The Abandoned Daughter's Second Chance

Chapter 182: Chapter 170: Paper Cannot Contain Fire

Tang Haocheng’s mind was in turmoil. He remembered his parents arguing once. He’d heard his dad say, "That child is pitiful," while his mom sobbed, "Xuanxuan’s health is poor." And Tang Yaxuan really wasn’t well. She would faint for no reason and cling to their mother, crying her eyes out. The thirteen-year-old girl seemed to be hiding a huge secret, but she refused to talk about it when asked.

And when Tang Haocheng helped her with her homework, he had noticed three smeared inkblots on her scratchpad on more than one occasion. He had only glanced at them, but he could faintly make out a character that looked like "Man."

’Does this have something to do with the "Mo Xiaoman" Wu Meini mentioned?’

’How old is Wu Meini, anyway? If she hadn’t seen or heard those things, it’s unlikely she’d make them up on her own, right? Shouldn’t a story a little girl invents be something wonderful? Why would it have an ugly sister?’

’My mom really is her aunt. Mom gave Wu Meini double the red envelope money and more candy than all the other kids. That’s because Uncle only has one child for now. Wu Meini’s excitement and happiness were genuine. She shouldn’t hate her aunt, so why would she speak ill of her? And as for the name Tang Yaxuan... everyone just calls her Xuanxuan. Wu Meini doesn’t even know Xuanxuan’s full name is Tang Yaxuan!’

’Were those just a little girl’s careless words, or were they also the truth?’

Wu Xiaoyang and Wu Xiaofeng saw Tang Qingyun’s family off at the train station. While boarding the train, Tang Haocheng deliberately hung back, pulled Wu Xiaofeng aside, and asked, "Uncle, that Mo Xiaoman from your family... is she doing all right?"

Wu Xiaofeng was stunned. He couldn’t help but ask, "Hao Hao, you... you know all about it?"

The shock in Tang Haocheng’s eyes was even greater than Wu Xiaofeng’s!

It was crowded during the Spring Festival, so they couldn’t get sleeper tickets and had to take seats. Tang Haocheng took out a book and sat by the window, but Wu Xiaowen stopped him. She said the light was too poor and the train car was too shaky, and that he would ruin his eyes. So, Tang Haocheng put the book away, rested his chin on his hand, and stared silently out the window.

This was just his personality. Whenever he was quiet, everyone assumed he was lost in thought, mulling over some problem. Tang Qingyun and Wu Xiaowen didn’t bother him; Xuanxuan’s cheerful laughter was more than enough. With the family together, the journey wasn’t lonely.

When they arrived in Wancheng and got off the train, it was just after five in the morning, right before dawn. The couple gently woke their son and daughter, who had fallen asleep slumped over the small table between the seats. But they discovered Tang Haocheng had a fever. It seemed serious—his face was flushed and burning hot. Fortunately, someone was there to pick them up by car, so they rushed straight to the hospital. At the emergency room, a check revealed he had a fever of 102 degrees. He was immediately given a shot to bring the fever down. Tang Haocheng refused to be hospitalized for observation, so they just took some medicine and went home.

Back home, there was another flurry of activity as they boiled water for everyone to bathe and change. After eating some noodles prepared by their housekeeper, Wu Xiaowen told Tang Qingyun and Tang Yaxuan to get some rest while she looked after Hao Hao. But Tang Haocheng said he also wanted to get a good sleep and didn’t need her to stay with him.

Wu Xiaowen was still worried, so Tang Qingyun brought in a cot and set it up in Tang Haocheng’s room to sleep there. Only then did Wu Xiaowen finally go to rest.

The whole family slept until the afternoon to catch up on rest. Afterward, Tang Qingyun took Tang Haocheng back to the hospital for another shot. They returned just in time for dinner, but Tang Haocheng had no appetite. He only managed a small half-bowl of the congee their housekeeper had made.

That night, Tang Haocheng still wanted his father to look after him. Tang Qingyun had to work in Wancheng the next day, so he stayed to keep his son company.

The father and son lay on their separate beds, chatting about a few things. Suddenly, Tang Haocheng asked, "Dad, do you know who Mo Xiaoman is?"

Tang Qingyun went quiet for a moment. Then he shot upright, staring at his son. "Hao Hao, what did you just say?"

Tang Haocheng’s tone was flat. "Uncle told me. Mo Xiaoman is the baby Mom gave birth to. You abandoned her because she was ugly and you didn’t want her!"

Tang Qingyun froze completely. "No," he said, his voice wooden. "It’s not like that! Hao Hao, you..."

"Then you tell me: Is Tang Yaxuan your biological daughter, or is she someone else’s child?"

Tang Qingyun hesitated. "It’s... a long story. And there are complications and things to consider."

"I want a straight answer: yes or no? If Mo Xiaoman is my sister, why didn’t you want her? If Tang Yaxuan isn’t your biological daughter, why do you love her more than anything else? I thought about this the entire train ride, and I can’t make sense of it. It’s driving me crazy! So I have to know the truth! If you won’t give me an answer, then just let me go back to Beijing! It would only be one semester early. Grandma’s sick and Grandpa’s busy. I can take care of myself, and I can look after Grandma, too!"

Tang Qingyun lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "All right. Let’s talk."

Tang Haocheng scrambled out of his bed, climbed into Tang Qingyun’s cot, and snuggled under the same blanket. Tang Qingyun looked at his son, speechless. The boy had grown up with his grandparents, and he knew how they had raised him—loved, but never spoiled. He had slept in his own room since he was small, and once he got used to it, he would refuse even if his parents asked him to sleep with them. Yet here he was, eagerly climbing into his father’s bed. It was obvious just how desperately he wanted to know the truth.

"It wasn’t your uncle who told you, was it?"

’Otherwise, how could he only know half the story? He even worked himself into a high fever over it.’ Tang Qingyun stroked his son’s head, his heart aching for him.

Tang Haocheng nodded but didn’t rat out Wu Meini. "I overheard the adults talking."

Tang Qingyun sighed. ’Xiao Wen still wants to keep this under wraps, but she can’t even keep her own family from talking. The truth will always come out eventually!’

In no time, Tang Qingyun had explained the whole story to Tang Haocheng, including his and Wu Xiaowen’s worries. Tang Haocheng already knew that his paternal grandmother disliked Wu Xiaowen.

After a moment of silence, Tang Haocheng said, "So, some people really are incredible. Without any proof or guesswork, they can tell just by looking that Tang Yaxuan isn’t your biological daughter."

"She may not be our biological daughter, but we are a family. Your mother and I have raised her for thirteen years, and you two have been brother and sister for eleven. That’s a bond that can’t be erased."

Tang Qingyun continued, "You got a fever just thinking about this, but the pressure your Sister Xuanxuan is under is even greater. It’s become a deep-seated anxiety for her. She’s terrified of leaving our family. If it develops into severe depression, she might even try to self-harm or commit suicide. So, for your sister’s sake, even though you know, can you please not make a big deal out of it for now? Okay?"

Tang Haocheng looked at his father in astonishment. "My sister... she’s known about this all along?"

"Yes. Her biological parents found her first. She found out everything over a year ago."

"Over a year ago... Then why didn’t she tell me?"

"If she could have told you, she wouldn’t be sick with depression!"

"But when she’s at home with you and Mom, she seems so happy. She doesn’t seem depressed at all."

"That’s exactly why! From the moment she was born, we were her mom and dad, you were her little brother, and this was her home. Then suddenly, all of that changed. Imagine being thrown into a completely unfamiliar environment. Just think how scared she must be. She can only relax and be happy in this house, with her mom, dad, and brother. The moment she leaves this home, leaves us, she gets sick. Do you understand?"

Tang Haocheng shook his head, looking lost. "I... I don’t understand."