The Truth

"Biscuits!" Gu Fadian shook the plastic bag.

Ban Xia nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm!"

Both of them were so giddy they didn't know what to say; they could only grin foolishly.

Just as he set the biscuits down, a noise came from the kitchen. Gu Fadian was wondering if there was a mouse, but then he saw Ban Xia quickly run into the kitchen, climb onto a chair, turn off the stove, and find a rag in one fluid motion. It turned out she had been boiling water and was now preparing to pour it into a thermos.

"Let me make the milk. You go eat your biscuits." He took the rag and lifted the kettle, heading toward the soy milk powder.

Ban Xia picked up a cone candy. These were delicious—a biscuit base topped with a swirl of hard cream. It was something Qin Xiu often bought for Xiao Long. Ban Xia had only ever heard of them, never tasted one. Eating it for the first time, she was so excited that she stuck out her tongue and gave it a gentle lick. Immediately, she gasped, "So sweet!"

Gu Fadian carried the thermos, his face beaming with pride. "Sweet, right? When I was little, my mom loved buying these for me."

The little girl pursed her lips. "Big Brother, is Mother Lin Jun very gentle and beautiful?"

Thinking of Lin Jun, Gu Fadian’s eyes reddened. He nodded softly. "Yes." His voice sounded like the whimper of a small animal.

Just then, the phone rang. It was Zhao He, who spoke quickly: "Bring Ban Xia to the medical clinic immediately. Remember to keep her on an empty stomach. We need to draw blood, take X-rays, and do a B-ultrasound for the child, then change her bandages and run a series of tests."

Hanging up, the two children looked at each other. They didn't dare eat anything else and hurried toward the clinic. However, as they stepped out of the family residential compound, they ran right into Qin Xiu. She must have woken up early to perm her hair into the large waves styled after the "Da Sa Qin" look—what people called "Western style." She even had a silk scarf around her neck, looking like she had stepped right out of a television screen.

"Fadian, Auntie heard Ban Xia stayed at your place last night. Oh my, why is this child so strange, getting close to outsiders instead of her own biological mother?" Qin Xiu said, flicking a curl.

Gu Fadian gave a cold laugh and said bluntly, "Because she wasn't born from you at all. You stole her!"

Qin Xiu’s face instantly turned pale. She wondered if Gu Fadian had discovered something. But on second thought, that was impossible. Although many people knew about Ban Xia’s origins, they were all tied to mutual interests; everyone would do their best to hide it and would never reveal a single word. Therefore, Gu Fadian must be talking nonsense, just blustering. She had nothing to fear.

She spoke again, "Our Ban Xia loves wearing dresses the most. Mommy will take you to the mall to buy a dress, okay?"