Return to before death

When Yan's mother saw her daughter suddenly raise her head, she was startled. She felt that Yan Ran was not quite the same as before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

He moved his throat, and continued stiffly, "...But Tangtang is still a girl after all. Even when she grows up, she won't be able to take care of you. The main family needs an heir, right?"

Seemingly remembering something, she added, "Your most urgent task now is to have another boy, so that you and Zhengqing will have someone to take care of you in the future, instead of like this now, look how thin you've become."

When Yan's father heard the boy's unusual nod of agreement, he said, "Yes, your mother is right."

After her mother finished speaking, Yan Ran couldn't hold back any longer and retorted, "Mom, let's not talk about Tangtang anymore, okay? Tangtang is him..."

Suddenly realizing the complexity of the situation, she paused, sighed deeply, and looked at the person suspiciously before speaking again…

"Are you genuinely unaware, or are you pretending not to know?"

"What do you mean, 'I really don't know' or 'I don't know'? And what happened to him? Just finish your sentence!" Yan Ran suddenly stopped speaking halfway through her sentence. What was this "knowing or not knowing" thing? Yan's mother was completely confused and pressed for an answer.

"Zong Zhengqing and I have decided to divorce."

"What? Divorce? Why? You two were doing fine, why are you suddenly saying you want a divorce?" Yan Ran's mother was so shocked that she stood up abruptly and looked at Yan Ran, raising her voice to ask.

Seeing her mother's somewhat hysterical state, Yan Ran frowned and replied stiffly, "It's just that we can't get along anymore."

"Hmph, I knew it. Is it because you think Tangtang died because of Zhengqing? What did I tell you? I told you there's nothing wrong with having a daughter, right?" Yan's father stood up and sneered.

Seeing Yan Ran lower her head and remain silent, he sneered and continued, "You spent so much money raising her, and she got married and had a child, a girl, who didn't live long before being kidnapped and killed. If it were a boy, it would never have happened. A child who's a money-loser is still a money-loser."

Upon hearing this, Mother Yan's face froze, the words she was about to say stuck in her throat, and she opened her mouth but could not utter a sound.

Zong Zhengqing hadn't expected things to turn out this way, and stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

It's a money-loser, a money-loser, a money-loser...

The words that had been constantly echoing around her since childhood, the words used to describe herself, flooded into Yan Ran's mind like a tide. At this moment, these words were once again being used to describe her daughter.

The chopsticks he was holding had already fallen to the ground, his hands were clenched into fists, and his body was trembling with anger.

She'd had enough, whether it was the so-called preference for sons over daughters or the unhappy marriage she couldn't escape.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at her father.

A mocking smile curved his lips as he slammed his hands on the table: "Enough! Tangtang is my child. I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl. What does it have to do with you?"

She paused, straightened up, and continued, her expression softening. As they often saw, she smiled gently and said softly, "If you don't like me wanting a boy, why didn't you just strangle me when I was born? Why did you keep me alive until now?"

Then she turned to the man who had been standing there doing nothing and smiled sweetly: "Zong Zhengqing, I never thought you were so cowardly in front of my parents. Let me tell you, this divorce is final, and it won't make a difference who you invite."

Suddenly remembering something, she paused for a moment and added, "I forgot to take Tangtang's things last time. You can give them to me next time we sign the divorce papers."

Before she could finish speaking, and without waiting for anyone else to react, she bent down, picked up her bag, looked at her mother, and said softly, "Mom, I'm leaving now. The food here is quite good, you can enjoy your meal."

Mr. and Mrs. Yan stood there, stunned. They had never seen Yan Ran so assertive. In their memories, she was still the gentle, obedient daughter who listened to everything they said, who never caused them any worry, and who would never argue back no matter how much they scolded her.

Stepping out of the restaurant and onto the street, I looked at the brightly lit, bustling street, still vibrant and noisy even at night, with cars and people coming and going. I breathed a sigh of relief, and an idea began to take shape in my mind.

“Zong Zhengqing, since you have given me such a generous gift, how can I not return the favor… Heh.”

Even though she forced herself to cheer up and went home, Yu Xiao still noticed how tired she was.

Despite Yu Xiao's concerns, Yan Ran didn't reveal anything. She simply smiled to reassure her, said she was a little tired, and went back to her room to rest.

Ji Shuhai, who was standing to the side, watched as the door closed and Yu Xiao looked at the door with some worry. He walked over and put his arms around his girlfriend's waist to comfort her, saying, "She will tell you when she wants to. Don't you remember? She promised you. She just doesn't want you to worry about her right now."

Yu Xiao turned around and nestled in his arms, letting him pat her back to comfort her like a child, and softly responded, "Mmm."

the next day……

Yan Ran still couldn't let go of the Zong Family Hospital matter. She took out her phone and scrolled through the call history. Her slender fingers kept swiping up and down the screen, but she didn't tap it.

Yan Ran sat in the chair, staring at the screen with a conflicted expression, seemingly lost in thought. She would frown, purse her lips, and sigh...

About ten minutes later, as if he had made a decision to go to the battlefield, he dialed the phone with a "once a hero goes, never to return" attitude.

A short while later, the person on the other end of the line answered the phone.

"..."

They both fell silent, and the air was quiet.

"Hello, is this Mr. Sheng...?" Yan Ran felt a little awkward making the first phone call.

"Um... is there something you need?" This was the first time Sheng Xuanling had received a call from Yan Ran. She answered instinctively, a little bewildered, unsure of what to say.

Yan Ran gripped the phone tightly, her breath slightly tense: "I just wanted to ask, have you found anything on your end?"

"There hasn't been much progress yet, but we've found some leads, and we should be able to find it in a few days. It'll be soon," Sheng Xuanling replied while reviewing the documents.

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and changed the subject, her words full of laughter: "What? Miss Yan, you're not looking for an excuse to come see me, are you? I was wondering why you would suddenly call me. I need to check if the sun rose in the west today."

The familiar teasing and irritating tone instantly relaxed Yan Ran, who skillfully returned the sarcastic retort, "You...didn't you say you weren't interested in women? Well, I'm not interested in a greenhorn like you either."