Ren Zirui sat in the living room, contemplating the recent encounter with the trio who had mocked Li Chen. He looked thoughtful as Sun Lixia joined him, a sense of determination in her eyes.

"Ma’am, should I do something about those three?" Ren Zirui inquired, concern evident in his voice.

Sun Lixia, sipping her tea, responded with a resolute tone, "The Gu family is already being handled; my sister-in-law has her own plans. As for the other two, gather all their information. I want it in my hands tomorrow."

"Consider it done," Ren Zirui affirmed, understanding the gravity of the situation. He left the room, leaving Sun Lixia alone with her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Tang Ziyi and Zhang Mei entered, having returned from the office. Zhang Mei greeted, "Hi, Aunt Lixia."

Sun Lixia smiled warmly, "Hey, you guys are back. I brought some food for you."

"Thank you, Aunt Lixia," Tang Ziyi expressed gratitude.

Zhang Mei mentioned, "I’ll go check on my mother first."

Sun Lixia interjected, "I’ve been meaning to meet her, but there was so much going on."

Sun Lixia nodded, "You can come with me."

The three of them headed towards Madame Zhang’s room.

In the room, Zhang Mei guided Sun Lixia to her mother’s bedside. Madame Zhang lay there, a frail figure, her face revealing the toll that illness had taken on her. Despite her weakened state, her eyes held a warmth that seemed to brighten as they landed on Sun Lixia.

Zhang Mei approached her mother’s side and gently said, "Mom, Li Chen’s mother is here. She wanted to meet you."

Madame Zhang, though struggling, attempted to sit up, a gesture of respect. However, her body betrayed her intentions, and she settled back with a sigh. Zhang Mei reassured her, "You don’t have to sit up, Mom."

Madame Zhang, with each breath requiring effort, managed to speak. "I just wanted to see the woman who gave birth to such a wonderful child."

Sun Lixia, moved by the sincerity in Madame Zhang’s words, stepped closer. Their eyes met, and Sun Lixia couldn’t conceal her surprise.

Madame Zhang, her eyes reflecting both disbelief and joy, managed to utter, "Wait, I know you."

Sun Lixia’s sudden recognition halted the conversation, her gaze fixated on Madame Zhang with a spark of realization. Tang Ziyi and Zhang Mei exchanged surprised glances, their curiosity piqued by Sun Lixia’s abrupt statement.

"Mu Lingling, it’s you, isn’t it?" Sun Lixia’s voice echoed with a mixture of shock and familiarity. The room fell into a stunned silence, punctuated by Zhang Mei’s disbelief as she interjected, "You know my mother?"

Before Sun Lixia could respond, Madame Zhang, her face lit with a blend of astonishment and joy, acknowledged, "You... you are Wang Mengying." Zhang Mei’s bewilderment grew as she awaited an explanation.

Sun Lixia confirmed her identity and recounted their shared past. "We were friends in college, and our husbands were also friends." Her gaze shifted to Madame Zhang, a mix of astonishment and nostalgia in her eyes. "Mu Lingling, I never thought I would see you again."

Mu Lingling’s face glimmered with a smile that seemed to light up the room. "The world is small; now our kids are friends..." She paused, memories surfacing, "...wait, I heard that you and Li Xiaojun died in a car crash, leaving a newborn child. That child... he’s Li Chen?"

Sun Lixia affirmed, "Yes, that child is Li Chen. My husband passed away, but fortunately, I survived." Zhang Mei’s mother expressed her surprise and delight at this unexpected reunion, her joy evident even in the frailty of her voice. "I knew that boy Li Chen looked like someone I know when I first met him."

Zhang Mei, still processing the unexpected revelation, uttered, "I never thought this was possible." Sun Lixia shared the sentiment, stating, "Neither did I, but I am happy to see my old friend." Mu Lingling chimed in, "But I am already on my deathbed, just happy I got to see you as well."

"How long have you been sick?" Sun Lixia inquired. Zhang Mei replied, revealing that her mother was diagnosed a year ago and had been discharged as she started rejecting various medications. Sun Lixia expressed understanding, saying, "I see, but at least we have a chance to catch up on the good old days."

Mu Lingling agreed with a nostalgic smile. "Oh yes, the kids should leave us so we can talk." Zhang Mei, wearing a bittersweet smile, took Tang Ziyi’s hand and said, "Let’s go have something to eat." They left the room, leaving Sun Lixia seated beside Mu Lingling’s bed, ready to reconnect with a friend from the past.

Li Chen had just woken up feeling refreshed and found Tang Ziyi downstairs. "Hey, where’s mom?" he asked.

Tang Ziyi replied with a grin, "Brother Chen, you won’t believe what just happened!"

Curious, Li Chen sat down, signaling Tang Ziyi to continue.

"I found out something wild," Tang Ziyi began. "Zhang Mei’s mother is actually your mother’s old friend."

Li Chen was taken aback. "Really? That’s surprising!" Then, a memory struck him. "Wait, Madame Zhang did mention I resembled an old friend when we first met."

Tang Ziyi chuckled. "Looks like you and Sister Mei are destined or something," he teased, noticing Li Chen’s shy reaction.

Trying to steer the conversation away, Li Chen asked, "Is Xu Zhonghao around?"

Amused by Li Chen’s attempt to change the subject, Tang Ziyi played along. "He had to head out," he said, Li Chen then shifted to a different topic. "But hey, how’s the progress of the game?"

"We’re aiming for a December launch," Tang Ziyi replied eagerly.

"In just a few weeks!" Li Chen emphasized.

"Exactly!" Tang Ziyi spoke with determination and Li Chen grinned. "That’s great news."

Sun Lixia returned from Mu Lingling’s room with a warm smile and joined Li Chen and Tang Ziyi. "How are you feeling, Li Chen?" she inquired.

"Better, thanks, Mom," Li Chen replied.

Sun Lixia expressed her concern, "Don’t push yourself too hard; I worry about you."

Li Chen assured her, "I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try."

Sun Lixia sighed, saying, "Okay."

Suddenly, her phone rang, and she picked it up, greeting, "Hello." The caller, Sun Fang, urgently asked, "Aunt Lixia, where are you and Li Chen?"

"We’re at home. What’s wrong?" Sun Lixia inquired.

Sun Fang revealed the shocking news, "Sun Gang ordered a hit on you two."

Sun Lixia, though surprised, maintained her composure. "Hmm, I see. Your brother is really something else. I already knew about the threat, just not the orchestrator."

Concerned, Sun Fang offered his help. "Do you need my help?"

Sun Lixia glanced at Li Chen and replied, "No, we’ve got it covered."

"Just be careful," Sun Fang advised.

"Thanks for your concern," Sun Lixia acknowledged before ending the call. Li Chen looked at Sun Lixia with eagerness, wanting to know the details of the call.

Tang Ziyi, sensing the need for privacy, excused himself, saying, "I’ll go and get some rest."

Li Chen nodded, "Sure." Once Tang Ziyi had left, Li Chen turned to his mother, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Who was it?"

Sun Lixia sighed, her expression serious. "Sun Gang. He’s the one who ordered the hit."

Li Chen smirked, a hint of anger in his eyes. "I was going to let it slide that he tried to kill me before, but now..."

Sun Lixia interrupted, "We can’t confront him directly. He’s family. But we need a plan—a strategy that exposes all his actions in front of Dad and Sun Weilong."

Li Chen leaned in, intrigued. "What’s your plan?"

Sun Lixia thought for a moment before responding, "For now, let’s focus on what’s coming. I’ll come up with something."

Li Chen’s phone rang, and he answered with a cheerful "Hi, Uncle Weilong."

Sun Weilong inquired, "Hey, where is your mother?"

Li Chen responded, "She’s here. Hold on, let me put you on speaker." He activated the speakerphone, and Sun Lixia greeted her brother, "What’s up, brother?"

Excitement resonated in Sun Weilong’s voice as he shared, "Everything’s ready for the banquet. I thought next Friday would be a suitable day. What do you think?"

Sun Lixia sighed, her mind momentarily dwelling on the upcoming event. "It’s okay, brother. Friday is fine."

"Great! I’ll send you 10 invitation cards. Please send me your address so the driver can deliver them," Sun Weilong suggested.

"Okay, I’ll send it right away," Sun Lixia agreed.

"It’s going to be a fantastic day, you’ll see," Sun Weilong assured. Sun Lixia, resigned to her fate, replied, "I can’t wait."

Sun Weilong then proposed, "Can we have dinner tomorrow? At my house. You should know where I stay."

Sun Lixia, frustrated, held the space between her brows and reluctantly agreed, "Sure, I will come."

"Great. I’ll get my housekeeper to prepare," Sun Weilong added.

Sun Lixia reminded him, "Brother, it’s just dinner."

"For me, with my sister that I mourned for decades, it’s more than dinner," Sun Weilong expressed.

"Fine, do whatever makes you happy," Sun Lixia conceded. The call was ended, and Li Chen jokingly remarked, "Looks like your brother is the most excited person in the world with your return."

Sun Lixia smiled and asked, "Aren’t you happy too?"

Li Chen grinned, "Who wouldn’t be happy to have their mother alive after growing up thinking they were an orphan?"

As they navigated the challenges ahead, the warmth of family reunion and the anticipation of the upcoming events filled the air. Despite uncertainties, their shared laughter hinted at a newfound resilience, ready to face whatever the future might hold. In that moment, the bond between mother and son was a source of strength and hope.