As they ate breakfast, the earlier tension eased into a comfortable quiet. The clinking of dishes and the soft hum of Auntie Feng moving around the kitchen filled the space.
"You don’t have to eat so quickly," Mo Ran said, watching Lixue take another hurried bite of her scallion pancake.
She paused, giving him a sheepish smile. "I want to visit my mother at the hospital today."
Mo Ran nodded, setting his teacup down. "That’s good. She’ll appreciate the company."
"What about you?" Lixue asked, glancing at him. "Are you working today?"
"Unfortunately, yes," he replied. "There’s a meeting I can’t avoid." His tone was regretful, and she could see the faint shadow of weariness in his expression.
"You’ve been busy," she said softly, her gaze lingering on him. "You should rest more."
He gave her a small smile. "I’ll rest when things settle down. For now, there’s too much to handle."
She frowned but didn’t push further. Mo Ran wasn’t the type to leave things undone, no matter how much it cost him.
After breakfast, Mo Ran walked Lixue to the front hall, where their shoes waited neatly by the door. He shrugged on his tailored blazer, adjusting the cuffs as he spoke. "A driver will take you to the hospital. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll send someone to bring you home."
"Thank you," Lixue said, slipping on her shoes. "But don’t worry about me. Focus on your work."
Mo Ran stepped closer, his hand brushing her cheek in a rare moment of tenderness. "I always worry about you, Lixue," he said quietly. "That’s not going to change."
Her breath caught, and she felt a warmth spread through her chest. "I’ll be fine," she promised, her voice steady. "Go, before you’re late."
He hesitated, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Take care," he said before stepping out the door, the sound of his polished shoes echoing against the stone path.
As Lixue watched him leave, she felt a mixture of gratitude and unease. Mo Ran was always so composed, so steady—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he carried more than he let on.
With a deep breath, she turned to Auntie Feng, who was waiting by the door with her coat. "I’m ready to go," she said with a small smile.
Auntie Feng nodded. "The car is waiting outside, Young Madam. Please, take your time visiting Madam Nangong."
Lixue slipped on her coat and stepped outside, where a sleek black car idled at the driveway. As she climbed in and the driver pulled away, her thoughts turned to her mother. She hadn’t seen her since the day she was rescued, and though the doctors assured her that Nangong Leili was recovering well, Lixue needed to see it for herself.
Her mother was her anchor, her connection to a simpler life before everything became so complicated. Visiting her wasn’t just an act of duty—it was a moment of solace in a world that often felt too heavy.
Lixue stepped out of the car, the cool hospital air hitting her face as she walked through the entrance. She was used to the sterile smell of hospitals, but today, the scent seemed heavier, more suffocating. Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to the elevator, her thoughts consumed by her mother’s deteriorating condition.
As she walked down the hospital corridor, she noticed a group of people gathered outside her mother’s room. At the center of the group was an elderly man in his late sixties, his presence commanding yet serene. His suit was dark, meticulously tailored, and his posture was perfect—every movement precise, every gesture deliberate. Around him were three imposing bodyguards, their hulking figures standing like silent sentinels.
Lixue’s eyes narrowed. She had never seen this man before, but something about him felt familiar. The way he stood there, so composed, so authoritative—it was as though he belonged to a world far removed from her own.
She stepped closer, her gaze flicking from the man to her mother, who was seated quietly in a chair, her eyes unfocused, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her mother hadn’t moved, hadn’t reacted. The familiar warmth in her mother’s gaze was absent, replaced with a cold, vacant stare that Lixue had grown accustomed to.
Lixue approached the group, her steps deliberate, a knot of unease growing in her stomach. The man turned at the sound of her footsteps, his gaze fixing on her with surprising intensity.
"You must be Lixue," he said, his voice deep and smooth. The way he said her name made it sound almost foreign.
Lixue felt her heart lurch, but she didn’t show it. "And you are?" she asked, her tone measured but tinged with suspicion.
The man’s lips curled into a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I’m Nangong Jiantao," he said simply. "Leili’s father."
Lixue’s breath caught in her throat. Her mind raced as she processed his words. Her father? She had never heard her mother speak of him, never once mentioned his name. Her mother’s family had always been a mystery to her, and now, this man—her grandfather—had appeared out of nowhere, claiming a connection to her mother.
"Her father?" Lixue repeated, disbelief creeping into her voice. "I’ve never heard of you."
Nangong Jiantao’s expression hardened slightly. "It’s understandable," he said, his gaze briefly flicking to her mother, whose unseeing eyes remained fixed on the window. "We were estranged for many years. But I’ve come to see her. To see my daughter."
Lixue felt a surge of protectiveness, a deep frustration building within her. She took a step forward, her voice growing more guarded. "You’re telling me you’re her father, but you’ve been absent all this time? You’ve never even tried to reach out, and now you show up here? After all these years?"
Nangong Jiantao’s jaw tightened, but he did not flinch. Instead, he met her gaze with an unyielding intensity. "It’s not as simple as you think. There were reasons, reasons I won’t go into now. But I’ve come because I need to ensure my daughter’s well-being." His tone softened, though a trace of bitterness lingered. "Look at what has become of her. She chose to run away with that Yu bastard, defying me, and now..." He paused, his eyes hardening. "Now, look at her."
Lixue’s stomach twisted at his words. Her father, the one he had so disdainfully referred to, had been a man who Lixue had loved dearly. She had always believed in the love between her parents, even after her father’s death. The sting of this stranger’s judgment felt like a slap to the face.
"My mother was the one who chose to be with my father," Lixue replied through clenched teeth, struggling to keep her voice steady. "She loved him. She didn’t choose this life, didn’t choose to be abandoned. You don’t get to stand here and judge her for the choices she made."
Nangong Jiantao’s lips tightened into a thin line, but he didn’t back down. "I’m not judging her. I’m stating facts. She chose to run off with someone beneath her station, someone who couldn’t even protect her when she needed it most. I warned her." His voice dropped, his expression conflicted. "But still, she’s my daughter. No matter the mistakes, I’ll always care for her."
Lixue stood frozen, the weight of his words hanging heavy between them. She wanted to argue, wanted to lash out at him for daring to speak of her mother this way. But as she looked at her mother, still unresponsive and silent, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. This was her mother, the woman who had loved her so fiercely, the woman who had never spoken of her own family. Yet now, this man—this stranger—stood here, claiming to be her father, and Lixue wasn’t sure what to think.
"She doesn’t remember anyone," Lixue said quietly, her voice softening. "She doesn’t even remember me anymore. You think you can come in and fix everything now?"
Nangong Jiantao’s gaze softened for a moment, though the hardness never left his features entirely. "I know she doesn’t remember me. But she is still my daughter, and I will take responsibility. She doesn’t have much time left. I’m here to make sure she’s properly taken care of."
His words, though stern, betrayed a hint of something deeper—regret, perhaps, or sorrow that he didn’t want to show. But the pride in his voice was unmistakable. He would not back down.
"You can’t just come here and take control," Lixue snapped, her protective instincts flaring. "My mother is staying here. This is her life, and she’s getting the care she needs."
Nangong Jiantao met her gaze, unflinching. "You may be her daughter, but as her father, I have the final say. And I’ve decided that she will be moved to my care."
Lixue’s heart pounded in her chest. This man—her mother’s estranged father—was trying to take charge. She couldn’t let him, not after all that had happened.
"You don’t get to decide what happens to her anymore," Lixue said firmly, her voice unwavering. "Not now. Not ever."
Nangong Jiantao looked at her for a long moment, and for the first time, she saw something flicker in his eyes—regret, perhaps, or a hint of something deeper. But he said nothing further. Instead, he turned toward one of the bodyguards and nodded.
"Prepare the arrangements. Leili is coming home with me."