The sky was barely light when Xu Ruyi woke.
In truth, her sleep had been shallow these past days. Her body, nestled in the warm bed, felt like a wind chime hanging by the window—the slightest whisper of a breeze could startle it awake.
Beside her, Little Pear slept soundly.
The anger and pain of the adult world struggled to penetrate the body and mind of a young child—this was Xu Ruyi's greatest comfort. Throughout this entire ordeal, her daughter had been largely unaffected. She believed her father was simply away on a business trip.
She occasionally asked, "Why hasn't Daddy come back yet?" But after receiving comfort or a coveted toy, this fleeting worry was quickly forgotten.
Every day, she played happily as usual, sharing her little secrets with her mother. She was genuinely happy and carefree—in her world, the mother who had always been by her side was the most important person.
Getting up, slipping out of bed, and throwing on her coat, Xu Ruyi opened the door to find Auntie Feng was also awake.
Clearly, Auntie Feng couldn't sleep either.
"Miss, why not sleep a little longer? Today… today is an important day. You need to be well-rested to have energy," Auntie Feng said.
Yes, today was important—the retrial of Qi Min's murder case was beginning.
She and Qin Guan would soon stand opposite each other in court once again.
After taking a shower and drying her hair, Xu Ruyi quietly looked at her reflection in the mirror—still thin, because she could barely eat, and compounded by poor sleep these past days, her complexion had turned sallow and pale.
She applied a layer of foundation to her face, then dabbed a bit of blush onto her fingertips and blended it in.
Putting on lipstick made her whole appearance seem much more spirited.
She changed into a smart grey pantsuit—this time, she wouldn't pretend to be a pitiful victim. She wanted Qin Guan to see the real her: strong, capable of standing against him.
Once dressed, Little Pear also woke up.
"I don't want noodles! Mommy promised me! Every Wednesday morning is milk bar day! I want fried eggs and chicken sandwiches! And date milk!" Little Pear refused to eat breakfast at home.
"Mommy forgot, Granny Feng forgot too! It's Wednesday! Breakfast has to be at the milk bar! Come on, Mommy will take you!"
After changing Little Pear's clothes and braiding her hair, Xu Ruyi took her daughter downstairs.
Neighbors downstairs saw them and nodded politely, their eyes full of sympathy. The cleaning lady from the property management office, sorting trash, offered a gentle smile and lavished praise on Little Pear: "What a pretty dress the little girl has on today! Like a little princess!"
Naturally, they all knew what had happened to the young mistress of the Guanlan Court household.
Sympathy, pity… Xu Ruyi accepted it with a smile. But deep down, she had never needed these things. What she wanted had never changed—that person must pay the price for what he had done.
Exiting the main gate of Guanlan Court and walking for about five minutes, then turning right, brought them in sight of the milk bar. This bakery café offered fresh milk, various dairy products, and freshly made bread, cakes, and sandwiches. It prided itself on being additive-free and tasted good, making it popular with parents and kids alike, so business was always brisk.
Right now, even from a distance, they could see many parents holding children's hands, going in and out.
Several cars were parked by the roadside, most with their hazard lights flashing. They were mostly private cars, along with one small van—likely all parents waiting. This road had a strict no-parking rule. Xu Ruyi had parked here just once, hurriedly, to buy Little Pear a cup of milk. The cost, of course, had been a 100-yuan fine.
That time, Daddy had been sitting in the passenger seat. He'd rolled down the window, watching cheerfully as Xu Ruyi dashed out of the shop holding the milk. "Aiya, Ruyi! Slow down! Don't fall!"
She would never hear his voice again.
Xu Ruyi pulled her coat tighter and gripped Little Pear's hand firmly, striding forward.
Just then, the side door of the van slid open with a whoosh.
Two men wearing caps rushed out and grabbed Little Pear.
In the next second, before Xu Ruyi could even process the shock and confusion, the child was wrenched from her grasp and pulled into the van.
The van door slammed shut with another whoosh.
The screech of reversing tires scraping the ground, the roar of the engine gunning forward, Xu Ruyi's shriek, the child's wail—instantly shattering the calm of the street.
"Little Pear—!" Xu Ruyi screamed, sprinting desperately after the van.
She didn't have to chase for long. The van had barely reached the next intersection when several police cars surrounded it, blocking it in.
"It's not kidnapping! Really, it's not! We were just taking the kid out for some fun!" the young men inside pleaded frantically. "The kid's dad sent us! Said the mom wouldn't let him see his kid, forced him to do it this way! Really!"
They genuinely didn't know the truth. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to use their own licensed vehicle and brazenly snatch a child in broad daylight in the city center.
The one who had hired them was Qin Guan's lawyer.
But the idea itself had come from Qin Guan.
After a night of interrogation, Qin Guan hadn't cracked. But the tone of his words during his emotional breakdown had given Old He a whiff of something wrong.
That's why Old He had been waiting near Guanlan Court.
"Whether you knew or not, this is kidnapping! Take them away!" Old He couldn't stand the sight of these fools a moment longer.
He looked towards Xu Ruyi—she was crouched on the ground, clutching her miraculously recovered daughter tightly, heart still pounding with fear.
He had good news to tell her. "Hey, Xu Ruyi," he called out. "Qin Guan has pleaded guilty in your father's case. Regarding Qi Min's case… isn't it time you told the truth now?"