The expedited paternity test results came out very quickly.
Around nine o'clock in the evening, Xu Yan received two test reports on WeChat.
The professional testing agency showed that the probability of the biological parent-child relationship between Xu Miaotong and the two of them was 99.99%.
In other words, Xu Miaotong was indeed their daughter, without a doubt.
When Xu Yan's message arrived on Wen Ning's phone, she was leaning over her desk doing homework.
Having just taken a shower, her hair was still damp, so she didn't tie it into a ponytail, simply letting it hang down freely, carrying a pleasant scent of shampoo.
Tongtong's own head of fine hair was also a perfect inheritance from her mother.
At this point, Wen Ning finally gave up her stubborn skepticism.
She accepted the fact that her daughter had time-traveled from the future.
Surprisingly, however, there weren't many ripples in her heart.
Perhaps the moment she laid eyes on Tongtong, she had already confirmed this matter.
Xu Yan sent another message across:
"What do we do now?"
"You're Tongtong's dad, and you're asking me?"
"...Are you going to be an irresponsible jerk?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
Wen Ning felt a headache coming on as she looked at the completely blank test paper.
Throughout the entire evening, she hadn't written a single word.
All that surfaced in her mind were that outrageously cute little girl and the clean, scholarly-looking Xu Yan.
What were they doing right now...
Thinking of this, Wen Ning patted her cheeks hard, got up, and left her room.
In the living room, her father, Wen Qiming, was sitting leisurely on the sofa watching TV.
Wen Ning stood at the doorway and hesitated for a long time. "Dad..."
"Xiaoning, what's wrong?"
Wen Qiming withdrew his gaze and turned down the volume of the TV a bit. "Is something the matter?"
"Dad, can you give me some more living expenses?"
Wen Ning pursed her lips. "One thousand yuan."
"......"
Before Wen Qiming could reply, another woman's voice came from the kitchen.
"What do you need so much money for?"
Her stepmother's voice was very piercing, making Wen Ning feel a dull ache in her temples. "You come home to eat every meal and don't live outside. Where do you plan to spend a thousand yuan?"
"Are you buying clothes, or something else?"
"Qiming, you are not allowed to give it to her."
"She is at the most critical stage of high school right now. She needs to put her mind on her studies."
Wen Ning didn't know how to explain.
She remained silent, simply lowering her head and standing stubbornly in place.
Though sounding like words of concern, they were extremely grating.
"Xiaoning, don't listen to your mother's nonsense. Go back to your room and wait a moment."
Wen Qiming lowered his voice. "Dad will get it for you in a moment."
"......"
Unwilling to stay in the living room any longer, Wen Ning lowered her gaze and returned to her room.
She stared blankly at the test paper in front of her.
For some reason, she couldn't write a single word down.
About ten minutes later, Wen Qiming knocked on her door, holding a stack of cash in his hand.
"Dad..."
Wen Ning quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, I was just..."
"It's fine. If the money isn't enough, you must tell Dad."
Wen Qiming smiled. "Xiaoning is a big girl now. If you see a pretty skirt or something, don't hesitate to buy it."
Not knowing what to say, Wen Ning nodded silently.
She reached out and took the money.
"How are your grades at school recently?"
"My last exam was sixth in the grade."
"Mhm, you've always been Dad's pride."
Wen Qiming broke into a smile, and just as he wanted to show a bit more concern—
"Dad! Mom!"
Wen Ning's half-sister called out from next door, "Where did you put the doll I bought with my friend yesterday?"
"It should be in the cabinet!"
Wen Qiming hurried out. "Go look for it yourself."
"Hmph, Dad, hurry up and help me find it! I want to sleep with it tonight!"
"Alright, alright, Dad will find it for you."
From next door came her stepsister's spoiled whiny tone, followed by her father's tone of voice, which was slightly helpless yet infinitely doting.
"......"
Wen Ning clutched the stack of money in her hand and lowered her long eyelashes.
The words "Thank you, Dad" that were on the tip of her tongue never got a chance to be spoken.
When she was little, Dad used to talk to her in that exact same tone.
Back then, Wen Ning was also the little princess of the Wen family, showered with thousands of forms of affection and possessing a very happy family.
But ever since her mother passed away, her father found a new woman, and a stepsister was added to the household, everything changed.
They favored that stepsister of hers who was still in junior high school all the more.
Dad was still Dad, and he was good to her.
It was just that he didn't love her with his whole heart and soul like before.
As for the stepsister and stepmother... Wen Ning didn't want to dwell on it.
The family finances were managed by her stepmother, and her stepsister's daily allowance was probably more than twice her own.
Her stepsister was her stepmother's biological daughter, so she figured feeling partial was only human nature.
Yet sometimes she still felt a sense of regret...
It seemed that ever since her mother left, she could no longer act like a spoiled child in front of her parents without a care in the world, the way her stepsister did.
Wen Ning carefully placed the one thousand yuan into her schoolbag and picked up her phone to reply to Xu Yan's message.
"What... are you guys doing right now?"
There was no reply from the other side for a long time; they were probably busy.
Wen Ning didn't just sit around waiting either; she grabbed her pen and worked through some problem sets.
Her grades were exceptionally good, and very often, when she received a stellar report card or a competition award certificate, her dad and stepmother would also be very happy, feeling it brought them honor.
Every time her stepmother attended her parent-teacher conferences, there was a smile on her face.
Yet once that wave of happiness passed, everything went back to normal.
The whole family still revolved around her stepsister.
Around ten-something in the evening, Xu Yan finally replied with a message.
"At the mall. She only has one outfit right now."
"This little girl likes rabbits and insisted on buying this."
He also attached a photo.
Wen Ning tapped on it to expand. In the center of the mall stood Xu Miaotong, wearing a set of white rabbit pajamas.
The pajamas had a fluffy hood, and when worn on her head, two floppy rabbit ears stood up on top.
The little girl was smiling happily, her long eyelashes framing curved eyes, looking like a playful little elf.
Cradling her phone, Wen Ning felt the faint gloom in her heart wash away quite a bit.
She was cute enough to serve as a phone lock screen wallpaper.
Beep!
From Xu Yan's end, a voice message lasting a few seconds came through.
Xu Miaotong's sweet voice drifted out from the phone: "Mom, I'm a bunny now! So cute, right?"
Wen Ning listened to it again.
Mom...
So, Tongtong really is my daughter from the future.
Wen Ning had never liked showing her emotions on her surface; she always kept them hidden inside.
Yet even she herself didn't notice the rare gentleness in her eyes at this moment.
Wen Ning pursed her thin, rosy lips and lowered her head to type out a reply.
"Mhm... super cute."