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Bai Qiongyu nodded, speechless for a long time.

That's her granddaughter.

Only He Jinming is so stubborn that he would keep treasuring a useless leaf instead of living a life of luxury and enjoying life to the fullest!

"Miss, shall we chase after them?" Xianglan asked. Now she didn't need to ask; she was certain that this was her mistress's granddaughter.

His surname is He!

My grandfather went to university here!

Here, you receive a leaf picked up from the ground by your beloved, and cherish it as a treasure!

"Chase me?" Bai Qiongyu smiled wryly. "How can we chase after you? Are we supposed to run up to you and say, 'I'm your grandmother! Quickly call me grandmother!'"

She has no obligation to support her son, so how much affection does her granddaughter have for her?

"So it's going to stay like this forever?" Xianglan said. "Young Master and Young Miss are your descendants. We don't care about the Xin family's things. You've raised the Xin family's two children, which is enough to repay the Xin family's son-in-law. Now we're old, how many days do we have left? If we waste our lives like this, are we really going to never acknowledge Young Master and Young Miss again?"

"I don't know, let me calm down first!" Bai Qiongyu hesitated, she needed to think about it.

After saying that, Bai Qiongyu left the maple forest.

Xianglan glanced at He Tiantian's retreating figure heading west, then at the young lady walking east, and stamped her feet in frustration. She had no choice but to follow the young lady.

Perhaps we should show the young lady that she was once kidnapped in the United States, to make her worry, and maybe force her to make a decision sooner.

Bai Qiongyu and Xianglan sat in the car in silence the whole way.

Bai Qiongyu was lost in her own thoughts, unable to extricate herself.

Xianglan knew her young mistress's shortcomings, but this was something that only her mistress could truly understand before she could accept. If her mistress backed down, even if Xianglan pushed her forward, she wouldn't be able to!

When they arrived home, Bai Qiongyu's stepson and stepdaughter returned together.

My stepson, Xin Wei, is forty years old, and my stepdaughter, Xin An'an, is thirty-eight.

Both of them started their own families. Xinwei has a son and a daughter, while his stepdaughter has only one son.

Bai Qiongyu composed herself and asked with a slight smile, "What a coincidence, how come you two came together?"

"Hehe, today is Mother's birthday, of course we have to come and celebrate Mommy's birthday!" Xin An'an stepped forward and affectionately took her stepmother's arm.

Bai Qiongyu was taken aback, only then remembering that today was her birthday.

"You're so thoughtful," Bai Qiongyu said with a smile. "Have the kitchen prepare some good dishes for lunch today, so you can eat here too."

Xin Wei stepped forward and presented a beautiful wooden box, saying, "Mother, this is a gift for you. Happy birthday."

Bai Qiongyu smiled, opened it, and saw a fine jade pendant inside. Judging from its quality, it was an antique. She said, "You've gone to a lot of trouble."

"As long as Mommy is happy, that's all that matters." Xinwei smiled, pleased that his stepmother was happy.

Xin An'an felt envious when she saw such a nice gift. Her older brother was very generous to his stepmother, but very stingy to his younger sister.

"Oh dear, my brother gave me such a nice gift, so my limited edition bag doesn't seem so good anymore," Xin An'an complained. Her brother's jade pendant could buy many bags.

Just then, the sound of children laughing and talking came from outside.

It's Xin An'an, Xin Wei's children have come.

Xin An'an's husband is an American named Jeffrey Gladstone, and their son, Denton Gladstone, is thirteen years old.

Xin Wei's wife is Chinese, the eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Yushan. They have a son and a daughter. Their son, Xin Xibin, is eighteen years old this year, and their daughter, Xin Xiyang, is sixteen years old this year.

Upon seeing Bai Qiongyu return, they all stepped forward to wish her a happy birthday and presented her with gifts they had prepared beforehand.

The once quiet and deserted house suddenly became lively and bustling.

Bai Qiongyu is not a mean person and treats her stepchildren well.

Over the years, even after her husband passed away, she has maintained some contact with her stepchildren.

If she hadn't overheard her stepson and stepdaughter's conversation that time, she might have thought that the two of them truly regarded her as their mother.

Three years ago, the house was decorated very warmly inside and out for Christmas, just waiting for them to come back and celebrate Christmas together.

As people get older, they tend to crave a more lively atmosphere at home.

However, she and Xianglan waited all night, but none of these people came.

The next day, Xin Wei and Xin An'an returned, saying that their biological mother was unwell and they had gone to visit her.

It's perfectly reasonable for children to visit their biological mother when she's unwell.

The stepson and stepdaughter are very smart, but their mother, Ye Weiwen, is impatient!

Back then, the Xin family faced a financial crisis and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Ye Weiwen, unwilling to bear the huge debt, absconded with the family's funds and valuables, disregarding her husband, son, and daughter, and resolutely divorced Xin Jianye.

However, although the Xin family suffered a severe blow, it was not entirely beyond saving.

With Xin Jianye's efforts and the help of his friends, the family gradually emerged from its low point. It was also because of the previous heavy blow that Xin Jianye realized the mistakes of the Xin family. He made a tough decision to abandon some old industries and invest in new ones, which resulted in huge profits.

Upon seeing this, Ye Weiwen cried and begged to come back.

Even though she argued that her child needed a mother, Xin Jianye did not agree to her request and instead chose to pursue Bai Qiongyu.

At that time, her relationship with He Jinming broke down, and due to financial difficulties and her father's poor health, she returned to the United States to take care of her father and manage the business there.

After her father's situation stabilized, his movements were restricted, and he confiscated her documents, preventing her from visiting her children in China.

In addition, she did not receive any letters from He Jinming, and coupled with the endless arguments before, she found herself tired of that kind of life and her love for He Jinming faded, so she stayed in the United States.

Three years later, she married Xin Jianye.

But in the dead of night, she would always think of her young son.

By the time she had composed herself and was ready to bring her son over, there was no longer any contact between the two sides, and she could no longer see her son.

I feel extremely guilty towards my son!

However, it's too late to regret it now!

She thought her feelings for He Jinming were over, but when she heard He Tiantian mention the maple leaf bookmark, her heart ached!

When she was about to marry Xin Jianye, Xianglan tried to persuade her, saying that she still liked He Jinming. However, when she thought about life in China, the inconvenience of not being used to the local environment, and the endless arguments with He Jinming, as well as He Jinming's mother and cousin, she was unwilling to talk about the past. So she chose to escape and close her heart.

On his deathbed, Xin Jianye held her hand and asked, "Xiaoyu, did you ever love me?"

Bai Qiongyu's mind went blank at the time. Then came the spirited He Jinming from university, and then the steady and shrewd Xin Jianye.

It was then that she realized she had loved Xin Jianye, but not as deeply as she had loved He Jinming.

"I loved him!" Bai Qiongyu replied. She had indeed loved Xin Jianye, and since he wanted to know, she would tell him. (To be continued.)