"Yeah, yeah! And both my sister's and my name are from the same ancient poem, Uncle, can you guess which one?"

"Um... raindrops on the crabapple tree...

Could it be 'Last night's rain was sparse, the wind fierce, deep sleep couldn't dispel the remnants of wine. I asked the curtain-rolling maid, and she said the crabapple is still the same. Do you know? Do you know? It should be lush green and fading red'?"

Lin Haitang: "⊙⊙"

Xiao Yu: "⊙⊙"

Seeing the Lin sisters utterly flabbergasted, Yan Weiwei was equally shocked.

"No way, did he really guess it right?"

"Ahem! Don't forget, I'm a top graduate from the Chinese Department, versed in poetry from across the land, couldn't I at least make an educated guess?"

Everyone: "..."

"Narcissist, why don't you just claim you have all the knowledge?"

Yan Weiwei rolled her eyes, assuming Meng Lang just had a lucky guess.

"Uncle, you're amazing, that's the one!" Xiao Yu looked admiringly.

Lin Haitang looked puzzled, with so much poetry in the world, could he really guess it?

"Speaking of which, Lawyer Lin, why did you name Xiao Yu after this poem? Was it a whim, or is there a story behind it?"

Meng Lang circled around the topic, finally getting to the key question.

Though it was odd why Meng Lang was so curious about this matter, like he was determined to get to the bottom of it, he still explained truthfully.

"Oh, it's nothing, maybe I just particularly liked Li Qingzhao as a child, even carved this poem into my desk, so it stuck with me."

"Carved it into your desk... is this something you did around six or seven years old?"

"Um... I forgot, probably?"

Alright! That's it!

This is definitely some psychological hint left by an ex...

Could it be that the name "Xiao Yu" indeed has a hidden meaning?

But what is it exactly?

Not quite understanding yet, Meng Lang continued asking.

"So, Lawyer Lin, you were present when Xiao Yu was born?"

"Yeah! It was summer vacation then, I was there when Xiao Yu was born... what on earth are you trying to ask?" Lin Haitang looked at Meng Lang.

"Uh... haha!" He chuckled awkwardly.

"Actually, I'm just curious about Xiao Yu's background, she probably wasn't conceived naturally, right?"

Everyone froze.

Not conceived naturally? What's that supposed to mean?

"I mean, Xiao Yu's talents are extraordinary, her intelligence far surpasses ordinary people, isn't there some special reason for that?" Meng Lang prompted.

Lin Haitang frowned, pondering for a moment, and suddenly thought of something...

"Well... if you put it that way, it's not wrong. Actually, Xiao Yu, strictly speaking, should be considered a test tube baby."

"Oh!" Here it comes, this is it!

"I found out later too, at that time, Xiao Yu's mother was diagnosed with infertility, and in order to have a baby, they consulted many famous doctors and went through a lot."

Fortunately, the family was well-off back then, and eventually, they went for IVF, successfully conceiving Xiao Yu."

"Snap!" That's it!

Meng Lang clapped his thigh!

Now it all makes sense!

In those days, giving birth to a new generation required a nurturing mother.

If during the IVF stage, a 'manipulated embryo' using one's own template was swapped in clandestinely, it might be possible to complete everything without anyone knowing.

He had done the research.

Related technology was already implemented domestically in 1988, during which the first test tube baby was conceived.

Subsequently, this technology was widely applied, with demand growing rapidly!

By 2011, the year Xiao Yu was born, the total number of IVF procedures in the country reached 18,000 cases...

So, at that time, it was already a very common medical technology, and the technical level in Beijing, the capital, was relatively advanced.

As for where the 'manipulated embryo' came from?

If some willing person preserved it through 'egg freezing' technology around the year 2000, the storage duration could reach over 20 years...

But saying it like that, Xiao Yu might not have much relation to Mr. Lin...

A surprise father!

Indeed, former Lin Haitang's moral bottom line might exist, but not much.

Mr. Lin's little cotton-padded jacket has serious holes...

Watching Meng Lang's strange expression, the three of them were somewhat baffled.

"Test tube baby is just a test tube baby, nothing rare, why are you so excited?" Yan Weiwei had a peculiar look on her face.

Realizing his gaffe, Meng Lang coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem! Nothing, I just think this explains things well.

Because, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the probability of a test tube baby becoming a genius is quite higher than natural conception..."

Everyone: "..."

What the hell, explaining a Western IVF procedure with traditional Chinese medicine?

"The ancestral secret remedy for infertility sounds more plausible than this...

But Yan Weiwei lowered her head with a thoughtful look.

"So, after all that philosophical rambling about 'who you are,' is your point just to prove that Xiao Yu is a test-tube baby?" Lin Haitang looked perplexed.

"Of course not, I just think understanding yourself must come from knowing your roots!"

"So to reflect on history, it must start from conception?"

"Uh..."

I actually wanted to start from the "zygote," but you didn't give me the chance...

Seeing my reasoning couldn't go on anymore, I could only say awkwardly.

"Haha! I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Look at everyone, practicing their skills, handling cases, studying, hasn't it been a while since anyone had a good break?

I think why don't we take advantage of Xiao Yu's evening off and everyone put down their work and relax a bit?"

"How do we relax? We're not playing Truth or Dare again, are we?" Lin Haitang looked wary.

"Ah? I don't want to drink bitter melon juice again..." Xiao Yu also pulled a face.

Only Yan Weiwei seemed quite eager.

Emphasizing a craving for even mediocre food...

"We won't play that today, hehe... Mr. Lin, you haven't sung in a while, have you?"

Meng Lang smiled, pointing to an electric guitar placed in the corner of the living room...

[Like one day, Lin Haitang picked up the electric guitar with eyes full of nostalgia, casually playing and singing familiar tunes.

In fact, each of us.

Is both the enigma of existence and the answer to the enigma...]

As the final summary of life's chapter, this inexplicable statement is indeed intriguing...

"What?" Lin Haitang was startled.

"Hehe! Xiao Yu, would you like to hear your sister's live concert?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Hey! That's a good suggestion, speaking of which, Haitang, you haven't sung since you resigned from being a resident singer, right?" Yan Weiwei chimed in.

"Hmm..."

Lin Haitang glanced at the guitar, intending to refuse, but remembered she had already "refused" once today.

Oh well, since he wants to hear it...

She walked over and picked up the guitar.

"Strum~" she strummed, testing the sound.

Lin Haitang looked up, catching Meng Lang's somewhat expectant gaze, suddenly recalling when they first met at the "Gravity" bar.

At that time, she was also holding this guitar.

She was on stage, he was off stage.

Though separated by a crowd, she recognized him instantly, which led to many laughable misunderstandings as if fate intertwined...

[We knew no bounds

Fell at the speed of sound...]

Meng Lang froze for a moment.

It was indeed a familiar melody...

He remembered, it was the first song he heard her sing when they met at the bar...

[Ridin' against all odds but soon

Against ourselves

You haunted every memory...]

Meng Lang: "..."

The song was still the same song; the lyrics were the same lyrics.

But with the passage of time, hearing it again brought a completely different feeling.

Could it be...

That she had been hinting to me in this way all along...

My life...

Is truly riddled with foreshadowing.

She seemed never to have existed in this world, with no one remembering her presence.

But every time, she would inadvertently appear.

Sometimes in his future...

Sometimes in her songs...

Like the words of Li Qingzhao, graceful, subtle...

Yes, in fact, each of us.

Is both the enigma of existence and the answer to the enigma...

Every time I faced an unsolvable puzzle, I always found the answer through Lin Haitang.

"As if in a dream"...a beautiful time like a dream, would you answer the curtain-raiser, yet Haitang remains, Haitang remains...

So... am I the "curtain-raiser"?

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