Jiang Mingxi rested her forehead against Song Lan's shoulder.
My eyes feel sore and uncomfortable from crying.
But Song Lan felt warm in his arms, Song Lan it felt comfortable to touch his hair, just like many years ago when someone else held him and touched his hair.
"Little brother, don't cry, you'll find your mother."
"I promise you, if you can't find your mother, I will be your mother."
The little boy, innocent yet somewhat silly, cried out a snot bubble, grinned, and called out to the older boy next to him, "Mommy."
The older brother touched his face, laughed with him, and pinched his nose.
He rushed into someone's arms, nuzzling them, crying, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! Xiaoxi has a mommy now!"
How silly.
Who is this little boy?
Strange images floated through Jiang Mingxi's mind. He pursed his lips, feeling both disgusted and envious.
Having a mother, even a dog, is better than having none.
After asking the question and not receiving an answer, Song Lan would normally have simply skipped it and stopped asking.
But Doctor Gu said that appropriate stimulation is beneficial to the recovery of the condition, and it is best to stop when appropriate.
Song Lan gently stroked Jiang Mingxi's cheek, pinching it lightly as she patiently coaxed him, "I remember, Xiaoxi told me you came from a book."
Jiang Mingxi's mind was filled with thoughts of "Mom," but Song Lan's words about transmigrating into a book brought her back to reality.
He raised his forehead from Song Lan's shoulder, tilted his head back slightly, and looked at Song Lan.
Song Lan lowered her head and kissed his tear-stained eyes, gently touching them. "That original owner of the body, he really wants to find his mother. The child you just thought of might be the original owner. Shall we help him? Is the bathroom he's in a hotel?"
Jiang Mingxi pursed her lips.
People who have cried often have slightly swollen lips, and when they purse their lips, there's still a salty taste of tears on them.
Jiang Mingxi was speechless, wondering when she had become so empathetic.
The original owner was simply looking for her mother.
What's he so upset about?
He's Jiang Mingxi, who's all about taking things one step at a time, and if things really don't go well, he might die halfway through!
Jiang Mingxi relaxed her pursed lips and said, "At the hotel, he even wet the hotel bathrobe and wore it."
Song Lan hugged the person and nodded, "You're amazing! Did your mother teach you that?"
Jiang Mingxi nodded gently.
Song Lan kissed his forehead. "How old was that child back then?"
Based on her initial guess, Jiang Mingxi said, "About three or four years old."
Song Lan raised her hand and slightly lifted Jiang Mingxi's chin. Jiang Mingxi looked at Song Lan with some confusion.
Song Lan met his gaze, looking into his eyes, and spoke softly, "Just now, Bai Zheming said that his younger brother and parents had an accident at a hotel in Rongcheng. The accident happened when the hotel room caught fire. At that time, Bai Zheming's younger brother was three years old."
A strong sense of resistance suddenly welled up on Jiang Mingxi's face.
"But he doesn't recognize the birthmark on my waist. If I were his brother, why wouldn't he recognize me? He doesn't recognize his own brother's birthmark!"
The resounding words carried a deep sense of grievance.
Jiang Mingxi said this twice.
He really cares.
As her voice trailed off, she added softly, "Even the old tailor Ju recognizes it; he's remembered it his whole life. If I were Bai Zheming's younger brother, a three-year-old brother, wouldn't the older brother remember that his younger brother has a birthmark? It's not in a hidden place; it's on his waist! On his waist, which is easily visible."
Tears welled up in Jiang Mingxi's eyes.
Song Lan kissed the corner of his eye, "Maybe it's because we didn't live together growing up, so you don't remember."
He paused for a moment.
Song Lan tentatively offered another explanation, " Bai Zheming was also very young when the accident happened, only eleven or twelve years old. Perhaps the shock he suffered was too great, and he forgot some things. After all, he lost his parents and younger brother overnight."
"He's had a tough time too."
"Car accident, hotel fire, these all match up. Shall we talk to Bai Zheming?"
[They're here! They're here! They're here!]
[My God, Song Lan and Jiang Mingxi are talking over there, but this scene is completely frozen! I'm watching the live stream, and I'm afraid to even breathe!]
[Mainly because Bai Zheming stopped moving as soon as Jiang Mingxi and Song Lan left. His expression was... well, the atmosphere was probably tense, and no one else dared to move.]
[ Gao Le is practically a statue, clutching the treasure chest.]
Why isn't my son here yet? What are he and Chen Chong talking about over there?
[ Zhao Jiayuan isn't usually a big fan of gossip, what's wrong with him today? Could he have really had a fight with Chen Chong?]
[Their livestream was just shut down for being too suggestive and sexually explicit. Is this an argument? This is a public spat!]
[ Zhao Ke isn't saying anything, he seems a bit listless, what's wrong with him?]
[Here it comes! Here it comes! Here it comes!]
Amidst the clamor of the comments section, Song Lan led Jiang Mingxi over.
Bai Zheming had been standing there motionless, but when he saw Jiang Mingxi approaching, his face broke into a cautious, tentative expression.
[Ugh, Bai Zheming's expression is really painful to watch.]
I'm going to have a smoke.
[I wasn't even there, why were you? Stop smoking, are you trying to kill your lungs?]
[Brother Yan is advising others to smoke less? Hahahaha!]
Song Lan had originally planned for him to speak first and ease the tense atmosphere.
But as soon as she stepped forward, Jiang Mingxi spoke directly to Bai Zheming, "When I was three years old, my parents took me to a hotel. The hotel room caught fire, but I don't remember where we stayed or what the hotel was called."
Bai Zheming thought Jiang Mingxi would tell him not to interfere in his relationship with Teacher Song anymore, or to stay away from his life, or to apologize to Song Lan, or something like that.
He had thought it all through and realized that he seemed to have been a bit too impulsive, his actions driven by his emotions.
He reflected on his actions, blamed himself, and felt remorse.
But to his surprise, Jiang Mingxi's answer was the one to his question.
Her lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to speak, but her emotions were too intense, and she couldn't utter a word.
It wasn't until Zhao Ke nudged Bai Zheming from behind that Bai Zheming cleared his throat and said, "Well..."
As soon as he opened his mouth...
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
Bai Zheming kept repeating one sentence in his mind: Is it really my brother? My brother is still alive!
He took a few deep breaths. "My parents and younger brother had an accident at a hotel in Rongcheng. I was in Xuancheng on the day of the accident, and it wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that I received the news and rushed to Rongcheng."
"The hotel rooms were burned to ashes; everything was gone."
"It was the hotel staff and my uncle who told me that my parents and younger brother had all been burned to death."
The body has been taken away by the police.
"I... I didn't see it."
Bai Zheming rattled off all of this in one breath.
How old was Bai Zheming at that time? Eleven?
[My God, I can't imagine how he got through it.]
[The key point is that the body was taken away by the police. If the father, mother, and younger brother are all dead, then what is Jiang Mingxi? If Jiang Mingxi is the younger brother, then the uncle and the hotel staff lied?]
[Holy crap, I smell a conspiracy.]
The commenters are all like Holmes.
Jiang Mingxi, holding Song Lan's hand, said to Bai Zheming, "Then we'll know by doing a paternity test."