With the sound of somewhat halting footsteps, everyone turned to look. They saw a tall, beautiful figure limping towards them from the doorway.
First, she gave Fu Ma a warning look. Then, when her gaze landed on the small figure standing beside Little Wang's feet, she seemed rooted to the spot.
Looking at the small face that resembled her own childhood features, Nan Zhizhi's eyes gradually reddened. When she opened her mouth, her voice was filled with an uncontrollable tremor and caution.
"A, A Sui, your name is A Sui, right? I...I'm your..."
Little A Sui heard her struggling to speak, so she spoke up clearly,
"I'm A Sui! Are you Mama?"
The two words, [Mama], were like a spell hitting her heart.
Nan Zhizhi's tears almost fell. She immediately stepped forward and knelt down, embracing the small figure in her arms.
"Yes! I am... I'm Mama, Sui Sui, I'm Mama..."
Little A Sui was suddenly embraced, and along with the fragrant breeze came something soft and warm, like the scent of sunlight.
That was the first time in little A Sui's four-and-a-half-year life experience that she had encountered the existence of "Mama".
Unlike her stiff and cold masters, this was Mama's embrace.
Little A Sui blinked, feeling somewhat bewildered and curious as she let the other person hold her until she got a little warm, then she struggled slightly.
Nan Zhizhi immediately let her go, carefully. Her eyes were red, and tears still hung at the corners of her eyes as she carefully looked at her own flesh and blood, lost for four years.
Knowing that she had been adopted by a Taoist temple on the mountain all these years, Nan Zhizhi immediately expressed her pity,
"Baby, you've suffered on the mountain these past few years..."
She wanted to say that her child must have suffered.
However, after taking a closer look, the little doll in front of her was so fair and cute, with a chubby little face, carved from jade, and a rosy complexion.
Her hair was thick and black, and her eyes were dark and bright.
Raised... quite well, huh.
If she had to say, the clothes were a little ordinary, but she could feel that the material was soft and comfortable when she held her, indicating that she was also being carefully cared for.
Nan Zhi paused for a moment, and couldn't help but feel relieved.
Her child hadn't suffered, that was good.
Unable to resist looking at her again and again, Nan Zhi finally pulled her inside.
The Wan Family currently resided in a three-story villa. Wan Yuntao came from an ordinary background, but over the years, he had built up a considerable fortune, and his business was growing rapidly. Now, he was considered a rising star in the capital, so the villa was decorated quite luxuriously.
Nan Zhizhi led A Sui inside. They were about to go upstairs to see her room when, just as they stepped onto the staircase, something suddenly rolled down from above.
Upon closer inspection, it was the head of a doll.
Little A Sui looked up and saw a girl standing on the stairs, about her age. The girl was glaring at her angrily.
"You're not allowed in my house! It's all because of you that Mama and I got hurt. You're a jinx, you're not allowed in my house! Go away!"
A Sui stared at her face without speaking. However, Nan Zhizhi, upon hearing this, immediately darkened her expression. Her tone was clearly scolding,
"Jiao Jiao! Who taught you to say such things?! What does your injury have to do with Sui Sui?! And this is Sui Sui's home. You are not allowed to be so rude!"
Little Wang, who was in charge of carrying the luggage, nodded secretly upon hearing this.
"That's right, that's right."
Strictly speaking, this is Miss A Sui's home; Miss Jiao Jiao is the imposter.
How could she have the nerve to say she'd drive the real young miss away?
She's still young, after all, and doesn't understand anything.
As for Wan Jiao Jiao, perhaps it was the first time she'd been scolded so harshly. First, she looked at Nan Zhizhi in disbelief, then her expression crumbled, and she sat directly on the stairs and started to throw a tantrum.
"You yelled at me!! You actually yelled at me for this little bastard!
I hate you! I don't want you to be my Mama anymore! I want Aunt Xuetong to be my Mama, wuuu wuuu!!"
Nan Zhizhi's expression was very ugly when she heard her call A Sui a little bastard.
Because she knew that the mix-up with Jiao Jiao back then was not the child's fault, and because they had developed a bond over the years, Nan Zhizhi was worried that Jiao Jiao wouldn't be able to accept the truth all at once. Therefore, she agreed with her husband's suggestion to keep the truth from the child for the time being.
As a result, when Jiao Jiao fell and cried, begging her not to leave, and when her own foot was unexpectedly sprained, and her husband insisted that she stay, she didn't go to see her own child.
But she never expected that Jiao Jiao would harbor so much malice towards A Sui!
Hearing the last thing Jiao Jiao said, Nan Zhizhi's sympathy for Wan Jiao Jiao quickly vanished, and her gaze gradually turned cold.
"Since you like Lu Xuetong so much and keep saying you want her to be your mother, then go be her child."
This wasn't the first time she had heard Wan Jiao Jiao say she wanted Lu Xuetong to be her mother.
In the past, when she heard this, she would feel heartbroken and sad, not understanding why the child she had cherished since childhood would rather be close to an outsider than to her own mother.
She had even questioned herself because of it.
But now, Nan Zhizhi suddenly didn't care anymore.
After all, she had A Sui.
This was her own biological child. She wouldn't pursue those unattainable bonds.
Nan Zhizhi knew that saying this was too cruel for a child, but she had finally found her own flesh and blood. There was no way she would let her child be wronged for an adopted daughter.
Wan Jiao Jiao didn't seem to expect her to say such things, and her sobbing stopped abruptly.
She looked at Nan Zhizhi in disbelief, a trace of panic flashing in her teary eyes.
The next second, that panic turned into resentment, which suddenly shot towards A Sui, who was standing beside Nan Zhizhi.
As if she had suddenly caught the culprit.
It's all her fault!
It's all because of this bastard! Mama doesn't want her anymore!
Wan Jiao Jiao suddenly got up, and with a series of thumps, she ran downstairs, intending to personally drive this bad luck charm out.
She was always favored at home and was used to everyone obeying her. At this moment, she acted on impulse.
However, she had just been injured in the morning, and her legs were short to begin with. In her haste, she tumbled down the stairs.
Although Nan Zhizhi's heart was cold towards Wan Jiao Jiao, she was, after all, a child she had raised. She couldn't just stand by and watch her fall. She immediately let go of little A Sui, disregarding her own sprained ankle, and took a step to embrace Wan Jiao Jiao, who was about to fall.
There was only a loud bang.
The two of them fell on the stairs together.
Nanzhi Zhi shielded Wan Jiao Jiao with her own body, and her back slammed against the staircase, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her.
Such a loud commotion naturally drew the attention of those in the villa.
Soon, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Along with another childish voice, laced with worry, followed from above,
"What happened? Why do I hear Jiao Jiao crying?"
As he spoke, a small boy of about eight or nine years old rushed down the stairs. Wan Jiao Jiao immediately pointed at A Sui, who had just approached her, and cried,
"Brother! She pushed me! Waaaaah!"
Nanzhi Zhi was still reeling from the pain in her back when she heard this. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she looked at Wan Jiao Jiao.
How could she possibly lie with such a straight face?
When did this child become so unreasonable??
She wanted to scold, but the pain in her back prevented her from speaking.
Meanwhile, the Jiao Jiao in her arms was still clamoring for her brother to avenge her.
Little A Sui had originally seen Mama fall and wanted to help her up. However, Jiao Jiao was not only pinning her down, but also screaming and crying incessantly.
A Sui was immediately annoyed, and snapped at her,
"You're so noisy! Shut up!"
Wan Shuo, the little boy, heard this and didn't bother to consider whether it was true or not. He rushed down the stairs in a few steps and raised his hand to push A Sui.
"Don't you dare bully my sister!"
Along with Wan Shuo's vicious shove, there came Nan Zhizhi's anxious shout.
"Wan Shuo!!"
She had to remember that A Sui was still standing on the steps!
Even though there were only a few steps left, falling down like that head-on could still be fatal in seconds.
Nan Zhizhi felt her vision go black, and instinctively reached out to grab her daughter, but her arm was tightly held by Jiao Jiao.
In that instant, she felt a sense of disgust towards these adopted children for the first time.
How could they, how could they treat her Sui Sui like this?!
Nan Zhi's eyes were red with hatred, but the scene she had imagined, of A Sui being pushed down the stairs, didn't happen.
Instead, the little A Sui, who should have been pushed down the steps, was standing still.
Her small body was like it had been nailed to the stairs. Not only did her feet not stumble at all, but even her upper body didn't move an inch.
Wan Shuo didn't manage to push her and was momentarily stunned.
Seeing that she didn't move, he tried again, but still, he couldn't push her.
What was going on?
He had clearly used a lot of strength!
Why hadn't she fallen like Jiao Jiao?
The boy's eyes flickered with confusion, and those in the room shared the same sentiment.
Little A Sui let him push her twice. First, she looked up at the fierce little boy, then down at the hand that had pushed her.
Her chubby little face was serious. After some thought, she quickly came to a conclusion,
"You pushed me."
It was obvious, but no one knew how this would unfold. They heard Little A Sui's milky voice, a little huffy, as she continued,
"I'm going to act in self-defense."
As soon as she finished speaking, Little A Sui suddenly took a step forward. Her little hands directly wrapped around the boy's leg, and with a bit of effort, she actually lifted... lifted the little boy up!