Leng Yuan wrote letters to his uncle.

His uncle would write back, and not just with letters. He’d send clothes, toys, things to use, and food. Leng Yuan always received the most.

Every letter would be full of questions about him.

About his studies.

About how he was doing in school.

About his teachers.

Whether he had grown taller.

If he had any wishes.

What his favorite color was.

All sorts of little things like that. Every time, his letters would fill several pages, not just about him, but also with words of comfort for his mother and stories about his own life.

He knew someone at home was always thinking of him, so no matter where he went, he would write a letter to let them know.

He would also tell them in advance if he had a mission.

But he would always write back once he returned. Sometimes there would be no news for half a year, but when he came back, he would catch up on all the letters he missed.

When he was thirteen, his uncle came home on leave for the second time. He stayed for half a month and said he had a long mission coming up.

At first, everyone just thought he was on the mission.

Six months of silence was normal.

After all, one of Xia Qiuming’s missions had lasted for ten months.

They all thought this time would be the same.

But as time went on, a full two years passed. All the letters his mother sent vanished without a trace.

A heavy feeling settled in everyone’s hearts. They all felt something must have happened to him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be gone for so long.

There were no phones back then. His parents went to his uncle’s training base and came back with his posthumous belongings.

His mother fell gravely ill because of it, and her health only worsened from then on.

Even though his parents never said anything, Leng Yuan already knew the answer in his heart. He just didn’t want to believe it.

The thought that his uncle might still be alive sent a tidal wave of shock through Leng Yuan.

Leng Shuyue didn’t notice any change in Leng Yuan’s expression. To her, he still had that same cold, frosty look.

A hint of impatience appeared on her face.

She was his elder and had already apologized, yet he was still putting on such a cold front.

’Does Leng Yuan really dare not to forgive me?’

In her mind, Leng Yuan had always been a quiet child who rarely refused anything she said. He should have forgiven her easily.

"Leng Yuan, I’ve already apologized! What more do you want? I always thought you were a good kid, but I never expected you to be so unreasonable!"

Leng Shuyue’s voice rose unconsciously.

The people around them couldn’t help but shoot them sideways glances, their brows furrowed.

’What is wrong with this Leng Shuyue?’

’It’s a happy occasion, a meal hosted by Leng Yuan. As an elder, it’s bad enough she’s not helping, but she’s acting all preachy, like she’s here to crash the party.’

Beside her, Ding Jiangchuan also looked a little displeased.

He didn’t say anything in the end, though.

After all, Leng Shuyue was Leng Yuan’s aunt; it was her place to scold him a little.

Liu Xinxin glanced at Leng Yuan’s handsome face, then discreetly tugged on Leng Shuyue’s sleeve.

"Auntie."

Leng Shuyue came to her senses and quickly said, "Leng Yuan, that’s not what I meant. I just feel that we’re family, and everything I did was for your own good."

She’d let the second and third branches of the family take the house, all to protect Leng Yuan. He was just a child and would have had trouble even feeding himself.

If the second and third branches got the house, they could at least give him something to eat.

But who knew Leng Yuan wouldn’t appreciate her good intentions and would instead take the initiative to cut ties with the Leng Family?

When she heard about it, she had even taken special leave from work and rushed back to persuade him.

She never expected him to be so ungrateful as to want to cut ties with her, too.

At the time, she had decided to teach Leng Yuan a lesson.

So she truly stopped paying him any mind.

She was just waiting for him to be unable to survive on his own and come crawling back.

And that wait had lasted until today.

It had to be said, they were truly mother and daughter; even their way of thinking was identical.

Grandma Leng thought the same way, and so did Leng Shuyue. Like mother, like daughter.