After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

Cheng Shao and Han Yun were slightly taken aback upon hearing her words.

Anning knew that these words were a bit cruel to them, but for her, returning to Cheng's home meant nothing.

It's been 28 years.

She feels familiar with Dianhai Lake and has attachments and concerns about settling down here.

The Cheng family was the only one they knew nothing about.

She couldn't adapt to a new family.

Besides, she already has a family.

She didn't have a warm home when she longed for one the most.

Now Lu Xiyan has given her a complete family.

She didn't want to go anywhere.

After wandering for too long, I have finally drifted home.

"Why?"

Han Yun asked, her voice choked with emotion, "Are you still blaming Mom and Dad?"

Facing Anning, she was filled with guilt and self-blame.

Whether it was six years ago or six years later, she had repeatedly embarrassed Anning and hurt her with condescending words.

He even slapped her!

She even slapped her own daughter!

Thinking of this, Han Yun was heartbroken.

"I'm sorry... Mom didn't mean it..."

"If Mom knew you were my biological daughter, how could I bear to hurt you..."

"If I had known you were my daughter, how could I have hit you? I love you so much, my daughter..."

"Ningning!" Han Yun cried, her face streaked with tears, as she gripped her daughter's hand tightly. "Mommy didn't mean it. I know you're upset. You can resent Mommy or not forgive Mommy, but you're still my daughter. Please come home with Mommy, okay?"

She sobbed uncontrollably, and Cheng Shao lowered his head, wiped his wet eyes, and wept as well.

Who would have thought that he had also crushed his own daughter's happiness with his own hands?

Anning's tears fell. "I'm sorry..."

She let Han Yun hold her hand tightly, looked up to meet her eyes filled with guilt, and said, "I know it wasn't you who abandoned me, so I don't blame you or resent you."

"But..." An Ning felt a pang of pain in her heart, pouted, pointed to her chest, and said in a tearful voice, "I have too many grievances, too many bad experiences, too many twists and turns here..."

She turned her head away, trying to control the tears that kept falling.

"I really... I really can't call you Mom and Dad."

"I could be An Ning, who grew up in the most ordinary An family in the bustling urban village of Jinghai, or Jiang Zhi, the daughter of the Jiang family, a medical family in Dianhai, southern China, but I just don't want to be Cheng Wanwan."

"At least for now, I don't think I should go back to the Cheng family."

Upon hearing her words, Han Yun burst into tears.

Cheng Shao wiped away his tears and nodded. "Okay, okay, Dad understands you. Mom and Dad won't force you now. Anyway, we have plenty of time. Mom and Dad will give you time."

"One month, two months, one year, two years, it doesn't matter." Cheng Shao looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "You can come home anytime you want."

"Whenever you want to acknowledge us, Mom and Dad will welcome you anytime."

He stood up and bowed deeply to Anning with sincere emotion. "Dad is so sorry!"

An Ning clenched her fists, turned her head away, and tears streamed down her face.

Twenty-eight years of suffering cannot be erased in a day or two.

She can forgive, or she can choose not to hold a grudge.

But she won't forget.

Although these pains were not caused by their biological parents, they did nothing wrong.

But she understood that if she went back to the Cheng family now, she would only be replacing Cheng Wanwan, becoming another Cheng Wanwan, and becoming Cheng Shao and Han Yun's only hope.

The table was piled with gifts they had brought, all of them expensive jewelry and luxury handbags, many of which she didn't even recognize.

But she had seen most of those styles on Cheng Wanwan.

Presumably, Cheng Wanwan had always liked these things, so the Cheng couple tried their best to satisfy her.

But what Cheng Wanwan likes is not what An Ning likes.

She will not be Cheng Wanwan.

Her attitude was clear, so Cheng Shao and Han Yun stopped pressuring her.

Before leaving, Cheng Shao asked her, "Is there anything you want? Or is there anything your parents can do to make it up to you?"

An Ning shook her head. "I don't need anything."

She saw them to the door, smiling politely and gracefully, "Uncle Cheng, Aunt Han, take care."

Cheng Shao and Han Yun were slightly taken aback, then nodded with grave expressions.

Everyone understood each other implicitly; this form of address was neither too formal nor too intimate.

But that was the closest she could get to them.

That's all there is to it.

......

A black Maybach drove into the front yard of Yuhe Public Relations, while several luxury cars parked outside the villa had already driven away.

Lu Xiyan led An Xuan into the living room, where they saw no one else except for the mountain of gifts piled up inside.

Cheng Shao and Han Yun had obviously already left.

"Where is the young mistress?" he asked the maid.

"It seems the young mistress has gone upstairs."

Lu Xiyan asked the servant to take An Xian out to play, and went upstairs to find An Ning.

Anning was nowhere to be seen in the rooms upstairs. Just as she was about to enter the bedroom, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Through the half-open door, he saw a light-colored figure standing in the room, with her back to him, seemingly holding something in her hand and staring intently at it.

He walked in quietly, and only then did he see clearly—

Anning stood by the bed, the drawer was open, and she was holding a medicine bottle in her hand.

Lu Xiyan was startled and strode forward.

Before An Ning could react, the medicine bottle in her hand was snatched away, and she was pulled into a warm and thick embrace and held tightly.

He was surrounded by the clean, pleasant scent of a man, familiar and reassuring.

She noticed that the man's heartbeat was fast, very fast and intense, pounding against her heart with each beat.

He placed one hand on her back and gently stroked the back of her head with the other, his touch light and tender.

"It's alright, Ningning... It's alright, I'm here, don't be afraid."

His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

His tone was like that of someone comforting a frightened child.

He held her tightly in his arms, afraid that she might do something rash.

Anning hasn't taken this medication for a long time. She said she only takes it when she can't control her emotions; without it, she would harm herself.

Lu Xiyan didn't know if Cheng Shao and Han Yun had provoked her again during his absence, which was why she had brought out the medicine again.

His heart ached, and all he wanted to do was hold her tightly so she wouldn't be so scared.

An Ning was slightly stunned as she was held in her arms.

It took her a while to react, and she reached out to hug him back, "I'm fine, west Yan."

Her tone was calm, and she certainly didn't seem to have any extreme emotions.

Lu Xiyan released her and looked down at her. Her gaze was gentle, and her skin was delicate and translucent, with a rosy glow.

"What are you doing with the medicine?"

Looking at the medicine he had snatched away, An Ning suddenly smiled, "You were so nervous just now because you thought I was going to take medicine?"