“Dаd!” Аfter hаnging up thе phone, the usuallу calm аnd steаdу Ling Xuаnyаn was nеarly incoherеnt. “Dad, don’t уou dаre leave! Wait for me—I’m going to get Yаnyan! Yаnyаn is at the Wаng fаmilу’s housе! I’ll bring hеr bаck tо see уоu!”
“Whiсh Wаng family?” The оther Ling sons wеrе аlso stirrеd. “We’re cоming toо!”
“Fоurth Вrоther, Fifth Вrother, уou stаy and wаtch ovеr Dаd! Dad, wait fоr us—wе’rе gоing to bring our sister baсk!”
Ling Fаmily’s Fifth Brother was onе оf the top уоung genius dосtors in thе cарital. Nоw, his voice trembled slightly. “Alright, you go. I’ll stay here with Dad. Dad, can you hear me? Yanyan is coming back. Let’s wait for her together, okay?”
The grandfather, who had just moments ago seemed as withered as deadwood, now mustered every last bit of strength to squeeze out a flicker of vitality. He gave a slight nod, and a trace of a smile actually appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He would wait!
He had waited over a dozen, nearly twenty years, just hoping to see his precious Yanyan one more time.
If he didn’t see his precious Yanyan, even the King of Hell himself could come—he wouldn’t leave!
The Ling brothers drove out in a motorcade, charging toward the Wang family in a grand procession.
Speaking of which, it was infuriating. The Wang and Ling families both belonged to the capital’s top-tier elite, and their residences were actually only two blocks apart. Yet the Wang family had hidden Yanyan away for so many years.
This was what you called true “hiding in plain sight”!
Who knew if it was unintentional or deliberate on their part.
If it was unintentional, the Ling family would be grateful for the Wang family’s years of care and upbringing.
But if it was deliberate…
“Master, Madam, the Ling family is here requesting an audience.”
When the servant came to report, the entire Wang household was in the living room coaxing their Pearl to eat ice cream.
“Pearl, take a bite and say, ‘The Ling family will go bankrupt immediately!'”
Pearl took a bite of ice cream and sweetly parroted, “The Ling family will go bankrupt immediately!”
“So good!” The Wang family members rushed to kiss Pearl’s cheeks.
“Say one more thing,” they taught her again. “Old Man Ling will die soon!”
Pearl clapped her hands. “Old Man Ling will die soon!”
“Tell the Ling family we won’t see them!” Old Madam Wang waved her hand arrogantly. “We won’t be attending that old man’s funeral anyway.”
The Ling family was about to fall from grace, yet they still had the nerve to come looking for them.
What were they here for?
To beg them to show mercy and spare the Ling family?
Dream on!
The seat as the capital’s number one family—the Wang family was determined to claim it!
“Won’t see us?”
Upon receiving the servant’s message, Ling Xuanyan gave a cold laugh.
He nodded to Eighth Brother in the military Hummer beside him.
Ling Family’s Eighth Brother, a former special agent, now served as a team leader in Interpol.
Receiving the instruction, he shot Ling Xuanyan a sharp look in return, reversed the vehicle five or six meters, then slammed on the accelerator…
Boom!
The Wang family’s main gate was directly smashed off its hinges.
The Ling family motorcade drove straight in.
“What is the Ling family doing? Demolishing the house?” The Wang family members were all startled into action.
Ling Xuanyan jumped out of the car, striding into the garden while raising his voice to shout loudly:
“Yanyan! Yanyan, where are you? Yanyan! Ling Yiyan!”
Suddenly, his footsteps froze.
Under the blazing sun, the garden’s central floor tiles reflected a torturous white light.
Heat waves distorted the space, blurring Ling Xuanyan’s vision.
Yet he could still clearly see a small figure lying limp there, like a melting scoop of ice cream, almost merging with the ground.
“Yanyan…” Ling Xuanyan felt as if he were hallucinating.
Reason told him that Ling Yiyan had been missing since she was three years old—twenty-two years had passed since then.When they met again, she could no longer be that tiny, soft pink dumpling.
Yet, the little dumpling on the ground… that palm-sized face… those unforgettable eyes and brows from memory…
Thick sunlight enveloped her, its glare flickering as if it might evaporate her the next second.
“Yanyan!”
Ling Xuanyan could no longer care about anything else. He rushed forward and scooped the little dumpling up from the ground.
In that brief moment, Ling Xuanyan’s heart was pierced with pain.
As an adult, even his fingers nearly blistered from touching the scorching ground.
Yet this frail young child had been lying directly on such hot ground, for who knows how long.
“Yanyan…” Ling Xuanyan’s arms felt light, but his heart was heavy, like a sponge soaked with water.
He never expected that the little dumpling in his arms would show a faint response upon hearing his voice.
“Yanyan… Yanyan is… is…” Her long eyelashes rested beneath her eyelids, fluttering slightly as she spoke in a barely audible whisper.
“Is what?” Ling Xuanyan quickly lowered his head.
But before he could hear the little dumpling’s next words…
“Put her down!”
The Wang family, having heard the commotion, instantly surrounded Ling Xuanyan, leaving no room to escape.
“What are you doing holding our Wang family’s granddaughter?” Old Madam Wang glared fiercely.
“What’s this?” a Wang family member sneered. “Has the Ling family fallen so low that they’d come to their rival’s house to snatch a child?”
Zhenzhu’s Mother also stepped forward. “I heard your Grandfather is dying. Instead of mourning properly, what madness brings you to our Wang family?”
Just then, the Ling family members who had scattered to search gathered around as well.
Second Brother Ling Yixi, sharp-eyed, looked over and cried out in shock.
“This is clearly Yanyan! Our Ling family’s Ling Yiyan! What do you mean, your Wang family’s granddaughter?”
The other Ling brothers also saw the baby girl in Ling Xuanyan’s arms. More composed than Second Brother, they remained silent, but their faces were filled with astonishment.
Before coming, they had all imagined what Ling Yiyan might look like grown up.
The brothers had even secretly glanced repeatedly at the car’s rearview mirror, hoping Yanyan would resemble them more closely.
No one expected that what Ling Xuanyan had found was a little dumpling identical to the one from over twenty years ago!
“Are you talking about that daughter your Ling family lost?” Old Madam Wang laughed mockingly. “Ha, how many years has it been? How could she still be a child? Has the Ling family gone mad because they’re about to go bankrupt?”
“Put our child down now! Don’t make us call the police!”
“Your Ling family is about to collapse. Instead of acting crazy here, you should go back and pack up your scraps, lest you end up sleeping on the streets after bankruptcy!”
The Wang family’s words were harsh.
But Ling Xuanyan tightened his hold on the little dumpling in his arms, his brow furrowed.
Logically, this child couldn’t possibly be Yanyan, but how to explain that phone call, and her appearance…
“Eighth Brother,” he called to the Ling Family’s Eighth Child. “Go get some water.”
Right now, the most urgent task was to give the child some water.
Ling Xuanyan’s expression remained calm, but his heart pounded like a drum.
He could almost feel the little life in his arms fading away bit by bit…
If this dragged on any longer, I’m afraid…
“Put her down and get out!” Old Madam Wang’s tone was forceful.
The Ling family had brought quite a few people, but the Wang family’s numerous bodyguards were no pushovers either.
If it really came to a fight… hmph, they’d make sure every one of them left horizontally instead of vertically!
“Brother, here’s the water.” Eighth Brother quickly fetched the water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it over.
Ling Xuanyan was about to feed it to the little dumpling in his arms.
“What are you doing? What are you trying to feed my child?” Zhenzhu’s Mother immediately became agitated, screaming, “Don’t you dare harm our Wang family’s child! Stop right now! Put the child down—”
The Wang family instantly understood.
The Ling family had already tracked them down. They absolutely, absolutely could not let them take Little Mud away!
In fact, they couldn’t even let Little Mud wake up again!
Several men from the Wang family lunged toward Ling Xuanyan…
At that very moment, the Ling family’s Eighth Child also suddenly stepped forward, taking on ten at once, striking with lightning speed.
“Ah!”
Only a few crisp cries of pain were heard.
Within a few breaths, all the Wang family men were knocked to the ground by Eighth Brother Ling.
But Ling Xuanyan’s elbow was accidentally bumped, and he couldn’t steady the mineral water in his hand in time. With a splash, it all poured onto Little Mud’s face.
“Brother!” Second Brother shouted loudly, “Be careful!”
Ling Xuanyan shot him a death glare.
Not steadying his hand was his mistake.
But in the Ling family, no one dared speak to him in that tone.
Second Brother felt a chill run down his spine and had just shrunk his neck when he suddenly pointed at the little dumpling in Ling Xuanyan’s arms and exclaimed, “Listen! What is Yanyan saying?”