The richest man's parents were kidnapped, and his adorable son captivated the entire family.

When Xie Yumin dragged her suitcase out of the hospital gate, the May sun was dazzling.

She took out her phone and sent a text message to Mengmeng. Her fingertip hovered over the screen for a long time before she finally wrote only, "Take care of yourself."

Just as I pressed the send button, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Xie Yumin!"

Ruolan's voice was chillingly cold, "I forgot to tell you, I'll be keeping Mengmeng's phone from today onwards."

"You'd better be smart and stop using such despicable methods to seduce children."

Xie Yumin turned around abruptly and saw Ruolan leaning against the hospital entrance with a sinister smile on her lips.

She gripped her phone tightly, her nails almost piercing her palms: "You promised to let me see Mengmeng."

When did I ever agree to that?

Ruolan raised an eyebrow. "I said 'I could consider it,' but now I've changed my mind. After all..."

She took two steps closer and lowered her voice, "Who knows what you're up to? Maybe you're planning to take this opportunity to kidnap Mengmeng?"

"you!"

Xie Yumin trembled all over, "You're going back on your word!"

"I went back on my word?"

Ruolan sneered, "President Gu has no idea you've been in the hospital for so long. If he knew you were always hanging around Mengmeng, what do you think he would think?"

These words struck Xie Yumin like a heavy hammer blow.

She suddenly remembered the ever-perfectly pressed wrinkles on Gu Yinshen's suits, and the rare tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Mengmeng.

I have nothing now, how can I compete with Gu Yinshen?

"I will not give up."

Xie Yumin gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "Even if we can't see each other, I won't let you hurt the child!"

Ruolan scoffed and turned to leave: "Suit yourself, but I advise you not to waste your energy."

"Mengmeng is a member of the Gu family; you can never interfere."

In the days that followed, Xie Yumin seemed to have all her strength drained away.

Every day when she passed by the hospital, she would pause for a moment at the entrance, wondering which ward Mengmeng was in, whether she was eating on time, and whether something had happened to her because of Ruolan.

This torment became unbearable late at night three days later, and just then, Xie Yumin suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

"Hey?"

A faint sob came through the receiver, and Xie Yumin's heart pounded. "Mengmeng? Is that you?"

"Aunt……"

The little girl's voice was clearly trembling with tears, "I...I've memorized the number...When are you coming to pick me up?"

Xie Yumin gripped the bedsheet tightly, her nails digging into her palms: "Mengmeng, how did you get the phone? Is Aunt Ruolan here?"

"She went to take a shower..."

Mengmeng sobbed, "Auntie, my stomach hurts again today. Aunt Ruolan said I was faking it... She even scolded me, saying I'm an unwanted wild child..."

Xie Yumin felt as if a knife was stabbing into her heart. She jumped up, grabbed her coat, and ran outside, shouting, "Mengmeng, wait for me, I'm coming right now—"

"no!"

Mengmeng suddenly lowered her voice, "She's out! Auntie, don't come, or she'll hit me..."

The sound of hurried footsteps came through the receiver, followed by Ruolan's angry roar.

"Who gave you permission to touch your phone?!"

Then there was a commotion, and the phone call was suddenly disconnected.

Xie Yumin stood in the night wind for a long time until her phone screen went out.

She looked down at the crescent-shaped bloodstain on her palm and suddenly remembered the bright light in Mengmeng's eyes when she first called her "Auntie".

The next morning, Xie Yumin waited at the hospital entrance. She waited for two hours before finally seeing Ruolan come out carrying a thermos.

"Let me see Mengmeng." She blocked Ruolan's path, her voice hoarse.

Ruolan raised an eyebrow: "Oh, what's going on here? Didn't I make it clear yesterday? You and Mengmeng have nothing to do with each other anymore, so stop bothering me..."

"She called me last night."

Xie Yumin looked directly into her eyes, "She said her stomach hurt, and you called her a wild child."

Ruolan's expression changed, and she sneered, "Children like you are just talking nonsense."

"If you dare to spread rumors again, I will sue you for defamation!"

"Then let's go ask Mengmeng."

Xie Yumin took a step forward. "Go now, let her tell me herself—"

"Xie Yumin!"

A cold shout suddenly came from behind. Xie Yumin's blood seemed to freeze, and she slowly turned around...

Gu Yinshen, dressed in a sharp suit, stood on the hospital steps, looking at her with a sinister gaze.

“Gu Yinshen…”

Xie Yumin's voice trembled, "I just came to see Mengmeng..."

"I've already given you a lot of face, but who gave you permission to come and touch Mengmeng again?"

Gu Yinshen slowly walked down the steps, the sound of his leather shoes hitting the ground like a heavy hammer blow to Xie Yumin's heart. "I kept you here back then because of our past relationship."

"But you seem to be pushing your luck!"

Xie Yumin clenched her fists: "I didn't misunderstand, I'm just worried about Mengmeng's health—"

"Her health is none of your concern."

Gu Yinshen interrupted her, his gaze as cold as a knife, "Ruolan is her guardian, and she knows better than you how to take care of her."

"From today onwards, if you dare to show your face near Mengmeng again, don't blame me for being impolite."

After saying that, he stepped aside to walk past Xie Yumin, took the thermos from Ruolan's hand, and didn't even look at her again.

Xie Yumin stood there, watching the two walk into the hospital side by side. She suddenly remembered that Gu Yinshen had treated her quite well before, and would always try his best to protect her no matter what happened.

But now, his dutiful protection has become a knife stabbing her.

Late at night, Xie Yumin lay on the small bed in her rented room, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She sat up abruptly and saw a text message from an unknown number: "Mengmeng wants to see you tomorrow at 3 PM in the stairwell at the end of the pediatric corridor."

She gripped her phone tightly, her heart pounding.

In Xie Yumin's memory, only Gu Yinshen would talk to her like that...

Could it be that the way this man acted outside the hospital today was just an act on purpose?

"Perhaps... he was only like that because Ruolan was there..."

Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in Xie Yumin's heart.

Perhaps Gu Yinshen really is willing to let him take Mengmeng away?

The next afternoon, Xie Yumin waited in the stairwell half an hour early.

When the minute hand pointed to three, footsteps were heard coming from around the corner.

She held her breath, but saw Ruolan walking towards her with her arms crossed, a victor's smile on her lips.

"I knew you'd come."

Ruolan took out her phone and waved it, "Mengmeng's phone is with me, that text message... was sent by me."

Xie Yumin took a half step back, her back pressed against the cold wall: "What do you want?"

"How about it?"

Ruolan pressed closer, "I want you to disappear completely from Mengmeng's world. President Gu has already lost patience with you. If you continue to pester me, I'll tell him about you sneaking into the hospital and let him deal with you personally."

"You know perfectly well that Mengmeng is suffering!"

Xie Yumin suddenly lost control, "Her allergy is because she drank the milk you gave me, making her sick, just to get rid of me—"

"Snapped!"

A slap landed hard on Xie Yumin's face. Ruolan's nails scratched across her cheek, her eyes filled with malice: "You bitch, if you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

"Mengmeng is my daughter, how could I harm her?"

"You're just an outsider, what right do you have to point fingers?"