When Shen You’an arrived home, Luo Wan and Luo Qian were sitting in the living room waiting for her.
The two were sitting properly, their expressions tense and uneasy.
As soon as they saw Shen You’an return, they immediately stood up.
Shen You’an changed into her slippers and walked over: "Aunt, you and Cousin can stay here for now. We’ll talk again after Zhou Qin’s matters are resolved."
Luo Wan was an honest middle-aged woman. Her husband drove long-haul trucks and sometimes she wouldn’t see him for an entire month. She had raised her son on her own. Though she appeared gentle and fragile, she was tough at heart.
Hearing Shen You’an’s words, she did not refuse. "Alright, then I’ll take you up on your offer without being too polite."
She smiled and added, "I’ve never lived in a house this good in my whole life. I didn’t expect to benefit from An’an’s blessings. If your mom and dad were still alive to see how accomplished you’ve become now, they would surely..."
Luo Wan suddenly realized something and cut herself off mid-sentence, her expression uneasy as she looked at the young girl before her.
At that moment, Zhang Jian, who had just finished making up the bed in the guest room, stopped in his tracks at the doorway. Hearing Luo Wan’s remark, he silently stood in the shadows.
Shen You’an gave a small smile, then said to Luo Qian, "Xiao Qian, you still have school tomorrow. Go get some sleep. We’ll have plenty of time later, and your sister will help you with your studies."
Luo Qian, already struggling to keep his eyes open, obeyed. He stood up, glanced at the two women, and left quietly.
After Luo Qian left, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Luo Wan fidgeted, unsure of what to do with her hands, wishing she could smack herself for being unable to control her mouth, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
"Aunt, there’s something I want to ask you. Please answer me truthfully."
Luo Wan quickly responded, "An’an, I’ll tell you anything I know."
Under the bright white light, the young girl’s face was pale. Her thin lips pressed together tightly, as if carefully deliberating her words.
"When my mother... passed away back then, were you by her side?"
Luo Wan and Zhang Jian were both stunned.
When Zhang Yun passed away, An’an was not even four years old yet and had no memory of it.
At first, An’an cried and caused a commotion when she couldn’t find her mom, but later, with Shen Li’s company, she rarely mentioned her mother again.
It wasn’t until Shen Li passed away—and after An’an fell gravely ill—that things changed. Once she recovered, she was no longer the same.
It had been nearly ten years since then. An’an had never brought up her parents in front of them, which made them extremely careful around her, always fearing they might touch a nerve and make her sad.
This was the first time An’an had willingly mentioned her mother.
The young girl’s expression was calm, devoid of any trace of sadness, as though she were discussing an ordinary matter.
"An’an, why... why are you suddenly bringing up your mother? Did something upset you?" Luo Wan asked cautiously.
"When my mother passed away, I was just a little over three years old. You all kept it from me, didn’t let me know. Aunt, I’ve grown up now. I have the right to know."
The girl’s bright and determined gaze bore into her.
Luo Wan sighed softly, "Your mother... she was a woman of great misfortune. Luckily, she met your father. We thought her suffering was finally over, but no one expects the rope to snap at its weakest point. Misfortune only finds those who are already beaten down..."
As she spoke, Luo Wan’s eyes turned red and teary, and she began to sink into her memories.
"Your mother’s health was always fragile. After she became pregnant with you, her morning sickness was severe, and the doctors advised her not to keep the baby. But your mother cried and begged them to keep you. You see, when your mom was little, she had a high fever that damaged her brain, leaving her with the intelligence of a seven- or eight-year-old child. But for the sake of keeping you, she forced herself to learn how to read and studied everything she could about caring for a pregnancy. During that time, she nearly ruined her eyesight from exhaustion. And when she gave birth to you, with pregnancy complications and high blood pressure, she was relying on a respirator, fighting death itself just to deliver you. Afterward, she clung to life long enough to hold you once, and then she passed out completely."
"An’an, you wouldn’t know this, but from the moment you were born, your mother never let anyone but your father hold you. Even when her arms ached so badly that she couldn’t lift them, she refused to let go of you. She was like someone possessed, and if she was apart from you for even a moment, she would fall into a state of agitation that was terrifying. Luckily, your father stayed by her side and helped her gradually recover."
The young girl lowered her gaze, her hands at her sides clenched into tight fists.
"Later, when you were three years old, your mother accidentally became pregnant again. Because having you had already caused harm to her body, the doctors said she should never attempt to have another child. But when this unexpected pregnancy came along, your mother was overjoyed. Your father, however, wouldn’t agree to it, worried about her health. It led to the first big argument they had in their marriage. Your mom even learned how to run away from home. In the end, your father couldn’t convince her otherwise and agreed. I remember back then, your father would take leave from work every day to stay with your mother, almost losing his job over it. And during that time, he said something that I still remember clearly to this day."