While Xia Xiaolan and Yu Li were still on their flight, Tang Hongen and Liu Fen had already arrived at the hospital.
“Mayor—”
“Xiao Ge, I heard you arranged this hospital. Thank you for your hard work!”
Tang Hongen showed no unusual behavior, speaking to Ge Jian as usual.
“Mayor, it’s what I should do.”
Ge Jian knew the general situation – the strange twist that Yu Ru might be Mayor Tang’s long-lost sister.
Now, they were just waiting for Mayor Tang to make further confirmation.
If Mayor Tang couldn’t recognize her, they’d probably send samples to America for DNA testing. President Xia was familiar with this process; this wasn’t her first time helping people find their relatives.
Who could explain life’s twists?
Before President Xia knew anything, she had already been helping the Yu mother and daughter.
Through many turns, the people she helped turned out to be an aunt and cousin.
But without President Xia’s intervention, Mayor Tang might never have had the chance to reunite with the Yu mother and daughter – their lives had no intersection—
Ge Jian watched Tang Hongen hesitate at the hospital room door.
Anyone would feel such trepidation approaching home.
Fearing Yu Ru was ‘Tang Youru,’ yet also fearing she wasn’t.
Beneath Mayor Tang’s calm exterior must be intense internal conflict.
However, Tang Hongen wasn’t an ordinary person. He was more decisive than most, pushing open the hospital room door himself and striding in, Liu Fen following closely behind.
Tang Hongen immediately saw the woman in the hospital bed.
So thin!
His memories of his sister Youru were still frozen 29 years ago.
At seven, Youru had been fair and delicate, quite adorable.
During their long separation, Tang Hongen had continuously beautified these memories – his sister was naturally the world’s most adorable little girl, and grown up, she would be a beautiful young woman. Beyond that, he couldn’t imagine.
But he never expected this.
So thin, neither fair nor delicate.
Despite good care, she was still ill, her complexion lacking the healthy glow of good people.
Nothing like his fantasies.
Yet with just one look, Tang Hongen was certain this was his sister Youru. No DNA test was needed – this was his sister.
“Xiaoru!”
Tang Hongen stood by the bed for a while, then turned to Liu Fen, his expression and eyes betraying his excitement: “Afen, this is Xiaoru, it’s Xiaoru.”
Liu Fen nodded, fighting back tears.
Tang Hongen circled the hospital bed.
“This is Xiaoru, no need to search further. Let Xiaolan and the others return.”
“Xiaolan and the others are already on the plane, coming back. She’s bringing Xiao Yu.”
Tang Hongen nodded, “Good, good that they’re returning!”
He wasn’t unexcited.
He was both excited and grieving.
But the forty-something Tang Hongen was no longer the rash youth of years past.
A man in his forties couldn’t allow himself to be weak.
He had his ideals and ambitions.
Though he had no elders above him, he had a wife and children to care for.
Now he’d found his sister and had a niece… With so many people depending on his shoulders, how could he allow himself to be weak?
Liu Fen cried heavily, but Tang Hongen didn’t shed a single tear. He wouldn’t leave the hospital room, keeping watch until Xia Xiaolan and Yu Li arrived without delay from Chuncheng via Yangcheng to Pengcheng Hospital.
Xia Xiaolan brought Yu Li to the hospital room door, where Yu Li stopped.
“What are you afraid of? You’ve met Uncle Tang before!”
That was different.
Though she had met Tang Hongen before, he was both Pengcheng’s mayor and President Xia’s stepfather – either identity demanded her respectful attitude.
She never imagined that one day, Mayor Tang might become her uncle… Perhaps there was a mistake?
Xia Xiaolan gave her a gentle push, and Yu Li entered the room.
Tang Hongen maintained the same posture until he saw Yu Li.
He stood up, carefully examining Yu Li from head to toe, missing no detail.
This wasn’t his first time seeing Yu Li.
But at this moment, Yu Li’s image overlapped with his imagined grown-up sister – truly a beautiful young woman, tall, with a straight posture… He remembered how Youru looked as a child, and saw how she was now, but missed her youthful image. Yu Li filled that gap.
“Do you know me?”
Yu Li nodded, “You’re Mayor Tang.”
Tang Hongen shook his head, “Mayor is my position, my job. Outside of work, I’m an ordinary person, an inadequate brother, and an inadequate uncle!”
It seemed only his work was done well.
Not only failing as a brother and uncle but also as a father.
“Tang…”
Yu Li couldn’t bring herself to say “uncle.”
This was an uncle fallen from the sky, wealth fallen from heaven. If someone else seeking to climb the social ladder stood here, even with just suspicion, they’d immediately cement this relationship!
But for Yu Li, she felt anxious.
“Don’t you want to confirm further?”
“I’ve already confirmed. I’m sorry your uncle didn’t recognize you immediately. I never had the chance to know of your existence.”
He might not recognize his niece, but if he couldn’t recognize his own sister, that would be completely unacceptable.
Yu Li still shook her head, “…I hope we can do a DNA test.”
She desperately wanted to have other relatives!
At just 19 years old, with her only mother in a vegetative state, having other relatives held deep meaning for Yu Li.
She couldn’t rejoice first only to be disappointed later – such emotional swings would be too much to bear.
“Alright, we’ll do a DNA test.”
Tang Hongen agreed readily.
He stayed in Yu Ru’s hospital room until very late. If not for Liu Fen’s persuasion, he might have stayed overnight.
“We’re all watching over her; she won’t be lost again.”
Liu Fen coaxed him gently like a child before Tang Hongen agreed to return home.
As for Yu Li, Tang Hongen had many questions but, considering she was only 19, would need more time to accept this situation, so he didn’t press her.
Xia Xiaolan naturally promised to get the DNA test results as quickly as possible.
After Tang Hongen and Liu Fen reluctantly left, only Xia Xiaolan and Yu Li remained in the room.
“President Xia, I—”
Xia Xiaolan smiled, “You call me President Xia now, but in a few days, you’ll call me Sister Xiaolan. Don’t overthink things. I must still see you in the office tomorrow. Even if you’re my cousin, as long as you’re drawing a salary from me, you can’t neglect work. Can you manage that?”
“I can!”
Yu Li’s spirits lifted. She might not have other relatives, but she must be strong herself. With or without an uncle, whether her uncle was Mayor Tang or not, she had to care for her mother!
Xia Xiaolan nodded, “That’s good enough. Focus on work, don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Xia Xiaolan also felt a DNA test was the best approach.