Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

If Zixiao had shown even the slightest interest in competing for the future position of family head... no, even if she hadn't had that thought or action, she would probably have been doomed if the family had misunderstood her.

Fortunately, Zixiao basically stayed at home in the family villa, only occasionally going out to buy groceries, which allowed her to grow up safely and peacefully until Yuzhe and Yuche became strong today.

Today's favorable situation is all due to luck...

If any step in this process is wrong, it will lead to utter ruin.

Yang Qiuyun actually knew about these things.

Knowing this only intensifies the guilt and fear in my heart.

She lowered her head even further.

"This is the most foolish decision I've ever made in my life, Zixiao. I don't ask for your forgiveness. All the dangers you've faced that you've luckily avoided are just paying the price for my incompetence as a mother. I have to tell you the truth."

"Uh..."

Her sudden bow left Zixiao stunned for a while.

She was already a bit sleepy from staying up all night, and then her mom suddenly did this, which completely stunned her.

But the confusion didn't last long. A few seconds later, Zixiao stood up abruptly and quickly helped Yang Qiuyun stand up straight.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Bowing...apologizing...?"

"Absolutely not! Please stand up straight when you speak!"

"..."

That resolute tone...

Xiao Yuzhe must be strictly controlled by Zixiao.

Yang Qiuyun wanted to continue apologizing, but when she saw Zixiao's undeniable gaze, she had no choice but to stand up with her help.

Zixiao breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had stopped bending over.

"Phew...don't do this, Mom. I understand what you're doing."

"You can understand?! Do you really know how dangerous the Su family was during that time?!"

Good grief, you don't understand anything!

Even I can't understand the decision I made back then, a decision made out of pure anxiety, and you actually can?!

However, Zixiao resolutely nodded again.

"Yes, I understand. How should I put it... Mom, you should think of it this way: take investing for example. When we put money in, there is always risk involved. If we make money, everyone is happy. If we lose money, we have to accept it. Even investing requires mental preparation. Isn't life itself an investment like that?"

Is life like an investment?

That's...quite innovative.

Yang Qiuyun pressed further, "What do you mean by that?"

“What I mean is, to gain something, you should take the corresponding risks. Mom, you brought me into the Su family and let me meet my brother and Yu Che. This is something I will be grateful for for the rest of my life. If it weren’t for that, I would probably still be trapped in the orphanage fence and would not know what true happiness is. But... there should never be happiness that can be obtained for free. I just said that this is an investment in life. The dangers I faced when I was a child, as you just mentioned, were the risks of that investment. My current happiness is the reward I got after overcoming those risks.”

After saying that, Zixiao touched her black hair on the side with a wry smile.

"Haha... To be honest, I used to think this happiness came too suddenly and too easily, so I found it hard to feel at ease. But after your analysis, I realized I took such a big risk when I was a child? Hmm, that makes me feel much more at ease!"

It's more than just an adventure, Zixiao...

You were lucky enough to have a smooth and successful childhood, and that's just the first of your great achievements.

The second great achievement is that you have successfully become Yu Zhe's emotional support. The current situation is so good that it has far exceeded Yang Qiuyun's initial best expectations.

Yang Qiuyun knew that Zixiao was trying to comfort her by saying those things, even bringing up the relationship between investment and risk.

But this was Yang Qiuyun's biggest mistake, and she has never forgotten it.

"But Zixiao... I forced you into this 'investment,' you didn't know anything when you were little..."

"Hmm! Maybe that's true, but I'm willing to make this 'investment'! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have found the door to this gamble, would I?"

"I..."

Yang Qiuyun really didn't expect that one day she would be left speechless by Zixiao's rebuttal.

Seeing that her mother had finally given her approval, Zixiao had one last thing to say.

"Fortunately, we've won our bet now."

After a moment of silence, Yang Qiuyun shrugged.

"Yes, we won the bet."

The light of dawn finally spread across the coastline.

The sand and seashells on the beach broke through the darkness and were able to shine again with the light coming from the direction of the sun.

Yang Qiuyun squinted, savoring the unique warmth brought by the breaking of dawn.

Over the years, whenever she thinks of Zixiao, she regrets her decision back then.

But when she learned that Zixiao was doing well in the Su family and had become family with Yuzhe and Yuche, she was a little confused.

I don't understand whether my initial choice was right or wrong.

After listening to Zixiao's explanation today, Yang Qiuyun felt completely relieved.

Bringing Zixiao to the Su family was the right thing to do.

Regardless of the process or how thrilling it was, things are now peaceful and calm. Whether it's Zixiao, Yuzhe, Yuche, or even the girls around Yuzhe, everyone is so happy.

The bet was won.

that's enough.

The mother and daughter watched the sun slowly climb up the coastline, and they both felt very happy.

Oh right, there's one last thing I haven't asked yet.

"By the way... Mom, have you investigated my background? I still don't know why I've lived in an orphanage since I can remember."

“Of course I know,” Yang Qiuyun said with a smile. “You can always trust the Su family’s investigative abilities.”

She snapped her fingers and reported to Zixiao the results of her investigation, which she had obtained a few months after adopting her.

"At first, we thought you must be the young lady of some big family in Fenghai or Cangming City. After all, you are too beautiful and have too outstanding temperament among your peers. There are some children of big families who were sent away because of family disputes. But we have been searching for a long time and we really can't find your whereabouts in any big family."

"Later, through a series of coincidences, Lin Yin and I found your biological parents, who were ordinary workers in a factory in Fenghai City. This was quite unexpected. I heard that Lu Ling and Lu Yao were also abandoned by their parents, and your parents were the same. When you were born, they were too poor to raise you, so they sent you to an orphanage. That's why you've been in an orphanage since you can remember."

"As for now, your biological parents had a falling out a few years ago because they didn't get along. After their divorce, they each formed new families. Their lives... are they doing alright? Zixiao, do you need me to arrange a time for you to visit them separately?"

Zixiao showed no emotional fluctuation, only a faint smile.

"No need. There's no point in meeting, and I don't want to. Knowing the truth is enough."

The sun was already high in the sky, shining on Zixiao's beautiful face, which was now free of all worries.

"Didn't I say from the beginning that my home is where my brother is? Sigh, so be it. If my biological parents hadn't thrown me into the orphanage when I was born, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet my brother. I should be grateful for that. Yes, Mom, you're right. It's really all fate that I've come this far."

"Yes... it's fate that you met Yuzhe. It's not easy for you to meet Yuzhe. And for Yuzhe to meet you is the greatest luck for this child."

36. Hurry up!

"Suddenly enlightened" probably describes Zixiao's current mood.

The drowsiness had mostly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief and exhilaration after years of unresolved confusion.

She stretched, facing the soft morning sunlight.

"Whew~ Traveling was definitely the right thing to do, life is so wonderful~"

Zixiao rarely expresses such exaggerated sentiments, so her expression of emotion now reveals just how relaxed she is.

When Zixiao sat back down, she first checked the time on her phone.

"It's almost six o'clock... There's still more than half an hour before everyone gets up. Mom, what would you like to eat? Can I use the kitchen for a moment? I'd like to make some breakfast."

Yang Qiuyun smiled: "Make breakfast for twelve people?"

"Uh..."

If you include Yang Qiuyun and Lin Yin, then there are twelve people.

Zixiao was really in a dilemma.

Breakfast is different from lunch and dinner. Lunch and dinner are just a matter of adding some ingredients to the pot and a few more pairs of chopsticks.

But breakfast is the most important. Unless you only make a simple egg fried rice, if you need to make a whole roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) or an egg pancake, it will take more time for each additional person.

Half an hour...it might not be enough to finish...

Yang Qiuyun could see Zixiao's predicament and had long anticipated this situation.

She placed a finger on her forehead, her smile playful, showing an energy that belies her nearly forty years.

"Hehe, you have to thank your mom for this cleverness. I knew it would be like this, so last night I personally made some ready-to-eat snacks and sealed them in the refrigerator with plastic wrap. Don't worry, they're really high-quality! They're much better than fried rice or anything like that!"

"Is it real or fake..."

"Of course it's true!"

Zixiao learned her brother's cooking skills from her mother, so she wasn't worried about the quality of the food.

Or rather, the quality of the food should be superior to Zixiao's cooking skills...

No, he's definitely above her.

Hmm, I feel a bit uneasy.

Zixiao bumped her left leg against her right leg, then bumped her right leg against her left leg, her black hair swaying back and forth.

Well... there's not enough time. Today, let my brother eat the meals prepared by Mom. But tomorrow! I must get up early to prepare.

I've always been in charge of my brother's meals, so there's no reason for me to lose my job when he goes on a long trip!

Zixiao had no choice but to give in, and stood up to turn into the living room.

"Hmm...okay, I'll go heat it up. The food's in the fridge, right?"

"That's true... Hey, wait a minute! Zixiao, you don't need to worry, I'll take care of it myself in a bit. Don't worry, it won't be too late for your dinner."

"!"