It was late at night and quiet, candlelight flickered, the inn was empty and there was no one around.
The Wan family cleared out all the idlers in the inn, including the waiter and the innkeeper, and brightly lit the lobby, leaving only the master and the servant waiting for Xu Jiang.
Shan Bo came down from upstairs and politely bowed to the person sitting in the upper seat. He smiled and said, "Master Wan, please wait a moment. Our girl will be here soon."
"Mr. Wan came abruptly, so you should wait a while." Wan Sheng spoke in a friendly manner, and he was also a friendly person. He looked people in the eye when he spoke, and did not seem like a snobbish person.
Shan Bo looked at him calmly. As a wealthy man, his clothes were extraordinary. Although his appearance was not outstanding, he was not ugly. He had a kind and gentle demeanor and was a decent person.
The only shortcoming was the missing right arm. Shan Bo's gaze lingered on his empty right arm for a moment, a look of slight regret on his face.
Wan Sheng asked, "I heard from the doorman at home that you came from the capital."
Shan Bo smiled and replied, "That's right."
Wan Sheng didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "But I remember the Xu family is in Yongsui."
"My daughter left Yongsui early in her life and traveled extensively. She only settled down in the capital last year and opened a bookstore."
"Bookstore?" Wan Sheng was stunned for a moment, then asked, "May I ask how old your daughter is?"
"Twenty-three years old." Shan Bo answered all the questions without hiding anything.
"Her name is Xu Jiang. Which branch of the Xu family is she from?" The note Xu Jiang sent to the Wan family stated her real name.
"The sixth branch of the Xu family." A voice came from upstairs.
Shan Bo looked up and saw Xu Jiang and Liu Mei coming down from the upstairs one after the other. He said to Wan Sheng, "Master Wan, the one in front is our daughter."
Wansheng stood up and stared at the person in front of him. Only when she walked into the firelight did he see her face clearly.
Xu Jiang quickly walked up to Wan Sheng and bowed, "Junior Xu Jiang, greetings to Master Wan."
Wan Sheng stared at her in a daze for a long time. Only after the housekeeper reminded him did he come to his senses and said, "Madam Xu, you're welcome." Then he pointed to a chair nearby and said, "Let's sit down and talk."
"Okay." Xu Jiang sat down as she was told, while Shan Bo and Liu Mei stood behind her.
After both parties sat down, they looked at each other carefully. Then Xu Jiang got straight to the point and said, "I have already sent a visiting card to your house, stating that I will visit you tomorrow. I wonder what brings you here so late at night, Master Wan?"
Seeing her straightforwardness, Wan Sheng also said frankly: "I just want to confirm whether you are the person I guessed."
"guess?"
"The private seal, signature, and handwriting on the visiting card are exactly the same as that person's."
"'That man' refers to my father Xu Yuan."
When mentioning Xu Yuan, Wan Sheng's smile faded a little, "Is he really your father?"
"Yes." Xu Jiang looked him straight in the eye and said, "Although I have always treated him as master and disciple, he is indeed my father, and my mother..."
"Madam Xu," Wan Sheng interrupted her and asked, "Why have you come all the way to Chongzhou?"
Seeing that he was slightly resistant to Xizhi's other identity, Xu Jiang whispered, "I just want to come and see her."
Wan Sheng asked, "Just a meeting?"
Xu Jiang didn't answer, but instead asked, "Master Wan's purpose for coming here tonight must be more than just confirming my identity. There's no need for us to beat around the bush regarding her. Just speak frankly."
Seeing that she was neither humble nor arrogant, and also had a sense of intelligence, Wan Sheng's eyes showed a hint of admiration, "Then I will speak frankly."
Xu Jiangli said, "Junior is all ears."
Wan Sheng said in a deep voice: "I don't want you to see her."
Upon hearing this, Xu, Jiang and the other two felt a tightness in their hearts.
Liu Mei wanted to interrupt, but was stopped by Shan Bo, who gave her a look that told her to be patient.
"Since you've come all this way, I can't bear to let you down." Wan Sheng stared at Xu Jiang, a sharp glint in his eyes. "But you have to agree to one condition."
Xu Jiang took a deep breath and said, "Please speak."
"I can let you see her, but please don't mention the past in front of her, don't reveal your identity, and don't try to take her away from the Wan family."
This meant that Xu Jiang and Xi Zhi should not be allowed to recognize each other. Liu Mei couldn't help but feel a surge of anger in her heart. She pressed Xu Jiang's shoulders, but Xu Jiang patted the back of her hand to comfort her.
"I won't take her away from the Wan family. You don't have to worry about that." Xu Jiang suppressed the pain in his heart and asked, "But I don't understand why I can't talk to her about our past, and why I can't reveal my identity?"
The oil lamp burst into a cluster of fireworks. Xu Jiang asked softly, "Could it be that she doesn't want to recognize me? Or... you don't want her to recognize me?"
Wan Sheng took a deep breath and said, "It's not that she doesn't want to recognize you, it's that she can't recognize you anymore." Then he added, "Out of selfish motives, I don't want you to recognize each other either."
"What does 'can't recognize...' mean?" Xu Jiang's throat was dry and he had difficulty speaking.
Wan Sheng said quietly, "Ever since she learned of your father's death, she's been seriously ill. Since then, she's been sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. Now she's terminally ill and can't tell the difference between real and fake."
Xu Jiang's mind exploded, and the blood color on his face gradually faded and turned pale.
Wansheng meant that her mother... was crazy.
"Actually, this is a good idea." Wan Sheng murmured.
The pain that Xu Yuan brought to Xizhi was much deeper and heavier than the short-lived happiness and joy, but she was like a moth to a flame, without looking back, and eventually ended up with herself covered in bruises.
He pretended to be relaxed, but his eyes were filled with sadness: "Forget the painful past and only remember the past happiness. Only then can she live freely and stay with me for a long time."
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