Jiuyao picked up her cell phone that lay on the wooden study table. She searched for the contact number of the owner of the restaurant where she worked.

“Morning, ma'am, this is Jiuyao,” Jiuyao said as an opening line.

"Yes, good morning Jiuyao. What's wrong with calling me?” asked the mother of the owner of the three-star restaurant. It was unusual for Jiuyao to call her so early in the morning.

“Jiuyao is off work today,” Jiuyao replied.

"Why aren't you working? Is Jiuyao sick?” asked Mrs. Meixia in a worried tone. Jiuyao was one of her diligent and hardworking employees.

"No, ma'am. Jiuyao is not sick, it's just that Jiuyao needs time to rest for a while,” Jiuyao explained. There was no way she could explain her romantic relationship with her boyfriend.

"Oh, it's okay Jiuyao, it's okay if you want to rest. I thought Jiuyao was sick, so thank goodness you're okay,” Mrs. Meixia said. Jiuyao could hear Meixia's mother's sigh of relief.

"How many days off do you need? But it can't be long. You know that we only have four employees, including you, and our restaurant is quite busy every day," Meixia continued.

What Mrs. Meixia said was true. "Yes, Ma'am, Jiuyao is only on leave today. I will come to work tomorrow as usual."

"Alright. Have a good rest," Mrs. Meixia said.

"Yes, ma'am, thank you," Jiuyao replied.

After, that, the phone call was disconnected. Jiuyao felt relieved that Mrs. Meixia, the owner of the restaurant where she worked, had given her permission. She rarely asked for permission not to work unless it was something that was not too important. In that restaurant, she was given permission for one day off every month without deductions from her salary. The girl herself had worked there for three years, which was quite a long time.

Jiuyao opened her cellphone and looked for her lover's contact number. Lu Yi was last active yesterday. And Jiuyao's message had not been read, let alone replied to. Jiuyao took a deep breath. Lu Yi was so busy! He couldn't even spare two minutes to reply to a message.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about Lu Yi! I need recreation," said Jiuyao.

Her friend, Chaoxing, came to work at the restaurant today. They both worked in the same place. Jiuyao told Chaoxing via message that if Jiuyao came home late, she would put the house key under the carpet in front of the house.

Jiuyao's gaze shifted to the photo displayed in one corner of the wall. A photo of Jiuyao as a teenager with her father and mother on her fourteenth birthday on November 16th. They took the photo at their home with the background of the living room decorated with balloons and typical birthday decorations, and of course a two-tiered birthday cake with a beautiful ocean and mermaid theme. A beautiful knee-length dress, a white crown, and beautiful flat shoes. At that time, they were a happy little family. A smile appeared when Jiuyao remembered it. It happened a long time ago, but it was still imprinted on her heart. That birthday party was the last birthday party she celebrated with both of her parents in full.

Five months after Jiuyao's birthday, she still remembered the time when her father first fell ill in April. Father was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, hospitalized for several days and through various medical examinations and supporting examinations, the father was diagnosed by the doctor as having a stroke. Father was treated as an outpatient, father worked from home. Not long after three months, father's illness got worse and was hospitalized, then father died.

Jiuyao returned to consciousness, then looked for her mother’s phone number. She called her mother repeatedly, but her phone calls were not answered. Jiuyao did not give up. She kept calling her mother. Until finally her mother answered her phone.

“Good morning, Mom! How are you today?” asked Jiuyao with a cheerful expression. She had not called her mother for a long time because she was busy working. She missed her mother very much. So far, the girl’s days were mostly spent working, coming home to rest. Her activities every day were like that.

"Morning, mom is fine. What's up calling mom?" asked mom.

"I want to see mom. It's been a long time since we met, Mom," said Jiuyao. She imagined that when she met her mother, she could tell her problems to her mother. And spend the whole day with her biological mother. Mom and Jiuyao did not live together.

“Not now! Mom, can’t meet you right now. Mom, your dad, and your little brother are on vacation at the beach outside the city,” Mom explained from the other side.

“Mom and your little brother went on vacation without telling me? Why?” Jiuyao asked. How many times had they gone on vacation without telling her? It was highly unlikely that Mom would invite her to go on a trip.

“Mom, hang up the phone first. We’ll talk again another time.”

“Mom! Mom! Mom! Don’t hang up the phone!” Jiuyao asked. It was too late. Mom had turned off the phone.

Jiuyao stared blankly at her smartphone screen, precisely at her mother’s profile picture, which displayed a photo of her mother and her little brother on one of the applications. “I thought Mom would change to be like she used to be when Dad was still around. This is the umpteenth time Mom has done the same thing. And I stupidly hoped that Mom would change, at least just tell me. Or care about me.”

Jiuyao's tears dripped from the corners of her eyes, then flowed down her cheeks. "Mother, our relationship as mother and daughter is very strained. Even when I call, you can't wait to hang up. Even though I still miss you. You don't even ask how I am here, whether I am living well here, whether I lack food and drink or not?"

"I am also your child. Why don't you care about me?" Jiuyao's cries became hoarse.

Jiuyao wiped the clear liquid beads on both of her cheeks using tissue. “I wish I could confide in and ask for a solution with mom, but in reality it was far from what I expected.”

Meanwhile, in another place, in a famous hotel, a small family who looked happy was enjoying breakfast together. On the table, there were several types of delicious food served, along with fruits and drinks.

“Who called you this early in the morning?” The adult man’s brow furrowed as he asked his wife.

“Normally, Jiuyao. She wants to meet me,” said Lian Maner, putting a sophisticated flat object on the table near her, then continued eating.

“Oh, Jiuyao, your daughter. She shouldn’t bother us anymore,” commented the husband in a displeased tone, then cut the beef steak into small pieces, then put it in his mouth.

“I’ll block her number, honey. So she can’t call me again,” said Lian Maner without feeling guilty. Her hand moved to block Jiuyao’s cellphone number, her daughter on her cellphone.
"Honey, should have done that a long time ago. Okay, it's okay to do it now. I just want darling to be able to come out and let go of the past." Mu Chen, Lian Maner's husband, then smiled looking at his wife, who was sitting right beside him.

"Yes, honey."