Liang Zou and Liang Shin stood rooted. Liang Shin carefully observed Nana.
She is the girl that Mom saw in Paris. When I couldn’t find her, I thought Mom must have really imagined it, but it was true.
Liang Zou stared at Nana, for God knows how long. It was like he was imprinting her features in his mind and recalling how Liang Xiao Fan looked at her age.
They were the same.
Liang Zou felt weak in his knees. It felt as if everything was a dream. His gaze blurred in tears.
The daughter for whom he tried his hardest to find all these years was now just like that standing in front of him.
“I…”
The guests started to murmur at this point.
“Is everything okay?”
“What happened? Why did the Liang family suddenly get so emotional?”
“They are all looking so shocked at Mrs. Liu Nana. Wait- Hey, pinch me if I am wrong, but Mrs. Liang and Mrs. Liu kind of resemble each other, right?” One woman carefully observed them.
“Kind of!? They really look the same!”
“Yes, it didn’t occur to me before, but since they are now standing together, it has become so clear!”
“How is it possible? Does that mean what I think it is?”
“But they have only Liang Shin as their son. I never heard of a daughter.”
Liang Zou straightened himself. He went to the stage and took the mike.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Please continue enjoying the banquet. We will be right back.”
The guests were now even more curious.
Liu Hai looked at everybody and said, “Let’s go. There are some revelations to be done.”
At the side, Long Yanmei was also stunned.
Is that bitch connected to the Liang family too?
Even she couldn’t deny the resemblance and their striking similarity.
Now she was more enraged.
Just with what luck is that slut born!
Long Guozhi was furious. “You are so stupid! If Mrs. Liu really has any connections to the Liang family, then we could have scored their favor too! Your arrogance ruined everything! I’m never going to forgive you!”
“Guozhi…you…” She cried.
“Shut up!” And he left, stomping his feet.
The other socialites snickered watching the scene, and Long Yanmei felt utterly humiliated.
—
Liang Zou slowly walked towards Nana. His hands were trembling. A weird anticipation gripped his chest.
God, please don’t let this be a dream.
Nana’s emotions were also on the same wavelength as him. She was finally coming face-to-face with her real family.
Liang Zou found his voice. It choked as he said, “You…”
Jinhai said, “Mr. Liang.”
Liang Zou didn’t want to, but he somehow tore his gaze away from Nana. He looked at Jinhai recognized him. “Liu Jinhai.”
“Can we go somewhere private? I believe we have a lot of things to talk about.”
He paused and nodded.
Huo Xiao Fan stared at them and silently followed.
—
The Liang, Liu, Chen, Xiang, and Huo family gathered in their lavish study. Although Liang Zou didn’t understand why Huo Shen came and what his connection was, he shrugged it off. They were good friends, so it didn’t matter to him.
Jinhai carefully helped Nana sit on a comfortable chair.
Liang Zou couldn’t wait anymore and asked, “Can somebody tell me what is going on?”
Liang Xiao Dan glanced at Liang Shin. He nodded. She said, “You remember that when we returned to Beijing, I mistook one woman as…her?” She looked emotionally at Nana.
Liang Zou clearly remembered it. It was such a scene because Serena had suddenly started blaming and shouting at her.
“It happened because I had seen her in Paris once, five months back.”
Nana widened her eyes.
Paris? It was the time Jinhai and I went for the trip.
Liang Zou exclaimed. “What! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Liang Shin intervened. “Dad. Mom wasn’t sure. She just saw her side profile. And I tried to search for her, but I couldn’t find anything either. So we thought not to tell you and get your hopes crushed.”
“So what! You could have still told me! Maybe I could have found her if I had tried!”
Liang Zou was furious.
How could they keep such important information from me about my daughter!
Liang Shin sighed.
“Zou…”
“Don’t talk to me, Xiao Dan! I deserved to know about it, but you hid it from me. You know how desperate we were. I could care less if it was all a misunderstanding.”
The others kept silent.
Liang Zou carefully looked at Nana. Liang Xiao Dan held his hands in hers.
“Zou…” She was sobbing as she whispered, “I’m sorry. She is our daughter. We finally found our daughter…More like she found us.”
Although everybody had a million questions in their minds, they gave Liang family the time they needed.
Liang Zou patted his wife’s shoulders. He then slowly made his way towards Nana. He tremblingly put his hand on Nana’s head. “You…you are my daughter. No doubt about it. Unfortunately, you look exactly like Xiao Dan.” Tears came rushing down his cheeks.
The others coughed.
Liang Xiao Dan’s eyebrow twitched.
So petty to take revenge right now!
Nana softly let out a chuckle.
“I…don’t even know your name.”
Nana also couldn’t hold herself back. She felt so good when he patted her.
She was wrong.
They loved her. They didn’t abandon her.
She choked on her sobs. “Nana…”
Liang Xiao Dan smiled amidst her tears. “Such a fitting name. You were born on July 7th. Nana means seven in Japanese.”
Liang Shin was so happy to meet his little sister finally. He never imagined that this day would come because slowly, he was losing all his hopes.
It pained Jinhai to see Nana crying. He softly patted Nana’s back.
Liang Zou got alert. He narrowed his eyes at Jinhai. “Liu Jinhai…you…”
Jinhai respectfully bowed. “Nice to meet you, father-in-law. I am Nana’s husband.”
Silence.
“What!?”
The Liang family was dumbfounded.
Well, they could see that Nana was pregnant. But it was still hard to believe that the daughter with whom they just reunited was already married.
Liang Zou and Liang Xiao Dan looked at their daughter, who was now married and now pregnant too. Her bulging belly made them even more emotional.
Grandparents…
“Zou…we are going to be grandparents…” Liang Xiao Dan bent and caressed Nana’s belly.
He nodded.
He thought that this was his best birthday ever. He became a father and grandfather at the same time.
Liang Shin alternated his gaze between Nana and Jinhai.
My sister is married? To Liu Jinhai?
He gritted his teeth. “You…My sister is only twenty-three. How could you make her marry you when she is so young!? And she is even pregnant!”
His sister complex was already starting to show up.
Everybody in the Liu and Chen family shared a glance at each other. Huian stiffened at that memory of the banquet. It was still all shocking for her that her doctor turned out to be Nana’s big brother.
Well…her pregnancy and marriage was a whole another story.
Jinhai wasn’t offended. He nodded. “I understand your concern, brother-in-law. But believe me that I love Nana from the bottom of my heart. Even if she is pregnant and married so young, I assure you that I will not let it hamper Nana’s freedom and career. If the need arises, I am ready to become a house-husband.”
Brother-in-law my foot! Liang Shin cursed. How dare he address me with that title! I have not yet accepted you!
“Pfft.” Liu Hai cracked in laughter. But then he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Let me introduce ourselves.” He introduced everybody present to the Liang family.
The Liang family looked at each other and slowly nodded. It was all very overwhelming.
Liang Xiao Dan cupped Nana’s face in her hands. Her eyes were shining with tears.
“Where were you all this time?”
“I…”
Nana thought about it for a moment to organize her thoughts. She had so much to say to them and so much to ask.
“I was in the Sunshine orphanage until three years old, and then…the Yu family adopted me.”
Liang Zou and Liang Xiao Dan were stupefied.
Our daughter was in the orphanage? We, her parents, were alive, and she was living in an orphanage!?
Liang Zou asked, “But how did it all happen!?”
His face was livid in anger.
Who dared to leave his daughter in the orphanage? Just who could do this!?
Jinhai said, “To answer that question, you must know what exactly happened that night in the hospital twenty-three years ago.”
Liang Zou clenched his fingers into a fist. “We don’t know anything. We only know that Nana wasn’t in her crib when I went back. She was…gone. I don’t know who took her and why!”
Huo Shen was silently listening to everything.
Nana pursed her lips. She clasped her hands together. Jinhai pressed her shoulder and nodded.
She said, “I know who took me from the hospital, but I don’t know why.”
Liang Xiao Dan was shocked. “You know? Who is that person? Tell me!”
She swore to make that person’s life hell.
Liang Shin’s hands were itching too, to get his hands on that bastard who took away his baby sister.
Before Nana could say the name, the door opened, and a voice came from behind.
“It was me who took Nana, Xiao Dan.”
