Chapter 2: There were some things that kept me out all night.

We drove back to Wuchi overnight, arriving at dawn. As soon as we entered the private road, I started to feel afraid. He consoled me, “We’ve already planned this out, right? As long as we stick to the same story, they won’t know what we’ve done.” I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. The car turned a corner, and we could already see the lights illuminating the first wall of the compound. Passing through the checkpoint, the brightly lit mansion came into view. All the lights in the house were on, which undoubtedly meant something serious had happened. I knew it: the big issue was that I hadn’t returned home all night.

I was about to cry. Mu Shiyang patted my back and whispered, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll fight with our backs against the wall.” I straightened myself and took a deep breath. Finally, the car stopped in front of the house. Director Liang personally opened the car door and sighed with relief when he saw me, “Young Miss.”

I nodded, got out of the car, and walked into the living room with Mu Shiyang. I swallowed hard. Father stood in the living room with his hands behind his back, his face devoid of any expression. Uncle Lei stood behind him, along with Director Shi, Secretary You, Grandpa Mu, Uncle He… They all stared intently at us, especially Father. His gaze felt like knives, as if he wanted to carve transparent holes in me. I heard Mu Shiyang call softly, “Sir.” Father glared fiercely at him; I had never seen Father so furious. The veins on his forehead were bulging, making him look terrifying under the light. He gritted his teeth and said, “Good! Both of you are good!” He stared at Mu Shiyang as if he wanted to kill him with his eyes, “You’re really capable!”

I shuddered. Father’s voice finally exploded like thunder, “Nuan Nuan! Come up with me!”

I panicked and looked for an ally. But Uncle Lei couldn’t help me because Mu Shiyang was his nephew. Uncle He just called out, “Sir…” but Father glared fiercely at him, and he didn’t dare say anything else. Father turned and went upstairs, and I had no choice but to follow slowly. I glanced secretly at Mu Shiyang, who gave me a wink of encouragement.

Father entered the study, and I reluctantly followed. Father asked, “Tell me yourself, where did you go?”

“Well, why are you so angry when talking to your daughter? Dr. Cheng said you have high blood pressure and should avoid getting angry,” a soft voice sounded behind me. I turned abruptly—it was her! She was still wearing a cheongsam, made of dark blue floral fabric, with a sapphire brooch pinned to the collar. She walked gracefully, still smiling, “Young Miss has returned.”

I turned back, and Father’s expression worsened, “How dare you come in without knocking? You don’t know the rules!”

She looked somewhat disgruntled, glanced at me, and smiled, “Nuan Nuan, was it fun on the streets? How could you forget to come home and spend the night with a man? Tsk tsk…”

This was truly adding insult to injury, pouring oil on the fire. Father’s gaze cut through me like a knife, chilling me to the bone. Father glared fiercely at me, then turned coldly to her, “Get out! My daughter doesn’t need you to interfere.” This put her in an awkward position, especially with me present. She became furious, her shrill voice piercing, “Murong Qingyi, I’m not falling for this! Don’t put on airs to scare me! I came in good faith to care about your precious daughter, and you bite the hand that feeds you…”

This enraged Father, but instead, he laughed—a laugh that sent chills down my spine. I knew this was a sign that he was extremely angry. When he explodes, it would surely be a thunderous rage. True enough, when he was angry, he even spoke in Suzhou dialect, “Thirteen points! Don’t treat me like a fool!”

“How am I treating you like a fool?” she retorted defiantly but avoided looking directly at Father, “You tell me!”

Father snorted from his nose but said nothing. Emboldened, she glanced at me and sneered, “Sure, I can’t compare to others—I’m not as pretty, not as cunning, not as seductive—but at least I haven’t borne you a bastard child…”

Before she finished, Father slapped her, causing one side of her face to swell instantly. She was stunned by the blow and burst into tears moments later. Father trembled with anger, “Get out! Get far away from here! If I hear such words again, I’ll skin you alive and your tennis coach too.”

She trembled in fear, unable to utter a word in defense. I had never seen Father so ferocious before. I believed he would do exactly as he said. A chill ran down my spine. What she just said… about my mother… No! It wasn’t like that! There must be more to the story!

She left, and the sound of the door closing startled me. I looked up—Father’s expression was terrifying. Suddenly, he grabbed the ruler from the desk, “Today, I’ll beat you to death, you disobedient brat!” I froze in fear. By the time I realized what was happening, I had already been hit once, and the fiery pain spread. I whimpered and tried to block the blows with my hands. He roared furiously, “Disobedient brat! Have your wings grown strong? How dare you run off without your attendants? Are my words just passing wind to you?” I sobbed, enduring two more strikes. I didn’t dare argue, but he grew angrier, hitting harder, “I’ll kill you! Save me the shame! Running off with a man all night! At such a young age, who taught you to be so vulgar?!”

His words drilled into my ears, and my heart bled. The ruler burned painfully on my body, making me dizzy. Finally, I couldn’t help but retort, “Go ahead and kill me!”

He exploded in anger, “Do you think I wouldn’t dare?! Without you, I’d be much more at peace! Without you, this vulgar spawn, I’d be overjoyed!” His roar echoed through the house. I heard Secretary You knock on the door outside, calling, “Sir! Sir!” Father shouted, “Who dares to come in?!”

Seeing the situation was dire, Secretary You rushed in, horrified, trying to restrain Father. Like an enraged lion, Father flung him aside. Secretary You ran out again, and Father grabbed me, hitting me several more times. Secretary You, Uncle He, Uncle Lei, and Grandpa Mu all rushed in, while Father continued to strike harder. Several uncles struggled to hold Father back, shouting, “Sir! Sir! Stop!”

I cried until I was gasping for air, overwhelmed with pain, screaming loudly, “Let him kill me! After all, I’m just as vulgar as my mother! After all, I’m not his child!”

The room suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes. Father’s face turned ghostly pale, his lips trembling. He pointed at me, his hand shaking slightly, “You…”

Suddenly, he collapsed backward! The room erupted into chaos. Uncle Lei’s face turned ashen as he hastily unbuttoned Father’s collar. Secretary You stomped his feet, shouting, “Someone, quick!” Director Shi grabbed the phone and yelled, “Quick! Connect me to Dr. Cheng!”

The attendants all rushed in. I was terrified and wanted to check on Father, but they stopped me, forcibly taking me out of the study and back to my room. Outside, the sounds of cars, voices, and hurried footsteps created a cacophony. My doctor arrived quickly to tend to my wounds. I asked, “Where’s Father? Where is he?” He shook his head, saying, “I don’t know, Dr. Cheng has arrived.” Sobbing, I insisted on seeing Father, struggling to get out of bed. The doctor panicked, and the nurses held me down. I heard the doctor call out, “Administer a sedative!” I screamed and cried as they injected me. Everything blurred, and I sobbed until I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was dark. The bedside lamp was on, and a nurse was dozing on the sofa. The room was deathly silent, eerily quiet. The pale blue light of the lamp cast a faint glow, and my heart tightened. I pulled out the IV tube from my hand and sat up. Unable to find my slippers, I stepped barefoot onto the floor.

I left the room. The corridor was silent, with only the lonely wall lamps lit. I crossed the long hallway and ran to the master bedroom, which was pitch black. I turned on the light—everything was neatly arranged, the bed perfectly made, and no one was there. I turned and ran to the study, but no one was there either. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead, and I dashed downstairs. Father wasn’t there either. Director Liang approached from the other end of the corridor, “Young Miss.”

I clutched him tightly, asking, “Where’s Father? Where is he? Where have you taken him?” I swayed, seeing stars. I was terrified! Afraid of hearing a terrible answer. He said, “Sir has gone to Shuangqiao.”

Oh! I thought I was going crazy. I asked, “How is he?”

“He’s fine now. Dr. Cheng said it was just extreme anger causing high blood pressure. He’s fine after an injection…”

Oh! My heart finally settled. But… the world spun, and I fainted…

I stayed quietly at home. Since that day, my meetings with Father became rare. I felt deeply guilty, and he seemed reluctant to talk much to me. When he came home, it was only for a brief moment before leaving again. Though my heart ached, Father never asked where I had gone that night. But Mu Shiyang suffered greatly. I heard Uncle Lei transferred him to the Pumen base and demoted him six ranks, assigning him as a mere chief of staff. I was dispirited for many days. Auntie came to visit me, and I asked her to plead for Mu Shiyang with Father. Auntie refused, saying, “Your father is still angry. Do you dare pluck a tiger’s whiskers?” I truly felt sorry for Mu Shiyang; he was completely implicated because of me. I said dejectedly, “Pumen is so far away and harsh. Being demoted must make him utterly miserable. It’s all my fault.” Auntie looked at me in surprise. I frowned and said, “In short, he’s ruined because of me. A fish scorched by Father’s wrath.”

Auntie laughed, “Don’t say that in front of your father—it will only make him angrier. If you plead for Shiyang again, I bet he’ll be demoted to Java.”

I sighed, “Father unjustly punished an innocent person.” Auntie just chuckled, “Any father in the world, seeing the scoundrel who took his little daughter out all night and didn’t return, would want to kill him. Sir still showed consideration for the Mu family, and Minister Lei handled it tactfully—without Sir saying a word, he transferred him to Pumen.”

I recalled the scene that night. When Father glared at Mu Shiyang, there was real murderous intent in his eyes. I shuddered with fear. Auntie said, “When I heard about it, I was terrified. You don’t know, back then Sir was…” She suddenly stopped, and I stared blankly at her. She let something slip! I knew she did! What happened to Father back then? What events occurred? Were they related to my mother?

I called out, “Auntie,” and her face turned grim. She said, “Nuan Nuan, I don’t know. I know nothing.” I grabbed her hand, pleading, “Auntie, you love me the most. I’ve always loved you the most since I was little. Tell me, what is it? I have the right to know. It’s about my mother, isn’t it?” Auntie shook her head, and I begged desperately, “I’m old enough now. You shouldn’t keep hiding things from me. If you don’t tell me, I’ll just imagine all sorts of things.”

Auntie shook her head, “I can’t say.” I looked at her, gazing steadily until she grew uneasy. She called out laboriously, “Nuan Nuan!” I said softly, “I know. I know I’m not Father’s daughter. I’m the shame of this family, and Father’s shame—he hates me, despises me, wishes I were dead.”

Auntie exclaimed in shock, “How can you think that? Silly child! How can you guess such things? Your father loves you the most; you matter most to him… It’s just… you don’t realize it.” I shook my head, “I can’t see it. I only know he dislikes me.”

Auntie hugged me tightly, “Oh! Nuan Nuan, he doesn’t dislike you. He just doesn’t want to see you. You don’t know how much you resemble your mother… At first, he always said to me, ‘That child, those eyes are killing me, I don’t want to see them.’ Thinking of your mother makes him suffer. You don’t know how heartbroken he was.”

I half-believed, half-doubted, saying, “Because I’m not his daughter, he doesn’t want to face this shame.” Auntie said, “Nonsense!” She hugged me tighter, “You are the pearl of our Murong family, your father’s treasure.” I said gloomily, “But… he said he wanted to kill me.”

Auntie gazed at me; there was still a faint bruise on my forehead. She spasmodically kissed my wound and said, “Good child, he was extremely angry, wasn’t he? When people are furious, they can do anything—they lose their reason. Besides, you don’t know—when I came, you were already asleep. Your father had just woken up. The doctor told him to rest, but he wouldn’t listen. He insisted on seeing you, and no one could stop him. I helped him go, and when he saw you sleeping peacefully, he finally agreed to go back… You don’t know how scared he was. He feared you were like…” She suddenly stopped again. I thought she slipped up again and looked at her pitifully. She closed her eyes, “Ah! Nuan Nuan! You look so much like your mother!”

My mind was in turmoil. I didn’t believe what Auntie said, yet I hoped it was true. Father… the mighty Father being afraid? I didn’t believe it! Father had always been domineering, fearing nothing. Only others feared him—even clever and capable Mu Shiyang feared him. What could he possibly be afraid of?

Auntie stayed and had dinner with me before leaving. Night fell, and I sat alone, lost in thought. Later, I fell asleep. When I woke up groggily, it was very late. My curtains were open, and I heard the sound of a car and several beams of light flashing across the wall. Father was back!

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window. Sure enough, Father was back. I watched him get out of the car and ran out of my room to wait at the top of the stairs. As expected, Father came upstairs. I smelled alcohol on him and saw his flushed face. He must have been drinking with one of the uncles. Seeing me, he simply asked indifferently, “Why aren’t you sleeping so late? What are you standing here for?”

I licked my dry lips and said, “Can I talk to you?” He frowned, “Not even wearing shoes, what kind of behavior is that?! Go put on your shoes!”

Is this the loving father Auntie talked about? I didn’t believe a word she said anymore! My stubbornness flared up, and I said, “This is who I am!” Father said, “Waiting for me in the middle of the night just to argue with me? Do you want another beating?”

I shuddered, remembering his fierce expression that day, the pain of the ruler on my body, and his gritted teeth saying, “I’ll kill you!” I said coldly, “I’m not afraid! Go ahead and kill me.” I repeated his words, enunciating each one, “After all, I’m just a vulgar spawn!”

He trembled with anger, “Good! Good! That day, you didn’t kill me with your attitude, and now you’re still not satisfied! How could I have given birth to something like you?! Why didn’t I strangle you when you were born and save myself the trouble?!”

I said softly, “I’m not your child.”

He froze. For a few seconds, I was afraid he might faint again like last time. But I quickly gathered courage, waiting for him to explode. I heard him panting heavily, waiting for him to slap me, but surprisingly, he didn’t. He stood motionless, looking at me as if I were an alien. His voice was unexpectedly powerless, “Susu sent you back, didn’t she? She sent you back to interrogate me, to take revenge on me, to settle everything she endured, didn’t she?”

I was terrified. In the quiet night, listening to Father’s ominous voice, I was extremely frightened. Father’s face was red, his eyes bloodshot. He glared at me, making every hair on my body stand on end. “She wants to settle everything she endured, doesn’t she?”

I looked at him fearfully, but he turned his face away in anguish, “I treated you so badly, you must hate me to death. But why… Susu! You don’t understand!”

I thought Father was drunk. I wanted to call the attendants to take him back to his room. I called out, “Father!” He paused, then said slowly, “Nuan Nuan, I beat you so cruelly, you must hate me, right? You hate me just like your mother hated me, right?”

I swallowed, “Oh, Father, I don’t hate you.” He continued speaking as if to himself, “I know you hate me, just like your mother! You don’t know how scared I am—I’m afraid you’ll be just like her! I always felt reassured only after seeing you sleep peacefully. You don’t know how ruthless your mother was back then… She drove the car and sped off… How ruthless she was… She hated me to the extreme—this is how she took revenge on me—she used death to retaliate against me… How ruthless she was…”

I was completely stunned. Father’s drunken ramblings recounted the events of those years. I gradually understood what he was talking about. “I didn’t know… she would do that… I had no idea she hated me!” Father’s tone was completely despairing, “You were so little… crying inside the house… She didn’t even turn back… She drove off… She couldn’t even drive… She intended to die… She died to prove her hatred…” Father looked at me hopelessly, “You were crying so loudly inside the house, and she didn’t even turn back… She abandoned me, even you…”

My heart twisted into knots. I looked at Father—at this moment, how helpless and vulnerable he was. My formidable, domineering father! He was truly afraid! He was truly in despair… I wanted to cry bitterly, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to listen anymore! I didn’t want to hear Father’s sorrowful voice anymore. I shouted loudly for the attendant, who quickly arrived. I said, “Sir is drunk, help him back to his room.”

Father obediently allowed them to escort him away. I stood there alone for a long time, unmoving. The chandelier in the corridor was on, its light refracted through the crystal, shining brightly and somewhat dazzling. I only felt an itchiness on my face, something cool moving. I reached out to wipe it and realized I was crying.

The next afternoon, Father called, “Come with me to Uncle Huo’s house for dinner tonight. Pick out a nice outfit, fix your hair, and don’t look messy.” I was surprised. Father had never given me instructions about clothing before. After Grandma passed away, my outfits were fully managed by specialists hired by the attendant office. Even during occasional diplomatic events with Father, I had never received such detailed instructions. Why was Father placing so much importance on this casual dinner at Uncle Huo’s?

After hanging up, I was filled with suspicion. What kind of feast awaited at Uncle Huo’s tonight?

While my thoughts churned anxiously, I called Ah Zhu to open the wardrobe. Given Father’s serious reminder, I dared not wear any random clothes. I carefully selected a short cheongsam in apricot yellow silk embroidered with silver threads in a begonia pattern. I then asked Aunt Feng to style my hair and applied light makeup. Looking in the mirror, I felt I looked rather old-fashioned. But this was the style appreciated by Father’s generation—there was no helping it.

Before six o’clock, a car from the attendant’s office came to pick me up. They said that Father still had some matters to attend to and asked me to go to the Huo residence first, and he would arrive a little later. Despite my reluctance, I obediently got into the car. Fortunately, Huo Mingyou of the Huo family was my senior at school, and we had known each other since childhood. After arriving at the Huo residence, being with him made the time pass more pleasantly.

Father arrived shortly before eight o’clock, and dinner officially began as soon as he arrived. The Huo family maintained the style of an old aristocratic household. As the saying goes, “The first generation looks at what you eat, the second at what you wear, and the third at how much you read.” The Huo family had never lost its status over the decades and upheld all the formalities. In their home, one could enjoy authentic Suzhou cuisine, which even my picky father found quite satisfactory, and I thoroughly enjoyed a delightful meal.

After dinner, Father seemed to be in a very good mood because he actually suggested, “Nuan Nuan, play us a tune.” I was taken aback and hesitantly replied, “I didn’t bring my violin.” Uncle Huo, full of enthusiasm, said, “We have a violin here. Mingyou, ask them to bring it for Nuan Nuan to see if it can be used, so we can listen to her play a piece.”

It seemed there was no way out now; I reluctantly took the violin brought by Huo Mingyou. It was a delicate Stradivarius. True to form, everything in the Huo family was a priceless heirloom. I tested the sound, and somehow, I played a melody from “Butterfly Lovers.” I was startled myself and quickly glanced at Father. Father never listened to “Butterfly Lovers,” for some unknown reason, this piece was strictly forbidden in our house. I remembered once accompanying Father to a concert where the orchestra spontaneously added a segment of “Transforming into Butterflies” at the end. Father immediately changed his expression, claiming he had a headache, and hurriedly left under the escort of attendants, leaving many journalists present to speculate wildly about Father’s health the next day.

When I looked over, Father’s face had indeed changed, but he quickly acted as if nothing happened. He even smiled at me and said, “This piece is nice, play this one.”

In my astonishment, I obeyed. Although the beginning was somewhat stiff due to lack of practice, the performance became smoother as I went on—besides, there were no experts present. I played two segments confidently, and everyone applauded enthusiastically. However, Father seemed somewhat distracted and whispered something to Uncle Lei, who then left. I felt something strange, an indescribable feeling, and had a premonition that something was about to happen.

Following the banquet was a small cocktail party. Father went off to talk business with several uncles, while I slipped away to the Huo family’s orchid greenhouse. Aside from being slightly inferior to the one at Shuangqiao official residence, the Huo family’s orchid greenhouse was among the best in Wuchi. I remembered they had a pot of “Tian Li” orchids, better than those at Shuangqiao. Since it was the blooming season for black orchids, I hoped to catch a glimpse.

The orchid greenhouse was lit with soft yellow light, which was disappointing as it might mean encountering a few pretentious uncles “admiring flowers while sipping tea.” Turning past the sparse hibiscus flower screen, I saw someone standing gracefully in front of the “Tian Li” orchid, seemingly admiring the flowers. She turned around upon hearing footsteps, and I was instantly stunned.

Dressed in white, she was as beautiful as snow, and her presence was as elegant as an orchid.

Just standing there, her beauty was so profound that it almost made it hard for me to look directly at her. Behind her were the most beautiful and precious orchids in the world, yet she stood out even more brilliantly amidst them.

I had never seen such a beautiful person. Although time had left traces on her face, when she finally smiled faintly at me, the only phrase that came to my mind was, “A single glance can captivate a city, and a second glance can captivate an entire nation.”

Her voice was also very melodious and light, though somewhat timid, “Are you Nuan Nuan?”

I muttered, “Who are you?”

She softly replied, “I am Ren Yingying.”

Ren Yingying?

I looked at her in confusion.

“Ren Susu was my cousin.”

Ren Susu!

I muttered, “My mother was your cousin?”

She seemed to exhale deeply, “Yes, your mother was my cousin.”

I stared at her dumbfounded, speechless. She raised her hand, and it seemed as if mist enveloped her whole body. I gazed at her hand—it was as translucent as glass. Was she real? Was she human? Was she an orchid fairy? I heard her voice, “Tian Li has bloomed, truly beautiful. Did the ‘Guan Shan’ in the Shuangqiao greenhouse bloom this year?”

I instinctively answered, “Not yet. Maybe it won’t bloom this year.”

She sighed lightly, her voice like the gentle notes of a flute. Her expression was one of aimlessness, her bewildered look making it hard to bear looking at her. She murmured softly, “Yes, maybe it won’t bloom this year...”

Just as I was about to ask her something, I suddenly heard Huo Mingyou calling my nickname, “Nuan Nuan!”

I turned and responded, “I’m here.”

Huo Mingyou walked in and teased me, “Always sneaking off alone.”

I pouted and said, “Who says I’m alone here? There’s...” I turned around, but froze. In front of the beautifully blooming “Tian Li,” the air was still filled with the fragrance of orchids, but where was the person?

Where had the fairy-like woman in white gone? How could she disappear? I was speechless. Had I really encountered a fairy?

Huo Mingyou laughed heartily, “Who else is here? No wonder Mu Shiyang says you’re a little monster; you grow more mischievous every day!”

I forced a smile, and he said, “Let’s go out.” I followed him out of the greenhouse, where the band was still playing music. He bowed gentlemanly, “Miss, may I have the pleasure of this dance?” I rolled my eyes at him and placed my hand in his. The music was a foxtrot, and after spinning a few circles, I suddenly saw a familiar figure and exclaimed, “Hmm?”

Huo Mingyou, being the sharp person he was, immediately followed my gaze and just smiled, “Do you know him?”

I shook my head, “No.” I noticed that the people chatting and laughing beside him were all sons of our family acquaintances, already very familiar with one another, bursts of laughter frequently breaking out. Huo Mingyou just smiled and asked, “Why do you keep staring at him?”

I rolled my eyes again, “Rare to see a new face, can’t I take a few more looks?” He suddenly stopped dancing and said, “Alright, let me introduce you.” I had no choice but to let him drag me over, inwardly lamenting. Sure enough, as soon as Zhuo Zheng saw me, he raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn’t say anything. Huo Mingyou introduced, “Zhuo Zheng, meet our Miss Mu Rong. Nuan Nuan, this is Vice Admiral Zhuo.”

He extended his hand to shake mine, “Nice to meet you.” I politely responded, “Nice to meet you too.” His gaze was piercing, and for some reason, I felt a bit guilty. Several acquaintances spoke to me, “Nuan Nuan, you played wonderfully today.” But I just stared at Zhuo Zheng, who calmly looked back at me. Finally, he asked, “Miss Mu Rong, may I have the honor of this dance?”

I nodded, and we stepped onto the dance floor together. Honestly, he was an excellent dancer, perhaps inheriting this skill from Father, who excelled in all pleasures. We danced in perfect harmony, drawing admiration from everyone on the floor, making quite a splash. When the music ended, he said, “Come with me,” dragging me behind the rose trellis. Quite domineering. He asked, “Who am I?”

His expression was comical, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He chuckled, frustrated, “I know this question sounds stupid, but I can only ask you.”

I sighed, “To be honest, I don’t know either.” I asked, “Why are you here?” My question sounded foolish. He shrugged, “I’m on leave. Zhao Liliang invited me.” Zhao Liliang was also one of my acquaintances. I nodded, and he hesitated before asking, “Has Mr. Mu said anything to you?” I could hear the hesitation in his tone; he was starting to suspect, not knowing how much he guessed.

I shook my head, “Father treats me like a child and never tells me anything.” He paused, “The first time I felt something was off was when you came to find me. I thought you knew something.” I paused, “That day he came to the fleet very suddenly, without prior notice. By chance, he visited our ship. The captain was on leave and couldn’t return, so I accompanied him...”

I remained silent. It wasn’t a coincidence that all these coincidences lined up, no wonder he was suspicious. He looked at me, puzzled, and I looked back at him. We faced each other, speechless. He softly said, “Your mother...” My mouth went dry. I thought of a crucial point but didn’t understand why he was here.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, “You know, my father’s current wife is his second marriage. According to the official account, my mother died in a car accident when I was less than a year old.” I said, “Zhuo Zheng, see if you can find any clues.”

He said, “I’ve checked the orphanage, but it was demolished long ago, leaving no trace whatsoever.”

We faced each other again. At that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the flower barrier. It was Uncle Lei. Seeing the two of us standing there, he paused briefly, then smiled, “Nuan Nuan, it’s time to go home.” He glanced at Zhuo Zheng. Zhuo Zheng remained composed and called out, “Minister Lei.” Uncle Lei nodded, “Xiao Zhuo, come with me. I need to talk to you.”

I smiled and asked, “Uncle Lei, this Zhuo brother is a good person. Don’t scold him.” Uncle Lei gave me a look, “Little clever one, hurry up, your father is waiting for you.”

I rode home with Father. Throughout the journey, he remained silent, but his mood didn’t seem bad as he smoked in the car. He asked the attendant to lower the car window, and although the attendant only lowered it slightly due to safety protocols, he didn’t get angry. He seemed almost happy. I had never seen him happy in all these years, so I wasn’t sure about this emotion.

After arriving home, I got out of the car, but Father didn’t. I heard him instruct the director of the attendant office, “I’m going to Duan Mountain.” The Duan Mountain residence was not far from the Shuangqiao residence, and I had never been there. I heard it was the house where Father lived when he was young. Director Shi replied, “Yes,” and walked away to make arrangements. I suddenly noticed that Director Shi didn’t seem surprised at all. Normally, when Father casually changed his schedule, Shi would show signs of difficulty and sometimes even try to dissuade him.

I turned around and called, “Father.” He absently acknowledged with a “Mm,” not even looking at me. With a determined heart, regardless of whether my guess was right or how absurd it might be, I took a gamble! I slowly said, “I want to see my mother.”

Father raised his head, and under the streetlight, I clearly saw the sharp gleam in his eyes. I wasn’t afraid and repeated, “I want to see my mother.”

Father’s expression was complex, indescribable. I mustered my courage, “Aren’t you going to see her now? Is she at the Duan Mountain residence?”

Father didn’t get angry, but I felt an inexplicable fear. I didn’t know if I guessed correctly—or if this absurd idea was completely baseless... Finally, I heard Father’s voice, hoarse, “Your mother—you want to see her?”

My heart raced like a drum. I felt as if I were standing at the eye of a typhoon, with everything around me rapidly collapsing. Next, it might be my turn. Nevertheless, I took the gamble. I didn’t know who Ren Yingying was, but she evoked an indescribable longing. She couldn’t be unrelated to me; she must have a profound connection with me.

Father finally sighed and said, “Get in the car.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Too easy, did he agree with me? Did I guess right? If I really guessed right, could the white-clad orchid fairy be her? Everything came too suddenly, too fast, too astonishing for me to believe.

The convoy headed towards the Duan Mountain residence. In the night, the tall trees lining the road cast dark shadows, and my heart was shrouded in this immense shadow. I didn’t know if the person waiting for me was my mother. Even if it was my mother, I didn’t know what else I would encounter besides her.