Lin Xiaoxiao grew more excited the more she thought about it, leaving Zhang Wanqing utterly bewildered.

At lunch, Xiaoxiao brought food to Li Yuling’s dormitory. As they ate, they discussed the best way for Yuling to visit Duoduo that afternoon. Xiaoxiao also mentioned the idea of a formal honorary adoption.

Li Yuling frowned. “Wouldn’t that make us sisters?”

Xiaoxiao laughed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Right! I forgot about that. Maybe I should just recognize you as my honorary mother instead.”

Yuling waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, I can handle this. I’ll go with you this afternoon to see Tian Tian. I wonder if the little fellow will even remember his real mother.”

Xiaoxiao gently corrected her. “He goes by Duoduo now—‘Abundant Blessings.’ Tian Tian isn’t as nice, anyway. By the way, what’s his formal name?”

Yuling looked surprised. “Didn’t I tell you? His name is Li Zheng. He took my surname. Your father has been using his English name, Mark.”

Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. But why your surname?”

Yuling’s brow furrowed. “I think your father’s surname is unlucky. Look what happened to you and your brother.”

Xiaoxiao was speechless. Well, her mother’s reasoning was certainly… unique.

After school, Xiaoxiao brought Li Yuling home. Lin Wenbin also arrived at the Zhou house at the agreed-upon time.

What Xiaoxiao hadn’t anticipated was Li Yuling’s performance the moment she stepped through the door. She took Li Yunlan’s hands and immediately began to cry. “Thank you so much! If it weren’t for your family, I don’t know where I would have found my child.”

Then, with a slightly dramatic turn, she rushed over to Duoduo, who was sitting by the coffee table eating biscuits, and swept him into her arms. “My precious! Do you remember Mama? Mama missed you so much!”

Xiaoxiao and Lin Wenbin struggled to maintain their composure, watching their mother’s exaggerated, tearful act—which was, admittedly, quite moving in its own way.

Unaware of the truth, Li Yunlan’s eyes welled up in sympathy. Zhou Liyun, standing to the side, began dabbing at her tears as well.

Holding her son, who had been cared for so well that he was plump and healthy, Li Yuling clutched him tightly. This time, her joy was completely genuine. The months since he’d gone missing had taken half her life force. Refusing to believe all three of her children could be lost, she’d later had a dream suggesting her son was in Beijing. She’d insisted on going alone, despite her husband having unfinished business. She had planned to contact the police once settled, never imagining Lin Xiaoxiao would find her first. It felt like fate had orchestrated it all.

Li Yunlan, her own eyes red, went over to comfort the sobbing Yuling, guiding her to the sofa. “Don’t be sad anymore. The important thing is you’re reunited. And you can rest assured, Duoduo never wanted for anything here.” As she spoke, she remembered how Zhou Huai’an had grown up in Wang Fenglan’s home, suffering so much abuse, and couldn’t help shedding fresh tears of her own.

The three toddlers, holding onto the coffee table, watched the adults crying and laughing with wide eyes. Suddenly, An’an’s little mouth trembled, and she let out a loud “Waaah!”

Qianqian and Xuanxuan turned to look at their mother, who also seemed to be wiping tears. After a second’s hesitation, they too opened their mouths and wailed.

Their crying set off Duoduo, who, until then had just looked confused, immediately joined in with his own loud sobs.

The scene descended into momentary chaos. The adults had no time for further reflection, scrambling to comfort the four crying children.

Once order was finally restored, Li Yunlan handed Yuling a towel. “Let’s not cry anymore, we’re scaring the children. This is a happy occasion, a true blessing.”

Yuling wiped her face, thanking Yunlan profusely.

Zhou Liyun, who had been watching quietly, suddenly exclaimed, “You and our Xiaoxiao really do look alike! Especially the eyes and brow line from the side—it’s remarkable!”

Li Yunlan looked more closely and nodded in agreement. “It’s true. There is a strong resemblance.”

This set Li Yuling off again. “I’m nearly fifty. Why did I have another child so late? It’s because I originally had a daughter, about Lin Xiaoxiao’s age, who was lost to us two years ago.” She paused, took a breath, and wiped her tears before continuing. “When I saw her at the school yesterday, my mind went blank. For a moment, I thought my daughter had come back to me.”

Li Yunlan couldn’t bear to hear such a tragic story—assuming “lost” meant the daughter had died—and began weeping again herself. “You mustn’t grieve too much. I’m sure your daughter is watching over you from heaven.”

Standing off to the side, Xiaoxiao fell silent and glanced at Wenbin. She had to admit, their mother had found the perfect angle.

Yuling sniffled, her voice choked. “Yes, that’s why I feel an immediate closeness to your daughter-in-law. And to think she also saved my son…” She broke down crying once more, with Li Yunlan crying alongside her. Zhou Liyun was by now also weeping freely.

Zhou Xiaoling walked in to find the entire household in tears. The four children, being held, were nibbling biscuits while sniffling on the verge of crying again.

Her heart nearly stopped. “Did something happen to my big brother?” She couldn’t imagine anything else that would reduce the whole family to such a state. Then she noticed the unfamiliar woman on the sofa.

Xiaoxiao rubbed her eyes and quickly shook her head. “No, no! It’s not that. Duoduo’s birth mother has been found.”

Xiaoling stared in surprise at Li Yuling, then back at Xiaoxiao. “Are you sure your birth mother hasn’t been found? She looks a lot like you, too.”

Xiaoxiao had to concede that Xiaoling had stumbled upon quite a secret. “Well, she did say I resemble her daughter,” she replied softly, then briefly explained Yuling’s situation. The compassionate Xiaoling’s eyes instantly reddened. “How utterly heartbreaking.”

Once everyone had finally calmed down, Li Yunlan and Li Yuling began talking properly. Yuling, good-natured and emotionally intelligent, said all the right things to soften Yunlan’s heart further. By the end of the conversation, Yunlan herself suggested that Xiaoxiao recognize Yuling as her honorary mother.

“Our Xiaoxiao is a good girl. She has no family in Beijing apart from an uncle. If you’re willing, we could form this honorary kinship—let our Xiaoxiao have one more relative.”

Yuling hesitated, looking at Xiaoxiao. “Would you be willing?”

Xiaoxiao truly thought her mother, if she were younger, could have been an actress. The way she played the part—half reluctant, half yielding—was masterfully done.

Before Xiaoxiao could answer, Li Yunlan squeezed Yuling’s hand. “It’s settled. You’ve just returned to the country and have few relatives here yourself. You must come visit our home often.”

Once again, her warmth and generosity deeply moved Li Yuling.