"It's a joyous occasion to see your daughter. We'll figure out how to bring Mianmian back next," Ye Wan comforted her.
Jiang Mi looked at her, her eyes filled with conflict. "I can see that Mianmian is living very well now. I don't know if she'll want to leave with me. I know she'd definitely want to, but is this truly what's best for her? She went to primary school here, is now in junior high, she has her friends, her classmates, her favorite teachers here, and... her father who has cared for her for so many years."
Ye Wan understood her feelings. It was precisely because she loved her daughter so much that she considered every aspect, fearing even the slightest bit of hardship for her. A mother could endure anything, except for her child to suffer.
"But she'll always miss her mother," Ye Wan gently reminded her. She was certain that Mianmian's love for Jiang Mi was unparalleled by any other emotion. Filial piety, friendship, classmate camaraderie, student-teacher bonds, all paled in comparison to the mother-daughter connection.
"Don't overthink it. Let's see Mianmian first. You miss her terribly, but have you considered how much she misses you? You raised her yourself; you are her entire world." Ye Wan felt that regardless, it was best to meet her first before discussing anything else.
Jiang Mi nodded, her eyes red. Now, she wished she could fly to her daughter's side, see her, and have a heart-to-heart talk. She wanted to know what her daughter was thinking. If her daughter was willing to come with her, she would be overjoyed. If not, it wouldn't matter as long as she knew her daughter was well.
Jiang Mi ate the wontons Ye Wan brought. After eating her fill, she fell asleep.
Back in her room, Ye Wan couldn't sleep. Six years ago, after she sustained severe injuries, even after her body healed, she was left with a persistent problem. Sometimes she could sleep, but other times she wouldn't sleep a wink all night, relying on sleeping pills for rest. When she was breastfeeding, she dared not take them, which was agonizing. If it weren't for Tuantuan and Yuanyuan supporting her, she feared she might have succumbed to depression and jumped off a building. Therefore, children were truly more important to a mother than her own life.
Ye Wan thought of Gu Yunting again. After she left, she heard a tiger's roar. She knew Ju Zuo had saved Gu Yunting. She couldn't quite pinpoint her feelings; deep down, she didn't wish for anything bad to happen to Gu Yunting, after all, he was still Tuantuan's father.
Lost in such thoughts, Ye Wan remained sleepless until three in the morning. No one knew about her insomnia, except for one person: Ling Bo. He was a doctor who had saved her and Tuantuan's lives. She had begged him not to tell anyone about her sleeplessness, and he had genuinely kept his promise, telling no one, only providing her with calming medicine regularly.
Ye Wan felt a terrible headache, so she took two pills and swallowed them. Not long after taking the medication, she drifted into a hazy sleep. Before completely losing consciousness, she sighed, thinking how blissful it was to have a peaceful night's sleep!
...
In the middle of the night, Jiang Jingxiu was once again startled awake by his daughter's cries. He immediately got up, pushed open the door between their rooms, and went to his daughter's room. He gently patted Mianmian, hoping she would fall asleep peacefully again. However, this time, his comforting seemed ineffective. Mianmian cried more and more intensely, even sitting up and clinging to him, continuously calling out "Mama." Jiang Jingxiu's face turned pale, his heart aching to its core.