Given the status of the Qi Family, the paternity test results didn’t take long to arrive. By the afternoon, the results were ready. Qi Yunxi had initially planned to review them first and then inform her grandmother. However, Old Madam Qi insisted on seeing the results herself. The moment she glanced at the report, she burst into tears, embracing Yu Chun and lamenting why they hadn’t found her sooner.
The paternity test confirmed that Yu Chun was indeed related to the Qi Family. Overwhelmed with emotion, Qi Yunxi’s eyes welled up, and she immediately stepped out to call the rest of the family to share the good news.
The Qi Family was eager to take Yu Chun back to Jing City right away, but Yu Chun declined, insisting that she needed to return home first.
“My grandmother doesn’t know about this yet. I have to go home and tell her,” Yu Chun explained.
Old Madam Qi clung to Yu Chun, reluctant to let her go, fearing that her long-lost granddaughter might disappear again if she took her eyes off her.
“Yu Chun, your grandmother raised you, and our entire Qi Family is grateful to her. If you’re worried about leaving her behind, we can arrange for her to come with us to Jing City,” Old Madam Qi offered.
But Yu Chun remained firm, insisting on going home to break the news herself. It was only after much persuasion from Qi Yunxi that Old Madam Qi finally agreed to let Yu Chun return home for now.
“I’ll go back with Sister Suian. There’s no need for you to send me,” Yu Chun said.
Seeing her determination, Qi Yunxi had no choice but to relent. After all, they had finally found her, and it wasn’t as if she would vanish again.
“Miss Nian, thank you for your help,” Qi Yunxi said.
“It’s no trouble at all. Yu Chun is like a sister to me. It’s the least I can do,” Nian Suian replied.
Once in the car, Nian Suian noticed that Yu Chun’s expression wasn’t one of joy at finding her family but rather a subtle unease.
This was understandable. To Yu Chun, the Qi Family were complete strangers, and it was natural for her to feel overwhelmed.
“Yu Chun, don’t you want to go to Jing City with them?” Nian Suian asked.
“I… I’m a little scared. I’ve been living with my grandmother for so many years. I’ve grown used to it. I…” Yu Chun trailed off, unsure of how to integrate into a new family, especially one as extraordinary as the Qi Family.
But she also knew that the Qi Family would inevitably take her back.
“Don’t overthink it for now. Go home and talk to your grandmother. You can share your thoughts with the Qi Family as well. They won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Nian Suian reassured her.
Yu Chun nodded. She didn’t have a better solution at the moment. Having grown up relying solely on her grandmother, she wanted to hear her thoughts on the matter.
To Yu Chun’s surprise, when she returned home and explained the situation, Grandma Xin didn’t seem the least bit shocked. Instead, she smiled and said, “I always knew my Yu Chun was too beautiful to be an ordinary girl.”
When Yu Chun expressed her worries, Grandma Xin gently tapped her forehead, dismissing her concerns.
“Silly girl, why wouldn’t you go to such a good family? Many people would kill for an opportunity like this. If you’re worried about leaving me behind, Jing City isn’t that far. You can come back to visit me every week, just like living in a dormitory. There’s nothing to be sad about.”
Grandma Xin lovingly stroked her granddaughter’s face. When she had first found Yu Chun, the child had been thin and dark-skinned, but after some care, she had blossomed into a fair and beautiful young woman. Over the years, countless people had remarked on how stunning Yu Chun was.
The more compliments Yu Chun received, the more Grandma Xin worried. In a poor family, beauty wasn’t always a blessing. At her age, how could she protect her granddaughter?
But now, her worries were over. She no longer had to fear anyone mistreating Yu Chun.
“Go to Jing City with them and see how it goes. If they treat you well, that’s wonderful. If not, you can always come back. We don’t need their family if they don’t value you.”
…
After returning home, Nian Suian collapsed onto the couch, utterly exhausted from the day’s events.
She hadn’t been resting long when she received a call from Zhao Yue. Zhao Yue mentioned that Yu Chun had briefly mentioned the situation in a WeChat message but hadn’t gone into detail. Assuming Yu Chun was still talking to her grandmother, Zhao Yue decided to call Nian Suian instead.
Nian Suian recounted the entire story, and Zhao Yue sounded even more excited than Yu Chun herself.
“I can’t believe Yu Chun has such a remarkable background! It’s like something out of a TV drama. Even President Liu was shocked when he found out. He’s already fantasizing about expanding our business to Jing City.”
“I thought he only liked collecting rent and hated doing business?”
“Well, ever since we opened the hot spring hotel, he’s been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. He’s already dreaming that with Yu Chun’s connections, he’ll be able to secure a prime location in Jing City for a new hotel.”
Nian Suian couldn’t help but laugh. Who would have thought that opening a hotel would ignite such ambition in Liu Jian?
After chatting with Zhao Yue for a while, Gu Junxing arrived home. As their conversation was winding down, Nian Suian ended the call.
“You’re back,” she greeted him.
Gu Junxing handed her a small cake he had picked up on the way home.
“What’s the occasion? Why the cake?” Nian Suian asked as she opened the box. Inside was her favorite matcha mille-feuille. Hungry after a long day, she grabbed a fork and dug in.
“I noticed a new cake shop near the office today and decided to try it on my way home,” Gu Junxing explained.
“It’s delicious,” Nian Suian said after taking a couple of bites. She then scooped up a piece and offered it to Gu Junxing.
Though he wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, Gu Junxing couldn’t refuse when Nian Suian offered. He took a bite.
“How did things go today? Did Yu Chun’s meeting with the Qi Family go well?”
“Yes, the paternity test confirmed that Yu Chun is indeed part of the Qi Family. Unfortunately, her mother has already passed away.”
Nian Suian sighed inwardly. On the way home, Yu Chun had confided in her about this.
It was heartbreaking. Yu Chun had been so close to finding her mother, and her mother had spent her entire life longing to see her daughter.
“It’s still fortunate that they met under such coincidental circumstances. The Qi Family only knew that the child had been abandoned and had no idea whether she was alive or dead. If Yu Chun hadn’t been recognized, who knows how long it would have taken to find her.”
Nian Suian knew Gu Junxing was right, but she still wished for a more perfect ending.
His words, however, made her think that there was something peculiar about that shopping mall.
“You know, I think that mall is a little strange!”
Nian Suian recounted all the unusual incidents that had happened every time she visited the mall. “Don’t you think it’s weird? Something always happens there. Could it be that we’re in some kind of virtual world, and that mall is like a plot point or something?”
She posed the question, watching Gu Junxing’s face for a reaction.
But Gu Junxing remained completely calm, not even raising an eyebrow.
“There are many things in this world that science can’t explain. As for a virtual world… even if it is one, as long as enough people believe it’s real, then it becomes real.”