’So Li Wanyi married soone else and even had a child. Zheng Guofeng must know about this now. And to think of all the tis he gave the cold shoulder...’
Heh. At that thought, Li Wanqing’s mood lightened considerably.
Li Wanqing didn’t stay long, as she really needed to get back. If Wang Tianzhu found out she’d co to see Zheng Guofeng, he would probably get angry again.
"Dear, your aunt has sothing urgent to attend to, so I must be going. I’ll co to see you again. And this is Shumin, my daughter. You two are about the sa age, so I hope you’ll get along. If you need anything, just talk to her."
Xue Yue and Wang Shumin exchanged a glance. Wang Shumin’s eyes held a hint of anticipation, and Xue Yue found that she didn’t dislike her new cousin.
After Li Wanqing left, Wang Shumin didn’t rush to leave. Instead, she trailed after Xue Yue.
Xue Yue turned to face her. Wang Shumin’s gaze darted away as she scratched the back of her head.
"W-we’re cousins... I... I just wanted to say, I really like you."
"..."
Xue Yue watched Wang Shumin’s face grow redder and redder, and she had to suppress a smile.
"I’ll co over another day." With that, Wang Shumin bolted.
Xue Yue: "..."
Back ho, Ruanruan was still asleep.
That evening, He Lang and Xue Xingzhou returned together, with Xue Xingzhou carrying a bag of apples.
"Where did these co from?"
"Soone gave them to ."
"Who?" Xue Yue pressed, looking at Xue Xingzhou. Apples were hard to co by these days; the last ti they’d had any was when He Lang brought so back from the provincial capital.
Xue Xingzhou shot her a look. "They’re for you to eat, that’s all that matters."
Xue Yue stared at her brother for a few monts. ’Sothing feels off about this!’
"Bro, what’s going on? You seeing soone?"
He Lang also looked at Xue Xingzhou, a playful grin on his face as if he were settling in for a good show.
Xue Xingzhou ignored them both and went straight over to dote on Ruanruan.
"Uncle’s here, my little darling Ruanruan."
"Agoo~" Seeing Xue Xingzhou, Ruanruan imdiately reached out her little arms, asking to be held.
Xue Xingzhou scooped her up, tossed her gently into the air, caught her, and tossed her again.
A fit of giggles erupted from the little baby.
During dinner that night, Xue Yue brought up the day’s events. She hadn’t even told her brother about Zheng Guofeng before. It wasn’t for any particular reason; she just figured that since their mother was gone, her old acquaintances had nothing to do with them.
But Li Wanqing’s arrival had shattered that notion.
"One man claims he was Mom’s childhood sweetheart and that they were engaged. Another woman claims to be her biological sister. It’s been over twenty years, and suddenly two people pop out of the woodwork, both looking for Mom. I don’t know what to believe anymore."
"She says she’s Mom’s sister, but does she have any proof?" Xue Xingzhou asked, his brow furrowed.
"She said she has an old photo of Mom. I’m just... confused. Why did Mom never tell us she had family? And if she really is Li Wanqing’s sister, that ans she’s from Beijing City. Why would she and Dad co all the way out here to live? They don’t have any other family here."
"That’s simple," Xue Xingzhou said. "We’ll just ask Dad."
’That’s right. Xue Changlin was part of it from the very beginning. Others might not know the truth, but he certainly does.’
"You’re right. Dad definitely knows."
It was beyond doubt that Xue Changlin was hiding a secret.
After dinner, Xue Xingzhou left.
Xue Changlin never imagined that one day, Xue Xingzhou would co asking about the past.
"Dad, you and Mom aren’t from around here, are you?"
Xue Changlin raised his eyes to look at him. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"Just curious. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you or Mom ntion any family or friends here. Dad... do you two have any living relatives?"
Xue Changlin fell silent for a mont before shaking his head. "None left. They’re all dead. Your mother and I fled a famine and ended up here."
"I thought you said you ca here to stay with relatives."
Xue Changlin froze for a second, then nodded. "Right. Your mother and I were fleeing the famine, and we happened to have relatives here, so we stayed."
"And those relatives you ntioned... none of them are around anymore?"
Xue Changlin nodded.
Xue Xingzhou said nonchalantly, "I believe you, Dad. If that’s the case, then those people must have been lying to . One claiming to be Mom’s fiancé and the other her own sister... coming all the way from Beijing City just to say they knew her. Tsk, tsk. A bunch of scamrs."
"What did you say?" Xue Changlin shot up from his stool.
He took two steps toward Xue Xingzhou and demanded in a harsh voice, "Who ca? Who told you these things?"
Xue Changlin’s expression was tense, his eyes filled with panic.
Xue Xingzhou simply watched him, his expression thoughtful.
eting Xue Xingzhou’s gaze, Xue Changlin instantly ca to his senses, but he couldn’t worry about his own reaction right now.
"No matter who you spoke to or what they said, don’t believe them. They’re not good people."
Xue Xingzhou curled his fingers and tapped them on the table. "And who, exactly, are ’they’?"
Xue Changlin fell silent again.
After a long mont, he sank back onto the stool.
"Xingzhou, there are so things you don’t need to know. Your mother and I had our reasons... reasons we couldn’t help. This doesn’t concern you, so stay out of it and stop asking questions."
Xue Xingzhou laughed. "People are already showing up on our doorstep, and you want us to pretend we don’t know? Dad, I’m not a three-year-old. ’I’m not that easy to fool anymore.’
Xue Changlin’s excuses were so flimsy they only made him look more guilty. It made Xue Xingzhou even more suspicious of his motives. ’Is he really just afraid soone will hurt us?’
Xue Changlin’s expression darkened instantly. "I’m your father! Do you think I would hurt you?"
Xue Xingzhou gave a aningful, humorless smile.
Xue Changlin understood the implication and suppressed the flicker of anger in his eyes.
He said patiently, "Xingzhou, whether it’s the one surnad Li or the one surnad Zheng, neither of them are good people. They have ulterior motives. Think about it. After all these years, why wouldn’t they have co sooner? Or later? Why show up now, at the sa ti?"
At that, Xue Xingzhou broke into a genuine laugh.
"Dad, I don’t believe I ntioned their surnas. How did you know one was a Zheng and the other a Li?"
Xue Changlin’s expression froze for an instant before his face hardened into a cold mask.
He stood up and said to Xue Xingzhou coldly, "I’ve said all I’m going to say. If you insist on digging until you hit rock bottom, then I have nothing more for you."
Then he turned and stalked out, his pace hurried as if he were afraid Xue Xingzhou would ask another question.
Xue Xingzhou sat alone for a long ti. He was only now realizing that his father was not a simple man. All these years, he had seed so honest and unassuming; perhaps he had been hiding his true self all along.
For a mont back there, his father had seed like a complete stranger. What was this secret that was so unspeakable? Or was it sothing so shaful it couldn’t see the light of day?
This only stoked Xue Xingzhou’s curiosity. If they didn’t want him to know, then he was determined to find out exactly what was going on.
「The next morning」
Wang Shumin ca to find Xue Yue, bringing a bag with her.
Xue Yue looked at her, then at the bag of snacks she placed on the table, and thought she understood what this was about.
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