Mother and daughter turned toward Father Jiang at the same time, their eyes carrying the same quiet dependence, the same unspoken plea for help.
Faced with two identical gazes filled with trust, Father Jiang felt something warm surge through his chest, mixed with a faint, aching sting. He could not help but let out a short laugh.
The sound broke the usual heaviness of the hospital and swept away the last lingering shadows in his heart.
“Dad, what are you laughing at?” Jiang Yining nudged him, puzzled. “Hurry and look, how do we get the report from this machine? Do we need to scan a code or something?”
Mother Jiang lightly tapped his arm. “That’s right. Focus on the important things first, hurry up.”
Father Jiang cleared his throat, forcing down his laughter, though the smile in his eyes only deepened. He stepped forward and operated the machine with ease.
This was good. Having his daughter back, this feeling of life returned, it was simply too good.
Aside from the standard physical examination, at Jiang Yining’s insistence, the three of them also provided additional blood samples for a paternity test.
Even though she understood that the result would most likely show no biological connection, the strange changes in her body, slowly shifting closer to her original appearance, along with the mysterious birthmark, filled her with questions she could not explain.
By the time they stepped out of the hospital, evening had already fallen.
The golden light of the setting sun draped softly over the towering buildings. Father Jiang carried a bag of medical documents in one hand, while his other hand instinctively reached out for his daughter, only for Mother Jiang to grab it first, holding Jiang Yining’s hand tightly.
The three of them walked side by side along the street.
A cool breeze brushed against their faces, carrying the first hint of autumn.
“Mom, look over there!”
Jiang Yining suddenly stopped, pointing across the road at a newly built, elegant residential complex, her face filled with disbelief.
“That place… wasn’t it a New World Department Store? The one with the big carousel? You used to take me there when I was little. I insisted on riding it over and over until you fell asleep waiting for me…”
Mother Jiang followed her gaze, her expression turning distant.
Yes, the once glittering mall had long since disappeared, swallowed by time, replaced by a cold forest of steel and glass.
She squeezed her daughter’s hand, her voice heavy with the passage of years.
“It’s been gone for a long time. After you… left, your father and I rarely came back here. I didn’t expect it to change this much. I can barely recognize anything now.”
Her eyes swept over the street.
The familiar little shops, the old post office, the breakfast stalls filled with the smell of fried dough, most of them were gone. In their place stood chain cafés, budget hotels, and office buildings glowing with neon signs.
“Even the roads are wider now,” Father Jiang added quietly. “This street used to be packed during rush hour. Now there are more cars and wider roads, but somehow it feels less familiar.”
Jiang Yining felt the warmth of her mother’s hand and caught the quiet loneliness hidden in her father’s gaze as he looked at the changed city.
Her heart tightened.
She reached out her other hand and gently held onto her father’s arm.
The three of them leaned into one another, their shadows stretching long under the setting sun as they walked slowly forward, passing through a city that felt both familiar and strange.
…
The wooden stairs of “Lemon Whisper Florals” creaked beneath Father Jiang’s slightly heavy footsteps.
Jiang Yining followed lightly behind him, while Mother Jiang leaned comfortably against her daughter, her expression soft now that her earlier tension had faded.
The attic carried a faint lemon fragrance, a habit left behind by the original owner.
Sometimes, Jiang Yining had the strange feeling that the original owner was simply another version of herself.
The small lounge next door, once meant for Auntie Chen, was neat but carried the chill of long disuse. Father and Mother Jiang’s luggage sat quietly in one corner.
“Mom…”
Jiang Yining suddenly took her mother’s hand, her voice soft, tinged with dependence and a hint of nervousness, like a child asking for comfort.
“Tonight… I want to sleep with you.”
Father Jiang shot her a mock glare, though the indulgence in his eyes was impossible to hide.
“You’re already grown, and you still cling to your mother,” he said, sounding stern, though the corners of his lips betrayed him.
“Oh, go on,” Mother Jiang laughed, gently pushing him toward the other room before pulling her daughter into the bedroom. “No matter how old she gets, she’s still my baby. Tonight, it’s just the two of us.”
On the small bed, mother and daughter lay side by side.
Mother Jiang turned slightly, just like she used to when Jiang Yining was little, her fingers gently combing through her daughter’s dark hair spread across the pillow.
The familiar scent of her mother blended with the faint lemon fragrance in the room, wrapping Jiang Yining in a sense of peace she had longed for.
Outside, city lights filtered through the thin curtains, casting soft, hazy shadows along the walls.
In the quiet, Jiang Yining’s voice broke the silence, soft and tentative.
“Mom…”
“Hm?” Mother Jiang responded gently, her hand never pausing.
Jiang Yining nestled closer into her embrace, as if gathering courage.
“Mom… are you still in touch with Brother Shiyan?”