Fu Xiaotang slowly regained her composure, took a deep breath, turned to look at Mrs. Song, her emotions boiling to the extreme, yet her words came out surprisingly calm. Only by listening closely could one detect the hidden tremor in her voice. She held Mrs. Song’s hand, speaking softly, almost cautiously, “Auntie, we’ve hit it off from the moment we met. In you, I always see the shadow of my Aunt Min. I selfishly treated you as Aunt Min, enjoying our interactions and warmth, but I never imagined you were Song Li’s mother.” When she said “mother,” Fu Xiaotang choked up, tears flowing unconsciously, “I almost called you mom, just almost. But now…” She shook her head with gratitude yet regret, “Thank you for everything during this time, I’m sorry.” With that, Fu Xiaotang squeezed Mrs. Song’s hand tightly one last time, then, without even glancing at the three, turned and walked out.
Song Li snapped back to reality, rushing forward to embrace Fu Xiaotang from behind, holding her so tightly as if no force could make him let go. “Don’t leave,” he said in a hoarse, pleading whisper, “don’t leave.” Fu Xiaotang didn’t struggle, but her body was stiff as iron, “Let go!” she said in a flat, tired voice, “Let go of me.” Song Li indeed released her but turned her to face him, gripping her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes, and said word by word, “I won’t let go, I’ll never let go.” Fu Xiaotang bit her lip, feeling his utter shamelessness, and without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Song Li didn’t dodge, the slap echoed sharply, his face turned to the side.
Fu Xiaotang was also stunned, her hand tingling slightly. Song Li slowly turned back, his gaze fixed on her, gently, tenderly, full of infinite affection, whispering, “Xiaofu, I love you.” Fu Xiaotang felt a sharp pain in her heart, cold sweat breaking out. Long ago, even in the most tender moments, he had only said, “I also like you, more and more.” But now, after being slapped in front of his mother, Cheng Yu, and Liu Yi, he said he loved her. Fu Xiaotang felt utterly defeated, collapsing. She sighed softly, covering her face with her hands, crying uncontrollably.
