After a long pause, Xue Jingnian lowered his head and asked softly, "Is she... alright?"
Xue Qiandai stared intently at her father's face, not blinking for a moment. "Hmm, very good. She used to live in a sanatorium and even saw a psychologist, but she seems to be in pretty good condition."
"Oh," Xue Jingnian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Your mother has a younger sister."
From then on, silence was maintained.
Xue Qiandai: "..."
Why did you stop talking?
"A biological sister?" she pressed.
Xue Jingnian glanced at his daughter and gave a brief "hmm".
"Is Madam Zhao my mother's younger sister?"
"Um."
"What...is her name?"
This time it was Xue Jingnian's turn to be surprised, "Didn't she... tell you?"
I told her her name is Zhao Mufei. But if they are biological sisters, why are their names so different?
Xue Qiandai shook her head.
Xue Jingnian said "Oh" again, tilting his head back as if reminiscing. "Your aunt's name is Ji Wanying."
Xue Qiandai's mother's name was Ji Jiaying. So, that means her aunt changed her name later? She knew that some people believed a person's name was related to their fortune, and many people changed their names.
"Dad, why hasn't Auntie had any contact with us all these years?"
Xue Jingnian opened his mouth, "Because, your mother's family members are all in poor health, and your mother was not suited to have children. But she got pregnant with you, gave birth to you, and then left. Her family probably all hate me."
Xue Jingnian buried his head even lower, his head completely buried in his pale hair, and wept bitterly.
So, does the Ji family have a family history of illness?
Xue Qiandai could see that she understood her father's pain. She reached out and took his hand. "Dad."
People entered the detention center and mechanically said, "Time's up."
Someone came and took Xue Jingnian away. Xue Qiandai chased after him for a few steps and called out again, "Dad, I'll come see you again next time."
Xue Qiandai left the detention center dejectedly. Her steps were slow and labored. Outside the detention center, she saw familiar faces—her former best friend Hua Se, and Yuan Mu.
But the ever-beautiful Hua Se was gone; she was bare-faced and haggard. Yet, the moment she saw Xue Qiandai, her hatred and anger returned. "It's all your fault! You ruined my reputation, you destroyed my family! Xue Qiandai, you won't get away with this!"
Xue Qiandai looked at her coldly, her lips curling into disdain and contempt. "What some people pursue their whole lives is what others are born with. But no matter how much they chase, they can never catch up, ending up with nothing but a mirage. What is not yours will never be yours. Wishful thinking only brings more trouble, and you reap what you sow!"
"You!" Hua Se rushed forward, raising her small hands above her head like a shrew. Yuan Mu stopped her, "Se Se, don't be impulsive."
"Let go of her!" Hua Se's eyes reddened. "Do you still consider her your girlfriend's best friend? They're the ones who leaked this information. I'm going to teach her a lesson."
Hua Se pushed Yuan Mu away and reached down, but Huo Yunchao stopped her. Huo Yunchao used force, and with just one push, Hua Se fell to the ground, her palm scraping raw.
"If you dare touch a single hair on Dai Dai's head, I'll send you to see your father." His eyes flashed with a chilling light, and he exuded a powerful aura. Hua Se shivered at the sight, her lips trembling.
Yuan Mu helped Hua Se up, saying, "Mr. Huo, please have mercy."
Mr. Huo took Xue Qiandai's hand and got into the Mercedes-Benz parked by the roadside.
Dai Dai was still pondering her father's words, her expression blank.
"Dai Dai, Dai Dai?"
"Um?"
Huo Yunchao smiled and said, "Fasten your seatbelts, we're about to set off."
Xue Qiandai snapped out of her reverie. Not wanting her beloved to worry, she smiled and said, "My dear, my father said he saw you before he went in, and he said you were having a very hard time..."
Huo Yunchao stroked her face with his fingers, his eyes bright and gentle. "Dai Dai, that's all in the past. Now that you're by my side, I feel like I'm at the peak of my life every day."
Xue Qiandai moved closer to the driver's seat and hugged Huo Yunchao. "My beauty, I love you so much, you've always been here for me."
Huo Yunchao let her hug him, patting her back, "Be good, you'll always be here."
Ten minutes later, the Mercedes started up, heading towards the Lightyear Coffee Shop.
*
Hua Se also obtained the right to visit.
Through the glass, she bit her lip tightly, "Dad, Dad, our family is finished. The company went bankrupt, the house was requisitioned, and we have nothing left."
Hua Yin reached out from under the glass, grasped Hua Se's hand, placed one hand on top of it, and wrote words in her palm with the other. "Se Se, I've said everything I needed to say. The revitalization of the Hua family depends on you. Go find him if necessary."
Hua Yin's voice was very deep, like ventriloquism, especially the last sentence.
Hua Se was shocked, her eyes wide like saucers. Her palms itched; she hadn't yet reacted. "Who?"
Perhaps because he was too excited, the word got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it.
Hua Yin remained silent, his hands still in the same position, but the hand underneath wrote again. Finally, he released his daughter's hand. "Remember, you can only go to him once. After that, we'll all have to rely on you."
Hua Se digested the information, and in her father's eyes, she saw the possibility of the family's rise.
After leaving the detention center, she met up with Yuan Mu and went to Yuan Mu's house.
Fortunately, she gave Yuan Mu a check for ten million yuan, which provided her with a place to stay and prevented her from ending up homeless.
When she got home, she sat on the sofa in a daze.
Yuan Mu sat down beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and leaned against his. "Sese, what would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."
"Brother Mu, I'm not the same Hua Se I used to be. I have nothing left. Why do you still care about me?"
She said the same thing at the hospital. Deep down, she rejected him, especially now that she was in such a sorry state.
Yuan Mu hugged her tighter, his lips still curved in a smile. "Sese, you're the mother of my child. If I don't care about you, who will I care about?"
Hua Se was a little dazed, then stared into his eyes and asked, "If I didn't have your child in my belly, would you still care about me?"
Yuan Mu pinched her nose, like teasing his little girl, "As long as you give me a chance, let me take care of things, I will. Who told you to be the apple of my eye? Se Se, you didn't believe me before, but now I can finally tell you boldly, I love you, I love you so much."
As he spoke, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, eyes, and lips. His passionate voice echoed in the room.
Hua Se was confused and bewildered. "What about Jian Yan? What are you to Jian Yan?"
Yuan Mu paused, then pecked her lips. "To her, it's gratitude, with a touch of admiration; to you, it's longing, love and desire, an unforgettable feeling. I want to be with you forever, to have children and walk together into the future."
Tears welled up in Hua Se's eyes, and she returned his kiss, almost frantically. "Brother Mu, please help me."
Yuan Mu covered her belly, "Not now, let's wait for Xiao Se Se..."
"We won't go in. Brother Mu, give me a kiss, trust me, we'll be back to our peak together soon."
Yuan Mu kissed her neck, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
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