Chapter 254: Daughter, Mom Wants to Ask You

Qin Feng's abrupt action regarding the leather stool was like a feather falling into a heart-lake, sending ripples through Xia Madam's mind that refused to fade. She was a delicate and sensitive person, gentle and timid, yet far from foolish. Why would Mr. Qin, so lofty and rarely seen, take interest in such an ordinary old stool outside her own door? And why had he touched it with his own hands?

This was highly unusual.

She replayed the details again and again—Qin Feng's focused gaze, the slow, deliberate way his fingertips brushed the leather, and that seemingly plain yet strangely meaningful remark: "I can feel it's leather…"

A troubling thought, like creeping vines, quietly took root—Mr. Qin's attention was not truly on the stool itself, but… through the stool, pointing toward someone connected to it.

Was it Xia Tian? No, Xia Tian, though important, was merely an engineer. Was it Nannan? She was still so young.

That left only one possibility—Xia Wan.

Recalling Xia Wan's earth-shattering "Brother!" before leaving home, recalling how Qin Feng personally summoned her and assigned her a secret mission, and now recalling Qin Feng's strange fixation on this old stool… Xia Madam felt a chill rise from her soles, instantly spreading through every limb and bone.

Xia Wan… what was she hiding from the family? What kind of relationship did she have with Mr. Qin? And what secret did this old stool conceal?

All these questions and worries intertwined, leaving her restless. She longed to contact her daughter immediately and demand clear answers. But Xia Wan's mission had the highest secrecy level—communication was completely severed; she could not reach her.

This helplessness and fear of the unknown tormented her.

Several days later, one evening, Xia Madam finally lulled Nannan to sleep, sat alone on the sofa in the living room of their new home, gazing at the tranquil night view outside the window of Guanlan Yuan, yet felt not a shred of peace.

She pulled out her personal terminal and instinctively opened Xia Wan's communication interface (though she knew it would not connect), staring at the photo of her daughter taken before departure, smiling calmly—and her worries and doubts could no longer be suppressed.

She activated the recording function, her lips trembling slightly, hesitating, then finally took a deep breath and began recording in a voice heavy with exhaustion, concern, and a barely perceptible tremor:

"Xia Wan… it's Mom."

She paused, as if gathering her thoughts, her voice soft yet thick with unyielding sorrow.

"How are things over there? Mom is very worried about you."

"Everything's fine at home. Nannan is well-behaved. We moved to a new house—the environment is good, and the Management Committee helped a lot…"

She chattered on about household updates, trying to ease her inner anxiety, but to little effect.

Finally, she changed the subject, lowering her voice slightly, revealing unmistakable unease and probing curiosity:

"Xia Wan… Mom… Mom has something I want to ask you."

She paused again, as if summoning great courage.

"A few days ago, Mr. Qin… he passed by our front door and saw the old stool your grandmother left behind… the one with the leather top, the one you used to sit on as a child…"

Her speech speed unconsciously quickened.

"He… he seemed unusually interested in that stool, and… he even touched it, and said something very strange…"

Xia Madam's voice carried clearer confusion and a hint of fear.

"Daughter… Mom… do you know what's going on?"

"Is there… something special about that stool?"

"And… you and Mr. Qin… what exactly is your relationship? Why did he call you… call you 'Brother'?"

As she spoke these words, her voice cracked with obvious sobs and dread.

"Xia Wan, Mom isn't trying to interfere. Mom is just… just terrified. I don't understand what you're doing now. Mr. Qin is such a person… Mom truly fears for you…"

Her words were scattered, filled with the most instinctive maternal worry and terror for a daughter lost in mystery, undertaking a dangerous mission.

At the end of the recording, she let out a long sigh, her voice brimming with helplessness:

"Ah… if you can receive this, please reply, even just to say you're safe…"

"Mom… really misses you."

The recording ended.

Xia Madam saved this voice message, heavy with maternal worry and questions, into the send queue, setting it to auto-send the moment Xia Wan's communication was restored.

She did not know when her daughter would return, or when she would hear this message.

All she could do was hold this heavy burden of worry, day after day, waiting in this seemingly stable and prosperous New Era.

Outside the window, simulated moonlight coldly spilled into the living room, illuminating her thin, anxious figure.

Some questions are destined to remain unanswered for now.

Some attachments can only be buried deep in the heart, borne in silence.

Far away, deep within Kunlun Mountain, at the edge of Shenhua Tianfu, shrouded in strange energy and spatial distortions, Xia Wan faced a challenge and choice beyond anything she had ever imagined.

She remained unaware of her mother's worries and questions.

What she needed to focus on entirely now was the abyss before her eyes, capable of swallowing all light and hope.