticed anything wrong.

Now, looking at Zhou Huai'an's face, she understood everything. That wretched Wang Fenglan had switched her son!

She let out a heartbroken cry, collapsed to the floor, and clutched her chest, weeping uncontrollably. She was in too much pain to speak, digging her fingers into her heart as if trying to physical grasp her anguish.

Zhou Xiaohong was terrified. She knelt down and tried to support her mother. "Mom, Mom, what's wrong? Please, don't scare me..."

After what felt like an eternity, Li Yunlan finally managed to cry out, "That wretched Wang Fenglan! You are not human! How could you steal my son! You beast! You utter beast!"

Her upbringing prevented her from cursing more vulgarly, but in that moment, she wished she could stab Wang Fenglan.

Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't expected Li Yunlan to react like this. She had thought there would be more doubt, more questioning, but after just a few answers, Li Yunlan seemed completely convinced.

Zhou Xiaohong still hadn't fully processed what her mother's outburst meant. She watched as Li Yunlan struggled to her feet and threw her arms around Zhou Huai'an, sobbing bitterly.

Zhou Huai'an stood still, arms at his sides, allowing Li Yunlan to hold him. Inside, he felt somewhat affected.

Even Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes welled up again. Hateful Wang Fenglan—how much suffering had she caused Zhou Huai'an in his childhood?

Even Lü Zhigang was moved, finding the scene almost too painful to watch.

Li Yunlan held Zhou Huai'an tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't know. I was too foolish. I never imagined... she could be so cruel."

Zhou Xiaohong was completely stunned. Tears in her eyes, she stared in shock at her mother embracing Zhou Huai'an. Belatedly, she began to realize that this man might be her brother.

It took a long time before Li Yunlan finally calmed down. She held Zhou Huai'an's hands, looking him over again and again. Each time, fresh tears would fall, and she would repeat over and over, "I'm so sorry."

Zhou Xiaohong, retaining a sliver of rationality, gently urged her mother, "Mom, are you absolutely sure he is your son?"

Li Yunlan answered in a hoarse voice, "There's no mistake. Wang Fenglan could never have given birth to a child like this. How could I have been so careless back then? How could I have thought they seemed kind?"

Zhou Xiaohong looked hesitantly at Zhou Huai'an. "Mom, then what about my older brother?"

Li Yunlan paused briefly. "He is Wang Fenglan's son."

Despite everything, she still felt a trace of reluctance, but looking at Zhou Huai'an, she broke down crying again. "Tell me," she pleaded, "have you been well all these years?"

"I've been fine," Zhou Huai'an replied.

"No, he hasn't!" Lin Xiaoxiao interjected before he could finish.