During New Year’s Day and Chinese New Year, Wang Liansheng never ’came home.’ In the eyes of outsiders and even the kids, it seemed the two of them were really divorced.

So, upon learning that their mom had given birth to Ling Huaichen, Xiaoxing and Shi Tou were shocked.

Xiaoxing was in high school, and at that age, she knew better than to pry into others’ secrets. However, she was curious and anxious. What was she to do? Of course, she focused her attention on her always reliable younger brother, the eager and willing Shi Tou.

But this time, Wang Wenzhang was surprisingly calm. No matter how much Xiaoxing egged him on, Wang Wenzhang didn’t go rushing in.

Xiaoxing’s attempts were too obvious, and Wang Wenzhang, unable to bear it any longer, rolled his eyes and said, "Sis, if you want to ask, just go ask. It’s our mom."

With that, the young boy went clattering down the stairs, leaving Xiaoxing standing there alone.

Xiaoxing’s ’plot’ failed, and the origins of Ling Huaichen remained a mystery.

Ling Chengyan hadn’t let a day pass after her postpartum period before returning to her vigorous business pursuits, expanding her commercial empire.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another half year had gone by.

During this time, Wang Liansheng had come to Hai City a few times to visit Xiaoxing and Shi Tou. The two kids also spent their summer vacation in the provincial capital, staying with their father for two weeks. The three of them hadn’t grown distant due to the separation and maintained their close relationship.

Shi Tou complained to his dad about a pesky boy who was pursuing his sister and often hung around their neighborhood’s entrance.

Wang Liansheng asked, "Does your mom not know?"

Shi Tou shook his head. "My mom’s busier than ever now. When she goes on business trips, she’s gone for many days. At home, it’s just that... uh, we hardly see her. When we finally do, she looks so tired that we feel bad adding this stress for her."

Wang Liansheng’s mind wandered off, and he barely registered what his son kept saying.

Another Chinese New Year came and went, and Ling Chengyan never brought ’the stepfather’ home. Xiaoxing and Shi Tou had never seen their mom getting particularly close with any men, except for those few uncles like Liu San they were familiar with and the people who followed their mom from the special training team.

Xiaoxing and Shi Tou began to get restless, feeling the urge to fight for their dad. They went to discuss with Ling Chengyan whether they could spend the Chinese New Year together as a family.

Ling Chengyan smiled serenely, patting Xiaoxing’s long hair and ruffling Shi Tou’s crew cut, "Your dad’s busier than ever during Chinese New Year. He doesn’t have time to come over."

After a pause, Ling Chengyan added, "Your grandpa has made plans. This year, we’re going to the islands for a vacation. Mom’s been tired all year and could use a few days of rest."

Xiaoxing and Shi Tou exchanged a glance and fell silent.

It’s unfortunate they couldn’t spend New Year’s with their real dad, but at least there wasn’t a stepdad, right?

Besides, if they could actually go on a vacation and mom took a break from work, they could spend a few days together and use the opportunity to observe closely if there was really a potential ’stepdad,’ which would also count as investigating for their dad.

The siblings had been working in tandem for over ten years and understood each other with just a look.

So, they put aside all the distractions and hurriedly finished their winter break homework. High schooler Xiaoxing also had to make time to revise, hoping to squeeze in a few days to have some fun on vacation without worrying about her studies.

And just like that, two more years flew by, and Xiaoxing entered her final sprint of the senior year.

For three years in middle school and three years in high school, Xiaoxing’s excellent sports achievements frequently caught the eye of gym teachers who wanted her to pursue athletics. After moving to Hai City, a coach from the sports school even came to recruit her for the city team to compete in national games. Xiaoxing didn’t even go home to discuss it with her mom and directly refused.

Mom used to love that olive green so much, but once she fell ill, she left without hesitation.

She asked her mom why, and her mom explained that she earned that olive green uniform through strength and stamina. If her physical condition couldn’t keep up, she had to leave. If she hadn’t been a physical trainer but had another solid foundation, maybe she wouldn’t have left. Because she could transition to other departments like tactics, or even equipment...