The morning of the Chinese exam happened to be my mom's birthday.

She made me a sausage and boiled two eggs, while she had a bowl of plain leftover noodles.

Jokingly, I said that getting a perfect score in Chinese was 150 points, and this has cost me fifty points already.

Panic-stricken, she added another sausage to my plate.

"Nannan, two hundred points."

Like a magician, I pulled out a cake with candles from behind my back, which I had hidden in the refrigerator last night.

She accepted the cake awkwardly like a child.

"Make a wish, Mom. It will come true."

"A wish," she murmured, then her eyes lit up and she clasped her hands cautiously.

She whispered, "My name is Lin Zhi, today is my birthday, and my wish is for my Nannan's all wishes to come true and to score 150 points in the exam."

Noticing her slightly trembling hands, I silently vowed to make those who bullied my mom pay.

After finishing a day of exams, I confidently prepared to go home and share the good news with my mom. Her Nannan performed very well.

But I didn't expect Yu Jun and that woman to be so malicious.

Walking into the alley, an ambulance brushed past me.

A bad premonition rose in my heart, and I hurried towards the shop.

Sure enough, a crowd surrounded the breakfast shop, and I couldn't squeeze in.

On tiptoes, I could only see plates and cups shattered on the floor, and tables broken into pieces.

"Hey, Xiao Yu, you're back." The uncle from the fruit shop next to ours came over and patted my back.

Before he could say a word, the chatter around me reached my ears.

"The original wife came to fight the mistress, right?"

"What a big commotion."

"I think the mistress had nothing to say, and at the end, she seemed to have a seizure on the ground!"

"I heard the breakfast shop owner's kid is an illegitimate child too."

"You don't say, the breakfast shop owner is also a fool; when someone didn't pay for their meal before, she wasn't angry, just kept smiling like an idiot."

My mind went blank in an instant, and my mom's helpless image flashed before my eyes. Adjusting my erratic breathing, I rushed to the hospital.

The corridor was quiet; my mom was still being resuscitated.

Yu Jun and the mistress stood side by side in front of the operating room. Seeing me, the woman curled her lips into a fake smile.

"This must be Yu Jiang. So small and skinny. Don't worry..."

I lowered my head, restraining the urge to tear apart her fake smile, and looked towards the operating room.

"This is Auntie Xiao Hong. You don't even know to greet, such a rude child," Yu Jun said, glaring at me with his sclerotic eyes.

"You'd better pray that my mom's surgery goes well."

The words "In Surgery" were glaringly red. I spoke each word deliberately, turning around, my eyes glued to them.

Yu Jun was about to say something.

The operating room door opened. I rushed over. The leading doctor took off his mask and shook his head at me.

"The patient had a cardiac arrest for six minutes and missed the best treatment time. With brain hypoxia, she is unlikely to wake up soon."

I collapsed onto the floor upon hearing this.

"Is she turning into a vegetable?" Xiao Hong's tone was regretful, but her eyes revealed wild excitement. The doctor was stunned.

"Xiao Hong!" Yu Jun called out to her, lowering his voice, "Keep a low profile."

What exactly happened at the breakfast shop?

That's the only question on my mind now.

I got up and walked out in a daze. When passing by Yu Jun, I hoarsely asked, "Why didn't you call an ambulance immediately?"

Yu Jun, feeling guilty, retorted loudly, "Who knows if she was faking it!"

I bit my tongue hard until the taste of blood reminded me to control my emotions.

Yes, there's surveillance. To protect my mom, I had secretly installed cameras at the breakfast shop.

I need to check the surveillance footage.

"This little bastard doesn't seem to have a good relationship with her mother," Xiao Hong's voice rang from behind.

"Ha, eats my food, wears my clothes, does she really dare to defy me?"

As I descended the stairs, Xiao Yan came up and brushed past me.

"Your mom's dead. Motherless girl." The moment she finished speaking, I raised my head abruptly and stepped closer.

She was startled, lost her balance, and tumbled down the stairs. Without looking back at her wails from the floor, I walked away.

On my way, my mind was in chaos. I still had exams tomorrow, but I was clearly not in the right state of mind.

Back at the breakfast shop, the crowd had dispersed. I navigated through the mess and entered the computer password, staring at the screen.

My mom was wiping a table, and Xiao Hong and Yu Jun walked in.

"What nonsense did you post in the comments?" Yu Jun grabbed my mom harshly.

"Do you know what people are saying about me online? I've worked so hard to reach this position!" he yelled.

My fists clenched tighter, nails digging into my palms without feeling the pain.

The three figures intertwined on the surveillance screen, their voices bombarding my mind.

After watching the entire surveillance footage, I was dizzy with information too overwhelming to process.

Years ago, my mom and Xiao Hong, with a modest family background, were best friends. Upon fully understanding my mom's situation, Xiao Hong harbored ill intentions.

It turned out my mom and Yu Jun's fateful encounter, the so-called hero saving the beauty, was all a setup by those two. The thug who harassed my mom was their hire.

Initially, they just wanted hush money, but Yu Jun got greedy and directly married my mom.

"Do you think I married you because I really wanted a disgrace like you? You've made me a joke at home!" On the screen, Yu Jun angrily kicked over a table.

I held onto the wall for support.

"Ding ding ding." My mom's phone rang with a scheduled alarm.

Unlocking her screen, the first thing I saw was our WeChat conversation.

A whole screen of green voice message bars.

"My dear Nannan, I hope you're always happy."

"Don't be sad."

"I wish I could always be with you."

"Phone, behind."

With trembling hands, I pried open the phone case. Inside was a "Carefree Coupon" I'd given her back in kindergarten.

Mom had said she'd keep it with her forever, but it was now back in my hands.

In the chat, there were three unsent heart emojis.

I knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably, feeling utterly helpless for the first time. Everything seemed unknown.

Just then, Yu Jun called.

"Don't go to your college entrance exam tomorrow. With grades like yours, you'd probably only get into a vocational school. A caregiver earns five hundred a day; I'm not paying that. Start working early, and maybe your mom's life can be extended."

"Yu Jun," I nearly growled.

"If my mom doesn't get the best care, expect a court summons for adultery and asset forfeiture tomorrow."

After hanging up, I held onto my mom's coat and lay down on the bed, my head pounding. It took two sleeping pills to finally drift off at dawn.