The blind boss's nanny

So she suppressed her smile, raised her head, and looked intently into his unseen eyes, speaking clearly and with unprecedented seriousness:

"Lu Tingzhao, I love you."

This was the first time she had spoken so openly and without reservation.

Lu Tingzhao was clearly taken aback by her sudden, earnest confession. Accustomed to her witty banter and dramatic flair, this straightforward and passionate sincerity struck him like a jolt, leaving him feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.

He lowered his head and captured her lips, sealing away all her words of love with a long and deep kiss, and pouring out his own surging and indescribable emotions.

This kiss was different from the usual lingering or forceful ones; it carried a precious tenderness, yet was burning hot.

Only when both of them were breathing erratically did he reluctantly release them, their foreheads touching, as they tried to calm their breathing.

A deep longing for intimacy clamored within me, but at this moment, there were more important things to do.

"Xiaoman,"

His voice still carried a slight hoarseness from the emotion, but it had regained its usual composure.

"Don't you want to... rebuild Sunshine Home?"

Lin Xiaoman's eyes were glistening with tears from his kisses, her lips were slightly swollen, and her consciousness was still a little hazy.

Upon hearing this question, she was initially bewildered, and then a long-suppressed sense of loss washed over her, overshadowing the sweetness she had just felt.

"I don't want to think about it anymore..."

She lowered her eyelashes, her voice slightly muffled, trying to make her tone sound calm.

"Lin Langqing sold that land. That... will never happen again."

Lu Tingzhao pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke in a fairytale-like tone, half-jokingly:

"If... what's standing in front of you right now is Aladdin's lamp. It can grant you any wish. So, Lin Xiaoman, tell me your wish."

Without a second thought, Lin Xiaoman immediately raised her eyes, her expression unusually serious, and said, word by word:

"Then I'll beg him...to make your eyes better right now!"

After he finished speaking, the balcony fell silent.

Lu Tingzhao fell completely silent. A night breeze blew by, ruffling the hems of their clothes.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Xiaoman finally heard his extremely calm voice:

"Xiaoman, there's a document in the safe in my bedroom. Go get it for me now."

Although Lin Xiaoman was puzzled, she obediently did as she was told. Soon, she retrieved a thin folder.

Lu Tingzhao did not take it, but merely gestured:

"Open it."

Lin Xiaoman opened it without understanding why.

What came into view was a very familiar document—a land use right transfer contract.

The land information, number, and location on the contract... were exactly the original site of her beloved "Sunshine Home," which she thought she had long lost!

Lin Xiaoman's breath caught in her throat, and her fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably. An absurd yet incredibly clear realization exploded in her mind.

The "foolish and rich sucker" that Lin Langqing mentioned... is none other than Lu Tingzhao!

Tears welled up instantly.

The man's voice carried a hint of anticipation.

"Xiaoman, are you happy?"

Lin Xiaoman's voice was a little choked up:

"happy!"

She placed her face in the man's palm and didn't let go for a long time.

The man's voice came from her trembling shoulders:

"Xiaoman, stay by my side... I will help you fulfill all your wishes."

The next morning, the manor welcomed its guests.

It was Codonopsis pilosula. Behind him was a gentle young woman, who was holding the hand of a little girl who looked about four or five years old and had pigtails.

Lin Xiaoman clearly heard the little girl look up and call out to Dang Shen in a clear, crisp voice, "Daddy!"

Dang Yin appeared somewhat shy and introverted, standing quietly beside Dang Shen.

Lin Xiaoman, holding a thick red envelope, smiled and walked towards the little girl. Seeing this, Dang Yin quickly waved her hand, looking somewhat flustered, clearly mistaking Lin Xiaoman for the lady of the house.

"It's a New Year's gift from the chairman to the children."

Lin Xiaoman quickly explained with a smile, her tone relaxed and natural, "I'm just an employee!"

As she spoke, she stuffed the red envelope into the little girl's hand and then stroked her soft hair.

The little girl was quickly drawn to Yuanbao, who was lying by the fireplace. Dang Yin then sat down with her daughter on the carpet by the fireplace, watching her interact with the golden retriever with tenderness.

Lin Xiaoman turned to Dang Shen and sincerely wished him a "Happy New Year." Looking at the peaceful expression on his face, she said from the bottom of her heart:

"It's so good to see you like this now... I'm really happy for you."

Codonopsis pilosula showed a shy smile:

"I still want to thank you and the chairman. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to find them so quickly..."

Fate can be strangely poignant at times. Almost simultaneously with his being "invited" back to China, his younger sister, Dang Yin, experienced a broken marriage, was mistreated by her ex-husband, and was left with almost nothing, finding herself homeless with her daughter.

His return was like a timely rain.

Lin Xiaoman shook her head:

"It's because you never gave up. That's the most important thing."

What appears to be a coincidental arrangement of fate is actually a deep-seated longing between the two that has never faded over the decades.

Codonopsis never neglected her Chinese language skills while abroad, and would take every opportunity to communicate with her compatriots, always keeping that vague old address firmly in her heart.

In the adoptive mother's home, the yellowed old photograph—showing young Codonopsis, Codonopsis and a much younger mother—has always been placed in the most prominent position.

"Actually... I've also thought about coming back to find them."

Codonopsis lit a cigarette, and the rising smoke blurred the fleeting melancholy in his eyes.

"But I'm also afraid that they've already moved on to new lives and forgotten me... The world is so big, it won't be easy to find them."

Amidst the swirling smoke, Lin Xiaoman's gaze inadvertently swept over his wrist, where the faint, intermingled old and new scars were still faintly visible. Her heart tightened slightly.

"so,"

She asked softly, with concern.

"Now... Dr. Dang, are you happy?"

Dang Shen didn't answer immediately. He turned his head and looked at the mother and daughter who were quietly playing with Yuanbao by the fireplace. Dang Yin said something, and the little girl let out a clear, cheerful laugh, while Yuanbao wagged its tail affectionately.

Looking at that heartwarming scene, a genuine smile slowly bloomed on Codonopsis pilosula's face.

"I'm very happy."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Xiaoman, his tone firm.

"I'm very happy."

If he had known earlier that his distant relatives had never forgotten him, he might have been able to escape those cold years sooner.

But it's not too late now. At least, his return is timely.

Seeing the peace and contentment that had finally settled in Dang Shen's eyes, the thought that had been swirling in Lin Xiaoman's mind for so long became clearer and more resolute.

She will apply for a visa after the New Year.