They arrived in City A around noon. Tang Li didn’t contact Li Lanzhen, instead expertly leading Wen Xiao toward her house.

"I’ve already arranged for a cleaning service to tidy up the house. Our only job this afternoon is to get some rest. We’ll have dinner with Li Lanzhen tonight."

Wen Xiao agreed with her plan. "Do you have any childhood photos at the house?"

Tang Li replied, "Of course. My dad, grandpa, and grandma loved taking me to photo studios. When my dad was still around, we’d basically fill up a new photo album every year."

"In my dad’s words, the photos were so that when he got old, he’d have stories to tell his grandkids." Her voice grew husky. "It’s just... my dad wasn’t blessed with a long life. He passed away so young."

Wen Xiao squeezed Tang Li’s hand. "I promise I’ll take good care of myself."

’He would make sure Tang Li never had to go through such a heartbreaking experience again.’

She was amused and smiled. "Okay, then. You’d better take care of yourself."

Just as they arrived, Auntie Liu from across the hall came out. "I figured you two would be getting in around now. Come on in, lunch is ready."

Seeing Wen Xiao’s surprise, Tang Li smiled. "This is Auntie Liu, and that’s Uncle Xu. This is Wen Xiao, my boyfriend."

Auntie Liu’s mother-in-law came over immediately, studying Wen Xiao carefully. "Li Zi really knows how to pick ’em. The young man has a very honest look in his eyes. Excellent."

"Come on, let’s eat. You haven’t been back in so long. Have you been especially busy with work lately?"

Tang Li, acting completely at home, went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks. "I just finished a big project, so I can rest for a while. I couldn’t come back when my mom gave birth, so this is a good chance to visit."

Auntie Liu said, "Your mom... she’s doing really well for herself now. She just looks after the baby all day. Old Sun doesn’t need her help with his business anymore, so she just has to stay home with the child."

Tang Li asked curiously, "Did the Li family visit when she gave birth?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Oh, they definitely went. I heard Li Lanzhen had a son, but I didn’t see many smiles on their faces," Auntie Liu said, leaning closer to Tang Li with a hint of gossip.

Tang Li laughed. "My mom has always favored boys over girls. Now that she has a son of her own, why would she waste any more effort on her maiden family? After all, no matter how close her brother and nephew are, they can’t compare to her own son."

She didn’t care one bit. She had no desire for Li Lanzhen’s watered-down motherly love. She had her dad, her grandparents, and Tan You. Why would she crave anything Li Lanzhen had to offer?

Tan You commented coolly, "So now I’m on the same level as your grandparents?"

Tang Li retorted, "Don’t you often boast that you’re older than my ancestors?"

Wen Xiao promised, "My family doesn’t favor boys. In fact, my mom and my grandma love little girls. It’s just a shame that all the kids in our family have been boys."

Auntie Liu added, "Boy or girl, they’re all treasures of the family. So, Li Zi, are you planning to see your mom tonight?"

Tang Li said, "Yeah. I couldn’t make it for the birth or the one-month celebration, so my grandparents went on my behalf. I should probably make up for it with a gift, right? What’s a good gift for a baby?"

Auntie Liu said, "Well, there’s the usual stuff like a longevity lock, bracelets, anklets, and so on. But I bet your mom’s already received plenty of those. If you ask me, the most practical thing is a red envelope. Think how many longevity locks that money could buy."

Tang Li thought about it and agreed. "A red envelope is a good idea, but I should still prepare a formal gift. I’ll just get what you’d normally give to relatives—cigarettes, liquor, tea, that kind of thing."

"That’s more than enough," Uncle Xu finally spoke up. "When all is said and done, your mom remarrying has been hardest on you."

"Uncle, I don’t see it as a hardship at all," Tang Li quickly corrected him. "I couldn’t be happier she remarried. Someone can finally keep her in line."

She sighed. "If my grandparents and I were harsh or cold to her, she always had an excuse. Now that she’s remarried, Sun Zhicai is there to teach her. And from what I can see, Sun Zhicai is doing a great job."

"Isn’t that the truth? Old Sun really knows how to handle his wife," Auntie Liu laughed. "With your mom’s reckless personality and how she was always favoring her family, it’s a wonder Old Sun managed to set her straight."

"To be honest, your dad wasn’t as firm as Old Sun. Back then, whenever Li Lanzhen started crying and throwing a fit, your dad would just give in."

Uncle Xu commented, "That’s probably how it is with second marriages."

Wen Xiao listened quietly to the conversation. At Auntie Liu’s, Tang Li was completely relaxed. It wasn’t until they went back to their own apartment across the hall that Wen Xiao finally voiced the question on his mind.

"Auntie Liu and her family were already living here before we moved in." Thinking back to the past, Tang Li couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

"Back then, because of some issue with the house, Li Lanzhen was angry with my dad and grandparents. She didn’t go back to her family’s home, but she basically ignored me. Every day when I came home from school, the house was cold and empty, with no food cooked."

"My dad was busy earning money, and my grandparents were still working back then, so they couldn’t take care of me. Auntie Liu and her mother-in-law were so kind-hearted. They called me over to their place for dinner every day. Eventually, I just started going straight to their house after school."

"After my dad passed away, Li Lanzhen got even worse. I rarely went home after that and basically lived at Auntie Liu’s. I even had my own room there."

"Once I graduated and started earning money, Li Lanzhen didn’t dare treat me like that anymore. Instead, she started cozying up to me, trying to find ways to get money from me, all so she could look good in front of the Li family."

Wen Xiao was already feeling terrible hearing all this. He understood just how much an unloving mother could affect a child. "My grandparents told me about the Li family, and that whole incident with Li Wanjun. Just thinking about it now gives me chills."

"It’s all in the past. Besides, anyone who tried to scam me has ended up in a bad place." Tang Li shrugged. Tan You hadn’t held back; that whole group of scammers had been sent to prison to sing the blues.

"Alright, enough of that. I’m not some poor, pitiful thing." Seeing the pained look on Wen Xiao’s face, Tang Li couldn’t help but smile. "Even though a mother has a huge influence on a person, I truly wasn’t lacking in love."

"Really. Knowing my mom didn’t like me, my dad and my grandparents were extra good to me. They always put me first. I genuinely feel like I wasn’t lacking love," she said sincerely. "The most precious thing I learned from my grandparents is this: if someone doesn’t care about you, then you shouldn’t care about them either."

"Never expect others to love you. Don’t even have that expectation for your own biological mother."

Wen Xiao asked, "It must have been so painful when you truly understood what that meant, wasn’t it?"

"However painful it was, it’s in the past," Tang Li said lightly. "Hurry up and get some rest. Aren’t you sleepy anymore?"

"I’m still sleepy," Wen Xiao said, looking around. "Why don’t you rest with me for a bit? Neither of us got any sleep last night."

"Alright, I’m sleepy too." Tang Li didn’t hesitate, leading Wen Xiao to her room where she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Wen Xiao, on the other hand, tossed and turned, unable to drift off. Every time he closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but think about the hardships of Tang Li’s childhood.

’Even though Tang Li spoke of it so lightly, how could it be that easy to let go? It’s only natural for a child to long for their mother’s love, but unfortunately, Tang Li never had that. Thinking about it, Wen Xiao felt that a "brother-worshipper" was truly a terrifying kind of person.’