Du Bingtian didn't return until after nine o'clock in the evening. The other two young masters arrived almost immediately after him.

When Xu Keke followed Xi Bao downstairs, everyone in the family except for the third concubine, Fang Shi, was in the living room.

Lin Meijuan, with her delicate fingers raised, sat on a sofa not far away, holding a cup of coffee. She sat there leisurely, watching with a smile as Du Bingtian was surrounded by several children.

The smile that emanated from her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes was one of a woman's happiness and contentment.

Du Bingtian was in his early forties. After more than a decade of ups and downs in his official career, he had maintained a good physique. Although not as toned as a young man, he hadn't gained weight. Coupled with his refined demeanor and well-defined features, it wasn't hard to understand why his second concubine was hiding behind the sofa, looking at him with such infatuated eyes.

“Father, the horses we rode this time were spirited horses brought out from the camp. I was originally afraid to ride them, but with Fukai demonstrating for me, I gave it a try. I didn’t expect that riding those horses would be so different from riding the ones raised at the horse farm.”

The eldest son, Du Jue, sat next to Du Bingtian and recounted his experiences of the day. The other young ladies and gentlemen listened attentively, and even the usually aloof Du Yuan looked at him with longing in her eyes.

Du Bingtian's face was flushed from the alcohol. As he listened to Du Jue speak, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, but his eyes kept glancing out of the living room.

Finally, he met the gaze of Xu Keke, who was standing outside the living room, looking him over.

Xu Keke saw that his expression changed the moment he saw her. His face darkened, and his eyes became unfathomable. His previously smiling face turned extremely serious.

The children noticed something was wrong with him and turned to look outside, following his gaze.

Du Bingtian stood up from the sofa and took a few steps forward. Du Shan nervously turned to look at her mother.

Although Xu Keke did it on purpose, she didn't expect him to react so strongly.

The original owner had a photo of her mother when she was young. She wore a pale white long dress and a black long skirt. Her hair was parted in two loose braids that hung down in front of her chest. Her slightly curled bangs seemed to be casually parted on both sides of her forehead.

A white top and a black skirt—this outfit was easy to find. Xu Keke casually rummaged through the original owner's trunk and found several pieces. She wasn't quite up to the task of braiding her hair into a bun, but she had no problem styling it in a braid.

The only thing Xu Keke is missing is an oval jade button that should be under her collar.

In the original owner's memory, her nanny once pointed to that black and white photo and carefully described the color and texture of the jade buckle to her.

She said that the jade pendant was a gift from Du Bingtian to the original owner's mother on her eighteenth birthday. It was a family heirloom of the Du family and the first gift he had ever given her. When the original owner's mother was alive, she wore it almost every day.

The original owner of this body resembled her mother by at least six points. Xu Keke deliberately stood in the shadows, waiting for Du Bingtian to see her. She wanted to see Du Bingtian's reaction.

With a crash, Xu Keke turned her head and saw that the coffee cup and saucer that Madam Lin Meijuan was holding had fallen to the ground. The expression on her face was no longer just simple fear; it was too complex for Xu Keke to understand for a moment.

As her gaze swept across the face of the first wife, Xu Keke happened to catch a glimpse of the second wife behind her. It was hatred, though only for a very brief moment, but Xu Keke was certain that her eyes were filled with hatred.

Xu Keke didn't dare linger any longer and walked into the living room with a faint smile.

As the bright light shone on Xu Keke, Du Bingtian gradually came to his senses. He only glanced at his wife and didn't pursue her lapse in composure.

Hearing the noise, the maids outside rushed past Xu Keke to Lin Meijuan to clean up the mess on the floor.

Amidst the chaos, Xu Keke had already reached Du Bingtian.

"Is that A-Jin?" After looking her up and down, Xu Keke noticed his gaze linger on her collar, and heard him say, "You've grown so much. Time flies!"

Du Bingtian's gaze lingered on Xu Keke's face for a long time. Du Shan was displeased; she stepped forward and took Du Bingtian's arm, saying coquettishly,

"Father, to my opinion, my eldest sister doesn't look much like the picture of your wife that hangs in your study!"

"It doesn't look like her. That photo was taken when we came back from abroad. Back then, your eldest sister's mother liked Western fashion. To take the photo, she not only permed her hair, but also deliberately had someone do her theatrical makeup, imitating photos of foreign movie stars. That's why it doesn't look like her. Actually, your eldest sister and her mother looked exactly alike when they were young."

With Du Shan's interruption, Du Bingtian stopped staring at Xu Keke and was pulled back to sit on the sofa by Du Shan.

According to the original owner's wet nurse, Du Bingtian was an exceptionally doting husband. Yet, he remarried less than six months after his wife's death and subsequently neglected the original owner. This apparent deep affection seemed suspicious. This was why Xu Keke wanted to test him.

Du Bingtian saw that she was still standing and wanted to invite her to sit down. But when he raised his hand, he realized that Du Shan was affectionately holding his arm, and Du Jue was sitting on his other side.

He felt uneasy asking any of them to get up. He didn't want them to misunderstand, thinking that the arrival of this daughter would diminish his love for them. Everyone could see his hesitation.

Just as Xu Keke was about to sit down, Du Jue stood up. "Big sister, I'm your younger brother Du Jue. Welcome home. Please sit here."

The fourteen-year-old boy stood up and was a head taller than the original body.

He and Du Shan are twins, and they share some similarities in temperament. Du Shan is a clever and lively girl, while Du Jue is a bright and generous boy. Both of them give off an air of cheerfulness and enthusiasm.

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