But just as she was about to speak, the car had already driven past her window.
Even if she called out now, she wouldn’t be able to stop him.
“What’s wrong?” Henry noticed her unusual behavior and asked with concern.
A Wan shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
For some reason, she didn’t feel like mentioning it to Henry.
Meanwhile, after not finding A Wan and Henry at the Friendship Hotel, Sheng Zexi and the others left.
But before leaving, they left a request: if A Wan and Henry returned, they hoped to be notified.
Or if any key information came to mind—such as where they might have gone—they also hoped to be informed.
Though the chances were slim, there was always the possibility that A Wan and Henry might come back.
Unable to locate them, Sheng Zexi got back in the car, ready to drive Gu Jianing and Grandmother Sang back to the courtyard house.
As he was driving, Sheng Zexi suddenly sensed a piercing gaze coming from outside, seemingly fixed on him.
As a soldier, Sheng Zexi was quite perceptive.
The moment he sensed it, he turned his eyes in that direction.
Unfortunately, all he saw was a taxi.
He was certain that the person who had been looking at him was inside that taxi.
But at that moment…
Even when he glanced in the rearview mirror, he couldn’t make out the person’s face.
Still, Sheng Zexi didn’t think much of it.
The gaze hadn’t carried any malice or hostility.
Back at the courtyard house, all three were feeling somewhat dejected.
After all, they had gone there expecting to see Sang Yuwen right away.
They hadn’t anticipated being too late—she had already left.
Grandmother Sang, in particular, was in low spirits.
That morning, she had experienced a tremendous emotional roller coaster.
First, she had learned that her daughter, whom she had believed dead for over a decade, was actually alive.
That had brought immense joy.
She had hurriedly rushed to the Friendship Hotel, eager to see her.
But she arrived only to find she was too late—she had already gone.
Her excitement had plummeted in an instant.
“Grandma, I believe that since Mom is alive and appeared in Beijing, we will definitely find her,” Sheng Zexi said, stepping forward to put an arm around Grandmother Sang’s shoulders and leaning his head close.
Grandmother Sang patted her grandson’s hand and said, “At my age, do you think I don’t understand these things? Don’t worry about me.”
“Don’t worry, Grandma is fine.”
“I also believe that girl A Wan—since she’s alive, no matter the circumstances, she wouldn’t be able to stay away from her old mother and father forever.”
“Grandma is right. They say the bond between mother and child is unbreakable. Since you’re both here, Mother will surely want to come back. She will definitely return,” Gu Jianing added soothingly.
“Yes.”
·
Meanwhile, after returning home, Sheng Xinhao continued to deploy more resources to track down the whereabouts of A Wan and Henry.
As for the two they were searching for, A Wan and Henry had already arrived at the airport and soon boarded their plane.
The plane was headed for Yangcheng.
By this time, in the 1980s, ordinary people in China could already travel by plane.
However, tickets were expensive, and not just anyone could afford them.
But for A Wan and Henry, money was not an issue.
The plane was also the most convenient mode of travel at the time.
The moment A Wan sat down on the plane, she felt a sudden emptiness in her heart, and inexplicably, her mood sank.
Henry noticed and tried everything to cheer her up.
But no matter what he did, A Wan couldn’t shake off her gloom.
Even when she occasionally played along, it felt forced.
Henry thought he probably knew the reason.
A Wan, would you only be happy if you left me?
His eyes were filled with confusion and inner conflict.
·
That evening, Sheng Xinhao learned that A Wan and Henry had left by plane.
They had taken a flight to Yangcheng.
As for exactly where in Yangcheng they were going, there was no way to know.
Hearing over the phone that his mother had gone to Yangcheng, Sheng Zexi frowned.
Yangcheng was unfamiliar territory for both him and the old man.
The old man’s influence didn’t extend there either.
Investigating someone there would be difficult.
But no matter how hard it was, they still had to look.
When it came to Yangcheng, one person did come to mind.
But…
Should he ask that person for help?
Sheng Zexi hesitated.
After hanging up, he told Gu Jianing about the situation.
“Yangcheng?”
“I remember the Canton Fair is about to be held in Yangcheng soon. I happen to have some time off. Are you busy these days?”
“If not, we could take the kids to the Canton Fair. Maybe we’ll run into her.”
Perhaps because she had been reborn, Gu Jianing was somewhat inclined to believe in fate.
After all, after more than a decade, Xingxing had happened to encounter Sang Yuwen at the airport.
That had led them to discover that Sang Yuwen was still alive.
She believed that they would meet again—and recognize each other.
“Maybe we’ll just run into her while we’re sightseeing?” Gu Jianing suggested.
Sheng Zexi: …
At first, Sheng Zexi thought that even actively searching for someone was difficult, let alone relying on chance.
But when Ningning put it that way, he somehow felt it was possible.
“Alright. Then we’ll all go to Yangcheng.”
Sheng Zexi thought about it and decided it would be nice to take his wife and children on a trip.
Ever since Ningning married him, it seemed she had never really had a chance to leisurely travel anywhere.
She always seemed so busy.
Busy taking care of him, busy with her career, busy with the children.
It was time for her to relax.
And the children—they should have more fun during their childhood too.
“Let’s ask Grandma if she wants to come along,” Sheng Zexi said.
“Okay.”
So Gu Jianing went to ask Grandmother Sang.
“Go ahead. But if your grandfather asks, don’t tell him for now.”
Grandmother Sang still felt it was best to find A Wan first before telling her husband.
After all, her husband was getting on in years, and his blood pressure was a bit high. He might not be able to handle such an emotional rollercoaster.
“Alright.”
But unexpectedly, the next day, when Grandfather Sang came to the courtyard house and heard that his wife was planning to go to Yangcheng with their grandson’s family to visit the Canton Fair,
he immediately became upset—and aggrieved.
“You’re all going, and you’re not taking me!”
“That’s not fair!”
“I don’t care. I’m going too.”
At that moment, Grandfather Sang was acting like a child, feeling as though he was being left behind.
Grandmother Sang shot him a glare. “Don’t you have work at the research institute?”
Grandfather Sang immediately replied, “I’m semi-retired now. I don’t need to go in all the time. Actually, why don’t I just officially retire?”
He had wanted to retire for a long time. He was getting old, and all he wanted was to spend time with his wife, his grandson, and the rest of the family.
As for the weapons research institute, he had already given his all and worked hard for many years.
It was time to leave the rest to the new generation.
“If you’re not taking me, does that mean you’re hiding something from me?” Grandfather Sang shot them a suspicious look.
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