Cheng Lele didn’t know how much time had passed when Chen An woke her up.

Cheng Lele groggily sat up and looked around. It was a fairly large underground parking garage with quite a few eye-catching luxury cars parked. She unbuckled her seatbelt and asked drowsily, “Are we in Taixi? Where is this?”

“This is my home.”

“Your home?” Cheng Lele’s brain slowly booted up.

“My parents’ home in the provincial capital. Grandma and my mom live together here.”

Cheng Lele suddenly became wide awake. Clutching the handle and refusing to get out of the car, she almost became a stutterer when she opened her mouth. “You, you didn’t give me any psychological preparation at all! I’m thirsty, little brother. Let’s drive out and buy something to drink.”

Chen An opened the passenger door and pulled her out. “Just now you were so composed negotiating with the producer. What are you afraid of coming to my home?”

How could that be the same? Seven years ago she disappeared without a word, and seven years later she was suddenly showing up at someone’s door as their daughter-in-law. How shameless!

Cheng Lele shouted, “It’s not good to come empty-handed. Next time, after I’ve prepared gifts, I’ll come.”

“Don’t run away at the last moment. Any day is as good as the chosen day—let’s do it today.”

Cheng Lele covered her face. “Little brother, why don’t you find me some thorny branches to hang on my body? Can I imitate the ancients and plead guilty while carrying thorny branches on my back?”

Chen An pulled her hand into the elevator. “With Ah Chou paving the way for you, don’t worry. I told them before I came to pick you up. Grandma has been waiting anxiously. Hurry up, don’t dawdle.”

The red numbers in the elevator kept changing. Cheng Lele, with ice-cold hands and feet, patted her face. Suddenly she looked at herself in the mirror. “Wait, wait a minute. Let me touch up my makeup.”

Just as she was saying this, the elevator door opened with a “ding.” Chen An’s warm large hand held hers and led her out. “Princess, you’re beautiful enough.”

The door to the home was wide open, as if they were afraid that even the time spent knocking and waiting would be a waste. As soon as Cheng Lele entered, Ah Chou rushed out, followed by an old lady with chicken-skin and crane-hair white hair, who rather dramatically called out, “Lele—”

Cheng Lele spread her hands wide and ran over with drawn-out tones, “Grandma—”

The two reunited after a long separation and embraced for a long time. One shed tears of age, the other wept copiously. One said you’ve lost weight, the other said you haven’t changed at all. One risked losing her dentures, the other ruined her eye makeup.

Chen An tried to intervene once in the middle but was jointly ignored by both of them. He tried again later, and both simultaneously glared at him.

It wasn’t until Wang Liting hurriedly rushed back after hearing the news that the two separated.

Upon seeing Wang Liting, Cheng Lele still felt somewhat timid. The recommendation guarantee controversy back then had caused the two families to fall apart. Later, out of her mother’s wariness, Cheng Lele had no further private contact with her godmother. Thinking back now, the last exchange seemed to be cutting ties over the phone line.

When Wang Liting saw Cheng Lele, she first froze at the doorway. She wasn’t a sentimental person. Even when her husband was imprisoned, she showed an unusual calmness. At this moment, she only extended her arms, embraced Cheng Lele, and then choked up saying, “Why are you only now coming to find your godmother?”

Compared to when her father died many years ago and her godmother said “you must be strong,” this sentence made Cheng Lele successfully burst into loud wailing, her crying intermittent. “I’m sorry, godmother, I’m sorry, I… I really missed you all so much… missed you all so, so much…”

A few sentences made Wang Liting shed tears. “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.”

For the time being, no one brought up Ye Xiaomei’s death or Cheng Dong’s imprisonment.

The three women cried together in a heap. Ah Chou curiously circled around at their feet. Chen An’s eyes felt hot and moist, but he didn’t plan to join their ranks. He just silently provided tissues, allowing them to release years of longing through their tears.

The crying gradually subsided. The housekeeper brought out a fruit platter. The three sat on the sofa and started chatting.

Chen An was in the kitchen helping the housekeeper arrange the dinner dishes when he kept hearing cheerful laughter coming from outside.

Cheng Lele was like a source of joy, telling a pile of cinema anecdotes. For instance, how a celebrity came fully equipped and mysterious to watch a movie, but after no one paid attention, became unwilling to accept it and kept removing disguises to attract attention. Finally, when someone recognized him and asked for an autograph, they discovered they’d recognized the wrong person and returned the autograph to him. For instance, how a new employee, when selling tickets, pulled up VIP customer identity information for someone named “Bu Ke,” then very politely addressed him as Mr. Poker, and under the other party’s stern gaze, changed it to Mr. Whore-goer, almost getting beaten up. For instance, how a customer brought a small child to watch a movie, and after the show ended, walked halfway before discovering they’d taken the wrong child.

Even the housekeeper who had been with them for many years laughed out loud, peeling broad beans and saying, “I had no idea that running a cinema was so much fun.”

Chen An thought of the scorching sun Cheng Lele had squatted under in front of Tianhe Technical School, thought of the cola she inexplicably poured, thought of the platform roof she climbed in heavy rain, thought of Huang Tiangou’s workplace bullying, thought of Tongda’s email warning. For a moment he couldn’t answer.

Cheng Lele seemed very good at reporting good news but not bad news. Perhaps there were signs from childhood—she hadn’t let him know about falls she’d taken or ankles she’d sprained.

He couldn’t help but wonder, might there be many more truths he didn’t know that Cheng Lele deliberately concealed from him?

Another burst of laughter came from outside, interrupting Chen An’s train of thought.

The housekeeper placed the peeled broad beans to soak in cool water and whispered to Chen An, “An’an, in the future, have her come more often. The old lady hasn’t been this happy in several years. With her here, this home has the aroma of life.”

Chen An nodded. While cutting meat, he called Ah Chou in and dangled a small piece of bone in front of its mouth. “Tell your mom to come more often, understand?”

Dinner was still spent in a harmonious and happy atmosphere. After eating, the housekeeper cleared the table. Cheng Lele went to Grandma’s room to be affectionate.

Wang Liting was in the kitchen checking the instruction manual for the yogurt maker that had never been used. She remembered that Cheng Lele liked drinking dairy products.

Perhaps because Ye Xiaomei had left the world, or perhaps because the family’s successive misfortunes had made her less domineering and arbitrary, ever since receiving the tragic news in Beijing, she kept recalling various past events about Ye Xiaomei. She remembered when Chen An was born, how Ye Xiaomei, heavily pregnant, drove recklessly to the hospital. She remembered when Chen An was being treated for jaundice, how Ye Xiaomei generously provided her keys and unopened toys. She remembered how when she was alone feeding two children, Ye Xiaomei took the initiative to take on the hard work of caring for Chen An at night. She remembered when Chen An fell seriously ill and both she and Chen Tao were out of town and couldn’t rush back, Ye Xiaomei stayed up all night in the emergency room for her…

They had been such good sisters—why did it come to the point where they never saw each other until death?

Was it because when she occasionally went back and brought imported fruit, she would explain how to eat the unfamiliar fruits? Was it because she asked if Cheng Dong’s work needed Chen Tao’s help? Was it because when Cheng Dong was hospitalized and she was in America, she sent an assistant with deer antler and a large red envelope to visit? Was it because right after Cheng Dong died, she turned to busy herself with work, and Chen Tao wanted to send an assistant to handle matters again?

Did her self-righteous pragmatism appear full of arrogance and rudeness in Ye Xiaomei’s eyes?

There was no way to confirm it anymore.

Ye Xiaomei had left behind an orphan without entrusting her to Wang Liting, yet Chen An had brought her back. It seemed like an arrangement from Ye Xiaomei in the unseen world, giving her a chance to make amends.

Wang Liting actually didn’t know how to play the role of a mother. She was very clumsy at showing goodwill. If it weren’t for this, she and her own son wouldn’t have grown increasingly distant.

But pleasing Cheng Lele was much easier than pleasing Chen An. She wouldn’t give her much pressure—like a flower that was easy to care for, she could water and irrigate her with confidence.

Wang Liting planned to transfer her slim hopes for maternal kindness and filial piety from son to daughter.