Actually, with Mr Fu’s current position and age, he could only attain the level of Vice County Head at most in his lifetime unless a major stroke of fortune descended.

  It was most difficult for Xu Tingsheng to deduce his considerations and intentions. Next, Xu Tingsheng had never aspired towards political authority himself, which also made it nigh impossible for him to understand the Fu family’s yearning for it.

  In the afternoon, just as Xu Tingsheng was wracking his brains for a solution, Fu Cheng appeared before him with Niannian in his arms, his face deathly ashen.

  He was also holding a note.

  That morning, Fang Yunyao had passed Niannian to Fu Cheng, asking him to look after her while she visited her relative’s house to say goodbye. Fu Cheng had wanted to go with her. Having never met that relative before, he wished to thank him in person for his help in the previous hardships that Fang Yunyao had faced.

  Additionally, as Fang Yunyao had said that it was to bid them goodbye, Fu Cheng had been quite excited as he believed that she was doing so in preparation for moving to Yanzhou with him.

  Fang Yunyao had refused, instead asking Fu Cheng to bring Niannian to play in the grassy area behind their hotel. She had said that she would be back very soon. Fu Cheng had not doubted her or insisted otherwise……in the end, noon arrived but Fang Yunyao was nowhere to be seen.

  Feeling a bit frantic, Fu Cheng had called only to find that Fang Yunyao’s phone was switched off.

  Scanning the room, he had discovered that everything everyone had bought for Fang Yunyao these past few days, clothes included, was laid out neatly on the table. She had departed with merely her original luggage alone while leaving all these behind.

  She had also left behind all of Niannian’s belongings, including her clothes, diapers, milk bottle and toys etcetera.

  And finally, there was a note:

  “Fu Cheng, I’m leaving, without Niannian. I do actually feel very safe leaving Niannian with you. I believe that however unwilling your parents may be, with you, Xu Tingsheng and the others around, Niannian will still receive the best life and education, this being something I cannot provide Niannian with no matter what. It’s destined that things between us will never work out. Also, I thought about it for a long time. I’m too useless. If Niannian is with me, it’ll only hamper her life. I also know that it may be difficult for you to raise Niannian when you’re still so young. Still, please allow me to be selfish for once, for the sake of our child. I’ll exchange it……with my being unselfish, in not hampering or interfering with anything. Fu Cheng, forgive Ms Fang for truly lacking the courage or the confidence……I really dare not face your parents again. I also don’t want to see your relationship becoming like that because of me. They’re your parents, after all.”


  “There’s already no way around this anymore, isn’t it? Actually, I’d like to remain by your side too. I fantasised a lot about our happy future together these past few days. I actually cannot bear to leave Niannian too. But I’ve still decided not to take her away with me…… Fu Cheng, please don’t blame me. Take good care of Niannian. Tingsheng, please help take care of Niannian too. Thank you. Song Ni, I may be troubling you often with Niannian from now on. Finally, my Niannian, don’t blame Mum. Just forget about Mum when you’re older. Mum’s too useless……sorry.”


  It was signed off by Fang Yunyao.

  So, she had chosen to run away once again. And this time, she had even left Niannian behind.

  Perhaps this was the actual reason that she had stayed even after seeing Mr Fu’s messages that day. She had actually long since given up on her and Fu Cheng’s future together. It was actually Niannian whom she had been thinking for, unable to stop constantly worrying about.

  “When she suddenly often let me get closer to Niannian, deliberately creating opportunities for me to look after her by myself, teaching me how to take care of her, like making milk, changing diapers, coaxing her to sleep……I should have realised something was up……but I didn’t,” Fu Cheng hugged Little Niannian, saying helplessly.

  The contents of the note were written as calmly as possible as Fang Yunyao evidently did not wish to pressure and destabilise Fu Cheng’s mentality too much. Still, one could only imagine how much pain she must be in from leaving Fu Cheng again and leaving Niannian behind too……

  She had once said that she would be unable to live on without her child. She had also begged them not to snatch Niannian away from her recently, saying that she could not do without her……

  Niannian was the entirety of Fang Yunyao’s spiritual support.

  Yet, she had now left, leaving Niannian to Fu Cheng. Her rationality had triumphed over her emotions, forcing her to make such a choice. While she had been quietly guiding Fu Cheng in taking care of their daughter……she might have been in heart-wrenching pain every moment of it, wishing with every fibre of her being to give up on her plan……but ultimately, she had still done so.

  When doing skincare that day, Ye Qing and co had described to her Niannian’s future and life after going to Yanzhou. This was something Fang Yunyao would never have dared to dream about before. After hearing about this, she wished that Niannian could possess it, and yet it simply was something she herself would never be able to provide-herein existed the purest intentions of a loving mother.

  She had witnessed the changes which had befallen Fu Cheng and Xu Tingsheng, even Song Ni and the others these past few years. They were already on a totally different level from before. In that case, they would be able to give Niannian a higher quality life as well……

  Therefore, this decision might be Fang Yunyao’s greatest, noblest self-sacrifice as a mother.

  Still, at the same time, it was actually just so childish too.

  Fang Yunyao came from a relatively poor village family. Still, her doting parents and outstanding looks and grades had somewhat caused her to live a life of sheltered jade.

  She had become a teacher afterwards, transiting from school life to another type of school life. Her societal experience was relatively low as she had not changed so much from growing up.

  It was precisely because of this that she had fallen in love with Fu Cheng so blindly and bravely, choosing to disregard all the consequences. She had eventually also persisted in giving birth to Niannian even if it meant having to raise her alone. Had she been a woman primarily guided by rationality, all this could never have happened.

  She was fresh, gentle, emotional……but also cowardly and weak. Even though she might appear strong and brave on the surface due to her past two years of hardship, she was actually still so weak. She had no means or methods, simply wanting to have a stable, honest job that enabled her to raise her daughter as she voicelessly tolerated and toiled……

  Therefore, her mentality had always been one of independently holding on, letting herself suffer at the expense of others and running away from things……

  Still, leaving Niannian behind just like this……how childish was that? Not to mention that she had yet to even truly sort out her own feelings yet.

  “Accompany me to her hometown. Mr and Mrs Fang returned not long ago, they shouldn't have left yet. When I find her this time, I’m gonna tie her up for real……” Fu Cheng said rather piteously.

  He was indeed quite pitiful, having suffered one blow after another.

  “You won’t find her at her hometown. Also, it won’t be any use even if you find her. It’s useless if she herself doesn’t understand and isn’t determined,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “But,” Fu Cheng was somewhat at a loss as to Xu Tingsheng’s somewhat cold words, “But I’ve got to find her. Actually, it’s my fault for not supporting her enough this time. I was too hesitant and couldn’t give her confidence.”


  “There’s no need to look for her,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  Everyone looked at him.

  “Ms Fang’s hiding in the small motel just opposite. She’s able to see over here from her room. Maybe she wants to see if you can take good care of Niannian, or maybe she wants to take a few more looks at you two. I’ve got someone keeping an eye on her,” Xu Tingsheng explained calmly.

  Actually, Xu Tingsheng had already sensed that something was wrong when Fang Yunyao had begun teaching Fu Cheng how to look after Niannian while not mentioning what had happened with Fu Cheng’s parents that day at all. Even as Fu Cheng had been immersed in happiness and totally oblivious, he had actually had someone keep an eye on Fang Yunyao all along.

  “How would she possibly truly be able to bear letting Niannian go……really, so old already, but still so childish,” Xu Tingsheng commented rather helplessly, being a little older than Fang Yunyao in truth due to having lived two lifetimes.

  Fu Cheng perked up at once as he said, “I’ll go look for her now.”


  “You shouldn’t,” Xu Tingsheng stopped him, “It won’t mean anything if you do it this way. You’ve got to let her acknowledge herself that running away like this is never going to happen again, that you and her, and also Niannian, are already inseparable however insurmountable the difficulties. She’s got to come to that realisation herself.”


  “Well, what should we do then?” Fu Cheng asked.

  “We take Niannian with us and return to Yanzhou at once.”


  “Huh?” Everyone, including Little Xiang Ning and Huang Yaming, Song Ni and Fu Cheng, exclaimed in startlement.

  “She’ll definitely follow to Yanzhou within a day, trust me. I already purposely told her my address in Yanzhou the day before yesterday,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  Fu Cheng was taken aback as he hesitated a little, “You knew this would happen? But what if she doesn’t follow over?”


  “That possibility doesn’t exist. Also, those people I’ve sent will follow her. If she really doesn’t come, I’ll abduct her for you,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  Everyone pondered on this in silence for a while.

  “Will she still hide after coming to Yanzhou?” Song Ni asked.

  “Yeah,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Then……” Fu Cheng trailed off questioningly.

  “Force her to come looking for you herself. That’s the only way she will realise that she simply can’t do it, can’t let it go. She’s been viewing the matter of your parents way too seriously, not having the courage to face it and fight for it. She’s never even tried to do it. She’s never even properly considered what you and Niannian might think, and respected your opinions. She’s only been thinking about things on the two of your behalves.”


  Xu Tingsheng gave his most objective analysis of the matter.

  “How do I force her?” While Fu Cheng might have understood, his mind was only focused on a single thing right now.

  “Are you mentally prepared to extinguish the dreams of your Mum and Dad for good? That Deputy Mayor’s daughter really does seem pretty good,” Xu Tingsheng smiled, asking.

  Fu Cheng shot him a frantic, exasperated look, conveying: Stop it! Hurry and tell.

  “Well, let’s go with the forceful, direct route then,” Xu Tingsheng smiled radiantly, “I want you to be the All-Citizen’s Nanny-Dad.”