It is said that when the Zhao Family initially chose this woman, it was precisely because of her hardworking and sincere nature.

Xiao Shumei, inherently a bold type, worried that if both sons married women who were too opinionated, it might lead to conflicts. It was best if the second wife was virtuous and without any strong opinions. Lan Yun’s calm temperament was just what the Zhao Family desired.

In this way, it can only be said that the Zhao Family was indeed calculating. However, despite their calculations, they did not foresee Madam Zhao developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Lan Yun, upon seeing the Bai family at the door, immediately welcomed the guests inside, saying, "My mother-in-law heard you were coming and has been sitting in the living room waiting for you since early this morning."

Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t mean becoming completely senile; Madam Zhao hasn’t completely turned into an imbecile, she just often forgets.

Exactly how severe Madam Zhao’s memory decline was, Gu Nuan and the others only heard from Zhao Mengjin’s descriptions, which certainly weren’t as clear as an expert’s, leaving them entirely in the dark before arriving. Therefore, this time they brought Ou Yanan, a professional doctor, along. However, they didn’t tell Lan Yun that Ou Yanan was a doctor, merely saying that he was the uncle of the monkeys.

Lan Yun, truly an upstanding woman uninterested in gossip, didn’t know who Ou Yanan was. She simply believed whomever Gu Nuan and the others said he was, without asking more questions, and led them directly indoors.

Entering the living room, they saw Madam Zhao sitting on the sofa, dressed in an exquisite qipao, her hair neatly combed, her body clean and tidy, looking nothing like someone severely afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

Madam Zhao was focused on the TV in front until Lan Yun stepped forward and called out, "Mom, the guests are here." Madam Zhao turned her head and asked, "Who did you say is here?"

"Yebai and his wife."

Madam Zhao responded with an "oh".

It was clear to everyone that Madam Zhao had forgotten who Xiao Yebai and Gu Nuan were.

This moment of shock reached deep into the hearts of Xiao Yebai and Gu Nuan. Gu Nuan knew that her husband really liked and respected Madam Zhao. Seeing the elderly woman so ill to the extent of forgetting even him was heart-wrenching, as though his heart was being cruelly torn.

If only they’d known earlier, visited earlier, talked more with Madam Zhao before she became ill, spent more time with her.

In Gu Nuan’s mind, this string of thoughts flashed, and she believed that her husband only regretted even more deeply than she did.

Xiao Yebai fell completely silent.

The two monkeys could clearly sense their father’s strangeness, causing a hint of panic to flash across their little faces.

Lan Yun, however, seemed accustomed to it. After all, when the family first learned of Madam Zhao’s illness, they undoubtedly went through the same painful mindset as Bai: distress, disbelief, lack of acceptance, etc. But over time, they had to accept and digest it because the illness was an undeniable fact in front of everyone.

"Please have a seat," Lan Yun said to the family, "Later, you can talk more with her; she might remember some things. Previously, those visiting old friends of Mom’s experienced the same situation."

Hearing Lan Yun’s words, Gu Nuan urged her sons to sit on the sofa first, then turned back to tug on Bai’s sleeve.

Bai followed as their mother and children sat down. Ou Yanan moved a chair to sit diagonally across from Madam Zhao, observing her discreetly and inconspicuously from this angle.