Li Xiaoya looked up in confusion.
Meanwhile, Qin Sui and Sheng Yuxiao's expressions changed almost simultaneously.
... What a coincidence?
At that moment, the Chief Inspector suddenly rushed forward: "Sir! Old Mr. Zhang!"
After letting out those two mournful cries, Old Mr. Zhang suddenly fell backwards.
Fortunately, the Chief Inspector reacted quickly, cushioning his fall from behind, while Sheng Yuxiao and his companion grabbed his arms from both sides.
"Grandpa Zhang?" Li Xiaoya's eyes were brimming with tears as she anxiously looked at the old man through her blurred vision.
Why...
Why...
Was her father's name Xinian? Was he... someone he knew? Was he... his son?
An ambulance suddenly arrived with its siren wailing.
The rich young man who hadn't gone far turned back in shock: "No way? They dare to hit someone even at the Inspector's house, with Young Master Sheng present?"
It was just a momentary loss of control that led to difficulty breathing. By the time the doctor arrived, Old Mr. Zhang's chest had resumed its normal rise and fall.
The Chief Inspector helped him sit up slowly and advised, "We should still go to the hospital, just to be safe. Your health..."
Old Mr. Zhang pushed him away abruptly: "Where's Xiaoya?"
"She's here," Qin Sui answered.
Old Mr. Zhang turned to look.
The little girl was protected between Sheng Yuxiao and Qin Sui. She was unconsciously tugging at her hat strings, her eyes still red and swollen.
Li Xiaoya looked more like her mother.
That's why when Wei Wenqing first saw her, he couldn't help but cry.
But at this moment... all those details that had never been noticed before fell into Old Mr. Zhang's eyes, becoming proof of her similarity to Xinian...
Her personality was very similar too.
Xiaoya didn't talk much either, but every time she spoke, it was very precise.
She also had the same leadership qualities.
Caring for the elderly, loving her classmates, being an upright person...
Similarities everywhere.
Old Mr. Zhang's throat tightened, but this time, he managed to calm his emotions and forced out a kind smile: "Xiaoya, come here."
He reached out to her.
"I have a lot I want to tell you." Old Mr. Zhang hadn't looked in a mirror for a long time. When he was young, he looked like someone who rarely smiled. Now that he was old, with more wrinkles, did he still look so unapproachable?
Oh, how could he forget, Xiaoya had been getting along well with him these days.
Thank goodness... thank goodness...
Chaotic thoughts filled his mind.
When Li Xiaoya sat down next to the bed, he finally raised his trembling hand and patted her head.
"Where's that military ID from earlier?"
"Here," Li Xiaoya pulled it out from her chest.
"Open it," Old Mr. Zhang said.
Li Xiaoya looked up at him: "You won't faint again, will you?"
"I won't," Old Mr. Zhang smiled, although his eyes were filled with sadness, he was indeed smiling.
Only then did Li Xiaoya open it again.
Old Mr. Zhang pointed at the photo and said slowly: "His name is Zhang Xinian. He's my only son. At the age of 32, he... sacrificed his life during a top-secret mission."
Li Xiaoya felt a sharp pain in her heart.
"After graduating from the National Defense University, he joined the army. Very few people knew he was my son. His performance was outstanding, and he was quickly selected for a special forces unit. Even as his father, I knew very little information. When he was young, I was busy. Later, it became him who was busy."
"It wasn't until an award ceremony that I personally presided over that I learned how far he had come."
"Because we met so rarely, when his superior said he was preparing to submit a marriage application, I didn't even know who his fiancée was."
"I wanted to wait until he came back to ask him in person, because you can't receive phone calls during missions. I thought we could discuss the wedding arrangements face to face..."
"But I never got the chance."
"So, that girl... is she your mother?" Old Mr. Zhang asked, his voice trembling.
Li Xiaoya bit her lip hard and pulled out the letter from her chest again.
The letter had been crumpled.
Perhaps it was meant to be thrown away, but for some reason, it had been kept...
"Shall we look at it together?" she asked softly.
Old Mr. Zhang replied with a trembling voice: "Alright."
After tearing open the envelope, there were two distinctly different sheets of paper inside. One was wrinkled, the other was smooth.
The smooth one read: "He didn't want to send it, but it should be given to you - 392 Unit."
Old Mr. Zhang calmed himself and pointed at the string of numbers, saying: "This is the code name for the unit carrying out special missions."
Old Mr. Zhang murmured: "So Xinian crumpled the letter himself..."
"Why?" Li Xiaoya asked.
"Why? Why..." Old Mr. Zhang thought for a moment, "There's a tradition in the military. In the past, before going into battle, they would write a letter home. If they didn't return, all their personal belongings, along with this letter, would be sent to their designated relative."
"For others, receiving such a letter meant greetings."
"For their relatives, receiving it meant news of death."
Old Mr. Zhang paused, then said: "Maybe he didn't want your mother to know this."
"But thankfully, they insisted on carrying it out, instead of sending the things to me."
Otherwise... how would he suddenly see a little girl calling out "Dad" to Xinian's photo on this day?
Perhaps... perhaps it really would have been a lifetime, until he died, of missing out!
Thinking of this, Old Mr. Zhang felt a pain in his chest.
He pressed hard on his chest and watched Li Xiaoya open the second sheet of paper.
The strong, vigorous handwriting fell on the paper, and the image of Zhang Xinian seemed to emerge before them.
"Yuan Fu,
I've been very busy lately, with no time to see you...
The marriage application report has been withdrawn. You don't need to feel burdened, but if allowed, I still want to ask, why..."
Li Xiaoya paused: "This... isn't my mother's name."
Old Mr. Zhang was stunned.
Qin Sui and Sheng Yuxiao also gathered around in surprise.
Li Xiaoya closed her eyes for a moment.
"So obviously, he used a fake name."
"Did you use a fake name outside too?"
"Yes."
"Why use a fake name?"
"Many reasons..."
The conversation with Secretary Wang from before floated back into her mind.
Li Xiaoya asked softly: "Is this a fake name?"
Sheng Yuxiao said: "It's possible."
After all, it would be normal for Wei Wenyu not to reveal her identity directly to Zhang Xinian.
Sheng Yuxiao's gaze swept downwards, pointing at that line: "It says here that the marriage application has been withdrawn, and from the tone, it's clearly at the woman's request. Why would she make such a request? Because military marriages involve very detailed background checks on the other party."
Qin Sui interjected: "Why not just do a DNA test?"
Old Mr. Zhang was silent for a moment before saying: "That doesn't seem right. Let's continue reading first."
"There's nothing wrong with it. Do you think a DNA test would offend Xiaoya's mother? But getting a definitive answer would put Xiaoya's worried heart at ease," Qin Sui calmly persuaded.
Sheng Yuxiao also said softly: "She's very afraid..."
Afraid that all her efforts might not have led her to the right person.
Only then did Old Mr. Zhang reach out his hand: "Go find someone to come here."