"Xiao Wei, where are we going now? Your father and I are exhausted. We haven’t rested well these past two days on the train."

Liu Jianwei thought for a moment. "Why don’t you find a hotel nearby for the night? We’ll go find Daya tomorrow."

Mrs. Liu put on a miserable expression. "Beijing City is just too expensive! A taxi ride alone costs several yuan. How much will it cost for all of us to stay in a hotel?"

Liu Jianwei patted Mrs. Liu’s hand and said, "Mom, have you forgotten what I just said? We’ll have money tomorrow. We can spend a little more now and have Daya reimburse us."

Mrs. Liu said helplessly, "I suppose that’s the only way."

He Yun, however, was not as optimistic. She remembered Daya’s past attitude toward her and felt that Daya wasn’t as easygoing as she used to be. But looking at Jinbao, she thought, ’Jinbao is Daya’s own cousin, so it’s only right for her to help him.’

Jinbao was fifteen this year. He had dropped out of school a few years ago and was always truant. On top of that, because of Liu Jianwei’s situation, the family had no money and had even fallen into debt.

The two elders favored their youngest son. The family assets hadn’t been divided, and the old couple was in charge. He Yun had no money of her own. Seeing her son idle all day, she grew anxious.

Mrs. Liu might have been going a bit too far, but when it came to her son’s future, He Yun condoned their actions.

Xue Yue was on edge all day at work.

Sure enough, she soon got a call from the gate guard, saying a group of people was there to see her.

When Xue Yue heard "a group of people," her eyelid twitched. ’The Liu Family must really be here,’ she thought. ’I have to admit, He Lang really understands how greedy that family is.’

Xue Yue didn’t rush out. Instead, she called He Lang.

Hearing this, He Lang narrowed his eyes. He told Xue Yue, "See what they have to say. If they’re looking for Daya, bring them home."

Xue Yue was surprised. "Bring them home? Won’t that just make them more brazen?"

He Lang said, "It’s fine. Just bring them home for now. I’ll be back in a little while."

Seeing that He Lang had given his instructions, Xue Yue had no choice but to do as he said.

After hanging up, He Lang called Wang Hai. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Well now, what can I do for you?"

"Brother Wang, I need to ask you for a favor."

Wang Hai laughed on the other end of the line. "With our relationship, you don’t need to ’ask’ for anything. Just tell me what’s up. If it’s something I can do, I’ll definitely help."

He Lang explained the situation. Wang Hai was briefly surprised, but he agreed without asking why He Lang wanted to do it.

Xue Yue slowly walked to the main gate and saw the group from a distance. Who else could it be but the Liu Family.

He Yun saw Xue Yue come out and called, "Sister-in-law."

Xue Yue gave her a cool glance, her attention shifting to the boy beside her. ’This must be He Yun’s son.’

’What was his name again?’

’Right, Jinbao.’

He was about as tall as He Yun, and his eyes were surprisingly similar to Daya’s. He was looking at her curiously.

When He Yun saw Xue Yue looking at Jinbao, she nudged him. "Call her Auntie."

Jinbao called out to Xue Yue, "Auntie."

Xue Yue hummed in response.

Mrs. Liu was too impatient for pleasantries and asked directly, "Auntie, we’re looking for Daya. Where is she?"

Xue Yue glanced over the group. Liu Jian Country stood behind the others with his head down, perhaps out of shame.

Liu Jianwei, however, stood beside Mrs. Liu with a smug look on his face as he watched Xue Yue. Mr. Liu was expressionless.

"What do you want with Daya?"

Mrs. Liu said caustically, "I’m Daya’s grandmother. Can’t we come to Beijing City to see her? You’re her aunt, for crying out loud. How have you been raising her all these years? Her uncle comes to Beijing City and she just ignores him?"

Xue Yue found it laughable. "How should she care? If I remember correctly, your family already gave Daya to us. I still have the papers you signed and thumb-printed. So what’s this scene you’re making now?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Liu didn’t even blink.

"Auntie, we’re all family. Why bring that up? We trusted you when we gave Daya to you back then. We’ve felt guilty all these years. I’m getting old, and I regret letting you take Daya away. We didn’t even know how she was doing all this time. If Xiao Wei hadn’t told us he saw Daya in Beijing City, we wouldn’t have known her illness was cured. I was so relieved. So, here we are, just to see her."

Mrs. Liu spoke with such deep and sincere emotion that if Xue Yue didn’t know the whole story, she might have actually believed they were good people.

’They say rules are only for people who have integrity. When you’re dealing with scoundrels, there’s really nothing you can do.’

"Mrs. Liu, regardless of what you say, you have it in black and white. You even had it witnessed at the neighborhood committee office.

Ultimately, Daya has nothing to do with you anymore. Whether her life is good or bad now is none of your business. What’s more, she’s not in Beijing City anymore. Oh, and you probably don’t know this, but she’s married."

"M-Married?" The Liu Family was completely shocked by this news.

Xue Yue nodded. "That’s right, she’s married. So it’s not just you—even our family can’t control her anymore."

He Yun anxiously took a step forward and asked Xue Yue, "When did Daya get married? Who did she marry?"

Xue Yue said, "Her husband isn’t a local. He’s a soldier, a really fierce and menacing-looking guy. Even I’m scared of him. I heard he came straight from the battlefield and has blood on his hands. She went with her husband to his military base. If you want to find her, you can go look for her at the base."

He Yun’s eyes flickered. Her legs went weak, and she almost fell, but Jinbao caught her.

Mrs. Liu and Mr. Liu exchanged a look.

Mrs. Liu said, "We don’t believe you. I think you’re just making up excuses because you’re afraid of us finding Daya."

Xue Yue smiled.

"I always mean what I say, unlike some people who spout lies without a second thought. If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask around. Besides, this concerns a young woman’s reputation. How could I just make something like that up?"

For a moment, the Liu Family really had a hard time telling if she was telling the truth.

But they had come all this way. How could they possibly back down now without even seeing Daya?

Liu Jianwei said, "Then give us the address of Daya’s husband’s military base. We’ll go find her there."

Xue Yue said with a smile, "Now you’re really putting me on the spot, because I don’t know either. A military base’s address is classified information; I wouldn’t know it. Daya knows, though. You should go ask her."

Having said her piece, Xue Yue was about to turn and go back inside when Mrs. Liu gave He Yun a hard shove.

Meeting Mrs. Liu’s threatening gaze, He Yun had no choice but to say, "Sister-in-law, I want to see my father and my third brother. I’ve finally made it to Beijing City, and I want to see them. Jinbao hasn’t seen his grandpa and uncle in years, either."

Xue Yue looked at He Yun. ’Since the Liu Family has come all the way to Beijing City,’ she thought, ’they probably won’t give up just because of a few words from me.’

"Alright then. I get off work in a few hours. You can all come home with me then."

With that, Xue Yue went back inside.