"I didn't mean it that way." Susu realized she had spoken incorrectly again and tried to explain, "I know you love Xiao Xingxing very much. I meant that your sternness is also correct. I wasn't saying anything about you..."
The more she tried to explain, the more confused she became, her face flushing with a hint of anxiety.
"Alright, I understand. I'll contact the principal of that school tomorrow and ask them to look after Xiao Xingxing more, so he won't suffer too much." Although Tianyi was upset, he knew she was just worried.
Susu hummed in response and pushed him away. "You rest first. I'll go check if the three little ones are asleep. I'll sleep later."
As she tried to get out of bed, he grabbed her. "Am I the one who's angry, or are you angry with me?"
"I'm not angry, I'm fine now." Susu pouted and glared at him, finally smiling before going to check on the three little ones.
She also realized that Xiao Xingxing no longer required her constant worry. She could now dedicate more attention to the three little darlings, ensuring they grew up happy and healthy.
...
In the dormitory apartment, after speaking with Susu on the phone, Xiao Xingxing returned to studying the map on his desk.
He planned to use an upcoming holiday to visit Xiaoxiao and surprise her.
This plan had been brewing since he learned he would be studying abroad, and he would soon be able to put it into action.
After pre-booking his train tickets and accommodations for the journey, he tried calling the number his Uncle Anjing had given him.
However, the number was always busy, emitting a constant dialing tone.
When Xiaoxiao returned to her biological father years ago, he had left this contact number.
In the preceding years, Uncle Anjing would occasionally call to chat with Xiaoxiao, inquiring about her well-being, and they had always been able to connect.
However, for the past six months, he hadn't been able to reach Xiaoxiao through this number, nor her biological father. Messages were also left unanswered.
Uncle Anjing was somewhat concerned, but Aunt Lan Yu advised him not to disturb them further, as Xiaoxiao was now with her biological father, and such contact might be perceived as a lack of trust.
There was no reason to believe Xiaoxiao would be in any trouble with her biological father, and Uncle Anjing's worries were likely unfounded.
Therefore, when he quietly asked Uncle Anjing for Xiaoxiao's contact information, Uncle Anjing provided him with this number, hoping he would have the opportunity to visit Xiaoxiao.
This was a small secret between him and Uncle Anjing, which he had kept from everyone. However, the thought of seeing Xiaoxiao again soon filled him with anticipation, and he had been reminiscing about their childhood memories during this time.
...
Two months later, Song Jiaping had fully recovered but remained amnesiac.
The warring factions had temporarily agreed to a ceasefire, and the Doctors Without Borders working at the field hospital had completed their mission. Everyone was preparing to depart and return home.
However, Mengyao did not wish to leave. She wanted to continue working as a doctor in this hospital.
Even though the war had temporarily ended, she remained to treat the sick and save lives.
As for Song Jiaping, he had no memory of his past. After waking up, he had grown accustomed to life here. If he were taken back to Lancheng, it would be an unfamiliar place, which would likely fill him with fear and unease.
Mengyao had persuaded the hospital director to allow Song Jiaping to remain at the hospital as a security guard, protecting the doctors and patients.
She purchased a dilapidated house near the hospital and, after renovating it, moved in with Song Jiaping.
Mengyao transformed a large open space in front of the house into a garden and planted tropical vegetables and fruits in the sandy area behind the house. She also took in stray cats and dogs, along with a few chickens.
This life allowed her to feel completely free and relaxed, a state she had always yearned for in her dreams.
She had long since resigned from her job at the research institute in Lancheng. Her prolonged absence from work meant that even after applying for reinstatement, she never returned, ultimately abandoning the idea.
After Song Jiaping's recovery, she had contacted her eldest sister, Mengqi, to inform her of her safety, but she couldn't provide a specific date for her return.
In truth, she had no desire to return to Lancheng. However, not wanting to disappoint Mengqi too much, she continued to stall and repeatedly instructed Mengqi not to reveal her whereabouts to anyone, especially Hong Jiaxi.
Jiaxi was still delaying their divorce and had sent her messages, asking for her location, stating that he would finalize the divorce as soon as she returned to Lancheng.
However, she knew that Jiaxi was merely using the divorce as a pretext to discover her whereabouts, and even if she returned to Lancheng to face him, he might not proceed with the divorce amicably.
For now, Mengyao chose not to dwell on these matters. She wanted to cherish the present, fulfill their long-held wishes with Song Jiaping, and live each day to the fullest.
...
In Lancheng, after Mengqi took control of the Huangfu Group, she restored normalcy to all aspects of the company.
Everyone continued to perform their duties, carrying out the work that Huangfu Sisong had previously assigned them.
On the surface, the group appeared no different than before, but only Mengqi knew that the company was no longer as prosperous as it once was.
Three months after the Lunar New Year, her father, Huangfu Sisong's case, finally went to trial. The prosecution had filed five or six charges against him, some of which were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
However, the charges of manufacturing counterfeit medicine that indirectly caused death and stealing formulas, infringing intellectual property rights, were conclusively proven. After intense arguments between the prosecution and defense, and following the trial, Huangfu Sisong was ultimately sentenced to ten years.
News of this verdict had a pervasive impact on the Huangfu Group, and despite her capabilities, some losses were unavoidable.
Her only recourse was to do her utmost to maintain the company and prevent its collapse.
During this period, she had been working tirelessly, single-handedly bearing the burden. Those who had previously surrounded her father and sought to curry favor with their family had vanished, let alone offered any assistance.
Mengqi was under immense pressure and anxiety, and her hair had been falling out in large quantities recently.
Yao Feili, seeing her arduous efforts and her refusal to heed advice, was also worried. He secretly devised ways to help her or to relieve her of the heavy responsibility of the Huangfu Group.
One day, after dinner, Mengqi was still engrossed in work in her study, not emerging until nearly midnight.
Yao Feili brought a bowl of stew to the study, finding her frowning over a project proposal.
"Stop working and drink this to nourish your body. If you continue like this, your health will fail, and you won't be able to do anything," Yao Feili said, placing the bowl directly in front of her.
Mengqi had no choice but to put down the documents and accept the stew, eating it thoughtfully.
Unconsciously, she finished the bowl and, setting it aside, was about to resume her work.
Yao Feili wanted to pull her up from the chair. "Don't just sit there. Get up and move around."