"Mom knows that saying all this now might be hard for you to accept right away, but you can think about it. No matter how long it takes, Mom will wait for you."
"Right now, Mom has her own business over in Australia. Once you go there, you can help Mom manage it together. Mom promises you will never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life!"
Tang Wu looked at the woman who was shedding tears as she spoke. Perhaps because blood is thicker than water, she could feel the woman's deep maternal love.
But just as the woman said, all of this had happened too suddenly.
She still needed time to process it.
After leaving her grandmother's cemetery, Tang Wu and her mother, Zhou Liying, headed to her grandmother's courtyard house.
Zhou Liying stood in the courtyard, looking lost and full of sorrow.
Tang Wu went inside to make the bed.
Zhou Liying, on the other hand, changed her clothes, putting on something her grandmother used to wear, and went to the market to buy groceries.
That evening, Zhou Liying personally cooked dinner for Tang Wu.
When Tang Wu took her first bite, a lump formed in her throat.
It was truly magical. Even though she hadn't seen her mother in nearly twenty years, she could still taste the flavors of her childhood.
Seeing Tang Wu eating the dishes she made bite after bite, a hint of a smile finally appeared on Zhou Liying's constantly tense face.
"Wuwu, you're too thin. From now on, Mom will make you more delicious food."
Tang Wu looked up at Zhou Liying. "You eat too."
Seeing Tang Wu's concern for her, Zhou Liying's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Okay, okay, Mom will eat too."
The mother and daughter stayed in the small town for two days. After returning to Ye City, Zhou Liying frowned deeply when she saw the small apartment Tang Wu was living in.
"Didn't Tang Botao buy you a house?"
Tang Wu pursed her lips and said in a hoarse voice, "I severed my father-daughter relationship with him."
Zhou Liying gritted her teeth in righteous indignation. "That ungrateful man. When he started his business back then, I stayed by his side and helped him secure major contracts so the Tang family business could take off. Later, when I was pregnant with you, he went out and found a mistress. So many things piled up and caused my postpartum depression. Then, the other woman even sent me messages to provoke me. I was so triggered and overwhelmed that I jumped into the sea."
Zhou Liying closed her eyes, trying her best to suppress her fluctuating emotions. "Thinking back to those past events, I truly regret it. I shouldn't have backed myself into a corner back then. How could I bear to leave behind a child who was only a few years old, and my elderly mother? Over the years, that despicable couple must have been living quite happily. He doesn't even treat my daughter like a human being. Now that I'm back, I won't let him get away with it!"
That very day, Zhou Liying bought a fully furnished villa for Tang Wu, paying in full, right in the same villa district where Tang Botao lived.
Seeing Zhou Liying swipe her card without even blinking, Tang Wu finally realized that her mother was indeed very wealthy now.
After buying the villa, Zhou Liying also bought Tang Wu a supercar.
Tang Wu was a bit dazed throughout the entire process.
When Xia Zhiwan learned that Tang Wu's mother had returned, she came to the villa and excitedly hugged Zhou Liying. "Pretty Auntie, do you still remember me?"
Zhou Liying looked at Xia Zhiwan. She had a faint impression of her but couldn't quite remember.
Seeing Xia Zhiwan, who was even happier than she was about her mother's return, Tang Wu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Mom, this is Zhiwan. She used to live next door to Grandma's house."
Zhou Liying quickly remembered. "So it's Zhiwan. You've grown into a beautiful young lady."
Zhou Liying took out a set of jewelry from her suitcase and gave it to Xia Zhiwan.
To make it up to Tang Wu, ever since Zhou Liying returned, she personally cooked every meal for her daughter.
After Zhou Liying went to the kitchen, Xia Zhiwan hugged Tang Wu's arm. "Wuwu, I'm so happy for you. Auntie is back, and now you have a home."
Tang Wu lightly bit her lower lip with her fine white teeth. "My mom wants me to go back to Australia with her to settle down. As for Ye City, I'll only come back occasionally when I have time."
Xia Zhiwan's eyes lit up. "That's really nice! Auntie missed the most important period of your life and definitely wants to make it up to you. Don't refuse her. Besides, you and Si Yanli are already divorced. You don't have any family here, nor do you have any attachments left."
At the mention of Si Yanli, Tang Wu's heart ached slightly.
Perhaps, she and Si Yanli truly had no destiny together!
If she wanted to forget him, going to Australia with her mother was the best choice.
...
Si Yanli had already uncovered the truth behind why Tang Wu's grandmother left the hospital back then.
It was because Tang Shiyan told her that Tang Wu had been forced into an arranged marriage with an old man who didn't love her.
Worried about Tang Wu, her grandmother had dragged her severely ill body away.
Si Yanli spent a lot of effort to find out that a nurse had secretly recorded what Tang Shiyan said to the grandmother. Later, Tang Shiyan was blackmailed for millions by the nurse. Tang Shiyan thought the nurse had deleted the video, but the nurse had kept a backup.
He took out his phone and took the initiative to call Tang Wu.
The phone rang for a long time without anyone answering. Just when Si Yanli thought no one would pick up, the call connected.
"Mr. Si?"
Hearing her call him Mr. Si again, Si Yanli's heart tightened slightly.
"Where are you? Can we meet up in a bit?" Afraid that she would hang up directly, he added, "Regarding the day your grandmother had her accident, I have an important recording to give you."
The words of refusal Tang Wu originally wanted to say were forced back down her throat.
"Okay, where should we meet?"
"Come back to Yujing Mansion."
Half an hour later, Tang Wu arrived at Yujing Mansion.
Although Si Yanli had transferred the ownership of this house to her, she had never come back to live in it.
Not long after she arrived at Yujing Mansion, Si Yanli came over.
Si Yanli held a bouquet of flowers in his hand; they were her favorite red roses.
Si Yanli handed the flowers to her. "For you."
After taking the flowers, Tang Wu placed them on the coffee table and looked at him with her beautiful eyes. "You said you have an important recording. Hurry up and let me hear it."
Even if it was just to hear her grandmother's voice again, it would be good.
Si Yanli took out a voice recorder.
After listening to the recording, Tang Wu was so angry that the veins on her forehead bulged.
"Can you give this voice recorder to me? Tang Shiyan deliberately provoked my grandmother. I absolutely cannot let her get away with this!"
Si Yanli's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. "Do you need my help?"
Tang Wu shook her head. "No need. My mom is back, and she will handle this matter."
Si Yanli had recently learned from Huo Zhixu that Tang Wu's mother was still alive.
He had wanted to visit several times, but he was afraid of disturbing the mother and daughter's reunion.
"Mr. Si, rest assured. Now that I have my mom backing me up, no one will dare to bully me anymore."
Tang Wu stood up from the sofa, took a deep breath, and said, "Not long from now, I will be moving to Australia with my mom to settle down. I hope you can find your own happiness in the future!"
Hearing Tang Wu's words, Si Yanli's tall and slender figure stiffened severely.
"Mr. Si, I'll be leaving now."
Watching Tang Wu's slender silhouette walking towards the door, Si Yanli rushed over in a few quick strides and forcefully hugged her from behind.
Resting his handsome jaw on her delicate shoulder, his voice was deep and hoarse, "Wuwu, don't go!"
