Cai Zhi thought for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Mother said that it rained heavily that day, trapping many people preparing to enter Huajing in the restaurant outside the city. Among them were Fu Ling and the third young lady's biological parents. At the time, my mother lived in a small alley near the restaurant. The third young lady's father heard that my mother was a midwife, so he braved the rain and came to help his wife deliver the baby."
She carefully recalled every word Aunt Mei had said: "Although your biological mother's birth was sudden, it went smoothly. But unexpectedly, Fu Ling also went into premature labor. My mother went to help her deliver the baby, but after Fu Ling gave birth to my cousin, she asked my mother to secretly bring you, the newborn Third Miss, to me."
At this point, Cai Zhi didn't dare look at Xue Zhiyi's eyes. She just lowered her brows and said, "Mother felt it was inappropriate, but the money Fu Ling gave was too much, more than enough for us, an orphan and a widow, to settle down in Huajing, so Mother agreed."
Xue Zhiyi felt her eyes warm just by listening to the few words about her parents. She asked Caizhi, "Didn't Mei Gu ever tell me who my biological parents were?"
Cai Zhi still lowered her eyes and shook her head. "No, Fu Ling never revealed it either. But my mother vaguely heard your father tell your mother that he would take you and your daughter back to Cishui."
"Ci Shui?"
Xue Zhiyi was stunned. This was a place name she had never heard of.
"Did she say anything else?" Xue Zhiyi asked.
Caizhi shook her head again: "No more, these are all."
After she said that, she knelt down again towards Xue Zhiyi.
Xue Zhiyi frowned: "What are you doing?"
Cai Zhi bowed solemnly and said, "Miss Third, I used to be with Fu Rongxin and knew many of her shameful deeds, but I had no choice but to keep them secret in order to save my life."
Her voice choked with sobs: "Now, it is my mother's fault that has caused you and your family to be separated. The daughter must pay for the mother's debt. I am sorry for you."
Xue Zhiyi was silent.
She couldn't blame a person who had no choice, but she also had no right to forgive anyone on Xue Runing's behalf.
After a moment, Xue Zhiyi simply asked her, "What are your plans for the future?"
Tears streamed down Caizhi's face as she said, "Please, Third Miss, allow me to shave my head and become a nun. From now on, I will devote myself to the Buddha and atone for my sins."
After saying this, she bowed again.
Xue Zhiyi remained silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you for telling me this. Your decision does not require my approval."
After receiving the answer, Caizhi smiled softly and said, "Thank you, Miss San."
…
After coming out of that room, Xue Zhiyi returned to the main room and sat down.
Huo Wuyou sat opposite her, as if worried that she was sad about searching for her biological parents again, and just carefully observed her expression.
Qiuyun and Suyue also looked at each other, not knowing how to start persuading them.
It was Su Yue who spoke first: "Miss, don't worry, your parents are definitely thinking about you, and you are thinking about them too. People who care about each other will meet sooner or later."
Qiuyun also nodded in agreement: "Su Yue is right, but even if we really can't find it, there are Su Yue and I. We will always be with you, young lady."
Xue Zhiyi suddenly looked at them and smiled slowly: "Don't worry, I'm fine."
In fact, ever since she knew that she was not an orphan abandoned by her parents, but had been searched for by them with great difficulty, the feeling of being adrift and helpless in her heart had eased a lot.
At least she still has a home, she just hasn't found it yet.
Seeing this, Huo Wuyou breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "Don't worry, I will continue to investigate."
Xue Zhiyi nodded: "I really need to trouble you, Lord, to help me find out where Cishui is."
Huo Wuyou smiled in relief, "I went to the restaurant where the incident happened, but it's a pity that things have changed so much that it's long gone. I thought the clues were cut off there, but luckily, Cishui has come up again."
Xue Zhiyi agreed, "Fu Ling said that my parents had been looking for me. If we can find where Cishui is, perhaps we can find out which family lost a daughter seventeen years ago. Then, maybe we can find out about my family."
But Huo Wuyou suddenly hissed, as if he had thought of something. He held his chin up and said, "Cishui is a place..."
"Do you know?" Xue Zhiyi asked him hurriedly.
Huo Wuyou shook his head thoughtfully: "I seem to have seen it somewhere recently, but I can't remember where it is."
Immediately, he habitually tapped Xue Zhiyi's head with his finger: "Don't worry, I will remember it even if I rack my brains."
Huo Wuyou, who didn't realize that there were other people present at the moment, didn't react for a moment.
But Qiuyun and Suyue looked at each other silently, and then looked at Xue Zhiyi and Huo Wuyou with complicated expressions.
Xue Zhiyi rudely pushed Huo Wuyou's hand away and said with a forced smile, "Thank you, Marquis Lin'an."
But Huo Wuyou was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled even more wildly, as if Xue Zhiyi's cold face had chilled his heart, and it was so comforting.
Qiuyun and Suyue both lowered their heads: It's just flirting, don't look at it inappropriately.
They had stayed here long enough, and Qiuyun and Suyue wanted to keep them for dinner, but they declined and left.
Walking in the alley outside the courtyard, Xue Zhiyi remembered something and said, "Marquis Lin'an, there is someone I want you to help investigate."
Huo Wuyou walked beside her and asked her, "Who?"
"Fu Wei."
After thinking for a moment, Huo Wuyou asked, "Is Fu Ling's brother the owner of the Linzhou Fu's Trading Company?"
"Yeah." Xue Zhiyi said, "When the Fu family wanted to raise Fu Rongxin as a daughter, they couldn't avoid Fu Wei. He might know something."
Huo Wuyou crossed his arms, his knuckles resting on his chin: "Speaking of the Fu family, they have made some changes recently."
"oh?"
Before Huo Wuyou could continue speaking, someone suddenly bumped into him at the corner of the alley.
Just as she was about to bump into Xue Zhiyi, she felt a tightness around her wrist.
Huo Wuyou pulled her hand towards him, preventing the man from touching her at all, but Xue Zhiyi bumped into Huo Wuyou and was stunned.
She raised her eyebrows. From this angle, she could see Huo Wuyou's jaw and his slightly wary eyes.
It wasn't until Huo Wuyou looked down at her that she quickly looked away.
She looked closely at the person who had almost bumped into her. She was actually a pretty woman who looked to be less than 40 years old. Although the clothes she wore were simple, they were made of good material.
However, her hair was a little loose, her eyes were empty and confused, and she didn't apologize for almost bumping into someone. Instead, she was eager to ask something.
Xue Zhiyi felt something strange.
Before she could speak, the woman cast an anxious gaze on her.
"Excuse me! Do you know where the Xue family lives?"
Xue Zhiyi and Huo Wuyou exchanged a glance, then asked the woman, "Are you looking for someone from the Xue family? Which Xue family?"
Xue Zhiyi was wearing a veil, so the person in front of her should not be able to recognize her, but when she looked at the woman carefully, she felt inexplicably familiar.
But then the woman said, "The Xue family of Shangshu Mansion who were convicted a few days ago!"
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