"This auntie said something happened to Mom." An'an's clear, bright eyes were filled with tears, and her pitiful appearance melted Song Lan's heart.
"Mom is fine. This auntie was just lying to you." Song Lan smiled and patted her back, comforting her softly.
"Grandma, is Mom really okay?"
The word "Grandma" brought tears to Song Lan's eyes, and she nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, An'an."
Just then, Song Mai hurriedly arrived at the school gate.
Seeing An'an standing outside the school, Song Lan and Shen Xiujing seemed to be preparing to take her away, and they became extremely anxious.
She strode over to An'an and picked her up in her arms.
I just received a call from the teacher saying that An'an secretly ran away by herself.
Song Mai arrived at the school in a great hurry, subconsciously assuming that the Shen family mother and son wanted to take An'an away. At this moment, she looked at the two of them with a wary expression.
Where are you taking An'an?
A cold remark left the Shen mother and son looking at each other in bewilderment.
Shen Xiujing subconsciously began to explain, "It wasn't us, An'an was standing outside alone just now..."
"Although I don't know what your purpose is, please keep your distance from my child." Song Mai was extremely agitated; their explanations sounded like excuses to her.
As a mother herself, Song Lan could understand her anxiety at that moment.
She reached out to stop Shen Xiujing, who wanted to continue explaining, and looked at Song Mai with a gentle expression: "It's good that the child is safe and sound."
“Madam, I call you Auntie out of respect. But An’an is my only one right now, and I hope you can be lenient.” Song Mai’s tone softened a bit, but her attitude remained firm.
A hint of hurt flashed in Song Lan's eyes, and she nodded thoughtfully.
Watching the two of them leave, Song Mai felt a pang of guilt.
I realize that my actions just now were too impulsive and were indeed inappropriate.
She just didn't want anything to happen to An'an. When she arrived at the school gate and saw this scene, she couldn't help but overthink things.
On the way home, An'an looked up at Song Mai.
“Mom, you shouldn’t have yelled at Grandma just now.” An’an hugged her doll and said seriously, “The bad woman who hit you just now tried to take me away by force, but Grandma and Uncle stopped me.”
Song Mai gently applied the brakes, reducing the speed.
"What did you say?"
“Grandma and Uncle didn’t want to take me away; they just wanted to save me. The bad woman said something happened to you and that she wanted to take me to see you.”
That's how it is.
A hint of guilt flashed in Song Mai's eyes as she parked the car on the side of the road.
After a moment, Song Mai, having calmed down, realized that her behavior was inappropriate and was about to call Song Lan.
Just as she was about to make the call, Song Mai's finger suddenly froze in mid-air.
A hasty apology does not show sincerity; on the contrary, it makes one appear very deliberate.
She tapped her fingertips lightly on the steering wheel, pondering how to salvage the situation.
At this moment, Song Lan, who was sitting in the car, kept sighing. Shen Xiujing helplessly said, "Sister, you've misunderstood. Don't take it to heart."
"How could I not know what she was thinking? It just breaks my heart to think about how wary she is." Song Lan's voice choked with emotion.
If a person is constantly on guard against the world, it means that he is not happy.
Shen Xiujing also sighed helplessly.
"Perhaps we should go home." Song Lan looked out the window thoughtfully.
"Mom, you just found my sister, are you coming home so soon?"
“These past few days I’ve been thinking about whether our presence is good or bad for her. It’s impolite for someone to intrude into her world before she’s ready.” Song Lan’s mind was made up.
That afternoon, just as the Shen family was preparing to board their private plane back to Nancheng, Song Mai suddenly called.
"Auntie, I'm at your door. Could you let me see you?"
Song Lan stopped in her tracks as she boarded the plane, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.
She said happily, "Maizi wants to meet me."
"No rush, we can go back later." Shen Ming couldn't help but feel happy.
Song Mai looked at the family of three, her face full of guilt.
"An'an already told me everything. I misunderstood you." Song Mai put down the gift box in her hand with remorse. "This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you can accept it."
Shen Xiujing frowned subconsciously: "There's no need to give a gift for such a small matter."
"Since it's Mai Zi's kind gesture, let's accept it." Song Lan understood that if they didn't accept it, Song Mai would feel even more upset.
"I'm so sorry, the reason I reacted so strongly is because my current situation has made me extremely paranoid. An'an is my bottom line and my last line of defense." Song Mai gave a bitter smile.
Before the Shen family could speak, Song Mai immediately laughed: "If you're not going to talk about these sad things, are you planning to leave?"
“Yes, we…” Song Lan was about to find a suitable excuse when Shen Xiujing interrupted her directly from the side.
“My mom feels guilty because our presence has disturbed your life, so she’s preparing to leave.”
Song Lan slapped him angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about, kid?"
“It’s obvious. These misunderstandings won’t be a big deal once they’re explained. If you and Dad leave in silence, it might not be a good thing for my sister either.” Shen Xiujing inadvertently revealed her form of address and instinctively froze on the spot.
He slowly turned his head, but fortunately Song Mai didn't notice anything.
Guilt filled her heart, and Song Mai sighed helplessly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know things would turn out this way." Song Mai lowered her head, her fingers twisting together.
"It's alright, it's not your fault. When I met you after arriving in Nandu, I felt a strong connection with you and naturally wanted to get closer to you. It's just that we both overlooked your feelings, and perhaps you think we have ulterior motives." Song Lan sighed helplessly.
“No, I know you meant no harm. I feel very relaxed around you, and I don’t feel any aversion at all.” Song Mai looked at her sincerely. “You said you would stay in Nandu for a few more days, but now you’re leaving early because of me, so of course I’m deliberately not going.”
“Child, don’t take this to heart,” Shen Ming said from the side. “That’s just her personality; she wants to leave when she feels she’s bothering others.”
"No, I hope you can stay here a few more days. Auntie's clothes haven't even started being made yet. Doesn't Auntie want to see me complete the process?"
Song Lan smiled brightly and nodded repeatedly: "Of course I'm willing."
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up, and Song Mai breathed a sigh of relief.
She smiled as she looked at the harmonious family of three, feeling a mix of indescribable melancholy and envy.
I thought that after so many years, I would be able to accept my family of origin.
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