The first person to enter wasn't Shen Xingmian. Qin Xi'er looked up at the doorway and saw an unfamiliar man with short hair, a slightly open collar on his white shirt, and deep, cool eyes.
His gaze swept lightly over the crowd, finally landing on Nan Zhi. A distinct smile appeared on his face, and when he smiled, he seemed completely different from before, radiating a warm aura.
At this moment, Qin Xi'er could hardly control her heartbeat. This was the first time she had felt this way. Her heart was pounding, each beat louder than the last. Qin Xi'er subconsciously gripped the cup in her hand and took a sip.
"Cousin, what brings you here?"
Before Xu Chaoci could speak, Shen Xingmian walked over from behind and sat down in the empty seat next to Nanzhi, one step ahead of Xu Chaoci.
“Your cousin hasn’t eaten yet, so I brought it with me.”
He wanted to show his magnanimity in front of Zhizhi.
Xu Chaoci: "..."
He could only sit in the only empty seat, between Lian Jin and Qin Xi'er.
The moment he sat down, Qin Xi'er sat up straight, feeling very awkward. So he was Zhizhi's cousin. But wasn't Zhizhi's cousin Xu Yao's brother?
Just as I was thinking this, I heard Nanzhi introduce:
"This is my cousin, my own brother, his name is Xu Chaoci."
Xu Chaoci nodded slightly to everyone without saying a word.
Qin Xi'er paused, "Xu Chaoci? Departing from Baidi City amidst colorful clouds?"
That name was forever etched into her heart.
"Nanzhi, what do you mean by 'close'? Do you mean you have someone you're not close to?"
Hu Lai looked puzzled and blurted out.
Nanzhi: "..."
Xu Chaoci frowned and glanced at Hu Lai indifferently. Hu Lai was oblivious and kept staring at Nan Zhi, clearly wanting to make trouble for her.
Nanzhi smiled and said, "Yes, just like you, you're not Grandma's biological grandson either."
Hu Lai: "......" Can I admit my mistake?
Hu Lai could never get anywhere with Nan Zhi. He should just eat quietly. But as soon as Hu Lai behaved himself, Lin Youyou started acting up again.
"Dad, drink some water. Men are made of water, you need to stay hydrated."
Lin Youyou poured Lian Jin a glass of water with great enthusiasm, she couldn't be more excited.
Lian Jin was forced to take the water she poured. His face stiffened. Seeing Xu Chaoci's surprise just now, Lian Jin felt that Lin Youyou never called him "Dad".
Lian Jin now feels like he's having a terrible dream where Lin Youyou calls him "Dad".
"Ahem, cousin, don't mind her. Youyou is a simple-minded child. She calls anyone who is nice to her 'Dad'."
Nan Zhi coughed lightly and offered an explanation.
Xu Chaoci smiled slightly at her without saying anything.
This is the first time I've ever seen such a quirk.
A few days later, Xu Chaoci had finished his preliminary work in the capital and set off for Yuecheng with Nanzhi.
Shen Xingmian originally wanted to come along, but he gave up the idea after Nan Zhi persuaded him in every way.
Nanzhi didn't want to see that scene, knowing that he would inevitably meet with Xu Yao once he appeared in Yuecheng.
Without informing the Xu family beforehand, Nan Zhi took Xu Chaoci directly to Old Master Xu's villa. Since it was during the school term, Xu Yao was not staying at Old Master Xu's place; only Xu Jingzhi and Old Master Xu were staying there.
When he saw Nanzhi arrive, Old Xu was quite surprised, but he still greeted her with a smile.
Hello, Grandpa.
Old Xu nodded, "Alright, alright, you haven't been here for two years."
Seeing the man beside Nan Zhi, Old Xu asked in confusion, "Boyfriend?"
Nan Zhi was surprised. It seemed that Xu Yao and Xu Jingzhi had not told Old Master Xu about her and Shen Xingmian, so he did not know that she was already married.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. If Old Xu knew about the relationship between Shen Xingmian and her, he wouldn't have allowed Xu Yao to keep following Shen Xingmian.
Nanzhi was confident in Xu Lao's values; he was just a bit doting on his granddaughter.
"Grandpa, this is my cousin."
Old Xu was completely stunned. He was silent for a moment, then sighed, "So, you knew?"
Nanzhi nodded, "When I went to study in the United States, I met my cousin's family. My uncle found out about them, and we recognized each other."
Old Xu had no complaints about this matter. Although the family had adopted Nanzhi's mother, she eventually passed away in Yuecheng. In the end, the Xu family felt guilty about this.
“Mr. Xu, thank you for raising my aunt. She went missing due to an accident. My father will visit her again after he returns to China.”
Xu Chaoci spoke in a formal and measured manner, but her gratitude was genuine. Regardless of the reason for her aunt's death, the Xu family had indeed raised her; otherwise, Nanzhi would not exist.
People should know how to be grateful. One thing at a time, and we shouldn't generalize.
The young man was neither humble nor arrogant, and spoke very appropriately. Old Xu smiled and said, "That child has her own destiny. There is no need to thank her. It was my deceased wife who picked her up from the beach."
Old Xu talked for a while about Nanzhi's mother's childhood. Nanzhi and Xu Chaoci could tell that he actually loved that adopted daughter.
"Grandpa, there's another thing we'd like to ask you today."
Nanzhi felt it was necessary to get to the bottom of this matter, otherwise she wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing her mother would be stigmatized.
"Go ahead and ask."
Old Xu looked at her; Nan Zhi's expression at that moment was serious and earnest.
"Why do some people say that my mother seduced her brother? Grandpa, is my mother that kind of person?"
A look of shock flashed across Old Xu's face. He had thought Nanzhi would ask about her mother's cause of death, but who knew she would ask about this instead.
But only he, his second son (Xu Yao's father), and Xu Jingzhi knew about this, so how did it get to Nan Zhi's ears?
Besides, Nan Zhi is from the capital, yet she can hear it from so far away... No, Xu Yao and Xu Jingzhi went to the capital during summer vacation.
Where did you hear that from?
This matter could be either Xu Jingzhi or Xu Yao. Could it be that the second brother told Xu Yao?
Upon hearing this, Nanzhi shook her head. "Grandpa, you don't need to worry about where you heard this. I just want the truth. I believe Mom isn't that kind of person."
Old Xu remained silent for a long time, his whole being radiating a somber and sorrowful aura.
There was a minute of silence in the room before Old Xu let out a heavy sigh, "This is a long story..."
As Nan Zhi and Xu Chaoci listened to Old Xu's story, they learned that when their grandmother took their mother in, their eldest uncle was already a young boy. He knew that his sister was not his biological sister, but he loved her very much and protected her well from childhood to adulthood. As he grew older, this affection unknowingly changed. When he found out that he actually liked his adopted sister, his eldest uncle suffered greatly. In the end, when their grandmother found out about this, he quickly found a marriage for her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
