With Zhang Wei restrained and Jin Hao finally safe in her arms, Mei Xing felt a powerful wave of triumph surge through her. The firestorm had passed—for now—but the scars it left behind would take time to heal. As they rode back into the city under heavy security escort, she held her son tightly, unwilling to let go even for a second.
Jin Hao rested his head on her shoulder, whispering, "You're really my mama… right?"
Tears welled in her eyes again. "Yes, my love. I am. And I will never let anyone take you away again."
Zhao Chen, sitting beside her in the van, looked relieved but wary. "We have Zhang Wei, but this is just one head of the snake. The other one is still slithering in plain sight—Mei Li."
Mei Xing nodded. "And I've let her go free for far too long."
Kai sent word to their legal team and the press. Zhang Wei's capture was already making headlines, and Mei Xing made sure to release key footage of the rescue operation—the proof of Jin Hao's abduction and the lies surrounding his identity. Public opinion shifted drastically in her favor overnight.
But Mei Li wasn't going down without a fight.
The next morning, Mei Li stood boldly before the media, twisting her lies even further.
"I'm being framed," she said tearfully, her voice shaking. "Mei Xing has always been jealous of me. Now she's staging everything to ruin me. I didn't steal her son—he was never hers."
Mei Xing watched the footage with clenched fists. "She's already planting seeds of doubt again."
"But we have evidence," Kai reassured. "And now that we've secured Jin Hao, it's only a matter of time before the courts rule in your favor. We'll expose her, legally and publicly."
Still, Mei Xing knew this wasn't just about winning court cases. It was about bringing closure to a years-long nightmare. And most of all—it was about giving her children the peace and stability they deserved.
As the legal proceedings began, Mei Xing visited Madam Qiao again, bringing Jin Hao with her. The old caretaker broke into tears at the sight of the boy she had once held as a baby.
"He's grown into such a fine young boy," Madam Qiao said, smiling warmly.
Jin Hao shyly hugged her. "Thank you for taking care of me when I was little."
Later that night, as Jin Hao fell asleep in his new bedroom—filled with the toys, books, and love he had been robbed of for so long—Mei Xing stepped outside onto her balcony. The city lights twinkled below like a thousand stars.
Zhao Chen joined her, standing quietly for a moment.
"What happens now?" he asked softly.
"Now," Mei Xing replied, her eyes fierce and determined, "we make Mei Li answer for everything she's done."
Because the storm may have settled, but the reckoning was just beginning.