Chapter 1: Returning Home

Chapter 1: Homecoming

A clear autumn day.

The direct Air China flight from London to the capital spanned nearly ten hours.

Departing from the city at 4:30 PM, they arrived at Heathrow Airport around 5:00 PM. Security checks and waiting for boarding—the little girl, on her first flight ever, was brimming with excitement.

Song Chuqing, almost four years old, had two adorable pigtails, rosy lips, pearly white teeth, and sparkling, watery eyes. Dressed head-to-toe in Burberry's classic children's collection, she was exquisite down to the last strand of hair.

The tiny girl pressed her face against the massive floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP lounge, exclaiming in fluent Mandarin, "Mommy, the sun is so pretty!"

Song Tan followed her gaze. Twilight was settling, and busy aircraft took off and landed against the lingering glow of the sunset.

The little girl suddenly turned, her almond eyes twinkling. "...Like the egg yolk Mommy doesn't like to eat."

Song Tan couldn't help but smile, motioning to her. "Come, have some water."

Xiao Chu ran over, first wiping her hands with a tissue, then snuggling affectionately into Song Tan's arms. She picked up her special thermos and took small sips of water. After finishing, she asked earnestly, "Mommy, are we really going back?"

"Of course. Are you happy, Xiao Chu?"

"Happy! Mommy, is China really that big? Grandma Chen said China is bigger than forty Britains—is that true?"

Born and raised in London, Xiao Chu had never visited her homeland. Her excitement was mostly fueled by curiosity. Song Tan smoothed the stray hairs near her ear, responding gently, "It's true. China is vast and incredibly beautiful."

"Grandma Chen also said we'll be on the plane all night—is that true?"

"Mm-hmm, we'll arrive tomorrow morning."

"Huh? Won't the plane get tired?" The little girl frowned, her delicate brows furrowed with worry.

Song Tan chuckled, humoring her. "The plane won't get tired. It'll eat a big meal before taking off and then carry us home."

Hearing this, Xiao Chu immediately pulled a chocolate bar from her small backpack and generously offered it. "Here, for the plane to eat!"

"Wow~" Song Tan accepted the chocolate, feigning surprise. "Thank you, sweetheart. Now the plane will have energy."

As the mother and daughter chatted, a foreign family entered the lounge. Their three children were boisterous, each trying to outshout the others. Xiao Chu fell silent, quietly leaning against Song Tan.

Song Tan glanced down. The girl's long, curled eyelashes fluttered slightly, her quiet demeanor a stark contrast to her earlier liveliness.

This autumn, Song Chuqing had started kindergarten. Two weeks later, her teacher reported that she was struggling to adapt, showing signs of social anxiety. This led to her being ostracized and isolated by other children, worsening the situation.

After taking her to a psychologist, the doctor suggested that Song Chuqing's state might indicate a tendency toward Asperger's syndrome, with impaired social functioning, advising parental attention.

Song Tan was stunned. She had always excelled socially—how could her daughter have social challenges?

Reflecting, she realized it might indeed be her fault. Their expat community was small, and she had been busy with work and studies. During the day, Auntie Chen mostly looked after Song Chuqing. Auntie Chen's English was limited, so she rarely took the girl out. Over time, Song Chuqing had few opportunities to interact with strangers. Starting kindergarten brought the issue to light.

Of course, it could also be genetic—was her father socially awkward?

Well... probably not.

That night, watching her child sleeping peacefully in her arms, Song Tan decided to return to China.

Regardless of the diagnosis, she couldn't allow Song Chuqing's condition to worsen unchecked.

Back in the lounge, Song Tan carefully lifted her daughter onto her lap and pointed to the three children. "Sweetie, do you think they're going to China too?"

Xiao Chu glanced at them quickly before turning back, whispering, "Mommy, I don't know."

"Should we go ask?"

Xiao Chu buried her face in Song Tan's shoulder, her voice already tinged with reluctance. "I don't want to."

Song Tan didn't press her, patting her little shoulder instead. "Okay, we won't."

Then she waved to a boy around five or six nearby. When he approached, Song Tan initiated a conversation in English, "Hey there, are you going to China?"

The boy nodded excitedly. "Yes, we're going there on vacation!"

The moment he spoke, Xiao Chu stiffened in her arms.

Song Tan noticed, her heart aching with sympathy as she soothingly rubbed her daughter's back.

She asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Anthony."

"Anthony, do you like pandas?"

"Yes! We're going to see pandas!" Anthony turned and called to his sister before adding, "My sister loves pandas too! She says they're the cutest animals in the world!"

Xiao Chu seemed to relax slightly, peeking at Anthony before quickly hiding again.

Song Tan whispered in her ear, "Sweetie, do you want to share your panda with Anthony?"

Pandas and Paw Patrol were Xiao Chu's favorite things. The little girl hesitated for three or four seconds before leaving her mother's embrace. She unzipped her small backpack, pulled out a panda keychain, and fidgeted with it for a while—unsure if she was reluctant or mustering courage—before finally holding it out to him.

Anthony happily accepted it. "Wow, a panda! Thank you!"

Song Tan gently prompted, "Sweetie?"

Only then did Xiao Chu respond in English, her voice soft and sweet. "You're welcome."

Anthony looked at the beautiful woman before curiously studying the delicate, doll-like child in her arms. "Are you Chinese?"

Xiao Chu nodded.

"Wow, that's so cool! Then we'll be on the same flight!"

Xiao Chu nodded again, this time adding a word. "Mhm."

Anthony ran off to show the panda keychain to his sister. Song Tan stroked the little girl's soft cheek and praised her, "You were so brave, sweetie."

Song Chuqing buried herself in her mother's arms again, shyly whispering, "Mommy..."

Soon, Anthony returned with his sister to say hello. Xiao Chu was still a bit nervous, gripping Song Tan's hand tightly, but she bravely exchanged names. "My English name is Hanna, and my Chinese name is Song Chuqing."

The boarding announcement echoed through the lounge.

Song Tan helped Xiao Chu put on her small mask. The girl was puzzled. "Mommy, why do we have to wear masks?"

Unsure how to explain, Song Tan simply said, "To keep us safe."

"Are there bad people on the plane?"

"...No."

They boarded the plane smoothly and settled into first class. After settling the little girl in, giving her water and a snack, and tucking her in with a small blanket,

Song Chuqing's big eyes darted around. "Mommy, I don't want to sleep yet."

"Should I tell you a story then?"

Song Chuqing shook her head. "Can I watch *Paw Patrol*?"

"Sure, but only for a little while."

"Okay~ Thank you, Mommy~" She drew out the last syllable, her smiling eyes squinting—her tried-and-true way of sweet-talking her mom.

Song Tan turned on the tablet screen in front of the seat, only for a financial news headline to flash prominently: *Yuanhe Group Expands Globally: Exclusive Interview with CEO Ji Fuxi*.

It was an interview program. The man, dressed in a tailored suit, sat with one leg crossed over the other, exuding an aura of authority.

Perhaps the host's questions were too simplistic, as his lips curled faintly in boredom. His right hand idly twisted the ring on his left pinky, his gaze indifferent.

Song Tan stiffened for a moment. Song Chuqing tugged her hand. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Shaking it off, Song Tan quickly switched channels the moment the host uttered "President Ji," finding the children's programming instead.

Song Chuqing loved *Paw Patrol*, sometimes watching it in Chinese, other times in English. This time, the Air China flight only offered the Chinese dub. Song Tan put on the headphones for her.

Once the little girl was engrossed, Song Tan got up to use the restroom.

As she returned, she caught passengers staring. Avoiding their gazes, she hurried past.

...

Ten hours later, at seven in the morning, the plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport under the first light of dawn.

The groggy little girl was still looking around sleepily.

Though surrounded by familiar faces and the sound of Mandarin, the environment was entirely foreign to Song Chuqing, who had been born and raised abroad. Her small hand gripped Song Tan's thumb tightly.

While waiting for their luggage, the little girl tugged her hand and looked up. "Mommy, are there still bad people?"

Song Tan paused for a moment before answering. "No. Soon, once we're in the car, we can take off our masks."

It was still early, and the airport wasn't crowded. If they grabbed their bags fast, there shouldn't be any issues.

She'd braced for this, but Song Tan still hoped to minimize the impact on her daughter.

But as soon as they slid into the car, her phone buzzed with a message from her longtime friend Zhao Geyun: "You're back?"

Included were two airport shots and a news headline: *Former Award-Winning Actress Returns with Secret Marriage and Child!!*

In the photos, the masked woman stood tall and slender, holding the hand of a little girl whose eyes were carbon copies of hers—clear and bright beneath long lashes.

The duo stood out effortlessly, the passing crowd reduced to mere background.

Thousands of comments had already poured in: "Is that really Song Tan?" "Is this her daughter?" "Oh my god, who's the father?" "So she vanished after sweeping the awards to have a baby?"

Song Tan rolled her eyes. Five years had passed, yet the public's appetite for gossip hadn't changed one bit.

Zhao Geyun called immediately. "Where are you? Everything okay?"

Her heavy Beijing accent was like coming home, both familiar and comforting. Glancing at the ride-share driver—a fiftysomething man who hadn't once looked back, likely uninterested in entertainment news—Song Tan popped open a thermos for her daughter and replied softly, "Heading to the hotel. Everything's fine."

"You're really back? Staying for good?"

"Yeah."

A beat of silence, then Zhao Geyun cut in decisively, "Alright. Seen the trending topics? What's the plan?"

Zhao Geyun had been her agent years ago. After working together, they'd become close friends, keeping in touch sporadically. She knew about Xiao Chu. Song Tan answered honestly, "Haven't figured it out yet."

Zhao Geyun, a few years older and never one to mince words, her voice spiked. "No plan and you just waltz in? Do you realize nine out of ten trending tags are about you right now?! You just stirred up the stagnant waters of the entertainment industry, you know that?!"

Song Tan could almost see her pacing around, hands on hips, exasperated. Laughing, she said, "Sounds like a good thing?"

"Cut the crap." Zhao Geyun lowered her voice. "Seriously, who's the father?"

Song Tan stalled.

Zhao Geyun didn't press further, and they shifted to discussing next steps.

Before hanging up, Song Tan interrupted. "Geyun, could you check something for me? See if Ji Fuxi has a girlfriend—or if he's married."

"Who?"

"Ji Fuxi."

A clang echoed through the phone, as if it had been dropped.

Three seconds later, Zhao Geyun's voice returned, sharp enough to cut glass. "Song Tan! Don't tell me Ji Fuxi is the father?!"

Song Tan pulled the phone from her ear, her voice small. "Uh..."

"You—!"

Song Chuqing finished her water and twisted the cap back on like a good kid. As Song Tan tucked the bottle into her bag, she grinned. "Mommy Tadpole needs to find Daddy Tadpole. Keep it a secret, okay?"

There was another major reason for her return: kids cost a fortune. After calculating her savings, she'd realized she could no longer afford a lifetime of Burberry for Song Chuqing.

That wouldn't do.

It was time to collect child support from the discount dad.