Fang Xinxin brought herself out of the memory. As she watched Fang Lilan, who stood before her, her gaze gradually turned cold.
Her mother was a woman who remained fearless even when she visited a cemetery at midnight.
How could she possibly be frightened into screaming by something so small?
She was becoming more and more certain of her conjecture. The middle-aged woman standing before her was not her mother!
She returned to her room and deactivated her powers. Then, she slowly opened her door. “What are you shouting for?”
Fang Lilan was still panicking when she saw her, but she managed to put on a concerned expression. “Xinxin, mom called you earlier. Why didn’t you pick up?”
“My phone is on silent mode. I didn’t notice it.” Fang Xinxin’s attitude was cold. “You haven’t answered me. Why are you so noisy in the middle of the night?”
Fang Lilan embraced her with a pale expression. “It’s all your fault for not answering the phone. Mom was worried that something happened to you and became frightened.”
Fang Xinxin no longer felt the warmth in the hug which she used to experience when her mother held her during her childhood. All that was left was cold distance. “Is that so? I thought you were frightened into peeing your pants at the sight of a ghost.”
“You child. How can you speak to your mother like this?” Fang Lilan gave her a reprimanding look. “Why would I be afraid of ghosts? Have you forgotten? In the past, I even took you to the cemetery at midnight.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Xinxin stiffened ever so slightly.
If this woman was not her mother, there was no way she would know of this! Was this person really her mother?
“Now that I recall it, I was really too stubborn at the time. I actually brought you to the cemetery in the middle of the night to build your courage.” A hint of self-criticism appeared in Fang Lilan’s gaze. “I was in the wrong. You were only seven-eight years old at the time. I shouldn’t have treated you like that.”
It wasn’t clear if she had brought up the past coincidentally or intentionally.
Fang Xinxin’s gaze turned heavy.
“All right, Xinxin, rest early.” Fang Lilan sighed again. “As of now, our Fang family has lost a significant sum due to Bai Qinghao. We are no longer as we were in the past. We can’t rely on the Bai family anymore. The Fang Group is your father’s blood, sweat and tears. I can’t allow it to collapse so easily. No matter how difficult it is, your mom will make sure to keep the company afloat.”
“Sister-in-law, can we leave now?” Long Shuhai’s voice could be heard from the first floor.
“I’m coming!” Fang Lilan raised her voice to reply.
She then turned to speak gently to Fang Xinxin. “I’m going with your second uncle to the company to work overtime. We’ve been doing so for the past few days. This is all my fault. I relied on the Bai family too much in the past. I will definitely make sure to do well even by relying on myself. All right, be sure to rest early.”
She took a few steps but then suddenly turned back. “Oh yes, tomorrow morning, don’t leave for school early. Mom has something to do with you.”
Fang Xinxin took in her sudden change of attitude and deliberated over her possible schemes. “If you need something, tell me about it now.”
Fang Lilan watched Xinxin with loving eyes. “Some things can only be done and not spoken.”
After responding vaguely, she turned to head downstairs.
Auntie Qiu stood by the side and said, “Third Young Lady, Madam really cares for you a lot. She says that in the entire family, you are the one she loves the most. She only regrets using the wrong methods.”
Fang Xinxin pursed her lips in disbelief. “Is that so?”
Before she turned eleven, she would have never suspected her parents’ love for her.
But after experiencing a lifetime of betrayal from the Fang family, no matter how much Fang Lilan argued or displayed concern, she would only perceive it as a hypocritical fabrication.
She would definitely tear off their masks someday!
“It’s true…” Auntie Qiu wanted to say more, but Fang Xinxin had already shut her room’s door.
