the next day.

When Yan Ning arrived at school, her classmates surrounded her as soon as she entered the classroom.

Their eyes were filled with remorse, and they apologized to Yan Ning all at once:

"Yan Ning, we misunderstood you yesterday, we're so sorry!"

"We were too impulsive. We made wild guesses without understanding the situation. Can you forgive us?"

"Yan Ning, we shouldn't have distrusted you. You've always been a very good person."

Yan Ning smiled faintly, her eyes calm and gentle, and said:

"It's okay, I understand, it's not your fault."

Upon hearing this, the students breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.

In a corner not far away, Su Muyao gritted her teeth in anger, glaring at Yan Ning with eyes full of resentment.

But she also knew that she couldn't act rashly now.

He could only swallow his anger for the time being, while mentally planning how to deal with Yan Ning next.

The peaceful day passed just like that. The school bell rang, and the students packed up their things and left the classroom.

Yan Ning received a message from Bai Yuzhen, asking her to wait for her at the school gate so they could go to her grandmother's house for dinner that evening.

Yan Ning replied with "okay" and waited at the school gate.

Not long after, Bai Yuzhen's car slowly drove up and stopped at the school gate.

Bai Yuzhen opened the car window and looked at Yan Ning with a smile, her eyes full of concern:

"Long time no see, Yan Ning. How have you been lately?"

As Yan Ning got into the car, she politely replied, "Hello, Auntie. I've been doing alright lately."

Bai Yuzhen nodded and said, "I saw the trending topic. When you are exposed to the public eye, you will receive many different opinions. You did a great job in handling it."

Yan Ning smiled slightly and said earnestly, "Everyone has different ideas, and I can't please everyone, but I'm trying my best."

The two chatted as they drove toward the Bai family's house, and before they knew it, their car had arrived at the entrance of the Bai family villa.

Although the Bai family villa was not as grand and imposing as the Su family villa, it was filled with a warm atmosphere that made people feel very comfortable.

My maternal grandfather passed away early, and my maternal grandmother, Bai Shanhe, raised Bai Xueshu and Bai Yuzhen single-handedly, enduring a lot of hardship.

As soon as Bai Yuzhen pushed open the door, a handsome boy walked out of the house with a warm smile on his face and said:

"Mom, you're back!"

Yan Ning looked at Bai Yuzhen with some surprise, "So you're married? I never would have guessed."

Bai Yuzhen waved her hand casually and said with a smile, "I was ignorant when I was young, so we got divorced a long time ago."

Then, Bai Yuzhen said to the boy, "Jiming, this is your cousin, Yan Ning."

Bai Jiming nodded and gave a kind smile. "Hello, cousin."

Yan Ning smiled and nodded. "Hello."

The three of them walked inside together. As soon as they entered the living room, Yan Ning saw a kind-looking old lady sitting there.

Her full head of silver hair shimmered softly under the lamplight, her face bore the marks of time, and her eyes held a touch of kindness.

The old lady's eyes lit up the moment she saw Yan Ning.

Bai Yuzhen stepped forward and said with a smile, "Mom, I've brought Yan Ning back!"

Bai Shanhe stood up excitedly, walked unsteadily to Yan Ning's side, her eyes filled with tears, and said in a trembling voice:

“Yan Ning, you’re back. You look so much like Xue Shu when she was young.”

Yan Ning greeted sweetly, "Hello, Grandma."

Bai Shanhe held Yan Ning's hand tightly, pulled her to sit down on a chair, and asked kindly:

"How old are you this year? What were you doing before you were found?"

Yan Ning answered softly, "I'm 18 this year. Before I came back, I lived in a Taoist temple in the mountains."

Bai Shanhe looked at Yan Ning with eyes full of tenderness. She gently stroked Yan Ning's hand and whispered:

“My child, you have suffered all these years. We have been looking for you for a long time without any news. I never thought that I would be able to see you before I die. It is truly a blessing from God.”

She asked anxiously, "Has the Su family made things difficult for you? If you've suffered at their house, come back anytime. We'll always be waiting for you at home."

Yan Ning gently shook her head and said calmly, "No, they've been very good to me..."

Yan Ning saw this clearly; the Bai family treated her very differently from the Su family.

The Bai family members only showed concern and affection, not suspicion or scheming.

Suddenly, she felt a warm, bittersweet feeling in her heart; a long-lost emotion welled up within her.

Is this what family feels like?

A tear gently slid down Yan Ning's cheek. Bai Shanhe saw it, reached out and gently wiped it away, saying softly:

"Let's not talk about these sad things! Come on, let's eat as a family!"

Bai Jiming happily ran over and brought over a chair, saying in a crisp voice:

"Cousin, you sit at the head table, you're the boss today!"

Yan Ning smiled happily and sat down at the dining table with the Bai family members.

They ate while sharing snippets of their lives.

Laughter and cheerful voices echoed in the warm room, making Yan Ning feel a long-lost sense of warmth.

"Yan Ning, this dish is delicious, eat more of it."

Bai Shanhe picked up her chopsticks, a loving smile on her face, and wanted to serve Yan Ning some food.

She stood up, leaned forward slightly, and stretched out her arm to pick up the dish.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her lower back.

Bai Shanhe's movements suddenly froze, and the dish instantly fell into the bone broth with a "plop," splashing the broth everywhere.

Bai Shanhe's face turned pale instantly. She instinctively clutched her waist, her body trembling slightly, and began to cry out:

"Ouch, ouch..."

A few drops of cold sweat quickly appeared on her forehead and slid down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Bai Yuzhen immediately put down her chopsticks, quickly walked to Bai Shanhe's side, put her hands on Bai Shanhe's shoulders, and said with concern:

"Mom, how are you? Has your old ailment flared up again?"

Bai Shanhe gritted her teeth, trying to appear unaffected. She shook her head and said weakly:

"I'm fine. Today is the day Yan Ning is going home. I can handle it."

She tried to steady herself, but her body swayed uncontrollably, and she was covered in cold sweat, looking like she was in great pain.

Upon seeing this, Yan Ning's heart tightened, and she hurriedly stepped forward and said:

"Grandma, let me take a look at your back. My master always had back pain before, and I learned a few folk remedies."

Bai Shanhe hesitated for a moment, but seeing Yan Ning's concerned look, she nodded and lifted the back of her clothes.

Yan Ning leaned closer and saw that Bai Shanhe's waist was surrounded by a few wisps of faint yin energy.

Yan Ning immediately realized that this was no ordinary back pain, but rather the work of something unclean!