"No need." Song Wan took a deep breath and coldly uttered these three words.

"Wanwan..."

"I have work to do, so I'll hang up if there's nothing else."

Before Chen Li could answer, she hung up the phone.

However, in the quiet of the night, Song Wan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She recalled that from childhood to adulthood, the warmth Chen Li had given her felt like charity, only offered to Song Huai and Song Xi when they didn't need it.

She remembered being bullied at school, with no one in her family standing up for her. Her classmates laughed at her, calling her a child who had been born but not raised. When she told Chen Li about it, she was met with a barrage of scolding. This mother only blamed her for being a troublemaker.

She also recalled her first period; she was terrified and ran crying to Chen Li. But the mother's first reaction was, "Disgusting! Wash your own pants!"

From then on, she stopped telling Chen Li anything that happened.

In this environment, Song Wan became timid and cowardly, carefully trying to please everyone. Later, when she met Lin Zhaojiang, she also unconditionally catered to him, placing herself in a very humble position, humbling herself to the dust.

However, her gentleness and obedience did not bring her the happiness she desired.

As Song Wan thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes and soaked her pillow.

...

After that day, Chen Li didn't give up; instead, she cared about her even more. She called Song Wan every day, never mentioning money, but instead rambling on about everyday family matters.

Sometimes he even inquired about her relationship with Lin Zhaojiang—"Is he treating you well? Is he serious this time? He won't abandon you again like last time, will he?"

Song Wan would always give a few perfunctory replies and hang up quickly.

However, Chen Li wore a triumphant smile. She knew that Song Wan's biggest weakness was her soft heart and emotional nature. If Song Wan truly wanted to sever ties with her, would she still answer her calls?

As long as Song Wan is still willing to answer the phone, it means that the defense line in her heart is crumbling little by little!

In Songwan Community, there are some elderly women of similar age to Chen Li. They gather together every day and talk about the everyday life of ordinary people.

Which dishes are best paired together? How to store ingredients to prevent spoilage? Whose child has grown taller? Whose daughter-in-law is pregnant? Which old man has hidden away his savings? Which old woman has been scammed out of all her money buying health supplements?

Sometimes these old ladies, though gossipy and annoying, are just as endearing as Song Wan, making her feel envious whenever she passes by them.

In her imagination, there was also such a mother: she accompanied her as she grew up, loved her children like many mothers, and had her moments of emotional outburst. In her old age, she would be like those other old ladies, gossiping about the neighbors' trivial matters every day. And after she got married, her mother would help her take care of her children, complaining that the children were difficult, while secretly subsidizing her with her retirement pension…

Song Wan took a deep breath, her eyes seeming to well up with tears again. She wiped her eyes and was about to go upstairs when her neighbor called out to her.

"Hey, Xiao Song!"

Song Wan turned around and saw her neighbor, an older woman, running over with a smile and small, quick steps. "I've seen you leaving early and coming home late these days. You must be working hard, right?"

"Yes, it's alright," Song Wan said with a smile.

The auntie lived next door to her. She was a kind-hearted person and would often bring her a portion of soup or other delicious food she made.

Song Wan noticed her suitcase and was slightly taken aback. "Are you going on a long trip?"

"Yes!" The aunt smiled awkwardly and handed her a slip of paper with a string of numbers written on it. "My daughter just had a baby! She married far away and doesn't live in Yun City, so I have to go there to take care of her... So I have a favor to ask, which is to ask you to help me look after my house."

"This is my house password. If you need anything, just come to my house!"

"I can watch the door for you, no problem, but you don't need the password!" Song Wan said with a smile. "Congratulations on becoming a grandmother!"

The auntie beamed, "I'm so happy to be a grandmother... but now that I'm gone, I won't be able to take care of you anymore! I'm so sorry..."

"Auntie, what are you saying!" Song Wan felt a warmth in her heart. "I'm already grateful for the care you've always given me, why are you saying such formal things to me! It makes me feel embarrassed."

The neighbor lady shook Song Wan's hand, her gaze loving as if she were looking at her own daughter.

"Oh, right," she suddenly remembered, "I saw your mother is here, isn't she?"

"What?"

“She’s been coming every day for the past few days! She even went grocery shopping with me at the supermarket yesterday.”

Song Wan was stunned. She thought about how fresh fruits and vegetables had been placed at her doorstep from time to time during this period. She hadn't paid much attention to it because Lin Zhaojiang had done the same thing before, and she assumed that he was the one who put them there.

turn out to be……

"Is your relationship with your mother a little strained?" The neighbor lady noticed something was off immediately. "Xiao Song, no matter what, your own mother is always your own mother! When you're working hard out there, it's always good to have your own mother by your side to take care of you, don't you think?"

Song Wan felt a pang of pain in her heart, as if something had stabbed her. She gave her neighbor an awkward smile, exchanged a few pleasantries, and was about to go inside when the elevator doors suddenly opened.

Chen Li walked out of the elevator carrying two large bags of things. When she saw her, she was stunned for a moment.

"Wanwan." Chen Li forced a smile. "You...you're home at this hour? I thought you were working overtime again, so..."

"You bought something again, are you going to leave it at my door?" Song Wan said indifferently. "I don't need you to buy me anything. If you buy so much, it's a waste for me to eat it all by myself."

"If you can't finish your food, Mom will come and eat with you, okay?" Chen Li smiled ingratiatingly and moved closer to her, but Song Wan subconsciously dodged away.

"Wanwan..."

Chen Li bit her lip, her eyes reddening.

"Mom... I just wanted to cook you a meal, and I just wanted to take care of you for a while. Mom knows I've neglected you so much since you were little, and it's a bit late for me to make it up to you now, but I truly want to..."

"Don't say anymore." Song Wan turned her back, feeling very sad. "Mom, you don't owe me anything. The way we are now didn't happen overnight. I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

"Wanwan!"

Song Wan didn't want to talk to her anymore, so she turned around, went into the house, and slammed the door shut.

But in that instant, she leaned against the door and squatted on the ground, her heart aching as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at it...

"Wanwan, I made you some food. It's in a thermal container and I left it by the door!" Chen Li called out from outside. "It's all your favorites. Remember to eat on time!"