As it turned out, before Qin Jiao left, she had spoken with their next-door neighbor, Grandpa Du. She asked him to tell her parents that she’d gone out to find Xiao Shi if they returned.

She had also considered that they might come back too late, after Grandpa Du had already gone to bed, so she had also left a note in the living room.

When Su Yun and the others returned, it was already past midnight. The moment she walked in the door, she saw that her eldest daughter was also gone. Upon reading the note, Su Yun nearly fainted.

Qin Na was dumbfounded.

Fortunately, Su Yun had one saving grace: she had absolute trust in her eldest daughter. This allowed her to calm down quickly.

But she didn’t sleep all night, sitting in the living room and waiting for her two daughters to return.

As dawn broke and sunlight slowly trickled into the living room, the hope in Su Yun’s heart shattered bit by bit. Just when she had nearly lost all hope, her two daughters appeared at the doorway together.

Her eldest daughter was smiling at her, and her youngest called out sweetly, "Mommy, I want to eat egg pancakes!" Su Yun immediately rushed over, fell to her knees, and pulled her two daughters into a fierce hug.

"Xiao Shi, where did you run off to?! Do you have any idea how you worried Mom sick? I almost went crazy!" Su Yun sobbed, laughing and crying all at once.

When a person is overwhelmed with emotion, it’s impossible to tell the difference between their laughter and their tears.

Seeing her mother cry like that, Xiao Shi started crying too. Qin Jiao immediately called over to her aunt, Qin Na, and together they helped Su Yun to the sofa. Su Yun still refused to let go of her youngest daughter.

Qin Jiao’s eyes were also red, but she remained remarkably calm and composed. "Mom," she said, "Xiao Shi didn’t wander off with someone. She was drugged and abducted."

Su Yun froze, then was immediately overcome with self-blame. "It’s all my fault! If I had just paid a little more attention, this never would have happened..."

"Mom, they’re professional kidnappers who live right next to our Three Families Village, at the Lin Family Shop. They’re repeat offenders, so don’t blame yourself. I already reported them to the police. Based on the timing, the officers should be arriving at the Lin Family Shop any minute now."

Even after hearing this, Su Yun was still filled with remorse, refusing to let go of her little girl.

Qin An said softly, "Xiao Jiao, yesterday’s incident was my fault, too. If it weren’t for me, your mom wouldn’t have been distracted."

"It’s in the past now. The important thing is to make sure the criminals are punished. Mom, can you stop crying for a bit and make me something to eat? I have to go take my exam soon."

The reminder jolted Su Yun out of her grief and self-blame. She turned her head to look at the clock—it was almost six-thirty!

She immediately let go of her younger daughter and rushed toward the kitchen. "Xiao Jiao, just give me a few minutes! It’ll be ready soon!"

"Okay, Mom. Make a little extra and pack some for Shen Yi next door. He’s the one who helped me look for Xiao Shi last night."

"Yes, of course!"

Su Yun cooked for a little while, then paused, wanting to ask her daughter if she should avoid putting garlic in the food before her exam. But when she turned around, she saw that Qin Jiao had fallen asleep leaning against the sofa. Xiao Shi was snuggled carefully against her sister, and Qin Na was gently draping a thin blanket over them.

Su Yun sighed softly, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Qin Na came to her side to help and whispered, "Xiao Jiao is so dependable. It feels like there’s nothing she can’t do, like she can handle anything. It might sound silly, but I honestly really look up to Xiao Jiao."

Su Yun gazed lovingly at her two daughters sleeping, huddled together, and said softly, "That’s our Xiao Jiao... She’s the pillar of this family."

Meanwhile, the *official* pillar of the Old Qin Family, Qin Zhonghui, finally breathed a sigh of relief after getting a call from his wife saying their daughters were home safe. He, his older brother, and his brother-in-law immediately started for home.

As for Qin Jiao, she slept for a mere ten minutes before getting up for breakfast. Afterward, she gathered what she needed for the college entrance exam, got on her bike with Young Master Shen from next door riding along, and sped off toward the testing center.