Chapter 51: Stray Cat (1)

After dinner, Meng Yi’er found herself with time to spare. With nothing to do, she felt bored staying at home and decided to go downstairs for a walk.

This was a high-end residential complex with a low population density. Most of the residents were young, busy professionals from the city, so even in the summer, it was rare to see anyone strolling outside in the evenings.

Despite the daytime heat in Haishi, the nights were always cool and refreshing. Meng Yi’er enjoyed this gentle chill. She strolled twice around the vast compound before finally settling in the pavilion, savoring the tranquil night.

Suddenly, her phone rang, shattering the stillness. It was an overseas call from Gu Yunchen.

Meng Yi’er answered with a swipe, not expecting him to speak first—she was used to his silence.

Gu Yunchen had always been a man of few words.

Her voice was bright and cheerful. “Hello, Brother—”

She truly missed him, as well as Uncle and Aunt Gu.

“Are you well?” His voice on the other end was calm and distant, so unlike her own lighthearted tone.

“I’m fine. I just miss you and Uncle and Auntie.”

Meng Yi’er spoke naturally from the heart. She had lived with them for sixteen years; in her heart, they had long since become the most important people in her life. Other than her mother, who had been missing for years and whose fate was unknown, Gu Yunchen and his parents were the only family she had left in this world.

“You… really miss me?” Gu Yunchen, always so decisive and resolute, now sounded uncharacteristically cautious.

Meng Yi’er’s smile was radiant as she teased, “My dearest brother, you and Uncle and Auntie are my closest family in the world. Of course I miss you.”

Gu Yunchen fell silent, so Meng Yi’er continued, “By the way, how have Uncle and Auntie been lately? Make sure Sister Gu uses less oil and salt when she cooks—keep everything light, it’s better for them. When making chicken or fish soup, remind her to skim off the fat; Uncle’s health can’t handle greasy food. And you—don’t just bury yourself in work and business trips. Take more time to be with them…”

“They’d much rather you spend more time with them,” Gu Yunchen suddenly interrupted her gentle nagging.

“I…”

Meng Yi’er paused, a wave of sadness washing over her. Gu Yunchen was right. Uncle and Aunt Gu had raised her for sixteen years, treating her as their own. Even Gu Yunchen sometimes seemed jealous, feeling they cared for her more than their own son. Now, she had stubbornly returned to the country. The two elders had said nothing, but it must pain them deeply.

“When you’ve had enough, come back,” Gu Yunchen’s deep voice cut through her thoughts.

Meng Yi’er shook her head, her voice firm. “Brother, I’m not coming back. At least not yet.”

“Yi’er—” Gu Yunchen’s tone was a mix of helplessness and restrained anger. He never could win with her.

“Brother, I’m going to sleep now. Take care of yourself. I’ll call you another day.”

With that, Meng Yi’er was about to hang up. She knew that if she stayed on, Gu Yunchen would only get angry, and she didn’t want to argue with him.

“Yunchen, who are you talking to? Is that Yi’er?” Suddenly, Aunt Gu’s voice sounded on the other end.

Gu Yunchen grunted in reply, then said, “Yi’er, wait, Mom wants to talk to you.”

Almost before he finished speaking, Aunt Gu’s anxious voice came through the phone. “Yi’er, Yi’er, Auntie misses you so much. Are you doing well over there?”

A pang of sorrow twisted in Meng Yi’er’s chest, her eyes stinging with tears. “Auntie, I miss you, too. I’m doing very well here.”

Aunt Gu chattered on for a long, long time, full of warmth and worry, telling her to take care of herself. Meng Yi’er was moved nearly to tears.

After she hung up, her mood was somber. She knew they worried about her alone in Haishi, but she could not give up. That person was her birth mother, after all. The real reason she had insisted on returning to this city was to try, just once more, to find her mother.