The silence dragged, and heavy with unspoken truths. Father Yue’s face had gone dark, while Mother Yue twisted the edge of her sleeve, pale and shaken.
Lu Jiang’s voice broke the stillness, calm but sharp. "You think silence will protect you? It won’t. It will only make you complicit."
Gritting his teeth, Father Yue asserted. "We’ve said all we need to. Yue Ning is our daughter, and that is an undeniable fact."
Lu Quan let out a cold laughter. "Your daughter? Then explain this—" He shoved another sheet forward, it was a signed statement. "Your own handwriting. Your own signature. You agreed to raise her for money."
Mother Yue’s face drained of color. Father Yue’s hands curled into fists on his knees. The truth was laid bare in front of them.
"Who entrusted her to you? Tell me, or I’ll drag this to the authorities, and sue you for fraud and child concealment. Do you think your reputation will survive?" Lu Jiang pressed, sneering at them.
Father Yue snapped instantly. "You can’t do this. We have said that—"
Lu Jiang cut him off without hesitation, his tone thunderous "Try me, and see if I don’t fulfill it."
The air in the study grew suffocating. Lu Jiang’s gaze was merciless, unyielding. "Do not mistake my patience for mercy. That child is mine. If you think I’ll allow her life to remain shrouded in lies, then you are gravely mistaken."
Mother Yue trembled, tears slipping down her cheeks. She knew she couldn’t keep the truth from them anymore.
"We... we only did as we were told. We had no choice. We needed money at that time, and the offer came. What... what were to do?" She sobbed loudly.
Lu Quan leaned forward, his voice was low as he demanded softly. "Then give us a name. Who instructed you?"
Father Yue’s lips pressed into a hard line. His silence stretched too long, and Lu Jiang slammed his palm against the table, making Mother Yue flinch.
"Speak! Or I’ll see to it the Yue family never rises again! It is something I can do."
At last, Father Yue’s mask cracked. His voice was low, hoarse, almost unwilling, but he had no other option. "It was a woman. She delivered the child to us... and every month, the money followed."
"Her name?" Lu Jiang probed.
Father Yue shut his eyes. His resistance collapsed under the weight of Lu Jiang’s fury, and he admitted. "Madam Xu."
Mother Yue covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. The truth had finally been revealed.
Lu Quan frowned, "Aunty... but why?"
Lu Jiang had the same question as his son. Why would his sister do something like this?
He looked at the couple, and he could sense they were not lying. If they weren’t, then what would his sister gain from taking his daughter away from him. What was her reason?
Lu Jiang had no idea, but he would find out.
_____________
"Thank you Madam Lu." Yue Ning thanked her as they left the restaurant.
"I should be thanking you. You agreed to my impromptu request. How about I get your number?" Lu Ting asked politely.
"Sure, that wouldn’t be a problem." Yue Ning agreed, and they both exchanged numbers.
"We will be leaving now. Once again, thank you." Yue Ning bowed slightly, and left after Lu Ting waved her hands. The source of this content ɪs novel fire.net
"Sister-in-law, what’s your relationship with her?" Huo Yan asked curiously as they walked to where the car was parked. The driver was already waiting for them.
"Relationship?" Yue Ning repeated. "We don’t have any relationship."
Huo Yan lowered her head, while her brows were furrowed.
"What is on your mind?" Yue Ning asked, sensing her silence.
She shook her head. "I just find it weird. You both share a striking resemblance. I don’t know how to place my finger on it."
Yue Ning smiled softly. "You shouldn’t be bothered about little matters."
Lu Ting watched both of them walk away, and brought out a transparent bag containing a strand of hair.
This strand of hair belonged to Yue Ning. She had secretly gotten a strand while they had lunch.
The driver approached her, snapping her out of her wandering thoughts. "Where are we headed to Madam?"
Lu Ting had a deep look in her eyes as she replied. "The hospital."
The driver bowed, and led her to the car.
Later that day, Lu Ting entered the hospital discreetly, dressed in simple clothes with a hat pulled low. She didn’t want anyone to recognize her.
The doctor greeted her with a polite nod, and asked. "Madam Lu, you’ve brought the sample?"
She handed over the small transparent bag. Her fingers lingered for a moment before letting go, as though afraid the strand of hair would vanish.
"I want a DNA comparison done immediately. Use it against this profile." She instructed calmly. This was considered taking matters into her hands.
She passed him an old, carefully kept file — one that contained Xiao Ning’s childhood medical records, along with the bracelet that had never left her side until the day she disappeared.
The doctor nodded. "It will take some time, but I’ll have results for you."
"Good. No one should know that I was here or what I came to do. This must be done secretly, have I made myself clear?" She ordered.
The doctor nodded, understanding the severity of the matter.
Lu Ting stared at him for some time before walking out of his office.
Her heart clenched. She forced herself to remain calm, but as she walked out of the hospital, her hands trembled.
"If you really are Xiao Ning... then I will never let you slip away again." Lu Ting murmured under her breath, before sighing.
_____________
Huo Mansion
Yue Ning returned with Huo Yan, chatting lightly to keep her spirits up. As they entered, Huo Feng was just coming down the stairs. His eyes darted between Yue Ning and Huo Yan.
"Where did you go?" He asked once he stood in front of both ladies.
Huo Yan smiled softly. "Sister-in-law took me out. We just had a little fun."
Huo Feng’s tense shoulders eased slightly. He turned to Yue Ning, but his eyes lingered longer than usual, as if searching her face for answers. Yue Ning raised her brows, but he only shook his head.
The system’s voice chimed softly in Yue Ning’s mind. ’Host, things around you are shifting again. Be careful. I feel like someone’s watching you closely.’
Yue Ning blinked, feeling unsettled. She glanced around the hall, but saw nothing out of place. But since the system had warned her, she had to be very careful.
Back at the Lu Mansion, Lu Ting sat in her room, unable to sleep. She kept staring at her phone, while she waited for the hospital’s call.
Finally, it rang, and she picked it up without hesitation. "Doctor, do you have the results?"
The line was quiet for a few seconds, then the doctor spoke. "Yes. Madam Lu, the comparison shows a 99.9% match. That young woman is indeed your daughter."
Lu Ting’s heart skipped a bit as the phone slipped slightly from her hand as tears welled up in her eyes. Her breath hitched with a mix of joy and sorrow.
Lu Ting whispered to herself. "Xiao Ning... my daughter... I’ve finally found you."