To most, getting a promotion was an occasion worth celebrating. However, for Tang Lianzhong, he wanted to do more for his village so that its economy and environment would improve.

“Thank you for your proposal, but I’ll let my son serve our country. I still want to remain here in Muyang to help get this place to a better position. I just applied for a few more projects. If I were to leave now, who knows where the money would end up? I’m a civil servant and it’s my job to help the people of this village live a better life. This is my responsibility.”

Mu Feichi nodded. He was glad that Tang Lianzhong was an honest person who wanted to help the people of his country.

“Alright. I won’t force you to go. Instead, I’ll do my best to help with the development of this village. You’ll have a lot of work to do from now on.”

“And, I’ll gladly do them.”

Yun Xi could only look at the people talking. There was no place for her to butt into the conversation.

She was already surprised that Mu Feichi and Tang Lianzhong were acquaintances, but after that conversation, she was even more shocked that they were much closer than she thought.

“Mr. Tang, I didn’t know you are acquainted with the Young Commander.”

Tang Lianzhong looked at Mu Feichi and then at Yun Xi’s curious expression. Since there were details pertaining to the special forces base Mu Feichi had set up nearby, he wasn’t sure if he could talk about it and chose to remain silent.

Instead, Mu Feichi was the one who explained it. “Since I have a base here, I need a lot of help from Mr. Tang. Naturally, we are acquainted.”

Under normal circumstances, the base would be handled by his subordinates. The only reason that he would personally involve himself with the base was that it was set up near the village that Yun Xi grew up in.

“I see…” Yun Xi nodded and was cut short when she heard a creak from behind. She turned around and saw Xiao Jinglin walking in, and she quickly introduced him to Tang Lianzhong. “Mr. Tang, this is my father.”

Xiao Jinglin was shocked as that was the first time Yun Xi had introduced him as her father. The shock was then quickly replaced by a wide grin of pure happiness. He quickly extended his arm to shake Tang Lianzhong’s hand.

Tang Lianzhong had no idea who Xiao Jinglin was. After shaking the father’s hand, he quickly studied the man a little. He was surprised to see a man of success and dignity, one who looked more like a businessman than a civil servant—as he had heard that Yun Xi was abandoned by her father, who was a deputy director.

No matter how Tang Lianzhong looked at Xiao Jinglin, he could tell that the father was no normal man and not the type of person who would abandon his daughter.

“Nice to meet you. I am Yun Xi’s father. Thank you for taking care of her when she was here.”

Despite noticing that Tang Lianzhong was studying him, Xiao Jinglin did not introduce himself. Instead, he kept his calm and honest demeanor.

Seeing the father was a polite and dignified person, Tang Lianzhong finally let out a sigh. “Yun Xi is a good child. She’s smart and respectful. However, she suffered a lot with the Liang family. Now that she’s back with you, make sure you take good care of her.”

Normally, Tang Lianzhong would not involve himself with another family’s matter, but he had let it slide as he watched Yun Xi grow from a baby to an adult.

Now that Yun Xi was finally able to enjoy a good life in Jingdu, he hoped that her father would be able to give her the fatherly love she had never felt.

“I understand. I won’t let her suffer like that again.”

As he was not able to fulfill his responsibility as a father for the past eighteen years, Xiao Jinglin had vowed from that moment on that she would not have to live a hard life anymore.

Investigating a matter that happened two decades ago was time-consuming. Since it was almost the New Year, Yun Xi decided to head back to Jingdu with Mu Feichi, Xiao Jinglin, and Aunt Lin first. Because of the time spent traveling over the past few days, the moment the plane landed in Jingdu, Yun Xi felt an uncomfortable pain in her abdomen. She didn’t even need to check to know that her period had come earlier than expected.