The plane touched down smoothly at Z City Airport, and even the air seemed to carry a steady, grounding sense of home.
Jiang Yining followed her parents into a ride-share car, her gaze fixed on the unfamiliar scenery flashing past the window, overpasses weaving overhead, rows of sleek, modern buildings stretching into the distance.
At last, the car turned into a quiet, well-kept residential complex, the kind favored by middle-class families.
“We’re here.” Mother Jiang paid the fare and stepped out. As she closed the door, a flicker of unease crossed her face. Lowering her voice, she leaned closer to Jiang Yining and spoke in a near whisper.
“Your brother and his family are already at home. We… didn’t tell Yunting everything. We only said we found a long-lost daughter who was separated from us years ago. So to him, you’re his younger sister now.”
She paused, catching the strange look that instantly appeared on her daughter’s face. Even she found the explanation a little absurd and added helplessly,
“Your father said this version makes things easier for the paperwork and residency.”
Jiang Yining’s lips twitched as she muttered under her breath,
“Mom… do you really think Yunting will believe that? He watched me grow up.”
Going from older sister to younger sister, the shift in identity felt almost surreal.
Mother Jiang gave her arm a light swat.
“Whether he believes it or not is his problem. We have the paternity test as proof anyway. Just remember this, the truth about your rebirth stays between us. Don’t tell anyone else. It won’t do you any good.”
Jiang Yining nodded seriously.
…
At that very moment, inside the apartment, Jiang Yunting was pacing back and forth, irritation written all over his face.
His wife, Mu Qing, sat on the sofa with their recently awakened son, Jiang Chenhao, in her arms. She tried to calm him gently.
“Mom and Dad know what they’re doing. If they brought someone back, there must be a reason. Let’s just meet her first.”
“A long-lost younger sister?” Jiang Yunting let out a cold scoff, his brows tightly furrowed. “I’ve lived for over twenty years and never once heard them mention another daughter out there. What, did Mom secretly give birth back then and I just forgot? I was young, but not that young.”
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became.
“I’m worried Mom and Dad got scammed by someone really convincing.”
His tone hardened, already preparing himself to confront this so-called “younger sister.”
…
The sound of a key turning in the lock broke the tension.
The door opened.
A small figure shot forward like a little cannonball.
“Grandpa! Grandma!” Jiang Chenhao called out in his soft, childish voice, throwing himself straight into Father Jiang’s arms.
But Jiang Yunting barely noticed.
His sharp gaze cut past his parents and locked onto the figure stepping in behind them.
Time seemed to stand still.
The girl wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, bending slightly as she changed her shoes. Then she lifted her head.
The baby fat from his memory was gone, her features more refined now, but those eyes… clear and bright, with their slightly downturned corners. The familiar shape of her brows. The curve of her smile.
“Sis… Big Sister?”
Jiang Yunting felt as if something had struck him square in the chest.
His tall frame swayed, as though he had just taken a heavy blow. Every trace of doubt and anger shattered in an instant, crushed by an instinct buried deep in his blood.
As the words left his mouth, his eyes turned red.
He stared at Jiang Yining, unable to look away.
Father Jiang and Mother Jiang exchanged a glance. There was no hiding it now, and no reason to.
With a soft sigh, Mother Jiang took Mu Qing and little Chenhao by the hand and led them into the study, closing the door behind them and shielding the child from what was about to be said.
Inside, using the simplest words possible, Father Jiang told them everything, the truth about Jiang Yining’s rebirth, a story that sounded like something out of a dream, yet supported by the undeniable proof of the paternity test.
Silence filled the room.
The only sound was the faint rhythm of uneven breathing.
Jiang Yunting and Mu Qing sat frozen, shocked written plainly across their faces. Everything they knew about the world seemed to tilt and crack.
But when they looked at their parents, at the joy they could not hide, and then at the report in their hands, cold and irrefutable, all their doubts slowly dissolved.
In the end, what remained was a long, trembling sigh.
“Just remember,” Mother Jiang said softly, “from now on, Ningning is your younger sister.”
…
Back in the living room, the introductions were made.
Mother Jiang held Mu Qing’s hand and guided her forward.
“Ningning, this is your sister-in-law, Mu Qing. And this is your nephew, Chenhao.”
Then she turned to Mu Qing, her voice gentler still.
“Mu Qing, this is… Yining.”
“Nice to meet you, Sister-in-law,” Jiang Yining said with a warm smile.
She bent down slightly and gently pinched little Chenhao’s soft cheek.
“Chenhao, call me Auntie.”
“Auntie!” the little boy replied sweetly, his wide eyes full of curiosity as he looked at this new “aunt.”
The atmosphere softened, tension easing into something warmer.
…
As night fell, the kitchen filled with the sounds of cooking, Mu Qing and Mother Jiang working side by side.
In the living room, Jiang Yining sat on the floor, playing with building blocks with Chenhao.
Jiang Yunting stood nearby, watching them. His expression was complicated, thoughts churning behind his eyes.
After a while, he turned and walked silently onto the balcony, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
Once Chenhao was settled, Jiang Yining followed him outside.
The evening breeze brushed against them, carrying the faint warmth of early summer.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jiang Yining said softly, leaning against the railing as she looked at her brother’s tense profile.
“A face and a test result aren’t enough to convince you. After all, the idea of a soul returning in another body sounds unbelievable.”
Jiang Yunting said nothing. He simply took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly.
Jiang Yining smiled faintly and turned her gaze toward the distant lights scattered across the residential complex.
Then, one by one, she began revealing things.
Fragments of the past, secrets buried deep in their shared memories, things that only the two of them could possibly know.