During the day, it was actually Jiang Qi who called Yan Shao, simply to inform him that the group would return to L City in the middle of the night, and to ask for the address, saying that he would be responsible for delivering them there.

Yan Shao stayed with Zhu Qianying until after 4 a.m., when they finally received a call from the property security guard. He said that a Mr. Jiang, with several people in his car, was looking for Yan Shao.

Zhu Qianying leaned very close and heard everything on the phone. Before Yan Shao even hung up, she had already stood up, seemingly eager to go out and pick him up herself.

Yan Shao grabbed her, hurriedly hung up the phone, and pulled her back.

"Jiang Qi will send the person over directly. If you go there now, you won't even see them. Just stay here and relax. Anyway, it won't take more than a few minutes."

Zhu Qianying agreed, but how could she stay still? She got up and ran to the kitchen to check on the soup that was simmering. The temperature was just right, and she could drink it as soon as she came in. She also took some snacks out of the refrigerator and put them in the microwave to heat up.

She wasn't sure if Bai Shao and her father would have an appetite when they returned, but it was always good to be prepared.

Yan Shao followed her in and watched as she methodically heated up the soup and put the snacks in the microwave. He couldn't help her or stop her, so he could only watch quietly from the side.

"Young Master Yan, go check at the door to see if he's back yet!"

Zhu Qianying was busy with her work, but she was thinking about her friend.

"Don't worry, we won't turn them away."

Young Master Yan is a cautious person. Even though the security here is tight, he still had many people stationed around the villa. Strangers or vehicles cannot get close to the villa without his permission.

Even after he said that, once the microwave stopped, Zhu Qianying still turned off the heat and insisted on going out to check.

Unable to dissuade her, Yan Shao had no choice but to accompany her out the door. The two walked quickly to the front gate in the moonlight, where a car happened to stop.

Yan Shao checked the license plate under the light to confirm it was correct before instructing the bodyguards at the gate to open it.

The entrance was not far from the main gate of the villa. When Zhu Qianying and Yan Shao walked back to the main gate, the bodyguards were helping to put Bai Xiangdong in a wheelchair.

Zhu Qianying walked over quickly, greeted her friend and Bai Xiangdong hastily, and then had someone quickly push Bai Xiangdong into the house.

Yan Shao and Jiang Qi were talking outside the door when Zhu Qianying followed her bodyguard and friend inside. She turned on all the lights in the room and then she could see Bai Shao and Uncle Dong sitting in a wheelchair.

After a long journey and a period of hardship, Bai Shao had lost a lot of weight. Even when Zhu Qianying held her, she could feel the sharp bones in her body.

"Xiao Shao, you've lost weight!"

Bai Shao hugged her tightly, "It's nothing, it was worth it!"

Upon hearing her words, Zhu Qianying immediately understood that Uncle Dong's surgery was undoubtedly a great success.

She let go of her friend and turned her gaze to Bai Xiangdong, whose head was wrapped in gauze.

"Uncle Dong, how are you feeling now?"

Bai Xiangdong had just undergone surgery not long ago, and after the long journey, he looked unwell and in poor spirits. He forced a smile at Zhu Qianying and said, "I'm fine, don't worry."

Zhu Qianying helped push the person into the living room, "Well, with proper rest, she'll be fine."

Du Ting, who had been resting in his guest room, came out as soon as he heard the noise. As a professional, he naturally directed people to help Bai Xiangdong into the guest room and settle him in.

Zhu Qianying had the servants bring over soup and snacks. Bai Xiangdong only drank some soup before feeling a bit weak and saying he wanted to sleep.

Zhu Qianying and Bai Shao withdrew, leaving only Du Ting to give Bai Xiangdong a thorough examination.

After all the hardships she had endured, Bai Shao was extremely hungry, but she missed her daughter even more than she was hungry.

Zhu Qianying only told her about Bai Xiaolu's room and gestured for her to go in by herself, while Zhu Qianying sat on the sofa and waited.

Both she and Bai Shao were people who didn't like to show their weakness in front of outsiders, so she didn't want to disturb the mother and daughter's reunion.

Bai Shao stayed in Xiao Luzi's bedroom for more than ten minutes. When she came out, as Zhu Qianying had expected, her eyes and the tip of her nose were a little red.

Zhu Qianying pretended not to see it and told her to go wash her face, while she herself brought the soup and snacks to the dining table.

"Xiao Shao, is this okay? Or would you like noodles or something? I'll make it."

Bai Shao shook her head, "No need, it's fine as it is."

As he spoke, he picked up the soup and took a sip.

"Shadow, thank you!"

Bai Shao's words came as abruptly, and the fact that she spoke in a low, muffled voice startled Zhu Qianying.

"Xiao Shao, saying thank you to each other makes us feel distant."

Bai Shao then raised her head, her eyes red as she looked at her, "Xiao Lu has gained some weight, you've put a lot of effort into coaxing her, haven't you?"

Bai Shao knew her daughter's personality better than anyone else.

Zhu Qianying shook her head, "We didn't coax her at all. She's been very well-behaved. If we're talking about coaxing her, it's probably because Zizai gets along well with her. I don't know if the two of them coaxed her in private."

Bai Shao nodded, "Yes, Zizai is indeed very good at coaxing people. Otherwise, given Xiao Luzi's personality, he would have gotten stuck in a rut long ago."

It seems that Zhu Qianying is not the only one who sees things clearly.

Zhu Qianying reached out and patted her shoulder. "Don't think too much. After you've eaten, take a shower and get a good night's sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow."

Although Zhu Qianying had a lot to say to her friend, seeing her tired expression, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Okay, you don't need to prepare a room for me. I'll sleep with Xiao Luzi."

Zhu Qianying nodded without forcing the issue. In fact, she had already prepared Bai Shao's room.

After Bai Shao went into the bedroom to take a shower, Yan Shao, who had been waiting outside the door, finally returned to the room.

"What have you been talking about? Why have you been talking for so long?"

Zhu Qianying checked the time; several tens of minutes had already passed.

Yan Shao came over and hugged her, "I just asked about Uncle Dong's situation and also inquired about the recent situation of the Zong family."

Zhu Qianying looked at him suspiciously, "Would he be willing to talk?"

She remembered Yan Shao saying that after Zong Zhe passed away, Jiang Qi took over Zong Zhe's work, and many people outside said that Zong Mao had recognized Jiang Qi as his godson.

Yan Shao was silent for a while before saying, "Of course I won't tell you everything without reservation, but I will give you a general overview of the situation."

Zhu Qianying knew that Yan Shao was hiding something, but she didn't press him for details.

Because she knew that he must have his reasons and difficulties for not telling her.

Or perhaps, he promised Jiang Qi something.

Or perhaps they feel that speaking out wouldn't help.

Most importantly, I didn't want her to worry.

"Where are Uncle Dong and Bai Shao?" Young Master Yan changed the subject, directly confirming Zhu Qianying's guess.

"Du Ting is giving Uncle Dong a full check-up, and Bai Shao is going to take a shower. Let's go see Uncle Dong!"

Yan Shao put his arm around Zhu Qianying and entered the guest room. He immediately saw Du Ting giving Bai Xiangdong an IV drip.